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Transcript

Final 4 Preview with Bart Hyche · Johnny's World

• 0:20
  SPEAKER_01: All right, all right.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome back to an episode of the Johnny's World Podcast.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_01: This is BW, your esteemed co-host with my other co-host, Johnny.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_01: It's been a little while since we had one of these.
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_01: Johnny, how we been doing?
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_00: Uh doing doing good, BW, doing good.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_00: Just uh attended to this puppy I got here, uh full-time job, uh natty girl.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_00: So she's uh she's a sweet girl, but she's she's a lot of work.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, man, she's getting big too.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_01: I we're on Zoom right now, so I can see her.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_01: Y'all can't see her, but she's big.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_01: When did you get her?
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_00: I got her on February the second.
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_00: So I've had her two months now, and um yeah, she's she's grown.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_00: She was just uh a little dog when I got her, but she's got really long legs and she's really skinny, and that's what her mom, uh Julie, looks like.
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_00: So um so anyway, that's what she's gonna be.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_01: And she's already been on campus.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_01: She said she was on the drill field yesterday.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_01: Yep.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_00: She went to the drill field yesterday, went to Chadwick Lake, and uh and we're gonna do that again, but she took a picture.
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_00: I took a picture of her on the drill field uh in the same exact spot that uh that Bo was at.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_00: And that was in 2015 when I took a boat, and then 2025 when daddy's a 10 year of the park in the same spot.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_01: Pretty neat.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that's cool.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_01: And well, uh it's been a while since we've been on, you know.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_01: That's it's been basketball season has has come and gone, baseball season's already started, and uh you did an interview um talking about the Final Four and everything this weekend, which is going to be after this.
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_01: So y'all stay tuned for that.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_01: But um, before we kind of get into some basketball stuff, just wanted to remind everybody while we're doing this show.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_01: If you've never been here before, this is Johnny's World Podcast.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_01: Johnny, my co-host, has been dealing with and living with cystic fibrosis his whole life, and and he's a fighter and he's an inspiration to a lot of people.
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_01: And uh, we want to you know spread more awareness about cystic fibrosis and and the research that goes into it and and everything.
• 2:21
  SPEAKER_01: And we also want to raise some money for cystic fibrosis so that more people like Johnny can get the medicine that they need to you know keep living, just keep living like he does.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_01: And uh the way we do that is through this podcast and our website, johnnypacker.net.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_01: You can go on that website and we sell coffee.
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_01: We have any kind of coffee you can imagine.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_01: It is actually roasted in New Albany, Mississippi.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_01: So when you order it, it gets roasted fresh in New Albany and then it gets shipped to your house wherever you are, generally within a week.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_01: So it's some of the freshest coffee you'll ever buy.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_01: And it's really good stuff.
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_01: I've got it kind of on auto ship.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_01: I love it.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_01: It's it's you know, just kind of part of my morning routine now.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_01: And I'd encourage y'all if you've tried it in the past, if you liked it, you kind of forgot about it, you've gone back to your folders at the store, you know, just get back on there.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_01: There's a little subscription button on there, just put it put it on subscribe however often you want to get it, and just you know, put it on autopilot and and get it.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_01: And then that way, you know, you're given to a good cause and you're also drinking good coffee.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_01: And uh, we've got to figure something out, but I've got a prototype of some Johnny Packer glasses sitting on my desk at the office.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_01: There's a cat out in Utah that handmakes glasses and he can make just about any kind of glasses you want.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_01: I um I asked him to make one similar to the Johnny Depp style, and he came through and did that for us uh because I know that's what you like, Johnny, and uh he's got all kinds of cool stuff.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_01: And so um I'm probably gonna buy a handful and have them in my office and sell them in the office.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_01: Uh so if you're in need of an eye exam or eye glasses and you're close to the Carrierville, Tennessee area, you know, call me at Carrierville Vision Center and I'll get you in and uh we can talk about getting you in a pair of Johnny Packer glasses, and and that's gonna even you know benefit us even more because there's not a whole lot of money in coffee.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_01: It's hard to raise a whole lot of money in coffee because we're just selling you know small bags here and there, but it's it's still great, it's a great entry-level product.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_01: But if you kind of want to give us a little bit more and be able to so we can donate more and and you know raise money faster, the glasses are gonna be the way to that.
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_01: So if you're interested, reach out to me.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_01: But in the meantime, if you like coffee, go to johnnypacker.net.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, um, that's that's a good deal.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_00: And you know, when we we were dealing with the glasses beforehand and and some online, it seemed to be uh hard sell to do because most people want to try them on their face and before ordering them.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_00: So you can go into your store and try them on there and uh get that.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_00: So that'll be awesome.
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_00: And then like I said, coffee products are easy, uh, easy, easy way to buy them.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_00: Uh they're they're inexpensive, they'll ship you right to your door, and the best parts go intowards a good cause.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_00: And uh we're just playing a small part, you know.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_00: It's uh it's a constant battle with CF.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_00: I'm dealing with some stuff right now uh that um you know it's it's that I've been dealing with since my January.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_00: And uh and it's just uh it's it's a constant battle with with CF.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_00: People think the miracle drug, you know, got that, everything's great, it's a cure, but that's not the case at all.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_00: I still have to deal deal with all my uh normal routine every day and uh battle battle all the CF bugs in your lungs and all that sort of stuff that won't go away.
• 5:23
  SPEAKER_00: But uh it's just thankful what it's done.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_00: And it's it's kept me, you know, it's given me what uh five extra years.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_00: I I was headed door to lung transplant five years ago.
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_00: So uh it's it's it's it's been great, and uh, but we're not done.
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, there's like we always say there's 10% of people that can't take it.
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_00: There's nothing out there for them.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_00: They're just like we were before uh the people that got it truck after.
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_00: So uh and the only way that's gonna happen is through research and dollars raised.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_00: Uh money, money is the way to uh to get research out there to develop new drugs.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_00: So you're playing a small part by going to johnnypecker.net and getting uh a bag of coffee or stopping by BW store and getting a pair of glasses, you'll look good and you'll know you're doing something for a good cause.
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_00: So uh that's awesome.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_00: I do want to give uh give us a shout out, BW.
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_00: Uh you some uh I got sent that on Twitter.
• 6:13
  SPEAKER_00: I sent it to you.
• 6:13
  SPEAKER_00: I didn't click on until uh the other day I looked at it, but man, we're the number two ranked uh CF podcast of all the CF podcast of all the podcasts out there, and then we're the number nine ranked podcast of all the Mississippi sports related podcasts of all time.
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_00: So we're top ten in that and uh number two in CF.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_00: So that's pretty pretty cool deal.
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_00: So people are listening.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_00: That's that's pretty neat.
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_01: That is cool, yeah.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_01: I I wouldn't expect that.
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_01: I was surprised when I clicked on that.
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_01: I was like, what is what is this about?
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_01: And um, yeah, it's it's pretty cool stuff.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_01: So we really appreciate everybody listening.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_01: And uh just one quick thing popped in my mind, and we'll we'll get a little bit more into this.
• 6:52
  SPEAKER_01: But uh, I went to the Grizzlies game the other day, and um my sister-in-law had texted before, and she and she was there.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_01: Um, they got there early.
• 7:01
  SPEAKER_01: My daughter wanted to get there really early.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_01: My niece and uh nephew, they were giving away a Jaron Jackson Jr.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_01: sweatshirt, and you had to be one of the first 3,000 people to get there.
