Boomo Bugg Show 040226

[0:00] Now, get ready to roll, Shoals, Decatur, Athens and all of Northwest Alabama and Southern Tennessee. It's time for the Valley's exclusive FM Sports Voice. The Boomo Bugg Show. Your exclusive inside track to the tie, Tigers, Tennessee and the rest of the SEC. Now your host, Harold Bugg on 93.9 The Score. Good afternoon and welcome here to the Boomo Bugg Show. I'm Harold Bugg alongside Brett Beaird. Thank you so much for giving us free ride around the Tennessee Valley. It is a Thursday, a jam-packed day. Brett hopefully is going to be joining us shortly. In the meantime, the boss at Alabama, Greg Burns, says the ship has sailed on a cash cow in the SEC and a big day at UNA who says you can't come home again.

We'll have to tell us on that and a whole lot more later on. But first, time to welcome in, if Brett Beaird isn't here, the other BB is Bill Bender. He's a national voice with the Sporting News. Bill, welcome in. How are you? Yeah, I got you covered, Harold. Thanks for having me on. Man, have you got some final four fever yet? It seems like it's been forever since these guys have played. But you're about to change all that. Bill, where are you on a weekend that's finally going to put a ribbon on this 25-26 college basketball season?

You know, it should be a lot of fun. Obviously, the heavyweight matchup between Arizona and Michigan is going to get a ton of attention. I mean, this is the 17th time you've had two number one seeds go at it in the semifinals. And, you know, by the rankings and all that, I went through some of them today. You know, last year we had two. We had Florida-Auburn and Houston-Duke, and those were memorable matchups. When you get the heavyweights in there, it should be a pretty fun game.

Bill, would you agree that right now the best game may not be in the championship game, but in the final four? And that is, that's just the way the cookie crumbles sometimes. Number one, Arizona, taking on number one, Michigan. It would be nice that these two Titans were on the other side of the brackets. But be it as it may, your thoughts when the respective number ones tangle? Well, I mean, you know, had Duke won, you'd have even more heavyweights in this thing. You know, obviously, that Illinois-Yukon matchup is probably getting a little bit less attention.

But I think we have that kind of powerful matchup. It creates a lot of excitement. I saw today, and I've seen the stats circulating around about how Arizona and Michigan have the top two Ken Palm teams, like, among the best ever. So, yeah, I mean, it's going to be a fun matchup. You saw Michigan last week. They are, I'm sure you would agree, they're a really good team. They can score from all over the place. They kind of burned through Alabama and Tennessee last week. That's a really good basketball team.

Let me ask you this, Bill. You look at this makeup of this Michigan team, and we get so caught up in the so-called glamour teams when it comes to the portal. Well, he got this guy from Duke. He got this guy from, you know, name your big school, North Carolina. But of all folks, Michigan found basically, in many people's opinion, the missing piece right down the road from Tuscaloosa in Birmingham at a hyphenated school, UAB, in Yaxo Lindborg. It just shows you in this modern era, don't always go by the name on the jersey.

You better have a pretty good eye for talent. We see it with Indiana football. Your thoughts just about being able to find a diamond in the rough of all places at UAB that a lot of folks says, why didn't Alabama get it? They need a big guy, and he's right next door. Well, I think Axel's experience is what really helps this team. I mean, he's played a lot of basketball, correct? And, you know, you get into that, and I just think he's a guy that scores, rebounds, gets the assist.

And to your point, I mean, their makeup's a little bit different. They do have four transfers in their spring five. Lamar Burnett's the only one that hasn't started. So, you know, I think, or wasn't from another school. He's the only one that Michigan brought in. So, yeah, I think they've got a really good team. And, you know, Lindborg's really shown out in the tournament. But he's also a senior, and I think some of that, that's what we're in. After all the talk of all the freshmen, when you have a senior, he can be super talented and help your team.

As for missing out on them, that Alabama missed out on them. I mean, they did get to the Sweet 16, and their lineup was pretty talented, too. Bill, what's going on? When's the Big Ten going to let up on the SEC? We saw what's happening in football over the last few years, and now in basketball, the Final Four is here. And it's an SEC-free Final Four. But half of the field comes from where else? Your neck of the woods, the Big Ten. And your thoughts about that and Illinois taking on UConn.

[5:11] Well, I think Illinois is a really good team. International flavor all over that team with Wogler and Mirkovich and Plyakovich. They're all really good players. You know, we can talk about tournament record all you want. Last year, the Big 12 had the best tournament record. But the SEC won the national title. What do we remember more? The tournament record or who cuts down the net? And, Carol, I think we always remember who cut down the net more. So, for the Big Ten, there's a lot of pressure to end this 26-year drought, which is going over the conference for a very long time, and, you know, to go get it done.

Illinois and Michigan are capable of doing that. But, I mean, Harold, what do you think? I think Arizona's the team that's looked the best. Well, the reason is, Bill, they name a weakness, and they have been consistent. You see teams, Alabama's a classic example. When Alabama's on, they can whip anybody. But that's just it. They have to play with the I-word. You're inconsistent. Live and die of the three. Hope the other guys are not more physical. But Arizona, they've been alpha-omega from the opening tip, which brings us to this.

When you are that good and you're that consistent, will Arizona be able to hold on to their top man, or will North Carolina come up with a deal he can't refuse? That's becoming a very loud conversation over the last couple days. And here's the thing. I mean, for Tommy Lloyd, it's a value question. I mean, Arizona, if he wins a national title there, it's kind of like Luke when they had him. You know, he won't have to go anywhere. I don't think he's going anywhere for a…

His job will never be in jeopardy. And you go to North Carolina, you find it out. I mean, they've had some short-tenure guys since Dean. You know, Guthers wasn't there that long. Jordy wasn't there that long. Even Hubert wasn't there that long. So, if it were me, it would be Arizona. I would stay there. But money, prestige, that North Carolina blue looks pretty good on some teams. And, you know, so does the color green. You and I both know that. I was going to say, I know it's kind of green.

Might be the tiebreaker at the end of the day. But speaking of coaches, Bill, is there a more colorful or probably bigger bang for the buck than Hurley at Connecticut? It's almost like no matter what the deficit was against Duke, it didn't matter. Hurley has this ability to will his team to win. He'll find a way, given a Hollywood ending to that game, but still he won. Your thoughts about Hurley and the X-Factors, when you get into a game like that, these are kids and they respond to a strong leader or a weak leader.

And I don't think Hurley would ever be called a weak leader. No, not at all. I think I've watched that sequence at the end of the game no less than 100 times this week. And including his reaction, you know, I love him or hate him guy, but he's certainly taken over the sport. And think about the potential dominance of they have an opportunity to win a third national championship in four years. I mean, that's when you start getting into the conversation that Nick Saban's in, you know, is he one of the greatest coaches of all time?

Not many coaches do that. So, you know, I think if they can will to win against Illinois, have another chance, they took it to Michigan State and Duke in that loaded region. So, I don't know. I mean, I don't get hung up on his sideline reactions. I just think he's good for the game, whether you like it or not, because we react to him. Here's the bottom line. You know you've got a good coach when you love your coach and everybody else hates him, and he wins.

That's just like Nick Saban. Nobody liked Nick outside of Alabama unless it was LSU when he was at LSU. So, that's the secret recipe. All right. Bill Bender, the voice of the sporting news. What was your reaction when Bill Self says, I ain't going nowhere. I am returning to Kansas. I'm not listening to my wife. I'm not listening to my doctor. I'm coming back to Kansas. Your thoughts about that, and what does that do now as far as all these agents looking to cash in on all that money out there in the Midwest?

Well, I mean, that would have been a huge opening for a guy like a Ben McCollum or a T.J. Otzelberger. And uneven, like down your way, I know Nate Oates' name pops up all the time when a major opening pops open, right? So, I think that's part of it. I never speculate on coaches' health because I just don't know, you know? And I want Bill Self to be healthy. I want Bill Self to be able to coach, if he can, with his health, and it sounds like he can.

So, good for Kansas. They obviously have – I didn't realize here until I looked how long he's been there. He's been there a very long time, and they've been steady and successful, and I would look for them to continue to do so. Well, the SEC finally get back in the mix as far as getting past the Sweet 16 and the Elite Eight next year. And here's why I say this. As you mentioned, people have short memories. We all do. The SEC won it last year in Florida, and how soon we forget.

[10:23] But looking ahead, Nate Oates pretty much has said, I ain't going nowhere. I'm staying at Alabama. Mark Byneton at Vanderbilt. We know he's got an extension on his table. All he's got to do is sign it. And Rick Barnes, who I think to me is one of the more underrated coaches out there, not only is he a winner, I know by Tennessee standards he's not because he can't get past the Elite Eight. The other side of that is how many teams does it just like to get to the Elite Eight as consistent as he's been.

