Boomo Bugg Show 040326

[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 in to the Boomo Bugg Show. I'm Harold Bugg alongside Brett Beaird. Thank you so much for giving us a free ride around the Tennessee Valley. Brett Beaird, welcome in where Alabama gets ready for scrimmage number two and Auburn gets ready to take on a national title time with Tulsa on the hardwood.

Good afternoon. Welcome in. How are you? And is it true that the Braves just scored again? How are you? Happy good Friday to you and the listeners. Bill Shanks will recount the first week of the Braves season, including a 17-2 win over Arizona last night. Hugh alluded to Auburn beats Illinois State 86-66 and will advance to the championship game of the NIT on Sunday. But right now, Jimmy is here to look at Alabama's basketball roster for next season and the second football scrimmage of the spring this afternoon.

The lion may sleep, but not Jimmy Stein. He's busy there as co-host of Locked on Bama, part of the Locked on Network. Jimmy, welcome in. You made it. Happy Friday. How are you? I'm doing great, guys. Thanks for having me back on. You got a plate full again. But, Jimmy, the word is football is still king of the heels. Scrimmage number two. What are we going to learn today, Jimmy? Well, we'll see what Kalen DeBoer says. You know, post-scrimmage, there'll be a limited crowd kind of invitation only today.

So, you know, some things might leak out here and there. You know, no starting positions are awarded to anybody in the spring officially. I know there's been some quotes from an Alabama assistant coach about that. But no spots are won. But it is significant in the sense that there is some depth chart shuffling that happens as a result of these scrimmages. It's the most game-like things they do outside of A-Day. And that will be a scrimmage everyone gets to see in just eight days. But, you know, in terms of learning what's going on, just real curious about the quarterbacks and how they split reps.

Probably doesn't mean as much to some folks. But I'm curious myself as when the first team offense hits the field today for the first snap, is it Austin Mack or is it Keelan Russell? I think that's interesting. I wouldn't read too deep into it, but it is going to be interesting to note. Jimmy, another thing that's going to be interesting notes, the running back room. We know coming out of high school, he was walking on water out of Jackson High. Your thoughts about E.J. Crowell and from everything we're able to gather, that's kind of jacked up.

The guys, if you will, the old veterans who are now probably sophomores, but old considering Crowell. Your thoughts as far as the running back room and what are you hearing about E.J.? Well, E.J.'s been banged up a little bit. He doesn't have a significant injury. It's more of a leg, kind of a strain issue. So they haven't overdone it with him. I think it's an injury where if they put a lot of work on him, it could get worse and he would miss even more time.

But he's apparently doing more this week. Real curious to see if he gets carries today because he's missed so much time. Who knows? Maybe he's even held out of the scrimmage because he's missed so much time. But what I have heard from inside the program is that in the limited reps he's received, they are very impressed. They're certainly impressed with him off the field and in the weight room and his attitude and the intangible. Really what's happening in the Alabama running back room, guys, is there's just a clear line between the veterans and the young guys who have a high talent level, or at least that's the perception.

But you have returning guys like Daniel Hill and Kevin Riley. They really needed to improve to hold their standing as the top returning guys in the room. And they've done that in the weight room. Daniel Hill has lost weight, which he needed to do to gain some quickness and burst. Kevin Riley needed to add weight to become a little bit better at breaking through contact. They've both done those things. But they'll need to improve to keep E.J. Crowell and A.K. Deer off the top of the depth chart.

I think that'll be a thing that we'll find more about in the fall. But reports are they're very impressed by both E.J. Crowell and A.K. Deer. They're the future at the position of Alabama, but it's a fair question as to whether that future might mean this fall. It's very possible. To be honest, Daniel Hill and Kevin Riley in the game have yet to do anything to permanently stamp, you know, themselves in terms of becoming fixtures of the spot. You know, they've opened the door for other guys.

[5:21] But it does appear to be an improved group with the veterans. But it's an exciting group with the young guys. Another young guy, Treshaun Brown, who's in the signing class, has also turned some heads this spring. He's been impressive at times. It'll be interesting to hear whether he gets some runs with the ones today. Jimmy, the spring is always a time for experimentation. I wanted to ask you about the offensive line. According to multiple media reports, what they've seen, or very little that they've seen, but what they've heard, Jackson Lloyd at left tackle.

Nick Brooks at left guard. William Sanders will have something to say about that during summer camp. Rayson Delgotti from Cal Poly at center. Michael Carroll inside at right guard. And Jevin James, Mississippi State transfer at right tackle. And again, I know Kaelin DeBoer mentioned Strayhorn, Ethan Fields, also in a couple of interviews. Jimmy, your thoughts on the progress of the offensive line? It must be going pretty well because they seem sort of set. Now, it's not permanent by any means. We're still looking at a couple of different groups.

But the offensive line, as you described it, the first team of Jackson Lloyd, Nick Brooks, Rayson Delgotti, Michael Carroll, and Jaden James. That first team seems to be getting a lot of run. I mean, it seems to be a pretty steady group. It'll be interesting to hear if today that remains the case. Another group that often works as a first team unit, largely the same, but Michael Carroll slides back to his normal right tackle spot with Mal Waldrop working as first team right guard. They've looked at that quite a bit, too.

So it is a time for experimentation. It's certainly a time for competition. Nothing is set in stone, even with Ryan Grubb saying Jackson Lloyd's going to be the left tackle. I think probably the better phrase is to say Jackson Lloyd is a great bet to be the starting left tackle. But the competition continues, and it will continue today. There'll be, again, another scrimmage next Saturday, known as the A-Day game. There'll be two scrimmages in the fall. There always are. We'll see that again this fall. And that will ultimately determine what that lineup will look like against East Carolina on September 5th.

Check out Jimmy Stiles' work. It's called Locked on Bama. Jimmy, let's not kid ourselves. This is year three. Honeymoons are getting shorter and shorter for every coach in the college world of football. Certainly at Alabama, it is a very short fuse. Your thoughts, just from a mindset. I saw the encouraging news of the day, if you're looking at it with crimson glasses. DeBoer says, all that talk about Michigan. Forget about it. We knew what we were getting into. When we got here, the pressure's going to be high, but so are the rewards.

We welcome the challenge. You can say that in April, but your thoughts just about year three, how important this spring is for Alabama football and for DeBoer himself. You know, I don't know that year three's going to answer emphatically a lot of the questions, but here we are going into year three, and his tenure has featured a lot of really impressive moments. I mean, things that are pretty great. He made the playoff. He won a playoff game. He's beaten Georgia in two regular season games, one of them on the road.

He went into Atlanta as the number one seed after an SEC regular season, you know, finishing seven and one in the league. There's been some individual awards and individual performances that have been great. So there's that, but there's also been some pretty low lows, losing at least three games to teams. Honestly, Alabama had no business losing to a 6-6 Oklahoma team. He lost even worse to a 5-7 Florida State team. So the highs have been high, and they are there, but there's also been lows. I'll tell you, I don't know about making the playoff or not, but I think considerable progress for Caelan DeBoer this fall would simply be winning approximately the eight games that you'll be a decided favorite in.

The first five games of the year, there's a very good chance Alabama will be a double-digit favorite to win all five. The last three games at Vanderbilt, UT Chattanooga, and a home game against Auburn, you know, there's a lot of football to be played, but it's not crazy to assume Alabama's going to be a favorite in all three of those games. You've got to win those games, those eight. Now, those middle four are crazy tough. Those are crazy tough football games. Anyone, Ohio State, Oregon, anybody could lose to some of those opponents.

[10:21] But you've got to win the games you should win when you're favored by double digits. I think if DeBoer can just simply do that, it will feel like everything continues to progress. Jimmy, the transfer portal for basketball opens officially April the 7th, and a big part of this is not so much who is coming in. We'll see there are three phenoms coming in. We got a glimpse of them earlier this week with McDonald, Boys and Girls All-American game. But keeping the core of this group, Amari Allen, Aiden Sherrell, London Jemison, Tater Bo Bowen, Davian Hanna, and we'll see where Aiden Holloway's legal issues go.

Again, who the coaching staff wants to keep, has to keep. Jimmy, your thoughts on keeping the core of this group together. Well, I get asked, of course, hey, who is Alabama going to be interested in in the transfer portal, which doesn't even open for another couple of days. They'll understand that around 900 players have already announced their intention to enter the portal. But I'm asking, hey, who is Alabama going to be interested in? The first question that has to be answered is exactly what you all are saying, which is who's back?

How many spots do you have? And it's not so much, you know, the old-time question was, you know, how many spots do you have? The new age question is, how much money do you have left? Because the first thing you have to do is pay the guys you want coming back. Who do you want back? What's that going to cost? Now, how many spots do you have left and how much money is left? Now, Nate Oates has not been shy about saying that he has had ample resources at Alabama, and he believes that those resources are rising this year, that Alabama is going to have even more significant money to spend.

But it's going to start with this. Who do they want back? What will that cost? Now, how many spots do you have and what are your needs? Now, unfortunately for Alabama, it might not be immediately known for at least two reasons. Aidan Holloway's legal situation may not work itself out for quite a while. You may have every intention of bringing Aidan Holloway back. But, you know, he's also, as we speak, charged with a serious felony. And he may or may not be back as a result of the legal process.

Secondly, Amari Allen, he hasn't announced anything yet formally. But I think it would be a real shock if he didn't at least enter the draft process, very similarly to what LeBaron Phylon did a year ago, where as he attends the NBA Combine, he, you know, works out for all 30 NBA teams, gets a lot of feedback on where he might be selected if he came out. You're not going to know about Amari Allen's availability until he decides whether he's going to stay in the draft or return to Alabama like Phylon did.

So that's going to complicate matters in terms of how many spots do we have and how much money do we have left. Because I think we know, I think we know without knowing that Aidan Holloway and Amari Allen will be a little pricey, I mean, in terms of them coming back. Those are guys you're going to have to commit some significant resources to. Well, jump off, Jimmy. The ship has sailed. The quote of the week from one Greg Byrne is Greg Sankey listening to his man in Tuscaloosa.

