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2021-22 Texas Tech Basketball Preview with Ryan Mainville · Talkin' Tech

0:39
SPEAKER_03: Welcome in, everybody, to the Talk and Tech Podcast, powered by Guns Up Nation, part of the Guns Up Nation Podcast Network.
0:45
SPEAKER_03: I am your host, Steven Rodriguez, my co-host, Tristan McGonagall.
0:48
SPEAKER_03: Tristan, it is basketball season.
0:50
SPEAKER_03: We are talking basketball on this episode.
0:53
SPEAKER_03: All right, how hyped are you?
0:54
SPEAKER_04: I am beyond hype, but I see what you're trying to do.
0:57
SPEAKER_04: You're trying to cough out missing last Saturday's football game, Steven.
1:00
SPEAKER_04: I guess I'm the only real fan, only real host here that for Texas Tech Red Raiders, but up Oh, I get it.
1:08
SPEAKER_04: Family obligations, whatever.
1:11
SPEAKER_04: But man, I'm beyond excited to be talking about shooty hoops.
1:14
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, man.
1:15
SPEAKER_03: I did.
1:15
SPEAKER_03: The first game I missed uh was the Kansas game.
1:18
SPEAKER_03: Family birthday party.
1:20
SPEAKER_03: I know I'm I'm planning on cutting that part of my family out here pretty soon, making me miss tech football.
1:26
SPEAKER_03: They cannot last.
1:26
SPEAKER_03: They cannot last.
1:28
SPEAKER_03: No, but uh yeah, seriously, I missed it, but uh, it was a good game overall.
1:32
SPEAKER_03: I still need to go back and watch it.
1:33
SPEAKER_03: We're gonna give you another episode later on this week where we're breaking down more football stuff.
1:37
SPEAKER_03: But this episode is all basketball, and we're talking with our friend Ryan Mainville.
1:41
SPEAKER_03: He is extremely knowledgeable about the sport.
1:43
SPEAKER_03: We get into just about everything tech basketball going into this.
1:47
SPEAKER_03: This is gonna be a long episode, so buckle up, get ready for the basketball preview for 2021-22.
1:53
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, y'all, grab a drink because this is everything you need to know, and it's gonna be a bit.
1:57
SPEAKER_04: So study up and listen hard.
1:58
SPEAKER_04: This is your lecture.
1:59
SPEAKER_04: You got a final coming up soon.
2:01
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, seriously.
2:02
SPEAKER_03: So we're gonna go ahead and kick it on over to it.
2:05
SPEAKER_03: Here is the 2021-22 Texas Tech basketball preview.
2:11
SPEAKER_03: All right, we're here with Ryan Mainville.
2:14
SPEAKER_03: He is the host of the No Middle Madness podcast.
2:17
SPEAKER_03: He is with the Dallas Morning News.
2:19
SPEAKER_03: He does everything, dude.
2:20
SPEAKER_03: He's an extremely knowledgeable basketball guy.
2:22
SPEAKER_03: Ryan, how you doing today, man?
2:25
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, I'm doing good.
2:26
SPEAKER_05: Thank y'all for having me.
2:27
SPEAKER_05: Been listening to the show for a long time.
2:29
SPEAKER_05: Your guys' Twitter feed always makes me laugh.
2:31
SPEAKER_05: And so I'm honored to be here and excited to talk some hoops.
2:35
SPEAKER_04: We're honored to have you, man.
2:37
SPEAKER_04: It's it's it's been so exciting to watch your career from the uh Daily Torridor.
2:41
SPEAKER_04: It was so awesome seeing a student take initiative like you did.
2:45
SPEAKER_04: I read like every one of your Daily Torridor pieces.
2:48
SPEAKER_04: I was always really impressed.
2:49
SPEAKER_04: And now it's so cool to see you over at the the uh the Dallas Morning News, man.
2:53
SPEAKER_04: That's that's incredible.
2:54
SPEAKER_04: That's some good uh Texas Tech alumni stuff, man.
2:56
SPEAKER_04: We're very proud.
2:57
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, thanks, Tris.
2:58
SPEAKER_05: It means a lot.
2:59
SPEAKER_05: Glad glad you have uh been reading and that you're supporting my work means a lot.
3:04
SPEAKER_04: Thanks for the shout-out on the uh tech uh reaction.
3:07
SPEAKER_04: I saw that, I saw the uh the fun uh Matt Wells is undefeated against uh West Virginia tweet, man.
3:14
SPEAKER_04: I appreciate the uh the the bone toss there.
3:17
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, you guys just keep cranking out content.
3:19
SPEAKER_05: I gotta keep feeding it on my own stuff.
3:23
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, Tristan reads just about everything Texas Tech related.
3:26
SPEAKER_03: So if somebody writes about it, he's gonna read it.
3:29
SPEAKER_03: But uh yeah, man, I mean, you're the guy to talk to.
3:31
SPEAKER_03: You were the first in mind to talk tech basketball.
3:34
SPEAKER_03: Uh, we're just a little over three weeks away from the start of the season.
3:38
SPEAKER_03: Uh, this has been a high point for tech athletics these last couple of years.
3:41
SPEAKER_03: Um, you know, so we went into tech in 2014, so we were not expecting to come into a real like basketball-heavy school, and we have really transformed kind of due to football not being so good and due to our obvious success in the sport.
3:56
SPEAKER_03: So, um, man, I mean, I wanted to start here kind of with um the coaching staff because that is the thing to talk about first.
4:04
SPEAKER_03: Chris Beard left for the Longhorns.
4:06
SPEAKER_03: Uh, the snake that he is is now down in Austin.
4:09
SPEAKER_03: Uh, and we have a brand new coach in Mark Adams.
4:12
SPEAKER_03: Uh, what what were your initial thoughts when we originally hired Mark Adams and brought him in?
4:17
SPEAKER_03: Well, kept him in Lubbock, I should say.
4:20
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, whenever the the job opened up, I kind of thought Adams would always be the guy.
4:24
SPEAKER_05: And I still wanted them to do their due diligence and look at other guys, especially Darwin Ham.
4:29
SPEAKER_05: I was kind of big on that train for a while.
4:30
SPEAKER_05: But as the hiring process continued, it was just it was abundantly clear that Adams was the guy.
4:35
SPEAKER_05: I mean, his connections with the within the program, his his mind about basketball, he was just the obvious choice.
4:42
SPEAKER_05: You know, he he had that pool with the returners, he had established the culture with them.
4:46
SPEAKER_05: I thought that he was the guy immediately.
4:48
SPEAKER_05: And when he was hired, man, just seeing United Supermarkets arena packed for a press conference and just the reactions he was getting, it it was just so clear that he was the guy.
4:57
SPEAKER_05: And I'm I'm glad he's he's my basketball coach.
5:00
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, that was one of the coolest moments I've ever seen in Tech Tech Athletics, us packing the USA after Doomsday of Doomsday has happened, and then we're just we're back even bigger than ever.
5:09
SPEAKER_04: I think we're we support the team even more now.
5:12
SPEAKER_04: And you know, those were great points to bring up, but like something that really stuck out to me was there were no better ambassadors for the guy than the players that played for him.
5:20
SPEAKER_04: Like every single player was saying, I wanted to be Mark Adams, like both alumni and current.
5:26
SPEAKER_04: And I don't know if you get better praise than the ones that are directly you're being directly coached by.
5:30
SPEAKER_04: So that was really heartwarming to see and gives me a lot of confidence going forward that the players really believe in him.
5:36
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, and even the reaction that wasn't just like before he was hired, but even after he was hired, seeing Kevin McCullough commit to the program immediately after that.
5:45
SPEAKER_05: I think it says a lot about what was happening behind closed doors and what the players were saying to Kirby and the rest of the hiring committee.
5:53
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, no doubt.
5:54
SPEAKER_03: I mean, I we were it was fun kind of.
5:56
SPEAKER_03: I went and re-listened to some of our podcasts when that whole ordeal was going down.
6:00
SPEAKER_03: And I mean, we were down in the dumps when Beard left, and we were like, oh my God, we're gonna stink.
6:05
SPEAKER_03: Everybody's in putting their name in the transfer portal.
6:07
SPEAKER_03: And then the very next episode after Mark Adams gets hired, we're just as hyped up again.
6:11
SPEAKER_03: We're ready to go.
6:12
SPEAKER_03: Kevin McCullough decides he's coming back, San O Silva, all those returners.
6:16
SPEAKER_03: So um, you know, I I think it's a great hire.
6:20
SPEAKER_03: I think Mark Adams is ready for this moment.
6:22
SPEAKER_03: I know he's uh older on the scale.
6:24
SPEAKER_03: You don't usually hire a guy for the first time when he's 65, but um, you know, he I think he's hungry as ever.
6:31
SPEAKER_03: And uh the other guys, too, is what really uh made me buy into this coaching staff more.
6:36
SPEAKER_03: The hiring of Barrett Peary, the hiring of Corey Williams and Talvin Hester and those guys.
6:41
SPEAKER_03: I mean, it's just uh talk about incredible recruiters, incredible on court presence.
6:46
SPEAKER_03: I mean, he really built a great staff around him.
6:50
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, and I mean, immediately the like the first hire that really captivated me was Barrett Peary and just the offense that he ran at Portland State, just one of the most unique systems in college basketball last year that like honestly I was completely oblivious to until the dude got hired at tech and I started digging through his numbers, and I was like, this is crazy.
7:08
SPEAKER_05: This guy shoots like more threes than anyone else in the nation.
7:12
SPEAKER_05: He's running a press defense for the whole game.
7:15
SPEAKER_05: Like his on court presence was just really, really interesting to me.
7:19
SPEAKER_05: And from the moment he was hired, I was so interested in his numbers, and then seeing him get to Lubbock, like really build out his Twitter presence, which is like a really nerdy thing for me to notice.
7:29
SPEAKER_05: But like he just connects so well with the fans, he's excited about Lubbock, he's excited about Texas Tech sports that aren't just basketball.
7:36
SPEAKER_05: I thought Peary was like the home run hire, and I'm really excited to see what he brings with him.
7:41
SPEAKER_05: And then you mentioned like Talvin Hester, one of the best recruiters in the state of Texas, just a phenomenal guy that really knows the Metroplex, especially.
7:49
SPEAKER_05: And then Corey Williams, another great recruiter who connects really well with players and has been killing it on visits, as we've seen two guys commit within like a week of their visit.
8:00
SPEAKER_04: I know this fan base is starving for a new offense, so that I think that's our favorite thing about Peary right now.
8:06
SPEAKER_04: But if this guy can get me to run through a wall over United Supermarkets big gulp, I think he's gonna get us fired up for game day.
8:13
SPEAKER_05: I just gotta say that excitement is just it's great, and it's really refreshing to see.
8:18
SPEAKER_05: I mean, for a guy to come in like that, and you mentioned like just the despair that we all felt on April 1st and just seeing the the team just implode, feeling like all of our hopes were lost, and then you know, we hire a West Texas guy, and then he brings in this West Coast dude who's got swagger, wears these cool, like clear lens glasses, and just is amped on social media all the time.
8:41
SPEAKER_05: I mean, it's an exciting time to be a Texas Tech fan.
8:44
SPEAKER_05: I think Barrett Peary's a big part of that.
8:47
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, no doubt.
8:48
SPEAKER_03: I mean, it was it was such a 180 because I I've never seen, I was trying to think of programs that have had this happen to them.
8:54
SPEAKER_03: You know, a coach leaves for another job, and you really just get everything right back together and it's right back, and we're a competitor.
9:02
SPEAKER_03: I mean, we're as competitive as we have been the last few years, I think, with this roster.
9:07
SPEAKER_03: So um, I I think Mark Adams was a home run hire.
9:10
SPEAKER_03: I think Kirby did a great job with all that.
9:12
SPEAKER_03: He gave him the ability to pay assistance like Peary, like Williams, like uh Talvin Hester, uh, Sean Sutton also remain on staff.
9:22
SPEAKER_03: He's gonna be a big part of this team, uh, big player personnel guy, well known in the college basketball universe.
9:28
SPEAKER_03: Um, so I'm really excited for this coaching staff.
9:31
SPEAKER_03: I think uh we're not even gonna skip a beat.
9:33
SPEAKER_03: And you know, Beard is great in his own right.
9:36
SPEAKER_03: You know, I hate saying that now, but uh he is, he's a motivator and everything like that.
9:41
SPEAKER_03: But this this coaching staff's gonna be just as motivational.
9:45
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, definitely.
9:46
SPEAKER_05: I mean, and I like it.
9:48
SPEAKER_05: I like the mention of Sean Sutton.
9:50
SPEAKER_05: I think that's a big piece.
9:51
SPEAKER_05: I think he is just a really, really great basketball mind.
9:54
SPEAKER_05: Like he's a great dude, but like he his mind about basketball is there.
9:58
SPEAKER_05: He knows how to get players in the gym and get them to work on certain things.
10:02
SPEAKER_05: So, I mean, you're right, Steven.
10:03
SPEAKER_05: For us to even be talking about like this morning, I was thinking about man, where's Texas Tech gonna come in in the AP preseason poll?
10:10
SPEAKER_05: And if you would have told me that I would have even been thinking about that on April 1st, April 2nd, I would have said, no, no way, no chance.
10:18
SPEAKER_05: That's not happening.
10:19
SPEAKER_05: But here we are today talking about it.
10:22
SPEAKER_05: And even though Texas Tech didn't come in ranked, they still received books, and there's a there's a great chance for them to be competitive next year.
10:28
SPEAKER_05: I'm with you.
10:28
SPEAKER_05: I like this team, I think they're gonna be good, and I'm excited to talk about them today.
10:32
SPEAKER_03: Hey man, we're ranked 12th in Ken Pom.
10:35
SPEAKER_03: That's the only poll that matters, okay?
10:36
SPEAKER_03: So we're out here, Ken Pomeroy knows us.
10:39
SPEAKER_05: Yep, fourth best defense in the country.
10:41
SPEAKER_05: Who's surprised?
10:42
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, really.
10:44
SPEAKER_04: And it it's been it's been fun following you and your work.
10:47
SPEAKER_04: And it I love how every time there we make recruiting noise in uh in the world, you're like, yeah, so much for Mark Adams not being able to recruit, right?
10:55
SPEAKER_04: And I think uh uh the the accumulation of these guys has just really set up a perfect storm for that, just to not even skip a beat to see us winning these transfers over that are getting offers from you know our arguably better programs right now.
11:08
SPEAKER_04: And um, it's just so awesome to see us win win these guys over, and it has to be from this group of of awesome dudes leading the hell.
11:16
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, definitely.
11:17
SPEAKER_05: And like there was there was no backbone to the claim that Mark Adams was not a good recruiter.
11:22
SPEAKER_05: People just saw that he was old and they were like, uh, he's not gonna be able to do it.
11:26
SPEAKER_05: But I mean, you mentioned the support from past players, like this guy knows how to just win players over, how to make the game of basketball competitive and just get dudes to sell out to his culture.
11:37
SPEAKER_05: And so, I mean, it's there.
11:38
SPEAKER_05: We're seeing it with we've seen it with high school recruits now with big time transfers and with I mean, some huge returners, including a guy that I think would have been drafted if he would have stayed in the NBA draft.
11:49
SPEAKER_05: So, Mark Adams, man, I think he's the truth.
11:51
SPEAKER_03: Well, I think we could start there.
11:53
SPEAKER_03: We can go ahead and move on to the roster because uh Terrence Shannon is where I was gonna start because he's I mean, arguably the most talented player that's coming back on this roster.
12:01
SPEAKER_03: Like you said, went through the NBA draft combine.
12:04
SPEAKER_03: Uh, were you you were surprised, I guess, when he decided to come back?
12:08
SPEAKER_05: I was, and that was uh just looking at his defense, really.
12:13
SPEAKER_05: I mean, his defense was NBA ready, and that that was the selling point for me because the shots was still taking a little bit of work, shot just under 36% from three last year.
12:23
SPEAKER_05: But the on-ball defense was good enough to earn him a roster spot in the NBA.
12:28
SPEAKER_05: Uh, he really worked on that pull-up jump shot last year where it felt like he would catch the ball in the corner, take a dribble, and then take the mid-range shot.
