Latest / PAC'd 12 / PAC'd 12 | PAC-12 Men's Basketball Preview | Can Gonzaga Win the National Title? & POTY Picks

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PAC'd 12 | PAC-12 Men's Basketball Preview | Can Gonzaga Win the National Title? & POTY Picks · PAC'd 12

• Hoops: They're Welcome back to the Pact Twelve, your favorite podcast for all things Pac Twelve. It's officially college basketball season. And if it's your first time ever listening, I'm Salman Nash. To my left, as usual, Brad Bierman. To my right, Caden Besson. We are based in San Marcus, Texas. Be a bret currently at Texas State University. Caden just graduated in the spring of two thousand and twenty-six. And if you're joining for the first time, make sure you hit the like and subscribe and comment butt. It is hoop season and you knew we had to drop a preview. The Brad Beerman's couldn't wait for this day. I dreamt of this since we the day we started this podcast. I couldn't wait for this episode. I was like, this is this is the one that I'm gonna I just I'm so excited. This is what this is what I'm here for, man. I'm so excited. And for Caden, you're not the biggest C B B guy, but you No. Fair hey, fair warning. Like I'm I'm gonna say something that's probably wrong, that's inaccurate. Or you're just gonna hear it and you're gonna be like, Yeah, bro, this guy does not know ball. This is true, man. I'm thinking about Saturdays right now. So I yeah, I don't even care, bro. I'm just here. We're s yeah, we're not even to Halloween yet. So it's yeah, we're still Yeah, we're recording this on Tuesday, October twenty seventh. So right in the middle of conference play for football. I'm kinda right in the middle of that where like I love C B B, but like I'm not as into it as Brett. Like Brett's a sick of. I'm gonna be Monday I'm gonna be watching games. Your C B B is my C F B. So yeah. But I'm trying to get We all got our stuff, you I'm trying to get like that. Then Caden has C B B. He he loves college baseball and softball. Yeah, I like the real C B no C but we're gonna have our preview. I've if you're new, we're gonna do it exactly how we did our football preview. So each of us it actually works out better because We get three teams each since we're adding Gonzaga. Welcome Gonzaga University. Welcome Gonzaga. First time we get to talk about you guys. Shit, was I supposed to do Gonzaga? I got I got notes don't worry. All right, but I know they're pretty good, but I forgot all about that. We're gonna talk about how good Gonzaga will be in a second, but yeah, so I got San Diego State, Utah State, and Colorado State. Brett, you have I have Boise State, Texas State and Fresno and now Gonzaga. And then Caden. We're gonna say it at Washington State. That's tough. So it was supposed to be three by three, okay, then it happens. Gonzaga. We we're all good. Trust me, Gonzaga will be talked about very often. Yeah. You're gonna get the anyone listening already knows Gonzaga. I I promise you. So they probably need the least bit of previewing. Probably, yeah. Besides okay, well I won't spoil it, but yeah. But yeah, so we're gonna get right into it in a second. But like I said, if you are now if you're just on YouTube and saw this on your recommended, make sure you subscribe. We just hit a hundred We're trying to get to one fifty before the year ends, but low key, I think we're trying to we can hit one fifty before like low key Thanksgiving, Christmas. I think that's so doable, yeah. So doable. Let's say Black Friday. Let's meet right in the middle. Yeah, I agree with that. Yeah. Let's get to one fifty before Black Friday. So if you're new here, hit that subscribe. Don't cost you nothing. It's free. That's the best thing about it. And then like and comment. So we're just gonna go right into it. The first team on the chopic block. Alphabetically, we're gonna go alphabetically. Spoiler. Boise State. Broncos, what do we have? The Boise State Broncos, eighty six this preseason in the Ken Palm rankings, head coached by Leon Rice. He is in his seventeenth season. Let me tell you something about Boise. I love like a school that just like commits to their guys. Like it it's never like, hey, like these guys are gonna be on the block after a few years. It's like we're gonna ride with you until basically you leave. So Leon Rice is in his seventeenth season, three hundred and thirty six and a hundred and eighty nine career record with them. Big player that I think is gonna be a perennial first team Pac twelve player. Damari Wheeler Thomas. He's a fifth year guard from North Dakota State. He played all thirty two games last year, fourteen and a half points, three and a half rebounds, two point eight assists. He's a pass for he's a pass first guard, sorry, but he can nail the three. I was watching a little bit of his tape the other day. He's really heavy footed. he so he's not really the kind of guard who's gonna like blow past defenders and drive to the paint, but he's a really good decision maker and he can shoot the lights out, even with a defender in his face. He was one of the best mid range shooters in the nation last year. So the Voidus Butka, he's also another fifth year from the Campbell Campbells. Huh. Campbell Campbell. Sorry. Shout out Campbell. We love Campbell. Out in the Carolinas, baby. Mm-hmm. He played all thirty one games last year, thirteen point one nine points, eight point five rebounds, two point six assists. Not one of those guys that's gonna kill you athletically. moves exactly like a Eastern European player. moves. You know, and you know exactly what that looks like. He's just incredibly like wavy, lengthy. Very fundamental. Very fundamental. But he's incredibly efficient, terrific rebounder. He could be a another pick as well. He's one of these centers in a not very deep center group in this pack twelve. One of those guys who can sneak into that first team pack twelve. So I like him a lot. Their best player returning Pearson Carmichael. He's a stretch four average seven point eight points, three point one rebounds. They're gonna need a lot of these returns to step up. Spencer Aaron's as well, four point nine points, two point three rebounds. They got a guy starting Agneldo Neto. Sorry, he's a sophomore. He came off the bench last season, averaged point four point three points and one point nine assists. He's gonna get some big time minutes. So I expect this Boise team to probably finish middle of the pack. I'd say their ceiling is maybe fourth. I don't know if they hit fourth, but I think fifth, six is right around the range they could be at. Dog, you're out of breath. You're just like you couldn't wait to get into it, dude. I'm also, yeah, sorry. No, I don't even I'm not I get that, but you just like man, you just could not wait to get into it, bro. You just out of breath now, bro. How does it feel? You got some C B B talk out off your chest here. Yeah, I now I need to breed, so I'm sorry. Yeah, now I need to breed. It's like, you first inning of the World Series, you got jitters, now you're settled in, all right? Settled. My bad. So talking about their first exhibition here for the Broncos, they took on Idaho, Big Sky, you know, perennial. Basketball league. beautiful stadium. Beautiful stadium. They took it down eighty two seventy-two and the performers their premier performers, Julian Bowie, you talked about him, and then I don't know, Devadas. Did I say Devadas Butka? Devis Bucket, yeah. Devadas Buckin. They combined for almost about forty. like it actually probably is forty. Not well, maybe I my math is pretty bad. But I mean they shot pretty well. Bowie kind of struggled from three, only made shot two for eight. So he's really chucking that thing, but they're showing flashes already of scoring the rock pretty efficiently and I'm trying to see the Washington Washington game they also won. This one was by double digits. You talk about Aginaldo Neto, is that how you pronounce that? He had a almost thirty, twenty nine, he shot perfect from the field, seven for seven, four for four, eleven for seventeen from the free throw line. And he had two blocks and three still. So I'm not gonna lie, this team has pieces. They look like they could score. And then you talk about Pierce and Carbickle. He also had twenty two, shot around fifty percent and about thirty percent from three. Still pretty solid and this team looks like it has the ability to score the rock so they could be a very dangerous team to play during conference. Yep. Like a lot of these schools in this conference, it's very developmental. So a lot of those guys are sticking around, even when they're coming off the bench in their first years now, you got a sophomore, like you said, netto putting up big minutes and putting up big points, even if it's an exhibition, you gotta still up against a power four school. Yeah, exactly. I'll say from what I've seen, Boise's a team that like right now, right, you got the Zags, Utah State, San Diego State, Colorado State, right? That's pretty much everybody's top four at the moment. You can organize two, three, and four however you may. I I don't think Anybody's gonna be able to really predict those spots. but then Boise's like five or six depending on how they do, and maybe they really surprise you and do squeak into four. I don't I see it like less than like, you know, it's fifty fifty, but it probably got more like a thirty, thirty five percent chance of that happening. but it it's college sports, right? Anything can happen. Anything can happen injuries. Especially in Boise. A lot of great things happen in Boise. I do believe they're dealing with some like eligibility stuff for injuries. It's one of those two. which some some guys from last year, but that's actually a couple of these teams around the conference. That's very true. Especially that'll be a common trend. Especially in college basketball, yeah. There it's been a big discourse regarding eligibility, especially with when you got players like Xavier and Lee in the conference who kinda tipped their do dipped their toes into the NBA for a second, came back. But we'll get into that later, but Change it for all the wrong ways, man. Brad, anything else you got on Boise State? what do you think what do you think the ceiling realistically for this team is and what could be their floor? And yeah, basically that maybe a prediction. So I s I think I said throughout I think their ceiling is maybe fourth. I think they end up right around fifth. I think that's the best spot for them. Yeah. But they're not very deep. So the problem is is if you lose players here let me pull it back up. If you lose players like Butka or Wheeler Thomas, that's gonna really hurt your team. And you don't have the guys who can replace that kind of production. So you really gotta hope these guys stay healthy and even if they do, like I said, fifth, that's not a bad place to be. This is a multi bid conference, so we'll see maybe fifth isn't the worst place to be, but it's also not gonna get you in the tournament, so This is true. Yeah. Yeah, so around that it's r this conference