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One Leg Up on The Big East Tournament with Dave Popkin, Lou Terminello and Alex Garrett 3-13-24 · OneLegUpAlex Media

0:02
Here's your host, Alex Garren. All right, well, a very special
0:10
moment here on the Alex Scare Podcast Network with Lou Terminel. Lou, before
0:15
we get to our first guest, you ever what happened ten years ago this
0:19
week on AM nine Tip of the Answer with regard to Seaton Hall and Biggie's
0:23
Basketball. Take a listen. Sena has the basketball. Here we go,
0:27
Pirates down by one, gets it embounced at Gimbs. Gibbs puts on the
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floor feed away eighteen footer. God, how the Pirates with it. Sterling
0:39
Gibbs from just inside the arks straight away hits the jumper as time runs out,
0:45
and Seaton Hall with one of the biggest victories in the history of the
0:49
program as they knock off the number three team in the nation. Seaton Hall
0:54
defeats filling Ova sixty four to sixty three, and for the first time since
1:00
two thousand and one, the Pirates will at best to the biggest semifinals.
1:04
Sterling Gibbs with a big shot, don't win it for the Pirates. And
1:10
we have the man who was in the arena with Gary Cohen at the time,
1:14
Dave Popkins. Ten years ago, that moment happened. Do you remember
1:17
that very well? To this day, he's hit a number of game winners
1:21
and Sterling Gibbs was actually just named today the head coach of Saint Peter's No.
1:25
Seaton Hall Prep Boys basketball. Wow. How timely was that, Alex
1:30
see that instinct right there, reporters instinct. So first of all, Dave,
1:34
thanks for joining Lou and I And how's this season gone so far?
1:38
Hanging the biggest tournament? You know, you and I saw each other at
1:42
the Saint John Cena Hall game. Thought that was a turning point for both
1:45
teams. Would you agree? Totally agree? Because Saint John's is skidding.
1:49
They gave up a nineteen point lead and lost that day. Patinoga went on
1:55
to rip them in the postgame show, in the press conference, and then
2:00
they responded after that, you know, instead of going in the tank and
2:04
you know, put their tail between their legs. Saint John's is rattled off
2:07
like five straight wins going into the Big East tournament and it was a pivotal
2:12
point for them and the same for Seton Hall because they really needed that win.
2:15
They needed a road win and a quad one win at that point.
2:20
So yeah, I think it was a huge game. And then Seaton Hall,
2:24
you know, went on to beat Villanova and put themselves in good position.
2:29
But I think both teams are playing well and that's really going to be
2:31
an exciting one Thursday at the Garden. Now, coach Patino got criticized for
2:38
being so blunt after that game, but I think there was a method to
2:43
his madness, and obviously Saint John's responded. I mean, I don't think
2:50
if he went off that they would have beaten Creighton like they did at the
2:53
Garden. I mean, they really had that game from beginning to end,
2:57
and that's the game that really started perking your your eyes up saying Okay,
3:00
they might not be done yet, because after blowing the nineteen point lead to
3:05
the Pirates, I thought they were done. I thought they were finished.
3:08
Yeah, I totally agree, and I credit the white suit for the victory
3:13
against Yeah. Yeah, yeah, he came out and looked like John Travolta
3:16
as he short did he did in fact, Now, that was a great
3:21
day for Johnny's basketball. But and on this flip side for Scene Hall,
3:23
you know, that comeback nineteen points down, so he got a lot of
3:29
very heated got a technical that game. I just felt like they went on
3:31
a run too after that game as well. They did, and it was
3:36
his first technical lat seat in the hall. He said that he did it
3:38
on purpose. The guys really reacted to it. Sometimes, you know,
3:42
teams don't react like that when the coach goes off, but they felt like
3:45
he was fighting for them, YadA YadA. And you know they went on
3:49
to not only win that game, but played pretty well, you know,
3:52
down the stretch. I mean, they got blown out at Creighton and Yukon,
3:55
but most teams do. It's just a function of where they were in
3:59
this ed. And if you would have told me after the Rutgers loss that
4:02
this team would be thirteen and seven in the Big East and win twenty games
4:06
going into the Big East Tournament, I would assigned for it and give you
4:10
my firstborn child. Oh, Dave, Dave, I agree. I thought
4:15
in the you know, the pre conference schedule, watching the games, I
4:19
said, I don't think this is going to be that great a year.
4:21
And they did a great job. I mean, they really did. I
4:28
never expect them to be thirteen and seven and won this season when the conference
4:30
season started. No, I mean, and you look at what they've done.