12:34
SPEAKER_05: That just felt like it was going in at least two or three times every game.
12:37
SPEAKER_05: But I think that Terrence Shannon Jr.
12:39
SPEAKER_05: is the best player on this team.
12:41
SPEAKER_05: I mean, I really do.
12:42
SPEAKER_05: And I think that there's still room for growth in his game that's very attainable and that people have been talking about this offseason.
12:49
SPEAKER_05: And so I think it's going to be a huge, huge year for UTSJ.
12:53
SPEAKER_04: I mean it's crazy to see that a returner was probably the biggest news of the off-season player-wise.
12:59
SPEAKER_04: Whenever the whenever he said he was coming back, that was Tex Tech Nation exploded, and uh more, even more faith was injected right back into the fan base because they it went from, you know, yes, we believe in Mark Adams, but you know, there may be some time to recoup and rebuild into his new uh administration.
13:17
SPEAKER_04: But whenever uh Terrence Shannon says, No, I'm I'm coming back, everyone's like, Holy crap, we're just gonna pick up right where we were and just reload and move on.
13:25
SPEAKER_04: And I think that says a bunch a bunch about what this player is.
13:28
SPEAKER_04: I mean, we're talking about a guy that has uh real potential to be all Big 12, maybe even all American.
13:33
SPEAKER_04: So this this was just a huge lightning bolt to hit the program that I think is really energizing the fan base and the program.
13:39
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, I mean, and you mentioned it, the potential is there, which is crazy because he's have he's coming off a really good year.
13:45
SPEAKER_05: We see that with the preseason all Big 12 team selection.
13:48
SPEAKER_05: But I mean, I think there are two things that could really just propel his game.
13:51
SPEAKER_05: If he works on that three ball a little bit more and he's shooting 38, 37, that feels pushy, but I think he could get there.
13:59
SPEAKER_05: And then he also works on the secondary playmaking and initiating a little bit, and he can do something with the ball in his hands, which I've heard this offseason has been a really big like growth area for him, and that he's actually playing some point guard in practice right now.
14:12
SPEAKER_05: I think if he can do those two things, he'll be one of the five best players in this conference.
14:16
SPEAKER_05: Like it would surprise me if he's not, because those are just two areas that would really complete his game.
14:22
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I mean, the the things I noticed about Terrence Shannon in his freshman year was first off, he had one of the quickest first steps I've ever seen from a college basketball player as a freshman.
14:31
SPEAKER_03: I mean, that first step that he takes after a jab step just to drive to the hoop is unbelievable, so quick.
14:37
SPEAKER_03: And the improvement from his three-pointer.
14:40
SPEAKER_03: Because I mean, he he what 25% is freshman year to 35% his sophomore year.
14:44
SPEAKER_03: That's incredible improvement.
14:46
SPEAKER_03: Just just stating a fact there.
14:49
SPEAKER_03: But um, yeah, I mean, if he if he does get that three-point shot going, he's just that much more deadly because we know what he can do when he's driving to the basket, we know what he can do in transition defensively.
14:59
SPEAKER_03: We've seen it, but uh yeah, I think that's his last kind of step if for you know a potential career professionally in the NBA.
15:08
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, and you mentioned the improvement, and I think that's a good sign.
15:11
SPEAKER_05: I mean, it jumped 10% on a lot more volumes, so it's not like this was an outlier.
15:17
SPEAKER_05: And he talked about it in scrums all the time last season that hey, I'm still getting used to this jump shot.
15:23
SPEAKER_05: We tinkered with it a little bit once I got to Lubbock, and I like the more reps I take, I'm just getting more comfortable with it.
15:28
SPEAKER_05: And I think like a 76% shooter at the free throw line, what we saw last year, I think there's definitely still room for growth.
15:35
SPEAKER_05: And I think it's gonna be there.
15:36
SPEAKER_05: I don't know if he'll be a 40 plus guy on high volume, but 37, 38, that feels attainable for him.
15:43
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, for sure.
15:43
SPEAKER_04: And I mean, you touched on the three ball, he's definitely not alone and needing to improve the three ball.
15:48
SPEAKER_04: I remember watching every game last year, pulling our hair out over the at the three line.
15:52
SPEAKER_04: So I would I think we'd all welcome a little better percentage across the board for that.
15:56
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, definitely.
15:57
SPEAKER_05: And I mean, honestly, as I'm looking at this roster holistically, I think that could be an issue.
16:02
SPEAKER_05: And I think there are some guys that are gonna have to come around to that.
16:05
SPEAKER_05: But I think shooting is really one of the big weaknesses that I see on paper and what I've seen from film on the transfers and just knowing the returners in general.
16:14
SPEAKER_05: But yeah, I mean, a 37, 38% shooter who's gonna be playing probably the most minute on your team, that's really gonna help alleviate some of that.
16:23
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, no doubt.
16:24
SPEAKER_03: So that I mean, that's a good transition to talk about this next guy because Kevin McCullough is he may be the most important returner.
16:31
SPEAKER_03: I mean, uh, T SJ is too who T SJ is, but Kevin McCullough, in terms of being a vocal leader for this team, is just something that you don't get from a lot of guys.
16:40
SPEAKER_03: I mean, he came in uh to the program and is immediately a locker room guy.
16:44
SPEAKER_03: He's a guy that immediately committed when Mark Adams was named head coach.
16:48
SPEAKER_03: He's he's just Texas Tech through and through, uh, but a guy that does need to work on that outside shot, needs to work on a few things offensively.
16:56
SPEAKER_03: But uh, what were you?
16:57
SPEAKER_03: What like how important is he to this team, not only on the court but off the court?
17:03
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, I love that you've mentioned that because I think that's a huge part in establishing a culture in a competitive season under a first-year head coach.
17:12
SPEAKER_05: So when you've got a guy like Kevin McColler, who's not only really talented, which he is, but he's also a guy that's just really kind of evolved into a leader, both on the court and off the court.
17:23
SPEAKER_05: He's very unselfish.
17:24
SPEAKER_05: He cares about the locker room, he cares about wins more than anything else.
17:28
SPEAKER_05: I think that's huge.
17:29
SPEAKER_05: And then I mean, you mentioned the shooting, but I want to talk about that because it looks better from the clips that I've seen.
17:35
SPEAKER_05: It looks better.
17:36
SPEAKER_05: He looks a lot more comfortable with it.
17:38
SPEAKER_05: There was a little bit of a hitch in his right elbow last year.
17:41
SPEAKER_05: It just felt a little slow coming out, um, but it looks better.
17:45
SPEAKER_05: And I mean, last year, 28% shooter from deep with a 70% free throw shooter.
17:50
SPEAKER_05: I think he could crack the low 30s this year.
17:52
SPEAKER_05: I'm not too optimistic about it, but it does look better from what I've seen.
17:58
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, I mean, I I don't I don't even think I can add on to what y'all have said because I'm just gonna repeat you because this guy was a catalyst.
18:04
SPEAKER_04: This guy really I kind of said about TJ about being the biggest news of the offseason, but this guy was here the whole time.
18:09
SPEAKER_04: Like he wasn't going anywhere from the beginning, and that's such it's just so great to have that foundational rock to build on, like you said earlier.
18:17
SPEAKER_04: And it's just it's just those non-tangibles that make you believe in this team even more and more, not just the statistics on the paper, not just the player ability, because this guy's completely bought in, and it's it was just great to see a guy as talented as him not wanting to go anywhere because he the doors would have been open for him everywhere, like people would have dove at the opportunity to get him in the transfer portal, but he shut that down immediately fast faster than pretty much everybody.
18:40
SPEAKER_04: So that was awesome to see.
18:42
SPEAKER_04: Um, and uh I I'm just really excited to see him take on the true captain role because it's it's gonna be kind of his team in a way.
18:48
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, absolutely it will be.
18:50
SPEAKER_05: And I mean, we we've been talking about his vocal leadership, but now he might be in a position where he's actually the leader on the floor and playing this point guard type role that Mark Adams has talked a little bit about this this offseason.
19:01
SPEAKER_05: And I'm still a little cautiously optimistic about that.
19:04
SPEAKER_05: I think that K Mac's got a really high basketball IQ, he just knows the game really well.
19:09
SPEAKER_05: If you just watch him off the ball, dude is constantly moving, finding gaps in the defense.
19:14
SPEAKER_05: He just finds himself open.
19:15
SPEAKER_05: I think that's gonna really help him out at point guard.
19:17
SPEAKER_05: There's still some things I'm a little bit curious to see in Big 12 games, specifically how he can take guys off the dribble or create space and pick and rolls.
19:26
SPEAKER_05: But I mean, there you have it.
19:28
SPEAKER_05: This is a guy who's been a leader in the locker room, and now he's gonna be a leader on the floor.
19:31
SPEAKER_05: And he's been called the glue guy for the past two years.
19:34
SPEAKER_05: But I think this is really the year where he becomes the guy.
19:37
SPEAKER_05: Like he's he's not the thing holding this together, he's the thing that's leading the charge.
19:41
SPEAKER_05: He's Elijah Wood, Spy Kids 3.
19:45
SPEAKER_03: Oh wow, you pulled that reference out from from way back.
19:49
SPEAKER_03: Yes, there's no more important role than that, man.
19:52
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, we hope we we really hope Kevin McCullough can be like Elijah Wood in Spy Kids 3D.
19:58
SPEAKER_03: But but um, no, I mean you mentioned the new facilitator role.
20:04
SPEAKER_03: I think that's it's more of an addition for the actual team itself because if you can put five guys out on the floor and have Kevin McCullough be your point guard or have Terrence Shannon be your point guard at times, that's I mean, you could put five guys that are potentially six foot six and up on the floor at one time, and that only adds to how dangerous this team can be defensively.
20:25
SPEAKER_03: I think mostly when you have that height, have that length.
20:28
SPEAKER_03: I mean, every it seems like everybody on this team is six foot six with long arms.
20:33
SPEAKER_03: But uh, yeah, I think that's gonna be super important going forward if he can mold himself into more of a point guard, you know, take that dribbling to the next step.
20:43
SPEAKER_03: Uh, I think he can make this team could be awesome with him there.
20:47
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, and you mentioned the defensive versatility that that would create to be able to run like five wings on the floor at one time.
20:54
SPEAKER_05: And I think that's what they're gonna try and do.
20:57
SPEAKER_05: This this isn't like insider info, it's just looking at this team and thinking about what they could do.
21:01
SPEAKER_05: Like, kind of this offseason, my like mode and motto has just been like, I want Texas Tech basketball next season to play like Kansas did last year.
21:11
SPEAKER_05: And Kansas would just run like five wings out on the floor, slip David McCormick in there sometimes.
21:17
SPEAKER_05: But like their defensive lineup was so good because they just had five guys who could play interchangeably.
21:23
SPEAKER_05: Obviously, you had really talented guys like Miles Garrett leading that charge, but like they could just switch everything and just stop you on the three-point line.
21:31
SPEAKER_05: And when I'm looking at this team, I can see the potential to do that.
21:34
SPEAKER_05: And I see plenty of guys that could slide into that David McCormick role and come in when Texas Tech needs some size.
21:40
SPEAKER_05: But there's gonna be a lot of like five wing lineups where it's just chaos.
21:44
SPEAKER_05: And there are two guys that we're gonna talk about later who have been playing really good defense this this offseason, and I really think that Mark Adams is gonna have a lot of fun with these lineups.
21:54
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I mean, true a lot of people throw around the word positionless in basketball, but this truly is can be a really positionless lineup and just a whole bunch of variety.
22:05
SPEAKER_03: You can throw out if you need a big guy, throw him out.
22:07
SPEAKER_03: If you need maybe two guards, throw him out.
22:09
SPEAKER_03: If you need five wings at a time, throw them out.
22:11
SPEAKER_03: I think this roster uh just let allows you to do that as a coach.
22:15
SPEAKER_03: And I think Mark Adams, like you said, is going to take advantage.
22:18
SPEAKER_04: Well I mean I think we spent enough time on the the the new captain here.
22:22
SPEAKER_04: Good, but now let's go to the brick wall.
22:25
SPEAKER_04: What do you think about Marcos Sanasilva?
22:27
SPEAKER_04: That guy is built like a truck coming back.
22:30
SPEAKER_04: I'm so glad that he he uh also shut down some transfer rumors coming in.
22:34
SPEAKER_04: Um you know it took him a bit but I mean uh we're all bl we're all very happy to have him back.
22:38
SPEAKER_04: Um so obviously he was our he was kind of our big guy last year.
22:42
SPEAKER_04: You know, does does he kind of go back to that role or do you see him kind of switch a bit?
22:46
SPEAKER_05: Yeah well I'm a Marco Santos Silva truther.
22:49
SPEAKER_05: I feel like I've just got to preface everything I say with that.
22:52
SPEAKER_05: I think the dude is a lot better than he got credit for last year.
22:55
SPEAKER_05: I think he caught a lot of slack from the fan base and like he his game has some weaknesses and he's got to address those this year especially with two really talented transfers coming in but I think he provided some value at a really like necessary position for this team because there were like no other bigs that could play the minutes he was playing.
23:15
SPEAKER_05: And I think on the glass just what he provided was was just so good for this team and so necessary.
23:22
SPEAKER_05: And you mentioned his role this year I do think he's going to continue to play down on the block running some pick and roll but there are really two questions that I have for him heading into this season.
23:32
SPEAKER_05: And the first of which is did that explosiveness improve is he going up more aggressively when he gets the ball in the basket that was something that I know just drove the fan base nuts.
23:41
SPEAKER_05: You could even hear it in the USA like whenever he would pump fake a layup whenever there wasn't like a defender on his hip and everybody be like ah but I think if he can improve that and he if he can just go up strong that's going to really help his game out he did a lot of that at VCU.
23:55
SPEAKER_05: And then a key part of that is the second question is his free throw shooting a little bit better because if he goes up aggressively he's going to get sent to the line and I think that might have played a part in why he tried to continue to run hesitation moves and pump fakes was because he wanted a layup he didn't want to go to the free throw line.
24:12
SPEAKER_05: And so I think if he has more comfort with that it'll allow him to play a lot more aggressively.
24:17
SPEAKER_03: I'm just asking for 65% that's all I'm asking I mean that I honestly with with those big guys you know and and with such a really came into tech with a really jacked up form I mean he's never been a good free throw shooter.
24:30
SPEAKER_03: So I mean there's not a lot of confidence in that area for him but if he can get it to 65 I mean and if and like you said he keeps going up strong keeps getting in line more keeps getting more reps I think he'll get a little more comfortable with that part of his game.
24:44
SPEAKER_03: But I did want to ask you and we'll talk about these other two guys in Kevin Obana and Bryson Williams here in a bit but uh this is a pretty crowded front court.
24:52
SPEAKER_05: I mean where do you do you see Marcus kind of retaining that starting position or do you really see him coming off the bench yeah so right now on my projected starting five I don't have MSS in the starting five which is a little bit like it makes me hesitate because it's so weird to bump a guy who was a starter for your team last year and onto the bench especially after the team has gone through this much and it feels just kind of like out of my nature to do this to him.
25:22
SPEAKER_05: But I do think that um specifically with Kevin O'Banner and Bryson Williams they're just going to fit the defensive scheme a little bit better.
25:29
SPEAKER_05: And so that's why I don't have Marco Santosilva on in my starting five right now.
25:33
SPEAKER_05: But I do think that he'll play a lot of minutes as long as he can keep himself out of foul trouble.
25:37
SPEAKER_05: I think he's going to continue to be a really valuable piece of this team.
25:40
SPEAKER_05: I think he'll probably be like the sixth or seventh man depending on what the lineup looks like.
25:45
SPEAKER_05: But yeah I mean I think that there's some there's obviously some negative impacts of getting those many guys into your roster like now he's not going to have as many minutes.
25:56
SPEAKER_05: He's got to earn his minutes he's got to keep himself out of foul trouble to keep himself on the court but I do think that there are some positives and especially that Texas Tech doesn't have to try and create through him like they did last year.
26:08
SPEAKER_05: I feel like especially on the first or second play of the game we would see him just get the ball on the high post or on the block and he would try and do something with it and it just never worked.