My point, Bill, is with this core group of coming back, of veteran-proven winning coaches, your thoughts about the SEC starting next season? Well, three straight Elite Eight appearances for Rick Barnes. I mean, come on. And he's a good guy. He's one of the good guys. Yeah, he is. So you really keep him around. Golden Oates at Alabama. Golden at Florida. Funny, it's a Kentucky is always omnipresent, I suppose. Even when they're not, you know, they're always going to be present in your league. And, you know, it's fine.

You said it best. I mean, our short-term memories are based on who cuts the net down. So I don't think the SEC had a down year. They had 10 teams in the tournament. And before we get to the second weekend, they had some – sometimes it's about matchups. Like, Alabama and Tennessee caught a Michigan team that's playing very well at the right time. And I think that had as much to do with anything. And plus, we live in a Twitter world where everything has to be right now.

All you've got to do is punch in any question you want. You've got to answer it instantaneously. We have no patience. None. None, Bill. No patience whatsoever. I want it. I want it right now. All right. Let's talk a little bit about what Greg Burns said today. Probably the commission won't like this comment. He says the ship has sailed on the SEC championship game. This has been a cash cow over the years. But Greg Burns is saying, you know what? It is a burr in our saddle.

All we've got to do in the SEC is play an incredibly tough schedule. The reward is we go to Atlanta and have to play another game, which could cost us a seeding one of the seeds in the playoffs. He's weighing the pros and cons. Your comments and reaction to Greg Burns, I was kind of surprised when I saw Alabama AD coming out and getting on one side of the fence or the other with it. Yeah, for sure. And I've been on the show for how long?

And I've said for how long. The value of those games has changed. And I know how much the SEC championship game means to the SEC. And I'm speaking from someone in Big Ten country. I would say I don't value that game as much. The Big Ten championship game. I grew up without it. So I don't, you know, it's like, and his comments are right. I mean, you've got to play another tough game. And what do you play it for? One, basically a two or a four seed.

And I think it's something that is definitely going to shake some things up if it's ever getting rid of, which I think that will be eventually. But this is the world we live in in college football. Something changes every year. Well, I think when, you know, Rick Kramer came out with it originally, it had a place. And I think it served it well. But now I think it's more of a detriment to SEC teams because they've got to play a brutal schedule. What is the upside?

Yeah, you get the pride of winning the championship game. But the downside is also there, too. You're playing now a nine-game schedule as far as conference. Then you've got to sit here and sweat it out if you're on the fence as far as Selection Sunday. So I think that's where Greg Vernon is coming from. Bill, where are you coming from? For the folks who want to jump online anytime and get your work. Yeah, I'm at sportingnews.com at Bill Bender. We have plenty of content up ahead of the Final Four.

And after this week, you know me. Harold, I'm going to be back to college football. But I'm going to enjoy it. I hope you all have a great Easter weekend. I know it's the weather. You always ask me about the weather. The sun's out, which means I've got to get my backside out in the backyard to clean up some of the sticks that we're blowing around. So I'll be doing that this afternoon. You know what else is fun, Bill? When you go outside and you crank up your car.

Down here, down here, we have to turn on our windshield wipers just to get the green stuff off our windshield from the trees. So it's not rain. It's just pollen. So hopefully you don't have that. Well, no, we don't have to touch with that. Yeah, thank you so much for having me on. You can be saying right back at you, my friend. The Sporting News National Voice, Bill Bender, coming back. I think BB, Brent Beer may be back in the huddle with us, along with Blake Lovell.

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I think I'm just going to continue to work towards my good habits and continue to stay competitive and give as much effort as I can and just be present for our team and pour into the other people around me. Honestly, I really believe that that's what contributes to success with teammates and whatnot is you continue to pour into the other people around you and that just shows how much you care about them as a person and their success as a player. The whole crowd starts to clap and then the pitch happens and if they strike out or there's an out happening, the whole crowd goes crazy.

It's a special place. Yeah, it is a really special place and Murph has done a wonderful job at creating such an amazing environment. Hey, Bama fans, each Tuesday and Thursday at 2 p.m. Central, join us live for Crimson Drive, driven by NASCAR. This live streaming talk show features the latest on Alabama athletics with exclusive conversations with Tide student-athletes, coaches, and media members giving their perspective on the Crimson Tide. You can watch on YouTube, Facebook, and X with all conversations archived as well on the Alabama Insider Podcast.

[20:33] Roll Tide with Crimson Drive, driven by NASCAR. Crimson Tide Today is brought to you by Crimson Drive, driven by NASCAR. Crimson Tide Today is a production of the Crimson Tide Sports Network from Learfield. The Score. Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score. Welcome back in. A pleasure for us to welcome back. Brett Beaird, I've come up with a combination now. There's a combination to the lock on your door. Is it working, my friend? Oh, well, Harold, I need to make sure we pay the electric bill for this month.

That may have been the issue. Well, hey, we've now got it all worked out. And we've got Blayton Lovell. He's got it all working out in Nashville. He's got the entire SEC covered at Southeastern 16. His yearbook is Blue Ribbon, and his podcast is Establish the Past. Blayton Lovell, welcome in. Happy Thursday to you. How are you? Yeah, doing well, guys. I'm going to talk to you as always. Well, Blake, where are the emotions, man? College basketball, this is the most exciting time of the year. But when you get to the Final Four, another way of saying it, it's just about over.

Where are you emotionally, Blake, because you love yourself some college basketball? Yeah, well, I mean, you probably couldn't ask for a much better Final Four. And certainly, we're going to have one of the probably most anticipated, at least on paper, Final Four games you've ever had before with Michigan and Arizona. And so, yeah, there's still plenty to work with here with these last, you know, three games that will take place. But, yeah, for the SEC, I don't think it's a huge surprise that you didn't necessarily get an SEC team to the Final Four.

Even though Florida was one seed, you know, again, it wasn't the same Florida team we talked about last year. And so, yeah, not what you want if you're the SEC. But at the same time, I don't think it's a huge surprise that this is kind of where it wound up. Let me ask you about a stat that I saw this morning that I've looked at about three times. Arizona and Michigan are two bath bombs who a lot of people have been looking forward to. Saturday down south talked about this.

Adam Spencer is on our show weekly basis. Now, Michigan has the number one defensive rating in the nation. Who's number two? Arizona. Michigan has outscored their opponents by a respectable 109 points on the year. Arizona has outscored their opponents by 292 points. Is that correct? It's wild to think about, but I think, you know, one of the things you certainly look at with Michigan is they did play quite a few close games as you got into some of those games against better Big Ten-type teams. And I think that's where if you kind of contrast that and you look at Arizona, I mean, let's also call it what it is.

Like, they played close games against some of those teams, but at the same time, you know, they're also playing some pretty middle-of-the-pack teams. And not to say that Michigan did not play some lower-tier teams. Of course, there's some of those in the Big Ten, to be sure. But Arizona had a lot of games that were just simply, you know, look at the game. They beat Kansas by 23. They beat Iowa State by 16. You know, obviously, you go back to the games they played against Auburn and Alabama.

I mean, those were just completely one-sided games. And so, yeah, that's how good Arizona's been this season. And I think it is such a fascinating matchup between these two because there just aren't any weaknesses to speak of when you look at these two teams. And I think anyone trying to suggest otherwise out there, which I'm sure many people are trying to find that little edge, there's just not one with these two teams in terms of weaknesses. And so it's really hard to kind of look at.

Playing low-southeastern 16, you know, the coaches of Illinois and Connecticut saying two things probably. We're getting no respect for us. We're in the Final Four, too. Of course, the other side of that is I'm proud the spotlight's off us. Put it on them. We'll just go take care of business. Your thoughts about that side of the ledger? Yeah, it's a much different game. And I think that's kind of the fun of this whole thing is you're talking about a Michigan-Arizona game that's going to get up and down the court quite a bit.

This game with Illinois and UConn, I don't think we'll be doing that. I think this will be a much lower possession, lower scoring type game. These two teams played back in November, but UConn won that game by 13, but I think they're both just in different spots right now. I mean, Illinois is the best offensive team in the country in terms of their efficiency and all that. And I think this is going to be a game that really, to me, is going to come down to shot-making.

And I think Illinois has just been the better shot-making team this year. And you never know in these kind of stadium settings. I think that's kind of a big theme for both of these games because, to me, if you look at Michigan and Illinois as favorites, they're the two teams that shoot the ball better. And so if that shooting comes back a little bit, you know, all of a sudden there's some advantage to work with if you're UConn and Arizona. And so I think that's going to be the big key as we look at these two games is how does the shooting, as always, in these stadium settings affect kind of the percentages?