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_01: And they've been looking forward to this for like six months.
• 7:12
  SPEAKER_01: And so uh they got there two or three hours before the game to go stand in line and get that sweatshirt.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_01: And so I was gonna come later with the rest of the family.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_01: And she texted and said, I've got a headache.
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_01: Does anybody have some aspirin they can bring to the game?
• 7:23
  SPEAKER_01: And um said, Yeah, I've got some.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_01: So I I stuck some in my pocket, didn't really think much about it, went to the game.
• 7:29
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, when you get there, uh you got to throw your wallet and keys and everything, go through the metal detector and and they search you.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_01: And um, when I was when I was pulling that at that out, the little thing came out of my pocket, the little uh aspirin that I had, and they were like, What's this?
• 7:43
  SPEAKER_01: You know, you're not supposed to be bringing this kind of stuff in the game.
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_01: I'm like, Man, it's it's aspirin, you know.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_01: And uh I showed it to them and they they kind of ended up letting me through, so it wasn't a big deal, but it just reminded me of that time that we went to the game and you were uh on that experimental drug, and uh you had to drink this drink at this right certain time, and it was gonna fall like when we were gonna be inside the game, and the security guy wouldn't let you come in because you couldn't bring it in with you.
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_01: And and you know, that's just the kind of stuff Johnny deals with all the time with cystic fibrosis, and you know, you keep pushing through all the time.
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_01: So it's it's such an inspiration.
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's that that was thank thank goodness tricafta is just a pill that I take.
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_00: That experimental drug that did not that kept me stable for a year, but it it did not uh pan out.
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_00: Um was called uh actually I can't even remember uh Adalarin was the name of it.
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_00: And it was it came in like packages, and you had to like cut open the packages, and then you had to pour it in a cup and mix it and drink it.
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_00: So, and like you said, it had to be done at certain times.
• 8:40
  SPEAKER_00: So um and you couldn't just open up the packages, you had to have scissors to cut them.
• 8:46
  SPEAKER_00: So it was always an issue, like sporting events, um it's kind of like that now, but it's not because I mean I still have to take tricaphtone a certain amount of time.
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_00: But as far as like going into events and everything, I don't have to worry about carrying a uh cup with me, carrying scissors, carrying all that.
• 9:02
  SPEAKER_00: That was a hassle.
• 9:03
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, but I was able to take it.
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_00: But yeah, it's stuff like that, man.
• 9:05
  SPEAKER_00: It's just a lot of people don't understand until they see it firsthand.
• 9:09
  SPEAKER_00: What people would see deal with on a daily basis, it's just a constant grind and constant fight.
• 9:14
  SPEAKER_00: And uh, of course, the people today though that that are younger, I mean, I've got 40 plus years of lung damage that are irreversible.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_00: That's why I don't do as well as the people today with CF who can take this drug and are born today, they're they're they're set because this drug will keep them all that lung damage from ever happening.
• 9:33
  SPEAKER_00: So uh so it's it's uh it's it's a miracle, it really is, but uh, but there's still room to fight because I mean there's 10% that don't have anything.
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_00: So uh it's always uh constant battle.
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_00: But we thank everyone for listening to this and for supporting johnnypacker.net.
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_00: We're just playing a small role and trying to help help others, and that's what we're all put on this earth for is help others.
• 9:56
  SPEAKER_00: So um if you want to buy some coffee or go and get a pair of glasses that PW has, we really, really appreciate it.
• 10:03
  SPEAKER_00: But uh, thank y'all for listening.
• 10:04
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for making this podcast a success.
• 10:06
  SPEAKER_00: Really cool.
• 10:07
  SPEAKER_00: And uh yeah, and we got a good interview coming up talking about the Final Four and reliving the the glory days of the Mississippi State's uh Final Four appearance, which hard to believe will be next year, the 30th year anniversary.
• 10:19
  SPEAKER_00: So wow uh time time flies.
• 10:21
  SPEAKER_00: But BW, how'd your how'd your black bracket go?
• 10:23
  SPEAKER_00: Uh speaking of March Madness, did you get a busted bracket or did you put all the?
• 10:28
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I went chalky this year.
• 10:30
  SPEAKER_01: I just you know I couldn't I couldn't see it much other way.
• 10:33
  SPEAKER_01: And so obviously it turned out.
• 10:35
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, I I've got uh every single team that I picked to be in the final four is is in the final four.
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_01: Uh I've got Florida winning the national championship.
• 10:43
  SPEAKER_01: So um, you know, we'll we'll see.
• 10:45
  SPEAKER_01: It looks uh he got them playing Duke.
• 10:49
  SPEAKER_00: Yep.
• 10:49
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_00: I think that's what most people did, Florida versus Duke.
• 10:53
  SPEAKER_00: But uh yeah, it'll be interesting.
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_00: I think uh I was talking to our guest on our interview.
• 10:57
  SPEAKER_00: You'll listen if you'll stay and listen to uh after this, you'll hear us talking about the final four, but the four best teams made it, you know, that the all year long, those were the four best teams.
• 11:05
  SPEAKER_00: Uh usually you got upset Cinderella teams, and this year it seems like uh the the you know, as far as Mississippi State goes, you know, we've been talking about all season BW.
• 11:15
  SPEAKER_00: There's four teams in the SEC.
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_00: Uh what is it, Florida, Tennessee, Alabama, and Auburn, those four teams right there.
• 11:21
  SPEAKER_00: And then after that, it was a big drop-off.
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, that kind of played a part in the in the March Madness Final Four.
• 11:27
  SPEAKER_00: You know, those four teams that are in the final four are kind of like that.
• 11:30
  SPEAKER_00: They they stood above the rest and all the way through.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_00: So um, I do like watching the upsets and stuff like that, but but uh yeah, it's it's uh it it went all all chalk this year.
• 11:42
  SPEAKER_00: So it'll be interesting to say, but it'll be a good final four, I think.
• 11:45
  SPEAKER_00: And and obviously the best team's gonna win.
• 11:47
  SPEAKER_01: So pretty much.
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_01: You know, it's interesting.
• 11:49
  SPEAKER_01: I I hate it, but uh I hate to say this even, but but Ole Miss, you know, if they had gotten in, I they obvious they probably had a decent chance to upset somebody because they've seen a couple of these, you know, SEC teams before anyway, and they they they uh you know they they probably have a better chance than some of the other teams would have.
• 12:06
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, I I just saw that uh uh Tex AM was trying to get Chris Beard and he ended up turning him away.
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, Kyle Lee, I don't know what it is about Ole Miss.
• 12:15
  SPEAKER_01: It's frustrating because you know, we hire uh Mike, Mike Leach, and we're all excited about that.
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_01: Then and then they get um you know Lane Kiff in, and you know, it's kind of a second chance guy, and you know, oh he's gonna burn out, and he turned out to be a good hire.
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_01: Same thing with Beard.
• 12:28
  SPEAKER_01: It's like you know, he gets almost gets arrested, or whatever happens with him at Texas, and you know, they give him a second chance, and now he's over there, he's got him rolling, and he's not going anywhere.
• 12:37
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 12:37
  SPEAKER_01: So it's it's frustrating for Mississippi State basketball.
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_01: You know, we thought we're on the rise here with Jans, and you know, we just can't seem to to get in there, get past first round.
• 12:46
  SPEAKER_01: And um, you know, looks like the whole team is is uh is gonna be gone.