26:17
SPEAKER_05: And I never understood why why that just continued to be the start of the game call.
26:23
SPEAKER_05: But with Bryson Williams I really really see the potential to do that and also Kevin O'Banner but I think that this will really let Marcos just kind of play the basketball that he's best at and not have to force things.
26:35
SPEAKER_04: Yeah I think he put it perfectly I think uh on this podcast we think he's coming off the bench as well but Steven and I were talking that you know we're we're expecting a lot of substitutions.
26:44
SPEAKER_04: I we don't think that coming off the bench is necessarily means he's not going to get a ton of minutes.
26:49
SPEAKER_04: Um and I think this that just shows the depth that we're starting to see evolve in this program where a guy like him it may not be a starter.
26:57
SPEAKER_04: Like that gives you a lot of uh high expectations about what's coming off that bench and that's a great place to be you know you don't want to have to rely on the only uh your starting line out there the whole time it's just not going to happen.
27:08
SPEAKER_04: So I'm glad to see that you know we have a guy as reliable as him potentially coming off the bench.
27:13
SPEAKER_03: Yeah and it could be like I I'm just thinking he could be lineup specific.
27:18
SPEAKER_03: I mean some games he may start because maybe they need a bigger body down low.
27:22
SPEAKER_03: They need somebody to guard a David McCormick for Kansas or somebody you know these much taller and bigger big men of the Big 12 you know so he may start some games he may not I mean it's just it's I think it'll be a little lineup dependent.
27:36
SPEAKER_05: Absolutely and I mean we we heard this all the time from Beard like he's our sixth or seventh starter whenever he was referring to Terrence Shana Jr.
27:45
SPEAKER_05: And like I used to think that was like kind of coach speaky and just like trying to take it easy on guys who weren't good enough to sneak in the starting five but like with this team like I'm looking at it and I think that there are nine dudes who could be rotation players which would be wild.
27:59
SPEAKER_05: That's a lot of guys to fit into a 40 minute basketball game.
28:03
SPEAKER_05: But I think it's gonna happen because I think it has to happen to get all of your best players on the floor.
28:08
SPEAKER_05: And so yeah I think that starting lineup is is really going to be irrelevant this year.
28:14
SPEAKER_05: And I think that there could be as many as eight or nine that we see even before Big 12 play like jumps off.
28:20
SPEAKER_05: I think they're gonna try a lot of weird stuff in non-con and I'm really excited to see like those first few weeks of this team and how Mark Adams just approaches this roster.
28:31
SPEAKER_04: Yeah absolutely uh so speaking of all this rotation I guess that means we have more guys to talk about some guys worth talking about love to hear it.
28:39
SPEAKER_04: So I'm about to say something weird I mean I don't I don't know this maybe like a Texas tech first but we're about to talk about the first Frenchman one of the two Frenchmen on on this Texas tech Lubbock Texas team uh Clarence the Dolney.
28:54
SPEAKER_04: All right so we we have we have the the first French fries coming in um and here he is at year three um it it's it's gonna be interesting to see how his role develops within as he's becoming a veteran.
29:06
SPEAKER_04: So what do we expect out of this guy coming in?
29:09
SPEAKER_05: Yeah I think I come into this this season with a lot of questions about Clarence.
29:13
SPEAKER_05: I think that we've seen a lot of flashes from him and what he can provide but I still think that through his first two years at tech, it's just been inconsistent and he's really struggled to put it all together for long stretches of time.
29:24
SPEAKER_05: And he got banged up a little bit this offseason.
29:27
SPEAKER_05: The program actually isn't sure if he'll be ready to play on opening night or not it's trending towards that way.
29:32
SPEAKER_05: It was looking like he might be out until December but he's healing up well and I think that that doesn't really help his case here because I think that there are just things that he needs to work on.
29:40
SPEAKER_05: And last year what I saw a lot of flashes of that I think he can provide value in this year is the playmaking.
29:46
SPEAKER_05: Like there was the West Virginia game where he checked in and immediately got like back to back assists and like immediately in that moment I was like if Clans can do this then he's gonna be a really good player and he's gonna be a pivotal piece for this team especially when I'm looking at the weaknesses on this team and I think playmaking could be one of them.
30:03
SPEAKER_05: So I think that really Clarence has just got to gotta figure out ways to make plays because everything else is just kind of a work in progress it feels like I mean the on ball defense is good.
30:15
SPEAKER_05: He's really scrappy he's actually a little too scrappy he gets himself into foul trouble pretty often but I think that where he can earn his minutes is in playmaking just creating for other guys and and playing that typical scrappy on ball defense that Mark Adams is going to love.
30:31
SPEAKER_03: Yeah I was I was looking at some of Clarence's stats from last year.
30:34
SPEAKER_03: I think he averaged about one and a half points at a game and 1.3 fouls a game so dude I mean he always gives his heart and he always hustles his butt off but you know sometimes I can come back and be you're a little too aggressive take it easy.
30:46
SPEAKER_03: But um yeah it's gonna be interesting to see how he breaks his way in the lineup especially um you know with with Malik Wilson and and uh you know if we're gonna use Kevin McCullough as point guard if we're gonna use Terrence Shannon some point guard.
30:59
SPEAKER_03: So it's gonna be interesting.
31:00
SPEAKER_03: I think he's a uh he's a guy that you just love to have on your team though because he always works his butt off whether it's in practice whether it's in a game he's always going to be uh cheering on his teammates you know he's not gonna get down if he makes a mistake he'll get right back up so I think that's the best thing that Clarence brings to this team I'll tell you what I respect about Clarence is getting up there in front of the crowd with DJ Diesel throwing on the 10 gallon hat who cares if it's backwards but getting the crowd going and just kind of throwing a little shade at uh at uh Mr Country Club.
31:31
SPEAKER_04: So I love seeing that uh it's great to have culture guys like that that just got to buy into the university and so cool seeing a Frenchman get into Lovic Texas like that.
31:39
SPEAKER_04: Um and like it he had really bright shining moments last year.
31:43
SPEAKER_04: I remember those times over Steve and I were texting each other saying look at Clarence go.
31:47
SPEAKER_04: Like maybe we should keep on the court a little longer with the stuff he's doing right now.
31:51
SPEAKER_04: And obviously we want to see more of that especially you know he's becoming a veteran now.
31:56
SPEAKER_04: It's just something you're looking for.
31:58
SPEAKER_05: Yeah absolutely and I mean the dude is an energizer bunny like you throw him into the game and he's giving 150% until he can't play anymore.
32:06
SPEAKER_05: And so I think that's where he he can provide value.
32:09
SPEAKER_05: Like I'm a stats guy I'm a film guy.
32:11
SPEAKER_05: I don't like talking about like energy and chemistry but I really think that's where he can provide some value is just getting out there and and roughing some dudes up like maybe he needs to get a foul or two maybe he needs to hit some hands and swipe out a ball I think there's going to be times in games this year where that's going to be valuable.
32:29
SPEAKER_03: But again I think really where his minutes lay is how well he can play make yeah absolutely so it'll be interesting to see how Nadol Lee breaks his way in the lineup if he does at all this season.
32:41
SPEAKER_03: So uh but we got to talk about the last returner we got to talk about your guy you and Emery on the No Middle Madness podcast absolutely adore this dude.
32:50
SPEAKER_03: I love the potential of this dude Shabuzo Agbo uh grown I mean he's now up to about like what six eight six nine it's looking like he's one of the taller and more like heavy set guys now he's he's put some good muscle on this offseason but uh what do you think Buzo?
33:07
SPEAKER_03: What do you think about him this season, man?
33:09
SPEAKER_05: Yeah it's it's all aboard the Buzo hive come join us I'm all about so glad that he was kind of the turning point in that Arkansas game last year and really just gave the team a burst of life with two big threes including one that went off the backboard and banked in that was just incredible incredible stuff but I mean yeah I'm I'm all about Buzo and I think that when we're looking at this team and we're looking at its versatility and the defensive lineups and like I mentioned like that that five wing lineup like this is where he can really really shine because in high school Buzo was a guy that really played like a four hybrid five role like he just played all over the floor in high school it was crazy.
33:52
SPEAKER_05: I remember talking to his high school coach before last season and he was like dude he takes like nine free throws a game because he just gets on the block and will just attack guys and he's just too big he's too lengthy and then he'll slide out to the perimeter and knock down a three and then he'll play really good defense on the other end.
34:11
SPEAKER_05: And like I I see that just with his build like you mentioned Steven just how tall he is now he's he's put on some weight he's he's thicker he's gonna be able to bang it bang it around down low.
34:22
SPEAKER_05: I think that he still will find his most value in a three and D role especially on this year's team.
34:28
SPEAKER_05: I think that's where he's gonna be really really important.
34:30
SPEAKER_05: But I think that we just need to see more of him like we we didn't see a lot of them last year.
34:36
SPEAKER_05: And it's really hard to judge a guy when you only see him for I don't know however many minutes he played last year like a hundred probably um but I think that that burst of energy in the Arkansas game was big to me because I think that that's where he's gonna play this year and that's what he's gonna do is make threes and play good defense.
34:54
SPEAKER_05: And if he can do that he's gonna have minutes.
34:57
SPEAKER_04: I think a good word to use for this guy is probably Swiss Army knife.
35:01
SPEAKER_04: You know he he's he's big and he's got he he can knock down a shot um and you just want to see that evolve big time.
35:07
SPEAKER_04: And I we might be able to say Swiss Army knife for a lot of our players but it kind of whenever listening to you talk about the way he can kind of do it all is the he really comes to mind whenever you're you're saying that and I it's great to have a have a guy like that you know have a guy that you can rely on to fill fulfill pretty much a general purpose role and that that's that's great on a court with only so many players.
35:28
SPEAKER_04: So it's good to see him come back and uh you know obviously you want to see him make some mature progression.
35:34
SPEAKER_04: You know now he now he's not a kid anymore.
35:36
SPEAKER_04: You know he's he's got a year in college he's played big boy ball so it'll be interesting to see how he uh he's moved on to his next year.
35:42
SPEAKER_05: Yeah and Swiss Army knife is is a great term like when I was talking to his coach Mike Hoft I was like what's he gonna do at Texas Tech?
35:50
SPEAKER_05: Like I I've got limited film available I can see his numbers like just tell me what he what is he going to do and his coach was like he he's gonna do whatever he's told to do like the the guy can play anywhere and he'll play anywhere.
36:01
SPEAKER_05: Like he doesn't care where you throw him out he's just gonna go out there and do whatever it takes to win the game.
36:06
SPEAKER_05: And so I really think that Buzo can play I really do see him in like a a three four role but I think that he could maybe even play some some small ball five if Texas Tech is going to want to run that like lineup of death I think that he could play there.
36:22
SPEAKER_03: But yeah I'm I'm excited about this guy and his sophomore season no doubt no doubt I think Buzo I could see him being in a like a hugely impactful player you know potentially breaking into a starting lineup role I could also see him kind of teetering in the lineup but it's gonna be interesting to really see what he brings to the table after an offseason of of growth.
36:44
SPEAKER_05: I mean the dude I I think he's grown at least two or three inches since he arrived on campus and he's gotten so much bigger it's really cool seeing uh this strength staff kind of really get into him the most of everybody yeah he's bigger that's for sure and the interesting thing is that in last year's class he was probably the most like college basketball ready build like Burnett was a little thin PV was way too thin to get on the court in August um but Buzo came in he had some meat on his bones he's a tall dude and like just giving him another offseason of that it's gonna translate on the on the court I'm almost sure of it.
37:22
SPEAKER_03: Yeah no doubt so uh well that's our five that's our five returners we're extremely excited to have all five of these guys back with the program it you know retains a lot of that continuity not only with the coaching staff but with these new guys bringing in saying hey I've been with this program I know you know how we roll here and this is the culture we're building and I mean the first transfer we need to talk about is Kevin O'Banner he was the biggest addition uh I I think uh in terms of the transfer portal for Texas Tech coming in from Oral Roberts averaged almost 19 points a game 9.6 rebounds I mean 46% from the three-point line as a six foot eight dude 87% free throw Ryan how good is this guy it's just really difficult to put it into words how good of an offensive player he is.
38:11
SPEAKER_05: I mean for a guy to shoot almost 50 40 90 and almost score a double double is it's just absurd.
38:18
SPEAKER_05: It's it's unheard of in college basketball really and I don't care where he was playing last year.
38:23
SPEAKER_05: I don't care if he was playing division three basketball for him to put up these numbers is ridiculous.
38:29
SPEAKER_05: And I think to discredit them because of where he was playing is foolish because we saw it and the tournament and that the increase in competition level it just didn't phase him.
38:38
SPEAKER_05: The dude's a baller I mean the shot is legit it has to be for him to shoot 46% from three but it's really really good and I think that's where he's really going to shine is using him in these like pick and roll pick and pop type plays where he can threaten the defense both inside the paint and also kicking back out to the perimeter that's going to be so so difficult to stop.
39:00
SPEAKER_05: And he's just such a good three level scorer doesn't matter if he's at the basket doesn't matter if he's in the midrange doesn't matter if he's shooting a three I mean I think that Kevin O'Banner might be the best offensive player on this team I'm just so intrigued by his skill set.
39:14
SPEAKER_05: I think that there's some things he needs to work on defensively but offensively on on high volume that this guy is going to be a problem.
39:22
SPEAKER_03: And as we speak legions of pissed off Arkansas fans are feeling our threats right now they're listening you know they're listening they know they're outside my door right now that was a that was a wild and crazy crew that came when he was choosing between us and Arkansas um but yeah we haven't really had a stretch four stretch five kind of like him since and I'm gonna kind of throw it back to when we were in college Aaron Ross was kind of the last guy that we saw that could actually step outside play the big man role but also knock down the three ball.
39:56
SPEAKER_03: So um obviously I think Kevin O'Banner is is going to be a much better version of Aaron Ross no offense to him.
40:02
SPEAKER_03: But um you know I I I'm just really excited for this guy.
40:05
SPEAKER_03: I think he just adds more versatility to this lineup and we're gonna say I'm gonna say that with just about everybody on this team.
40:11
SPEAKER_03: I mean we can have so many different lineups with this Kevin O'Banner being able to step outside knock down an NBA range three point shot I know he loved that pick and pop uh kind of at the top of the key there.
40:22
SPEAKER_03: He did that a ton for Oral Roberts last year.
40:24
SPEAKER_03: And like you mentioned Ryan I mean he showed it against good competition.
40:28
SPEAKER_03: He beat Ohio State in the tournament I mean he he got them to the sweet 16 last year with um I'm not sure how to say his last name, but Max, you know, the other guy uh but man I'm excited for him.
40:40
SPEAKER_03: I'm really excited for Kevin O'Banner.
40:43
SPEAKER_04: Yeah great points guys I mean I I love that Ryan's really harping on I don't care where you play you know people put a lot of stock in brand names on a jersey if a guy can ball he can ball no matter where he is um and it this was what was so cool about him you know talking about off the court is this was the biggest splash of the season in the transfer portal uh for Texas Tech and one of the biggest splashes in the entire country to see this coaching staff beat out a team that is arguably the best in the SEC for a team that is going into a bit of a rebuild, you know, new coaching staff and everything nothing's absolute was just awesome to see the ability to see the the recruiting muscle flexed immediately just shows to me that you know we have a lot to look forward to with this new coaching staff to be able to reel in guys like these and it's glad I'm glad that we got to bring able to uh to bring this Texas boy home because I think we all have a a lot of uh uh hopes riding on him yeah and I really really loved that it came down to Texas Tech and Arkansas just because I mean like Texas Tech had the history of being like the transfer destination and that's what Arkansas has turned themselves into.
41:43
SPEAKER_05: I mean the must bus is a real thing and Arkansas knows how to get some talent both from the high school level and from the transfer portal.
41:51
SPEAKER_05: And when it came down to these two I've got to admit I was a little bit like I don't know I think he's probably going to go to Arkansas.
41:57
SPEAKER_05: But man for Mark Adams to win that battle it it's huge.
42:01
SPEAKER_05: It's it really set the tone for this offseason and honestly maybe even his career as a head coach.
42:08
SPEAKER_03: It was it was pretty cool seeing that it came down to those two because I know Corey Williams just came from Arkansas and he's already got to compete with his former team for this big time transfer and he won.