really gets interesting because it's almost set in stone. That Gonzaga will probably take the number one spot and that's just how it goes, the blue blood. But anything could happen, especially during conference play. But where it gets interesting, I think, is around that three to even seven spot. I think any team has a case of why they could be where they're at. I agree. I think even the team we're about to talk about, could possibly be like a lock for that three spot. Yeah, we're just gonna dive right into It's gonna be my ball. Colorado State though, sorry. What's up? Boise State's first game Wednesday, November fourth. They're playing West Coast Baptist in Boise. Bang. Do they it'd be cool if they had a blue court, like a blue floor. That'd be awesome. Surprised they don't do that. That'd be a great selling point. But that wraps up Boise. Now we're gonna go into Colorado State, where I'm gonna take over the Rams. In year two of Ali Farokomish, he finished twenty one and thirteen last year, eleven and nine in conference. It was a weird year. The Rams. Of course, if you watch college basketball in the last five years, you would know they had a great little run in the tournament, especially believe it was Sean Clifford and that team. Der Derek Queen, ended their d hopes and dreams in the tournament. It was a great shot. Great game. I watched that live. Yeah. But ever since then they've been kind of trying to find that footing. They've had back to back years in the tournament. Then took a dip took a drought last year with Ali And like I said, the record wasn't exactly to be desired, especially in the Mountain West, where they did struggle. But this is a team that has a lot of questions, but they're gonna look to see if they can find the answers. Not a lot of returners. Actually, no, I'm sorry. They this is the team that has a majority of the returns. They're losing their number one scorer, but they retain about their second, third, fourth, sixth, and ninth score on the team. They're notable returners, a man that Coach Ali has talked about very highly. in the pr preseason is Jace Butler, junior guard. He'd appeared in all thirty-four games last year, making nineteen starts. He averaged about nine points, three rebounds. He shoots about forty-five percent from the field, forty one percent from the three, so he could really shoot that pill. And then he's about eighty percent from the line as well. He had some flashes in that season. He really had to earn his spot, but he showed what he's able to do in the Mao West tournament where had multiple twenty point performances His high was twenty five in that tournament. And like I said, Ali has talked about how the game has slowed down for him and Coach Ali is bought into him at the moment. Did you want to say something, Brett? No, I I was just listening to you, man. I'm sorry. No, Yeah, I was gonna chime in when you were done. No, you're all good, man. Go aheady. Next up, a main player that people are talking about, Kyle Jorgensen, another junior forward for this team. He had a very inconsistent season last year, especially during that second half. A lot of people thought he was gonna take the range for the team. Unfortunately Just wasn't necessarily there when they needed him. Only averaged about fifteen eleven points per game, eleven point five. Only four boards as a forward who's a pretty big man. They need him to take a s next step as he is one of the few veterans on this team. And he does shoot about 50 and 40 from the from the field and 40% from the three. So he could rarely shoot it. But like I said, the scoring wasn't there exactly when they needed him. It was very much icy hot. Yeah, he's their best returning player, right? And when you say that and you hear eleven point five points per game, you're wondering, man, what are we in for? But he's just I think they're really expecting him to take that next step. I think he can take that next step. I think him and Carrie Booth are really gonna be like a good duo and I really think that they're gonna So I I I kinda hinted at it, I think this is a team that's gonna sneak into that third spot in this Pac twelve. They're I think they're incredibly underrated. I wanted to tell you a fact too, if you're if you're done. about head coach Ali Farochmanesh. Yeah. So did you know about Utah State's new head coach? I do know about him. Ben Jacobson. Ben Jacobson. Do you know his history? Ben Jacobson. I don't he was at Northern Iowa twenty season at Northern Iowa. Twenty seasons at Northern Iowa. Do you know who his starting point guard was when they upset Kansas to go to the sweet sixteen in two thousand ten? Was it Ali Faroepah? Yeah. Really? Wow. Yeah. You know what? You did now that you mentioned it, I do remember Ferochminesh did have some words regarding Jacob Sin. Talking about that slightly. I look that slipped my mind, but yeah, that's a crazy stat. That's it's crazy how college sports works, man. Yeah, these guys stick around and, you know, you watch your players develop and play good, you know. Obviously Farook Manish didn't make the NBA, he ended up playing pro overseas, but I mean you watch these guys even for that little bit of time play pro and this develop into coaches and it and then you see them now facing off against you and potentially, you know, beating you and it's it's it's It's crazy thing. It is. It's like mentor becomes the mentee, whatever whatever the the the the saying is. But yeah, it's a really cool program. It's a really cool story. I really like this team, man. so along with Texas State, they're the only team they're one of like twenty teams in college basketball to retain fifty percent of their minutes played last season. Yeah. Wow. So a lot of guys returning, a a lot of chemistry coming back. I think it's gonna be a really good jump for them. like we were talking about Kyle Jorgensen. I think it's gonna be a big year for him. Kerry Booth as well. Mm-hmm. Chase Butler, the junior guard, he's gonna be a guy who they gotta count on to get hot from three. I really like this team and a lot of guys returning. It's gonna be a fun team to watch. And speaking on Kerry Booth, he actually led the team yesterday. They lost in their exhibition against San Diego State, but he led the team and score with nineteen points. So the second year well, his second year at Colorado State and he's proven that he might be the guy to lead the team to score. And another person to talk about that is an interesting name, a sophomore guard, Jojo McGyver, only averaged two points last year, came off the bench. He's expected to have a much larger role this season, maybe even starting. There's just a lot of pe people that need to step up for this team to, be where they are projected to be. Another interesting returner, Josh Pascarelli, senior guard, averaged about ten points last year, shooting forty five percent for the field Led the team shooting forty one percent from three, knocking down sixty one on the season, and he averages just under ninety for the free throw. So he's really close to that fifty forty ninety range, and that's also a key return that could provide another offensive weapon for them. Yeah. You you mentioned Pascarelli, he's a senior guard, was a absolute stud at Marist. I was looking up his stats at Marist, dude. This kid could ball, and I'm excited to ha see him develop now into a senior year. An underrated part about This team is also the incoming freshman. I did a little research on them and they got a couple of buckets in there. A couple of guys who the the lowest scoring freshmen they brought in to this class was averaging about eighteen points. And it starts with River Sawyer freshman guard. He appeared in twenty seven games his senior year. He averaged nineteen, four rebounds and two assists and two steals per game. And then Pops Dunc the other freshman guard. He is averaging seventeen point eight, but I rounded up eighteen. Three rebounds, five assists across his four years. And then Jackson Clark, who is a three A player of the year, first team All State, he averaged about twenty eight, eighteen rebounds, two assists, two blocks, and one steal per game. And then rounding it out, the final senior was a Colorado Gatorade player of the year, averaged thirty points, ten rebounds. So they're gonna have some interesting pieces to kind of round out the roster in We've seen how freshmen can be weapons in college basketball. Of course, lately it's been whoever's got the older team is more likely to make a run, but obviously teams like Arizona, they didn't make it all the way, but they did what they did with a lot of young pieces. Yeah, it's I think it just depends on, who you have in the building. It's it's I I think right now they're kinda leaning towards the upperclassmen, junior, seniors, and I think these freshmen are, they're gonna put up key minutes for sure, but I think I think they're really gonna be leaning heavy on the development of those guys while also letting these upperclassmen kinda take the lead and shine. But yeah. Ada Gaiden. I'm talking about so much stuff that like is just not in my world whatsoever. I'm not gonna lie to you, bro. Just wanna make sure, bro. I'm glad you're being honest about it, honestly. Yeah. Colorado State's first game, Monday, November second. What a marathon we have on Monday, by the way. we're we're supposed to have Sparty Lachland on the show. He's Yeah. Yeah, he was supposed to be here. He had class. He couldn't skip. I I totally understand that. That's true. You know what I have to say about Colorado State actually? Go ahead. I hope they can play defense. Yeah. At least in one of these two. Keep the D coordinator away from the basketball arena. All right. Yeah, for sure. But they play Montana State at nine PM. It's gonna it's already gonna be a packed day of hoops. I'm gonna be at the Texas State game against Texas AM Corpus Christophe. I'll be reporting for for KTSW, so I'm really excited about that. Thing about Colorado. They're currently rank eighty one in the chem palm. This team is essentially in Boomer Bustman, unfortunately. There's a lot of questions to be asked, but they believe in Coach Ali and they just have high expectations because this team has been in the tournament recently. And once you get there, that's the the ceiling. That's the bar. And so they're basically counting on the coach to try and mold the pieces that he has assembled. They did lose their exhibition to San Diego, like I said earlier, but They're gonna try and compete with all these questions being asked about them. It's a multi bid league, so y I think if they finish at least third, they're gonna get in. And I think they're just gonna be good enough anyways to to slide into the tournament. Especially now with it expanding to seventy six teams. We're gonna see a lot of teams that maybe you wouldn't see before now playing in these tournament games and it's gonna be a lot of fun. All right, but I think that concludes the Rams. I project they probably A lot of s experts have him around the six range, around that five or six spot. But I