Boomo Bugg Show 040826

[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 Tide, Tigers, Tennessee and the rest of the SEC. Now, your host, Harold Bugg on 93.9, The Score. Afternoon and welcome in to the Boomo Bugg Show. I'm Harold Bugg alongside Brett Beaird. Thank you so much for giving us a street ride around the Tennessee Valley. Brett Beaird, welcome in. And is the NCAA finally doing some biting or is it just going to keep on barking?

Good afternoon, welcome in and how are you? Happy Wednesday to you and the Lister's. Yeah, five years to play five. They've only been talking about that for 20 years. The Braves beat the Angels last night 7-2 and they also won the fight. Braves manager Walt Wise, a former high school football coach in Black Belt and Karate, dove into the scrum and made a form tackle. We'll explain a little bit later in the show. Rodney Orr, tighter and sider. We'll talk about what he saw during the media viewing period yesterday.

But next, our friend, Coach David Siss is here right now. You got me tickled about that Braves fight. He's here right now to talk about North Carolina hiring Michael Malone. What's Walt Wise doing fighting a bunch of Angels? You know that's going to be the headline out in the media now, right? He's got a black belt in Karate and is a former NMA. I didn't know this stuff about him. He was in Huntsville for years. He's like our next guest, Harold. He is a tough dude.

He's been there and done that. David Siss, Coach David Siss, busy there at Tar Heel 24-7. You'll never guess what we're going to ask him down the line. David, but first, welcome in. How are you? I'm doing good, guys. How are you? And what's Walt Wise doing attacking a bunch of Angels? You know that's going to be the headline across America, right, David? I didn't see that part of it. It looked to me when they broke away from the mound charge there. And that's all I saw.

And then they went away from the field. And I said, well, it's over. And I just saw a bunch of guys throwing haymakers that didn't get them in too big. They were hurt. And I'm like, I mean, man, those guys are swinging at you. I mean, they're safer. You're safer than, you know, Abraham's Bozom or Adam's Bozom or whoever it is. There you go. I love the guys coming out of the bullpen. They dash out of the bullpen. Oh, yeah. As you get closer to the fight, they start slowing up.

Oh, yeah. Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. All right, dude. North Carolina's been fighting to get them a coach in there. Talk to us about you follow this program religiously. Your thoughts about the new top Tar Heel in North Carolina basketball. Yep. Mike Malone. And, you know, I think the fan base has been 48 hours now basically since he was announced. And, you know, I couldn't come on yesterday. And it was probably a good thing because I kind of felt like even since you were on a show yesterday, like, you know, everybody's kind of warmed up to it.

You know, and I think everybody's got to question how is he going to recruit. He's been in the NBA game. He's not been in the college game. But, you know, now so much of it is just how much money you can pay. You know, no matter who the coach is. So, I think that's a big issue there. And it looks to me like North Carolina, the new AD said that, you know, they were going to invest in the program. The money would be there. I just look at how much more money he's made than Hubert Davis.

A lot of people from, I think, North Carolina fans said we don't need to be spending that much money. But I think it's a good sign, basically, because it tells me that they're going to spend. It's there to spend. You know, they didn't have to fork out $15 million for a buyout. So, yeah, I'm interested to see where they go next, the players that return, and who they bring in on the staff. I'm more interested in that right now than I am in the portal, because that stuff's going to influence, you know, who they can get.

David, he's now in the house, obviously, but I've been asked the last couple of days, did the new athletic director approach and even make an attempted hire at Billy Donovan, Dusty May, Tommy Lloyd? In other words, who did the North Carolina brass actually ask to be their coach? Those are great questions. And you'll get different answers depending on who you talk to. I think they really, really, semantics. And I think they get as close as they can get without just flat out making the offer. I think you just, it's like two guys sitting at a table.

[5:23] You write a price down, push it to me, and I write a rebuttal, push it to you. And if they, you know, you don't get it done, you're like, well, we never really made a conflict. And I think there's a lot of that. I'll give you an example. Billy Donovan, the administration swears up and down. The UAD, the UAD, everybody involved in U.S. and North Carolina, they'll swear up and down that, you know, that they were in contact with Billy Donovan. I've got a really good friend who's close to Billy Donovan's age.

And he texted me right after, well, Monday night, and he said, North Carolina never even talked to Billy. So, you hear different things. And I think Lloyd, I think they definitely, Lloyd was their first and priority. I think they went after him hard. I believe an offer was made, even though they said they didn't make an offer. I believe he knew what was there. But I think he played it. He wasn't going to leave. He played it to get more in Arizona. That's what a lot of guys do.

I don't think Dusty May, that the push was that strong. But I do believe, if you put a gun to my head, that they went after Lloyd Donovan pretty strong when they couldn't get those guys. They chipped it to belong. David Siss knows what he's talking about when it comes to Sky Blue. He's busy there at Tar Heel 24-7. David, one of the guys early on that was in the mix was Nate Oates. And here's what's crazy about Nate Oates. Most of these coaches want to sit here and say, well, they're flirting with me.

Give me more money. Nate says, nah, I'm pretty happy who I am. I'm making more than I ever made in high school. Every high school coach can relate to Nate, I guarantee you. I thought that was an interesting approach. But your thoughts about Alabama's future now that Nate Oates is signed, sealed, and all but delivered. And the other part to that is, David, obviously the Big Ten is just, they're just running away with things right now. People forgot, or maybe forget, the SEC won it last year.

Your thoughts about the future as far as the SEC and the ACC, that traditional basketball powerhouse, getting back in the mix. First of all, Alabama Nate Oates, it looks to me like there's been some, we're talking about the same thing with North Carolina, that there's been some confirmation that they're going to invest in the program. And I think he's done wonders there. You know, they need a facility upgrade, especially with the arena. You know, they need more money in the NIL. I know when there was a list that came out recently of what each program was spending in NIL.

And he did as good as anybody in the country, what he had. And he still had a lot of money, but what some of the top programs have, it's phenomenal. You know, what they spend. So, you know, I've talked to some people and they think that Alabama's going to invest more. And if you're going to play with the big boys, you're just going to have to do it. That's right. That's the big deal in today's basketball world. As far as the SEC, it's going to be interesting there.

But it's going to come down to how much that they can get through donors in the NIL because the revenue share, they're only going to get 15%. So, with 15% of $22 million, right at $3 million. $3 million, that's what the top players are asking for in the portal. Just one. So, I think getting your boosters and getting your money people involved is going to be a big issue. And that's something the SEC is going to have to do. And I just think right now, the one advantage, and I have to agree with Colin Calhurt, he said this, a lot of the Big Ten schools, they have so much.

They've got wealthy and powerful alumni, but it's quality and quantity. There's so many of them. I mean, if you go look at the schools in the Big Ten and look at their enrollment, I mean, it dwarfs the SEC right now. There's so many of them. And it's been that way. Indiana's got the largest active amount of alumni in the United States of any school in the country. I never thought that. A small school like Indiana. But you see how it's paid off of football. So, you've got all these people in the corporate world and just so many of them who are ready to donate and to get and to get bobbed.

And I think it's giving the Big Ten an advantage when you opened it up and went to paying players to the NIL and all that stuff. And, you know, getting business involved, corporate leaders involved, the Big Ten's got, they've got an advantage. David, we've got a couple minutes for the Masters update. Did Kentucky actually have or put in the $22 million that's been speculated most of the season? I was actually, you're not going to believe this, I was actually the first one to put that out publicly.