4:35
I mean, some people think that, you know, they were on
4:39
the bubble because of the metrics and all that stuff. But they've beaten everybody.
4:43
They beat Yukon, they beat Marquette, they took Creighton to triple overtime,
4:47
and they beat everybody else. They beat Villanova, they swept Butler,
4:50
they swept Saint John's. I mean, I don't know who else you want
4:53
them to beat. So yeah, I mean they have a senior group.
4:57
I liked the team. I I don't know if they're gonna win the Big
5:01
East Tournament because it's three days in a row and they don't play many of
5:05
the bench guys, and Richmond seems like he's tired. So you know,
5:11
is he gonna play thirty five minutes three days in a row. And will
5:14
the team kemba Walker's style to the Big East Tournament title. I don't really
5:18
see it, especially since Yukon is the second game in their draw, But
5:24
you know it's gonna be an exciting tournament either way. You mentioned Kadari,
5:28
and of course he was he on and off at times a season. Did
5:31
you find that through that adversity and even the adversity losing those two games to
5:35
creating a Yukon that they bounced back from both those situations. Yeah, I
5:40
mean they did, and he was the leader in the Villanova game that kind
5:43
of settled them down managed the end of the game. He doesn't always have
5:46
to have a huge points game for them to win. He just you know,
5:49
needs to be the adult in the room and not turn the ball over,
5:54
get it to the right people in their spots and all that's make his
5:57
free throws. And he was able to do that. But you saw what
6:00
this team was when he wasn't in there. They he didn't play the two
6:03
games, they lost both games, and they didn't play that well when he
6:06
was limited in his next two games after that. So they'll go as far
6:12
as he and drey Davis can take them. Yeah, Now, Kadarn Richmond
6:15
is indispensable for Set and Hope basketball. There's no question about it. And
6:20
we will see what happens. To be an incredible tournament, I mean,
6:25
anybody can really win it. Yes to be to win three games in three
6:29
days, and if somebody can do four games and four todays, obviously it's
6:35
crazy. Yukon is by far and away the best team. Dave I guess
6:40
they might be the best team in the country. I know Houston is right,
6:43
you know, is going to be one seed, so as I assume
6:46
the one seeds will be Yukon, Houston, Purdue, and and see you
6:54
went see now that Arizona got upset the other day. Yeah, they don't
6:57
know if I'm anybody there, but they think probably North Carolina or Tennessee for
7:01
that last number one. But the other three of you mentioned I think are
7:05
locks, you know, to be number one seeds at any given time this
7:09
year. They all could have a claim for being the best team in the
7:12
country. Yukon is the best team that I've seen. Houston I haven't seen
7:16
as much of you know, compared to Yukon and Purdue, so I'm probably
7:21
a little biased, but Houston has had a great year obviously, Dave.
7:26
You know, I gotta ask you this because obviously before every game pretty much
7:29
much Ken pump rankings and whatnot. When did you become such a it's so
7:33
interesting the numbers aside from color commentating, I feel like you make the numbers
7:38
a big part of that game. Where did you get that interest from?
7:41
Yeah, it's it's just required at this point. I mean I do so
7:45
many games. I'm probably gonna do like fifty games plus twenty two talk shows
7:49
this year, So I really need to be locked in with, you know,
7:54
following bracketmatrix dot com every morning, following the net, following the Kenpom
7:59
for following the local bracketologist of choice that I like, Brad walk Tell.
8:03
I think he does a great job. He's a former Rutgers assistant that you
8:07
know, is almost perfect every year on his bracket. So I follow all
8:11
that stuff every day, and I try to watch, you know, some
8:13
of these ancillary games too that I'm not calling, so that I get a
8:18
feel of it. Because I vote for the Wooden Award, so I want
8:22
to have an idea going into the last couple of weeks before I cram on
8:28
on watching some of these top players and following their numbers and all that stuff.