42:19
SPEAKER_03: And I mean going up like you said I mean Muss is building some over there and they're I mean they have like what the number two recruiting class in 2022.
42:27
SPEAKER_03: I mean they're they're a train and they're crazy but um yeah I mean it was it was nice to steal one from him it was and I mean especially when it's this guy like any guy it would have been fun to rub it in Arkansas face a little bit.
42:42
SPEAKER_05: But I mean this guy I really think he was one of the best players available on the portal this offseason.
42:48
SPEAKER_05: I mean just such a good offensive player.
42:51
SPEAKER_05: I think he's gonna do so much for this team especially if things kind of come together around him like you mentioned Max Apesmith and just the way that they ran that pick and pop and that pick and roll together.
43:01
SPEAKER_05: I think if he can do that with like a Mileek Wilson or a Kevin McColler that's just really going to bring his game out.
43:07
SPEAKER_05: And again I think that there are some things I'd like to see defensively in the first few weeks of the season.
43:13
SPEAKER_05: I think that last year there were some times on his film where it looked like he struggled to kind of follow a ball handler from the perimeter into the paint, just keeping his feet steady, moving his feet quickly but just what he can do offensively obviously offsets all of that.
43:27
SPEAKER_04: Well if if he agreed to come to a coach Adams team, I don't think coach Adams sugarcoated that deep he's gonna have to learn defense.
43:36
SPEAKER_04: He's he's gonna drill it into his head and he's not gonna uh uh accept any less than the juggernaut knot that we put out there and I I think that gave him you know a bit of a fire you know like I do need to improve on that with my game.
43:48
SPEAKER_04: So maybe this is the perfect destination to come to so we're obviously just really hyped.
43:53
SPEAKER_04: It's a it's a win on and off the court uh just to see what's coming.
43:57
SPEAKER_04: Speaking of wins and speaking of bringing Texas Mean heels in Texas, but bringing uh our Texas boys in, uh, West Texas, we're staying here.
44:05
SPEAKER_04: Uh Bryson Williams, we're bringing in some size, and this was a great win.
44:10
SPEAKER_04: And because it was so cool seeing his testimonials.
44:12
SPEAKER_04: Uh Bryson Williams just said when we got on the bus with those coaches, he said he'll done.
44:16
SPEAKER_04: Like those those guys, it was a culture from the immediate.
44:19
SPEAKER_04: He just felt like he was home immediately.
44:21
SPEAKER_04: And it that's just something you can't train.
44:23
SPEAKER_04: That's just a that's just a culture thing with the coaches.
44:25
SPEAKER_04: So, what do y'all think about Bryson Williams?
44:28
SPEAKER_05: Man, I I have been sky high on Bryson Williams ever since he announced he was transferring.
44:34
SPEAKER_05: And it was a long process, like he was in the portal for a few months.
44:38
SPEAKER_05: Texas Tech showed interest immediately, and I was just kind of sitting there waiting.
44:43
SPEAKER_05: And as we watched everything else unfold, I just kept telling Emery, like, man, I hope they get Bryson Williams.
44:49
SPEAKER_05: Man, Bryson Williams is gonna be that needle mover, he's gonna be the dude, he's gonna provide so much value.
44:55
SPEAKER_05: And they ended up with him, which is crazy because I really thought that there was a point there in that like first month where it did not sound good.
45:03
SPEAKER_05: Like, like it sounded like he was gonna follow Rodney Terry to Texas.
45:06
SPEAKER_05: But like you mentioned, he met the coaching staff, he saw the culture and he bought in.
45:11
SPEAKER_05: And I think this dude is so talented.
45:14
SPEAKER_05: Like, I know that everybody sees the numbers from Kevin O'Banner, and the respect is drawn, and it should be.
45:20
SPEAKER_05: This guy is so talented, but the gap between O'Banner and Williams is much smaller, much, much smaller than I think a lot of people realize.
45:29
SPEAKER_05: I think that Bryson Williams is just so versatile on offense.
45:32
SPEAKER_05: I think that there's gonna be some opportunities to play through him, almost in like a Chris Clark type role, which I know is like kind of like alarming to some people because Chris Clark was like not the best basketball player.
45:46
SPEAKER_05: But I mean, if you throw Bryson Williams at the free throw line or in the high post and you say, hey, you don't need to dribble, just look at dudes and make a pass.
45:53
SPEAKER_05: I think he's gonna excel in that role.
45:55
SPEAKER_05: I think the shot is better than the 28% he shot last year.
45:59
SPEAKER_05: I think he can play in that pick and pop role with Kevin O'Banner.
46:02
SPEAKER_05: I think he can also play in the pick and roll game.
46:04
SPEAKER_05: He's a good post scorer.
46:06
SPEAKER_05: And yeah, I'm just big on Bryson Williams.
46:10
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I think he's gonna be a really important piece for us.
46:13
SPEAKER_03: I think, you know, he may be the most important piece because he's he he also has size, and that's something that we don't necessarily have prior to him coming.
46:23
SPEAKER_03: I mean, you know, Marcus is a is a good side, but he's not he doesn't have the height that Bryson Williams kind of brings.
46:29
SPEAKER_03: And we all noticed it in that Kansas game last year when UTEP almost upset Kansas.
46:34
SPEAKER_03: We were like, who's this guy?
46:35
SPEAKER_03: Bryson Williams, who almost went in to the fog and almost upset Kansas had like 23 and 13 or whatever that game.
46:43
SPEAKER_03: Uh, so I'm really excited for him.
46:45
SPEAKER_03: I'm excited to see if the shot is there.
46:49
SPEAKER_03: I know you mentioned his uh about 28% uh from three last year, but I think that can improve.
46:54
SPEAKER_03: And I think with with Kevin O'Banner already stretching the floor, having Bryson Williams, who also has the ability to stretch the floor, it opens up those driving lanes for Kevin McCullough, for Terrence Shannon, for those type of guys.
47:07
SPEAKER_03: So uh I think Bryson Williams was a huge ad and probably just as important as Kevin O'Banner was.
47:13
SPEAKER_04: How salty do y'all think uh the 40 acres was when this happened?
47:19
SPEAKER_03: Probably a little salty, I imagine.
47:21
SPEAKER_04: Like obviously, you know, we mentioned that you know, bringing Terrence Jr.
47:25
SPEAKER_04: back was also kind of a bit of a coup over that as well.
47:27
SPEAKER_04: People were kind of talking, is he gonna follow beard?
47:28
SPEAKER_04: You know, and stuff like that.
47:29
SPEAKER_04: And kind of was with a lot of players.
47:31
SPEAKER_04: But man, just to see him beat this transfer battle over the former coach is amazing.
47:35
SPEAKER_04: Because, you know, like like Ryan kept uh knocking on.
47:38
SPEAKER_04: I don't keep bringing up Voldemort, but Ryan kept bringing up uh, you know, the the the thought that Coach Adams can recruit was can't came out, was was brought on nothing.
47:50
SPEAKER_04: And it's just it's so cool to see him out recruit the guy who apparently is the greatest recruiter ever, you know, bringing tech to this.
47:57
SPEAKER_04: Um, so I I that's I just had to go back on that.
48:00
SPEAKER_04: I mean, I y'all have already knocked on why this guy's gonna make an improvement on the court.
48:04
SPEAKER_04: So I just like to you know rub the salt in the wound and make everybody around us feel better about everything.
48:09
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, and but it was really less about beard and like Ryan mentioned, Rodney Terry.
48:14
SPEAKER_03: That guy, he was with him his whole career.
48:16
SPEAKER_03: Bryson Williams' whole collegiate career was with Rodney Terry.
48:19
SPEAKER_03: And then all of a sudden he goes to Texas and we're like, well, okay, that's it.
48:22
SPEAKER_03: Done deal.
48:23
SPEAKER_03: He's going with him.
48:24
SPEAKER_03: And then he completely changed his course, went to Texas Tech.
48:28
SPEAKER_03: I mean, that's impressive from this coaching staff.
48:31
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, that that Fresno State experience is really looked over.
48:34
SPEAKER_05: But I mean, to spend that much time with a guy and a coach, I mean, he took a redshirt year just to pretty much follow him.
48:42
SPEAKER_05: Terry was like a huge part in his development.
48:45
SPEAKER_05: Rodney Terry's a great coach, and he really turned Bryson Williams into the player we have today.
48:50
SPEAKER_05: Obviously, there are more stakeholders involved in that, but Terry was just huge for this guy's career.
48:56
SPEAKER_05: And so for Mark Adams to really win this battle, which I think was like 90% probably Terry's influence, was huge, like monumental.
49:05
SPEAKER_05: And I think the guy is gonna fit the culture so well.
49:08
SPEAKER_05: Like he's very well spoken, he's tough, he's gritty.
49:11
SPEAKER_05: I think he fractured his nose a few weeks ago.
49:14
SPEAKER_05: He's wearing like uh one of the plastic masks that like LeBron James wore, and like yeah, yeah, he's wearing a mask in practice, but he's still practicing, like he doesn't care.
49:22
SPEAKER_05: He's got some banged up nose, he doesn't care.
49:24
SPEAKER_05: He's gonna go get buckets, and so I think this guy, man, he's gonna fit in really well, and he's gonna be a really, really pivotal piece on the floor.
49:32
SPEAKER_04: For sure.
49:32
SPEAKER_04: So we gotta keep rolling on this transfer trade.
49:35
SPEAKER_04: So we here's another guy.
49:37
SPEAKER_04: We're coming, he's coming in from Hampton, and we got we got another more length.
49:41
SPEAKER_04: Like, none of these guys are below six foot, it seems, you know, we're we're not pulling in little guards or anything like that.
49:46
SPEAKER_04: These guys are big boys, they're they they got some length to add to the field, which obviously we touched on earlier, makes it a defensive nightmare.
49:53
SPEAKER_04: Um, so this guy he can put up some points, uh, but what would there's gotta be more to the story?
49:58
SPEAKER_04: What do y'all think about Debion Warren coming into the program?
50:02
SPEAKER_05: I like that you're starting there because really the defense last year, I was like, this is good.
50:09
SPEAKER_05: There's something here that that feels untapped into, but there's just flashes here.
50:15
SPEAKER_05: And like I think that I mean, the dude averaged two steals per game last year at Hampton, and there were just times where he looked tired on the court.
50:23
SPEAKER_05: Like, I think he averaged 33 minutes a game last year.
50:26
SPEAKER_05: He had like one of the highest usage rates in college basketball, and I think he was giving so much on the offensive end that like his defense suffered a little bit.
50:34
SPEAKER_05: And this is a guy that averaged two steals per game, and kind of the the the buzz out of this offseason that I'm hearing from this team is that Davion Warren's on ball defense is scary, like the dude is really, really good on ball defender, like just blowing people away.
50:52
SPEAKER_05: Like the the scoring is there, he's he's trying to figure out a little bit how to play in this lower usage role on offense, but the defense is just suffocating at times, and you can put whoever you want as his offensive assignment, and he's gonna slow him down.
51:10
SPEAKER_05: And so I'm glad you started there, Tristan, because the on-ball defense really stood out to me on his Hampton tape, and it sounds like it has made its way to the Lovick.
51:18
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I mean, the first thing people are gonna look at when they see a stat line is 21 points a game.
51:22
SPEAKER_03: Oh my God, you know, that's that's insanity in college basketball.
51:26
SPEAKER_03: But yeah, he was the only guy doing anything on that Hampton team, you know, he had to do that.
51:30
SPEAKER_03: But now that he's taken a more limited role, he doesn't have so much on his shoulders to do on the offensive end, he can clamp down on defense and really uh just add more to this team.
51:41
SPEAKER_03: I mean, I'm I'm really excited for him.
51:43
SPEAKER_03: I'm I'm curious to know what his role is gonna be, you know, because I could see him uh he obviously has the ability to score the ball, and but he could take a take a back seat with a Kevin O'Banner on your team, with a Bryson Williams on your team, and just you know, focus on defense, man.
52:01
SPEAKER_03: Be him be a clamper and he's got that size, that length, like Tristan mentioned.
52:05
SPEAKER_03: We have a million of these six foot six guys on the team with long arms.
52:09
SPEAKER_03: So uh I'm excited, I'm really excited for uh uh for Davion Warren.
52:14
SPEAKER_04: Ryan, you're you're a stat guy before before I let you uh bounce back on that.
52:18
SPEAKER_04: You know, we we keep bringing up this height.
52:20
SPEAKER_04: Have we ever seen a Texas Tech team this evenly tall?
52:23
SPEAKER_04: Like, can can you recall a team that's had this kind of size?
52:28
SPEAKER_05: No, there's really nothing that we've seen like this.
52:31
SPEAKER_05: And I mean, this is one of like the tallest teams in college basketball, and that's with Ethan Duncan on the roster.
52:38
SPEAKER_05: I don't I don't even think is gonna play that much, to be honest.
52:40
SPEAKER_05: Um, but this team is massive, and like Emory and I are doing a player position series right now, and we were like, where do we put Warren?
52:49
SPEAKER_05: Like he played guard last year, but the dude is massive, like he he can he looks like a wing because he's built like a wing.
52:55
SPEAKER_05: And so I think that you're right.
52:57
SPEAKER_05: I mean, the versatility on this team is is really where I think they're gonna shine.
53:02
SPEAKER_05: And there's a reason that they're number four in Kim Palm because they have this defensive versatility where they can switch everything, they can run a Mark Adams defense and just give it all give it their all.
53:14
SPEAKER_05: And I mean, that that's one through nine that has that potential.
53:17
SPEAKER_05: It's not like they've got three guys who can do it, it's one through nine, and this roster is gonna be really good.
53:22
SPEAKER_05: And something I just want to touch on with Warren real quick is we keep mentioning low usage, and he is going to take a step back, and that is the best possible thing for him.
53:33
SPEAKER_05: Last season, I think he was asked to do way too much, and we saw that in his shooting percentages.
53:39
SPEAKER_05: His his three-point shot dipped down to about 30% last year, and then the turnovers.
53:44
SPEAKER_05: Everyone always mentions the turnovers when it comes to Davion Warren, and you have to almost for a game.
53:49
SPEAKER_05: That's ridiculous.
53:50
SPEAKER_05: I think it was one of the top numbers in college basketball, but I don't see him being the guy on this Texas Tech basketball team.
53:57
SPEAKER_05: And that is a gift to him because he is such a talented scorer that when you alleviate some of the offensive responsibilities from him and allow him to just go get buckets wherever he can and not put the ball in his hands every possession, he's gonna be a really efficient scorer.
54:12
SPEAKER_05: And he's not gonna average 20 a game.
54:14
SPEAKER_05: It might be 12, it might be 10, it might be eight.
54:17
SPEAKER_05: But when he gets the ball in his hands, he's going to score.
54:20
SPEAKER_05: And I think he's really going to shine as a player in that role.
54:23
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I think a little bit of a comparison you could talk about, and obviously, you know, this is a little far-fetched, but you know, James Harden with the Rockets, his last few seasons, his usage rate was out the window.
54:34
SPEAKER_03: And he averaged, I think he led the league in turnovers like three, four straight years.
54:39
SPEAKER_03: But now he goes over to Brooklyn, he's got other guys to work with him on the offensive end.
54:44
SPEAKER_03: And you're seeing a much more efficient James Harden now with the Brooklyn Nets.
54:48
SPEAKER_03: And I think that's going to be the same sort of deal with Davion Warren.
54:51
SPEAKER_03: Obviously, James Harden is a multiple-time NBA All-Star.
54:54
SPEAKER_03: You know, I'm not comparing the talent of Davion Warren to James Harden, but kind of in the terms of usage, like what you were saying.
55:01
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, so I can't believe we have the this many transfers to dig through.
55:04
SPEAKER_04: Like this is a long list.
55:06
SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
55:07
SPEAKER_04: Uh up next we have Sayor uh Calhoun, which an interesting transfer.
55:12
SPEAKER_04: I mean, it it's it's it's always impressive to pull a kid from any ACC school.
55:17
SPEAKER_04: Um, and so it's really interesting to see how this guy might fit into our team.