About the SEC championship game? Yeah. Yep. I think the issue there is almost simple. If the playoff is expanding, and it hasn't yet. I mean, it's not expanded for this upcoming season. But if the playoff expands to 16 teams, or 24 teams, like the Big Ten is pushing, if it expands, you have to get rid of the championship games. If just for this one huge reason, you need that weekend to start playing playoff games. You can't wait into the middle of December to start the 16-team or 24-team playoff.

You need that weekend, what's been known as championship weekend. That weekend needs to be the first round of an expanded playoff. So I really think for all of Greg Byrne's comments about it, and he is correct as usual, I think it's just directly tied to playoff expansion. Well, Jimmy, we can get the absolute latest football, basketball, the baseball team on a heater. They beat, or have a loan to beat Oklahoma last night. It's spring practice, the latest with basketball as far as constructing the roster, and the nearly daily updates from you and Luke Robinson, which is a must-listen-to for Alabama fans.

Jimmy, where can we get online and get all the great stuff? Yeah, I appreciate that, Brett. It's Locked on Bama. You can find us on YouTube. It's a daily show, 30-minute show. Find us on YouTube, or if you just prefer the audio podcast while you're driving around or just want to listen, you can find Locked on Bama wherever you get podcasts, Spotify, iTunes, any place. Locked on Bama with myself and Luke Robinson. New show six or even this week, seven days a week, because we'll have a special show on Saturday regarding today's scrimmage.

[15:48] Got a feeling. There's a lot of interest in that, baby. Jimmy, keep up the good work, and thanks so much for your time today. Hey, appreciate it, guys. Thanks. Thank you, Jimmy. Thank you. Jimmy Stein, co-host of Locked on Bama. Coming up, what's shaking around North Alabama? Caleb Suggs on that more. Straight ahead, stay with us. By texting 64,000, you agree to receive recurring automated marketing messages from IQ Bar. Investage and data 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 clean, delicious, low-sugar brain and body fuel. IQ Bars are packed with 12 grams of protein, brain nutrients like magnesium and lion's mane, and zero weird stuff. And right now, you can get 20% off all IQ Bar products, plus free shipping. Try our delicious IQ Bar sampler pack with seven plant protein bars, four hydration mixes, and four enhanced coffee sticks.

Clean ingredients, amazing taste, and you'll love how you feel. Refuel smarter, hydrate harder, caffeinate larger with IQ Bar. Now you can get 20% off all IQ Bar products, plus free shipping, when you text RADIO to 64000. Text RADIO to 64000 to get your 20% off. That's RADIO to 64000. Tim collects bobbleheads. A lot of bobbleheads. Baseball bobbleheads. Race car bobbleheads. Little chihuahua bobbleheads. He's got an entire room strictly for bobbleheads. Does he need them? No. Is his wife mad about it? A little. But Tim works with Empower, and he got good at money.

So he can be a little bad. Ooh, horse bobblehead. Classy, Tim. Empower. Invest well, live a little. Start today at Empower.com. Charger Park stepping up. It's time to level up your game. Introducing the all-new ESPN app. All of ESPN, all in one place. Your home for the most live sports and the best championship moments. The electricity is palpable. Step up your game with no annual contract required. It's the ultimate fan experience. Level up for more on the ESPN app or at stream.espn.com. Sign up now.

This is the story of the one. As a maintenance tech at a university, he knows ordering from multiple suppliers takes time away from keeping their arena up and running. That's why he counts on Grainger to get everything he needs, from lighting and HVAC parts to plumbing supplies, all in one place. And with fast, dependable delivery, he's stocked and ready for the next tip-off. Call 1-800-GRAINGER, click grainger.com, or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done. America, look around. Everywhere you go, prices are still high, rates have been whipsawing markets, and the debt and spending don't exactly scream stability.

Experts say diversifying with intention is the number one secret account that all American smart money uses to hedge against instability. Monetary Gold has been around since 2000, witnessing multiple economic setbacks. If you call now, Monetary Gold will cover up to a lifetime of your IRA fees on qualified accounts. Call Monetary Gold now at 877-NOW-GOLD. That's 877-NOW-GOLD. Performance may vary. You should always consult your financial and tax professional. Do you read more about your team in the off-season than in the season-season? Does your game day outfit include a brown bag with eye holes?

Then you may be a fan of a BST or bad sports team. Luckily, when you bundle your home and auto insurance with Progressive, you're protected. Because seeing your painted face in the rearview mirror after a loss isn't just depressing. It's distracting. Visit Progressive.com today. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company affiliates and other insurers. Coverage subject to policy terms. Not available in all states or situations. Hey, it's Rich Eisen for Pella Windows and Doors. Sometimes teams take a time out to regroup and call the right play. When it comes to your home, Pella Windows and Doors always has the winning game plan.

They're not just window and door experts. They're experts at taking care of you and your home. At Pella, they find the products that meet your needs and their experts install them. They do it every day, and that's why your neighbors trust them. Discover why Pella is a trusted choice for homeowners everywhere. Visit Pella.com slash Eisen today. That's Pella.com slash Eisen. From the University of Alabama, this is Crimson Tide Today. It's a daily update on PAMA sports, and it's brought to you by the Good Feet Store.

Start your journey today at goodfeet.com. Hello again, everybody. I'm Roger Hoover. Here are comments from new Alabama women's basketball head coach Pauline Love from her press conference on Thursday. All right. Good morning and roll tide. Roll tide. Listen, I'm going to try to get through this without shedding a tear. It's hard because so many people sacrificed a lot of things for me to be here today. So if I read fast, I apologize. I'm just trying to get through it, okay? But, again, thank you all for being here.

[20:49] First, I want to thank the University of Alabama Board of Trustees, our president, Dr. Mohler, Greg Byrne, Karen Lee, Calvese, our current player. Thank you for showing up today. I appreciate that so much. and everyone involved in this process for trusting me with this opportunity. This is a place with a championship standard, passionate people, and a tradition and brand that speaks for itself. This is Christian Miller for the Good Feet Store. I know from playing football at Alabama and in the NFL that if you have foot, knee, hip, or back pain, it can be a huge challenge.

The Good Feet Store is designed to personally fit you with art supports that alleviate and even eliminate your pain altogether. Try them before you buy them during your free, no-obligation, personalized fitting, and you can wear them home the same day. So if you're looking to improve your game, the Good Feet Store has you covered. Stop in for a free, personalized fitting today. Roll to victory at goodfeet.com. That's goodfeet.com. Roll Tide. Crimson Tide Today is brought to you by the Good Feet Store. 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. The Score. We really appreciate so much you taking time out of your busy schedule and sharing it with us. Obviously, if you're a regular here, you know we love talking about, obviously, Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee, the SEC, and the Braves. But we also love to give a shout-out to folks who sometimes work just as hard but don't get the spotlight. And that's called our high school friends across the valley. Caleb Suggs does an outstanding job of filling in the pieces there with the Decatur Daily.

Caleb, welcome in. How are you? I'm doing good, guys. How are y'all? Hey, man. I would imagine you're coming off one of the tougher jobs. A lot of talent throughout North Alabama. You've got the centerpiece there of this part of the state. And when people say, Caleb, can you come up with the players of the year with the respective classes in your neck of the woods? I would imagine that is a daunting job. Would you agree, Caleb? Yeah, it's not something I look forward to doing every year.

You know, I love it for the players that they get that honor. But, yeah, I mean, sometimes it's cut and dry. And, you know, that makes it easier. But, you know, sometimes you really face for the tough decision. And I had a couple of those this year. And then, you know, all area teams. But, you know, at the same time, you know, that just means you're blessed to be able to cover great players and great teams. And, you know, it's certainly better that way than, you know, not having, you know, anybody good to cover.

So I'm not going to complain too much about it. So where do we start with that tough answer to the question, who are the best players of the respective girls, boys, classes in our neck of the woods? Caleb, where do you start? Well, you know, the toughest was our final one, which will go tomorrow. So I'm not going to tip my hand too much on that. But, you know, looking at the other ones that we've done, you know, Abby Lane Lewis was, you know, our largest school girls player of the year.

Just a phenomenal career and priceful. And, you know, she's going to go to college for volleyball. But just a great player and a great kid as well. You know, someone I just love to talk to all the time. And when you look at Caden Ricks at Austin, you know, averaging a double-double or a large school player of the year. You know, another in a long line of players of the year that we've had that have come from Austin. They just, you know, kind of produce them at least every other year, if not every year.

And then finally, you know, Leah Pierce at Foggle, who is actually, you know, just a freshman, sophomore. So I can't forget which one, but a very young player who, you know, averaged 25 points a game. You know, and for a program that's not had a lot of success lately, she's kind of bringing back that spotlight. That's kind of her goal. And so, you know, she had a really good year. And she's going to continue, I think, to even get better. And that's always the fun. You know, it's great when you're able to give the awards to seniors.

But when you have, like, young kids that are able to win that award and you're, you know, they're already player of the year. You're like, how could they get better? But I have no doubt that they will get better. That's what's fun to watch. So I'm looking forward to that. And, yeah, we've got our last one coming out tomorrow. So, you know, feel free to check that out, too. Yeah, what I liked about Leah Pierce with Falkville was, I know sometimes, as you mentioned, it's black and white when you look at someone who went to the Final Four or the Elite Eight, the Regional, Wallace, et cetera.

But Falkville went 12 and 17, which, you know, on the surface, that's not, you know, it's not getting to Wallace. But she contributed to them tremendously. And Coach Bowling, in his first year, they made a major improvement over the past year. Let's ask you about some of the coaches of the year. Start first with a school that gets overlooked, I think, all the time. But we talked about them consistently. Jake Moran of East Limestone. They went to the Elite Eight. He started 16 wins, 18 wins, second season, 24 wins. In this season, 27 and 6, reached the Elite Eight.

[25:50] And they have been very consistent in the program. It continues to grow. Congratulations to East Limestone, the Decatur Daily 5A, 7A Basketball Coach of the Year. Yeah, you know, a phenomenal year. And, you know, something I think that came as a little bit of a surprise, I think, you know, you look at it last year. They made the Sweet 16. They had Zach Kane, who was a first-team All-State player of the year, and they lost him. And I think everybody assumed, myself included, that there's just no way you can't take a step back when you're losing him.

And some other starters as well. But they went out there, and they're even better this year, which I think just speaks to the program that Coach Moran has built there. And just how they continue to improve, and, you know, no matter, you know, what players they lose or don't lose. And, you know, it was unfortunate. I thought that they were a Final Four team, and I think that, you know, they kind of played their worst game of the year in that Elite Eight, which is, you know, sometimes what happens when you get a single elimination in the tournament.