8:31
But I love it. I mean, I love college basketball as much
8:35
as any sport right now, Luno's that I'm a big baseball guy, and
8:41
that's how I came up through the business, doing a lot of college and
8:43
minor league baseball games. And you know that was my first love as a
8:48
player. I was playing baseball. But I think I've become even more of
8:52
a basketball guy. Now, Dave, which one of these you talk about
9:00
Ken Palm and you know Joelnardi. Are they all basically the same? Now
9:07
you had mentioned Waddell from Rutgers. It seems like Hotel Rock. Yeah,
9:13
it seems like even though not too many people know about him, but when
9:16
when people do talk about him, they talk about how effective and how accurate
9:20
he is. It's a system different than any others. Is the algorithm that
9:26
they use different? Yeah? I think that he has the benefit of not
9:33
only being analytical, but being a basketball person that has been on a staff
9:41
that can actually eyeball the teams and say, hey, like Indiana State deserves
9:45
to be in over Colorado even though Colorado is from a bigger conference. He's
9:50
you know, watched five of their games and he just, you know,
9:52
thinks that they would be better in the tournament. Really, it comes down
9:58
to, like the last six or seventeen is that any of these bracketologists get
10:01
judged on, Because anybody's going to be able to pick the top ten seeds,
10:05
the top forty teams in the tournament. I could pick them, You
10:09
could pick them. It's those last eight in the last eight out where people
10:15
like to debate and have arguments, and he follows every metric. He watches
10:18
a lot of games. I think last year he was sixty seven out of
10:22
sixty eight with his bracket something like that. So yeah, it's it's fun.
10:28
I mean, it's a good time of year. There's a lot of
10:30
teams with an argument right now that they should be in and Saint John's is
10:33
one of them. Villanova is another. Their metrics are very good. Saint
10:39
John's does not have a lot of big wins. They don't other than that
10:43
Creton game. They really don't. So it'll behoove them to beat Seaton Hall
10:48
and play competitively against Yukon if they want to make it. Dave now,
10:54
Thursday afternoon will be the third time they've played Seaton Hall has embarrassed them in
10:58
two different ways. The first time the twenty eight zip run bracketing two hands
11:07
the game at ubs, blowing a nineteen point lead and came back to win.
11:13
What doesal have to do to win on Thursday. I think it's a
11:18
good matchup for them. I prefer that matchup to some of the others,
11:20
like if they had to play Creighton or some of these teams, it's it's
11:24
really tough, but they have generally shut down Joel Soriano. They have two
11:30
good defensive centers, particularly Jaden Bettiaco, who's been one of the fins of
11:35
the transfer portal. He's been fantastic for them acculate in the middle. Yeah,
11:39
he's been great. So if they can neutralize him and then stick Richmond
11:45
on Danis Jenkins and let that be a wash, let's say, or if
11:48
Richmond has a little bit of an edge there, then Seaton Hall I think
11:52
has has a big edge because then you have Dawes and you have dray Davis,
11:56
who can score a day. Wusu had a big game against Sint John's
12:00
the first time, and he's played well the last couple of games. He's
12:03
starting to find his shot a little bit and he's a very tough guy.
12:07
So I think if they the officiating is a factor in this one. It's
12:13
Saint John's home court kind of, but if Seaton Hall gets a favorable whistle
12:18
in that they let them play and they let it be a physical game,
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I think that will favor Seaton Hall because they're there are more defensive oriented team
12:26
and they'll bother you up. It's funny to say about home team because you
12:31
know, a lot of Hall fans did travel to Ubs, so I'm sure
12:33
they're going to pack the garden as well on Thursday. Now I mentioned a
12:37
die Wushu. He hit one thousand career points this past weekend. I mean,
12:43
the guy has been such a big asset for you know, Seaton Hall.
12:46
Is he a reason why Patino went off that day because he saw a
12:50
guy Wooster succeeding as a pirate. I mean, I feel like that led
12:52
to it too. Yeah, maybe maybe. I mean he basically let everybody
12:58
accept Soriano go, and some of those guys David Jones and some others have
13:03
played well elsewhere, so it may have been a bit of a rash decision.
13:09
But I don't think a day Wooz who really fit within his style anyway.
13:13
And he hasn't been one hundred percent perfect for Seaton Hall, but he's
13:16
been a good glue guy and he's like top four in the league and steals,
13:20
he's a good rebounder, he's a good kid, team player and when
13:26
he can shoot, which he went about six or seven games where he could
13:30
make a three, and now in the last two games. I think he's
13:33
made five threes, so he's when you can do that. And and he's
13:37
wide open. I mean they leave him wide open because why not. You
13:39
have so many other options for Seaton Hall that you have to leave somebody open
13:43
sometimes. And he made him pay. And yeah, I mean he's been
13:48
very useful. And you know, unfortunately for Seaton Hall they probably only have
13:52
him for one year. But it's it's a good senior class and he's a
13:56
part of that. Dave Creighton, I see Creighton. They can shoot the
14:03
ball, they can handle the ball, they can pass the ball. How
14:07
could they whether they they lose eight or nine games this year, how could
14:11
that? I don't know. I don't know how they lose that. Maybe
14:22
they have how they lose I really don't. I mean, obviously they have
14:26
the defensive players here again this year. He's one to three years in a
14:30
row. They're well coached. All the guys on a team have high IQs.