think their ceiling could be maybe the four. Just just from from what I see, and and just like experience watching these upperclassmen you know bring like the Trans Reporter era, it seems like that's kinda the way you have to go in college basketball. You the upperclassmen is kind of the way of the way of the water. I think the ceiling for this team probably the four seed. I think the floor is probably around the seven. I think they could probably if they don't get the the gel pretty early on and fall and maybe some out of conference games are supposed to win. I think it'd be hard to come back from that. But I think that will do it for the Rams. Next team alphabetically is Fresno. Fresno. Who's got the Bulldogs that's me. that's my Fresno. Fresno's final Mr Fresno, yeah. So I don't look we don't have we're not gonna spend a lot of time on Fresno, unfortunately. Fresno is projected to be last in a lot of these polls. I I don't I I'd have to I'd have to re-look at my rankings and see where I put them. Probably pretty close to that. they're one seventy five in Ken Palm. Head coach Vance Wahlberg. Yeah. In his third season, his record nineteen and forty five. and and I will say Vance W Vance Wahlberg had it has an interesting career path, man. He was a high school coach for a really long time. He was on a bunch of NBA staffs as an assistant. Wow. Never really quite cracked like in A head coach job. He coach he coached a head he head coached Pepperdine for a little bit. And was terrible. Pepperdine was terrible. And and stepped away. great podcast. but yeah, so again, not not to insult them. He's obviously a good enough coach to coach in D one basketball, so I give him that. They had seven players transfer in and and five of those guys projected to start. First guy I'll name KJ Perry, Redshirt sophomore. He's a guard transfer from BYU. He'll be a fun player to keep an eye on. he didn't play at BYU last year, but his first school, Citrus College, averaged seventeen point five points per game. He was forty nine and a half percent from the field and thirty four point seven from three. So a decent three point percentage. I really like him. I think he'll be a he'll be a he'll be a light spot in this very gloomy Fresno team. Unfortunately, but we'll mention another guy, Drago Slungo as well, junior combo guard. He transferred from UT Martin. Only played six games last year, but pretty effective. Thirteen point eight points, five point three rebounds, injury prone, but like I said, incredibly effective when he is playing. huh. Ross Candelino, senior guard transfer from Lipscomb. he led the team in three pointers. He was the best shooter on their team, and they'll need him to go nuclear if they want to keep up in this conference. Yeah, so looking at my rankings I actually did have them who last. so who would have guessed? So yeah, look, I don't Fresno's a football school. That's really all I'm gonna say. It's a it's a football school. By their standards. By their standards, yeah. They're they do have an adieu in baseball though. That's crazy. Okay. I did know that actually. So hey hey, egg on my face, but Yeah, we don't have to we don't have to talk much about Fresno. their first game is also on Monday, eight PM on YouTube. They're playing Fresno Pacific. There's multiple clouds in Fresno. Boy, let me tell you what. Mom, Dad, I'm going to Fresno. my god, you got an estate? Better. Fresno Pacific. Hey son, why don't you go and pack your bags and have that, brother? We are not paying for school there, by the way. Do you think Fresno like I can't even imagine how bad a Fresno Pacific College could look, bro. If it I hope it's like I that do a real college. Let me look it up real quick. It sounds like those online universities you hear on a commercial. Yeah. But they have a d they have a basketball team. So they they probably have a campus. They do have a campus, yeah. It I mean it looks just like every other college campus. There's nothing really spectacular about it. It's free though 'cause California. It's a community college. Or is it university? It's a university, yeah. Fresno Pacific University. my goodness. It it looks like second university has hit Fresno. But yeah, we'll we'll stop there. That's all I gotta say about Fresno. We can we can move on. We don't have to spend a lot of time on them. But you know who is gonna be pretty damn good? Gonzaga. Gonzaga. The Zags. Let's talk about the Bulldogs. We haven't all year 'cause they don't have a football team, so we couldn't talk about We have talked about women's soccer. We have talked about women's soccer. But now we're gonna talk about their best sport and probably Projected to be the best team in the conference. Gonzaga Bulldogs. I would just throw it over to Brett because Yeah. My fault. No, you're fine, Kidd. It's yeah, without a doubt, the best team in the conference. And not only are they the best team in the conference, this is a a team that I think is on the short list to win a national championship. head coach Mark View, we Mark View, twenty eighth season now at Gonzaga, seven hundred and seventy three and a hundred and fifty six record. He is college hoops royalty. And Gonzaga is just a blue blood program. There's no doubt about that. You think of blue bloods and you think of maybe the seven or eight schools that you think of when you think of college basketball, Gonzaga is always on your mind. Very historic program. Mark Fuse's been at the head of that for a long time. And and the way they do it, it's a Gonzaga way of just they they're able to keep guys and develop them for so long. And example now Brayden Huff Senior, he's set for a big season. he had injury last year. I believe he only played eighteen games if I'm not mistaken. And I think he's the favorite for he's my favorite for Pac twelve player of the year. I think he's gonna be an incredible asset for them, and he's gonna be a big part of them potentially going to the national championship. And they also brought in Xavier Lee, we've mentioned him already throughout the show. Transfer from Florida, pla previously from Princeton. You know me, I love Ivy League hoop Ivy League hoops, so I've ha Ivy League hoops. So I've had my eyes on this guy for a while. he's the two time Ivy League player of the year. He's awesome. Masamo Diop though. Yeah, that's a guy. This is this this is a name you need to remember. Sophomore transfer, Arizona State. I think he's gonna win defensive player of the year in the Pac twelve. Maybe he's gonna fall on one of these defensive teams in the nation. He's phenomenal. led the big sorry, third in the Big Twelve last season in blocks, sixty nine blocks, second in blocks per game with two point one. Just along with being a stud offensively, he was he's second in field goal percentage in the Big Twelve. He can shoot he can shoot as well and obviously he's not shooting from long range. It's obviously those five footers in the paint, but it doesn't matter 'cause he's just such a factor defensively as well. He's seven foot one, incredibly athletic. He compare that with Braden Huff. That's that's like the that is the best that's that's the best front court I think in maybe college hoops. that it's it's up there. It it they're insane. And and you I haven't even mentioned Davis Volga yet, the sophomore. He was on the West Coast Conference all freshman team last year. The West Coast Conference is a really good conference. we're like we could talk about the Pac twelve, maybe being a step up for Gonzaga. To be on an all freshman team in that conference is pretty impressive. And Davis Fogel's gonna put in a lot of minutes. He's gonna be their s probably their starting shooting guard. He's he's fun, man. He could shoot the lights out. And then they got Luka Foster, incoming freshman. He was the number thirty seven in the Esp N top one hundred. So and there's of course like other players throughout their bench you can aim as well, but I just don't think we we need to go any further. Kinzaga man. Yeah. And I don't know. And and and I and I'm gonna pull up their schedule real quick. I'm trying to think they they say they open with Purdue, I think. They open with Purdue. I'm trying to look through their non con too. They have a pretty good non con. they always do. December fifth, they play UCLA, at home. So that'll be a good one. They play at Creighton. Then they go to then they play Michigan State. They still got Saint Mary's on the non con or they ducking that? They duck it down now, they don't gotta play. let's see. I think they're where are they? I thought they were playing this year, but I guess not. No. So they ducking that. They're yeah, they're ducking Saint Mary's. That kinda They don't want that guaranteed L on the the sheet. Their head coach went to Arizona State though, Bennett. Randy Bennett, I think his name is. Randy. Yeah, after like twenty years. So that shocking move to me. But I I think it's when once Gonzaga left, he was kinda like, Well, what's my point here now? Yeah. But yeah, a very tough non con. And and if they get through that non con with only one loss, I don't see really many chances for them to lose. Obviously, it's college basketball. trap games are gonna happen. The best chance though I see it happening is against Utah State on February thirteenth. Yeah, yeah. In Utah State's arena. and and that's really the only team in this conference that's gonna be able to keep up with them. Spoiler alert, we'll we'll get to them later. But man, I'm really excited to watch Gonzaga. And now I like not only do I get to watch Gonzaga for fun, I get to do it for this show and I'm so excited to get to do that. I was actually gonna ask you, since you've been watching college for a long time, how how do you low key feel that Gazak is in your conference as a student? It's awesome, it's really cool, man. it really is cool. I like and not only that, I no I hell or high water, I will be at that game on February twenty fifth, no matter what. I will be at that game. I will say question. It is just what both of y'all think. Is there a world where Gonzaga doesn't win this conference? I don't think so. I don't think so. So like like Brad said, I think the only team that competes is Utah State. So like even if they like they drop the conference tournament like a like at the championship game against like Utah State or like Colorado State, San Diego State, like there's still gonna be like a top two or three seed, you know, so it We're and we're also getting to a point where conference tournaments don't really matter anymore. I think it kinda more matters so the regular season title than anything. But obviously you want to play well in your conference tournament. You want to win your conference championship. Like that's what every team wants. Like there there's not there's not guys out there who are yeah pushing that to the side. So Yeah, I I the only the only way I could see it like not being upset is if Utah State just like and Ben Jacobson just absolutely go off and maybe Gonzaga has like a few injuries along the way, but Other than that, no, I