But, you know, I think it's something to be really proud of, what they did this year. Especially with, you know, expectations. Nobody believed that they could do it. And so, you know, now that, you know, now that brings you to where, you know, now people are going to expect them for this year, no matter who they have. So, we'll see how they handle that expectation. But he's been one of the best coaches I've had, you know, in my time here. I mean, they continue to be good every year.

And I think they're going to continue to be good next year. Caleb, it's also the time of the year. Speaking of coaches, a lot of times they're always on the move in some cases. Your thoughts about the coaching shuffle across this neck of the woods. I know one place, Austin High, apparently has a brand new girls head basketball coach in Mike Chase. Yeah. I mean, it's kind of funny, you know, you look at it. You know, Decatur has an amazing season with their first year coach.

And, you know, went to the Sweet 16, were the only team in the postseason that, you know, gave Hazel Green a game and almost beat them. You know, they have a little bright future. So, I guess Austin looks at that like, well, we've got to do something. So, they're going to bring in their own state championship coach. And he is a great coach. I mean, that's a heck of a hire. You know, a guy that's won not just the state championship, but one of the state championship at the highest level in the state.

So, but, you know, you just look at it. That just is what Austin's doing right now. They're really investing in their sports. I mean, obviously, their football and boys basketball with Coach Perkins and Coach Phillips has been great. But you look at it, you know, they hired Coach Marsh, a state championship coach at volleyball. You know, she takes them to win almost 50 games in the final four of this year. And then, you know, Coach Potter, who was the coach of the year for us at Priceville, has Austin baseball, you know, having their best year in a while.

And now you get a state championship coach for girls basketball. I mean, they're investing in sports. And I love to see that because I think when you invest in your athletics, it leads to good things for your entire school. So, that's really cool. And I think he's going to have great success and he's going to bring Austin back to what I believe, you know, they should be. You know, I always thought Austin girls basketball was a great program. And, you know, they've kind of had, ever since Bruce Hamilton left, have been in a little bit of a slide.

But I think he'll definitely get them back. And it's going to be exciting. I'm looking forward to him and Coach Wright at Decatur. I think that's going to be some great games going forward. I was going to mention Coach Wright. Taylor Wright, the coach of the Decatur girls, 2026 5A, 7A girls coach of the year. And we talked about the Decatur girls throughout the basketball season, finished 28-6, its most wins in 26 years, advanced to the regional tournament for the first time since 2005. They were a perfect 14-0 at home.

And it was the renaissance of a program that, back in the 1990s, had a tremendous team. Congratulations to Tyler Wright, coach of the Decatur girls. Yeah, I mean, I think, you know, I tell people, it's hard to describe for a program that won five state titles in the 90s just how bad it had fallen off. And, you know, just kind of calling it spade to spade. I mean, it is what it is. They went through some really dark years, and, you know, it's not like he just came in and overturned it overnight.

I think they have been building back up to it for a little while. But, you know, this year, I mean, he really brought, like, a culture just immediately. It just kind of shifted things, and the players bought in, and it was an amazing season. And it wasn't like they just, you know, were beating bad teams. I mean, like I said, they went toe-to-toe with Hazel Green. Had it cut down to one point in the fourth quarter. I mean, you're talking about, nobody came within 20 points of Hazel Green in the postseason.

Except for Decatur. So, I mean, they were right there. And, you know, then the crazy thing was the defense players in that game were freshmen and eighth graders. So, they have a bright future. Coach Wright, he's a heck of a coach and a great guy as well. I enjoy talking to him all the time. They've got a bright future. But, yeah, what he did this year was amazing. Just an amazing story. And I'm glad I was able to be a part of it. And I'm looking forward to seeing what they're able to do going forward.

[30:54] Well, congratulations to all of the players and coaches of the year. And you can read about him in more detail on the Decatur Daily website. We'll be talking with you about baseball and softball in the next coming weeks, getting down to crunch time. Lindsey Lane is the number three team in Class 2A. That's Robbie Parker. Robbie Parker was the former head baseball coach, Bob Jones, with the Whitesburg Academy. Now, Lindsey Lane, they're now number three in Class 2A. You will watch for them. Athens Bible having a good year, too.

We'll be talking about these teams and more soon. But where can we get the big announcement tomorrow for the last one and then get all the good stuff online? Yeah, you can get online at Decatur Daily.com. Like you said, we'll have our final player of the year stuff going out tomorrow. And then, of course, plenty of baseball, softball, and other stuff. We're getting actually pretty close to the baseball postseason. It's crazy as it sounds. But, yeah, you can go online and find all that stuff there.

Absolutely great. Listen, have a great couple of weeks. We will catch up with you in a few weeks. Have a great weekend, Caleb. Sounds good, guys. Thanks for having me. Caleb Suggs taking a night with us. Busy there at the Decatur Daily. I wonder if he went to sleep last night, if he was still counting runs for the Braves. Mr. Braves himself, Bill Shanks on deck. Stay with us. They once filed a motion so airtight. Nobody could exit the building. Sharks feel safer when they get out of the water.

They are the lawyers you can trust. We can't take every case. But when we do, we like to win big. If you've been hurt, call McCutcheon and Hamner at 333-5000. Offices in Huntsville, Florence, and Athens. Stay safe, my friends. Do you owe $10,000 or more in credit card debt or personal? With credit card debt at all-time highs, Debt Relief Advocates is urgently notifying consumers of debt relief now being made available designed to aid consumers with out-of-control credit card debt. Those who qualify and enroll for this relief program will only have to pay back a fraction of what they owe.

This is not bankruptcy or a debt consolidation loan. This is a relief program that credit card companies would rather you not know about as it ends your debt nightmare and saves you lots of money. Consumers owing at least $10,000 in credit card debt or personal loans can now take advantage of this debt relief as the cost of living skyrockets. Debt Relief Advocates has established a relief hotline for you to call to learn what debt reduction you may qualify for, so don't wait. For this free information, call the relief hotline at 800-477-1462.

800-477-1462. 800-477-1462. Do you owe the IRS $10,000 or more in back taxes? Penalties and interest are piling up every single day. Wage garnishments and bank levies could hit any moment. If you've been avoiding it out of fear, you're not alone. But waiting only shrinks your options and ramps up the stress. The truth is, the IRS settles with taxpayers every day through legitimate programs, and many qualify to reduce what they owe, in some cases by up to 99%. That's why thousands turn to helpwithirsdebt.com. They've guided over 120,000 Americans, resolved more than $2.3 billion in tax debt, and back every case with their ironclad resolution guarantee.

If there's no real path forward, you get a full refund. No fine print. They even randomly select one qualifying client each year and pay off their entire IRS balance. Terms apply. Don't let another day pass. Go to helpwithirsdebt.com right now. It's fast, easy, and confidential. Find out what's possible today. Helpwithirsdebt.com. Once again, that's helpwithirsdebt.com. No one likes having to choose. That's why, with America's best lineup of hybrids from Hyundai, you get the best of both worlds. Like the reliable and efficient Tucson hybrid, with America's best warranty.

Or the stylish yet capable Santa Fe hybrid, with the power to navigate the toughest terrain. It's like having your cake and eating it too. But, you know, better. Hybrids from Hyundai. It's the best of both worlds. Visit HyundaiUSA.com or call 562-314-4603 for more details. 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. 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. Progressive presents the Sports Flash on 93-9, the score. Auburn Mets basketball team was a winner in the NIT semifinals last night as they beat Illinois State, 88-66. Auburn will play in Sunday's championship game in Indianapolis at Cambridge Fieldhouse. Let's take on Tulsa in the NIT title game. The Atlanta Braves yesterday, winners in Arizona.

[36:17] They crushed the Diamondbacks 17-2. Braves with the victory are now 5-2. Rinaldo Lopez earned the victory for Atlanta. In college baseball action yesterday, Auburn was a winner over Arkansas 10-2. Alabama won on the road at Oklahoma 10-7. South Alabama was beaten at 14th-ranked Coastal Carolina 12-2. Troy a winner at home against Arkansas State 6-4. 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. Straight Talk Wireless presents Pickup Truck Wisdom. The smartest way to spend your money is not to.

Straight Talk offers free 5G phones for new and existing customers on Verizon's 5G network. So the refund money I don't spend on that free phone is the refund money I get to keep for my family. Smart. Find us at straighttalk.com and Walmart. Straight Talk Wireless. Straightforward. Always. Taxes and fees apply. Plan purchase required for free phone offers. Copyright 2026 Verizon. Progressive knows you want to get away. But not like too away. You crazy unknown. But also charcuterie boards with four types of cheese. And that's exactly why you bought an RV and bundled it with Progressive.

Because 24-7 protection is one luxury you'll never have to give up. So go ahead. Explore the wilderness. All from the comfort of your zero-gravity cap chair. Switch to Progressive and protect your RV, boat, or motorcycle by bundling with your home or auto insurance. Progressive casualty insurance company affiliates and third-party insurance. Not available in all state-of-situations. The Score. Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score. The Score. Welcome back in. I got a feeling he said, now that's the way you do it. Bill Shanks is host of The Bill Shanks Show on 93.1 FM in Macon, Georgia.

Online at thesesuperstations.com and on the tube at 41NBC. Bill Shanks, welcome in. Are you a happy, brave today? How are you? Well, I like 5-2 a lot better than Owen Salman, that's for sure. You got it. You know, Bill, if they'd hit a field goal last night, they'd scored 20, right? Your thoughts about the game, the team, and as you alluded to, what a difference the year makes. Last year, a nightmare. And so far, they're living the dream. By comparison, anyway, your thoughts about the game and the start.

Well, it's a really good start. I mean, I think we have to feel good about it. I think Kansas City's a good team. I think Oakland's, or excuse me, the Athletics are going to be better than what they are. And, you know, I think Arizona's going to be a decent team. I mean, so, they scored the Tigers, who were the best team, I think, in the American League Central Division. So, I think it's very good. And thank God they didn't start off with great teams like San Diego and L.A.

because they did a break after last year. The other thing I like, Bill, I don't care what sport it is, it's hard to win a championship when you have a star and basically not much else. The point I'm trying to make here, correct me if I'm wrong, but the Braves now are the first Major League Baseball team to have 11 different, and that's the key word, players with a hit and an RBI in a game since the Expos back in 1979, a long time ago. The point being, it's not just one guy that's carrying the load right now.