• 12:50
  SPEAKER_01: Uh sounds like we got a good recruiting class that you know Hubbard went declared for the draft, but I think I don't I don't see him getting drafted.
• 12:57
  SPEAKER_01: He didn't I think he probably had a better chance to get drafted last year, yeah than you know, after this year he didn't have as good of a year.
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_01: So I think he'll be back, but um, you know, we'll see.
• 13:07
  SPEAKER_01: Uh hopefully the recruiting class is good enough to kind of push us over the hump there.
• 13:11
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I was telling uh telling Bart our guests, you know, we were talking about that.
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_00: The Jans got to hit the transfer portal, and that's just uh this can be a constant thing every year with rosters, turnovers, and all that sort of stuff.
• 13:22
  SPEAKER_00: But we got Hubbard and and Keyshawn Murphy, I would think, are the two that are coming back.
• 13:26
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 13:28
  SPEAKER_00: But yeah, we it's awesome that we're finally making the tournament because we went a decade without even making it.
• 13:32
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, yeah.
• 13:34
  SPEAKER_00: Awesome to make the tournament, but man, we just got to get out of that first round.
• 13:36
  SPEAKER_00: I feel like once you get that first win, then then get that monkey off your back, you know.
• 13:41
  SPEAKER_00: And then it'll be good from there.
• 13:43
  SPEAKER_00: But but yeah, you know, Ole Miss, uh, that says a lot about what they're doing with Keith Carter, their AD up there.
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_00: It's obviously doing a good job because I mean they they got Lane Kiffin locked up and then Chris Beard, you know, leave Texas AM.
• 13:55
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, they're they're they have more money, you know, they're they're cool, they're more uh more known in sports and everything.
• 14:02
  SPEAKER_00: You would think that he'd he'd run and take the job.
• 14:04
  SPEAKER_00: So that says a lot about about Ole Miss and Keith Carter and the athletic department there, what they're doing uh in NIL stuff for them.
• 14:11
  SPEAKER_00: But man, AM, you know, they they're they're just loaded with Texas oil money and everything, and and you know, their their football coach that that was a blunder trying to trying to the guy that they got and they were gonna get Mike Snoops, I think.
• 14:23
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, it's just a mess.
• 14:25
  SPEAKER_00: And then their baseball coach, uh Jim Schlos Schlossnagel, you know, they put some Omaha the National Championship Series, and then he leaves for the rival at Texas, yeah, and then their basketball coach, uh Buzz uh uh Williams just left to go to Maryland.
• 14:38
  SPEAKER_00: So it's like yeah, what in the world is going on with AM?
• 14:40
  SPEAKER_00: I I don't I don't understand he's got all that money there, so pretty nuts.
• 14:44
  SPEAKER_00: But I would have never seen a world where where a guy from Ole Miss turns down an AM job to stay back right.
• 14:49
  SPEAKER_00: That's that's strange.
• 14:51
  SPEAKER_01: And and uh, you know, the Auburn stuff last year with Kiffen, you know, they're they're talking about him and you know all that stuff too.
• 14:57
  SPEAKER_00: So it's just yeah, I don't think Kiffin I don't the only way out he gets out of Oxford, I think, is for an NFL job.
• 15:03
  SPEAKER_00: I don't I don't I don't think any anywhere to go to Else in college.
• 15:06
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, he's gonna made there.
• 15:08
  SPEAKER_01: Well was it it was Florida too, they were talking.
• 15:10
  SPEAKER_01: Was it Florida?
• 15:11
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, not Florida, yeah.
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it was Albert a couple years ago in Florida recently.
• 15:15
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 15:16
  SPEAKER_00: Uh but yeah, and then they you know Alabama opened up and they didn't even I don't think they went after him, which is no weird.
• 15:23
  SPEAKER_00: But uh yeah, I don't see him leaving Ole Miss.
• 15:26
  SPEAKER_00: And I mean they got it rolling right now.
• 15:28
  SPEAKER_01: And uh I guess if the board doesn't work out, maybe uh maybe roll Todd Willie can can cut a deal for Kiffin.
• 15:35
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know.
• 15:35
  SPEAKER_00: Hey man, we still got roll tied Willie.
• 15:37
  SPEAKER_00: We got him some coffee, Johnny Pecker coffee.
• 15:39
  SPEAKER_00: If he's listening to this new shout out, man.
• 15:41
  SPEAKER_00: He said that he they've been busy, he's been having health problems with his feet.
• 15:44
  SPEAKER_00: Obviously, he's walking through fire and sticks and everything, and not even touching his feet.
• 15:48
  SPEAKER_00: So uh he's obviously got some some medical issues going on, but they said they're gonna eventually try uh eventually and and and let us know.
• 15:55
  SPEAKER_00: So hopefully they will.
• 15:56
  SPEAKER_00: But uh yeah.
• 15:58
  SPEAKER_00: Come on, roll tide, Willie, and get and try the coffee, Johnnypacker.net.
• 16:01
  SPEAKER_00: Interesting guy watching the final four, caduce, caduce, caduce.
• 16:05
  SPEAKER_00: That's his word with uh basketball, hilarious.
• 16:08
  SPEAKER_00: But oh yeah, yeah.
• 16:09
  SPEAKER_00: But uh, but yes, it's it's uh it'll be fun watching the final four and then BW, you know what we got next week.
• 16:16
  SPEAKER_00: Hello, friends.
• 16:17
  SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
• 16:18
  SPEAKER_00: I know, I know time of the year, the masters coming up.
• 16:21
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you know, we we may have to do another masters preview because uh I think that we have to set that up for next week.
• 16:27
  SPEAKER_01: So y'all listen up for that.
• 16:28
  SPEAKER_01: We'll probably do this.
• 16:29
  SPEAKER_00: We've only got a few more years.
• 16:31
  SPEAKER_00: I saw where Jim Nance is saying he's signed on to like 20 years, right?
• 16:36
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so yeah, it's not gonna that's not gonna be the same, you know.
• 16:40
  SPEAKER_00: We lost him in uh in uh March Madness calling the final four last year, I think was his last or or was it two years ago?
• 16:47
  SPEAKER_00: I can't remember now, but uh so that's kind of weird listening to the final four without hearing uh ants.
• 16:53
  SPEAKER_00: But hearing the masters without Jim Mance, that's just gonna be totally different.
• 16:56
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and then Vern being gone for a couple years too, and he was on hole 16 there.
• 17:00
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, sir! Yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 17:02
  SPEAKER_01: Definitely missed some of that stuff.
• 17:03
  SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
• 17:04
  SPEAKER_00: But uh, but yeah, I'm excited to uh to watch the Masters.
• 17:07
  SPEAKER_00: You know, uh uh it's it's just the best time of the year, so oh yeah, it's gonna be awesome.
• 17:13
  SPEAKER_00: But yeah, we got basketball coming up and golf in the next two week weekends.
• 17:16
  SPEAKER_00: So uh keep our mind off Miss State Baseball BW.
• 17:20
  SPEAKER_01: It's been bad.
• 17:21
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's been bad.
• 17:22
  SPEAKER_01: It's really bad.
• 17:23
  SPEAKER_01: Real bad.
• 17:24
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
• 17:25
  SPEAKER_01: Uh I don't know.
• 17:26
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, I keep thinking, well, you know, we lost some good teams, but man, you you had to get one of those games.
• 17:30
  SPEAKER_01: We had we had chances at LSU for you know for uh Thursday, Friday, and just Saturday, man.