[10:45] Really? And, yes. And I got more blowback over that than I've ever done. Yeah, I was still working with Kentucky at that time for rivals. And, yeah, I was the one that put that out. And it was just blowing people's minds that when I said that, they're thinking, oh, you're crazy. Nobody's spending over $10 million. That's what people were saying nine months ago. Well, everybody, you had to spend $10 million to get on the ball field. Yes, right. So, I think everything I've seen is what I think it actually turned out to be, wasn't that far off.

I think probably around $20 million. I don't think it was under $20 million. I've heard some individual numbers since then, and it was probably 10% less than the $22 million. So, I'm going to say right around $20 million. Boy, they did wonders with it, didn't they? Absolutely. Listen, we've got to run to a Masters update. Hey, North Carolina, I'll tell you this one. North Carolina, Kyan Evans, he hit the portal. They paid him $2.1 million. He averaged about three a game. He's getting paid $1 million for a point in order. Oh, man, David.

Listen, brother, we're not going to make $2 million from the Masters, but we've got to go find the very latest man. Listen, thanks so much for your time today. Good luck out there, and let's do it again soon, okay? All right. You guys have got it. You can't hide money. There you have it. Oh, yeah. Thank you, buddy. Thank you, buddy. Thank you, buddy. Everyone needs to take care of their mental health, even running back B. John Robinson. When I'm on the field and feeling the pressure, I usually just take a deep breath.

When I'm just breathing and seeing what's in front of me, everything just slows down. It just makes me feel great before I run the play. Just like B. John, we all need a strong mental game on and off the field. Make a game plan for your mental health at loveyourmindplaybook.org. Love your mind. Brought to you by the Huntsman Mental Health Foundation, the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, and the Ag Council. From the Augusta National Golf Club, Westwood One Sports presents this special report on the Masters, sponsored by Grainger.

Like a good caddy, Grainger is standing by with what you need to stay on the leaderboard. Click Grainger.com for next day delivery of industrial-grade products to help your business advance. Justin Rose is ready to ascend the mountain again. After falling short to Rory McIlroy in the playoff last year, Rose joined Ben Hogan as the only players to lose in multiple playoffs at the Masters. Rose also lost in a playoff to Sergio Garcia in 2017. Now he's set for his 21st career start at Augusta, and Rose feels primed to give it another run.

I've done things a little bit differently, just try to feel as ready as I can be this week, and yeah, feeling good about things. I feel like when I have clearly found my game, I've played very well. Farmers is a good example of that. And my last time out, you know, Players' Championship, T-13, but felt like I actually played a little bit closer to contending that week, too. So, some good things to lean on coming into this week, and yeah, excited to be back. Yeah, Rose hasn't played in almost a month since that tie for 13th at the Players.

The Englishman will tee it up at 1.20 p.m. Eastern tomorrow with 2015 Masters champion Jordan Smith and the five-time major winner Brooks Koepka. You're listening to coverage of the 2026 Masters on Westwood One. This is the story of the one. As a procurement manager for a hospital system, she keeps every facility in her network stocked and ready. That's why she counts on Grainger to be her single source for thousands of products, from disinfectants to lighting, air filters, and more. And with fast, dependable delivery, Grainger helps her keep every facility stocked, safe, and running smoothly.

Call 1-800-GRAINGER, click grainger.com, or just stop by. Grainger, for the ones who get it done. With Fidelity Wealth Management, a dedicated advisor gets to know you and your goals to build a comprehensive plan to help grow and protect your wealth. Backed by a team of specialists, they'll analyze all your accounts, even the ones they don't manage, to keep an eye on taxes and provide proactive portfolio insights that can help you unlock your wealth's full potential. Learn more at Fidelity.com slash wealth. Investment minimums apply.

Fidelity Brokerage Services, LLC. Member NYSE SIPC. Thursday is when the Masters Tournament begins. Wednesday is about family, fun, and aces at the Par 3 contest. Justin Thomas spun one in for a hole-in-one at two, but he has withdrawn from the competition. Nobody wants that Par 3 jinx. No Par 3 winner has ever won the Masters in the same year. One player that seems to be trying for the engraved crystal bowl that goes to the Par 3 contest winner. Cameron Smith. He's one under through seven. Smith holing out from the bunker at five for a birdie.

[16:14] He's the only player under par right now. From Augusta, I'm Ted Emmerich, Westwood One Sports. An official message from Medicare. I turned 65 this year. I knew it was time to figure out Medicare, and I had questions like when to enroll and how to enroll. So I went straight to the official source, Medicare.gov, to get the facts about Medicare. I found answers to all my questions, and I'm ready to get started. And so can you. Just go to Medicare.gov to get the real facts about Medicare.

Paid for by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Indeed presents Hires You Can't Afford to Get Wrong, like a warehouse operations manager. Uh, where are the forklifts? Sold them. Too expensive. We're using scooters now. So you expect us to move a two-ton pallet on a scooter? Just lean into it. Put your back into it, people. 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. This is the story of The One. As a procurement manager for a hospital system, she keeps every facility in her network stocked and ready. That's why she counts on Grainger to be her single source for thousands of products, from disinfectants to lighting, air filters, and more. And with fast, dependable delivery, Grainger helps her keep every facility stocked, safe, and running smoothly. Call 1-800-GRAINGER, click grainger.com, or just stop by. Grainger. For the ones who get it done.

What if your instincts could pay off? With Robinhood Prediction Markets, you could put your sports IQ to work on the games you know best. It's not you against the house. It's you participating in a live market. Buy or sell your predictions all game long. Trade every play with Robinhood. Visit Robinhood.com slash predict. That's Robinhood.com slash predict. Futures and cleared swaps trading involves significant risk and is not appropriate for everyone. Event contracts are offered by Robinhood Derivatives LLC, a registered futures commission merchant and swap firm.

Progressive presents ways to save money that aren't bundling your home and auto insurance with Progressive. Ah, thanks again for taking me to the game, man. I can't wait to get in there. By the way, what's in the bag? Oh, I bring my own hot dog and peanuts. Saves a ton. Ah, sadly. And what about the beach chairs? Why buy seats when you can save big and bring your own? You can't get in without tickets. Tickets? What do you think the portable TV is for? Don't save money pretending to go to the game.

You can save hundreds by switching to Progressive. Get a quote at Progressive.com. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company affiliates and other insurers. Not available in all states or situations. Smalls here. What if you could enjoy the flavor of a cocktail without the alcohol? Meet RK Zero Proof, a pioneer in the alcohol-free spirits category that delivers bold taste and a warming sensation. But with zero alcohol, zero sugar, zero carbs, and zero calories. So you can celebrate with friends, unwind after a long day, and wake up tomorrow feeling great.

It's all the ritual of a drink without the regret. Discover RK at rkbeverages.com. That's A-R-K-A-Y beverages.com. RK, the spirit without the alcohol. The Score. Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score. The Score. Welcome back in. We've been talking to masters. What do you say we talk to the master of college basketball in the state of Alabama, Kevin Scarbinsky. You find award-winning columnist AL.com, the Birmingham News. Visit there as TV host of the Alabama High School Athletic Association, whether it be basketball, football, you name it.

And then we mentioned his podcast. It's called Scarbo Nose. Kevin Scarbinsky, welcome in. How are you? I'm good, guys. How are you today? I'm good. Man, we're doing all right. Are you in the doldrums right now? No college basketball? Before we get into some of the specifics, your thoughts about the season that was, Kevin? Yeah, you know me too well. I do go through a little bit of a depression after basketball ends because you know how much I love that sport. So it's a little bittersweet seeing it come to an end.