14:35
I don't know how they lose. Yeah, I watched them and I
14:39
said, how it should be right up there with Yukon. It's just I
14:46
mean, am I missing again? Am I missing something? I don't know?
14:50
Yeah, I would say a couple of things. If you can take
14:52
away some of their three point shooting and hold them to like seven threes instead
14:56
of thirteen threes, that kind of a game. You have a shot,
15:01
you have a shot. You have to have a decent mobile center that can
15:05
keep up with Kulkbrenner because he can step out and shoot, or he can
15:07
post you up. He's going to block your shot. He is the most
15:13
indispensable player in the league. I mean, Richmond obviously was Seaton Hall they
15:16
collapse, but Yukon has proven that. You know, if Cam Spencer has
15:20
an off game or they're without clinging for a couple of weeks, like they
15:24
can survive it. They're deep. Creighton's not that deep, and Kalkbrenner is
15:28
central to their hopes. I mean, if he has a double double and
15:31
he's really altering and blocking shots in the lane, that's a big deal.
15:37
Like their defense is better than ever. They used to be just like an
15:39
outscore you kind of team, but they're one of the better defensive teams in
15:43
the league this year. So that's the other team that I would put as
15:46
a favorite to win it. They're in the other side of the bracket from
15:48
Yukon. We don't know about the health of Tyler Kolek for Marquette. If
15:54
he plays, they have a shot. But I would say, you know,
15:56
Yukon one and Creighton two in terms of not only winning the Big East
16:02
Tournament but being able to make a deep run in the NCAAs. One other
16:06
biggest note that go ahead, go ahead alse one of the biggest note that
16:11
I was going to cover before we get to actually that you do more than
16:14
just Seeinghall basketball. We got to cover that before the time's up here.
16:17
But Dave egg Cooley, of course, moving from Providence down to Georgetown,
16:22
I mean, what are you expecting from him. I'd feel like that's been
16:26
a big storyline in the Big East. Has it not totally? I mean,
16:30
it makes it so deep in terms of coaching, And there's talk now
16:33
Porter Moser getting the Depaulge job potentially coming back to Chicago, where we had
16:37
so much success with Loyola leaving Oklahoma. I'm sure it would take a lot
16:41
of money to make him do that. But if he thinks that Chicago is
16:45
home and he can get it done there, I mean, that makes it
16:49
an unbelievable lineup of coaches top to bottom, moving Coolly into Georgetown makes them
16:56
stronger for the long term. Kim English did a good job filling in for
17:00
Cooley as the Providence coach this year. They're right on the bubble right now.
17:04
I think they probably need to win two games, but they're right there.
17:07
They're good, and they lost one of their best players, so yeah,
17:12
I mean, it makes the league super deep by by that coaching move.
17:18
And they weren't good this year Georgetown, but I felt like they're more
17:22
competitive. Well question, I mean if you saw, I know you so
17:26
when you watched Georgetown last year, they were embarrassing. I mean, it
17:33
just goes to show you the job that Cooley has done, even though they
17:37
only won a couple of games in the conference, and he'll get the job
17:41
done. And you and I was going to ask you about the pole,
17:45
you know, I mean, what's what's the deal with the poll in twenty
17:51
seven? Right? That's what I read in this steam. I mean,
17:53
Alex, this was one of the great programs in college basketball twenty five years
17:59
ago. Marca Guah, Harry Cummings, Rod Strickland's final war and I think
18:07
and Dave could jump in and disagree. I think this is the worst team
18:11
in Big East history. This year it is whole team. It is.
18:15
There's no doubt. I mean, I haven't seen one. That's where some
18:18
people actually mentioned to me some of the early Seaton Hall Big East teams in
18:22
that conversation when PJ was there, Hatty mahon was the coach for one year.
18:27
There's one year where they only won one Big East game. The Georgetown
18:32
team under UV that went oh to nineteen in the Big East is another one
18:37
that was under consideration for that. But DePaul was was pretty bad this year.
18:41
I felt bad for Matt Brady, who's a good guy and a good
18:44
coach and had to pick up the pieces there after they fired Tony's Stubblefield.
18:48
On paper, it's a good job. I mean, it's a gorgeous arena.