When you get this kind of across-the-board contribution, you've got to be optimistic. I think so. And I think that's what we wanted to see coming out of spring training, right? They had a really good spring training. They did very, very well. And I think that's exactly what we wanted to see. And so, to have that, again, you just can't really write a better beginning of the season. I was just looking up, the team ERA is 2.00, and the, especially the National League, only the Yankees, at 1.01, have a better team ERA.

The Marlins, of course, have been a very surprising team, no doubt about that. But Braves lead the Major League in home runs. They have the third-best batting average. They have scored the third-most runs. So, I mean, it's just all, again, I think because of a lot of things, but mostly year one of Walt White, this was needed. You needed to have just a good start to the season to not flip a script, you know, and that's what they've been able to do. Well, Drake Baldwin is a future superstar.

That's not a surprise to a lot of people. What has been a pleasant surprise to me is Lopez, with two good starts, gave up one run over five innings, and I still ask the same question. Can he do it over the course of the season? Dominique Smith has been an amazing story. With left spring training for a week, his mother passed away, comes back, hits a grand slam against the Royals, and then had another homer last night. DuBois is playing well. Again, I keep pinching myself, thinking about this, and then Chris Sale pitched Wednesday in the day game, and as Walt White said, was sick as a dog.

[41:58] 12 innings, 9Ks, .75 ERA, and your favorite pitcher, Bryce Elder, has not given up anything. Again, like you said, it's going well so far. Yes, it is. Bryce did well, which is great. I want to see that. I think, you know, to have the – I mean, it's not much to complain about. It's just not a whole lot to complain about right now. You have the rotation with an ERA of 2.39. The overall ERA is 2, which means the bullpen ERA is even better, right? I'm looking that up now, curious about that, since the starter's ERA was so good.

Yeah, the bullpen ERA is 1.42. Well, that's awesome. I mean, you know, they've walked three people in 25 innings. You're going to win a lot of games if you do put up numbers like that. And, you know, I think they've just got to continue – you know, every team – I tell you, I've come almost philosophical on this because of what's happened at Atlanta Hawks, which I know you all have been talking about in detail. Right. Absolutely. Right. The metamorphosis of a team during a season to me is always interesting, and that's why the Hawks are such a great story.

Truthfully, they are. And the Braves, you never know what their story's going to be. I mean, we didn't know in 2021 that Ronald Acuna would get hurt and he'd turn around and win the World Series anyway. You know, there's just so many things that you can do over the course of six months or 162 games. But to start your story off in a good note – and, again, compared to last year when we learned that to start your story off with a bad note, you're in trouble. It's just a very, very important thing for this team this year after what happened last year.

You bring – that's going to bring up that point just to add to that. I mean, sometimes it's one of those deals in life. It's not always a perfect script. And the fact that they went through the offseason, everybody says we've had key injuries. And then even before things began, you get the profile news, you get the injuries, the key injuries of the pitching staff. It's a choice. You come to that fork in road and you've got to take it. It either says you're getting a fetal position or you can break out the us-against-them card.

You went to camp with these guys. From afar, it seems like they're applying to the latter part there, Bill. It's us against them. Sometimes adversity can be a good thing if you make it work for you. Well, I mean, they had some things happen to them in spring training early on that were not good. So they were like kind of, here we go again. And for them – I mean, look, I'm probably the only one in the country who gave a d*** about the fact that the Atlanta Braves had a really good record in spring training.

And, you know, I still stand by that, that it mattered. It mattered because of what they did last year. And, again, I know I'm old and take a weird view because of what happened, but 44 years ago, Joe Torrey took over the Braves and wanted a winning spring training. He said, we need to win in spring training. We don't need to lose in spring training. We're starting over. We've got to have a different culture. And it wasn't that drastic this year, don't get me wrong. But still, because of what happened last year, because of the managerial change, it was similar in a certain aspect that, okay, if you did well in spring training, carry that over.

Well, not that I expected the Braves to win 13 straight like they did 44 years ago in 1982, but I did want them to just simply start strong, and that's what they've done. So, you know, once again, I'm right, and everybody's wrong. It's just a matter of fact. That's it. Well, and something else you write about is with the future of college football. We talked about this on the year award-winning show yesterday. Alabama Athletic Director Greg Byrne comes out and says the ship has sailed in reference to the SEC championship game or conference championship games, which Georgia and Alabama have been very successful with, along with Florida.

I think a lot of people saw this when they expand eventually to 16 or, heaven forbid, 24, and you said yesterday you've got all the answers to this that they'd ever listen to. So, you put it on the napkin in the Mexican restaurant. Talk about this. I've always been in favor of a definitive way to reach a champion, and you do that on the field, and now it would be standings and head-to-head. But your thoughts on what Greg Byrne said yesterday and what seems to be the direction we're going in.

Well, I understand why he said it, but I just don't like it. I don't like the potential elimination of a conference championship game because I don't think it's necessary. I think if they incentivize the championship game to get there and to win it by tying it into the national playoff, then you're going to have teams want to get to it and want to play in it. I had someone call in later on in my show and said, you know, I think they ought to somehow tie in the regular season champion and the conference championship game winner.

[47:16] But I said, well, you know, what's the likelihood that the regular season champion would not be in the conference championship game? I mean, that's kind of the point of having the standings there. However, I think still, you know, we're getting the conversation going. I mean, I'm serious. Four months ago when I was saying all this and screaming out loud, I'm like, somebody say something. Somebody say something. Somebody make a comment and come up with a plan. And, you know, and I hate to say this, but if you're so d*** smart about college football, you come up with something.

You're going to complain about it. And I'm talking about people who are highly paid, more than the three of us, who, if they're so brilliant at college football, well, what's your plan? What's your idea? What do you think will happen? Because nobody was saying anything. And so, and I include athletic directors about that. So I applaud the fact that now athletic directors are starting to speak out and say something. I mean, but I still think the conference championship should mean something. And you can't tell me you can't tie that to part of the playoff.

Why can't you? And you know what? They're going to say, well, we can't because we've got ten conferences. Well, there's your little opening to tell the other six conferences to go do their own d*** thing, right? Because they do not need to be in this playoff. So, yeah, I mean, 478-646-ESPN. If they want to call me later, they can let me know. Well, I think Greg may be on the other line right now. But there's another question going to be, Bill, does Georgia still have a football team?

If so, how are things going this spring? Well, they do. And they are, things are going very well. I personally, here on April 3rd, don't think that Georgia's going to lose a game in the next 18 months. I mean, it's very good here in April. You know, everything looks good in April. No, they're having a good camp. They're doing very well. They seem to be in good shape. They're finding out some things about their depth. They're looking at the wide receiver room and trying to figure things out of who's going to kind of step up with the people that have left now, like Branch and some others.

But, yeah, they're having a really good camp. Everything seems to be good. The depth is very good. And, you know, I just think it's, you know, they just need to stay healthy and continue to have a good spring practice. But I think the line of scrimmage depth is what they're working on. That seems to be going well. We're hearing a lot of good names. You know, in spring practice, you just want to hear names, right? Who's doing well? Who's showing up? And now, because every d*** freshman's there, all right, well, what freshman's doing well now?

So, I think we're hearing that. And, you know, it's, I mean, it's really, it should scare every team to just contract and go to the ACC, to be honest with you. Now, this afternoon, when you're going through the, reviewing the Braves' incredible start to the season and you get into your plan for college football, I encourage our local listeners to give you a call, such as Jay and Tim from Athens, to say, first of all, Bill Shanks is the smartest man on the planet when he comes to sports.

And we need to be listening to him with everything that he says, and particularly about college football. So, if they would like to call you and talk about the great start the Braves have had, your incredible plan to rejuvenate college football and get into the future, and how bad Alabama is going to beat Georgia in Tulsa this coming fall, where can they go? Well, first of all, bretthasadream.com, and second of all, dsuperstations.com. We will be on the air, and we will be leading everybody up to Hawks basketball, and my next plan is to get everybody in Alabama on the Hawks bandwagon so y'all better prepare.

I just clicked on that website you mentioned. You should see the pictures on there. We can't discuss them here, but Bill, maybe later on. Listen, man, as always, out of the park with it. Have a good weekend. Stay safe out there, Bill, okay? Thank you, guys. Happy Easter. See you, buddy. You too. Happy Easter to you, Bill. Bill Shanks, again, online at thesuperstations.com. It's not April Fool's. Auburn's in a championship game, BB. They beat Illinois State last night, rather handily, 86-66, and will advance to the championship game Sunday night against Tulsa, as you mentioned.

Quite frankly, they just overmatched Illinois State. They had the big guy in the middle of four, and he only scored 10 points. Now, last night's game was at Hinkle. Sunday night's game will be at the home of the NBA's Indiana Pacers. That will be on ESPN2 starting, I believe, at 7 o'clock. The Tigers with some Tulsa time coming up on Sunday night. In the meantime, Drew D'Armond, Doug Sigrist, and Mike Hugin, and all straight ahead, here to the Boom O'Buck Show. Stay with us. Hello, my name is Adam Birchall, and I'm an attorney with a law firm of Johnson, Passeur, Medley, and Birchall.

[52:35] Why use an out-of-town lawyer when you can call our law firm, which has over 100 years of combined experience in all areas of the law? Check us out first by calling our office at 256-766-3131. No representation is made that the quality of legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers. Indeed presents Hires You Can't Afford to Get Wrong, like a cybersecurity engineer at a publicly traded company. We've been hacked! They're through our firewall! How is that even possible?

They got my password. Please don't tell me your password was password. It's actually password one. This is a job for sponsored jobs! This is what happens when you don't sponsor your job on Indeed. Next time, get matched with quality candidates with Indeed Sponsored Jobs. Visit Indeed.com slash hire now and sponsor your job today. Every morning, we rise and shine. Make breakfast and brush away the night's rest. These routines help us start the day off right. Nature-made vitamins are a simple step in that daily care regimen.