• 17:35
  SPEAKER_01: They just uh it was bad.
• 17:37
  SPEAKER_01: But anyways, uh I don't want to talk too much about the negativity of Mississippi State sports.
• 17:42
  SPEAKER_01: Uh we'll hopefully get you know turn a new leaf over next year.
• 17:46
  SPEAKER_01: We'll see.
• 17:47
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, but um yeah, but I'm looking forward.
• 17:49
  SPEAKER_01: Uh I actually haven't listened to y'all's uh y'all's interview you did uh yesterday.
• 17:53
  SPEAKER_01: So looking forward to listening to that later on today.
• 17:56
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so yeah, I didn't I didn't I didn't talk to Bard about this, but I did see I know he was on it last year was the uh Star Will Derby.
• 18:03
  SPEAKER_00: He's he's involved with that.
• 18:04
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and uh we'll have to talk, we'll have to do another podcast later on.
• 18:08
  SPEAKER_00: I think it's the first weekend of May this year.
• 18:09
  SPEAKER_00: This is the third third year of the Star Will Derby, so it's gotten bigger and better every year.
• 18:13
  SPEAKER_00: So um you have to take your kids uh to one year too is pretty good.
• 18:17
  SPEAKER_01: I know I need to.
• 18:18
  SPEAKER_01: We still got the shirt from last year you got us, so yeah, we'd love to go to that.
• 18:23
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, awesome, man.
• 18:25
  SPEAKER_00: All right, well, yeah, y'all y'all listen to the interview with Bart and and uh watch the final four and get ready for the masters next week, and and we'll be back on with another podcast soon.
• 18:33
  SPEAKER_00: And thanks for listening to us, making a successful top two CF, top top ten in uh Mississippi Sports.
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_00: And johnnypacker.net is the website, coffee, glasses in BW's office, and you are doing a good job.
• 18:45
  SPEAKER_00: So thank y'all so much.
• 18:47
  SPEAKER_00: All right, thank y'all.
• 18:48
  SPEAKER_00: Talk to you soon.
• 18:49
  SPEAKER_00: Bye.
• 18:51
  SPEAKER_00: All right, welcome back to a brand new edition of the Johnny's World Podcast.
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_00: It's Johnny here, my co-host BW, is out today checking people's eyeballs.
• 18:58
  SPEAKER_00: So it's me doing it solo today today on an interview.
• 19:01
  SPEAKER_00: But uh, we've got a great guest uh lined up today.
• 19:04
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, you know, it's middle of March Madness right now, or it's actually just turned into April.
• 19:08
  SPEAKER_00: So that means the Final Four is this weekend.
• 19:10
  SPEAKER_00: We're gonna be talking Final Four, March Madness, uh brackets, and uh who we think is gonna win that, win the Natty in college basketball.
• 19:17
  SPEAKER_00: But he was also a member of the 1996 Mississippi State Final Four team.
• 19:22
  SPEAKER_00: So uh we're gonna hit on that, that what that special time was for that, uh being on that team, what it meant to Mississippi State and the state of Mississippi, uh being on the Final Four team.
• 19:31
  SPEAKER_00: So uh I'm gonna bring him on, uh Bart Heights, number 22 in your program, number one in your hearts.
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to Bart.
• 19:39
  SPEAKER_02: Hey, man, I'm glad to be here.
• 19:41
  SPEAKER_02: Thanks for having me.
• 19:41
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, I'm actually sitting right in front of the, I don't know if you can see it behind me, the Mississippi University uh sign coming into Starville right behind me.
• 19:49
  SPEAKER_02: So uh yeah, glad to be here, man, talking basketball, talking bulldogs.
• 19:52
  SPEAKER_02: Uh there's not many things I'd rather do.
• 19:54
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, well, uh, first of all, when um uh tell every tell everybody, the listeners, what you're up to these days, what you doing.
• 20:01
  SPEAKER_02: So I'm actually um I do I have a radio show in the mornings on Monday, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
• 20:07
  SPEAKER_02: I'm on Press Box Radio.
• 20:08
  SPEAKER_02: It's in uh it's with Mike Grace and Colin Lacey, and we have kind of a revolving room of uh of guests, uh somewhat like uh an ESPN radio channel 84 on Sirius to where there's different folks that come in.
• 20:22
  SPEAKER_02: Uh three days a week is about enough for me.
• 20:25
  SPEAKER_02: But we talk sports, we talk variety, um, just a lot of different life situations.
• 20:29
  SPEAKER_02: We talk a lot of Seinfeld.
• 20:31
  SPEAKER_02: Um that's kind of that's kind of some of our genre.
• 20:34
  SPEAKER_02: But uh I I do that, and then I've I I've been doing ESPN plus games for South Alabama.
• 20:39
  SPEAKER_02: I'm still the voice of Alabama high school basketball.
• 20:41
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I do all the state tournaments, and that's that's really what my passion is, is doing that high school stuff.
• 20:46
  SPEAKER_02: Uh I really love connecting with those kids and coaches and communities over in the state of Alabama.
• 20:50
  SPEAKER_02: That's so important to me.
• 20:52
  SPEAKER_02: And then uh also I'm actually working for uh David Rula um selling uh easy hemp mineral water over in Mississippi and Alabama.
• 21:00
  SPEAKER_02: Um it's uh a low-dose cannabis drink that really helps with pain, anxiety, sleep, all kinds of different stuff.
• 21:08
  SPEAKER_02: And so uh I'm kind of trying to help him do that in these two states, and so it's still a teammate thing for us.
• 21:13
  SPEAKER_02: And uh so I just I got a lot of stuff going on.
• 21:15
  SPEAKER_02: Live down at the beach and just and just really enjoy uh what seeing what what the Lord has in store for the next day.
• 21:21
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely, man.
• 21:22
  SPEAKER_00: That's awesome.
• 21:23
  SPEAKER_00: Sounds like you're you're a busy man.
• 21:25
  SPEAKER_00: Well, being an Alabama guy, I gotta ask you this.
• 21:28
  SPEAKER_00: Uh take me back to being recruited.
• 21:30
  SPEAKER_00: What brought you to the state of Mississippi, to Mississippi State, being an Alabama boy?
• 21:34
  SPEAKER_02: Well, I grew up a huge Auburn fan, and that's where I wanted to go.
• 21:38
  SPEAKER_02: That's where my heart was.
• 21:39
  SPEAKER_02: Uh and I actually went to grad school after my career was over at Mississippi State at Auburn, lived in Auburn for 12 years.
• 21:45
  SPEAKER_02: I just I grew up in that place, I was comfortable in that place, but Cliff Ellis didn't offer me a scholarship.
• 21:50
  SPEAKER_02: He was waiting on Doc Robinson to come out a year later, which he just really didn't want to put the the program in my hands when Wlanagan was going to be there that year.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_02: Who's at O Miss now?
• 22:01
  SPEAKER_02: He was going to be a senior, and then Doc was coming the next year.
• 22:03
  SPEAKER_02: So that transition, it wasn't really a place for me at Auburn.
• 22:06
  SPEAKER_02: And then Alabama actually offered me a scholarship early.
• 22:08
  SPEAKER_02: Greg Polinski, David Hobbs, and James, Lane Odom and James uh James Green, they all offered me a scholarship sitting in Tuscaloosa.
• 22:19
  SPEAKER_02: And then about two months later, when I was ready to commit, they came to my house and I was going to commit and go to Alabama.