can't really see anyone else but Gonzaga at the top. Yeah, no, they're basically the first team that's projected is basically all but one Gonzaga player in the five man rotation. It usually either has he's usually on there, or I saw one where it had DJ Hall in there for the first year. So I was like, interesting. Well, you're talking about like preseason? Yeah. I never mind, I won't get ahead of myself. But like yeah, it's usually it's usually four out of five are Gonzaga players. Yeah. So that should tell you about how they're projecting the season's gonna go. I mean Yeah, one one for that Boise guard that I mentioned earlier, to T Wheeler Thomas in the fifth year. Yeah. But yeah, I mean you could go on and on about Gonzaga. It is r gonna be really fun to just be able to like track a blue blood. It is Dude, they can like go ahead and just win the damn thing, but like as long as they come here and like I get to just experience it, like I I don't really care what I I like I remember like you so you were talking about like being a fan for a long time. I remember playing basketball in my driveway, pretending to be Adam Orris and, that that that that's so this is kinda full circle. I know it's not it's like emotional or anything, but it's really cool. It's just really cool for the sports fandom. I bet it is. It's gonna be great that I know Gonzaga is probably hyped about it. Cause even I think it is a step up just 'cause as much as the West Coast is a good conference, Portland, gives them some trouble and St. Mary's basically made their identity of beating Gonzaga like you Santa Clara as well. Yeah, Santa Clara's a really good team as well. Now you you're at a conference that's dedicated, probably gonna expand too that and you have such a great programs like a San Diego State or a Utah State or Colorado State, teams that are like gonna try and compete year in, year out and have more of an NIL than a Sa Santa Clara or a Saint Marys. these are genuine division one programs that can, go band for band with you potentially. And And and especially now that all of them are in a much better conference as well, it's just like there's nowhere to go but up for them. Exactly. Obviously you you need to start off hot, some of these schools really there's a lot of pressure on them to c maybe have a good first year, but Gonzaga's not gonna have any issue with that. and they're gonna run this conference for a long time. But yeah, they do kinda have to be weary about some of these schools and we'll get to one of coming up, that are gonna be kind of climbing through the ranks here, but for right now it's theirs to lose. All right, well I think I'm so glad he did that and not me. Yeah. I'm low-key glad I got two kind of mid teams. Bang. All right. So I think that we'll put the bow on Gonzaga. Should be fun to watch them all year. Who is the next team? Oregon State. Oregon State Cater. Come it's my tongue to shine. Let's go KB. All right. Last year the Beavers right, th this is their conference. Well, actually, no, it's not because they're coming from the West Coast just like the Zags, just like the the Cougars as well. They were only one game over five hundred last year. in conference play they went five hundred. we're talking about the West Coast Conference of Basketball. Yeah. They were I I pointed this out 'cause they were four and seven on the road and it that's something that does concern me considering this conference and the hostile environments in San Diego, Logan, Fort Collins, Spokane, just everywhere you go, right? that's something they'll have to improve on. And we've got Justin Joyner. he he came to Oregon State following two seasons as Brett definitely knows, an assistant under Dusty May at Michigan. and so national champion. Yeah, this is true. I mean, if they're listening to this, they know that. I knew that. Yeah. I just didn't feel like I just wanted to educate the people. Fair, fair. He just wanted to hype up Michigan. Wipe your mouth when you're done, baby. they bring in a dozen new players to compliment the one return or to Silake the second. This is a guard that he could be one of the stronger guys in the conference, right? Based on his experience, it his maturity. Just could surprise you, right? For an Oregon State team that's not really projected to be all that good or make a lot of noise. They've got Josiah Lake at the of the day, right? That's something to hang your hat on. and they've got Xavier and Staten, he's one of the team's five point he was noted in the team's five point loss to the defending national champs in the exhibition that they played. I wanna talk about Justin Joyner first. So you you you talk about him being under Dusty May. I know like you guys like Sigh, roll your eyes. That's a big dust. Yeah, right, right. It is a big Yeah, yeah, yeah. Of course. But like I mean, Dusty May in a very short time r rebuilt that Michigan program and got them to national relevancy pretty fast with with and and showed with assets that if you're a good coach, like you you're you can do that. And also he basically like not to go, but he basically like sped ran being a a great coach. Like he he figured out this new age of college basketball very fast and he immediately went presented an NBA job, took the NBA job. Yeah. he very much climbed the ranks of being a good coach. Which hopefully it pans out in the Which in college basketball, the way the way it's going is probably what a lot of coaches are gonna try to do. But he also learned under Brandy Bennett. We mentioned him earlier, he was the St. Mary's coach for a very long time, now at Arizona State. Lithuania legend. Brandy Bennett. Yeah, so he he's just had the best people to learn under as far as like coaches go. And I I'm really I think he's ready for it. He's only thirty eight years old. He's a he's a really good coach, and I I I I talked a bunch about a team that I think is gonna really be sneaky in this pack twelve, it's Oregon State. Yeah. I I I think people are down on the Beavs. I'm seeing them somewhere as low as six seven, Yeah, I saw that I saw them down there at six yesterday. I I think they are such a good team. I think they're gonna turn around fast. I think Justin Joyner's gonna figure even if for some reason conference play starts off slow, let me let me pull up their schedule real quick so I'm okay well why you do that from absolute absolute straight up non ball knower when it comes to C BK, C B, whatever you want to call it. I I see their ceiling at four, to be honest with you. but j just to throw a couple of names out there, transfer from the Mac Buffalo, Daniel Fry tag, free tag free tag, yep. He averaged nineteen point eights a game last season. That's some really good scoring at Buffalo. Watched a lot of him last year, man. He's awesome. Mac's pretty solid in basketball, more solid than football, that's for damn sure. Sure. I love Mac basketball, man. And then I'll just throw out their San Francisco transfer Legend Smiley. What a name. Just take a second to just realize that dude's name's Legend Smiley. Shot forty two percent from beyond the arc last year with the Dons. Also, spiggy backing off that Daniel Friedeg, he led in their last exhibition game against Cal where they got the win. He led them in scoring with seventeen points. So, you know, scoring that route early. Yep, he's they're gonna be a really good team. And I think even if not this year Whereas I think maybe the turnaround is going to be a lot faster than maybe other people think. They have two four stars coming in next year. Justin Joyner's a really good recruiter. So if they're not good this year, count your blessings 'cause the next few years are going to be rough for the rest of the conference and the Oregon State Beavers. Justin Joyner's gonna really be a a coach to worry about. I think whether you think Oregon State is gonna be a really good team or not this year, it really doesn't matter because they've got Justin Joyner as a guy that is being believed in and I think It's very similar to football. I I don't care what you think. There's money in Corvallis and that's the name of the game right now. You can see what they're doing, pouring it into football, and football's also probably making a bunch more money than it ever has before. Yeah. and I think that elevates basketball as well. Is there maybe another head coach in Corvallis that is like in his first season who's taking a team? With some transfers that maybe people weren't expecting to be very good. Is it is it possible like in another sport? I can't think of the top. Yeah, his name's Jamarcus. that's right. Yeah, that guy. The guy we've talked about every week since we started this show. Yeah, yeah. I forgot about him. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, you're right. but yeah, no, getting back to it. Lightning strike twice. I just I just think they in the same place twice. I I just think they I just think the athletic department knows what they're doing when building a like these programs. I think they got the right idea. Well they've been competing with these schools like USC and Oregon and Washington, Arizona, BYU, Colorado, all these bigger schools right than what they're actually playing it's now. it's just different when it comes to the athletic departments that they are looking at directly. You know what I mean? Yeah, I just I just think it's a really well run program. I think I think they're gonna be a lot of fun to watch this year, so look out for the Beavers. Alrighty. That's all I got. Their first game, sorry, is also on Monday at 830 vents versus a Weber State. You're just gonna have like a quad box or like an Octo box or just all C B B I'm have my laptop at the game so I can watch the games at the game. All right, so is the next team The Aztecs. That's me. All right. Well, actually, yeah. All right. San Diego State entering year nine, Brian Dutcher posing two hundred twenty. To seventy nine record over the years. The Aztecs fell f short last year, finishing in second in the Mountain West with a record of twenty two and eleven. And prior to the seasons, of course, if you have been watching college basketball, you remember the San Diego State Final Four run from a couple years ago. Believe it was twenty twenty three. Say it again, sir. I thought it was twenty twenty four, but I don't know more. San Diego State run? It is twenty three. three, I believe. I was looking at it. I was looking at it today. Let me look at it again. I'm sorry. I nailed it. it's twenty twenty three. Ever since then though, the Aztecs have been trying to get back to that. Twenty three. Twenty three. They're trying to get back to that. But Brian Dutcher is still a great coach. He is still winning and they're going to be trying to patch up a lot of talent that they lost. Loss of talent is a going to be a big key into this season as in recent disappointment for this team has been roster retention. As many major pieces have been pulled away in the transfer portal in These in this offseason alone, the Aztecs lost Miles Byrd, BJ Davis, Farrell Compton, Magoon Guath, and