Multivitamins with daily essentials. Clinically studied probiotics for gut health support. Magnesium to help relax the body. Nature-made is made to care for you every day. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. 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. 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. Do you read more about your team in the off-season than in the season-season? Does your game-day outfit include a brown bag with eye holes? Then you may be a fan of a BST or bad sports team. Luckily, when you bundle your home and auto insurance with Progressive, you're protected.

Because seeing your painted face in the rearview mirror after a loss isn't just depressing. It's distracting. Visit Progressive.com today. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company affiliates and other insurers. Coverage subject to policy terms. Not available in all states or situations. Hey, it's Rich Eisen for Pella Windows and Doors. Sometimes teams take a timeout to regroup and call the right play. When it comes to your home, Pella Windows and Doors always has the winning game plan. They're not just window and door experts. They're experts at taking care of you and your home.

At Pella, they find the products that meet your needs and their experts install them. They do it every day, and that's why your neighbors trust them. Discover why Pella is a trusted choice for homeowners everywhere. Visit Pella.com slash Eisen today. That's Pella.com slash Eisen. Progressive presents the Sports Flash on 93.9 The Score. Auburn Mets basketball team was a winner in the NIT semifinals last night as they beat Illinois State 88-66. Auburn will play in Sunday's championship game in Indianapolis at Cambridge Fieldhouse. They'll take on Tulsa in the NIT title game.

The Atlanta Braves yesterday, winners in Arizona. They crushed the Diamondbacks 17-2. Braves with the victory are now 5-2. Ronaldo Lopez earned the victory for Atlanta. In college baseball action yesterday, Auburn was a winner over Arkansas 10-2. Alabama won on the road at Oklahoma 10-7. South Alabama was beaten at 14th ranked Coastal Carolina 12-2. Troy a winner at home against Arkansas State 6-4. 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. Straight Talk Wireless presents Pickup Truck Wisdom.

The smartest way to spend your money is not to. Straight Talk offers free 5G phones for new and existing customers on Verizon's 5G network. So the refund money I don't spend on that free phone is the refund money I get to keep for my family. Smart. Find us at straighttalk.com and Walmart. Straight Talk Wireless. Straightforward. Always. Taxes and fees apply. Plan purchase required for free phone offers. Copyright 2026 Verizon. Progressive knows you want to get away. But not like too away. You crave the unknown. But also charcuterie boards with four types of cheese.

And that's exactly why you bought an RV and bundled it with Progressive. Because 24-7 protection is one luxury you'll never have to give up. So go ahead. Explore the wilderness. All from the comfort of your zero-gravity camp chair. Switch to Progressive and protect your RV, boat, or motorcycle by bundling with your home or auto insurance. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company affiliates and third-party insurance. Not available in all state-of-situations. Progressive's Home Quote Explorer helps you easily find and buy the right coverage for you. It's everything you've always wanted.

[57:37] Well, I mean, you know, as far as a website that lets you shop, quote, and buy insurance in one place. But hey, maybe that is everything you've always wanted. You know? Yeah, people have different types of dreams. And if all you've ever been searching for is a website that helps you choose home insurance rates and coverage, boy, do we have great news about Progressive's Home Quote Explorer. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company affiliates and third-party insurers. Comparison rates not available in all states or situations. Prices vary based on how you buy.

Oh, could this vintage store be any cuter? Right? And the best part? They accept Discover. Accept Discover? In a little place like this? I don't think so, Jennifer. Oh, yeah, huh. Discover's accepted where I like to shop. Come on, baby. Get with the times. Right, so we shouldn't get the parachute pants? These are making a comeback. I think. Discover is accepted at 99% of places that take credit cards nationwide. Based on the February 2025 Nielsen Report. WITK Rogersville Athens to cater the show. Sports Radio 93.9 The School. Valley Broadcasting Corporation.

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 Champy'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, mostly sunny with a high around 85. Tonight, partly cloudy with possible gusty winds overnight and a low near 65. Tomorrow, partly sunny with a 70% chance of afternoon showers and a high around 85.

Tomorrow night, showers and thunderstorms likely with a low near 50. Ampere Sunday, mostly sunny with a high around 70. 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. The Boomo Bugg Show. Your exclusive inside track to the Tide, Tigers, Tennessee, and the rest of the SEC. Now, your host, Harold Bugg on 93.9 The Score. Welcome back in our Tide of the Boomo Bugg Show. I'm Harold Bugg alongside Brett Beaird.

Thank you so much for giving us a free ride around the Tennessee Valley. With that, we say hello to Mr. Mike Kuganon College, football, basketball, national analyst down in a place called Orlando, Florida. Mike, welcome in. How are you? Doing quite well. I'm good. Mike, obviously, before we get to the obvious topic, the final four, it's very interesting. The question, where were you in 1976? The reason we bring that up, 50 years ago, Indiana made history. What a year it's been for Indiana football this year. And 50 years ago, Indiana basketball, the last team to go unbeaten from wire to wire.

A special recognition coming up before Monday night's championship game. Your thoughts just about how incredible that was. There's been some close calls since then, but it just illustrates how tough it is to go unbeaten from wire to wire. Yeah, that was back in the era when I would argue that not nearly as many teams cared about basketball. It's still an unbeaten squad. They beat Michigan in the final, and that was the first all-one conference final. I think it was only the third year of more than one team from a league being allowed to go.

But, yeah, going undefeated is exceedingly difficult. Losing one or two games, just one or two games is exceedingly difficult. Gonzaga almost did it a couple years ago, lost to Baylor in the final. But, yeah, if you're unbeaten, again, I don't care what league you're in, that is exceedingly difficult to do. So, that is a pretty incredible memory 50 years ago. That's what I'm saying. I mean, just for a – That's sobering, unfortunately. Yeah, I apologize. Just for a fun topic, where would Bobby Knight be with today's athlete?

[1:02:48] Today's college basketball, the idea about players are getting paid. If they don't like you, they'll leave. I think he is the ultimate old-school coach, and I don't think – if he were around today, very few players would like to play for him. It's not to say he wasn't a really – he was a high-level X's and O's guy. But, yeah, the way he treated players – and I know there's a lot of players who still to this day say, oh, best thing that ever happened to me, all that kind of stuff, that's fine.

I just don't think in this era he would be successful at all. Let me ask you. You announced about an hour ago that Tommy Lloyd at Arizona has agreed to a contract extension. One of the more interesting stipulations in the contract that I noticed was he doesn't have to report to the athletic director anymore. Now that he is off the table for North Carolina, who do you think are the two candidates? Dusty Mate, Michigan, Billy Donovan, who appears to be getting a little – not bored, but maybe a little tired with the NBA.

Where does North Carolina go after the Final Four? And Tommy Lloyd were their top two choices. It's exceedingly rare – I mean, here we are a day before the national semifinals that Arizona's playing in, and Arizona felt the need to say, oh, we re-signed him to a – That's right. Which means that during the NCAA tournament, there was talk about him re-upping. Generally, that kind of stuff is done after the tournament's over. Obviously, Arizona felt that they were in a little bit of danger of losing him. You know, Donovan, he left college basketball.

He wasn't a fan of recruiting, and obviously college basketball is much more like the NBA now. But, I mean, at the same time, I mean, he hasn't coached in college basketball for a decade. Yeah. That would be interesting to see. I'm not sure why Dusty May would leave Michigan. Obviously, he has everything he needs at Michigan to win a national title. Though, I will say, I've been to Ann Arbor. I've been to Chapel Hill. I'd much rather live in Chapel Hill than Ann Arbor. So, you know, I don't know if coaches – you know, I think, you know, quote-unquote, normal people care about that kind of stuff.

Maybe, you know, maybe coaches don't because they make so much money and don't have to associate with us riff-raff. But the triangle area in – the research triangle area in North Carolina is a heck of a lot nicer than that area in Michigan. Now that bit, he's facing some political storms over the past few days at his NBA level. That's a story for another day. But let's talk about the final four, Mike. Let's talk about the other game. Number two, UConn. Number three, Illinois. Again, obviously, UConn – they shouldn't be there because Duke choked.

I think the difference was Duke was counting on a lot of young guys when they play. The young guys make mistakes. UConn is a veteran team. Hung in there. They looked dead in the water twice and still one. Terrace Reed is a really talented big man. Illinois has enormous height, solid depth. Wagler has played way beyond his years and way beyond his recruiting ranking. Brad Underwood's a great story. I mean, here's a guy – 20 years ago, Brad Underwood was a 42-year-old man, head coach at Daytona Beach Community College.

And my presumption is that he was thinking, I'm 42, I'm a junior college coach, what potentially can I do? And here he is in the final four. So, he's a basketball lifer. You've got to like guys like that. This is a team that shoots the ball well. They've got a lot of big guys. And one thing that Illinois can do, they can handle a lot of guys getting in foul trouble. So, my assumption is they're going to be extremely physical with Terrace Reed. Let's see if Terrace Reed can avoid fouls.

I think Illinois is going to win. What's your thoughts on Hurley? We know he can win. He loves the camera. If not, he does a good job fooling a lot of folks. Your thoughts about Hurley with Connecticut? A good coach. His antics can be bothersome. I also think, though, that there are a lot of coaches who prefer – you know, I think the idea is, well, look, that guy's a camera hog. Talk about Danny Hurley. And meanwhile, no one's discussing anything about UConn players. And I think that does take some of the pressure off the players.

[1:08:13] UConn's got a nice basketball budget. They're spending money on basketball. You know, and as good a coach as Hurley is, he is not nearly as accomplished as the women's coach on his campus. But one thing that's interesting to me, Hurley defers to Ariema, certainly something that Jim Calhoun never, ever, ever did. Heck, I'm not even sure Calhoun would have even thought of that. He and Ariema did not have a good relationship. Hurley makes no bones about it. Jim Calhoun built this program. Gino Ariema has made UConn into a national name.

I'm just sort of the keeper of the flame. But, yeah, his antics on the sideline can be bothersome. But his teams are extremely well coached. He defers a lot to his assistants. You know, Luke Murray is going to become coach at Boston College. And I think that's specifically because Hurley gives him a lot of leeway. So, I think Hurley is a really good coach. But, yeah, I think there's a lot of folks out there who are tired of his antics. Mike, everybody is looking forward to, as Harold alluded to, of course, the second game against the two, Bethamoss and Basketball.