55:21
SPEAKER_04: Um, he obviously the biggest thing that kind of stands out is he's a he's a ball of energy.
55:26
SPEAKER_04: So, what how do y'all see this guy making his way into a Texas tech lineup moving in from Florida State?
55:32
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, I mean, I think that Saradar Calhoun might be one of the most important transfers on this team.
55:37
SPEAKER_05: Now, what I'm not saying is that he's one of the most talented, but I do think that he's one of the most important.
55:42
SPEAKER_05: And if his game translates from what we saw in flashes at Florida State, but also throughout his JUCO career, if that can come together on the floor at Texas Tech, he's gonna win some games for this team.
55:55
SPEAKER_05: I mean, you mentioned the energy.
55:57
SPEAKER_05: He does play lights out defense, he's really scrappy, he's got really good athleticism, which doesn't necessarily jump out on his Florida State film.
56:04
SPEAKER_05: But if you watch some of his JUCO tape, the dude is just hammering dunks on people, like left and right.
56:10
SPEAKER_05: And I think that he can bring some of that back.
56:12
SPEAKER_05: That's gonna work really well on cuts.
56:14
SPEAKER_05: But the thing about Calhoun that just has to come together is the shooting.
56:19
SPEAKER_05: The dude was one of the best shooters at the JUCO level for three years, shot 39% from Florida State on low minutes last year.
56:27
SPEAKER_05: I think that, man, if he can be like the three and D guy and just make, I don't know, two threes a game, that that's a lot.
56:36
SPEAKER_05: It doesn't sound like a lot, but like I don't think Texas Tech had a guy that made two threes a game last year.
56:42
SPEAKER_05: If he can make two threes a game and play consistent off-ball defense next year, he's gonna well exceed the value of his roster spot.
56:48
SPEAKER_05: And I think that's really, really where I'm high on Calhoun, is because there's such a proven track record of the shot being there.
56:56
SPEAKER_05: And if it's there this year in Lubbock, it's it's gonna be huge for this team.
57:00
SPEAKER_03: He's got one of the quickest and smoothest jump shots I've seen at the college level.
57:05
SPEAKER_03: I mean, he really did fall back in the lineup at Florida State, but really Leonard Hamilton runs a tight ship over there.
57:11
SPEAKER_03: And it's tough to crack that rotation because he runs the same type of thing.
57:15
SPEAKER_03: Lots of forwards, lots of tall forwards, lengthy guys that play defense.
57:19
SPEAKER_03: And it's not really a shame to fall back in that lineup.
57:23
SPEAKER_03: But yeah, I that's the most important thing because, like Ryan mentioned earlier, shooting might be a problem on this team.
57:28
SPEAKER_03: And to be able to have Siddhar Calhoun pop in there, knock down a couple quick threes is gonna be massive for this team.
57:35
SPEAKER_03: Uh, and then on top of the defense and everything, we've seen what he can do at the JUCO level.
57:39
SPEAKER_03: Mark Adams, obviously, a famous JUCO coach, you know, one of the most winningest guys in JUCO.
57:45
SPEAKER_03: Same with Barrett Peary.
57:46
SPEAKER_03: So these guys know how to mesh these JUCO guys into a power five player.
57:51
SPEAKER_03: Uh, so I'm excited.
57:53
SPEAKER_03: Uh it's a little, it's a little hard to tell what his role is going to be at the start of the season, but I think he could very well break into a consistent, you know, getting about 15 to 20 minutes a game.
58:05
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, it's cool to see you touch on that, Steven, like with the JUCO.
58:08
SPEAKER_04: Um, it it's it's great to see our coaches go back to what they know.
58:11
SPEAKER_04: And this is something they definitely know.
58:13
SPEAKER_04: And just because a kid is in in at the JUCO level mostly just means that he was overlooked by recruiters.
58:18
SPEAKER_04: So I'm glad to see him claw his way into the to into real big boy ball at the college level, because I'm really excited to see how we can move him into Texas Tech now.
58:27
SPEAKER_04: Like maybe he he did drop back in Florida State, but obviously he's coming to Texas Tech looking for more.
58:32
SPEAKER_04: So I'm excited to see what he does with that.
58:35
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, I mean, Steven, you mentioned the Leonard Hamilton lineups.
58:39
SPEAKER_05: I mean, there probably hasn't been a better wing rotation the past three years than there has been at Florida State.
58:44
SPEAKER_05: It's just tough to play minutes there, especially when it's your first year in the program.
58:49
SPEAKER_05: And I think that Sardar Calhoun, man, there's a lot that's unknown right now.
58:54
SPEAKER_05: And I just don't feel like he's on a lot of people's radars because of the limited minutes because he was at JUCO before and there's a bad rep with JUCO players.
59:02
SPEAKER_05: But I mean, you mentioned what's his role gonna be.
59:05
SPEAKER_05: His role is going to be to make shots, like that's all he's gonna be asked to do.
59:09
SPEAKER_05: They're not gonna try and do anything weird with him because there doesn't need to be anything else done with him.
59:14
SPEAKER_05: He's such a pure shooter, he's gonna bring that on the floor every night.
59:18
SPEAKER_05: And like there have been times this offseason where Emery and I have been talking, and I'm like, dude, if he's shooting 40, he's gonna be a starter on this team.
59:25
SPEAKER_05: Like they might have to start him because shooting is at such a need right now.
59:29
SPEAKER_05: And if he's if he's shooting lights out like he did at Juco, he's gonna play high minutes and he's probably gonna be a starter.
59:35
SPEAKER_05: So I'm I'm watching Calhoun.
59:37
SPEAKER_05: He's one of like the biggest swing players on this roster to me.
59:40
SPEAKER_04: Sounds like we got a secret weapon then.
59:42
SPEAKER_04: It's it's a great thing for him that the goal of the game is to score more than the other team.
59:47
SPEAKER_04: So I'm glad that he'll he'll he'll be looking to do some of that.
59:51
SPEAKER_04: Um, all right.
59:52
SPEAKER_04: So now we're moving into even more transfers here with Mileik Wilson.
59:56
SPEAKER_04: Uh he's he's coming out of the University of Louisiana, the real Louisiana school.
1:00:01
SPEAKER_04: Um, it's gonna be it's gonna be interesting again to see a guy that's under the radar that no one really knows what's going on with him, you know, especially whenever you're playing in the Sun Belt, not exactly a a commonly televised, hyped up conference, but it's still, it's still, you know, FBS, still up there.
1:00:16
SPEAKER_04: It's better than uh, you know, the JUCO and all that.
1:00:18
SPEAKER_04: So he he obviously thinks that he can take a step up and play better competition.
1:00:21
SPEAKER_04: That's what excites me.
1:00:22
SPEAKER_04: Um, you gotta be hungry for that.
1:00:24
SPEAKER_04: So, what do y'all think about a guy coming in trying to prove more of himself, thinking that maybe he can be on he can shine bright on a bigger stage?
1:00:32
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, I think that he does have that mindset and I think it's helping him throughout this offseason.
1:00:37
SPEAKER_05: I have heard continuously good things about Malik Wilson more than anybody else on this roster in terms of the transfer and the fit, just raving about what Wilson has done in practice.
1:00:49
SPEAKER_05: Two things consistently get mentioned.
1:00:52
SPEAKER_05: His on-ball defense is better than advertised.
1:00:54
SPEAKER_05: This is a guy that averaged two steals a game last year.
1:00:58
SPEAKER_05: I think he was all sunbelt defensive.
1:01:00
SPEAKER_05: So a really good on-ball defender last year.
1:01:02
SPEAKER_05: That was something that Emory and I have consistently mentioned when we're breaking down his game, is that we think he could be one of the best defenders on this team.
1:01:08
SPEAKER_05: And so far, it sounds like that's even better than what it was last year.
1:01:11
SPEAKER_05: So there's gonna be times this year where I think he's gonna be matched up with some of the best guards in the Big 12, and he's gonna hold his own.
1:01:18
SPEAKER_05: It doesn't matter where he came from, his on-ball defense made its way to Lubbock, and he's gonna be a threat on that end.
1:01:23
SPEAKER_05: And then the second thing, which I think is huge, is that I just keep hearing that he is adjusting perfectly to a playmaking role and this true point guard type position.
1:01:35
SPEAKER_05: Now, this is huge.
1:01:36
SPEAKER_05: I mentioned the shooting being a deficit earlier, and playmaking is also one of the things that I'm just a little uncertain about right now.
1:01:43
SPEAKER_05: And if Malik Wilson can fit into this role where he is where he's initiating the offense, where he is creating plays, where he is opening things up for other guys, that that alone fills a very big gap on this team.
1:01:56
SPEAKER_05: And like, I just keep hearing like Wilson Wilson's playing lights out at point guard, and we haven't really seen a true point guard at Texas Tech since Keenan Evans.
1:02:07
SPEAKER_05: Like, I don't know, man.
1:02:08
SPEAKER_05: Like, I'm not sure there's been a guy who's really looked super comfortable initiating and scoring and passing than Malik Wilson.
1:02:17
SPEAKER_05: And man, he's here.
1:02:18
SPEAKER_05: Like, Texas Tech might have a true point guard, and that's huge because Tristan, you mentioned the word Swiss Army knife earlier.
1:02:25
SPEAKER_05: That's really what Wilson is too.
1:02:26
SPEAKER_05: I mean, if you look at his stat line, like 13 points per game, five and a half boards, three assists, two steals, and a block.
1:02:32
SPEAKER_05: Like this dude's a guard and he's averaging a block per game.
1:02:34
SPEAKER_05: Like, what is he doing?
1:02:35
SPEAKER_05: And like, kind of the first thing that jumped out on his tape was like, I feel like I'm watching like a better Delon Wright play basketball right now, like a college basketball Delon Wright.
1:02:45
SPEAKER_05: And I feel like a lot of Texas Tech fans are probably also Mavericks fans, so they're probably like, uh, don't say DeLon Wright, just bad memories.
1:02:52
SPEAKER_05: But like, Texas Tech fans, go back, look at Memphis Grizzlies, Delon Wright, the dude with the baller.
1:02:57
SPEAKER_05: And I think that that's who that's who Mileek Wilson can be.
1:03:01
SPEAKER_05: He can provide a lot of value.
1:03:02
SPEAKER_05: He's gonna fill out the box score, and he's really gonna make some noise.
1:03:06
SPEAKER_05: If if what I've heard coming out of practice translates to the Big 12 floor, he's gonna be a problem.
1:03:11
SPEAKER_03: I think this is a guy who's gonna thrive most from the culture of Texas Tech because I know there were probably times last season where he kind of got out of out of it a little bit.
1:03:20
SPEAKER_03: I know there was some motivation issues with him at ULL.
1:03:24
SPEAKER_03: Um, but I mean, this dude under Mark Adams gets it right.
1:03:28
SPEAKER_03: I mean, uh, he's really, I think, gonna push him in the right direction.
1:03:32
SPEAKER_03: I am concerned with the shooting.
1:03:34
SPEAKER_03: Uh, you know, his his jump shot kind of looks like uh rookie year Lonzo Ball a little bit.
1:03:39
SPEAKER_03: Uh, you know, we try to get that to right now Lonzo Ball, hopefully.
1:03:42
SPEAKER_03: But um, you know, I I think the jump shot's a little concerning.
1:03:45
SPEAKER_03: But other than that, if he does embrace this playmaking role, I think it could be massive for this team.
1:03:50
SPEAKER_03: And we could see him starting some games this year uh just due to that, because there's such a lack of that, like you mentioned, Ryan.
1:03:56
SPEAKER_03: But uh I'm I'm really excited for my league Wilson.
1:03:59
SPEAKER_03: I think he can be uh a really good player under Mark Adams and a really motivated player.
1:04:05
SPEAKER_04: It's I love hearing that you think that perhaps this is a guy that can come in and fill the Keenan Evans role.
1:04:11
SPEAKER_04: It's just a name that lights up in everybody's mind because that might that man might have been the single most important player in the Texas Tech basketball renaissance.
1:04:18
SPEAKER_04: So it would be great to see a player come back and finally kind of refill that role.
1:04:22
SPEAKER_04: Um, so moving on, we gotta we probably have one of the flashiest transfers.
1:04:27
SPEAKER_04: I mean, because this guy's got a lot of camera time.
1:04:30
SPEAKER_04: I mean, just check out Netflix.
1:04:31
SPEAKER_04: He I'm for sure a lot of people know who I'm talking about.
1:04:34
SPEAKER_04: I'm talking about the Dunkathon KJ Allen.
1:04:37
SPEAKER_04: Um, uh immediately you you see the athleticism just bursting from this guy.
1:04:41
SPEAKER_04: And just seeing a man fight back from a tough situation and going through JUCO.
1:04:45
SPEAKER_04: I mean, it's last chance you.
1:04:47
SPEAKER_04: I mean, it says it all right there.
1:04:48
SPEAKER_04: So, what do y'all think about KJ Allen?
1:04:51
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, I think the athleticism is a selling point.
1:04:54
SPEAKER_05: I mean, he can jump out of the gym.
1:04:56
SPEAKER_05: He plays like a weird hybrid wing position, or at least he did at ELCC.
1:05:02
SPEAKER_05: Um, but I mean that that's what he does.
1:05:03
SPEAKER_05: He jumps out of the gym.
1:05:05
SPEAKER_05: He's gonna play in the pick and roll a lot.
1:05:07
SPEAKER_05: But I've got to admit, this is just one of the guys that I'm struggling to see where there's minutes for on this team.
1:05:13
SPEAKER_05: Um, just thinking about him playing on the wing last year at ELCC, I'm not sure.
1:05:19
SPEAKER_05: Like there, there's not a way that he plays in that role at Texas Tech, just because I think he's a little too slow defensively to be lined up at the at the three.
1:05:27
SPEAKER_05: He he hasn't made like a deep shot in his entire collegiate career.
1:05:31
SPEAKER_05: So you can't really play him on the wing, especially if shooting is gonna be an issue for your team as a whole.
1:05:36
SPEAKER_05: Now, where I do see some promise is him playing down low and playing like a small ball four, small ball five role where he can just kind of set some screens, roll into the paint, and get to the basket.
1:05:46
SPEAKER_05: But again, that's just bringing up there's so much depth in this front court.
1:05:50
SPEAKER_05: It's just gonna be hard for him to carve out a role there.
1:05:53
SPEAKER_05: But I know that there are other people who are higher than Alan than I am.
1:05:57
SPEAKER_05: Steven, I'm wondering if you're one of them or what your thoughts are.
1:06:00
SPEAKER_05: On him.
1:06:01
SPEAKER_03: I'm not super high on KJ Allen playing immediately.
1:06:04
SPEAKER_03: I think he's one of those college players that it happens so often you're caught in between positions and you don't really know what you're supposed to play.
1:06:12
SPEAKER_03: You know, you you want to make it to that next level, and there's just not a lot of guys that are undersized big dudes that make it in the NBA these days.
1:06:19
SPEAKER_03: But I would hope that he would embrace that kind of DeWan Blair type role or that Grant Williams at Tennessee, something or even a Mark Vital in terms of, I know the body style is the same, but in terms of just crashing the boards down low, being undersized and just using your strength to get those rebounds and get those putback dunks.
1:06:38
SPEAKER_03: Because this dude is freakishly athletic.
1:06:40
SPEAKER_03: I mean, for how big he is, he can jump out of the building.
1:06:43
SPEAKER_03: I mean, it's almost a little bit Zion Williamson-like in terms of just athleticism, you know, for being such a big guy.
1:06:50
SPEAKER_03: So I hope he embraces that kind of undersized big man role.
1:06:54
SPEAKER_03: And I think he could really thrive at Texas Tech with that.
1:06:57
SPEAKER_03: That being said, I don't see him getting a lot of minutes.
1:07:00
SPEAKER_03: I see him falling kind of in the rotation a little bit.
1:07:02
SPEAKER_03: And I hope that doesn't discourage him.
1:07:04
SPEAKER_03: I just hope it's it's a process, man.
1:07:05
SPEAKER_03: It's it's tough to play on a college team, especially with this much depth.
1:07:10
SPEAKER_04: I mean, at the very least, he's in good company, Trent coming in from last chance you at Texas Tech.