a few others to other power four teams in the land. And then you throw in other seniors that graduate like Reese Waters and you got a lot of new people in San Diego who are gonna take some time to mold in gel. But key returners, there was really only two that mattered, to be honest, and I'm pretty sure that's how the fans see it. El Z Harrington, sophomore guard, is the first one. Harrington put up a solid numbers in this first season with the Aztecs. He had a shortened season because of injury, but he was a former top 75 prospect. Averaged about eight points, two assists. He did miss a lot of time with a leg injury, as I said earlier. He has a good size for his a guard, and his athleticism is also pretty good. But coming off the injury, he is expected to take a jump, and sometimes it's gonna be hard to do that with the injury, and he is also still a sophomore, so he's pretty young. So it's gonna be Interesting to see how he's gonna handle this bird and give it to him. But he's not he's not gonna be alone. The other returner that is of note. Tay Simmons, sophomore, freshman forward, sorry, sophomore forward, the other one, six six from California, who played decent minutes off the bench as a true freshman. His first year at San Diego State, he only averaged just under under six points, three rebounds. He really they need him to come alive in year two. They do talk about his basketball IQ and he has good strength. They said he has a lot of potential to score, especially inside, but they need him to really step up if they want that establish that front court. They did reach it to the portal a lot, though. That is where the talent for this team is gonna have to come from. A key name to look out for is Chance Gladden, sophomore guard. He is from Raleigh. He spent a very productive season at Boston University. In the pa all Patriot League, he put up about fourteen points, three rebounds and four assists in his first collegian season. And the Aztecs will be looking for him to be their floor general, their guy, they play, make it facilitate. And he can also factor in his defense. He's a great defender and they're looking to him to be that two way guy for them. Another key transfer is Isaiah Sai, senior guard in the late offseason. He is a from France. He is looking for his third school in his fourth collegiate campaign. He's done a lot of good of his work at the JUCO level, but he had two years at Oregon State in the Western Conference Western Colference, I believe. Right. Yep, yep, yep. averaging ten points for I I'll round up a little bit, five rebounds. As he started for the Beaves last year. They're gonna try and look for him as one of the few veterans. He's one of the few seniors transfers alongside Bear Ch Bear Cherry. Jeremiah Cherry. I I I was I've been waiting for you to say his name. I've been I've been itching to talk about him, but go ahead. Senior forward number forty five. They saw him up close. He's a transfer from UN V UNL V and now he's here in the pack twelve. Do you know where else he was at? do not know where else for a little short amount of time he was a Stinger Sack State. I did. Yeah, it's actually in my notes there right below. Sack State. Let's go Stingers up. Stinger Z go Hornets. Ball sack. He averaged about nine points. sorry. Actually nine point nine. So I'll just give you the ten. Ten points, five rebounds. Last year with UNL V as a junior. He's now a senior for this Aztec team and he's hoping to be their defensive anchor and a reliable post scorer as well. Then some key freshman as well. Zach White, a freshman guard, a three star. He's a wing, but he can also play guard as well from Sherman Oaks, California. Notable recruit coming out of high school. He averaged about fourteen, six boards, two assists and about a steal in a game. He can really play hard on the defensive end. They're looking to be the their focus mainly of the season. They're gonna try and defend well. Maybe they're not gonna score more than you, but if they can hold you down, they can find a way to get the points they need. Reminds me of their football team. Lucas Skoric is there also their another forward freshman forward. He too many Lucas in the basketball war. It's hard to keep up with them. They running out of names. Another steal from the overseas, possibly for the Aztecs. He's six nine from Croatia. He's twenty three years old, but this is his first year in college ball. But he's proven to be a sound athlete and college basketball just loves these European guys, bro. But the main story is that the senior transfer from Rice, Nick Anderson, number twenty three, he's out for season with injury. He was supposed to be their guy to handle their playmaking duties. He is a big loss for San Diego and he was p potentially could have been the the game breaker for them, especially in that backcourt. So it's another huge loss. But we'll see what coach Dutcher Dutcher? I like Brian Dutcher, yep. Brian Dutcher. Coach Dutcher will look to do with this season. You said Anderson's out already? Yeah, they already ruled him out for the season. Wow. Okay, so I didn't know that. Well, so there goes my point where I that what I was gonna tell you. And what I was thinking while you were saying that was I was gonna be like, There's two key things here that I like, and it's one that they have two guys who are gonna put up big minutes who are fifth year seniors, and that was Jer Jeremiah Cherry and Nick Anderson. And I was gonna and I and I was gonna about to say about Anderson is they f they have a a guy with elite scoring touch who was gonna be able to help them. He was eleventh last year in the American with the fifteen point five points per game. And he shot forty percent from three. That's that's awesome for college hoops, but that stinks. I I didn't know that. And said it was a knee injury. And they were they were fifty eighth in Ken Palm to start this preseason. That's not that's that's not great, man. And yeah when you lose potentially your best player, definitely your best man at the backcourt. Yeah, absolutely. So I don't know. I guess we'll we'll see now that I I'm glad you s I didn't notice I didn't know that, so I I I'm glad you told me. Yeah. That that kinda I gotta rewrite my rankings real quick. It'd be like that, man. And while you do that, I'm gonna go over their notable opponents. San Diego State did put together a relatively great non conference. Of course they gotta worry about Gonzaga, Utah State, Colorado State, and even an Oregon State in conference play. But before that they will play Colorado, New Mexico State, UNLV, Iowa State, Tennessee, UCLA. BYU and Maryland. So they put together a pretty tough a non conference schedule, so you gotta applaud that. They're good at least preparing and trying to get their guys ready. Previously had them ranked third, and my final rankings are now fifth. Dang. So Nick Anderson. No, yeah, Nick Anderson does we'll do that to you. yeah, d like they said, they were looking for him to essentially be their guy to pass the rock and just playmake and he's out they confirmed for the season. But silver l sil some silver lining, sorry, is you have Brian Dutcher, he's in his ninth season, two hundred and twenty and seventy nine as a head coach. He took you to the final four not that long ago and was He's just a s he's just a career winner too. Yeah. Like he's just never really had a I don't think he's ever had anything closer to losing season at his time with San Diego State. Yeah. So it's listen, it's a better conference certainly, yeah, but you've s you shown that you can play up against better competition with the guys you have in front of you, so in a better conference, maybe you're getting better guys in. I listen, maybe I'm overreacting, maybe sliding them down to five, but I think that's a big player that you lose and but I think good coaching can definitely get you over that, so we'll see. Mm. So we were gonna see how Utah's I mean not Utah, San Diego State will fair this season. Any where's Caden? Guys don't get the mumps, man. It's actually crazy how much they've fallen off though, not even fallen off, but how much the portal in the way b college basketball is now. you can go from being right there on the cusp of it to damn, you've got almost nothing to really work with compared to what you did have. Mm-hmm. That's kind of part of the reason I'm not crazy about college basketball, especially anymore, 'cause it's like dog, people are like on their fifth school, they've been to four JUCOs, two D ones, and like and now they're at D three. It's like, dude, I don't Yeah, I think so, bro. It's just so much harder for me to follow, man. I get what you're saying. It's it's I get what you're saying. But that will do it. For San Diego State, I think personally with Nick Anderson injury. I think Oregon State is better. Probably I think they will probably be around the four or five s range. The their floor, maybe six. I don't think they'll be that bad. I don't think I don't I can't see this. I still think they're gonna be fine. I just I just think yeah. Nick Anderson's a huge that's that's a huge part. and but this again, good coaching can it We'll see. I think I think their ceiling is third. I think they end up, like you said, right around fifth. And so that would do it for them. Next team is Texas State. The Bobcats. Boy, do we know anything about these Bobcats boys? Let me and as we mentioned in the intro, a lot of the football fans already know. if you're a basketball fan listening for the first time, welcome again. But we are Texas State students alum. Yeah. Again, please subscribe, like. So we are we're gonna spend a little bit more time on the Bobcats because We're all gonna be able to chime in on this. We've all we've all watched so much Bobcat basketball. A little bit more unknown than the rest of like to everybody else. this is one of the teams that not everybody is. This is true. How many people before if you're in the Mount West, how much Sunbelt hoops were you watching? That's true. Dude, if you were watching if you were Gonzaga, how much Sunbelt hoops were you were watching? Yeah, you weren't you weren't even aware of Texas State, I bet. So yeah, I think it's a good that we spent a little bit of time, especially since yeah, we I've been watching Tex say hoops it's twenty twenty two, man. Right, yeah. We've been in this for a while, but yeah. Let's go ahead and start with the Bobcat. Okay, so hundred and the Ken Palm. I mean, I as far as I remember, last year they were somewhere in like the two hundreds, like in the sunbelt too. I I texted you guys yesterday about how hard it was for me to explain how how much improved this team got, but how we'll we'll get into it. So Terrence Johnson, sixth season. 