18:52
They have a new practice facility that's being built there. I don't think
18:56
they have a lot of nil money. The arena's not on camp like there
19:00
are a little you know, some weird things. There aren't that many great
19:03
players that have come out of Chicago in recent years, and the ones that
19:07
have come out, they haven't kept. So it's a tough job, especially
19:11
in this league. As Alex mentioned, with all those good coaches. So
19:15
it's intriguing though it's a very pivotal higher Dave, can you can you help
19:18
us with this one conception that I've had for many years that if you don't
19:22
make it to the tournament, you know, if you don't win the tournament
19:26
in any of these tournament finals, you're not going to the Big to the
19:29
Big Dance. But they could win a couple of rounds here and still get
19:33
to the tournament. Is that true with some of these teams? Like who?
19:37
Like, what are you? Who are you talking about? Well,
19:38
let's say set Hall doesn't win the tournament, do they still have a bid
19:41
into based on who they beat in the tournament? Yeah? I think that
19:45
Seton Hall will go no matter what. I think that. You know,
19:48
the top three are definitely going as high seeds. You're talking about Yukon,
19:52
Creighton, and Marquette. Then Saint John's is on the bubble, Villanova's on
19:56
the bubble, Providence is on definitely on the wrong side of the bubble right
19:59
now. But they still have a chance. You know, Xavier would probably
20:03
have to go to the final or win it all, win the tournament,
20:07
you know, and get the automatic qualifier. Butler at least has to go
20:12
to the final at this point, I would think, but you know,
20:15
if some of these things could happen, you could get seven Big East teams
20:18
in this year, which would be a testament to how deep the league is.
20:22
I think that they'll probably get five, and if Providence or Butler can
20:26
somehow make a run, you know, maybe six. At this point.
20:30
Villanova is an intriguing team. Some nights they're as good as anybody, and
20:36
some Knights they're not. If I had the choice over Villanova and Saint John's,
20:41
I think Villanova is a better team and I would put them in my
20:44
bracket. But you know, Saint John's is the team that has the momentum
20:48
right now. We'll see how it works out now, Lou, you know,
20:52
Dave has heard more than just on Seen Hall. He's got the Crashing
20:56
the Board Show and and other different things. Sounds about the other adventures you
21:00
do during the season alongside you know, a basketball Well, I do that
21:04
one show with Austin Johnson that you helped me on, Alex, the Crashing
21:07
the Boards on Fox Sports Radio New Jersey. We're on five stations and it's
21:11
archived as a podcast so people can go back and check out any of the
21:15
episodes at air Sunday mornings at eleven am if you want to listen to it
21:19
live. And we're generally New Jersey college hoops. We mix in a few
21:25
other things, like this week we had Donald Copeland, who's a Jersey guy
21:27
happens to be coaching wagon right now, you know, so we get we
21:33
get people like that, some national people, but Bill Raftrie, he's a
21:36
Jersey guy obviously. Week Yeah, and then you know, I did some
21:41
Saint Peter's games this year and j T and the Northeast Conference I've done for
21:45
twenty four years, and that's been a labor of love. It's it's a
21:49
tough league right now because you're driving a Merrimac and stone Hill and it's it's
21:53
getting kind of far flung. But I still enjoy those games. You got
21:57
the energy for it, Lou, I know you. And ask another question
22:00
for Dave. Dave, are there any Saint Peter's or FDU win the tournament
22:04
this year? Nationally? We're going to see it that we've seen the last
22:08
couple of years. I think if Princeton wins their conference tournament, they will
22:15
be like an eleven seed and they have a chance to make another run.
22:18
Last year obviously in the sweet sixteen. I think they're just as good this
22:22
year. Moved the ball, great, shoot it great, well coached.
22:26
I've gotten a chance to interview a couple of you know, their players and
22:30
assistant coaches this year, and I'm just really impressed, you know, by
22:34
them. If they don't win the conference tournament, I don't think that they're
22:41
an at large candidate at this point. People are saying no. I would
22:45
say yes, because I think they could beat most of those teams that are
22:48
like, let's call it the seven through twelve seeds. I think they would
22:53
have a good chance to win any of those games. So they're impressive.
23:00
Drake is impressive this year, you know. I think that they might make
23:03
some noise as a dark horse in the tournament. Kind of a veteran team
23:07
with a great player. I don't know, I mean, I don't see.