• 22:24
  SPEAKER_02: And then they rescinded the scholarship and told me I'd been put back in their evaluation process uh in front of my mom and dad.
• 22:31
  SPEAKER_02: And that was a very humbling moment.
• 22:33
  SPEAKER_02: Um and I just remember my mom looking at him and said, Wait, you're saying you don't want to, you don't know if you want to sign him now?
• 22:38
  SPEAKER_02: She said, I knew I've always hated Alabama and said, Y'all can go ahead and get the hell out of my house.
• 22:42
  SPEAKER_02: And that happened.
• 22:43
  SPEAKER_02: And Greg Polinski tells that story as well as anybody, the Tennessee assistant.
• 22:47
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but it just worked out.
• 22:49
  SPEAKER_02: Coach Williams was on me um and actually offered me a scholarship.
• 22:53
  SPEAKER_02: Rick Stansbury had come to see me play two or three times.
• 22:55
  SPEAKER_02: And Coach Williams came to my house and uh asked me to play for Mississippi State and had never seen me play.
• 23:00
  SPEAKER_02: That's how much he trusted in Rick Stansbury's eye for talent.
• 23:04
  SPEAKER_02: And um, and it just for me, when I got there on my visit, it clicked.
• 23:08
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I just I felt at home.
• 23:10
  SPEAKER_02: I felt like I was supposed to be there.
• 23:12
  SPEAKER_02: And anybody who's fallen in love with Starville, I mean, you can union coach can speak to that.
• 23:16
  SPEAKER_02: Um, it's just it's a special place that is for special people.
• 23:21
  SPEAKER_02: And it gripped me.
• 23:23
  SPEAKER_02: It was close to Winfield.
• 23:24
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I wanted to play in the SEC, and it was the only SEC offer I had that was really concrete.
• 23:30
  SPEAKER_02: And so I jumped on it, and then we made history that next year.
• 23:33
  SPEAKER_02: And uh, and I think my career could have been uh could have been better, you know.
• 23:37
  SPEAKER_02: I I think I could commit it more.
• 23:38
  SPEAKER_02: I was going through a lot of things that you know people didn't understand, I sure didn't understand, and I didn't handle a lot of things well, didn't like how my career ended, but um, but overall, just being a part of the Bulldog family and being back in Startville uh in this basketball program now, and then always every year being able to relive that special run that we had with those guys and Coach Williams.
• 23:58
  SPEAKER_02: Um, it's that there's not really anything like it in my life that I've ever experienced uh to that to that measure.
• 24:04
  SPEAKER_00: Well, yeah, talk talking about that.
• 24:06
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, it's hard to believe.
• 24:07
  SPEAKER_00: Uh what is it, 30 years coming up next year?
• 24:09
  SPEAKER_00: Be the 30-year anniversary.
• 24:11
  SPEAKER_00: A lot of hair ago.
• 24:13
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
• 24:13
  SPEAKER_00: I was gonna ask you.
• 24:14
  SPEAKER_00: I remember your hair.
• 24:15
  SPEAKER_00: You had some good hair playing playing basketball.
• 24:18
  SPEAKER_02: You got a good looking head, too.
• 24:20
  SPEAKER_02: At least they got a good looking head.
• 24:21
  SPEAKER_02: I got a round head.
• 24:22
  SPEAKER_02: I don't have no bumps in my head.
• 24:23
  SPEAKER_02: So yeah, but um well hey, after Dante, uh after Dante and Tyrone shaved my head that night, man, it never come back quite the same my freshman year.
• 24:32
  SPEAKER_02: So that's a true story.
• 24:33
  SPEAKER_00: Oh wow.
• 24:34
  SPEAKER_00: But uh so 30 years, man, and uh I mean, every I'm sure every I'm sure every year March Madness hits, man, it just takes you back to that to that memorable run.
• 24:43
  SPEAKER_00: So just just talk a little about uh what it felt like being a part of that team and y'all mean y'all created history, uh just just a special time.
• 24:51
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I was in, I guess, eighth grade when y'all were doing that.
• 24:54
  SPEAKER_00: I wish I would have been in college then.
• 24:55
  SPEAKER_00: I can't imagine what it was like being on campus when that was going on.
• 24:58
  SPEAKER_00: Just relive any special memories you have during that time.
• 25:03
  SPEAKER_02: I was a freshman and so it was just like the next game to me.
• 25:07
  SPEAKER_02: I had always played in in like state championship runs and over in Alabama, and so I was used to being in the playoffs and like expecting to win the next game to go play for the big for the big trophy.
• 25:20
  SPEAKER_02: Um but this was this was different because the travel um was just so much more.
• 25:29
  SPEAKER_02: You're you're in a different place playing once a week.
• 25:32
  SPEAKER_02: Sometimes you're home, sometimes you're not throughout the course of the season.
• 25:35
  SPEAKER_02: Well, then when you get to this two-game tournament, I mean it's a two-game tournament.
• 25:39
  SPEAKER_02: There's not really anything like that.
• 25:41
  SPEAKER_02: The only other thing we did like that, we flew out to Oregon and we won a tournament out there, or uh, yeah, in Portland and won a tournament out there, there was a two-game deal.
• 25:49
  SPEAKER_02: And so we had had a similar situation to that.
• 25:52
  SPEAKER_02: When we got to Indianapolis, I just remember how big everything was, and there was just a different energy.
• 25:58
  SPEAKER_02: I knew there was a different energy from the NCAA tournament.
• 26:00
  SPEAKER_02: I had been to some with my dad, but I actually went to a Final Four.
• 26:03
  SPEAKER_02: I was at the Danny Manning game.
• 26:04
  SPEAKER_02: My dad drove me out there.
• 26:06
  SPEAKER_02: I loved that Oklahoma team, and my dad drove me out there.
• 26:09
  SPEAKER_02: Um, Oklahoma had come through Birmingham, and just I remember when I went in that game, my daddy got me a ticket, my late father, and uh, and he didn't get one.
• 26:17
  SPEAKER_02: So I went in the game at 12 years old by myself.
• 26:19
  SPEAKER_02: But I remember walking in that game, the energy.
• 26:22
  SPEAKER_02: It was like it was just like an instant energy electric headache.
• 26:25
  SPEAKER_02: That's the only way I can explain it to people.
• 26:28
  SPEAKER_02: And I felt it then, and then I also felt it when we ran out at the Final Four.
• 26:32
  SPEAKER_02: Um, it was the same thing.
• 26:33
  SPEAKER_02: It was just like those tournament games, like NFL playoff games, uh, NBA playoff games, they have they have a different energy, if that makes sense.
• 26:41
  SPEAKER_02: But there's not an energy I've really ever felt like college basketball.
• 26:44
  SPEAKER_02: And the the the the way that everyone embraced us in the state of Mississippi, I mean, even a lot of Ole Miss fans were pulling for us because it had never been done.
• 26:53
  SPEAKER_02: And and we were just, I feel like we were we were all different guys from different places, um, but we came together for one common goal.
• 27:03
  SPEAKER_02: And I think people realized that.
• 27:04
  SPEAKER_02: And we had a lot of different personalities, um, some uh very workman-like and some very uh very flashy.
• 27:12
  SPEAKER_02: Um and and we just all came together at the right time and peaked for a common goal through what Coach Williams was teaching us on the defensive end.
• 27:22
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but just the electricity, and I go to our I've been to all three of Chris Jans's NCAA tournaments.