10781. He's been super solid for the Bobcats. I think he's just a terrific coach. He's been a a great guy. He's worked really well with the resources you have in the Sunbelt. That being such not in n nothing against the Sunbelt, but not a basketball league, right? Like very much so. Very true. Very much so baseball. Kind of basketball just kind of there for the for the heck of it. But let's get into some of these players. DJ Hall, first guy you need to know about, obviously, returning sophomore. Coming off being Sumbelt freshman of the year last season, fifteen point six points per game, seven point seven rebounds, fifty four point three percent field goal percentage. Wow. An absolute bully in the paint. incredibly physical rebounder, and he's an excellent finisher. I even think he showed shades of great shooting the end last season, and I talked to Isaac Melcher a little bit who, sees these practices and works with the team a little bit. I mean, he's not anymore, not this year. Not anymore. okay, my bad. But but has has noticed as well that he that they're also he's also improving his shooting and maybe has even added a three pointer to his arsenals. Quellron House Junior the guard transfer from SIUC Carbondale. shout out shout out to Saluki's fifteen point two points per game, three point five assist and three point seven rebound. Amazing ball handler, he's incredibly explosive, he loves to attack the basket, he's a mid range demon. I think that's perfectly with how Terrence Johnson, his style of offense of taking quality over quantity shots. he I will say he's not as effective from three. They won't need him to be. He's he's much more of a facilitator. Like I said, drives the paint really well. Incredibly good defender as well. Second in steals per game last year in the Missouri Valley Conference with one point seven and third in total steals in the conference with fifty. So a guy who's really good at defense. This guard room is incredibly interesting and super deep. We're gonna get more into that as well. Another transfer though I want to mention real quick, Paul Paul Jobet. He's a French guy, wing transfer from Omaha. I I love this guy. So a player that I loved last year on Texas State was Kendall Davis, just because of his absolute crit. the way when they did need him on offense, he could play offense, but he was just an incredibly good defender. Jobet kind of reminds me a little bit of that, but he's just way better on offense, right? So 17.5 points per game, six point six rebounds. fifty one point two percent field goal percentage and forty basically forty two percent from three. He's gonna be the starting three for the Bobcats. first team all summit league last season. Only twenty games played last year. He's gonna I I I think he's gonna be the best player on this team. And I know DJ Hall, Quill Ron House, you know, are are on this roster as well. Jobet offers you so much versatility that like maybe some like and that's not nothing against them, but like he what What maybe Quellron House and DJ Hall's weaknesses are Paul Jobet fills that gap a little bit. So he's yeah he's gonna be such an important piece. but I will say he's gotta get his turnovers under control. averaged three a game last season. He was pretty close to being one of the leaders in the in the summit league. So maybe not to cut you off. No, ahead. But maybe with like a guy like a DJ, who's like not really prone to turn the ball over. He's very safe with the ball. Yeah. Or even with like guards hating guards. He's got super experienced guards around him. I think that's gonna happen. Yeah, that's gonna I think that will completely agree. Yeah. I think he doesn't need maybe these numbers are a little inflated just 'cause he probably was their number one guy, but I think he I've Omaha wasn't very good. I very much agree with you that he has the potential to be the best player, especially 'cause the offensive upside is just insane. to have a big man to average eighteen and shoot forty percent from the three is insane. But I just do think that if you take the ball out of his hands, I do think the turnovers go down. Just natural. Yeah, I agree with that. And it's a much more disciplined team that he's I didn't even think about that. It's a much more disciplined team that he's gonna get to deal with. So okay, let's get into let's get into more of these guards though. Caden Gums. we know Caden Gums is good No, I I agree, but like but I love Caden Gums senior. He's from San Marcus, right? So this is his home. Rattler. Yeah, he's a he's shout out the Rattlers. shout out the snake pit. Yes. Sorry. Spent all four years, he's in he's in a senior year, obviously, here at Texas State. been a consistent starter for them. he got here when he got here as a freshman. Stats aren't sexy, I will say that. But he's incredibly effective and I will say has made some like incredibly important plays when it mattered. I remember I I guess I think it was against Troy last year, so we were there. He hit like the game the the se the ceiling shot that won them that game and Troy was at the time the number one team in the Sun Belt coming into Strahan so he hit like a three or something. He started shooting threes like late in the season. I'm like, dude your jumpers this good and you don't shoot. It made me mad. Dude, there are times he'd literally have the ball wide open. He just wants to pass it. I think that's just the kind of shoot. And that's just the kind of guard he is. But you also need your guard. Yeah, but you also the coaching T J probably instills it now. Yeah. Point of reference, Texas State was I'm pretty sure dead last in the entire nation of all not even a hundred and thirty eight, but even the FCS level of college basketball. Talking like three sixties, yeah. They were dead last in three pointers made because they just didn't shoot threes. It wasn't that they're They were last in attempts as well. Yeah, they didn't take threes. So another guy real quick, that I wanna talk about. We'll get to a couple more after, but I'm so curious about how he's gonna fit in, even though he's kind of a legend here, Mark Drone. Bobcat's most consistent guard last year. I think he was their best scorer. I think TJ kind of recruited this upcoming team with the idea of thinking Mark Drone wasn't gonna be here. And probably baby. Fifth year. Yeah. And and probably not even thinking like there's gonna be this world grand way that he's gonna be able to come back, right? I think he really built this team to not replace Mark Drone, you c but to be ready for a life after Mark Drone. Yeah, to fill fill those shoes, And I what a gift that you you've just been handed. Mark having Mark Drone for a fifth year. It's insane. And I don't even know if he's gonna start. that's the crazy thing. I don't know where he's gonna I don't know where he's gonna land on this team. I if if he does start it'll be over Caden Gums, right? I think that's maybe But but again, yeah, th exactly what I thought. I don't know where he I he might be like a insane it'd be disrespectful, but he could be an insane six man like a spark plug. That's what I was thinking. I I just don't know where in the starting lineup but when I put it together, where he fits. I don't know if you know this, but while we were working one of the volleyball games, we actually saw Mark Drone outside of Strahan in it was a couple weeks ago, granted, or maybe a week ago. But it was in the past. So it could have already gone better, but he wasn't a walking boot. So they might not they might not have to worry about putting him in the starting lineups because there seems to be something going on and 'cause he he was wearing a boot. Right. I will say dude is incredibly undersized when you see him out there, but you would have eight five. But you would be absolutely blown away with his ability to score around the rim. that's his strength, is his ability to score points in the paint. He he drives too much. It's incredible. I'm curious to see how he looks in the paint against some of these seven footers, you know, against some of this better talent. Because i if he could still do pull off some of the crazy stuff he does in this conference that he did in the Sunbelt, like I'll be absolutely amazed. Yeah, I agree. Yeah, that's a major point. Yeah. Yeah. So one more guy I'll mention just real quick, Robert Fields, he's a center. he'll he'll be the starting five on this team. I th I think I think this this front court by Texas State is getting incredibly underrated by experts and I think I don't think Robert Fields is quite getting the love he deserves off the bench last year. He was I the stats don't look pretty, but I get what you mean. He's a very He was young, he was a freshman Yeah, he a freshman. Yeah, but like the stuff he does is does does it show up on the stats. Right. He and DJ Hall both turned it on at the end of the year. Yep. And and last player I'll mention, because I think everyone in this room loves him, Dim Purnell. I was about to get onto you. Motor guy coming off the bench. gonna come off ACL injuries. If he could stay healthy, man, he's the best three points here on this team without a doubt. Forty point six in eleven forty point six percent in eleven games played. And and a lot of those games he was playing in, I remember talking to Coach CJ where Dimps coming off the bench, but he leads he led the team in points. he was the six man. Yeah. Until he tore his ACL. He he is awesome. So I'm excited to see how he implements back in his twin brave. Do you have back? But they're both going to be back, yeah. Yeah. and I mentioned this stat earlier along with Colorado State, the only team in the conference to retain fifty percent of their minutes played last season. Deep guard room, thin front court. but like I said, I think Robert Fields is gonna shut a lot of those doubters up. I think they're gonna be pretty solid. This is where I think people are gonna get mad at me and I just wanna I just wanna preface this. I wanna I want you guys to understand when I say this, it's not a bad thing. but let me start by saying this is the best, most skilled roster that this school has ever assembled in the history of of their basketball program. I don't think that is I I know a couple of teams like made the tournament, a couple teams won the sun belt. As far as skill, th this team would would potential on paper. Yeah, absolutely yeah. Thank you. Thank you for helping me put that together. But but don't be disappointed when they finish as the best as sixth. Maybe even as low as eighth. they may be lucky to win four conference games. And we're talking about the four where they play one Home and away against Fresno and the same with Washington State. And that's and that's and listen, I'm I'm not saying that in vain as like, they suck. They're they're terrible. They're taking the biggest jump in competition from the Sun Belt, which was a one bid league, where they were also the middle of the pack in that conference. Now going to the pack twelve, a multi bid league where the top is some of the best teams you're gonna play in college basketball. They're gonna get to that level eventually. It's hard to get there in one year, especially with all the hoops they have all the the answer the questions they have to answer. I fully expect them to be a a competitor eventually because I think the resources here are terrific and I think I think President