[25:44] And if it affects it in a pretty dramatic way, then I think that kind of sets up pretty nicely for UConn in a low-possession type game against Illinois. Harold and I have been speculating for the last week about Bill Self's future. Well, he stopped speculating for it yesterday and announced he's coming back. But so is Nate Oates at Alabama. It appears to be Mark Byington at Vandy. Rick Barnes said after the loss to Michigan, yes, I'm going to return for a 12th year. We know with the one and only Will Wade is back at LSU.

Do you anticipate any other coach in the SEC leaving? The only scenario right now I think that I would look at as a possibility is if Tommy Lloyd takes the North Carolina job, which I don't think is completely outside the realm of possibility right now. I think it's him or Billy Donovan, and I'd be surprised if it's anybody else. Then could you have the domino effect where all of a sudden someone takes Arizona, you know, and that leads down to, okay, well, a job opens up that may be attractive to someone in the SEC.

And I don't necessarily think that would go for, like, the top-tier guys. I think it would maybe more so be maybe some of those coaches in the middle, even some of the ones at the bottom. I mean, again, Chris Deer, Chris Jans are always going to be speculated. And I'm not saying they're headed anywhere, but those are two kind of proven coaches that, you know, again, are going to be probably on a short list for teams at certain areas of that coaching, you know, carousel. And so I think, you know, names like that are going to pop up.

But as of right now, it doesn't look to be the case. But, again, the one thing I would watch for is if you were to get a Tommy Lloyd leaving Arizona all of a sudden, that's going to start, you know, that's going to start the domino, and that happens every offseason. Blake, by the way, Southeastern 16 is a place to get Blake Lovell's work anytime. Let's talk about a team down the road from you called Vanderbilt as far as a program. And the connection, it comes back to our neck of the woods, North Alabama, out of Bob Jones High.

Candice Story Lee, the vice chancellor for athletics. Your thoughts about the job, I mean, everybody for years, Vanderbilt's been basically a barroom joke when it comes to football and other sports, not so much maybe basketball and baseball. But overall, Vanderbilt's been Vanderbilt. And now, since one heck of a coincidence, or she knows what she's doing to put together an incredible coaching staff and keeping an incredible coaching staff. Well, and that job's never been harder when it comes to, I think, you know, Vanderbilt fans sometimes, I think, can kind of lose that perspective a little bit.

Not everyone. But, like, this isn't just any AD job in the SEC. No. Like, this is an AD job where you are battling a lot of things at Vanderbilt that are not easy to win when it comes to just the priorities for an educational stamp, like all that kind of stuff. But it is a very tough thing to do. And now, when you introduce NIL and all this other stuff in the equation, think about the transfer portal. I mean, it's much harder for transfers to still be in a position where they're getting in at Vanderbilt versus some of these other places can just welcome in transfers in the midseason or anything like that.

And that's just always been a tough thing to do at Vanderbilt. And so, yes, you have to give her a lot of credit because I think she's probably done some things that, you know, we're probably not anyone thought she'd be able to do in terms of just being able to change kind of the mindset when it comes to we have to spend and we have to spend on athletics or we're going to be way behind in this era. And, look, there are, you know, whether it's football, basketball, baseball, I mean, there are plenty of programs in the SEC right now in different sports that are facing that battle where it's like, hey, don't forget about us.

We're just kind of over here. You know, we're still at the school. And, you know, and so I think, again, it's been pretty remarkable that they've been able to pull off what they have from a coaching standpoint just to kind of have all the resources in place that they need. And that's why they're being successful right now. Well, we'll close with this for you. In five days, the transfer portal, heaven forbid, is going to open again. I think there are already close to 1,000 or over 1,000 players who have entered.

Isn't it going to be interesting? Everybody wants to know about, well, who's coming in. To me, what's going to be even more interesting now is how much money these coaching staffs are going to pay players currently on their staff. And I'm sure they've already made up their mind who they're going to keep and who they're going to let go. But I know it's always fascinating to see who's coming in to shore up a roster. But, boy, isn't it going to be even more interesting to see who these teams keep?

Yeah. And I think financially, even more so this year. You know, I mentioned the stat that Evan Mia put out, does great work with the analytics and all that, about how if a player cost you a million dollars last year, based on kind of his data and all that, it's going to cost you 1.35 this year. And so, eventually, that adds up. And so, okay, you know, once you add all that up, you're like, well, maybe we're not going to be able to get that one extra player we got last year because we don't have the money anymore to put that into it.

[31:03] And then, you know, again, guys like Tyler Tanner and Aiden Scherrell and all these other guys, like, all of a sudden, the math goes way up for these kind of guys just based on, you know, what they're going to bring to the table. And I've said this the past couple days, guys. If you're someone out there who is 6'9 or taller and you can find a way to get your name in the college basketball transfer portal, do it. Like, I don't care if you've never played college basketball before.

You're going to get paid because this is going to be the off-season of the big men. And, I mean, these guys are going to get paid an astronomical amount of money based on how this season has gone. So, that's a big trend to watch, I think, starting next week. That's a great example of why you need to be listening to or watching the podcast that this young man does along with Max and some of the other staff. Where can we get online and watch said podcast, the best on the planet for basketball, football, and baseball?

Yeah, I always appreciate it, guys. Yeah, you can check us out over there at Southeastern 16 on YouTube. Yeah, lots of stuff, of course, this weekend for baseball. And we'll have the Final Four covered and all that transfers coming up next week. So, bye-bye. Yeah, enjoy. Enjoy that. And the popcorn, Blake, listen, man, have a great weekend, okay? Thanks, guys. You too. Thank you, bud. Late level Southeastern 16. Quickly, BB, I tell you what, were you sitting down when you saw the latest news, the latest addition to Tony Pujol's coaching staff at UNA?

Harold, I had to look at it twice. Freed Hardman National Championship coach, Drew Stutz, is basically coming back home. Tony Pujol has hired him as an assistant coach. That's one of the more amazing hires. That's a genius hire of a Tony. Two national championships in the last, what, three years in Henderson there at Freed Hardman, who says you can't come back home. He's a Florence native, went to school at Mars Hill UNA. So, welcome home, Drew Stutz and family. Coming up, let's head on way down south and check in with Michael Southern talking Alabama next.

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Vaping can also damage your DNA, your heart, your lungs, and even your smile. Enough with the puff. Learn more at ul.org slash vaping. Sponsored by Underwriters Laboratories. Progressive presents the Sports Flash on 93.9 The Score. Atlanta Braves were winners yesterday as the Braves beat the Athletics 5-1. Chris Saylor in the victory, he went six innings, giving up one hit, one earned run. He struck out three in the victory as he improves to 2-0 on the season. Drake Baldwin drove in four. He went two for three on the day and scored a run as the Braves improved to four and two on the season.

The Atlanta Braves are back in action tonight. They'll play in Arizona against the Diamondbacks. Ronaldo Lopez will start for Atlanta. Bundle auto and home, renters or condo, and save with Progressive. I'm John Thayer with the Sports Flash presented by Progressive on 93.9 The Score. The problem with radio is we can't show you our new box packed with a KFC snacker, five nuggets, fries, and a drink for just $7. So you'll just have to trust us when we say the crispy golden fried breading will make your mouth water.

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Michael, pleasure to have you back in the saddle with us. How are you? Hey, I'm doing well, guys. How are you doing today? Hey, man. Well, and almost as busy as Greg Byrne to Bama AD. A lot to get to, including. We'll get some of that other stuff here in a minute. His quote of the week, Michael, he's not going anywhere. I think we can fill in the blanks there with the he's, talking about one Nate Oates. Michael, your thoughts about Greg Byrne saying he's not going anywhere?

Well, I think it's pretty obviously it's somewhere in the back channels there's been a re or a higher commitment when it comes to at least probably NIL funding to make sure that Nate Oates is secure with what he wants to continue to keep growing here at the University of Alabama. So I think if you had not had that commitment behind the scenes, maybe there might be some concern with any of these high-profile jobs, but it's good to see. The only thing that I'm concerned about is every year there's almost exponential growth when it comes to all these programs throwing out money like crazy for secure robbers.

So while there may be an increase for Alabama, is it going to have a true increase in effect or is it just going to be the same, I don't know, you'll be able to get the same amount of talent, but it's just going to cost you more, basically the price of inflation. That's the only thing that concerns me going into next year. Well, Michael, you make a good point because like we talked earlier with some of our friends, if you factor inflation, which generally is a neighborhood of 3%, so if you're going to sit here and pay a million this year, it's going to cost you 3% more across the board next year just to break even with the cost of living.

And then how much pressure is on these coaches? You can go out and spend money, hello, Kentucky, or you can do like the folks in Michigan and come to Birmingham and get a big bang for the buck and a big man there. Michael, your thoughts just about the strategy. Now that we've been through a few years of this NIL business where some folks just want to go out and say the answer is throwing a checkbook at them, but I still maintain you look at Indiana, you look at Michigan, you better have a good eye for talent and try to get it at a fair price.