• 27:27
  SPEAKER_02: I go to the SEC tournament every year.
• 27:29
  SPEAKER_02: And even when you walk into those NCAA tournament games like in Raleigh this year, there's just that there, there's an energy that you feel that's associated with the NCAA tournament.
• 27:38
  SPEAKER_02: But when you get to the Final Four, it's just a completely different level of media, of people, of just everything is so big.
• 27:45
  SPEAKER_02: And and what I look back upon now is I see why teams um like they have been to the Final Fours and been to national championship games, how they handle it a lot better than probably we did and some teams do, because it's just it's so elite, like at a sport that you have reached the pinnacle of for only being one of the four that shows you how much electricity is.
• 28:09
  SPEAKER_02: There's not many things you can finish fourth in uh and be praised for it for your entire life.
• 28:13
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 28:14
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I I vividly remember you.
• 28:16
  SPEAKER_00: I I have I was looking for it earlier for I got on.
• 28:18
  SPEAKER_00: I have a book, and and you probably have it too.
• 28:20
  SPEAKER_00: And there's a picture of you I couldn't find it, I'll have to look later.
• 28:23
  SPEAKER_00: Picture of you, you had the ball last, you threw it up in the air, and they and then okay.
• 28:27
  SPEAKER_00: Was that was that going to the final four?
• 28:28
  SPEAKER_00: Is that the SEC championship game?
• 28:29
  SPEAKER_00: Do you remember that?
• 28:30
  SPEAKER_00: You know what I'm talking about?
• 28:31
  SPEAKER_02: Well, it was both.
• 28:32
  SPEAKER_02: Um the SEC championship game, if you remember.
• 28:34
  SPEAKER_02: I don't even know if that ball's come down yet in the SEC tournament championship, man.
• 28:38
  SPEAKER_02: I I got a good one on that, but um it just always seemed that the ball, like at the end of the game, we were ahead.
• 28:45
  SPEAKER_02: I was in the game to shoot free throws anyway.
• 28:46
  SPEAKER_02: And yeah, uh, but then we were ahead enough to where you know starters had taken a curtain call.
• 28:52
  SPEAKER_02: I was a reserve.
• 28:53
  SPEAKER_02: I came in.
• 28:54
  SPEAKER_02: Well, the the the thing about the ball going up in the air, I mean, I it I I got some serious airtime uh on the one in New Orleans, but in Rup, it was after Cincinnati.
• 29:04
  SPEAKER_02: Witt tried to throw it up after we beat Connecticut and tried to steal my thunder, and it was a terrible toss.
• 29:09
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 29:10
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, I you can go back, it was a terrible toss.
• 29:12
  SPEAKER_02: But I remember I had the ball in my hands, and and you and then the whole Final Four thing is Jack Tristle.
• 29:18
  SPEAKER_02: You know, he says, I've got the ball in my hands, and and I fling it in the air, but it rubed it was back before there was score, there was a school, but it was these huge speakers, a huge speaker system that was that hung very low.
• 29:30
  SPEAKER_02: So I couldn't throw it straight up in the air.
• 29:33
  SPEAKER_02: So I threw it like diagonal and just kind of slung it across the arena.
• 29:38
  SPEAKER_02: And you can watch Dante Jones.
• 29:40
  SPEAKER_02: Dante Jones runs over and gets the game ball.
• 29:43
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and that game ball is now uh on display at Mississippi State University.
• 29:47
  SPEAKER_02: And I I just think that like those little things um that I got to experience, throwing a ball has nothing to do with winning the game, but like it's just a unique feeling that I got to be as Bulldog.
• 29:58
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 29:59
  SPEAKER_00: It's one of those memories you you you think back on, you can remember seeing it and watching it.
• 30:03
  SPEAKER_00: It was just such a huge moment.
• 30:05
  SPEAKER_00: And and and it, I mean, it says a lot, man, for for Mississippi State.
• 30:09
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, like you just said, you're only four teams make this, and here we are almost 30 years later, and no team from Mississippi has done it again.
• 30:16
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, it's just a special moment that when it happens, you just savor it.
• 30:20
  SPEAKER_00: Sounds like y'all just enjoy the heck out of it, man, because that's what that's what it was supposed to be.
• 30:25
  SPEAKER_00: And uh, and y'all are uh it's hard to believe.
• 30:27
  SPEAKER_00: I'm sure next year y'all uh surely they'll do some type of honor for y'all because that that's a big, big accomplishment.
• 30:33
  SPEAKER_02: I I think they will.
• 30:34
  SPEAKER_02: I've heard Romans, there's some things in the works, you know, and just but we're all still tight, man.
• 30:39
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, we we're all on a text chain, um, you know, players, managers, and we all mess with Coach Williams.
• 30:44
  SPEAKER_02: I still have a great relationship with him.
• 30:46
  SPEAKER_02: Um like a Sega father to me, especially after my dad has passed away now.
• 30:49
  SPEAKER_02: And you know, Coach Williams went through some health scare this year, and that was really scary for a lot of us.
• 30:54
  SPEAKER_02: And um, it just puts things in perspective like 30 years.
• 30:58
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, you know, we're not um we're not playing ball in college anymore.
• 31:03
  SPEAKER_02: Um, our bodies are not um, you know, made of made of rubber like little kids anymore, if you will, to where you can just bounce off anything and play through anything.
• 31:10
  SPEAKER_02: Life catches up, man.
• 31:12
  SPEAKER_02: But at the same time, you're able to look back, see where the Lord placed you then to put you forward into what you're doing now and like who you're affecting now.
• 31:21
  SPEAKER_02: But those those relationships with the guys on that team, with the J.
• 31:26
  SPEAKER_02: Logans of the world, with the Richard Aikens of the world, um, you know, those are those are things you can't you can't trade for anything because we all have that common bond of doing something special at a time that nobody had ever done it before.
• 31:38
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 31:40
  SPEAKER_00: We had the saying at my church, we always had uh that said, uh, we go you go nowhere by accident, wherever you have God is sending you, God has a purpose in your being there, he's giving his Holy Spirit to you, and you go nowhere by accident.
• 31:50
  SPEAKER_00: The the fact that you ended up at Mississippi's Day, the Lord placed you there, and the fact that you're still with these guys today, have the I mean, that's just that's it's it's neat to look back on and see how everything is part of God's plan.
• 32:00
  SPEAKER_00: And it's awesome, man.
• 32:02
  SPEAKER_00: Um but let's let's switch over talking about Mississippi State.
• 32:05
  SPEAKER_00: So we're still talking about Mississippi State Basketball.
• 32:07
  SPEAKER_00: Let's talk about this year's group that that just finished up, Josh Hubbard.
• 32:10
  SPEAKER_00: That I know you were you were following the team.
• 32:12
  SPEAKER_00: What were your thoughts on on Chris Jan's era and what what Josh Hubbard's doing, what a great player he is, and about what all basketball right now?
• 32:21
  SPEAKER_02: Well, I think um three tournaments in a row, um, everyone, every Mississippi States fan should be excited about where we are and where we're going.
• 32:30
  SPEAKER_02: Um we had we had some holes, you know.
• 32:32
  SPEAKER_02: Rim protection was a problem all year.
• 32:34
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but bigs are a premium, and I don't think people understand just how few rim protector scores there are out there um compared to like how it used to be.
• 32:45
  SPEAKER_02: Everybody's so skilled.
• 32:46
  SPEAKER_02: It's all about being on the wings and playing so unique skill set of that.