Michigan has just been a buzzsaw running through Alabama, even though the tide led that game at halftime. And then Michigan hit seven out of seven shots. Then they just run Tennessee out of the gym. I saw a stat that amazed me, Mike. And Linda Boer may be the MVP of the tournament right now. We'll see about the next two games. But Michigan has outscored their opponents by 109 points. Now, you say, well, you know, for a very good team, that's pretty common. Arizona's outscored their opponents by 292 points.

That still amazes me. Mike, break down what many people think is the game of the tournament. Yeah, I think the winner of this game is going to win it all. Arizona's got the better record. They're seven points away from being unbeaten. A really interesting mix. Experienced guys and absolutely vital freshmen. Jaden Bradley, senior. Toby O'Walka, senior. The Krivos kid, junior. Delorso, senior. But then you've got Karchnikoff, Burries, and Pete, who are all exceedingly important freshmen. You mentioned Lindeborg. He has had just an incredibly productive tournament.

Really? Michigan's got that really impressive three-man power rotation of Lindeborg, Johnson, and Mara. They bring Roddy Gale's a senior, and Amari Burnett's a senior, Kado's a junior, Lindeborg's a senior, an example of an old team put together through the portal. I'm interested in seeing how Arizona handles Lindeborg. I think of Lindeborg as, I think he's a little bit thin-skinned. So, Arizona can, they can handle guys being in foul trouble. So, I'm exceedingly, and O'Walka fouls often. But I can see O'Walka bothering Lindeborg. I can see Pete bothering Lindeborg, and I can see Krivos bothering Lindeborg.

So, the Krivos-Day-Mara thing is going to be fascinating. A 7'2 guy and a 7'3 guy. You know, Arizona does not shoot a lot of threes, but they're exceedingly good when they shoot them. So, this is just a phenomenal game. But I think it comes down to me. I trust Jaden Bradley more than I trust Elliott Kado. So, to me, that's going to be the determining factor. And I think Arizona wins because I think Bradley is better than Kado. Mike, you're going to hook it up with us.

National College basketball slash football analyst Mike Bilsail says, I'm coming back. Forget all that talk about me hanging it up due to health reasons. What does that do for Kansas? What does it do for a lot of these coaches who wanted to get their resume in there and jump on that gravy train at Kansas? Yeah, you know, I will say this. It's interesting to me, at least, that since the NIL portal era really kicked into high gear, Kansas is, I don't know, an 8, 9, 10, 11-loss team. Yeah.

Which, you know, you talk to the cynical among us, and they're like, well, now that there's more of an even playing field and Kansas doesn't buy the better players, they're really not that special anymore. And I'll be honest, I think there is something to that. I think, you know, Bill Self obviously has won national titles, he recruits well, Kansas has money to spend, but they have underachieved relative to their talent level the last couple of years. I think that's a reflection of the coach. And if I'm, you know, maybe if this were five years ago or eight years ago and Bill Self was coming back, I'm a big 12 coach going, oh, man, that irritates me.

[1:13:51] Now I'm like, eh, who cares? Because I don't think Bill Self and Kansas are a special team anymore. That's a good way to put that. I agree with your assessment of that Michigan-Arizona team. Bradley, who, of course, played at Alabama, the transfer to Arizona, has got the experience. Cadeau, he transferred from North Carolina. Some of that may show up Saturday night. We'll see where it goes. Well, listen, enjoy the final four, it's been a fun tournament, and let's do this again next Friday. Mike Coogan and Huddle with us, National College Football slash Basketball Analyst down in Orlando.

Not to go that far to get the vibes of the man from Birmingham, Doug Secret, Don Deck, 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 simple phone call can resolve your tax problem and save you thousands of dollars. Evan Cohen here. In life, as in sports, the pros make it look easy. That's why pro golfers like Jason Day, Ben Griffin, and Patton Kazire trust the pros in lawn care.

True Green. They have the experience and expertise to give you a lawn worthy of the PGA Tour. And since True Green does the work for you, you get more free time or more tea times. So stop stressing over your lawn and start loving it. Sign up now at TrueGreen.com because nobody makes it easier to get a golf course quality lawn than True Green, the official lawn care treatment provider of the PGA Tour. 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. 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. This is the story of the one. As a maintenance tech at a university, he knows ordering from multiple suppliers takes time away from keeping their arena up and running.

That's why he counts on Grainger. To get everything he needs, from lighting and HVAC parts to plumbing supplies, all in one place. And with fast, dependable delivery, he's stocked and ready for the next tip-off. Call 1-800-GRAINGER, click grainger.com, or just stop by Grainger. For the ones who get it done. America, look around. Everywhere you go, prices are still high, rates have been whipsawing markets, and the debt and spending don't exactly scream stability. Experts say diversifying with intention is the number one secret account that all American smart money uses to hedge against instability.

Monetary Gold has been around since 2000, witnessing multiple economic setbacks. If you call now, Monetary Gold will cover up to a lifetime of your IRA fees on qualified accounts. Call Monetary Gold now at 877-NOW-GOLD. That's 877-NOW-GOLD. Performance may vary. You should always consult your financial and tax professional. Adam Schefter here. Did you know the average employer sorts through about 250 resumes for one job opening? Well, if you're hiring, here's good news. You can now review resumes and applications faster thanks to ZipRecruiter. With ZipRecruiter's new feature, qualified candidates who are very interested in your job show up at the top of your list.

No wonder ZipRecruiter is the number one rated hiring site based on G2. Try it for free at ZipRecruiter.com slash sports. That's ZipRecruiter.com slash sports. Progressive knows that boat days can come with unexpected problems. Oh, no. I dropped my lip balm in the water. I can't think of anything worse than the looming threat of potentially having chapped lips. Ah, it was ginger vanilla, too. My favorite flavor. If a real problem comes along, your boat's protected 24-7 with Progressive. So you can keep worrying about boater problems.

Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Not available in D.C. And power. Tim collects bobbleheads. A lot of bobbleheads. Baseball bobbleheads. Race car bobbleheads. Little chihuahua bobbleheads. He's got an entire room strictly for bobbleheads. Does he need them? No. Is his wife mad about it? A little. But Tim works with Empower, and he got good at money. So he can be a little bad. Ooh, horse bobblehead. Classy, Tim. Empower. Invest well. Live a little. Start today at Empower.com. It's time to level up your game.

[1:19:29] Introducing the all-new ESPN app. All of ESPN, all in one place. Your home for the most live sports and the best championship moments. The electricity is palpable. Step up your game with no annual contract required. It's the ultimate fan experience. Level up for more on the ESPN app or at stream.espn.com. Sign up now. The Score. Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score. Welcome back in. He could be called the saddest man on the planet. Why? Because he has loved himself from college basketball.

And as they say on the street corner, the end is near. I think Doug Seegers might agree with that. Maybe not. We'll check in. Former tri-host of The Zone, ABC 3340 down in Birmingham. Named as one of the 50 legends of the Alabama Sports Writers Association. His book is called A Storm Came Up. Doug, welcome in. How are you? I'm great, and you're right. I mean, the end is nigh. But here's the thing about March Madness. It bleeds into Major League Baseball and the Masters. So, I'm set for the next six months.

So, you're a happy man, right, Doug? I mean, first of all, what about the Braves last night? What about that start from these guys? If they hit that field goal, they scored over 20 points, Doug. No, that's incredible. I mean, think about it. It's the first time 11 players have had to hit in an RBI since the Expos. I mean, yeah, listen, a five and two stars is much better than those and seven stars. So, I will admit that. You know what's amazing about that, Doug? There's a generation of guys out there saying, who are the Expos?

The Montreal Expos, by the way. Look it up. Doug, still say one of the best uniforms of all time. Your thoughts? Before we're talking about Final Four Fever, did you have it on your bingo card that Auburn will be playing in Indianapolis for a national championship game? I did not. I thought they would have a shot at getting there for the NCAA tournament, but not for the NIT. So, credit to them. I mean, I'm impressed. I know everybody belittles it, and it doesn't mean what it used to mean.

But the bottom line is this team had chemistry and culture problems a month ago, and they've rallied. And I think that's a good sign going forward. So, what do you think Pearl has learned from this experience, the disappointment in the time of not making it back after last year's success? It's one thing to get the NIT. That's great. But more importantly, lessons learned this year heading into year two after you've had his on-the-job training as a head coach. What are you going to learn, Doug? I think sometimes you've got to make tough decisions.

You've got to sit really good players. You've got to get their attention. And, you know, when he did that, you know, didn't respond immediately, but responded pretty quickly. And, again, you know, Bruce Pearl has his own personality, can handle things a certain way. Steven's got to kind of get out from under the shadows. And, excuse me, I just think he handled the hard times well. Let me ask you about the SEC coaches. About two weeks ago, Nate Oates was on the way to North Carolina, according to some media pundits.

Or, if he didn't go, Mark Byington at Vanderbilt was going to go. Rick Barnes was going to retire. And then Will Wade comes in, the one and only, to LSU. That's going to be entertaining moving forward. But, according to Greg Byrne last Saturday night, he ain't going anywhere, according to Nate Oates. Art Byington is supposedly going to be signing another extension at Vandy. And Rick Barnes says, yeah, I'm coming back for year 12. And, right now, there doesn't appear to be any more changes in the SEC for the basketball, men's basketball coaches.

Doug, your thoughts? I think everybody wants to stick around just to make sure Will Wade doesn't take over the thing. Oh, my goodness. Yeah, there's some robberies there. No, listen, I've always thought if Nate Oates left, it would be for Michigan State or the NBA. And, again, you know, I think the NBA is great, but I think it's awfully hard to coach. I mean, it's the only sport where the coaches are really kind of overshadowed by everybody else. I mean, we don't know coaches in the NBA like we do at the college level.

Right. In college or king, you know, you look at Mark Byington, you know, 10 years ago, that would have been a no-brainer. You get out of Vanderbilt as quickly as possible, but now Vanderbilt has the money. Right. You know, they've got complete athletic support. What they've done with this entire athletic department is just incredible. And this is a place you can win big for a long time. And I think with Rick Barnes, it's just his unfinished business. He wants to get to that Final Four. They've been so close.