But as with most sports now, it doesn't really end because now is transfer portal season and trying to determine what everybody's roster is going to look like for next year, which is why it's kind of comical, all of these way-too-early top 25s. How do you pick a top 25 when you don't know who's going to be playing for what teams? Kevin. Again, it's interesting to talk about, but there's not much substance there. It's kind of like cotton candy. There you go. It goes in a hurry. But the coaches don't even know, I would imagine.

So don't ask me. I'm just Nate Oates or I'm, you know, Stephen Pearl. I don't know. Wait and see where the money goes. But your thoughts just about where we are now. Every fan base gets upset. But if you look across the board, outside of your own team, every coach is facing the same hurdles, are they not? They got guys chasing the money. I saw right now, the teams that had rosters last year, 45% of those guys are now in the portal. Isn't that amazing? That high of a percentage of players looking for what they believe will be greener grass, which isn't always out there.

[21:39] As we've seen in too many instances, you know, Mo Diabate is probably the best local example. You know, he and Alabama went back and forth several times after last season. You know, he asked for more money. They agreed. He came back and asked for a little more money. They agreed. He came back another time and asked for more money. And they said, sorry, that's all we got. And if you're in it for the money, then you should probably go where someone can pay you more. And he did.

And I don't think it worked out very well. For him at Kentucky, Alabama certainly had a better season. Alabama finished higher in the SEC. Alabama made a deeper run into March Madness. So, and Mo didn't really have a breakout season. He didn't really get opportunities to score. He's a little bit limited at that end. So, he's a cautionary tale to me of a guy who left for the wrong reasons. And that's the key. Why are you leaving? No one would criticize or should criticize Yaxa Lindeborg for leaving UAB to go to Michigan.

He did everything he could do at UAB. And Andy Kennedy and that staff did a great job developing him. And they deserve a great deal of credit for him becoming the player he became. And then he made a very smart transfer portal decision to go to a program that had a chance to do big things in March. And, of course, they went on and won the national championship because Dusty May did what every coach has to do now. It's not just about spending money. It's about spending it wisely.

It's about getting guys for team players. Yaxa Lindeborg, this is mind-blowing when you think about it. He was the Big Ten player of the year and he averaged fewer than 15 points a game. Wow. Think about that. That's pretty amazing. And a first-team All-American to boot. And he deserved both of those honors. But he was very much a team player. And so were all those guys they brought in. Elliot Cadeau and Adai Mara, the center, and Mariz Johnson from Illinois. You know, the entire roster, the entire starting lineup was transfers.

Amari Burnett from Alabama a couple of years ago. So it's about evaluating, making good decisions, and finding the guys who will blend together, will play together. And it's hard to do. It's not easy to do, but it is job one now for coaches at every school. You had a great article about Auburn, Stephen Pearl, and how they ended the season. And I think you touched on this, too, maybe on Twitter. The annual postseason debate. Is it better to lose in the first round of the NCAA tournament or win a NIT or play well in the NIT and win three or four games?

And I think that depends upon the coach and the program. This worked out very well for Stephen Pearl. Auburn fans feel more confident in him. They feel better about the team. He had five games to develop young players. I'm well aware everybody wants to lose in the NCAA tournament. But you touched on this a little bit. 22-16 looks a lot better than 17-16. Oh, absolutely. I mean, just think about the vibe around the program. On Selection Sunday, when they got left out, the second team out after Oklahoma, the big dance, they could have shut it down at that point.

But there would have been an incredible negative aura around the program at that point had they not gone on and played in the NIT. Or had they gone to the NIT and not won five games and won the championship. And maybe we're having a different conversation if they had not come back at the end of the Tulsa game to tie it and send it to overtime and look like they did let a big lead get away. And it looked like they were going to do the same thing in that game that they did in the season and start out strong and finish very meekly and slink off with a loss from ahead, which wouldn't have been a good feeling either.

But, look, everybody wants to be in the NCAA tournament. And if you're in Auburn and if you're in the place where that program is, that Bruce Pearl, with Stephen Pearl's assistance and others, of course, lifted it to, no, you don't want to play in the NIT. But you deal, play the club, the hand you're dealt, right? And they played it well. And so now there's a whole different vibe about the program. Kevin Overton's coming back. And, man, did he develop in the last third of the season and certainly in the postseason into a really, really good basketball player.

We'll see who else comes back, who else goes. But all in all, I think they salvaged what could have been a very disappointing season. It's still disappointing in several aspects. The fact they didn't get in the NCAA tournament, the fact that they went 3-9 in their last 12 games, and they couldn't salvage it when it started to go wrong. But they did create some positives at the end. So we'll see what Stephen Pearl does with the roster and what he does next year. That's going to tell a lot because that's the first year this is going to be his schedule, his roster completely next year.

[27:07] Scarborough knows the place to go. Quickly, Kevin, just to show you how strong basketball is now in the state, they tell me Saturday Alabama's got an A-Day football game. Your thoughts about what you're hearing out of Tuscaloosa heading into a very interesting spring for another coach in Tuscaloosa? Yeah, I'll be honest. I bury myself so deeply in basketball that I don't pay much attention to spring football. I'll be honest about that. And look, we all know that nothing that happens in the spring, nothing that's going to happen Saturday, is going to change anyone's opinion about Kalen DeBoer and whether he's the right guy to get Alabama back to winning championships, whether it's SEC championships or national championships.

We won't know that until we get into the fall, until we get into the season. I guess we will get a glimpse at the quarterbacks, which will be interesting. That's what everybody wants to know. Who's going to be the starting quarterback? I don't know that we'll have a decision after Saturday. It always seemed like it was going to be a competition that went into fall camp. So we'll see. It'll be fun to watch and see some players break out, perhaps that we don't know a lot about or weren't expecting much from.

But I think there's limited stuff that we gain as journalists or as fans from the spring. You know, we will learn a lot more once they get into the fall camp. Yeah, I share your mild depression about the end of basketball season. This was a very enjoyable tournament. And you also had a very good column on Nate Oates yet to reach his ceiling. And that's going to be for another conversation, hopefully very soon. But where can we get online and get all of the great stuff and also listen to the podcast?

Yeah, best thing to do, follow me on Twitter slash X at Kevin Scarbinsky. Because I'll link everything that I do, my columns for the Birmingham News. You can find links to those also on AL.com. And then my podcast, you can go to YouTube. It's Kevin Scarbinsky-SkarboKnows. That's the channel. You can subscribe. Don't cost nothing, as I always say. So I appreciate when people do that. And, you know, we've built a pretty good audience. We're continuing to grow. And we'll continue through what people would consider the offseason, talking about all the stuff that matters most to fans in this state and in the SEC region.

Free is the key word. Hey, Kevin, listen, man, it's always good to hook up with you. Thank you so much, and let's do it again as soon as possible, okay? Sounds good. Thanks, guys. Have a great day. Thank you, babe. Thank you. Kevin Scarbinsky against Skarb-O-Knows. Coming up, he knows Tuscaloosa. A day game preview with one and the only Rodney Orr on deck. Stay with us. Is your business insurance tailored exactly to your individual needs? Are you getting the best coverage for your money? That's what the Michael Noe Agency is for.