• 32:50
  SPEAKER_02: We I think we missed that, protecting the rim.
• 32:52
  SPEAKER_02: That's when you look at any of these teams um that are in the final four, and you look at the top teams in the SEC, they all had some sort of rim protection, um, except maybe in Alabama and the SEC.
• 33:03
  SPEAKER_02: So for Josh, I you know, he's gonna go down, in my opinion, is the most storied player to ever play in the state of Mississippi high school and college.
• 33:11
  SPEAKER_02: I don't think there's many guys that I've ever seen at his size that athletically and cerebrally um continue to play the game at the high level that he does.
• 33:23
  SPEAKER_02: He he is, I've said this, and and I I I mean it's a stretch for people to like, what's he talking about?
• 33:31
  SPEAKER_02: But he's Barry Sanders that plays basketball.
• 33:34
  SPEAKER_02: And I was a huge Barry Sanders fan um growing up, but just the ability to explode off the off of the ground to shoot a jump shot, or how how he laterally side to side, some of the plays, just athletic plays and loose balls that you see him make, it just reminds you of Barry Sanders jumping in and out of a hole um and just accelerating.
• 33:57
  SPEAKER_02: And Josh is just a he's such a good kid, he's got a great family, but his work ethic, that's the thing that I want everyone else to like.
• 34:05
  SPEAKER_02: Josh really gets it works on his game, he works on his craft every day.
• 34:09
  SPEAKER_02: And you know, I think leading into this next year, whoever the roster is, you know, a lot of times you don't really know um right now, it's just so up in the air and it's so crazy.
• 34:19
  SPEAKER_02: I wish they would do something about the timing of the portal with these teams in the tournament.
• 34:23
  SPEAKER_02: It just puts a lot of different folks and these kids in awkward positions.
• 34:27
  SPEAKER_02: But I feel like our team was just a couple of ingredients away uh this year.
• 34:33
  SPEAKER_02: You everybody got upset about our three-point shooting.
• 34:35
  SPEAKER_02: Well, when you can't protect the rim, you can't let people drive to the rim.
• 34:38
  SPEAKER_02: So you pick your poison.
• 34:38
  SPEAKER_02: Would you rather shoot a malayup or a three-pointer?
• 34:40
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 34:41
  SPEAKER_02: That just is kind of something I think in this league, Coach Jans has had to learn against this elite level of coaching.
• 34:48
  SPEAKER_02: Coach Jans hadn't ever coached against guys like at New Mexico State.
• 34:51
  SPEAKER_02: These coaching is not in, not out like they're in this league.
• 34:54
  SPEAKER_02: And I think learning some of those things, seeing what this league is, seeing who these coaches are, looking at tendencies, those type things, it's just going to continue to get better.
• 35:03
  SPEAKER_02: The only thing I've been disappointed in, um, to be honest, is the way that we've played in the three tournament games.
• 35:09
  SPEAKER_02: I don't think that we've played at an elite level.
• 35:11
  SPEAKER_02: Last year, especially against Michigan State, we just got dominated fundamentally.
• 35:15
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I think some fundamental aspects of what we need to do offensively and getting guys in the right positions to where they can make baskets and and go create their own basket.
• 35:24
  SPEAKER_02: That's one thing that we hadn't really had from a lot of guys.
• 35:27
  SPEAKER_02: We need more guys that can do that from whether it be a face-up standpoint, off the dribble, or just getting to a spot um and and finishing a play.
• 35:35
  SPEAKER_02: But as long as Josh Hubbard is out there with that ball, I'm gonna feel real good about it and just get the right pieces around him.
• 35:41
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely, I agree too.
• 35:42
  SPEAKER_00: Uh uh talking about the SEC, man, the SEC is just absolutely stacked this year in basketball.
• 35:46
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, just look at the final four in the tournament, what what all the teams that made the tournament this year.
• 35:51
  SPEAKER_00: What what what are your thoughts on that with the league?
• 35:55
  SPEAKER_02: You know, back when we played in the mid-90s, we always argued that that was the best the league ever was.
• 36:00
  SPEAKER_02: You had multiple teams going to Sweet 16s, you had Kentucky winning national championships, Arkansas won one in 95, and then you see what Florida continued to do in like the early 2000s, but you've never seen domination like this.
• 36:14
  SPEAKER_02: Um the league was extremely deep, but the league was kind of the same when it came to the top.
• 36:21
  SPEAKER_02: There were four teams that were better than everybody else, and it was a drop-off after those four teams.
• 36:25
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 36:26
  SPEAKER_02: Well, that five to I guess 16 now, um, but that five to fourteen for sure, there wasn't a lot of difference in those teams.
• 36:35
  SPEAKER_02: They were up and down throughout the course of the year.
• 36:37
  SPEAKER_02: Some teams got hot at the right time, some teams had ingredients like Ole Miss that just were going to travel all year long when you have three guards, a matchup problem, and a rim protector that can step out and shoot threes as well.
• 36:48
  SPEAKER_02: But for me, it was the domination that the SEC showed in the in the preseason.
• 36:53
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, an 86% win clip or whatever like that it was is outrageous and unheard of from any conference.
• 37:00
  SPEAKER_02: You'll never see that again.
• 37:01
  SPEAKER_02: It's just not really going to be, I don't think it's possible.
• 37:03
  SPEAKER_02: Now, I do believe that some of the teams, including some of the teams that Mississippi State beat, like an SMU, um, those wins looked really good early.
• 37:11
  SPEAKER_02: And then they kind of faded off late.
• 37:14
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and so I I don't think you'll ever see the league be as dominant like that again, but I do think you'll see it trend, the SEC having 10, 11, 12 teams just because of all the money that's been put in the SEC.
• 37:28
  SPEAKER_02: But and to be quite honest, if you look at all these players, a lot of the good players in the SEC that transferred this year were from those ACC's Big 12s.
• 37:37
  SPEAKER_02: The SEC and the Big Ten are where coaches and players want to be right now because that's where the money is.
• 37:42
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 37:44
  SPEAKER_00: Well, well, let's talk a bit about the the final four.
• 37:46
  SPEAKER_00: You know, usually you always got a Cinderella team, you got somebody upset that that that makes it all four number one seeds advanced this year.
• 37:54
  SPEAKER_00: Uh I'm I'm what what are your thoughts on that?
• 37:57
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, they were the best four teams all year, you know, but a lot of times it doesn't happen to where the best four teams get to the final four.
• 38:04
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, there were times this year we were talking about Auburn was the best team that they were not, nobody could beat them here there.
• 38:09
  SPEAKER_02: Then all of a sudden Florida emerges.
• 38:10
  SPEAKER_02: And and I I personally believe that with when Florida was playing the way they were playing when they went to Auburn, that is the best I've seen a team be all year until now, with how Duke is playing.
• 38:24
  SPEAKER_02: Duke's offense is caught up with their defense and they guard at an elite level.
• 38:29
  SPEAKER_02: They've got three lottery picks, probably for I don't know for sure, but they may have four.
• 38:34
  SPEAKER_02: The emergence of Malowich for them is people really need to need to when they watch this game.
• 38:42
  SPEAKER_02: He is a different guy than anybody in the Final Four has around that rim.
• 38:47
  SPEAKER_02: How that game is called, that Houston Duke game, are they gonna let Houston just physically beat Duke up?
• 38:52
  SPEAKER_02: Are they gonna protect these Duke stars?