23:15
Merrimac is kind of a funky team out of the NEEC. They play
23:19
a two three zone that is uncommon, and they have some gritty players and
23:25
they can drag you into a forty nine forty eight game and the team that
23:30
they play may not have seen that you know, so could they win a
23:33
game in the first four and give like a number one seed some trouble maybe
23:38
maybe, But that's the beauty of the tournament, you know. I mean
23:41
who thought that was going to beat better? Yeah, Seamhole will not be
23:47
a Naton correct, I don't think so. I mean most people have them
23:52
a little bit higher than that right now. I mean if Saint John's goes
23:55
out and beats them by twenty five and you know, maybe that's a bad
23:59
final eye test for them. But yeah, I think there'll be a ten
24:03
or eleven someplace, probably not Brooklyn because that's where Yukon will be. But
24:11
whatever it is for Seaton Hall, it's an accomplishment for Shaheen Holloway to be
24:17
on the bubble last year and make the n I t and then to make
24:19
the tournament in his second year. And you know, with the record that
24:22
we talked about, I think that he is certainly right up there for Big
24:26
East Coach of the Year. You know, sometimes I I know you have
24:30
a preference where you want to go and call the game, like a few
24:33
years ago with San Diego, any any of the locations that you're eyeing that
24:37
you're hoping to go to this year. I would love to go to Memphis
24:41
because I'm a big music guy, so I could, you know, take
24:44
in Beal Street and all of that. But there are no bad sites in
24:48
the NCAA tournament. If you want to send us to Spokane or Pittsburgh or
24:51
Dayton or whatever, I'd even Omaha, where we just were. I'd be
24:56
thrilled. At this point. San Diego, by the way, was the
24:59
best week until the game started. It was horrible. Oh my god.
25:04
You know, lou As we know, Dave slides into the play by play
25:07
seat quite a few times this year, Dave. For those that are listening
25:11
and wonder difference for you from play by play to color commentator. There's got
25:17
to be a lot of adaptation you do sliding over from the color comminator's seat
25:21
to the play by play chair, right, A little bit, Yeah,
25:23
a little bit. I kind of preped the same. I watch a little
25:27
bit more video if I'm doing play by play because I really want to know
25:32
the players by body type and not by number. I just want to be
25:36
able to see them and know who they are so that if it's it's in
25:37
the corner and I can't see their number. I just I want to know
25:41
that it's Trey Alexander launching the three and not Baylor Shireman that kind of thing.
25:48
I don't know. It's the play by play is second nature to me.
25:51
The color is even though I do it more, it's almost harder because
25:55
it's a timing thing. You know. The in radio I play announced us
26:00
to talk eighty percent of the time at least, or the audience doesn't understand
26:03
what's going on. So for me, I treat the color almost like I
26:10
am the replays on TV or the graphics on TV, like the score bug
26:15
that will pop up after the basket. I kind of serve that function on
26:18
the radio where if Gary says Davis turns out hits and Seaton Hall takes the
26:23
lead, I might go Davis now six out of eight eighteen points want to
26:27
move, Boom, I'm out. So it's really just a rhythm thing I
26:33
think with with color for me, because he covers so much and analyzes as
26:40
he's calling the game that sometimes it you know, it leaves me to literally
26:45
just provide some color and make a joke afterwards, or you know, play
26:48
off of a guy's name or do something that you know, maybe a former
26:51
player wouldn't do in that chair, Dave, growing up, who did you
26:57
look after? As we obviously all mar is one of those guys, but
27:02
anybody else. I love Marv. I loved costas I still do. He
27:10
just could do everything. He could host, he could do play by play
27:14
of every sport, just so quick on his feet. I've heard that he
27:18
has a photographic memory, which explains a lot because he just he remembers everything
27:22
that he reads and just a natural talent. So I loved him. But
27:26
with being a Yankee fan, I grew up with the great triumvirate of Bill
27:33
White, Phil Rizzuto, and Frank Messer, and they were all very different.
27:37
Messer was like the traditional announcer with the big voice. Rizzuto was the
27:41
character and White was his foil and the former player. But he was also
27:47
a good play by play announcer. As I thought White was underrated and he
27:52
was one of my favorites, and I think in retrospect one of the reasons
27:56
why I got interested in broadcasting. You know, I know you do Buffalo
28:00
Bison's games. Also, anybody in that prospect world that actually became a big
28:04
star that you got to call in your years as the Bison's announcer. Everybody
28:08
that's in the Blue Jays lineup right now, Vladimir Guerrero, Junior, Bo
28:15
Boschett, Cavin Bigio, Alec manoah, and then a lot of guys that
28:21
have gone on to to play for other teams. There's really too many to
28:25
mention. It's a revolving door there. Nobody wants to be there at Triple
28:29
Aye. The guys all think that they should be in the big leagues or
28:33
should be back in the big leagues. There's a lot of veterans in that
28:36
league. Every once in a while you see something different in the league,
28:41
and we saw that last year with Norfolk. Baltimore has been so good lately,
28:45
and that was stacked with the young talent, and you know, they
28:49
were the best team in the league despite the fact that they didn't have a
28:52
lot of veterans. So that was that was a new wrinkle. But usually
28:56
it's a mix. You know, we're and I do the road game for
29:00
Buffalo, so I don't get to spend time with them at the at their
29:04
home stadium or on the bus with them. I just kind of show up
29:07
and do the game. So I don't know a lot of the guys that
29:10
well, but I have gotten to do a lot of good players. A
29:15
man for all seasons, Alex, that's right, a man for all seasons.