They're your local independent insurance agency that specializes in helping you protect your business, including liability and property, commercial, auto equipment, and workers' compensation, all while ensuring you're getting the best possible rate. Visit your local independent agent, Michael Noe or Bill Cochran, on Mobile Place in downtown Florence, or call 256-767-4237. 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-backed taxes, you can now get the help you need. One simple phone call can resolve your tax problem and save you thousands of dollars. To see if you qualify and to get this important free information, call 800-319-3687.

800-319-3687. 800-319-3687. You're sitting at a red light or stuck in traffic, and your phone lights up. Maybe it's a text, a video call, a new post, or a quick notification you think you can check in a second. It feels harmless, but the truth is, once your eyes leave the road, you're not really driving anymore, and traffic doesn't pause just because you do. That split-second of distraction can throw off everything. Your reaction time, your awareness, your ability to avoid someone else's mistake. You could damage your car, injure yourself, or hurt someone you care about.

[32:09] Or you could get pulled over for a reminder that your phone isn't worth the risk. So before you start driving, make it easy on yourself. Put your phone on silent. Toss it in the glove box. Set it to do not disturb. Put the phone away or pay. Paid for by NHTSA. Progressive presents the Sports Flash on 93.9 The Score. In college baseball action yesterday, 8th ranked Alabama winner over Samford in 7 innings, 16-2. Alabama pounded out 13 hits as the Crimson Tide improved to 26-8 on the season. 15th ranked Auburn was run ruled by Jacksonville State in 8 innings as Jacksonville State beat Auburn 15-4.

9 hits and 4 errors for Auburn as the Tigers dropped to 22-10 on the season. North Alabama yesterday fell to Tennessee Martin 6-5. North Alabama is now 14-18 on the season. 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. I checked Allstate first and saved hundreds on my car insurance. Really smart. Unfortunately, I didn't check if I took the gas hose out of my car's tank. Ooh, not smart. And I drove off, well, still attached to pump number three.

Yeah, checking first is smart. So check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds. Potential savings vary. Subject to terms, conditions, and availability. Allstate North American Insurance Company and affiliates, Northbrook, Illinois. Every 34 seconds, someone in America dies from heart disease. In that same time, you could be managing your heart health at home with Cardia Mobile, the number one doctor-recommended personal EKG device that detects atrial fibrillation and other arrhythmias in just 30 seconds. Unlimited readings from anywhere at a surprisingly affordable price. Order now at Cardia, K-A-R-D-I-A.com or Amazon.

Because when it comes to your heart, seconds count. The score. Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Scores. Welcome back in. Time to head on down the road where a lot of folks wearing crimson will be heading this weekend. Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where Rodney Orr calls home. He's the founder and editor of tighterinsider.com. And his book is called Bigger Than Bama. Rodney Orr, welcome in. How are you? I know what Rodney's doing. He's buying some sunscreen right now. Last I looked, B.B., just by reminder, 86 and clear, Saturday in Tuscaloosa.

So, Rodney, are you with us or are you at Walmart loading up on sunscreen? I think he's at Walmart loading up on sunscreen. B.B., your thoughts heading in, talking with Kevin there. This has been one of the quietest springs I can remember in a long time heading into the A-Day game. Coaches actually love that. They practice in basic obscurity. There was a media session yesterday for about a whopping 10 minutes. And I think coaches actually like that. Oh, yeah. To some degree. But quite frankly, I think someone would be glad to play in the fall in front of an empty stadium.

But Rodney had a great report. And, again, something, just to piggyback what we talked about earlier in the week, is how impressive this defensive line looks. And particularly the transfers such as Terrence Green, 6'6", 330. You ain't going to miss him on the defensive front. Devon Tompkins, 6'5", 300. And Steve Em, I call him. Edrick Hill. Yeah. Beeman. London Simmons. Again, they've got numbers in depth this year. Rodney Orr has got it all covered again here at tighterinsider.com. The book Bigger Than Bama. Rodney, we were joking.

Were you at Walmart buying sunscreen for Saturday's weather for A-Day game? How are you? I'm doing well, guys. No, I actually wasn't, Harold. I was leaving the gym. I was doing something fairly productive. The buffed guy online with us. One of the three has got to be buffed. And, Rodney, it's always you. Your thoughts hitting it. Brett and I were just talking A-Day game part three for this coaching staff. Where do you start in breaking it down? From afar, it's been pretty quiet. You're closer to the epicenter than we are.

You might disagree with that. But what's the vibe you're getting for, if you will, on the Wednesday before the A-Day game? No, I think you're right, Harold. It's been unusually quiet, actually. I don't know exactly why that is. I'm sure there's probably a lot of reasons. But, you know, kind of like you said, it's a weird spring because you're just not getting a lot of vibe, as you called it. But, you know, I think that, you know, where you started all the new faces that they brought in on the line of scrimmage, both offensively and defensively.

[37:33] Because if they did not produce there in the portal, then this team is going to be in trouble. And, you know, because I think there's obviously four new faces that are going to start on the offensive line. Several contributors, I heard Brett alluding to some of those guys. There's Terrence Green, Heifer Bingley-Jones, Dez Lulu, you know, the kid from USC, Devin Tompkins. So those guys are going to be really key to, you know, how this team pans out. We also – I know you looked primarily at the defensive side of the ball yesterday, Rodney.

And, again, we've talked about the linebackers, and they're smallish, but they're quick, they're athletic, they've got some twitch. I know you really like QB Reese. Tell us what you saw with Caleb Woodson and some of the younger linebackers. You know, Caleb Woodson's obviously the transfer from Virginia Tech who was really productive there the last two years. And I was watching him out there running around, and I'm thinking, oh, that's a Saban safety from a few years ago, you know? I mean, he just looks like it.

I think they list him about 230. He really doesn't look that big, but at least not from the vantage point I had yesterday. But he's very athletic, very fluid. I mean, I understand he's provided a high level of leadership already since he's been here. So I think there's a ton of excitement about Caleb Woodson. I think you have to obviously find somebody to go with him and some depth. And QB Reese is a guy that he's probably never going to be an all-conference, all-American type player for sure.

But he's a playmaker. I mean, you know, again, he's not a C.J. Moseley or Reuben Foster or anything like that, but just a football player. So QB Reese, you mentioned Luke Metsch, Duke Johnson, Bill Sanders. And, again, not really the biggest guys like we used to see with Saban, you know, the guys that are his inside backers. But, yes, they are very athletic. Katie Jones as well, by the way. Yeah, I'm sorry. Rodney, Rodney Orttiter and Sandra.com. Interesting comments by DeBoer, just bits and pieces of it.

And I think fans would totally agree with his analysis here. Needs to take ownership, talking about the running game, taking ownership and being more physical in practice. I think a lot of folks were shocked at the lack of the P word last year. Your thoughts, just how much emphasis is being put on trying to correct what a lot of folks said. This team is soft last year. Well, you know, again, I had somebody tell me this, which I thought was an interesting tidbit. He's been to every single practice, scrimmage and all of that, or at least most of them.

And he said, you know, the one thing that stood out to him about a week ago, they had a 20-minute period where they went good on good, and it was really physical. I mean, it was brutal physical. And he said, man, love to see it. He said the question was, why didn't they do that in earlier practices prior to that one? And they haven't done it since. So I think that's something that they feel like. I remember 1999. I'll give you that as an example. Because you saw how that team turned around that year.