• 38:54
  SPEAKER_02: Um, like we've sometimes, you know, people always are critical about a fish.
• 38:57
  SPEAKER_02: Uh it doesn't matter to me how the game is called.
• 38:59
  SPEAKER_02: It just matters to me that it's consistent each way so the players can adjust.
• 39:03
  SPEAKER_02: And but how the physicality of that Duke uh Houston game is called and who can make one-on-one plays, there's gonna be so many opportunities to where guys are just gonna have to go make a play in that game.
• 39:14
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I'm really excited to see that one.
• 39:16
  SPEAKER_02: As far as the Auburn, Florida, um, it was gonna be two SEC teams.
• 39:20
  SPEAKER_02: Just who's who was it gonna be?
• 39:21
  SPEAKER_02: Well, it just happened to be the two that were best and most and most consistent all year, even though both of those teams weren't consistent at times.
• 39:27
  SPEAKER_02: Florida hasn't played a great game in this tournament.
• 39:30
  SPEAKER_02: Um, they've had some good spurts.
• 39:32
  SPEAKER_02: Auburn is starting to trend to who they were.
• 39:34
  SPEAKER_02: Baker Mazzara is the difference for me for Auburn not being who he used to be, who he was.
• 39:39
  SPEAKER_02: He's hurt.
• 39:40
  SPEAKER_02: I had a thumb.
• 39:41
  SPEAKER_02: There's two things you can't hide in basketball: shoulders and thumbs.
• 39:45
  SPEAKER_02: They're always going to get in the way.
• 39:46
  SPEAKER_02: And Baker Mazzara, him not being at the same energy level that he has been, if that could raise, I just I think Florida's a better team than Auburn overall.
• 39:57
  SPEAKER_02: I think they got better guards overall, but I like Bruce Pearl in an underdog role.
• 40:01
  SPEAKER_02: Anytime, anywhere.
• 40:03
  SPEAKER_02: Um when he and somehow he's the overall number one seed, and Auburn gets to play their inferiority complex yet again.
• 40:11
  SPEAKER_02: That's where they're the most comfortable.
• 40:13
  SPEAKER_02: Andy Berchin was on our show this week, the voice of Auburn Tigers, and he said the same thing.
• 40:17
  SPEAKER_02: He said, We're comfortable in the underdog role.
• 40:18
  SPEAKER_02: So I actually like Auburn.
• 40:20
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and I want it to be Houston, I really do.
• 40:24
  SPEAKER_02: But I just I feel like I'm gonna lean with the pros.
• 40:29
  SPEAKER_02: And I think Duke's got more pros than Houston has, and I think Duke is a lot longer and bigger than anybody watching them realizes after I saw him up close in Raleigh.
• 40:40
  SPEAKER_00: Oh yeah.
• 40:41
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, if that's if that's the case, that's gonna be a heck of a matchup, man.
• 40:43
  SPEAKER_00: Duke Auburn or Duke Forum, either one.
• 40:45
  SPEAKER_00: It's that would be be awesome.
• 40:47
  SPEAKER_00: But yeah, I I I'm with you, man.
• 40:48
  SPEAKER_00: I think I think Duke's gonna be real hard to beat to uh make it to the championship.
• 40:53
  SPEAKER_00: That's just a really tough team.
• 40:56
  SPEAKER_00: But it what what were your thoughts on that?
• 40:58
  SPEAKER_00: Not having really it's really more of a what uh they say chalk this year, you know.
• 41:03
  SPEAKER_00: It's not not as many upsets as in the past.
• 41:06
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, there were some upsets.
• 41:08
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, they just didn't really go deep in the tournament.
• 41:10
  SPEAKER_02: Um uh and and I think but it's too it's really kind of too early.
• 41:16
  SPEAKER_02: We're still in the we're still in this NIL portal game.
• 41:19
  SPEAKER_02: What is it?
• 41:20
  SPEAKER_02: Everybody's trying to level up, whether it's a school getting to a different conference, whether it's a player, or whether it's a coach, everybody wants to be in the SEC and in the bid.
• 41:30
  SPEAKER_02: I don't ever think the SEC will get 14 teams again.
• 41:34
  SPEAKER_02: That's like at least two mid-major bids that somebody could have won a game.
• 41:39
  SPEAKER_02: I actually have a tweak to the tournament that they'll never do because the money and the names and the brands are too big.
• 41:43
  SPEAKER_02: I wish they would change the first four to where that would be league championship winners that didn't win their conference tournaments that are not from major power four conferences and make it like a week long, add a couple of teams to that and let them play into that play-in game and somehow do something of that nature because I do feel like that mid-major basketball is being harmed with where all the rules are and how everything goes, but I'm not quite ready yet to say that this is how it's going to be every single year.
• 42:15
  SPEAKER_02: Um, some years there are outliers.
• 42:17
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, we saw this in 2012.
• 42:18
  SPEAKER_02: There were four number ones that got there.
• 42:20
  SPEAKER_02: So um, you know, next year, if we have four number ones go through again, then maybe we'll see.
• 42:25
  SPEAKER_02: But to me, the four best teams are in the final four.
• 42:29
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, and then there was, and then there were four, there were four really good teams in the SEC, and two of them made it.
• 42:34
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I agree with you, man.
• 42:37
  SPEAKER_00: It's uh like you said, it's a memorable year and and and cause basketball, especially for the SEC.
• 42:42
  SPEAKER_00: And uh regardless, it's gonna be a great weekend watching Final Four.
• 42:46
  SPEAKER_00: Uh and just see uh obviously the best team's gonna win.
• 42:49
  SPEAKER_00: And and uh, but yeah, a lot lots to look forward to, and then building off of uh next year, Bulldog uh basketball, you know, you can build off.
• 42:57
  SPEAKER_00: You got Hubbard and Keyshawn Murphy coming back, and then you got to hit the portal, Jan's gotta hit the portal and build that roster and and compete to the next year.
• 43:05
  SPEAKER_00: It's just it seems like every year you're gonna have to be building rosters through the through the portal, and just the way it is nowadays.
• 43:11
  SPEAKER_00: But a lot to look forward to.
• 43:13
  SPEAKER_00: And uh, man, I don't really have much else if you have anything you want to say, but uh just thanks for coming on and uh so happy to have you on and talk about your your uh your experiences at Mississippi State and and the Final Four and uh and Mark's Madness in general.
• 43:27
  SPEAKER_00: So uh thank you so much, Bart.
• 43:30
  SPEAKER_02: Well man, anybody that knows me knows uh I love this Bulldogs, man.
• 43:33
  SPEAKER_02: And and uh just like this weekend, this will be my first baseball series of the of the of the year.
• 43:38
  SPEAKER_02: Um get to go play Old Waverly for a couple of days and then just get to ease into the Leftfield Lounge and be a part of Start Bull and the family.
• 43:46
  SPEAKER_02: And it's just a special place to me.
• 43:48
  SPEAKER_02: It's home to me.
• 43:49
  SPEAKER_02: And uh, and I just appreciate anybody that acknowledges you know me playing on that team, our team.
• 43:54
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but just being a bulldog has always been a special thing to me, and I I appreciate you having me.
• 43:59
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, man.
• 43:59
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks so much, boy.
• 44:00
  SPEAKER_00: I'll see you around at hell.
• 44:02
  SPEAKER_00: Take care, buddy.
• 44:03
  SPEAKER_02: He'll stay.
• 44:04
  SPEAKER_00: All right, bye.