29:22
Well, this has been This has been really awesome. And one last
29:26
thing that's been on my mind about about this Thursday's game is we talk about
29:30
what seen Hall needs to do real quick, what Saint John should do to
29:33
button up against them. I mean, this is going to be third time.
29:37
I know Patino's fired up to play him again, isn't he. Yeah,
29:41
you would know, you would think so. And it'll be interesting to
29:45
see what their game plan is. And he's one of the best coaches of
29:48
all time, so he's going to come up with the right game plan.
29:52
Traditionally he is liked to press and shoot threes and use his depth. But
30:00
does he shorten the bench and just plays best players? You know, does
30:03
he tried his zone Seaton Hall and force them to shoot three pointers because they're
30:07
the worst three point shooting team in the league in terms of makes and percentage.
30:11
Now lately last couple of games that has not been the case. But
30:15
if you go by the numbers for the whole season, you probably have a
30:19
better chance of Like if you seal off the lane and don't let Richmond drive,
30:25
and don't let Bettiaco have layups, and you force all the other guys
30:29
to shoot the three pointers, you might have a better chance. I think
30:33
it's going to be a very close game. Usually at this time of year,
30:37
the team that wants it more wins the game, and the team that
30:40
needs it more so. Seaton Hall's mindset is the big key. If they
30:45
come out and just take it from them, which they have done to teams
30:48
this year, They've been able to manage the second half. They almost never
30:53
lose in the second half. Only one time this year have they lost when
30:56
they lead a halftime, so they they get off to a good start.
31:00
I think Saint John's is in trouble because you know, Seaton Hall makes their
31:03
free throws. They don't turn it over in the second half generally, but
31:07
you know, if Saint John's hits him in the mouth and runs out to
31:11
a twenty point lead like they did at Walsh a couple of years ago,
31:14
then Seaton Hall is like, we're in the tournament anyway, and maybe they
31:17
don't have another comeback in them. So it's a very intriguing game that you
31:22
know. I was going to say real quick. Every year around the time
31:23
of the Garden, the energy is ecstatic, and I know that you're I'm
31:27
sure you're there almost all day when you're calling the game because you got to
31:30
see the early game and get ready. What's the energy I'll like for you,
31:33
though, personally, every year around this time with the Garden it's different.
31:37
It's my favorite week of the year when you walk in there. Just
31:41
to be able to do a game there, It's like a singer that gets
31:45
to play Carnegie Hall. It's just it's a unique experience wherever they put it
31:52
as front the floor for upstairs. Just getting to do a game there is
31:56
a thrill, and I've gotten to do so many of them over the years.
31:59
I'm very I will probably go to all four games on Thursday. I'm
32:04
not going to go to any of the games on Wednesday since Seaton Hall is
32:07
not playing. I don't have a credential for the sessions where they don't play.
32:12
We do have some family tickets, so win or lose, I'll go
32:15
to the semi finals on Friday and then kind of figure it out if you
32:20
guys want to buy any tickets. Let me know, say last one from
32:23
me and then I'll let loud take over here. Dave, this has been
32:27
awesome, by the way, but my favorite moment from you is when you
32:31
were in the studio days during the pandemic. You literally call the game from
32:36
your cell phone because Fox Sports was still doing Nascar on television. That was
32:39
one of my favorite the visuals I got from Mike and Vandino of you calling
32:44
the game on your phone. That was insane. Like that whole year was
32:49
crazy. We actually went and did a couple of games, Gary and I.