Yeah, you know, Michigan has a lot of resources and look, I believe their NIL budget for the team that they've got right now, which is really good, is more than Alabama, but is it on the level of Kentucky or Arkansas? No, it's not. They were somewhat selective, but they also weren't hesitant to spend on the players that they wanted. Guys, think about this. When NIL first really went into effect in the 2022 season, I believe, I think for Alabama's team in 2023, I think they were spending, seriously, maybe about $1.5 to $2 million total on NIL, and that's when you get Brandon Miller and Noah Clowney.

[41:29] Look where you're at now, just a few years later, where supposedly it was around $8 million, and then the rumor is it could go up to $12 million next year. So there's no 3% inflation. We're talking about 50, 75, 100, 200% inflation. So I have concerns about where things are going to stand next year, but credit to the staff. Look, they have always stood firm on what they want. They want a certain type player. They want a certain type attitude. Will that player fit into the program? And is that player really more concerned about development, or is he only worried about a cash grab?

And they usually don't go with the players that just want a cash grab. So credit to the staff for standing firm on the principles on how to build a roster. Speaking of roster, let me ask you to speculate a little bit. Number one, we want to talk with you about these three Dynamos who are coming in. If you watch the McDonald's All-American Boys game in the dunk contest, you certainly know about one of them. We'll get to that in a minute. But the transfer portal is opening, I believe, April the 7th.

I think 1,000 dudes have already jumped into it. But a lot of people have asked me, who's coming back? Who wants to come back? Who does the staff want to come back? Amari Allen, who really played extremely well up until the last six or seven games of the season, then tailed off some for various reasons. Will he be coming back? Aiden Shirell improved tremendously with his skill set. London Jemison, Taylor Bo Bowen, even Davian Hanna, and of course Aiden Holloway, if he can get his situation straightened out off the court.

Michael, just speculating, and we'll see who the staff would like to bring back and who would like to come back themselves. Your thoughts on the guys on the team right now who may return next season? For the ones that, when you say may return, I'm going to lean on the side, at least there's a positive chance of them returning, whether it may be 60, 65, 70%. But I agree with the one that you said, obviously with Amari Allen, that's a priority. Amari Allen and Aiden Shirell, there's no doubt the staff wants both of those players back.

There's no doubt. You know what you have with Shirell. He's a different type big man. You really kind of have him playing out of position at the five. That's not his natural position. So if they go get a true five, that will free him up a little bit. But you obviously want Amari Allen back. I think there's a roadmap there for that. Same thing for Aiden Shirell. It's going to cost you some money, but I think there's a roadmap. I really like London Jemison. I would love to see London Jemison come back.

I think with Aiden Holloway, depending on how all the legal issues play out, I think you definitely want Aiden Holloway back. Now, after that, I still think Davion Hanna is in play. I mean, they red-shirted him. He's got defensive potential. His offensive game didn't develop as the way they liked, but he's got athleticism. So I think those five are the core. I'll be honest. I don't think I would be surprised if Keaton Bristow comes back. I would probably be surprised if Jaleel Bathea comes back. And I think Taylor Bo Bowen is maybe 50-50.

And what I mean by that is, you know, I'm sure the staff is trying to evaluate, does Taylor Bo Bowen really fit in what they need and what they're trying to get? They've already admitted they need more size and bulk. It's going to be very interesting how it plays out with Taylor Bo Bowen. I can see yes and no. That's why I put it at 50-50. And then I would hope that Collins Onye Giaka is freed or cleared medically to play because he is a big body and I know they would like to throw him out there to see what he can do.

So hopefully he'll have that. So to me, that's your core. And then you've got at least that we know of two dynamic freshmen, probably three dynamic freshmen. They're all 3 and D wings coming in. They're going to give you the athleticism and the twitch that you didn't have this year. So what you need in the transfer portal is now you need another ball handler and you need big. So you're going to need another point guard and you're going to need as many bigs as you can to complement the three freshmen that you have coming in.

So it's going to be really interesting what they're able to get out of the transfer portal or if they're also able to go over to Europe and maybe finally get a one-euro big man. Michael Southern, amongst other places, co-host of the Blue Collar Podcast. You bring up a good point, Michael. Everybody thinks it's the players who want to leave sometimes the team wants to leave you because they're putting all this money in. It's a business now and they're not getting the ROI that they originally thought.

So I think that's a good one. Your thought is just about Nate Oates and the timing of all this because I think the Bill Self news that pretty much squashes any other national narrative out there trying to get clickbait. Is there a worse business man in the world than Nate Oates? I love the guy because in business a lot of people want to sit here and play a cat and mouse game. Somebody wants me, I want you to pay more. So they up the ante. Nate just comes out and says, eh, I don't care.

[46:30] I'm making enough money. I want to stay here for a while. You know he drives his agent crazy. Well, you know what? Honestly, in Nate's case, you know, he's always been a straightforward kind of guy. Yeah. He doesn't hesitate to let you know how he feels. And to me personally, I love that. Look, the Alabama fan base loves the fact that You trust him. Yes. I mean, he shoots straight. Maybe sometimes he says too much, but we don't hear. We like it. The other fan bases don't appreciate it.

But I would dare say that the way he behaves in the press conference to the fans is exactly how he talks to Greg Byrne. He says, Greg, I really need this. If you can do that, I'm good. I don't need anything else. I'm pretty much I feel pretty confident that's how the conversations go with Greg Byrne and the administration. If they give him the commitment, I don't think he's even worried about looking at anything else. His family is very happy here. His three daughters like it here.

He's still got a youngest daughter. I think he's like a freshman in high school. So as long as you keep him happy, I don't think he's going to intentionally try to drive up any price or leverage anything. He'll just be very honest. Say, I'm good. Let's keep moving forward and let's build something here that's never been done before. Michael, I alluded to it earlier. Tell us more about these three phenoms coming in. Richardson put on a show the other night. Terrace Bowie had a good game.

Quayden Samuels. Samuels, Bowie, Richardson, they're taller than you. Talk about these three guys. Well, I mean, they are the prototypical 3 and D that programs in both college and the NBA want. I think obviously with Jackson Richardson, you're getting elite athleticism. I mean, elite athleticism. You're going to have someone who is going to attack the rim and basically try to rip the goal off every time you can and that's something you didn't have. You know, that's what you saw with Cliff Amore two years ago. You remember how explosive he was going up for dunks?

You know, obviously with Jackson he's much shorter but he's going to give you an element you did not have. I'm very interested to see because of the length on these three players how good a perimeter defenders they are because if you get good perimeter defense and you start turning teams over, the sky's the limit for Alabama on that one and people complaining about the defense, well, you might see the defense improve at least dramatically if you get that. I'm not saying you're going to have that but I think the potential is there for that so I'm very eager to see how they really play out both offensively and defensively.

Now, I'm not sure how good of outside shooters all three of them may be but this is what I think Alabama is going to need. If Alabama, if people want Alabama to be at the next level like they were Final Four, Elite Eight contenders or even National Championship contenders, you're going to have to have the core people back. You're going to have to find at least two big men, one ball handler and out of these three freshmen, two of them, I'm going to say at least two of them need to be legitimate NBA talent.

You get the combination and all that and then Alabama is back as a top contender. I mean, people want to complain like the NATO system will never win a championship. Guys, we know the truth here. It's not the system. It's the combination of the system and the players. I can run the greatest system in the world but Brad, if it's you and me running it, we're not going to win any championships, are we? Let me ask you this, Michael, along that line, something else I think that would help Nate and that is keep a team healthy.

How many years have we had this conversation? In the spring and early summer, this team looks great and then they have key injuries year in and year out. Maybe it's just one of those freaky things that happens or would Nate kind of say, maybe we've been doing this and let's back off some of this, that, and the other in the preseason and try to keep these guys healthy? I mean, you know, that's a good question only in the sense because it has been every single year you have significant injuries that linger throughout the season and it has affected the team.

I mean, that's one of the reasons why they always try to have really good depth, but it is a problem and it does lead to all these what if, what if, what if. What if they didn't get hurt? What if you still had this? Some of the injuries happened during the season but you've had a lot of players that their debut got delayed. I mean, in 23, Dom Welch didn't play until Mississippi State so you never really got to see what he could do for that team.

You know, Chris Youngblood, he was injured. He didn't get into the starting lineup last year until later. This year you had Jaleel Bathea with a broken toe. I mean, I really think a healthy Bathea who would have gotten reps, in those non-conference games would have been a much bigger factor in the SEC and perhaps even the NCAA tournament. So, I don't know what the magic answer is for that. Look, Nate Oates has been a very successful coach at every level. Successful coaches like what they do and look, I don't think they're going to back away from being tough physical practices because that's just the way he run it.