And, you know, they tied for the – well, they actually won the SEC championship when they beat Florida, of course. But that team in that spring – and I watched it up close. Every practice, the whole practice, Dubose used to let us in. And it was physical. And when I say physical, there were fistfights every day. I mean, it was offensive line, defensive line going against each other. I mean, it was a battle royal. And I really think that ultimately, when that team hit some hard times early, when they lost that game to Louisiana Tech, it was going back to the spring where they had some leadership and they had that – just had a physicalness about them that I think really was important.

And I only say that to say, you know, again, I think that's going to be really important to this team because they got physically worn out a few times last year. I mean, Georgia did it – I mean, well, Florida State did it in the first game. And, you know, Georgia did it, obviously, in the SEC championship game. And, you know, Indiana really did it in the Rose Bowl. I really do enjoy your on-the-hoof reports. They're very good. Again, you've got such a limited time in viewing, 10 or 15 minutes.

But I know you concentrated on the defensive side of the ball because of that. TITV 24-7 message board recruiting, all sorts of stuff. But where can we get online and get everything? Right. It's tighterinsider.com. It's only $48 a year. You can get the access there with a credit card if you prefer. There is an address there to send a check. Gives you the premium information, but also our all-sports forum. That's our community there. It never stops on tighterinsider.com. Rodney, appreciate your time, Dave. Crimson Saturday.

[42:35] What do you say, Rodney? We kick back and talk some Masters Green. Straight ahead, 93.9 to score. More after this. We'll see you next time. We'll see you next time. From the Augusta National Golf Club, Westwood One Sports presents this special report on the Masters, sponsored by Liberty Mutual. Liberty Mutual customizes your auto and home insurance so you only pay for what you need. Last night, Rory McIlroy got to enjoy the latest fruits of last year's victory, hosting the champion's dinner. Now, his menu included wagyu filet mignon or seared salmon as the main course.

Not exactly the fair true to the Emerald Isle. People keep asking me, why didn't you go more Irish? And I said, because I want to enjoy the dinner as well. So, you know, I tried to do a few things that I thought everyone would eat. The fun part was getting access to that wonderful wine cellar that they have. And, you know, I'm excited to share those wines with everyone tonight as well. Yeah, Rory selected some decades-old Bordeaux, in fact. And one of his sides was traditional Irish champ, mashed potatoes with scallions, plus a sticky toffee pudding for dessert.

So, a little Irish, not a lot. You're listening to coverage of the 2026 Masters on Westwood One. There's nowhere I wouldn't go to help someone customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual, even if it means sitting front row at a comedy show. Hey, everyone, check out this guy and his bird. What is this, your first date? Oh, no, we help people customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual together. We're married. Me to a human, him to a bird. Yeah, the bird looks out of your league anyways.

Only pay for what you need at libertymutual.com. 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.

This afternoon, players gather at the northeast corner of Augusta National for the par-3 contest, and we've got three aces already today. Justin Thomas at number two, Wyndham Clark at the seventh, Keegan Bradley at the eighth. Bradley, in fact, with aces at back-to-back par-3 contests now, going back to last year. All three players, though, getting disqualified on purpose by letting a family member hit a shot along the way. Why? Well, they are well aware of the par-3 curse. No one has followed up a par-3 contest win with the green jacket.

Jacob Bridgman getting set for his first Masters. Maybe he's unaware. He is three under through four holes, and he leads the par-3 right now by one shot over Casey Jarvis and Chris Goddorup. From Augusta, I'm Ted Emmerich, Westwood One Sports. Their closing statements have been translated into 25 languages. A juror once applauded mid-sentence. The judge let it slide. 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. Spring is in the air, and Aleve's long-lasting pain relief is here to keep you moving. The days are longer, and the flowers are blooming. Whether it's gardening, yard work, or just spending more time outdoors, spring is a way of getting us moving despite any body pain. That's where Aleve can keep you going. With just one dose, Aleve gives you long-lasting body pain relief for up to 12 hours. From sunup to sundown, Aleve's got your back. Try Aleve.

Use as directed for minor aches and pains. You like saving money, right? We all do. That's why Allstate just lowered the price of car insurance. Not, but wait, there's a catch. Lower. Actually lower. So if you're shopping around, or just want to see how much you could save, check Allstate first for a new lower auto rate that could save you hundreds. You're in good hands with Allstate. Not available in every state, only applicable for new auto insurance business. Rates will vary by several factors, including how you purchase the policy.

[47:49] Potential savings vary. Allstate, North American Insurance Company and affiliates, Northbrook, Illinois. 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. Empower. 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. Harry Douglas here to tell you about Confetti Craze 5-Hour Energy.

It tastes just like the best birthday cake ever. Vanilla, buttery, frosting vibes. It's basically a party in a bottle. And here's the best part. All cake, no sugar. And you know I love my cake. So I get that big birthday energy without any sugar guilt. The bottle's small, easy to toss in my bag, and perfect when I need a quick, tasty caffeine boost to cake-a-five my day. The Funfetti flavor is back on 5hourenergy.com or Amazon. Crack open a Confetti Craze 5-Hour Energy shot today. 18-19 News.

Former U.S. Congressman Mo Brooks is running in a statewide race this year for Alabama House District 20. Brooks is in a primary race against incumbent state lawmaker James Lomax. Recently, a group called Americans for Prosperity Alabama have publicly endorsed Lomax in this race against Brooks. Brooks is actually thrilled to hear about this. He says that Americans for Prosperity did not endorse President Trump in 2024 and, in fact, spent $32 million against Trump's presidential campaign and endorsed Nikki Haley instead. Brooks calls Haley a cheap foreign labor advocate and says that Lomax is the same, that he's been weak on border security and seeks to import cheap foreign labor, which only undermines the American worker.

Brooks says that this is why Lomax is getting such an endorsement from this group. I'll be back with more Alabama stories after this. where I was living was not a great place to live anymore. I began to pray for a place to go, praying for all of these things that a nine-year-old would want. I wanted horses, big house with a bunch of people my age. I wanted parents. I wanted a mom and a dad. Before I even prayed it, the Lord had already answered my prayer with the Big Oak Ranch.

Who would that nine-year-old be if she never came to the Big Oak Ranch? I would be trying to fight for survival instead of fighting to break a cycle. Big Oak Ranch, a Christian home for children needing a chance. The regional medical center in Anniston has been acquired by Orlando Health out of Florida. This new ownership will provide Anniston with access to a variety of resources from a larger health care system. Orlando Health is a private, not-for-profit health care system. A new president for Crestwood Medical Center has been named.

Kyle Buchanan is a Tuscumbia native who has 20 years' experience working in hospital operations. Buchanan will assume his first day at Crestwood on April 20th. I'm Andrea Tice. For more news affecting Alabamians, go to 1819news.com. And while you're there, subscribe to the daily newsletter. The Score. Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score. Welcome back again. Quickly, BB. Have you got your sunshades out for a little Braves action about pregame anyway, about an hour from now? Yeah. That's going to be, they won last night, 72. They won the game, and then they also won the fight.

We jokingly referred to that to begin the show. They won 72, but Soler, who was with the Braves when they won the World Series, hit a home run against Ronaldo Lopez. Yeah. So, the next time Lopez comes up, I mean, next time Soler comes up, Lopez plunks him. And then, I believe another, the next time he comes out, the ball is high and tight, so they went into a staring contest that led to, I mean, most baseball fights or nothing more, if they get physical, it's a shoving match.