1:07:15
SPEAKER_04: One of the everyone, the beloved Dakota Allen, even though he started at tech having to go through all that, one of the greatest line, or one of the greatest linebackers of the last decade.
1:07:23
SPEAKER_04: Um, so I'd be happy to see him come back and make just as big of a splash.
1:07:27
SPEAKER_04: Um, and there's really nothing that gets a crowd more hype than an absolute smash of a dunk.
1:07:32
SPEAKER_04: So we could use more of that in the USA to get the Raider Riot absolutely pumping.
1:07:36
SPEAKER_04: So while we're on the freak athletic bodies, is there a more perfect name that there has ever been than Adonis Arms?
1:07:46
SPEAKER_04: How how could there possibly be a name this perfect bestowed on a man?
1:07:52
SPEAKER_05: There couldn't be.
1:07:53
SPEAKER_05: And I mean, when you look at him, it's like it's a match made in heaven because the dude has massive arms.
1:07:59
SPEAKER_05: I mean, he is in great, great shape, just a great athlete.
1:08:03
SPEAKER_05: He's he's really well developed.
1:08:05
SPEAKER_05: You can tell he kind of lives in the gym.
1:08:07
SPEAKER_05: Um, but yeah, I mean, the name, the name is definitely fitting.
1:08:12
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, for sure.
1:08:13
SPEAKER_03: I mean, I uh Adonis Arms is an interesting guy to have on this team because he is a he's a senior.
1:08:18
SPEAKER_03: I mean, he's been in college basketball for a long time.
1:08:20
SPEAKER_03: He's gone through a few different schools, uh, coming in from Winthrop.
1:08:23
SPEAKER_03: He averaged about 10 and a half points a game last year.
1:08:26
SPEAKER_03: Uh, but he only the thing that's concerning to a lot of people is the 17 minutes a game.
1:08:31
SPEAKER_03: Um, I I know Winthrop kind of runs kind of a crazy style of, you know, kind of hockey substitutions, five in, five out.
1:08:38
SPEAKER_03: A lot of guys play a lot of minutes on that team.
1:08:40
SPEAKER_03: So I don't know if I'm so concerned about that part of it, but uh, I I just I haven't heard fantastic things about him in camp yet.
1:08:47
SPEAKER_03: Uh I I listened to Jeff Haxton on the radio a couple times, and I know he's seen a few practices and he's just behind.
1:08:54
SPEAKER_03: And he's and he might be one of those dudes that just kind of falls in the rotation a little bit because he's not fantastic at something, you know, like he's he's pretty good at a lot of different things, but he's not like an unbelievable defender, an unbelievable offensive player.
1:09:09
SPEAKER_03: So uh, you know, I'm excited.
1:09:11
SPEAKER_03: Hopefully, I I expect, you know, I I'd be happy to see him kind of break his way into the rotation, but I just don't know if that's really gonna happen.
1:09:18
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, Steven, you mentioned it with KJ Allen, like this guy being kind of in between positions, he doesn't know where he's at.
1:09:25
SPEAKER_05: He's trying to figure himself out.
1:09:27
SPEAKER_05: That's kind of what I've been hearing about arms uh this offseason.
1:09:31
SPEAKER_05: It's just he's just kind of struggling to figure out what role he's gonna play on this team.
1:09:35
SPEAKER_05: The team has tried to use him as a point guard or an initiator type role, and it has gone horribly, like really, really badly.
1:09:43
SPEAKER_05: And that kind of makes sense whenever you see his wind through tape.
1:09:46
SPEAKER_05: It just wasn't really a skill that he used a lot.
1:09:49
SPEAKER_05: Now, I really like his potential as like a secondary creator and kind of passing off of a pass, but I think that that experience in the lead initiator role was just trying to get him to find somewhere where he could fit in.
1:10:02
SPEAKER_05: And like immediately, if he can't play in that role, you start to think three and D, but the three is still a little bit of a work in progress.
1:10:10
SPEAKER_05: I mean, 35% from deep last year, that's not bad.
1:10:13
SPEAKER_05: Um, but it's also not great.
1:10:15
SPEAKER_05: He did it on pretty low volume, too, if I'm not mistaken.
1:10:18
SPEAKER_05: And so, yeah, I mean, the the noise hasn't been great around arms.
1:10:22
SPEAKER_05: He's behind, he's trying to figure out where he fits in.
1:10:25
SPEAKER_05: I think that probably his best situation is falling into a three and D role if he can shoot the ball well.
1:10:32
SPEAKER_05: But that's a that's a big if.
1:10:33
SPEAKER_05: And if that doesn't pan out, then it's kind of difficult to think about where arms can fit in, because I think if the shot doesn't pan out, then you just give Buzo his minutes.
1:10:43
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I I think he's a good depth piece to have on your team, and I think he was a really good transfer coming in, especially in in the process.
1:10:50
SPEAKER_03: I think he came in pretty early as a transfer uh after Mark Adams was hired.
1:10:54
SPEAKER_03: But um, yeah, I I, you know, I if we get a couple unfortunate injuries, Davion Warren goes down, Kevin McCullough goes down for a few games.
1:11:02
SPEAKER_03: I think Adonis Harms can fill that role for you know a limited time, but I'm just not sure about his long term uh on this team and if he's gonna get you know a significant amount of minutes this year.
1:11:13
SPEAKER_04: Look, I mean, being on a team, you have to accept that not everybody's gonna get all the minutes, they have to be shared.
1:11:19
SPEAKER_04: And unfortunately, you have to give the more minutes to the better players.
1:11:22
SPEAKER_04: So maybe he could he can work his way in the system and build himself up over it over the years here.
1:11:28
SPEAKER_04: Um, and maybe he can get in onto the lineup through sheer muscle will, just just just forcing his way in.
1:11:36
SPEAKER_04: But but uh obviously it's just great to have duck pieces, like Steven said.
1:11:40
SPEAKER_04: And um, so speaking of moving on, we're moving to a very tall man, and I cannot believe I am talking about the second Frenchman on a Texas Tech basketball team.
1:11:49
SPEAKER_04: What the heck?
1:11:50
SPEAKER_04: What is this?
1:11:51
SPEAKER_04: I'm talking about Daniel Bachho from Arizona.
1:11:54
SPEAKER_04: He is quite tall.
1:11:55
SPEAKER_04: Some would say that you would absolutely put 6'11 in your Tinder profile.
1:11:59
SPEAKER_04: Uh, because I I think uh I think that would probably get you some swipes.
1:12:02
SPEAKER_04: I'm not gonna lie, and maybe maybe being French helps too, but uh I'm not gonna lie, I'm excited to see how this guy can make his way in, y'all.
1:12:09
SPEAKER_04: I mean, we love seeing that kind of height.
1:12:10
SPEAKER_04: So, what do y'all think about it coming in?
1:12:13
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, I don't know, man.
1:12:15
SPEAKER_05: I don't know.
1:12:18
SPEAKER_05: I'm a little hesitant.
1:12:20
SPEAKER_05: I I love the European big man.
1:12:22
SPEAKER_05: I mean, the the crowd loves him at the USA.
1:12:24
SPEAKER_05: There were a few things better than when Big Flag checked into a game last year, but yeah, I just I don't know about Boccio coming off an injury too.
1:12:34
SPEAKER_05: Um, he he's fine, he's practicing, he's fully healthy, he's fully recovered from that.
1:12:38
SPEAKER_05: But he's just a little thin, he's tall, he's he's kind of awkward, doesn't move really well, which tends to happen when you're a giant.
1:12:46
SPEAKER_05: But yeah, I just I don't know.
1:12:48
SPEAKER_05: I don't I don't really see it yet.
1:12:50
SPEAKER_05: I think that he'll probably get some minutes in on conference and just get slid into some lineups, and the team is gonna see what he can do.
1:12:58
SPEAKER_05: But yeah, I'm I'm not optimistic about this guy playing big minutes and big 12 play, especially considering just what the front court looks like right now.
1:13:07
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I mean, we've seen it time and time again these last few years with the Texas Tech big guys that aren't really developed yet.
1:13:13
SPEAKER_03: You know, we saw with Big Vlad, we saw with Big Russ before that, we saw it with guys like Malik on Dingo.
1:13:19
SPEAKER_03: I mean, there's just these big guys that we're excited about, and he's gonna be a fan favorite.
1:13:23
SPEAKER_03: Immediately when he checks into the game, everybody's gonna go cheer and he's gonna get one dunk and you know the USA is gonna go insane.
1:13:29
SPEAKER_03: But uh yeah, two two significant knee injuries uh before you know you played a game of college basketball is not great.
1:13:36
SPEAKER_03: Um, I don't think this guy's gonna see the floor hardly at all this year.
1:13:40
SPEAKER_03: Uh, and and I'm not saying it couldn't, it can't happen eventually, but uh yeah, Ryan mentioned, I mean, he's he's a back to the basket, he's slow, he's uh you know, he's he's just not uh not gonna break his way into the lineup this year.
1:13:54
SPEAKER_03: Uh and I'm not saying it's impossible, but I I really don't see it.
1:13:57
SPEAKER_03: But I am excited for a potential for him, you know, maybe a year or two down the line, uh coming in and playing a pretty decent role for this team.
1:14:06
SPEAKER_04: Well, I'll I'll take boards.
1:14:07
SPEAKER_04: I mean, boards were a bit of an issue last season.
1:14:10
SPEAKER_04: All this guy has to do is put his hands up.
1:14:12
SPEAKER_04: I mean, like, and just pass it off, you know.
1:14:15
SPEAKER_04: But uh, I'm with y'all.
1:14:16
SPEAKER_04: It's it's it's tough whenever you know he he hasn't been able to see much of the court at all, some some because of injury, and also because you're at a gray basketball school like Arizona, so there's gonna be some depth there.
1:14:25
SPEAKER_04: Um, but it it's it's still a great transfer to add to your pieces, you know.
1:14:29
SPEAKER_04: You kind of get a little bit of everything with this team.
1:14:31
SPEAKER_04: There's like like like Ryan said, uh he he said the numbers don't lie.
1:14:35
SPEAKER_04: This is probably the biggest Texas Tech basketball team we've ever seen.
1:14:37
SPEAKER_04: And this guy brings up that average even more.
1:14:40
SPEAKER_04: Um, so it'll be interesting to see how a Frenchman, this Frenchman, makes his way onto the court.
1:14:44
SPEAKER_04: But um, other than that, speaking of guys that may not really see the court, uh, especially now that he's out for the season.
1:14:51
SPEAKER_04: Uh Ethan Duncan, the Lubbock boy.
1:14:53
SPEAKER_04: We love us some homegrown dudes.
1:14:56
SPEAKER_04: And this guy looks like he's tech through and through.
1:14:58
SPEAKER_04: Uh, he may have a bit of a sniper shot.
1:15:00
SPEAKER_04: Like, what will we deal in here with a little bit of a depth piece with Ethan Duncan?
1:15:05
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, I mean, it's genetics.
1:15:07
SPEAKER_05: The the dude's got a shot and it comes from his dad.
1:15:10
SPEAKER_05: I mean, obviously, everybody knows I'm talking about Todd Duncan right now, but I think that that if if Ethan Duncan plays really at all this season, I think it's gonna be because the shooting on this team is struggling and his shooting in practice is is doing well.
1:15:25
SPEAKER_05: But even then, I don't know, man.
1:15:27
SPEAKER_05: I think Ethan Duncan, he's just a little bit undersized.
1:15:30
SPEAKER_05: He's a little too short to play Big 12 basketball right now, he's a little too thin.
1:15:34
SPEAKER_05: Um, that's not to say it's impossible, but unless he's shooting the lights out, I think I think he's really gonna struggle to play any minutes at all in a real Big 12 competitive game, even in some of these non-conference games.
1:15:49
SPEAKER_05: I think it's just gonna be difficult.
1:15:51
SPEAKER_05: I'm excited to see what he looks like in some of these games that are blowouts.
1:15:54
SPEAKER_05: Um, and like we just have to watch the final 10 minutes of the game because we're good fans.
1:16:00
SPEAKER_05: But I think that that's kind of where he's gonna make a name for himself.
1:16:03
SPEAKER_05: And if he can knock down some jumpers, maybe maybe you give him a look.
1:16:07
SPEAKER_05: But yeah, I don't know.
1:16:08
SPEAKER_05: I'm I really think I've got Ethan Duncan last on my depth chart right now, and I think that he'll probably stay there all season.
1:16:15
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I mean, it it's nice that we're keeping some local guys on the team.
1:16:18
SPEAKER_03: That's the you know, it's great to get, you know, keep it in Lubbock, get a uh a guy who averaged, you know, 27 points.
1:16:24
SPEAKER_03: He's a great high school player.
1:16:26
SPEAKER_03: Uh, you know, I don't know how stiff the competition was over there, but uh, you know, lights out shooter, obviously, uh the the Texas Tech legacy with his dad and everything like that.
1:16:35
SPEAKER_03: Uh, I I do think unfortunately he's gonna be out for if not the whole season, the majority of the season.
1:16:40
SPEAKER_03: I know he just had kind of a shoulder surgery, something like that.
1:16:44
SPEAKER_03: But um, you know, he's not gonna see the floor at all this year, but he's a nice piece.
1:16:48
SPEAKER_03: He could potentially have a Spike Albrecht type role eventually, you know, when he was on Michigan and stuff like that.
1:16:54
SPEAKER_03: But uh, I don't I don't know.
1:16:56
SPEAKER_03: We'll see.
1:16:56
SPEAKER_03: We'll see.
1:16:57
SPEAKER_03: But like like you mentioned, Ryan, he's got a killer jumper.
1:16:59
SPEAKER_03: I mean, dude's light at lights out from three.
1:17:02
SPEAKER_03: Um, but he is a little small, he's a little skinny.
1:17:04
SPEAKER_03: So um, I don't know if he's gonna be a real factor on this team this year, but it's exciting to have a loving guy.
1:17:09
SPEAKER_03: You always gotta have one of those at tech.
1:17:11
SPEAKER_04: That's why everyone loves Donovan Smith so much on the football team.
1:17:14
SPEAKER_04: Every time Donovan Smith's Donovan Smith's legit good.
1:17:17
SPEAKER_04: So he might have a real future at tech, and that's awesome to see.
1:17:21
SPEAKER_04: You love to see out of the young guys.
1:17:22
SPEAKER_04: Um, but back to Ethan.
1:17:24
SPEAKER_04: You know, even though he may not see the court, you love to have a hustler in practice.
1:17:28
SPEAKER_04: Like this guy will be testing our starters all all practice, and that's what you that's what you want out of him.
1:17:33
SPEAKER_04: You want a guy that pushes pushes the rest of the team, is there in the locker room uh supporting everybody.
1:17:37
SPEAKER_04: Um, so even if he doesn't see the minutes, he may want not may not want, he's he's still more important to the team than you see on the court.
1:17:44
SPEAKER_04: Um, well, guys, take a breath because I think we've gone through just about all of it.
1:17:50
SPEAKER_04: So, Ryan, I know we've taken out up a ton of your time, so we'd love to run through some extra questions with you.
1:17:55
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, of course.
1:17:56
SPEAKER_04: Let's go.
1:17:57
SPEAKER_04: All right, man.
1:17:58
SPEAKER_04: So here we go.
1:17:58
SPEAKER_04: I'm sure this is what everybody's waiting for.
1:18:00
SPEAKER_04: What do you what do you see with the season going this this this go-ahead?
1:18:03
SPEAKER_04: Are we looking what what's the ceiling for this team, you think?
1:18:08
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, I mean, I I think they're gonna be really good.
1:18:11
SPEAKER_05: And I I don't really know like what the qualifiers there, it's just so difficult to project like March Madness or Big 12 conference seating just because everything else has to pan out.
1:18:23
SPEAKER_05: But I'm looking at this team and I do see a competitive team.
1:18:26
SPEAKER_05: I think they're like the fifth or sixth best team in the Big 12 right now.
1:18:30
SPEAKER_05: My opinion on Oklahoma and Oklahoma State changes like every day.
1:18:34
SPEAKER_05: I'm still questionable about Avery Anderson.
1:18:36
SPEAKER_05: He's like the biggest question mark in the Big 12 to me.