So, I really don't see any change when it comes to that as far as how they practice and what he puts them through during the offseason and then when the actual practice is starting the fall. Yeah, Darian Reed is another former player that I wondered if he would have been healthy at Alabama, what he could have done. Listen, tell us, I've been promoting your side to quite a few people. Tell us again about Todd Hoop's history. Yeah, so, appreciate that, Brett. If you like the history of Alabama basketball, because we've always felt it's been, you know, kind of underrated and overlooked, especially in the shadow of the football team.

[51:51] I don't mean that as any disrespect to the football team because I love Alabama football too, but Alabama basketball has got a good, strong tradition and until Florida started winning all these national championships, you could dare say Alabama was probably the second most storied team or program in the SEC. Now I would say that's Florida, but Alabama's still there and what's been accomplished in these last five or six years is there's a long history with Coach Sanderson, Coach Newton, Johnny D, Hank Crisp, so there's a lot out there and all we try to do is promote that in addition to keep you updated with what's going on with the current team.

So if you like it, come give us a follow. It's at BamaHistory at X. Things are kind of winding down, but I'm still working on what we want to do for the summer series this year. Every year we've done some kind of summer series, so still kicking around some ideas, but we'll have something this summer for people to kind of stir the memories up too as well. So once we have an idea of what we're going to do, we'll publicize that. As I say, stay tuned.

Enjoy yourself some final four this weekend. Okay, Michael? Do what? I said enjoy yourself some final four basketball this weekend. Oh, yeah, yeah. Well, we're going to watch a lot of teams with a lot of Euro pros on there. I'll be particularly Illinois. That's exactly right. It's a Euro championship we're going to be watching. I think that's the secret to this whole success. Michael Southern hooking up with us amongst other places. Thank you, buddy. Blue Collar Podcast. BB, your thoughts about Greg Burns talking about a busy week, saying the ship has sailed on the SEC championship game.

Yeah, we're going to talk about that a little bit later today and tomorrow, probably with our good friend Bill Shanks. Harold, I would like to see a definitive answer for a champion, but unfortunately the way we're going with the playoffs, and it will expand to 16, heaven forbid, 24 one day, but unfortunately with the way everything's setting up, I can see the end of the run for the championship games. We'll take you to Tuscaloosa a little bit later on in the next hour, Ryan Fowler, Zach Paner's going to keep it down all here in the shows, and Caleb Jones talking Aubin Tigers.

It's all straight ahead in the second hour of the Boomo Bugg Show. Stay with us. By texting 64,000, you agree to receive recurring automated marketing messages from IQ Bar. Vestages and bid rates may apply. No purchase required. Terms apply available at eatiqbar.com slash policy slash terms of service. I've got good news and bad news. Here's the bad news. Most protein bars are packed with sugar and unpronounceable ingredients. The good news? There's a better option. I'm Will, and I created IQ Bar plant protein bars to empower doers like you with lean, delicious, low-sugar brain and body fuel.

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Visit Pella.com slash Eisen today. That's Pella.com slash Eisen. Adam Schefter here. You know the feeling when a candidate just stands out? Not just their resume, but their energy. That makes a difference. If you're hiring, you want a candidate who's passionate, but you can't get that insight from a resume unless you post your job on ZipRecruiter. Their matching technology finds qualified candidates fast, and ZipRecruiter has a new feature that shows you the most interested qualified candidates first. Try it for free at ZipRecruiter.com slash sports.

That's ZipRecruiter.com slash sports. Spring Fest is happening now at Lowe's. Keep the spotlight on your yard with Stay Green Premium 2-Cubic Foot Mulch. Five bags for $10. Plus, when you want more help indoors, get up to 40% off select major appliances that help you supercharge your chores. Our best lineup is here at Lowe's. Valor to 422, while supplies last. Selection varies by location. See Lowe's.com for details. Mulch offer exclusive Alaskan and Hawaii. I'm Boomer Esiason. My mom died from cancer. She was only 37 years old. She didn't have life insurance, and that was devastating for my family.

[57:14] That's why having life insurance is so important to me. Ethos makes it fast and easy. Get a quote in seconds, apply in minutes, and get same-day coverage. You can get up to $3 million in coverage with no medical exam. Get your free quote at ethos.com slash play. That's ethos.com slash play. Paid spokesperson. Time span on application may vary. Online health questions required. 1819 News. Alabama's congressional delegates are responding to the national address that President Trump delivered on Wednesday night regarding the war in Iran. Trump indicated in his speech that the objectives are almost complete when it comes to disarming Iran and its nuclear and long-range missile capabilities.

Congressman Robert Adderholt supports Trump in not letting Iran have nuclear weapons or continue with terrorism upon its Middle Eastern neighbors, the U.S. and the world. Congressman Mike Rogers praised the president for speaking directly to the American people in this speech. And U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville says that Trump's decision to act against Iran's radical regime was due to the critical threat to U.S. national security. I'll be back with more Alabama stories after this. Did you know that 70% of people experience a potentially traumatic event in their lifetime and that six out of every 100 adults face PTSD every day?

Help us bring hope to these survivors by signing up for your Alabama distinctive PTSD awareness license plate today. The great thing is you can sign up no matter when your current plate renews and the first year is complimentary. All you need is your VIN number on hand. Drive awareness, drive hope, and customize your plate today at at ease.org. Crime Stoppers is now offering a $5,000 reward for information on the 2003 disappearance of a Montgomery teenager. 19-year-old Laquanta Riley went missing in December of 2003. A time-progressed photo has been created for Laquinta since she will now be 34 years old.

Tips can be sent to Crime Stoppers or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The death penalty is now on the table in a capital murder trial against a North Alabama man. Prosecutors are pursuing the death penalty against Logan Rogers after a grand jury upgraded the charges against him. Rogers is being tried for the murder of Autumn Strickland who went missing in May of last year. Prosecutors say that Rogers ran over Strickland with his car then took her body and burned it on his property.