For us just to stare down, I mean, these guys were throwing haymakers. The funny part about it is, I guess it wasn't funny at the time, was Walt Weiss, who has a black belt in karate, a former football coach, an NMA experience, literally tackled, I mean, a form tackle, Soler, down to the ground that ended the fight. But, it was quite a night listening to you, if you haven't seen it on social media, Ben England, all of it is pricey. You know who'd be proud about that, Nolan Ryan, he didn't mess around back in the day, I guarantee you, tell you what, the Braves, they won the, I think they won the battle there on the field with the fisticuffs and the game.

[53:07] They're only a half game back in the first place, Mets in the East, can they move up, we'll see you in about an hour of the pregame, you know, 93.9 to score. Grant Holmes, ready to take the mound for the Braves, again, you can catch it, you know, 93.9 to score. But first, interesting week on the coaching staff of UNA, Coach Tony Pujol on that, Nathan King talking to Auburn Tiger and Drew DeArmond talking about everything else, it's all straight ahead, stay with us. T-Mobile has an exclusive bundle for customers 55 and up.

I'm Sarah Bull. Yeah, I'm Frank Bull. A reliable network is key for us. And with T-Mobile, it's been wonderful. And going to the 55 Plus plan saved us so much money. A lot. And that's important. Trying to keep costs down. The home internet's been perfect. It's fast, it's quick. The setup was so easy, it took less than 15 minutes. It was like, ta-da! If you want simplicity, coverage, reliability, you want the whole package, T-Mobile has it. Right now, T-Mobile customers 55 and up can get two phone lines on America's best network.

Plus, America's fastest 5G home internet for just 30 bucks each. $30 per month each line with auto pay plus taxes and fees. Minimum age 55. Pricing for home internet rely on two lines of essentials choice 55. $35 connection charge per line required. Best mobile network and fastest 5G home internet based on analysis by Oak Cliff Speedtest Intelligence Data 2H 2025. All rights reserved. This is the story of The One. As a procurement manager for a hospital system, she keeps every facility in her network stocked and ready. That's why she counts on Grainger to be her single source for thousands of products, from disinfectants to lighting, air filters, and more.

And with fast, dependable delivery, Grainger helps her keep every facility stocked, safe, and running smoothly. Call 1-800-GRAINGER, click grainger.com, or just stop by. Grainger, for the ones who get it done. What if your instincts could pay off? With Robinhood Prediction Markets, you can put your sports IQ to work on the games you know best. It's not you against the house. It's you participating in a live market. Buy or sell your predictions all game long. Trade every play with Robinhood. Visit Robinhood.com slash predict.

That's Robinhood.com slash predict. Futures and cleared swaps trading involves significant risk and is not appropriate for everyone. Event contracts are offered by Robinhood Derivatives LLC, a registered futures commission merchant and swap firm. 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. My name is Christine, and I'm a widow. My husband, Ryan, was a healthy 34-year-old, and three months later, he was gone. Thankfully, he had life insurance. Ethos made it so easy. You can get a quote in seconds, apply in minutes, and get same-day coverage. 100% online, no medical exam. Life insurance didn't take away the loss, but it did give us the space to just grieve.

Get your free quote at ethos.com slash game. Ethos.com slash game. Paid spokesperson. Time spent on application may vary. Online health questions required. You're sitting at a red light or stuck in traffic, and your phone lights up. Maybe it's a text, a video call, a new post, or a quick notification you think you can check in a second. It feels harmless. But the truth is, once your eyes leave the road, you're not really driving anymore. And traffic doesn't pause just because you do. That split second of distraction can throw off everything.

Your reaction time, your awareness, your ability to avoid someone else's mistake. You could damage your car, injure yourself, or hurt someone you care about. Or you could get pulled over for a reminder that your phone isn't worth the risk. So before you start driving, make it easy on yourself. Put your phone on silent. Toss it in the glove box. Set it to do not disturb. Put the phone away or pay. Paid for by NHTSA. Valley Broadcasting Corporation, WITK-FM, Rogersville, Athens, Decatur, The Shores. Sports Radio 93.9, The Score.

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 to Ron 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. This Sunday, Alabama welcomes the Arkansas Razorbacks to the Joe. Pre-game is 1245 with the first pitch at one here on 93.9 The Score. Hey everybody, Bill King, Bill King Show.

[58:23] Listen to me. Nine until noon. 93.9 The Score. Monday through Friday as we talk college football like nobody else does. Because he listens in Florence. Our show's, Charlie, our show's on down there. Bill King Show. Monday through Friday. Nine until noon. Every league, every big topic is covered. 93.9 The Score. 93.9 The Score weather. Today, mostly sunny with a high around 75. Tonight, partly cloudy with a low near 50. Tomorrow, sunny with a high around 75. Tomorrow night, clear with a low near 50. And for your Friday, sunny with a high around 80.

Your weather from 93.9 The Score. Now, get ready to roll. Shoals, Decatur, Athens, and all of northwest Alabama and southern Tennessee. It's time for the Valley's exclusive FM Sports Voice. 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. Welcome back in. Hour two of the Boomo Bugg Show. I'm Harold Bugg alongside Brett Beaird. Thank you so much for giving us free ride around the Tennessee Valley. Baby, I can't think of a better way to tip off a second hour than saying hello to the man who says, offseason, what stinking offseason.

UNA men's basketball coach, Tony Pujo. Coach, welcome in. How are you? Harold, Brett, doing great. How about you guys? How are you guys doing? Good, man. Well, we're trying to keep up with you, coach. I thought this was the offseason, but you've been busy as a bee. Boy, I tell you what, when you start looking at this coaching staff, go to the spice rack. You have spiced things up. I will not steal your thunder. Where do you start in talking about the new folks on your staff?

Well, I can tell you right now we're very blessed to bring in two important pieces this year for the upcoming year. I can definitely start with just a local guy that obviously is from the area, has done a tremendous job in his career as far as coaching and the ladder that he's climbed so far. I think he's a very special and unique coach. We've known each other for a lot of years. We played against them. In fact, I played them one time, and after that game, I told them I'd never play them again.

We beat them at home, and it was a close game, but ever since then, we've always been connected, and I always knew that if I ever had an opportunity, Drew Stutz was somebody I definitely wanted to bring on staff, and we're fortunate that it was the right time, I think, and it's a great fit for him and his career, so we're just very blessed to have him. Talk to us about the time, because let's face it, you can have the best grapes in the world, but sometimes the best thing you can do is go and let time give you the wisdom, the experience, the ups and downs, and you look at an apples-to-apples comparison for Drew.

Two things on this. He goes to Fried Harmon, and what does he do? I don't care if you're playing tiddlywinks or pickleball. If you win a national championship, that's incredible. To win two out of three, that's off the charts. I don't care what the sport is. Talk to us about what that does, but here's the other part, Coach, the intangible. A lot of coaches, they jump from job to job. Drew looks at the shows at UNA, and he says that's great, but it's also home where the heart is.

Yeah, that's right, and that's why I mentioned the word fit, right, because I think not only is it a great opportunity to be here at the University of North Alabama at this time, but it's the right fit for him as far as his community, right? It's a community that he's very familiar with. Still, his family lives here in town. You know, I think what that's done also is, I'm going to laugh at this, but, you know, our attendance has probably gone up a little bit since he's been on staff, right?

You're going to have more people coming to the games, right, because it's just a local hero from this area. The one thing I can tell you about Drew is his passion for just working with young people, and, you know, you could tell that he got into this profession for all the right reasons, a highly, highly intelligent human being who really puts a lot of time into his craft. So, again, guys, I can't tell you how blessed we are to have a guy like Drew Stutz here in our program.