[1:24:49] He's still got fire left to him as evidenced by this team. Again, if you look at Alabama and Tennessee's rosters at this time last year, with what they had coming back, for them to go as far as they did is really kind of a head-scratcher. So he's proven he can still do it. You're right about the NBA. People buy tickets not to watch coaches. They come for the players, and I think a coach has to understand that before they get into that. Doug, in the meantime, have you caught a dose of Final Four fever?

Where do you start in breaking down the weekend before the big show on Monday night? I think the winner, and I think we all agree that the winner comes out of the Michigan-Arizona game. I've said all along, I think Michigan's the best team in the country. I think if anybody can tame them, it's Arizona. Now we go to that other game, and I just said the first one's the national championship game. But this is an Illinois team that has the size of Michigan and Arizona. It has the outside shooting.

It's a complete team. They've got, again, maybe the best freshman left in the tournament. And then UConn, which I'm not sure this is, you know, top three roster that we've seen the last four years from Danny Hurley. But they've got the best coach in the business. Really have no business being here. And yet here they are. And he can, you know, he can out-scheme anybody. So while I think Saturday are the two best teams that should be the national championship, I wouldn't sell either one of these other two teams short.

Illinois is just for the fact that, you know, they kind of know what Michigan does if that's the matchup we get. And then UConn can figure out a way to stop anybody. Linden Borg at Michigan, as you mentioned, you think Michigan is, they've been a steamroller all year. And, of course, beat Alabama, even though Alabama looked very good in the first half. Ran Tennessee at the gym. A lot of people have asked me, is this the same guy who played at UAB? Yeah. Talk about what you saw with him at UAB compared to what you've seen the last two games against SEC teams.

I think everybody forgets how good UAB was. And had they not been in one big league, I mean, you know, they'd been in the tournament both of his seasons. He was just, he was very good. The difference is if he had an off game, it usually cost UAB. And everybody in that league knew he was kind of the bell cow. And you had, you know, Budda, Johnson, some other players. But he was kind of the bell cow. Now he is the best player in the country.

But if he has an off night, four other guys can go for 20 and 10. Great point. And that's just how good the roster is. But I just think you take him and you put him on Alabama or Auburn's roster. And they're in this position right now. And so, NIT or even the Sweet 16, that's how good he is. He's a transformational player. And, again, credit to Andy Kennedy and Sidney Ball and some of those assistants who found him at UAB. Nobody knew about this guy. I mean, he barely played high school ball.

And he's a good dude to boot. You know, he's come off a little arrogant in some of the postgame stuff. But I think that's just his personality. Everybody who knows him just thinks he's a great kid, down to earth. He just loves playing ball. Nothing wrong with that. Yeah. And Andy Kennedy is still one of the most underrated coaches in the country. We'd be curious to see where UAB goes from here. Well, listen, get to the store if you need some more refreshments. Make sure the TV's working.

And enjoy yourself some Final Four, my friend. Yeah, I think I need chips and dip. I'm going to just place an order. You might need some tees and green jackets. Let's talk about that next week. But enjoy this weekend first, Doug, okay? Thanks, guys. You'll have a great weekend. See you, bud. Doug Sigrist, former tri-host of The Zone, ABC 3340 Down in Birmingham. Coming up, D-Square, Drew DeArmond on deck. Stay with us. Baseball season is back. Baseball season is back, and there's no better place to catch every inning than Sam's Sports Grill in Florence.

For 26 years, we've been bringing you quality food, consistent favorites, and service that feels like home. From wings and ribs to ice cold beers and game day specials, we've got everything you need from first pitch to final out. Grab your crew, find your seat, and don't miss a moment of the action. Sam's Sports Grill in Florence. Make our place your place. 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.

[1:30:11] 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. IQ Bars are packed with 12 grams of protein, brain nutrients like magnesium and lion's mane, and zero weird stuff. And right now, you can get 20% off all IQ Bar products, plus free shipping. Try our delicious IQ Bar sampler pack with seven plant protein bars, four hydration mixes, and four enhanced coffee sticks. Clean ingredients, amazing taste, and you'll love how you feel. Refuel smarter, hydrate harder, caffeinate larger with IQ Bar.

Now you can get 20% off all IQ Bar products, plus free shipping, when you text RADIO to 64000. Text RADIO to 64000 to get your 20% off. That's RADIO to 64000. Rich Eisen here. For small businesses, every hire counts, and so does your time. Hiring can quickly become overwhelming, from sorting applications to figuring out who's truly qualified. That's where LinkedIn Hiring Pro helps. It streamlines the process so you can focus on connecting with the right candidates, not managing the noise. Hire right the first time. Post your job and get $100 off towards your job post at linkedin.com slash Eisen.

That's linkedin.com slash Eisen. Terms and conditions apply. Hey, it's Rich Eisen for Pella Windows and Doors. Sometimes teams take a timeout to regroup and call the right play. When it comes to your home, Pella Windows and Doors always has the winning game plan. They're not just window and door experts. They're experts at taking care of you and your home. At Pella, they find the products that meet your needs and their experts install them. They do it every day, and that's why your neighbors trust them.

Discover why Pella is a trusted choice for homeowners everywhere. Visit Pella.com slash Eisen today. That's Pella.com slash Eisen. Do you owe the IRS $10,000 or more in back taxes? Penalties and interest are piling up every single day. Wage garnishments and bank levies could hit any moment. If you've been avoiding it out of fear, you're not alone. But waiting only shrinks your options and ramps up the stress. The truth is, the IRS settles with taxpayers every day through legitimate programs, and many qualify to reduce what they owe, in some cases by up to 99%.

That's why thousands turn to helpwithirsdebt.com. They've guided over 120,000 Americans, resolved more than $2.3 billion in tax debt, and back every case with their ironclad resolution guarantee. If there's no real path forward, you get a full refund. No fine print. They even randomly select one qualifying client each year and pay off their entire IRS balance. Terms apply. Don't let another day pass. Go to helpwithirsdebt.com right now. It's fast, easy, and confidential. Find out what's possible today. Helpwithirsdebt.com. Once again, that's helpwithirsdebt.com. Progressive presents the Sports Flash on 93.9, The Score.

The Atlanta Braves yesterday, winners in Arizona. They crushed the Diamondbacks 17-2. Braves with the victory are now 5-2. Ronaldo Lopez earned the victory for Atlanta. In college baseball action yesterday, Auburn was a winner over Arkansas 10-2. Alabama won on the road at Oklahoma 10-7. South Alabama was beaten at 14th-ranked Coastal Carolina 12-2. Troy a winner at home against Arkansas State 6-4. Auburn Mets basketball team was a winner in the NIT semifinals last night as they beat Illinois State 88-66. Auburn will play in Sunday's championship game in Indianapolis at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

They'll take on Tulsa in the NIT title game. 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. Running a business means wearing multiple hats. So if you're like me, you probably started out using your personal phone, taking client calls and texts nonstop. As my business grew, I needed something smarter. That's when I switched to Quo, the number one business phone system. Quo works right on your phone or computer. No carrying two phones, no clunky landline.

Just one easy app you can try for free. Your team can share one number and handle calls and texts together like a shared inbox. Any teammate can jump into the conversation so customers get faster responses. And Quo's AI assistant summarizes your calls and responds to customers 24-7 so you never miss a lead or opportunity. All this starts at just $15 a month. That's basically two coffees. You can even keep your current business phone number. Find out why 90,000 businesses trust Quo. No missed calls. No missed customers. Try Quo for free at Quo.com slash sports.

That's Quo.com slash sports to try Quo free. Quo.com slash S-P-O-R-T-S. Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score. Welcome back in. It is a pleasure for us to open the door and say hello, Double D. Drew DeArmond, host of Talking Ball and Hustle's 97.7 FM The Zone. Drew, welcome in. Happy Friday to you. How are you? I'm good. How are y'all? Now, getting ready for a little scrimmage time. Part two in Tuscaloosa. Drew, what are you looking for in the second scrimmage in year three of Mr. DeBoer?

[1:35:30] Well, we'll see. You know, of course, we're going to hear some quarterback buzz, see which, you know, which QB, you know, maybe stands out if it's continuing. I think it'll probably be more of the same, both of them performing well as far as, you know, Austin Mack and Keelon Russell. Also, you know, maybe some combinations along the offensive line and see if, you know, if we, if we continue to, you know, hear of the same five that have kind of stepped up and then David James at right tackle and Jackson Lloyd at left tackle, you know, and to see if Delgotti has continued to look good in the pivot.

You know, I think right now, I think those are the, the one, and I think Mike Carroll at right guard. And then we'll see what's going on at left guard. I think certainly, you know, it's probably still going to be Nick Brooks, who's the, who's the transfer from Texas, but I'm anxious to kind of hear, you know, how those guys have looked up and run. And then defensive line with a lot of the new names, Terrence Green and Tom and those guys, certainly there's some new blood there along the D line and definitely looking forward to kind of hearing how that, how that group performed.

I mean, you're going head to head against each other. So somebody will have the advantage, but certainly looking forward to hearing that and seeing, you know, how the, how the running, how the running game looks, you know, who the running back stepped up a little bit. You know, you're not going to get much, if any, out of Crowell right now, but still Daniel Hill's lost some weight. He's looked better. Kevin Riley, you know, certainly. And so AK deer. So I ain't anxious to kind of hear how they looked on the offensive side of the ball.

Let me ask you this, Drew, from everything we're hearing in NASCAR terms, it's neck and neck at the quarterback competition between Mac and Russell. We know the paper game, Mac's got more time with his coaching staff. Russell, he's walking on the warrior river down there, according to reports. So if this continues to be a neck and neck race, obviously, correct me if I'm wrong, you can only play one at a time. At the end of the day, who do you think is going to eke out that starting position in game one?

And of course, we've seen from Alabama football in the past, just because you're the starter on game one, opening day, doesn't mean you're going to keep that, go back a few years. But right now, your thoughts about who gets the nod if this continues to be a neck and neck race? It's hard to say. You know, I think either guy could make the case to be the starter. I've already said I'm talking ball. I think very likely the first game or two. We talked to Josh Pate about this today.