I'm Andrea Theis. For more news affecting Alabamians go to 1819news.com and while you're there subscribe to the daily newsletter. Valley Broadcasting Corporation WITK-FM Rogersville Athens Decatur The Shores Sports Radio 93.9 The Score Dribbles right spins jabs steps steps back wide open three that's good just brilliant with 64 NCAA men's tournament games played just three remain coming up Saturday it's Michigan versus Arizona and Connecticut versus Illinois then the winners meet to settle the 2026 men's basketball title tune in this Saturday to hear Westwood One's exclusive coverage of the NCAA men's final four final four coverage begins this Saturday following Atlanta Braves baseball on 93.9 The Score brought to you locally by Lost Pizza Alabama Health Guidance Carter Oil CB&S Bank and Champion's Famous Fried Chicken 27 tournament trips five journeys to Omaha 72 major leaguers it's good to be a Bama baseball fanatic swing and a fly ball lifted high in the air deep left field a go ahead two run Homer over the high left field wall at Auburn Alabama's favorite pastime plays right here on your home for Alabama baseball the Crimson Tide Sports Network from Learfield 93.9 The Score weather today sunny with a high around 85 tonight mostly cloudy with a 20% chance of showers overnight and a low near 65 tomorrow partly sunny with possible gusty winds and a high around 85 tomorrow night partly cloudy with a low near 65 ampere Saturday partly sunny with a 60% chance of afternoon showers and a high around 80 your weather from 93.9 The Score now get ready to roll Shoals Decatur Athens and all of Northwest Alabama and Southern Tennessee it's time for the Valley's exclusive FM sports voice boom boom bug show new exclusive inside track to the tide Tigers Tennessee and the rest of the SEC now your host Harold bug on 93.9 The Score coming back in our boom bug show I'm Harold Buck alongside Brett Beard thank you so much for giving us a free ride around the Tennessee Valley and with that we tip off the hour by saying hello to CJ Caleb Jones he's got Auburn covered at auburnsports.com Caleb welcome in how are you it's a hot one out there today I'll tell you that maybe April maybe spring but it feels like summer Caleb your thoughts about the Auburn Tigers trying to stay hot in the NIT are you ready for some final four action tonight well I think if you had told Auburn fans earlier this year that they'd be playing in April I don't know if this is what they would expect but I think the players are certainly excited just to you know still be playing some basketball and you know these guys they love to compete so you know I think it means a lot to them that they're still in it and that they're still playing basketball this is really good I think for a lot of the younger guys that you know Auburn can bring back next year you know Stephen Burrell getting some more reps coaching games meaningful games so I think overall it's a good thing for Auburn to be where they're at you know just continuing to play basketball yeah that game is tonight I believe at 830 of course at the Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis I believe starting at 830 on ESPN Illinois State 23-12 they're a pretty good defensive team 37th ranked scoring defense allowing just 68 points a game and they've got a dude inside Chase Walker 6'9", 280 14 points 5 rebounds and as Stephen Burrell said he just knocks people out of the way Illinois State is a pretty good team yeah absolutely Chase is going to be a big guy for Auburn to try and contain down low you know Stephen Burrell talked about they've got to do their best to guard him and then you've got to guard the perimeter because Illinois State can fire off a bunch of threes so really just if Auburn can work find a way to contain Chase down low they're going to have a pretty solid chance but Auburn has got to work on Auburn's perimeter defense has not been their strong suit I mean all season so just having good perimeter defense as best you can is going to be the key to this one for Auburn and of course containing Chase down low Caleb Jones again AuburnSports.com you hear from every fan base when are we going to get a big guy well I guess the answer is already in the house when it comes to the Auburn Tigers Caleb Auburn crosses the big pond the Atlantic goes to France picks up a seven footer that everybody's waiting for the other guy to pronounce his name perhaps you want to take the honors but be that as it may Auburn has already gotten at least a big man in the house for next season yeah I won't I'm going to wait until the official pronunciation you're smart but yeah this is a guy seven foot and he's not just a tall lanky guy this is somebody that's very powerful who gives Auburn the presence it needed at the five just someone that Auburn can build it's office maybe not around but it gave Auburn that centerpiece that it needs any Auburn team historically that's done really well you know in the NCAA tournament has always had a really good big man you know a big guy that can really be impactful for Auburn both offensively and defensively and that's exactly what Auburn's got right now Caleb one more thing before we get into football Steven Pearl hired a general manager what's now considered a general manager Brian Kloman who worked with Pat Kelsey for 11 years primarily at Louisville and they've had a lot of success there in the world you've got the transfer portal coming up next week and you really need a staff to take this off of a head coach and it appears according to a lot of multiple reports Kloman is a very good general manager and should be able to help Steven Pearl I think the timing of this hire could not have been better for Auburn the transfer portal is going to be opening here soon and so Brian Kloman comes in a lot of experience really good resume there's proof in what he's been able to accomplish obviously at Louisville but this is a guy that can like you said take some things off of Steven Pearl's plate Steven talked about there's some things that he was having to do that now he can pass along to Brian and then Brian is kind of like a lot of the stuff that Brian Kloman's going to be doing for Auburn is kind of organizing the transfer portal and setting up the roster for next season who they're recruiting that kind of thing so just really taking some things that Steven Pearl might have been doing this summer now Brian Kloman's going to be overseeing some of that stuff but really just getting this Auburn roster in shape you know he's going to be handling some of the negotiation and figuring out exactly you know the value of certain players and kind of organizing that so that's a big thing for Auburn going forward and today's today's day and age especially like a general manager is so valuable you can see it across college football and I would think that's playing college basketball Caleb Jones with us AuburnSports.com Caleb talk to us about something that's intangible there and that is it's no secret this year I think Auburn would benefit from not only getting five-star talent on the court but a better chemistry there's no way of knowing that until you put a roster together and see how these guys mesh but your thoughts what did Stephen Pearl learn just from the standpoint of trying to get a better handle on character before he puts this roster together yeah just as far as the chemistry on the team last year the chemistry I think most folks would agree was not that great you can go out and you get five stars and four stars but sometimes they come in and play and play as individuals they don't play as a team your thoughts just about what is Pearl learned this year trying to put together a team and try to look more at character and chemistry yeah well I mean last year's team you look at it a lot of veterans a lot of guys that have played a lot of college basketball have been in a lot of different scenarios different places and I think that really meshed this year's team kind of lacked that you know it was a young team you didn't really have a significant veteran presence or somebody that really took control if that makes sense of just playing a lot of college basketball and having a lot of experience that comes with all the on-court stuff the off-the-court stuff and I think you kind of saw that as far as there wasn't necessarily a firm like that guy is an absolute leader if that makes sense you know now there were some guys that certainly stepped up here and there throughout the season but I think as far as chemistry goes you gotta that's a certainly it's a big part about you know a team that their success is going to be there and it's going to be interesting to kind of see who is valued kind of going into the off-season as to not only their playing ability but their leadership and what and how they're able to you know how that chemistry what those teammates are going to look you know and so that's going to be kind of a big question mark heading into the off-season and it's another thing that Brian Coleman can kind of keep an eye on is just how valuable are guys and what's their worth Auburn begins their first scrimmage of the spring tonight at the stadium and I think there are a lot of questions certainly on the team we've got a little bit of an ideal from some of the reports the offensive line with a couple of injuries Nathan Rameel and Jacob Strand but I know that offensive line is going to be key can they begin gelling can Auburn get pressure on the cornerback and again they'll be hands-off but what are some of the questions you've got as far as Auburn entering its first football scrimmage of the spring well I'll start by saying that you mentioned it like they're scrimmaging tonight which is I think that's really cool the fact that Golesh wants his guys to get a feel in playing under the lights in Jordan Hare Stadium which is that's a really exciting thing I think for some of the guys that have not had a chance to necessarily put the pads on and play football in Jordan Hare Stadium which is a lot of the guys so that's going to be good as far as questions that I have about this year's team offensive line is always a big question you know are they going to gel you know right now I think right now I think there's a standard that's kind of being set amongst the offensive line room you know and when that standard's not met I think guys notice I think a lot of the guys in the room notice when the standard's not being met and they're holding each other pretty accountable to that you know and we got to talk to a couple of the offensive linemen and one of the things that they mentioned was you know the other day in practice they felt like they could have finished practice a little stronger you know that stuck out to me and it's like that's something that if you can recognize in spring you've got time to correct you know I think last year a big question big concern last year was that team struggled to finish games you know and when Alex Scholes last year that was a big emphasis of something that he wanted to make sure happened was he wanted the football team to finish the games and so already in spring practice you've got some guys that are recognizing that hey we can do a little better finishing out practice and that's something to where it doesn't need to be a major freak out or anything like that you've still got plenty of time to go and correct that and finish practice strong before the games get here so that's a big question for me I want to see how the cornerback room comes together there's a lot of starting spots up for grabs I want to see if there's a wide receiver that takes the range that's a dude automatically so it's going to be a big question there which of the running backs can break out is there going to be a running back that's going to be an absolute animal in the back field so a lot of questions a lot of time to figure it out I mean you're always going to have a ton of questions and a ton of anticipation a ton of excitement any time you have a roster that's this new coaching staff that's new so yeah Caleb Jones AuburnSports.com something else that according to some reports that's new with the practice session most coaches don't want to look to the second or third game they want to look to the first game according to reports there are rumors that Dixieland Delight is playing during the practice session could it be that that's Alabama song and they play the game in November this is March April can you confirm or deny Caleb that Dixieland Delight is playing at Auburn's practice this spring yeah I mean I can confirm that they play it during a period called Iron Bowl and they play it at a pretty high volume and that's