Well, let's talk about another addition to your staff. When Will Susie was playing, and I had several people tell me that they said when Will ever quits playing, he's going to go into coaching one day or administration. I hear a rumor that that may have happened. Talk about another addition. Yeah, the other addition, obviously, is Will Susie, the Iron Lion, right, like we like to call him, the guy that played the most games in UNA history for men's basketball. You know, and I'll tell you this, Will's from New Jersey, but when he got to the Shoals, and he'll tell you this, you know, he's mentioned it a lot of times in the media.

[1:03:55] This is home for him. He really, really enjoyed being a part of this unbelievable community and the way that they embraced him as a player and as a student. He gave it a shot in the real world, got into the business world, and he gave it a shot, but he realized, like you said, I think this is the right profession for him. He missed it, and he wanted to be back to it, and I'll tell you what he brings to the table. Somebody, first of all, that understands who we are, understands everything about the culture that we're trying to build.

He's part of the foundation of who we are, and I think when you have young men who are coming into, especially in the world that we live in today where you have so much turnover, he's a guy that can kind of speed start that building the camaraderie, building the team. He can really get in there in the trenches with him and kind of guide them through to get him to that point. Coach, I think another point to that, too, is you said he entered the business world, and in this day and time, we cited a stat earlier, 45% of last year's rosters in college basketball is now in the portal, but the point I'm trying to make is these kids think the grass is green on the other side, and Will, being a young man, he may have thought that, but he had to follow his heart.

The meaning, he can come back to these kids and say, look, guys, look at me. Look at my face. I'm telling you, you better follow your heart. This is a short run. I don't care if you have five years, you mentioned longevity, at some point it's going to end. I think that's an important message. You can tell these kids, make sure you make the most of it. The grass ain't always green on the other side. And also, Coach, bringing in a staff whose hearts are with you, it's always been tough.

But in this day and time, you've got to juggle so many balls in the air with the NIL and everything else. Your thoughts, just the importance of having a staff who's connected in so many ways. Well, you know, I've learned that a lot from just being around people, and sometimes even out of basketball, right? Yep. There's a lot of business owners in our town that I happen to have built a relationship with. You know, Ike Fowler at Alabama Health Guidance, and guys like Charles Anderson, Terry Anderson.

You know, when you talk to these men, and you talk about, and when we discuss their business, one of the first things they always tell me is, hey, you've got to hire the right people, right? You've got to hire people that have the same vision and that are good people, people that are going to take your vision and just continue to build it. Right. And there's a lot of truth to that. So when you bring in a guy like Drew Stutz, who this place means a lot to him.

This is where he went to school. This is where he grew up. He went to Mars Hill. You know, this is his community. So it means a lot to him when you talk to a guy like Will Soucy, somebody who wasn't even from here six, seven years ago, and now doesn't want to leave here. He wants to be here. Those type of guys, you know, they just add so much value to the building of your program. Tony, the transfer portal, of course, opened yesterday, and there are over 1,000 players who've already jumped in it.

We're not going to get into specific names, of course. But as far as positions of need, guard, forward, center, wings. Tony, what positions are you looking to fill in the next six weeks or so? Well, I don't mind sharing with you where we're at right now. I mean, we've got six guys. Again, I'm not going to mention names, obviously. But we've got two returners from last year's team, both freshmen. We've got two incoming freshmen that we also signed in the fall. And we've already gotten two commitments from guys in the portal.

In fact, both of them are Division II players. So we've got six right now on the roster. And this upcoming year, I'm going to go ahead and just sign 12 to the roster. Because now with all the revenue share and all that, I'm just a believer that even though we've got 15 scholarships, I just feel that 15 seems to me like too big of a number. Because you're not going to keep everybody happy, right? So to me, I'm going to go ahead and just get, we're going to scholarship about 12 guys.

I may keep one scholarship maybe late, just in case something happens. But at the same time, we're going to go after six. And right now, our board, we've got guys lined up to come in on visits here this upcoming week. And for us, we're going to go after guys that, number one, understand the culture, understand just the style of play, and understand who we are as people. And they want to be here. I'm going to put a big time, that to me is the most important.

Do they have to be talented? 100%. Right? But at the same time, they've got to understand what they're walking into. So they've got to be the right fit. And that's what my staff and I are kind of talking on a daily is, do they fit what we're trying to do? If they do, then yeah, we need to have them here. If not, I know they're talented. But if they don't fit what we're trying to do here, yeah, let's move on and let's get somebody else that wants to be here.

[1:09:20] UNA head basketball coach, Tony Pujol. Talk to us about that. We were talking earlier with some of our friends, Coach, and the joke was, in the old days, these magazines, they come out at a certain time and they say, this is how we see the league going. As a head coach, at what point do you, as a head coach and head coaches in general, finally say, maybe now I can find out what my team is about? Because when people ask us, what about this team or that team?

I don't know. In some ways, the coach doesn't even know until all this settles down. How tough is that? How do you juggle it realistically? At what point do you finally get an idea of your roster? Yeah. And let me say this to you. So, you know, there are teams that there are leagues that play against each other. Like we had the A-Sun-Socon game, right? Well, they all have to project. You know, they want to play the one seed versus the one seed. They want to play the two seed versus the two seed.

Well, how are you doing that? Everybody's roster is changing every year. So how are they getting to that point, right? So to me, the way I view it is, first of all, we're going into a new league, right? The UAC. So we're going to be playing in the UAC next year. So we're seeing new teams. Now, we're going to see some familiar teams, Austin Peay and Central Arkansas and Eastern Kentucky and West Georgia. But, you know, we've never played against Tarleton State in basketball. We haven't played against Abilene Christian.

We don't know UT Arlington, University of Arkansas, Little Rock. We don't know those people yet. So to me, I'm going to be looking at their style of play. But as far as their roster, some of these schools only got two guys on the roster right now. You got some places I don't even have a, they had a, they showed this the other day where they had the Tennessee women's, they showed zero people on there. I mean, they got nobody on their staff. So I'm just saying that right now, it's just so difficult.

These things are going to play out all the way to about June. And then by June, you'll have a, you know, your program set. And even then you're still building because you're trying to put all these new pieces together to make a team. So. Well, we certainly wish you luck doing it. We've got to run to a master's update here in just a few minutes, but always delighted to catch up with you. Congratulations on the roster construction for the staff. Yeah. Some incredible guys. Listen, have a great spring.

Let us give you a call a little bit later in the spring. You should get that roster completed. 100%. Coach Tony Pujo, UNA men's basketball coach. BB, obviously we're going to be talking master's in a second, but quickly before we jump into that, uh, for the folks who might've missed it, the NCAA, basically are, are they serious this time about quote age, uh, based eligibility? In other words, here's the key part for years, it's been five seasons. Now it's five years, not seasons from the time of their 19th birthday or high school graduation, whichever comes first.

Uh, to me, that is a good rule. That's got to be something universal about it. You know, there's nothing worse than going to home Depot and buying something that's not a universal fit. You get it home and then what's the fancy word? It is proprietary. Uh, to me, this is a universal approach across the board, BB. Well, we've, we've only been told by this for 20 years and we've been doing this show for 25, uh, but no granting of red shirts or waivers. Harold, to me, this is simply a solution.