Danfis and Don Coriel will put the resources into this program to make it what it is. For example brand new court. They fixed the logo at center court. They've added a bunch of really cool things on the court. It's one of the most unique courts in college basketball. all the benches or like stadium seats are getting cleared out and replaced with new ones. They're really upping the game on what the experience is gonna be like. And that's just the experience, not to talk about I believe this was the best recruiting class they've ever had. They landed one or two four stars. RJ Linuxon's one of them. Definitely definitely has never happened before. I imagine next year's recruiting class is gonna be the best ever. And so you're gonna be underwhelmed watching them this year, but when we look, you know, three years from now, you're gonna see the leaps that they're taking year by year. You're gonna remember this team as like the the stepping stone that helped get you there. Like I think this is gonna set the bar. But I think eventually if you do want to compete in this conference, you gotta shoot more threes. I think maybe they're getting there with with House kind of maybe taking on some big guard minutes and and and Jobet as well. I think maybe they're gonna kinda tease it a little bit. But I need it That's all I got on the Bobcats though. I need all of it. But I'm I'm gonna be at the game Monday night. I'm incredibly excited. I'm gonna be at so many Bobcat games this year. I'm gonna be number one Bobcat ball watcher. I can't wait to see the new seats, man. I haven't seen the Court in person yet. I've only seen pictures. Next up, Utah State. We got Ben Jacobson. He's the new man at the helm. Fun fact Utah State, their last four coaches have either spent two years or less with the program and have gone on to power four teams. So talk about stepping stone. Gerald Calhoun went on to Cincy after going fift fift fifty five and fifteen in the last two years. Denny Sprinkle. Went to Washington after going twenty eight and seven. Randy Odo went out of Virginia. Craig Smith went on to Utah. So the new man is Ben Jacobson. He spent twenty years at Northern Iowa with five N Tou A tournament appearances. The latest was in last year. His Panthers went twenty three and thirteen and won the Missouri Valley Conference. And so they got a lot of players go with their former coach MJ Collins, transferred to University of Cincinnati. Tucker Anderson went to Central Arkansas. So for the Aggies, for their production, they lost about sixty-one games worth, forty-four starts, about twelve points per game, fifty percent from the field, thirty-six percent from three is all gone. But they retained about sixteen points per game worth, fifty one percent worth, and forty percent from the three worth as well. Their main player, the main talking point, a guy who can compete with some of the best, some of them Experts have him as even in the first team with all the Bulldogs, the Bix, but the s the floor is the second team at the very least. Mason Fazlev. He returns for his senior year, four-year man with the Aggies. Explosive season where he was named Mountain West Conference Player of the Year. He started in all thirty-six games, averaged sixteen points per game, shooting fifty-forty from the field, and then fifty for the field, forty for the three. But he's still not that good from the free throw line. He had his best year ever shooting seventy six percent. And then he still averages about six boards, three assists, and two steals. But that's gonna be their guy who's gonna try and lead them into the promise line in this new conference. He's gonna be the one to be basically be the captain for this team. The other the only other returning fresh r returner for this team, retro freshman, Kingston Toze, he is a retro freshman, spent all last year doing NAS sitting down and learning. He chose the Aggies over a bunch of different schools, including Nevada, New Mexico, UC San Diego, UTEP, and Washington, and Wazoo as well. And SMU is also in the teams he chose over. But he's an excellent prospect. The Aggies are gonna roll the dice on him. A player with no D one experience, just been waiting his turn, and now his turn has arrived. But they're gonna be counting also on their nine transfers. So they're gonna have a whole new roster essentially with a a brand new head coach. kinda reminds me of a l pleth plethora of teams in the football land for the Pac twelve, but this is a team with high expectations as well. We talked about them. They were in the tournament for recently a couple years ago. I th I think they were in last year, were they Dyber, yeah. They were in last year. Of course, yeah, I believe they beat they beat a someone who is pretty notable in the tournament. I can't recall who at the moment. They also went pretty viral on social media last year for that insane environment in Logan. The herd They are gonna be a key factor in this season for the Aggies. They rank fifty one in Kempong, which is second in the Pac twelve. Still a sizable gap from Gonzaga, but we have already hinted that they could give the Bulldogs level, especially when they come into Logan. The ceiling I got for this team is the second seed in the perfect world. They take the first seed and maybe one somehow win the conference tournament, but I think you're fine at second. I think like you said, is a multi bid league and they're just gonna ride off the tails of fast lift. Yeah, they beat Villanova last year in the opening round. It was Villanova. I knew it was a blue team. Did you talk about Carson Templin? I didn't. I he was gonna be on my list, but you can go ahead and take a No, sorry, I was just gonna say he's a another guy who's a returner. he's a senior forward. He was the Mountain West sixth man of the year last year. I w what I'm looking forward to him is he's gonna be a rebounding machine. A hundred and seventy total rebounds last year. did you also mention AJ Bates? I had some stuff on him as well. I did I mention AJ Bates, but you can go ahead and read off the stuff on him. He did great work at Louisiana Tech though. Yeah, I was gonna say, yeah, he junior guard transferred from Louisiana Tech. I think Mason Falls Lev is gonna love this guy. And the reason I say that is Mason Falls Lev is an incredible scorer. He's he' I'm reigning Mount West player of the year. But AJ Bates comes to this team second last year in conference USA and total assists with two two. He averaged five point nine assists. assists per game, again, second in conference USA, also ranked in the top twenty and most shooting statistics in the conference USA. So this if you're looking for a a good number two beside but sorry, besides Mason Falls Lev, AJ Bates is gonna be AJ Bates is gonna be a great answer for him and Carson Temblin I think is gonna have some big minutes this year. He's not gonna be coming off the bench. He'll be starting. So I'm really excited about this team. They're gonna they're gonna finish second I think in the Pac twelve. I I think Ben Jacobson's a really good coach. It's It's tough losing your coach to to another school and having to bring someone new in, but when you're a program like Utah State, you can bring in coaches, with the the capabilities of Ben Jacobson and you're gonna you're gonna be fine. Reminds me like J U in football a little bit. Yeah, because I know next man up always the way they get these coaches and then they still have success. That's that's where they remind me of of the Dukes. Yeah. Some notable opponents for the Aggies, non conference, to take on UC San Diego. SMU, USC, Tulsa, George Washington. And BYU, some c so not the craziest non conference, but a sneaky one, especially with a team that is kind of new, a lot of new faces that are coming into the program. So it's gonna take a while to gel. So you can't take these non conference lightly, so 'cause a team like George Washington, who has been seen in the tournament, can't hit you in the jaw. And a team like Omaha, UC San Diego at twenty one ranked UC U S C Even the Lobos, New Mexico, they're they're pretty they're usually pretty good. Winthrop shout out Sparty Laughlin. George Washington from the from the A ten as well. That's a really good team. They put Slew on the ropes last year in the conference tournament. So again you have you have a pretty good non con schedule coming up. And I think they're gonna be pretty tested right away. And but like I said, I think the players that they have on this team, I think Falls Lev's the best, arguably, maybe besides Brain Humph, the best player in the conference. And I just think having, you know, AJ Bates as well to kind of compliment False Love so well and then Templin stepping up, I think they're just gonna be a r a really, really good team and it's obviously a really tough place to play as well. So yeah. Yeah. So I I I expect nothing less than a tournament appearance again. Second in the Pac twelve, I I think that's their ceiling. I don't think they go any lower than fourth. I just think they're yeah too good of a program to really let that go. I don't think they anywhere lower than three to be honest. I think it's either two or three. W it would have to be injuries, I guess that would help these Also, I'm pretty sure those tickets to that BYU game have already gone on sale and they sold out like i d done, gone, like very hot ticket in the state of Utah is that game. Very huge game. I mean the herd's gonna be there. I can't wait. Man, I think Best best student section. I wouldn't be surprised. In this conference. Yeah, I I I agree with that. The Kennel and Gizag pretty dope. Pretty dope too. But Utah State, man, I think it takes the kick. You're right. I think I wouldn't be surprised they don't lose a game. In conference. I the hard man Gonzaga comes to town, it might be the last team's ever been. I think that's I I think that could be the only that could be the only conference loss Gonzaga could have is that road game in Logan. Yeah. But that'll do it for the Aggies. Final team on the chopping block. All right, let's make it short and sweet. David Riley, here three. He's a really young guy. Doesn't have a lot of experience overall, but kinda hard to when you're as young as he is. But last year in the West Coast conference, they went twelve and twenty, seven eleven in conference play. One and eleven on the road. Holy moly. I thought we're talking about Kirby Moore right now. I thought Texas State was bad. Yeah, no, Wazoo went one and eleven on the road last year, and I'm gonna just read you exactly what I typed down when I started looking at their record from last year. This is my exact thoughts. Not gonna be great. Last or maybe second to last. All they're talking about at Media Day is building chemistry and simplifying scheme. Boring team that stints like their football team does. Boring and stinky. But it's stinky. Crazy non con schedule. They've got Duke. This is Wazoo's non con schedule. Duke, Duquesne, LSU, UNLV, Davidson, and High Point. Those are the schools that I noted. Shout out High Point. I love