when a lot of the guys are you know going head to head with some things I mean look what that tells me is that this coaching staff understands the importance of a rivalry game of course of course your rivalry game against your biggest rival your in-state rival that's going to be important I mean you can look across the landscape of college football and a lot of rivalry you can take X team and X team or whatever and in one of their practice gyms one of their practice facilities there's always going to be a sign that says beat Alabama or beat Michigan beat Ohio State I mean it's like any other rivalry when it comes to these guys understand the importance of the people in the stands whether that's here or in Tuscaloosa and I think it's a fantastic thing for Auburn to go ahead and kind of get it in their minds that they're going to be playing in Tuscaloosa a place that Auburn hasn't won in over 15 years you know and so Dixieland Delight and all that stuff that's playing I think it's fantastic for the rivalry that just shows me that this team understands this is a big deal to a lot of people Caleb wanted a day to cover Auburn sports NIT action at historic venue tonight with Illinois State Auburn's first spring football practice and oh by the way there's a pretty big baseball series with Arkansas most of the SEC teams are playing today to where they can finish Saturday and be off for Easter which is a good gesture on their part your staff will be covering all of it but where can we get online and get yours and the teams yeah absolutely we've got all of that covered basketball baseball football covered at auburnsports.com again that's auburnsports.com we've got everything you need for an Auburn fan if you're a casual fan a hardcore fan it does not matter you need to be on auburnsports.com to come find the best information the most reliable information Caleb it's got a lot going on you've got it all covered thanks for your time Dan keep up the good work alright thanks guys appreciate it thank you bud Caleb Jones looking up with us visit there at auburnsports.com coming up lots going on right here in your own neck of the woods the show Zach Panthers on that and more straight ahead stay with us hello I'm Eddie Buckley president of Certified Alarm no matter where travels take you Certified Alarm will help you be worry free 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in football tremendous basketball player Harold he's a pitcher does a lot of other things he is 4-0 with a 0.24 ERA in 40 strikeouts I didn't say 2.4 I said .24 Desher is number one in class 4A they beat St. John Paul earlier but no he is absolutely incredible as far as a multi-sport athlete I think Zach would agree with that Steve Zach Pounders is now back with us founder and editor of the Shoals Sports Report Zach are you with us yes there you go buddy we were just commenting while we hooked up with you there talking about Garrett Reed when's the last time we've seen an athlete across the board he is a Swiss Army knife it doesn't matter the shape of the ball he is the master of it football basketball baseball your thoughts about the prize out at Dessler yeah these athletes Garrett Reed coming out every now and then they've just kind of become the one name athletes in the future like LeBron James Tom Brady they've become LeBron Brady but Garrett's one of the ones he's a one name athlete he saves that first name or last name people don't know who you're talking about but yeah Dessler they're back rolling now as healthy as can be everybody's got basketball him and Jay Murner are back the lineup hit eight home runs I think on the second Saturday they were all back for basketball at a doubleheader down to Salusa and if they are healthy and rolling they're going to be tough to play off the way they're pitching is they can go seven deep if not eight deep and that's just for the starters and the leavers the starters have three or four starters and if you have three or four starters to hop the ball you can go along in the playoff if you get into a tough game in a series you can think about starters and have a guy start a game and then think you back off of him and get a win that way it's tough to be a team like that to play off Zach there are seven eight teams that don't have that much pitching depth that is absolutely incredible while we're on by the way Dasher I believe is 21 and 5 the Alabama Sports Riders dropped their latest poll let me ask you about a couple other teams in 4A Brooks improved to 8 and 5 I know you've watched some of their games they beat Lawrence County earlier in the week Gunnar Johnson Charles Butram Butram Mason Gandy homered in that game Brooks is number 3 they're 18 and 5 in Central they beat Florence and Florence has got two Cracker Jack pitchers in Colston Mann and Alston clutchback but Central beat Florence 2-0 Central would be what I'd call number 11 but Alston Ezekiel Reed Bruce is playing well for them they're 12 and 9 on the season but they've had a tough schedule but class 4A is pretty good in the shelves this year yeah that 4A area is going to be tough it comes down to basically these two weekends this weekend next weekend this week you have Deschler and Central and Brooks and Wilson playing my thought is the Wilson Brooks series winner it's going to be the two days of this area probably and Deschler should be the one Central gets Wilson that last weekend and two weekends that doesn't sleep on but Brooks is young and when you're a young thing like that having that much success early on it's dangerous it's almost like Deschler a couple years ago with Deschler 10 years now they were young and made the semis who knows how far it can go in the future and it's a tough area if they play their best ball at the right time who knows and with Central it comes down to the schedule it's been tough he's been out and played multiple shows Shelby County I think and a few more tough teams and so on they've gotten some wins but also their pitching has been one of the setbacks in this year if their offense can power them through they can go far if not don't know how far they can go but Brooks is one of the teams that's young and scary and if you're in the playoffs you don't want to see them because they're young and dumb they don't know they don't know yet in a good way they don't know where Gashler is the veteran team now that everybody expects to be there in the end they're getting nervous that's all Zach Founders show sports report let's talk about Marceal doing what Marceal does they got two guys by the name of Bo and Cody Willis where do we know that name both of them are off the branch of former UNA head football coach Chris Willis your thoughts about Marceal just doing what Marceal does under Josh Willingham and the guys yeah the area they're eating is Belgrade and Stocktown I've declared that area basically over already no offense to Belgrade and Stocktown but it's two different levels of baseball Marceal went out and played the 7-8 team out of Arkansas Van Buren over spring break put a pair of games with them and they had a walk-off win also over spring break them and Destra both went out to Georgia and played last week and both had a really good week Marceal is number one 2-8 if Marceal is in 3-8 baseball it'd be a little bit different but in 2-8 ball they are worlds above a 2-8 baseball team and it's 2-8 because of the way the competitive balance were the last few years and they're for all competition cycles but they're going to be a tough out also and they have pitching but also their offense can beat you just too much Red Bay having a very good year too again we talk with you a lot about Red Bay they've got tremendous that you will threat athletes too in a lot of sports they swept Lamar County 8-0 1-0 they're number 7 in class 2-8 Carson McGee won the pitchers for Red Bay 3-1 with 1.25 ERA and 57 strikeouts the Times Daily gives the stance for the pitchers in particularly today and there are some very impressive guys Hamilton swept handleable they're doing well too before we let's go softball I know you cover both very well on Facebook Central wins his 21st game beating Wilson 8-6 they're number 9 in class 4A Colbert County is having quite a year in softball number 4 Michaela Davis 17 strikeouts she has had an amazing season Desler 19-4 your thoughts on softball in the area yeah Michaela Davis 213 strikeouts the Colbert County this season so far 213 strikeouts she's had 10 plus in all but 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 games this year out of 20 starts so she's going to get 10 plus cases tonight basically unless you find a way to hit her she's on a perfect game this year and a hit her this year already but she had 70 good tomorrow and they get Lardot County tonight at Colbert County and if they win that game they're 4-0 in the area and on track to be the one seed for the area tournament they're going to be a tough out they're also a loaded offense if they're all clicking offense kind of struggling lately but if they're all rolling offensively and defensively they're going to be fine Coach Jamin from Lardot Lawrence last year came up here and really just took the reins and rode it this season didn't have to really rebuild because that mostly came up back from last year it's a very mixed group of seniors juniors sophomores all together working as women and if she's on the mound she's giving you 10 plus k's at 21 out if not 12 out or 15 out and then Deschler is actually the widest story in four I think this year in softball so far one of the best things in the area Deschler is around 20 and 4 18 and 4 whatever they are but they have a three-headed pitching rotation Olivia Lewis Taylor Tittle and Addison Booth Addison Booth is a underclass non-fisher who's being developed as a third pitcher for next year when Olivia leaves and Taylor is a sophomore but with those three pitching for Deschler she can roll all day in one game she can roll two in one or one for a whole game and get a win their offense can click also when it gets to 80 degrees I'm scared what their offense can do when they can score 15 runs a game easily with the weather getting hotter but Deschler is going to be one of those if they don't get to regional this year there's going to be questions of what happened why how well they're amazing team and yeah they're 19 and 4 rated number 4 in class 4A listen you have baseball and softball standings on your Facebook page you've got the scores and you've got the top performers and I know you go to as many of these games as you possibly can great stuff as always that tell us where we can get online get the standings top performers and players in the schedule in the scores yeah we're on Facebook at show sports report twitter at lowercase s-h-o-a-l-s-p-o-r-t-s then our website also show sports report dot com where we have area standings updated every so often in the week and right now 1A baseball has probably the most chaotic area scenario where three scenarios happen three things happen they play monday and tuesday areas we'll have that broken day on by the weekend hopefully to where we understand everybody else understand it by facebook twitter and our website where to go every night we have nightly recoups weekly standings area standings and as many games we can be at this weekend we'll be at heading down the stretch here curtain coming down the season we know you got it all covered keep it up and stay safe out there okay thank you bud zach founders editor of the show's sports report coming up a lot of rocking and rolling down in tide country we'll take you there next with ryan fowler stay with us this is an important notice to all u.s taxpayers the irs is giving away billions of dollars in tax savings through a federal program called the fresh start initiative to aid delinquent taxpayers this initiative was established for anyone facing financial hardship and unable to pay their back taxes qualifying and enrolling in this program will stop all collections settle your delinquent tax problem and even reduce what you owe by thousands of dollars call the hotline at people's tax relief to see if you qualify and get this free information by dialing 800-319-3687 if you have unfiled tax returns or cannot afford to pay your personal or business back taxes you can now get the help you need one 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ZipRecruiter.com slash free ZipRecruiter ZipRecruiter The Score Now back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score The Score Welcome back in time head on down to Tide Town say hello to Ryan Feller he's host of the game on Tide 109 FM in Tuscaloosa afternoons Ryan welcome in how are you?