1:18:38
SPEAKER_05: But I think this team is good.
1:18:40
SPEAKER_05: I think that they're gonna be a trap game for some teams at the top of this league.
1:18:44
SPEAKER_05: I think that they're gonna have a chance, they're gonna go into Lawrence and they're gonna go into Waco and they're gonna play a lot of close games.
1:18:50
SPEAKER_05: Um, but I mean, I I see a good team.
1:18:53
SPEAKER_05: I see a team that's gonna compete at the top, that's gonna lose some heartbreaking games, but that's also gonna win some really big games.
1:19:00
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I think the main question we're asking here is how Mark Adams can mold a bunch of new guys that have not played with each other on the court, really.
1:19:08
SPEAKER_03: Uh, you know, you you do have five main returners, and those are awesome dudes to get back, but you know, this is a bunch of guys that haven't really played together much.
1:19:16
SPEAKER_03: So uh it might get sloppy at the beginning of the year, but I do think uh, you know, if Mark Adams is as good a coach as we think he's gonna be, um, that he can find a way to make this work.
1:19:27
SPEAKER_03: And I think, you know, our ceiling is as high as ever.
1:19:30
SPEAKER_03: We have the talent to compete with anybody in this Big 12.
1:19:33
SPEAKER_03: I mean, obviously, the Big 12 is stacked, you know, Kansas, UT, Baylor, all these teams are very good.
1:19:38
SPEAKER_03: Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, West Virginia, even.
1:19:41
SPEAKER_03: I mean, uh it's just the toughest conference in college basketball.
1:19:44
SPEAKER_03: I mean, there truly is, in my opinion.
1:19:46
SPEAKER_03: I mean, some people might say Big Ten, some people, the ACC truthers will do what they want to do, but uh the Big 12 is the toughest, man.
1:19:53
SPEAKER_03: We have seven teams that are going to be in the NCAA tournament, I believe.
1:19:57
SPEAKER_03: So, you know, you are gonna lose one or two of those, probably, you know, uh hopefully not a lot more than that, but we'll see.
1:20:04
SPEAKER_03: We'll see.
1:20:05
SPEAKER_03: I think this team ceiling is as high as ever.
1:20:07
SPEAKER_03: I really do.
1:20:07
SPEAKER_03: I think if Mark Adams is the guy we all think he is, I think we're right there competing for the Big 12.
1:20:13
SPEAKER_04: Some say that the Ken Pond rakings are the most important in all of college basketball, and that's what I adhere to.
1:20:20
SPEAKER_04: And the Big 12 has been at least top two pretty much every year this past decade.
1:20:24
SPEAKER_04: There's really no arguing that.
1:20:26
SPEAKER_04: Um, and I know I'm on a podcast with a couple of the biggest diehard Red Raiders till you die uh fans, but I'm not gonna lie, I was genuinely shocked whenever we were picked fourth in the Big 12.
1:20:37
SPEAKER_04: I thought we were gonna be bottom half picked, um, but uh I was I was pleased to see that Coach Adams and this team is getting the respect that they deserve.
1:20:45
SPEAKER_04: Um, that gives me a lot of hope.
1:20:46
SPEAKER_04: If people are this high on this team, like just as high as we are, I think a lot of us would say four would be great.
1:20:51
SPEAKER_04: Um, but uh it's awesome to see that the the national respect is there and still there.
1:20:57
SPEAKER_04: And I and to this, to me, a successful season is top five in this conference.
1:21:01
SPEAKER_04: I think that's a great way to begin the coach Adams era.
1:21:04
SPEAKER_04: And like, I don't think any of us are asking for a trophy immediately.
1:21:06
SPEAKER_04: I think we're all just looking for us to make sure that we're not going anywhere.
1:21:09
SPEAKER_04: That's what we're looking for.
1:21:10
SPEAKER_04: Um, so that's that's how I feel about this year.
1:21:12
SPEAKER_04: Does anybody else have anything to add about uh what we think this year is coming?
1:21:16
SPEAKER_05: No, I mean, four is great, it's not every day where a poll gets released and Texas Tech fans are happy.
1:21:21
SPEAKER_05: And that happened whenever the Big 12 preseason poll was dropped because four is incredible.
1:21:26
SPEAKER_05: That just shows the respect that this roster has garnered and the respect that Mark Adams and his scheme have forced around the league.
1:21:33
SPEAKER_05: It's not just Texas Tech fans trying to give themselves a pat on the back saying, Hey, this is the guy that ran our defense, we'll be just fine.
1:21:40
SPEAKER_05: No, this is coaches around the league saying, Hey, we know this guy, that this dude has put us through the garbage disposal every single season.
1:21:48
SPEAKER_05: He's been at Texas Tech and he's got some dudes.
1:21:50
SPEAKER_05: And I mean, four four is a really good place to be, especially when you look at how stacked this conference is.
1:21:57
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, absolutely.
1:21:58
SPEAKER_03: I'd be thrilled to be four, you know.
1:22:00
SPEAKER_03: Uh I'd be thrilled to finish top half, you know, because the Big 12 is that competitive.
1:22:04
SPEAKER_03: There's a lot of good teams, a lot of teams that are going to compete for not only the Big 12, but for the whole friggin' thing.
1:22:10
SPEAKER_03: So uh that that's how it is every single season.
1:22:12
SPEAKER_03: But um, you know, I there's a lot of answers to this next question that I wanted to ask you, uh, Ryan and Tristan.
1:22:18
SPEAKER_03: But um, most important offensive player for this team.
1:22:21
SPEAKER_03: I mean, who who is it in your opinion, Ryan?
1:22:24
SPEAKER_05: That's a really loaded question.
1:22:26
SPEAKER_05: I feel like there's a lot of directions I could go, but honestly, right now, I think it might be Malik Wilson.
1:22:32
SPEAKER_05: And just if his playmaking can turn out, I think that that fills probably one of the biggest gaps on this team.
1:22:38
SPEAKER_05: And that allows Kevin McColler to stay in a position where he's a little more natural.
1:22:43
SPEAKER_05: It also allows him to kind of create in a secondary role and do things off the ball.
1:22:47
SPEAKER_05: It allows Terrence Shannon to stay on this off-the-ball wing role.
1:22:51
SPEAKER_05: I mean, I think that like I would say Kevin O'Banner, but I just think that like it's just gonna work with him.
1:22:56
SPEAKER_05: Like, I'd be surprised if the dude is not playing really good basketball in December or January.
1:23:01
SPEAKER_05: But I think with Malik Wilson, like if it pans out, I think that might be the biggest needle mover on this roster.
1:23:07
SPEAKER_04: You know, you know, is it a cop out to say that I think it's TJ?
1:23:11
SPEAKER_04: Is it a cop out to see to say Mr.
1:23:14
SPEAKER_04: Jr.?
1:23:15
SPEAKER_04: Because like like Ryan touched on before, he's he's arguably the best player on the team.
1:23:19
SPEAKER_04: I don't know if that's much of an argument.
1:23:21
SPEAKER_04: Um, and in order to have a successful run, your best player has to be performing at the top level.
1:23:27
SPEAKER_04: So if he's not doing the the best he can, that the the probably the team isn't doing so great either.
1:23:32
SPEAKER_04: So I think if you need your I you need your best player on the team firing on all cylinders.
1:23:36
SPEAKER_04: Um, so I'm going with TJ.
1:23:37
SPEAKER_04: He this guy's got to lead the team performance-wise, and it starts with him there because there's a lot expected from him, probably more than any other player on the team.
1:23:45
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, if TJ takes that next step, like what Ryan said, brings that three-point percentage up a little bit more.
1:23:50
SPEAKER_03: I think he could be the most important offensive player.
1:23:53
SPEAKER_03: He's gonna be the guy that people are looking out for because you know he's got the name.
1:23:56
SPEAKER_03: He went to the NBA draft.
1:23:57
SPEAKER_03: Same with Kevin O'Banner, but there's no wrong answer to this question.
1:24:01
SPEAKER_03: Uh, I'm probably gonna I'm gonna go with Kevin McCullough because if he does take on this facilitating role, like what we think he's gonna do, and maybe Malik Wilson's not quite there yet.
1:24:09
SPEAKER_03: Kevin McCullough's gonna have to take that next step offensively.
1:24:12
SPEAKER_03: He's already a defensive anchor for this team, but offensively, being a facilitator, being a ball handler, that type of thing is gonna be super important.
1:24:20
SPEAKER_03: And if he does take that next step, it's gonna be huge for us.
1:24:23
SPEAKER_04: Absolutely.
1:24:23
SPEAKER_04: So what's well, we gotta look at the inverse then, don't we?
1:24:26
SPEAKER_04: We gotta say who's the most important player on the defensive side of the ball, y'all.
1:24:30
SPEAKER_04: Um, this is our bread and butter.
1:24:32
SPEAKER_04: This is what a coach Adams team is known for.
1:24:34
SPEAKER_04: Who's the leading player for that?
1:24:37
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, I've got to go Kevin McCullough.
1:24:39
SPEAKER_05: I think that he had it's just in his it's in his DNA.
1:24:42
SPEAKER_05: Like he he's done that for two years now.
1:24:44
SPEAKER_05: I think that last year he was really close to putting up some like historically good defensive numbers at Texas Tech.
1:24:51
SPEAKER_05: And this is a guy that got hurt just a few days before the season opener and just like had to miss some time, had to adjust.
1:24:58
SPEAKER_05: And he's healthy right now.
1:25:00
SPEAKER_05: He got like this sinus surgery, but he's fine.
1:25:02
SPEAKER_05: That's why he missed that scrimmage.
1:25:04
SPEAKER_05: But I think defensively, this is a guy that can play on your opponent's best player, whether they're a guard or a wing, he's gonna match up with them and he's not gonna let them score.
1:25:13
SPEAKER_05: He did this thing last season where he would just like run up to the to like half court, mid-court, and just rip the ball away from the point guard.
1:25:21
SPEAKER_05: Like, he did that like three or four times last season.
1:25:23
SPEAKER_05: It was just like inject this into my veins.
1:25:25
SPEAKER_05: Like, I know that Mark, like Mark Adams is dreaming about this at night.
1:25:28
SPEAKER_05: And I think that like we're just gonna keep seeing more of that from Kevin McCullough.
1:25:32
SPEAKER_05: And I think that there's there's no more important player on the defensive end than him, both in terms of leadership and on the court play.
1:25:40
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I may agree with you right there, but I'm gonna give it a little different answer just to kind of switch it up a little bit.
1:25:45
SPEAKER_03: But uh, I think Bryson Williams is gonna be huge on the defensive side of the floor.
1:25:48
SPEAKER_03: Uh, him and Marcus Santosova both, whoever's in that five position or however you want to explain it.
1:25:54
SPEAKER_03: But uh, I think it's gonna be massive because there are a lot of great big men in the Big 12 this year.
1:25:59
SPEAKER_03: Uh, and it starts with David McCormick from Kansas.
1:26:01
SPEAKER_03: I mean, who's gonna be the guy guarding him?
1:26:03
SPEAKER_03: Uh, and and I think that's gonna be huge.
1:26:05
SPEAKER_03: I think the defensive anchor starts with the man in the middle there.
1:26:09
SPEAKER_03: Um, and and seeing him progress, seeing how he can do on the defensive side of the floor.
1:26:13
SPEAKER_03: I think it's gonna be really interesting to see how um how Bryson Williams and and Marcus Senn is still to hold it down on that end.
1:26:20
SPEAKER_04: Hey, I'm gonna be basic, but I'm also gonna be a thief.
1:26:23
SPEAKER_04: I'm gonna take Ryan's answer.
1:26:24
SPEAKER_04: I do think it's K-Mac because a part of being a leader on the team is doing the unsexy things well, and playing defense is not sexy.
1:26:31
SPEAKER_04: The guy needs to be trying as hard as he can and leading the team on defense for anything to get going across the whole team.
1:26:37
SPEAKER_04: He's got to set the example, he's got to grind him out, and he's got the ability to do so.
1:26:40
SPEAKER_04: I think our defense starts with him, like especially at the guard position.
1:26:45
SPEAKER_04: He's at the nose of it.
1:26:46
SPEAKER_04: So it's it starts with him.
1:26:48
SPEAKER_04: I'm with Ryan.
1:26:48
SPEAKER_04: It's it's gotta be K Mac.
1:26:50
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, absolutely.
1:26:51
SPEAKER_03: There's a there's no wrong answers here.
1:26:53
SPEAKER_03: I think a lot of these guys uh are super talented on the defensive side of the floor and the offensive side of the floor.
1:26:59
SPEAKER_03: It's gonna be fun seeing this team really come together.
1:27:01
SPEAKER_03: I'm just excited it's basketball season, guys.
1:27:03
SPEAKER_03: I mean, holy moly, it's been so long.
1:27:06
SPEAKER_03: I you know, my spurs are not gonna be too good this year.
1:27:09
SPEAKER_03: So I'm gonna be relying on tech a lot to uh to hold it down for me on basketball, man.
1:27:14
SPEAKER_03: You're speaking Dallas Morning News' language right there.
1:27:17
SPEAKER_03: I know, I know, I know, I hate it, I hate it.
1:27:20
SPEAKER_03: Luca, come on down to San Antonio anytime, my friend.
1:27:24
SPEAKER_04: Right, Ryan, it's been great.
1:27:26
SPEAKER_04: Uh I just have a couple quick ones real quick for you.
1:27:28
SPEAKER_04: So, um, you know, it's a turbulent time for the Big 12, one of the best uh conferences in the nation, basketball-wise, if not the best.
1:27:36
SPEAKER_04: What do you think of the new look Big Twelve coming in?
1:27:38
SPEAKER_04: Are you excited about it?
1:27:38
SPEAKER_04: You got questions about it?
1:27:39
SPEAKER_04: Like, what's your thoughts about it?
1:27:42
SPEAKER_05: Are you talking in terms of realignment?
1:27:44
SPEAKER_05: Yep.
1:27:45
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, I think I'm excited about what it's going to do for basketball season, especially, like thinking about teams like Houston.
1:27:51
SPEAKER_05: I mean, BYU has been great in recent years, still a little bit questionable about Cincinnati and UCF.
1:27:57
SPEAKER_05: But I mean, yeah, it's exciting.
1:28:00
SPEAKER_05: I mean, I didn't expect three months ago for the entire college sports landscape to look completely different in a few years.
1:28:06
SPEAKER_05: And it's just kind of crazy that it felt like one morning I woke up and like everything looks different.
1:28:12
SPEAKER_05: But yeah, I'm excited for change.
1:28:14
SPEAKER_05: I mean, I love some new teams getting getting some run in the USA.
1:28:18
SPEAKER_05: I'm excited.
1:28:20
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, no doubt.
1:28:21
SPEAKER_03: These four teams that we're adding are great, you know, except maybe maybe UCF, probably the low point.
1:28:26
SPEAKER_03: But I mean, since he's been great, Houston obviously puts up a great team.
1:28:29
SPEAKER_03: Kelvin Sampson's got a great thing going BYU with Mark Pope.
1:28:33
SPEAKER_03: I mean, uh, it it's a great great four additions for basketball uh and for football as well, you know.
1:28:39
SPEAKER_03: But it is gonna stink, obviously, losing the money that UT and OU bring.
1:28:44
SPEAKER_03: But uh, in terms of the product, I mean, I've said this multiple times, the product's gonna be just fine.
1:28:50
SPEAKER_04: Absolutely, and it's it's so great to bring in.
1:28:52
SPEAKER_04: I know some there's some mixed feelings in tech about bringing Houston in, but I I I smell a new big rival coming on.
1:28:59
SPEAKER_04: Like I feel like every time we meet on the court, both the fans and the players wanted so bad.
1:29:03
SPEAKER_04: And then I can see it on the basketball court, two proud programs meeting on the court.
1:29:07
SPEAKER_04: Um, and I think it's be a ton of fun to watch.
1:29:10
SPEAKER_04: Um, and all right, I I know I know you're a Mr.
1:29:13
SPEAKER_04: Basketball.
1:29:14
SPEAKER_04: You got a basketball podcast, and it's fabulous.
1:29:16
SPEAKER_04: And there's probably no better place to go for your TechStech basketball knowledge, but what do you think of the bas of the football situation right now?