High Point. Those are just the schools that I noted 'cause I I know I've seen them play in March, right? So I know at least that much. whoever is scheduling men's sports specifically, football and basketball and Pullman. They've gotta be fired because this is gotta be the football non-con was just the schedule of hell. Same with basketball. Like they're not winning any of those games by the There's a lot of tough teams on here. You're right, Caden. Yeah. Like so so like you just said, high like I'm just gonna go in order here. high point, Duquesne, Hawaii, Duke, Idaho, Murray State, S Iu C Carbondale, who how drill sorry, what is his name? He he was on the Sweogies. North Dakota State, a team that can shoot shoot incredibly well. Weaver State's a fun program. UNLV, Easter Washington could be a fun FCS team. And you didn't even you didn't mention this, and I'm I'm sorry you probably don't even know, but you missed it. LSU as well. No, you said L S U. He did say L S U. My apologies. I wouldn't have missed an L S E C Ton. But but but Will Wade, their coach, I'm just I leave. I know about Will Wade and he was I love Will. Yeah. But but I'm sorry, Caden, I I I was getting too caught up trying to Look at other stuff not pay attention. Dude is doubting. He's doubting my ability to look at a schedule right now. They call you the schedule, right? It's not that much of a Pac-12 cigarette where he's like, SEC never heard of Yeah. Do you do you have anything on their head coach? David Riley? Yeah, yeah. This is third year and he's doesn't have a good record. Yeah, thirty one, thirty five, really young. Yeah. And and I had one thing about Sebastian Atkins, their junior guard like for us. Yeah. Didn't look at a single player, but That's that's the only player worth looking at, man. Other than it's gonna be Time to touch it. I mean literally their media day quotes. They nothing was talking about any players on the team and their ability. It was literally like, yeah, man, as soon as we got here, we just really wanted to gel with the guys and that's what we're really focused on. Like, yeah, dude, you guys are probably geeks. I I think I I I have them last now. I re when as I redid my rankings, I put Fresno ahead of them. So I think the Cougars are probably I bet Tech State could beat him by like twenty. Probably and Sam Marcus. Like that's be that probably be their most decisive win. Probably. That's like their homecoming game. I would schedule that. Yeah, I was gonna say about schedules. We have anything else, man? I think we're if you want to talk about like sleeper team, I mean I think we kinda already did with Dorgan State. That's my sleeper team. Yeah, that was my sleeper team. Yeah, I mean we could like Sprout, we just talked about I we could do the Zags are winning. We could do rankings. Just quick real rankings. Yeah, let me see your rankings. I could share mine. I don't really get I'm back and read them off real quick. So in my rankings for as we wrap up this preview, here's how I think and here's how preseason and how I think it'll shake out to end the year. So Zagat one without a doubt, Utah State two. Ended up putting Colorado State at three and I was kinda deciding between them and OSU. kinda just came down to more coaching experience and I think just a little bit of a deeper roster. But not far behind OSU at four. San Diego State at five. Boise State six or yeah, Boise State six, Texas State seven. Fresno at s eight. Wazoo at nine. Sounds about right. I think for me I have Gonzaga. Utah State. Then I probably do have hm kinda up in the air. But I think I'll rock with Colorado State. I have San Diego State over Oregon State. I trust in Dutcher more. I think he's a very experienced coach. Listen that that three through five is gonna be and it could be anybody and not try to be cliche, but yeah. And Loki, I'm a little optimistic. I'll think I'll put Tex Day at six. And then I'll put Boise under them and then This dude is biased as hell, man. I dude, I know. What a guy. And then I'll put Fries Nothing Wazoo. Yeah, I'm lucky just gonna sit this out because it almost sounded exactly the same and like three, four, five, six. it could literally be a straight up toss up. And we talk about Boise being the favorite in football. I think good Zach is easily the biggest. Like you how Boise was the biggest favorite to win the conference out of any favorite to win any conference in football? Yeah. I think that's probably what the Zags could be here in Zack of Hoods. I what the I would disagree with that actually. I don't know when that's I guess it's whatever that pops up on DraftKings or something like that. Probably already are yeah it probably is. I don't I don't I don't endorse gambling. I don't have DraftKings, so I couldn't even tell you. But I wanted to ask I wanted to ask you one last question, Caden. Did you pick up anything that me and me and Solo were kinda talking about throughout? What do you what do you what intrigues you about this as someone who as a non biased observer who doesn't really watch Kyle Choops, what it what intrigues you? What would bring in the casual fan to be like, Okay, I wanna tune into Pac Twelve Hoops? Utah State, because I am kind of a casual fan and I remember them going viral. And that intriguing me. I think Boise intrigues me. Okay. Honestly. that that's probably not exactly what you asked, but like of all the teams that there are, that they're definitely not making the tournament. But I think Boise a little bit better than you think. Also Oregon State. Yeah, I think the thing that is most intriguing about this conference that you have to be looking for is not just like the one team Gonzague 'cause everyone We'll be watching them whether they care about the Pac twelve or not, because it's like, you watch Duke 'cause they're Duke. Right. I s Same for multiple other teams. I think it's just as interesting to watch Utah State, Colorado State, San Diego State, Oregon State. And I think if you are, say, just pick a random team, right? Say you're a San Diego State hoops fan, like I think you should watch Texas State 'cause you might actually really enjoy it. I think that's a team that i i if you're not From Sam Marcus, nothing about it, you at least need to watch. First of all, I don't know where the hell these first non con games are even gonna be on what network or what YouTube are w are they doing ESPN plus again? I don't know. I'm literally working camera for a game tomorrow and I don't know where the hell it's being streamed. but no, I think you should really just watch Texas State and especially early in the season in the non conference, and then whenever we get to conference play in January and y your team plays them. Just let me know how different they look to you. Because I think that's gonna be a real thing about them as well. I don't really care about Fresno or what's who they think. For a con for conference is gonna be a lot of CW and USA. Yeah, I know conference is on TV. A lot of people's gonna be back. A lot of they got a they got a couple of them on CVS, like Sports Network. I think it I guess the majority of them probably will be like ESPN. I don't know where the non con stuff is gonna be. I I I would I would have to guess ESPN plus, right? Or YouTube maybe. They got I haven't seen anything about it. They got a couple non con on C B S, a couple non con CW. There are some really good matchups that they've thrown on TV, yeah, but But they even got a couple of non cons in USA. Just like just normal tournaments. It's what about the one at UTSA? That I feel like that would be a Texas State at U T S A? Yep. That one's on ESPN too actually. That all has to do with the American. Maybe maybe we make a Pac twelve road trip. Are they playing out of San Antonio? Yeah. Yeah, I think Texas State wins that one by twelve. Hey, but we'll at least we'll be there if we if we can go, maybe. I'm down. Come on, man. Not an American show, but F F We can go rep the pack in in San Antonio. Yeah, I'm always a nerd talking about the T V deals because I just like to know this stuff. Like I'm already working kind of with the T V broadcast for six Texas State home conference games, I'm pretty sure. Including Gonzaga. I got one more thing I just want to mention, then we can wrap it up and then we're done. What's up? There's one game one non con game that I'm really, really excited for as a Texas State fan. And as a mid major basketball sicko. No, not Houston. Although I I do like that. I know which one is going to talk about Are you coming here? Yeah. No, they're yeah, they're they are coming here on the twenty second of November. This dude's gonna be at a wedding. On Saturday. Now I'm gonna try to make it back. As fast as I can. I'm sure they lost McOr Will Wade? Yeah, but they still have Bill Armstrong. He's a really good coach. And they got you the the manager. I I think he's that cool. I just think it'd be funny to hear him get shit talked in saying Marcus. Yeah, I would I would sure he's at LSU with Will Wade. Yeah, yeah, he needs to get a job, dude. Stop saying, bro. Like I I I hate this game, bro. You can't be EQ guy forever, bro. Alrighty. Well, that concludes the twenty twenty six, twenty twenty seven packed twelve. basketball preview for the Mansario women's we'll couldn't get to you, it's just how it goes. So I'm sorry. Hey. Once the season starts, we'll have a lot to talk about. Texas State's gonna be really good. Chris Gielsmeyer, great coach. but other than that, I don't w as the season rolls on, we'll have more for you. Unfortunately we didn't have enough to put together a preview though, just being honest. And if you're here from the basketball algorithm, check out the football content. God. If you love multiple sports, we will cover as much as we can. But thank you so much for listening to this basketball preview. Of course we're gonna be we're gonna be see Brett will be seated for sure whenever opening tip for college hoops begins. But midnight November first, High Point Liberty. I'll be there. And and then eight AM, Villanova plays Nordame in Spain. You shouldn't be there. I should be there 'cause I'm the one who picked Li High Point over Wisconsin. Listen, we can we can both be there. But leave a like if you're watching on YouTube and subscribe, comment down below. We wanna hear what the hoop fans gotta say, what they think about us, man. This is our first ever basketball video. On the channel, so let us know what you're thinking. I will I will get more in intrigued and interested once this stuff starts and football ends. Wait till January and I'll be with you. Yeah, that's I think that's gonna be a lot of 'cause trust me, I'm gonna watch it. So I'm gonna know about it. But I'm we are in week eight of college football. Yeah, we're in the three I'm worried about Jesse Legree winning the Heisman right now, damn it. But thank you so much. If you're listening on Spotify and Apple Music, make sure you give us five stars, however they rate their stuff. But yeah, that Puts a wrap on it there. Let's go basketball. We'll see you in a little bit, man.