I think it'll be two guys playing. I don't think it'll be decided until probably either game two or game three. I think it's probably going to be that close. You know, Mack has a slight experience edge with three years. So I would say the odds are that he may likely take the first nap. But I think Keelan Russell is probably the most talented. But I think it's a little bit along the lines of Philip Sims and A.J. McCarron back in 2011. Sims was more ballyhooed than A.J., even though A.J.

was an outstanding prospect. And Sims was thought to be more physically talented. But I think we all understand what happened between the ears of both guys. And then A.J. was able to pull away. And after splitting time in the first game, he started the next one on the road at Penn State. And the rest is history, so to speak. He kept the job for three years. And I think it will be decided in that connotation a little bit. So it's going to come down to who takes care of the ball, who they think can, you know, move the team the best.

Both guys have mobility. I think Mack has not really played up as much. They both have the, you know, arm talent that's necessary. So I think it's going to be, you know, a big-time battle between two very talented guys. And I think it's just something I, you know, it might be decided in fall camp before, you know, game one. But something tells me they're going to wait for the live bullets. And then once those, once the dust settles, that's when it'll be, when one of the guys will win the team.

And they'll, and they will, because to me, you can't rotate. You're going to have to go with one dude. And then you can play both of them, but there has to be a dude. And I think, you know, after the season opener next year, going into game two is probably when it'll be decided. Let me ask you about linebacker. Outside, inside, Yonsei Pierre, a lot of people think that Wolf is going to have an incredible year. Desmond Yu, coming from South Carolina. Justin Hill, Marion Latham.

[1:40:33] Inside linebacker, Caleb Woodson, the transfer from Virginia Tech. I hear good things about Caden Jones. And then QB Reese, Luke Matts, Duke Johnson. Don't forget about five-star Xavier Griffin. Duke, your thoughts on the, and particularly the inside linebacker competition. Well, I think, you know, Caleb Woodson was brought in to lead the group. You know, no doubt about it. I think from Virginia Tech, and I think he's an older guy that they want his experience to help next year, no question. And I think that that'll happen.

I think so far he's done everything they wanted him to do. Now, of course, we haven't had anything, you know, any sort of live bullets in a real game situation. But I think, except for practice, but I think Caleb Woodson so far has been everything they've hoped. Certainly, so I think I would expect them to play a ton, if not start. And that's the beauty of it, because, you know, they lost so much for us. They lost three seniors last year that are all going to basically play on the next level.

And so, you know, they knew they were going to have to kind of rebuild this unit. And in some ways, I think the first thought, people thought they might sign at least two transfers to come in and play. But I think they've liked the progress of the young guys. And, you know, QB Reese is a guy that I've been hearing, you know, things about as far as his makeup and everything. And he's the son of Quentin Reese, who played at Auburn. But he's from Ramsey High School.

And I think, you know, from what I was hearing, I think he made some plays in the first scrimmage. And so I think he'll be a guy that, you know, could, you know, I'm not saying be a sleeper, but I think he could be a guy that plays a lot and could take one of those starting spots along with Caleb Woodson. Of course, you talked about Xavier Griffin. He's got some position versatility where he's already gained a lot of weight, but I think he could play inside.

I think he could play outside, you know, at the wolf spot to rush the passer. So that'll be interesting. I've been hearing quite a bit about Luke Abdul-Sanders, who's a redshirt freshman, who I think could factor in an inside linebacker. And I think also I like Luke Smith. He's from Mill Creek, the same high school as Caleb Downs. And he got to play some last year, even though really he's basically still redshirted. He played a little bit last year, and I thought he looked very productive.

I think it's actually a talented room. You know, it may lack a little bit in size, but I think it makes up for it in speed. And so I think they've got a lot of talent in the room. I think they've got more than enough to be good. And so I'm going to be really intrigued to see, you know, and kind of hear how, what's the buzz coming out of the scrimmage today, and then even after A-Day and on into the fall. So I think they've got some nice pieces and some nice players that are in that linebacker room.

And even in the Wolf room, because you mentioned Justin Hill, I definitely think Yonsei Pierre is the alpha of the Wolf group. I think he's going to be a guy that has a chance to be an All-American and a guy that has a chance to be one of the better players in the SEC and in college football. But I certainly think Justin Hill and we just mentioned Xavier Griffin, I think they'll be guys that they can play and mix and match there. And I know they lost Kway Russo to Ohio State, but I think they're going to, I don't think they'll skip a beat.

I think they'll, you know, they're not going to miss him. I mean, to be honest with you, Kway was hurt, I think, more than he was healthy. And so he never did play a lot. So I think, you know, it opened the door. Because remember, Yonsei was a third-string player going into last year before the injuries kind of opened the door for him to become a first-team All-SEC type guy. And I think he's continued to get even better. And then I thought Justin Hill flashed a lot last year.

And he should be a guy that's much more comfortable now that he's actually played. So I think the linebacker room, while they don't have a lot of proven guys besides Yonsei returning, I do think with Caleb Woodson's addition in the portal and then some of these young guys, I think Alabama's still going to be okay as linebacker. Yeah, I was talking about All-Hunstles, 97-7 FM in the zone. You mentioned the portal, Drew. Switching over to basketball, the curtain's going to come up here in a few minutes.

How do you see this Alabama roster shaping up, starting with the portal, the Cummings and the Goins next week? Well, I mean, the key, they've got to hold on to Aiden Sherell, who is going to be a wanted man because he's a big, some talent, some ability. And he got a lot better from his freshman to his sophomore year. So you need to lock him down. I think you need to find a true five because he can play maybe more of the four. Now he can still rim protect and certainly, you know, and help you inside defensively and rebounding.

[1:45:48] But it will help him if he's got another rim protector where, you know, he can step out a little bit more and shoot the basketball. And then also on the perimeter defensively, he can certainly roam a little bit and have somebody behind him that can block shots. So I hope they can find a true five. We'll see. You know, there's even a prospect emerging at Shelton State. It's a 6'10 kid. We'll see. You know, if he's a guy that Alabama ultimately offers. You know, Andy Kennedy at UAB has been kind of recruiting that kid.

So we'll see what happens there. He's about 6'10, 240 pounds. And he's a rim protector that averages about 9 and 8 in a couple of blocks. So I think he's a possibility. But I think they're also going to see what's out there in the portal. Now, the interesting thing is we've seen tons of names going in. But, you know, we haven't really heard a lot of buzz about who you're connected to yet. Again, that probably won't happen for another few days until I think the women's portal opens on the 6th.

The men's opens on the 7th. So that'll certainly be interesting. But I think retention is going to be important for Alabama, too, besides Aiden Terrell. You know, Aiden Holloway is a little bit uncertain because of his issues off the floor. But I felt like before he got in trouble and even then and more so after, they're going to want to try to retain him because, you know, he averaged 17 points a game. And I think he's a really good system fit for what Nate wants to do.

So if they believe his situation, and I know he got indicted the other day, but if they can get his situation cleared up, I certainly believe they'd like him to return for his final year of eligibility. And then, of course, Mari Allen, you're going to have to probably wait out the draft process like you did with LeBaron Phylon last year. But I still think, ultimately, he would benefit for coming back another season. So he's another guy that I think definitely you're going to want to retain and hold the spot for.

So I think that's another one to look for. And I think the ones that are interesting are the Davion Hannas, who he was really good early, but then he hurt his hip and then he redshirted. I would want to bring him back. I think he has outstanding defensive potential. And I thought he was doing a good job making shots. So I would want to bring somebody like him back. I still think, ultimately, you know, five, maybe six guys they'll want to retain. And then, of course, you know, they've got three really good signees.

And then, you know, you could bring in two or three guys from the portal to supplement everything. But I think you'll see it. The picture will be a lot clearer probably in the next week or so. Yeah, I agree with you. Boy, those phenoms look good. Jackson Richardson in the McDonald's, the dunk contest, Paris Bowie and Quaden Samuels. Those guys are going to be fun to watch. Give us your final four picks, D2, and where can we get online and listen to you and Scott weekdays?

Yeah, you're right. Jackson Richardson won the dunk contest at the McDonald's game. And he looked really good in the open floor, you know, in that game. And that was not surprising. I think he, Terrace Bowie, and even Samuels, I think they're all three going to be in the Jordan brand classic. So I'm sure a lot of Alabama fans will be, you know, tuning in for that as well, no doubt. Certainly, you know, I think, I'm hoping just for, you know, because I felt like Alabama, it's ironic.

They played three of the four. They beat one of them in Illinois. I thought the two best teams they played were Arizona and Michigan. I would take Arizona by a hair over Michigan. I think that's going to be a great semifinal. I would take, so I would take the Wildcats. And then I'm going to take UConn and Dan Hurley and their winning culture in another good game over Illinois. And then I'm going to take the Arizona Wildcats to cut the nets down. I think they, I've thought all year they had the best team.

I do think Michigan's outstanding as well. And part of me also, they, I just want to see the Big Ten go a 26th year without winning the basketball championship. Because they certainly have ruled the roost in football. And I think they've been assuming that this was just going to be theirs in basketball. And that's what I hope it's going to be. Arizona and UConn in the championship game. And then there'll be a lot of heartburn for them on Easter Sunday after that. But we'll see. But you can certainly follow me at 977 ESPN on X.

And you can get any of our content, Talking Ball, Scott Tyson, not at 977, the zone on SoundCloud, 977 ESPN, the zone. And then 977 ESPN.com for any of our content. And, again, happy Easter to y'all and to all your listeners. Everybody stay safe out there and have a blessed holiday. Certainly, I always enjoy coming on with you guys. Great reminder about Easter. Have a safe weekend, Drew. And let's do it again soon, okay? Yes, sir. Thank y'all. Y'all be safe. Thank you, bud. Double D, Drew DeArman, host, Talking Ball, 97.7 FM, the zone.

[1:51:22] BB, are you ready for a final four weekend? I am, Ian. As Drew alluded to, happy Easter to our listeners. Have a safe one. Again, he has risen. Yes. I know food, bunny rabbits and Easter eggs and food are great. But, again, remember the reason for the season and enjoy the final four. That, and enjoy the Braves tonight here on 93.9 The Score. Grant Holmes with a man trying to do whatever you can do to have an encore for that 17-2 win in Arizona last night. Hear what to do tonight here on 93.9 The Score.

It's going to take care of business for now on behalf of BB, Greg, James Blair, the entire crew here. Peril Buck, thank you so much for your time today. Let's do it again Monday, noon to 2 for the BMO Buck Show back here on Sports Radio 93.9 The Score.