1:29:24
SPEAKER_04: Like what what how do you see the season going?
1:29:26
SPEAKER_04: How do you think it's going forward?
1:29:28
SPEAKER_04: What are your thoughts?
1:29:29
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, I think this weekend's game against Kansas State is probably the biggest game in Matt Wells' career, like his entire career.
1:29:36
SPEAKER_05: I think it's really it's gonna be tough for him to just coach himself back into a place where he's a head coach if he gets fired from Texas Tech this season.
1:29:43
SPEAKER_05: Um, but I mean, I was very, very bullish on this team heading into the season.
1:29:49
SPEAKER_05: Thought they were gonna be a bull team for sure, was really high on Shuck.
1:29:52
SPEAKER_05: Obviously, things didn't pan out there with the injury, was really high on this defense, obviously things didn't pan out there because it's Texas Tech football.
1:30:00
SPEAKER_05: But I still do think that there's a lot of potential.
1:30:02
SPEAKER_05: I think that if they win next weekend, it's gonna be a really, really, really big deal.
1:30:08
SPEAKER_05: And I think Matt Wells may save his job because of it.
1:30:12
SPEAKER_05: I I would feel a little bit more confident saying that if he can pull off a win against Kansas State and then steal one, really, because that's what he's gonna have to do somewhat somewhere on this back half of the schedule.
1:30:21
SPEAKER_05: But yeah, I've been enjoying football for the most part, except for the 120 minutes of sheer domination that I've had to cover.
1:30:29
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, yeah.
1:30:30
SPEAKER_03: I mean, the the back half of the schedule is absolutely brutal.
1:30:33
SPEAKER_03: Uh, you know, that's it's four, four, potentially five teams that are really solid.
1:30:38
SPEAKER_03: K-State's kind of teetering a little bit, so it is important to get this lat this next one.
1:30:43
SPEAKER_03: But I don't know, man.
1:30:44
SPEAKER_03: I was telling Tristan earlier, I just have a weird feeling that Matt Wells is gonna pull a couple of these out of his butt.
1:30:50
SPEAKER_03: And I don't know if it's I I feel like it's gonna be Ad Baylor and Iowa State at home, and I feel like he saves his job.
1:30:56
SPEAKER_03: I don't know.
1:30:57
SPEAKER_03: There's no real basis behind that thought process, but I don't know.
1:31:01
SPEAKER_03: I just have a weird feeling.
1:31:03
SPEAKER_04: Look, there's there's no easy day in the Big 12 for today's Texas Tech.
1:31:07
SPEAKER_04: So we've managed to sneak out two wins.
1:31:09
SPEAKER_04: I mean, Kansas is okay, that doesn't really count.
1:31:11
SPEAKER_04: But West Virginia obviously going to Morgantown.
1:31:13
SPEAKER_04: Um, we got a great win over Houston, and people forget oh, though we're very frustrated right now with how the losses went, we are five and two.
1:31:20
SPEAKER_04: That is a solid record.
1:31:21
SPEAKER_04: Many would die for that record right now at some very proud programs, too.
1:31:26
SPEAKER_04: So Matt Wells can, if he can get he can get bull eligible tomorrow, um tomorrow, Saturday, uh, that kind of meets the expectation of at least.
1:31:35
SPEAKER_04: So if he can meet the at least bar, then we could actually talk about moving forward.
1:31:39
SPEAKER_04: And like Stephen said, if we can sneak even another, or Ryan, like you said as well, trying to sneak one.
1:31:43
SPEAKER_04: Um, then we're looking at another year at Matt of Matt Wells for sure.
1:31:47
SPEAKER_04: Um, there are some interesting candidates out there, but there's it's just not a discussion that has to happen yet.
1:31:52
SPEAKER_04: Um, so I just want to make sure that you you you you gave your thoughts.
1:31:55
SPEAKER_04: I know you've had to write a lot of painful articles, and we thank you for your service, Ryan.
1:31:59
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, of course.
1:32:01
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, so I mean, we got to do it, Ryan.
1:32:03
SPEAKER_03: We've kept you such a long time and we appreciate you coming on and talking Texas Tech basketball with us.
1:32:09
SPEAKER_03: But uh, as we do on the Talking Tech Pod every single week, we do a song of the week just to switch it up a little bit, you know, give somebody uh a chance to listen to something that we've been vibing to lately.
1:32:18
SPEAKER_03: Uh, you know, I asked you to bring a song of the week.
1:32:20
SPEAKER_03: So, Ryan, what is that song of the week?
1:32:23
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, right now I I'm bumping a song called Maple Syrup by the Backseat Lovers.
1:32:28
SPEAKER_05: A lot of people don't know this about me, but Tristan and Steven, you can see this.
1:32:32
SPEAKER_05: I've got some guitars in the back.
1:32:33
SPEAKER_05: I do play guitar.
1:32:34
SPEAKER_05: Maple syrup is one of my favorite songs to play on the guitar.
1:32:37
SPEAKER_05: And so right now that's kind of that's kind of what I've been listening to.
1:32:41
SPEAKER_02: I saw you dancing at the show tonight.
1:32:46
SPEAKER_02: Suit in the back, and the things that we find.
1:32:53
SPEAKER_04: Interesting, man.
1:32:54
SPEAKER_04: What kind of vibe are we going for with that genre and all that?
1:32:57
SPEAKER_04: What's what's the what's the feeling there?
1:32:59
SPEAKER_05: It's like indie alt rock.
1:33:01
SPEAKER_05: It's it's kind of my vibe.
1:33:02
SPEAKER_05: Like, imagine you walk into a coffee shop and like the guy's a little bit edgy, he likes something a little bit more loud.
1:33:09
SPEAKER_05: That's that's kind of my vibe.
1:33:10
SPEAKER_03: Okay, cool.
1:33:11
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I can mess with it, you know.
1:33:13
SPEAKER_03: Give me give me a little acoustic, a little nice little guitar action.
1:33:16
SPEAKER_03: So um, cool, man.
1:33:18
SPEAKER_03: We appreciate that one.
1:33:19
SPEAKER_03: Tristan, what is your song of the week?
1:33:20
SPEAKER_04: Hey, since we won last week without me doing a country song, we're gonna keep the non-country songs coming then.
1:33:25
SPEAKER_04: All right, so I know I'm about to do a band that gets a lot of flack.
1:33:29
SPEAKER_04: Uh, I don't know if it's for right or for wrong.
1:33:31
SPEAKER_04: I'm sure a music head like Ryan's gonna have an opinion on it.
1:33:34
SPEAKER_04: But um, and the reason why I picked it is it's it's kind of a pun.
1:33:37
SPEAKER_04: I'm going with Unwell by Matchbox 20.
1:33:39
SPEAKER_04: I love the genre build up bending of that song.
1:33:42
SPEAKER_04: They bring in the banjo, it's a bit of the uh the adult alt rock of the 2000s.
1:33:46
SPEAKER_04: I kind of buy with that.
1:33:47
SPEAKER_04: Um, but yeah, I'm going with Unwell because Matt Wells has been unwell.
1:33:52
SPEAKER_04: Get it, but it's uh, but I do like that one.
1:33:56
SPEAKER_04: It's on my face by them.
1:33:57
SPEAKER_04: And I'm ready for Matt Wells to turn this train into a uh locomotive with that after these this first one.
1:34:02
SPEAKER_04: Let's turn it into two.
1:34:04
SPEAKER_02: I'm not crazy, I'm just a little well.
1:34:07
SPEAKER_02: I know right now you can't tell.
1:34:10
SPEAKER_02: But stay a while and maybe then you'll see a different side.
1:34:15
SPEAKER_03: Oh, let's hope, man.
1:34:18
SPEAKER_03: Let's hope because there's not a lot of that these days, but uh, yeah, we'll see.
1:34:22
SPEAKER_03: That's a good one.
1:34:22
SPEAKER_03: Uh yeah, I'm gonna stay with the rock vibe.
1:34:24
SPEAKER_03: I'm gonna take it back a while though.
1:34:26
SPEAKER_03: Uh, I'm gonna do a stone song.
1:34:28
SPEAKER_03: Uh, you know, I I I like the Rolling Stones.
1:34:30
SPEAKER_03: I'm I'm I like the Beatles as well.
1:34:32
SPEAKER_03: I know that's a point of contention between some people, but I'm gonna go with basketball season starting.
1:34:37
SPEAKER_03: Start Me Up by the Rolling Stones.
1:34:40
SPEAKER_03: Great song, great jam.
1:34:42
SPEAKER_03: Obviously, it's a classic.
1:34:43
SPEAKER_03: The Rolling Stones are a classic.
1:34:44
SPEAKER_03: I had to do that one because I'm so ready.
1:34:47
SPEAKER_03: Start me up with basketball season.
1:34:48
SPEAKER_03: It's my favorite sport, it's what I live and die by.
1:34:51
SPEAKER_03: It's it's fantastic.
1:34:52
SPEAKER_03: I think tech's gonna bring it this year.
1:34:54
SPEAKER_03: That's my song of the week.
1:34:55
SPEAKER_03: Start me up, Rolling Stones.
1:35:11
SPEAKER_04: That is a banger of a song.
1:35:13
SPEAKER_04: That is that is peak British rock right there.
1:35:15
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, absolutely.
1:35:16
SPEAKER_05: You big stones guy, Ryan.
1:35:18
SPEAKER_05: Uh, you know, they're they're a little old for me.
1:35:21
SPEAKER_05: I'm a little young.
1:35:22
SPEAKER_05: I'm on the younger side, but uh my boss did actually actually go see them.
1:35:26
SPEAKER_05: They're they're on tour right now, I think.
1:35:29
SPEAKER_05: And my boss did see them in concert the other day, and he said it was a great show.
1:35:32
SPEAKER_05: So I've been throwing that on my Spotify every now and then during the workday.
1:35:36
SPEAKER_04: I bet, but Ryan, how old do you think we are?
1:35:38
SPEAKER_04: Damn, you really you really just kind of did a uh a backhanded roast out of nowhere.
1:35:44
SPEAKER_03: He's like, damn, you boys are you boys are too old for me over here.
1:35:48
SPEAKER_03: Sit over here to the five-year-old the big two five, man.
1:35:51
SPEAKER_03: We're we're getting there, we're getting old, man.
1:35:56
SPEAKER_03: But yeah, I mean, seriously, Ryan, you've been awesome.
1:35:59
SPEAKER_03: Uh, we're so excited for basketball season.
1:36:01
SPEAKER_03: Uh here, uh, give give us some plugs.
1:36:03
SPEAKER_03: Where can we hear you?
1:36:04
SPEAKER_03: Where can we read you?
1:36:06
SPEAKER_03: Uh, give us everything that you're on.
1:36:08
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, well, first of all, the pleasure has been all mine.
1:36:10
SPEAKER_05: Appreciate y'all letting me on, stealing some of your time.
1:36:13
SPEAKER_05: It's been a ton of fun, really enjoyed it.
1:36:15
SPEAKER_05: But yeah, if you want to listen to my podcast where I get angry about random things, you should go search No Middle Madness and just tune in to Emery and I.
1:36:24
SPEAKER_05: We do we do work pretty hard and a busy schedule, and so we're pretty proud of what we've built there.
1:36:29
SPEAKER_05: And then also you can find my byline at the Dallas Morning News, just search Dallas Morning News, Ryan Mainville.
1:36:35
SPEAKER_05: And I'm I'm posting like five articles a week right now, just grinding, trying to get stuff up.
1:36:39
SPEAKER_05: And so I hope that my coverage there is useful.
1:36:42
SPEAKER_05: You can also follow me on Twitter at Rmainville LBK, um, where I tweet way more than I probably should.
1:36:49
SPEAKER_03: Dude, your Twitter's fire, you're verified.
1:36:51
SPEAKER_03: You're doing you're doing a great job.
1:36:52
SPEAKER_03: Okay.
1:36:53
SPEAKER_03: So uh no, it's a bearable check mark, one of the few.
1:36:57
SPEAKER_03: It is, yeah.
1:36:58
SPEAKER_03: No, absolutely.
1:36:58
SPEAKER_03: But yeah, you you and Emery, seriously, y'all two are some of the most knowledgeable guys when it comes to basketball.
1:37:04
SPEAKER_03: Uh, if you want just pure knowledge and I mean statistical analysis, all sorts of stuff, go listen to No Middle Madness.
1:37:11
SPEAKER_03: It's fantastic.
1:37:12
SPEAKER_03: I tune in all the time.
1:37:13
SPEAKER_03: Uh, but man, Ryan, you've been awesome, dude.
1:37:15
SPEAKER_03: Uh, you know, wreck of tech always.
1:37:17
SPEAKER_03: This hopefully this basketball season is going to be awesome, but we appreciate you hopping on.
1:37:21
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, thank y'all.
1:37:22
SPEAKER_05: 32 days.
1:37:23
SPEAKER_05: Let's watch some hoops.
1:37:27
SPEAKER_03: Man, that was a lot.
1:37:28
SPEAKER_03: That was a lot from tech basketball.
1:37:30
SPEAKER_03: Ryan was fantastic.
1:37:32
SPEAKER_03: Uh, if you don't know the roster up and down by now, I don't know what to tell you.
1:37:36
SPEAKER_03: You go back and listen, re-listen to this episode because uh he was awesome, dude.
1:37:41
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, absolutely.
1:37:42
SPEAKER_04: It will not be the last time we have him on.
1:37:44
SPEAKER_04: Just an impressive mind, a proud tech alum showing himself around the big newspapers and the Metropolitan and making his presence known because he's got the brains to show it.
1:37:53
SPEAKER_04: So it's great to have him on, and I hope we have him on soon.
1:37:56
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, absolutely.
1:37:57
SPEAKER_03: So uh we're gonna end off the podcast right here with some plugs.
1:38:00
SPEAKER_03: You can follow both me and Tristan on Twitter.
1:38:02
SPEAKER_03: Tristan is at Tristany Mick.
1:38:04
SPEAKER_03: I am at L underscore S underscore Rodriguez.
1:38:06
SPEAKER_03: Follow the pod on Twitter.
1:38:07
SPEAKER_03: We're almost at 800 followers, and we are so close.
1:38:11
SPEAKER_03: Tell everybody, tell your friends, tell your family about us.
1:38:14
SPEAKER_03: Uh, follow us on Twitter at Talking Tech Pod.
1:38:16
SPEAKER_03: Um, you can follow our Songs of the Week playlist.
1:38:18
SPEAKER_03: It is on Spotify and Apple Music.
1:38:21
SPEAKER_03: Uh, and then you know, you can just give us a like, give us a subscribe to the podcast, leave us a nice review if you like it.
1:38:28
SPEAKER_03: Uh, if you don't like it, just you know, move on.
1:38:31
SPEAKER_03: You don't have to send a nasty review.
1:38:33
SPEAKER_03: Just, you know, just send a nice review, just be nice guys.
1:38:36
SPEAKER_03: But um, yeah, we're gonna end it off like we always do.
1:38:39
SPEAKER_03: Always wreck them tech.
1:38:40
SPEAKER_01: Wreck em tech.
1:38:42
SPEAKER_01: Uh wow.
1:38:43
SPEAKER_01: First of all, uh got a lot of respect for Steven and Tristan.
1:38:48
SPEAKER_01: Uh their program, tough guys, just uh a lot of fun.
1:38:52
SPEAKER_00: I love the game of basketball, but also love West Texas, and I love Steven and Tristan.
1:38:58
SPEAKER_00: So I'm extremely proud.
1:38:59
SPEAKER_00: Well, I don't know where we go from here.
1:39:00
SPEAKER_00: I'm I'm thinking I'm just gonna sit back down.
1:39:02
SPEAKER_00: It's just not getting any better than this.
1:39:04
SPEAKER_06: I just want to tell Stephen and Tristan thanks for coming out.
1:39:08
SPEAKER_01: The energy uh was really, really good in there today.
1:39:11
SPEAKER_01: Uh we fed off of it.
1:39:12
SPEAKER_01: I think it goes back and forth.
1:39:14
SPEAKER_01: Tremendous.
1:39:15
SPEAKER_01: Uh great job, and um, you know, just just proud of our guys for the way they responded.