[1:38:10] Doing good guys doing good doing good just plugging along second scrimmage on the campus of the University of Alabama more than halfway home Wow We're going to talk about spring practice nine practices in ten tomorrow they'll do a couple next week and then they'll do a day and then come back and wrap up two practices after a day and you know you're starting to feel good about this football team in some areas Ryan let's talk about obviously who is there and one guy that noticeably is not there and that's EJ Crowell he has all the potential one of the hottest names to ever come out of the high school ranks in Alabama but apparently MIA right now with quotes from what we gather is what's called a soft tissue injury whatever that means what are you hearing about EJ Crowell?

Yeah I think that it's a I think it's a calf leg issue is what it is and I want to say they think that it was a carryover from high school but it wasn't something that happened here and a lot of times your high school players will come in with that because for one I mean you get quality medical at a high school but nothing like the University of Alabama and I think really this is they are taking the precautionary steps to make sure he's ready to go when they're going to need him so I don't think I don't think it's an overreaction I think Kalen Boer you know talked about how disappointed it would you know to not have him there but also I think you understand that he needs these reps big time but there's really nothing you can do about it I mean other guys have taken advantage of that and I think the other guys have been motivated by all the talk around EJ Crowell I mean tons I think Daniel Heal Kevin Riley you see these guys AK Deer because that's all you talk about is the incoming freshman and the other guys have said hey not so fast so I think you've seen an uptick in their production as well according to our good friend Rodney Overtider and Sander and others practice seems to be going fairly well on the offensive line which has been one of the biggest issues Ryan Grubb let the cat out of the bag earlier said Jackson Lloyd will be the starter but according to a couple of media reports across the front you've got Jackson Lloyd at left tackle Nick Brooks right now we know that some guys will be coming back Grayson Delgotti the transfer from Cal Poly at center I think most people thought that was coming Michael Carroll seems to have moved inside to right guard which he did some last year and Javon James from Mississippi State at right tackle and I know again springs time for experimentation etc but your thoughts on the offensive line that right now if they play tomorrow which thankfully they don't would that be close to a starting lineup?

Yeah I think it is I think that's the five that you're looking at right now and the people that I've talked to behind practice is saying that that's the five that they have been more consistent as you said they've experimented so they've looked at a lot of different options there at that offensive line but that seems to be what we're seeing the most is that rotation right there I think Carroll still wants to play right tackle but right now he's probably he's better suited for a guard and you know he's got that personality you know that kind of matches up with a guard so I don't I don't know if why he's opposed to playing guard but I don't think he's opposed if he's playing guard but I think initially maybe they thought that tackle was going to be his spot but I think what has happened it's probably not the play of Michael Carroll they're just trying to get their best five out there I think it's Javon James that's came in and really stepped up because you gotta remember this guy started at left tackle for Mississippi State and the SEC and yes he didn't play you know A plus football at that left tackle spot he gave them enough that I think they feel pretty comfortable with him at one of those tackle spots so anything can happen anything can happen the understanding that I continue to hear is watch out if there's an injury that the depth that offensive line and this is gonna be all across the country I mean I heard Lane Kiffin a couple days ago talking about it and you know he made the comment how do you build depth when you're not able to go physical so you need to test these guys but you can't really go physical how do you accomplish this that's why you're getting paid the big bucks you come up with the answer to that one right Ryan with us close to the game on Tide 109 FM Ryan let's talk about the mind games as a late John Lennon would say in song we reported earlier with some of friends that the iron boat crew if I'm wrong is November but reports out of Auburn's practice field they're playing Dixieland the light getting ready for a game in November with Alabama your thoughts about that and the response from the Alabama camp are they saying boy that's going to get in my head or let's go ahead and talk about the first game of the season going back to last year what would happen if Alabama said let's look to the iron bowl and overlook Florida State your thoughts about the new mind games in the state of Alabama yeah I'd like to see what that period consists of is Auburn getting down into the fetal position during that particular period or do they do like what did the Auburn players do did the other teams score a lot of points and they take the L for that period I mean six years in a row what does the iron bowl period look like and that's what Alabama fans they're not being critical I just want to know what it consists of you know does it consist of you know like letting another team score and beat them or does it I mean I don't know what an iron bowl period is but listen I applaud you know when you look at them implementing that the Dixian land a lot I mean rivalries are fun I mean you know we've enjoyed these five season seasons in a row there's been a lot of picking of picking at them and then when Davis comes out I mean I don't know if you saw this but the win total for next year is six and a half wins six and a half wins guys that's that's thin that's thin now that schedule's tough when you look at that schedule I mean they really should have waited and probably booted him this year and then started a new head coach in 2027 but that Hugh Freeze gave up no option but it's going to be tough and it's going to be tough with a group of five roster to be able to we were talking I think with Chris Hummer yesterday and he was going through what his expectations were of the Auburn Tigers and it just doesn't seem like that there's a lot of people expecting a ton so they can do the iron bowl period 15 periods but right now cannot help them get out of the gutter that they've been there for a few days Brian Alabama Athletic Director Greg Burns had quite a week comes out late Saturday night and says he ain't going anywhere translated means Nate Oates he introduces Pauline Love is the next head women's basketball coach in Alabama she actually coached in Alabama for a year a very good recruiter we'll see where that goes after Christy Curry moved on to South Florida and he also has garnered a lot of national attention today when he was talking about the SEC championship game and said that ship has sailed it's run its course I know there are a lot of people who think it's made a lot of money for the SEC it really expanded the growth remember vividly 92 the first season of course when Alabama beat Florida Ryan your thoughts on Greg Burns interesting week at the capstone guys you have to be realistic we had Tim May on a couple of days ago from Columbus dispatch the 42 year veteran up there I'm sure you guys have talked to him he's actually from Demopolis and he went up there and covered Ohio State he's been up there 40 something years we got talking about the SEC and things that have Greg Sankey not Greg Byrne have made it harder and when you now add this non-conference game and you just play the non-conference schedule from a group of excuse me from the Power 4 and Notre Dame so you gotta play one of the teams from the Power 4 or Notre Dame so you can play Notre Dame and that checks the box okay but Notre Dame is not playing you so Notre Dame is gonna go the easiest route possible well why should they not I mean so you can limit it from the Power 4 so you play the 9 you play the 10 and if you win you go to the 11th game in this current playoff model I agree with it it's running sports and I think there's a lot of other coaches because you gotta get healthy for the playoffs and you know Georgia talked about it after the Alabama game certainly Alabama talked about it I mean they were beat up they were physically absolutely whipped going into that I think it was 13 different guys and listen Alabama fans still hold this team accountable if your guys are injured they're injured there's nothing you can do about it I mean it's crazy at the amount of injuries for both teams so at some point and I cannot wait to the end of May to get down to Sandestin to see the actual spring meetings because they're going to be fireworks I mean it is it is going I mean listen it's going to be it's going to be tough it's going to be tough but can you guys imagine what it's going to be like down there with all the different because Kirby Smart kind of gave you insight that none of the coaches are for this additional game and they did it simply for money and so money's great but does it knock a team out of the college football playoffs maybe now you're only getting three now if they go to 16 and 24 we can have another conversation but the problem is he thought it was going there and it didn't go and so Tony has been able to run circles around Greg Sankey and I think Greg is dead on the money from an Alabama perspective if I'm Greg Byrne I'm sitting down with Greg Sankey saying why didn't you get involved when you knew the Charles Fediaco case so I mean there's a lot of fireworks that will be shot early for Memorial Day well I think part of it too is just like in private business when things go right Greg Sankey is going to take all the credit when things go wrong he's going to throw everybody under the bus not necessarily this year because of years when the SEC ain't bringing home championships and bringing home the big check they're going to look back and say thank you don't blame us dude as Barney told Andy nipping the bud my friend so do you eliminate the championship game here's the deal they're not going to until they come up with a way to make up that money but the key right now is how can we make up the corporate sponsorships how are they going to make up the hole that will be left in the budget they say they're smart if they're as smart as they say they are there's a plan come up the B plan let's move forward yeah but see I don't know what that is so so like let's just give an example of last year does Alabama win the SEC I mean so they're the number one seed right they finished first going into the I mean so would you just do that regular season is what you would I guess you would have to right run that's what I've been saying when you and I understand the arguments pro and con when you have a championship game you've got a definitive winner but again this will be going back before 92 it would be look at the standings you know if you've got a tie look at the head to head and I think that's where this is going to I think that is the only way to solve this if you're going to eliminate the SEC championship game is just quite frankly proclaim a winner who's got the best record and then look at the head to head yeah no I mean the formula get there as you said it's going to be complex man this thing is going to get wild I mean like I said stay tuned buckle up the next two months you're going to have a lot of these type of conversations absolutely well listen bud have a great show this afternoon who have you got on the show that defend our listeners would like to get online and listen to and where can they go yeah we've got Rodney or 215 scrimmage number two we'll preview that we've got Bruce Marshall coming on and he'll give us some handicap at odds kind of go around the final four but do some other things as well love talking history with Bruce Marshall so we'll do it we'll ask him about the SEC title game as well appreciate you guys as always Todd 109.com it's always an honor I hope you guys have an awesome rest of your week thank you you too bud thank you so much Ryan Ryan Fowler 109 FM in Tuscaloosa again in case you missed it UNA's coaching staff just got better today BB they did Harold and again we've been talking about this young man for a while Drew Stutz won another national championship for men's basketball Freed Hardman Sister Abby is pretty good too but he has been hired as an assistant coach by Tony Pujo for UNA men's basketball that is an incredible hire and before I go happy birthday to our steam producer James Moody and we won't sing happy birthday to him James saying thank you very much but James does a great job for 93.9 the four hour show and appreciate all the efforts speaking of 93.9 the Braves later on tonight that's right the second place Braves only one game back of the first place Marlins in the NL East they play at Arizona later on tonight right here on 93.9 the score it's going to take care of this for now on behalf of the birthday boy James McGreg everybody here we thank you so much for your time and let's do it again tomorrow noon to two for the Boomo Bugg Show back here on Sports Radio 93.9 the score