32:52
We went to Rhode Island because they just let us, and we went
32:54
to Yukon and we did the home games from the hockey box up top Crudential
33:00
Center, but everything else we did from the WSOU studios. They were kind
33:04
enough to let us camp out there, set up a big TV for us,
33:07
and most of the time, you know, we piped in some fake
33:10
crowd noise and you couldn't really tell unless you're listening closely that we were not
33:15
there at the game. But that game in particular, you know, me,
33:20
I'm pretty calm. I was a little panicky because I could see they
33:22
were about to tip off and it was not on Fox, so we couldn't
33:29
watch the big TV. So somebody from Learfield just runs in with their cell
33:32
phone and hands it to me just as they're tipping it up, and Joe
33:37
DeSantis, who used to be the Quinnipiac coach, was filling in doing color,
33:40
so he was over my shoulder and I'm holding the phone out and I
33:45
would say for the first I don't know, six or seven minutes of gameplay
33:51
at least, I was just trying to determine who was who off of the
33:53
phone. And I don't want to listen back to it, but I think
33:58
it was passable. There was about the sixteen hundred time out that I think
34:01
Fox Sports fock I joined and of course call engineering you guys. Beating Michigan
34:07
was also a highlight of my career as well. That night was unbelievable,
34:10
and against Michigan a streak that was, you know, a curse that was
34:14
sort of broken that night. Those are my favorite nights because a place like
34:19
that is so out of the way that there was nobody from Seaton Hall there,
34:25
like there were a few donors, a few parents, like there literally
34:30
might have been twenty five Seaton Hall fans in an arena of god knows how
34:32
many. They set their fifteen thousand at Chrystal Arena something like that. So
34:38
just hearing that small little group of fans go nuts and everybody else is quiet,
34:44
it's it's it's a unique experience. It's great to you, Louke.
34:47
Nothing like winning on the road, right, Dave. It's the best.
34:51
Yeah, it is. Even when I was with the Nets and I wasn't
34:53
a play by play guy, just worked for the team. When you walked
34:57
at that arena and you want to road game, there's just something different about
35:01
it than than winning at home. You puff out, puff out your chest
35:07
a little bit, just a little bit. Here's a little known nugget for
35:09
you. Last two years, when Seaton Hall wins a big game on the
35:13
road, the traveling secretary hates this, but Shaheen makes the bus pull over
35:20
and get like thirty milkshakes for everybody on the bus. And that's the reward
35:23
for winning on the road. Hey, I love milkshakes. That's great.
35:29
I'll go on our Instagram page, lou Any final thoughts from you on terminos
35:32
Think today, Dave. There's a lot outstanding plays in the Big East Wednesday,
35:37
I go announced the biggest player to who do you think is going to
35:40
get it? It's a It's a really tough call. This year. The
35:45
first team is stacked. Kadari Richmond from Seaton Hall made the first team.
35:51
He was not unanimous, so I don't think that he will be Player of
35:53
the Year. I mean, gun to my head. If he asked me
35:57
who the best player was, I would say barely. Shireman from Creighton does
36:01
it all like great passer, three point shooter, one of the best rebounders
36:07
in the country. Perfect for that team. But it could really go anywhere.
36:14
I mean, Kolik has had a little bit of an uneven season.
36:15
I would not vote for him this year. He won it last year and
36:19
I think he deserved it last year. And Marquette has been so good.
36:23
But I would say Shireman, one last thing, Alex and then we'll wrap
36:29
it up. Colick's injury how bad? Do we know? How bad?
36:34
Is just gonna linger into the into the NCAA tournament. We don't know.
36:40
They just said that he would miss the last two games in the regular season,
36:43
and I don't think they've announced publicly whether he will play at all in
36:46
the Big East tournament. He's pretty tough, you know. I would expect
36:52
that if he's even fifty percent, then he'll try to play some minutes and
36:55
get them around or too deep at least in this turn. I mean,
37:00
if you think about it and you're Marquette, you sit them out because it
37:07
doesn't really matter that much. It's it's the NCAA tournament. You want to
37:10
make a run there. And they're a team that could go to the final
37:14
for They are really well coached, pass the ball great, they have several
37:20
NBA players on that team. They're a good team. Dave, I gotta
37:25
say you and I are going to put together a great show again for Sunday
37:29
morning. I don't even know what you're gonna do because you're on the run
37:31
doing these games, so who knows. I guess people gotta have tune in
37:35
on Sunday morning. Huh yeah. I'm not sure we're gonna have Mitch Henderson,
37:38
the head coach of Princeton, either this week or next week. Other
37:43
than that, I think I might just grab some people at the garden,
37:45
depending upon who wins and loses, and and try to piece it together that
37:49
way. It's been a challenge to produce these shows, you know, and
37:53
uh and work with you on that and but we've had some good shows this
37:57
year. I've been I've been happy with it and I'm on the be on
38:00
your team. Thank you, Thank you, Dave. I appreciate it.
38:05
Thanks guys, always good to talk to you. That was Dave Popkins Seat
38:07
in the Hall announcer as well as host of Crashing the Boards with Austin Johnson
38:13
on the Alex Scatt Podcast Network with lou Terminello. Thanks again, Dave,
38:17
Thanks guys. Perfect. All right, let me stop in recording