Five years to play five. Coming up tomorrow. If you love yourself some golf, the granddaddy, the masters going on, even as we speak, it's par three day at Augusta, just around the corner. Uh, we've got the latest on that and a quick reminder coming up now in less than an hour, or the Atlanta Braves, the day game. It is another, uh, if you will, closing out the road trip. From the Augusta National Golf Club, Westwood One Sports presents this special report on the Masters, sponsored by Prevagen.

Prevagen, made for your brain. Bryson DeChambeau is always diving into the stats, ball speed, spin rate. He's even experimented by putting lead tape on the top of his club to see what that would do to the golf ball. What about age? The average age of the Masters champion across the first 89 tournaments is 32, and DeChambeau enters the 90th Masters at 32 years old. It's great if that's the way the stats line up and they work in my favor, then fantastic. But, um, I don't try to look too much into that and focus on what I can accomplish.

Obviously, I'm playing well, and, you know, I feel like my game's in the best place of its career, outside of maybe, you know, Greenbrier when I shot 58. Um, outside of that, I, I mean, I'm, I'm excited to get the week going and see where, where I can put myself. DeChambeau won his last two starts on live in Singapore and South Africa. He just teed off in the par three contest with Kevin Hart as his caddy. You're listening to coverage of the 2026 Masters on Westwood One. David is a real Prevagen user, and this is his story.

[1:14:33] Nice to meet you. My name is David. I've been a pharmacist for 44 years, and I'm from Flowery Branch, Georgia. When I first started taking Prevagen, I noticed stuff just seemed to come together and fit like a jigsaw puzzle. When I have customers come in, I recommend Prevagen, number one, because it's safe and effective, does not require prescription, and I've been taking it quite a while myself, and I know it works. I wouldn't recommend something like Prevagen if I didn't think it was worth it. Because it works so good for me.

And I love it when the customers come back in and tell me, David, that really works so good. Makes my day. Prevagen, at stores everywhere without a prescription. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Timonialist was compensated for their time. Three aces already at the Par 3 contest. Justin Thomas at 2, Wyndham Clark at 7, Keegan Bradley at 8. Clark and Bradley playing in the same group, and all three players have pulled out of the competition. Of course, no Par 3 winner has captured the green jacket in the same week.

Jacob Bridgman might be making a run for it, though. Bridgman getting ready to make his Masters debut this week is 4-under through 7, a one-shot lead over Chris Goddorup, another Masters rookie. Goddorup, 3-under through 7 holes. Aaron Rye, Matt McCarty, and last year's U.S. Open champion, J.J. Spahn, are all 2-under. Ryan McCarty, through 5, and Spahn, through 4 holes. Par 3, really about family. Sergio Garcia's daughter poured in a putt from 4 feet away. Her name, Azalea. From Augusta, I'm Ted Emmerich, Westwood One Sports. An official message from Medicare.

I turned 65 this year. I knew it was time to figure out Medicare, and I had questions like when to enroll and how to enroll. So I went straight to the official source, Medicare.gov, to get the facts about Medicare. I found answers to all my questions, and I'm ready to get started. And so can you. Just go to Medicare.gov to get the real facts about Medicare. Paid for by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Indeed presents, hires you can't afford to get wrong, like a warehouse operations manager.

Uh, where are the forklifts? Sold them. Too expensive. We're using scooters now. So you expect us to move a two-ton pallet on a scooter? Just lean into it. Put your back into it, people. 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. Progressive presents the passionate sports fan checklist. Signed jersey of your favorite bench warmer?

Check. 14 bobbleheads that look nothing like the players they're emulating? Check. Twin TVs so you can watch the game on two different networks simultaneously? Check. Life-size wall sticker of your favorite player that routinely freaks you out at night? Check. A second life-size wall sticker. So after the first one freaks you out, you see the second and you're like, oh right, the wall stickers. Check and mate. Bundle your renters and auto insurance with Progressive and save on protection for the things on your checklist. Get a quote at Progressive.com.

Progressive Casualty Insurance Company affiliates and third-party insurers. Not available in all states or situations covered. Subject to policy terms. You've said it before. This will only take a second. Just a quick glance. A fast reply. But on the road, seconds don't wait for you. They decide everything. Who stops. Who doesn't. Who makes it home. So next time your phone lights up, ask yourself, is this distraction worth a ticket or even a life? Put the phone away. Or pay. Paid for by NetSav. From the University of Alabama, this is Crimson Tide Today.

It's a daily update on Bama sports and it's brought to you by Conecuh Sausage. A true Southern flavor since 1947 and the official smoked sausage of the Crimson Tide. For more information, visit ConecuhSausage.com. Hello again, everybody. I'm Roger Hoover. On Tuesday's edition of Crimson Drive, driven by NASCAR, we were joined by Alabama softball outfielder Anna Roman. Having the most fun ever. There's literally no way I could ever imagine that I would be doing like this. And this team's literally the best. What do you think's led to such a good start this season?

The leadership on the team. I talk about this all the time, but I know what to do because they're showing me what to do. And it's just so easy to fall in line with them. Who are some of the key leaders on this team? Lex, Marley. We got Kristen. Larissa. Larissa helps me so much because she's also a right fielder and she just, that was so easy for me to fill in there. And then who else am I missing? Jocelyn is a great leader for the freshman pitchers.

Hitting wise, I would say Lex has helped me a lot too. I'll have more in a moment. Hello, Tide fans. This is Chris Stewart for Conecuh Sausage. Conecuh's an Alabama fan favorite we all know and love. It's made from the finest cuts of pork, their patented blend of seasonings, and smoked over a pure hickory fire for that true hickory smoked southern flavor. Conecuh Sausage is always great on the grill and perfect for tailgating. Pick up a pack and enjoy your family's favorite recipes at any meal of the day.

[1:19:53] Conecuh Sausage, a game day tradition and the official smoked sausage of the Crimson Tide. We've got you covered tomorrow for Crimson Drive driven by NASCAR. Streaming live on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons at 2 p.m. Central on all CTSN social media platforms at UA underscore CTSN. Crimson Tide Today is brought to you by Conecuh Sausage. Crimson Tide Today is a production of the Crimson Tide Sports Network from Learfield. The Score. Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score. Welcome back in. A pleasure for sitting on down to the plains.

Say hello to Nathan King at the Auburn Tigers cover there at 24-7 Sports. Part of the Auburn Undercover family. Nathan, they tell me your plate runneth over. Welcome in. How are you? I am doing good. Like you said, lots going on with the portal open and fun time to be at auburnundercover.com. Lots going on for sure. Is the celebration still on or is it starting to die down a little bit from the NIT? Oh, goodness. I mean, not to say this in any certain way, but the celebration died down like the next morning because you just had to turn the page so quickly.

Like, you know, and the other teams that were playing late in the college basketball season, I'm sure they experienced the same thing. It's just the nature of where we are right now in the sport. Like, you can't celebrate very long. You can't really think about your season very long. I mean, in the span of less than 72 hours after Kevin Overton hit that huge shot for them to go to overtime and then ultimately win the NIT championship, less than 72 hours later, he posts that he's back at Auburn.

Like, that's kind of the world we're in right now. And so, yeah, obviously it was a great finish for this team. Like Stephen Pearl said, it was sort of a way for them to change the narrative on what was an otherwise disappointing finish to the season not making the NCAA tournament. And now they're turning their attention toward trying to get back to the tournament next year, of course, with the new roster. Nathan, let me ask you some quick updates about the transfer portal. As you mentioned, Kevin Overton announced that he is returning.

And I don't know if they're – his development at the final third of the season was, what, nearly dramatic. Saw it in the postseason, too. But we've learned Philip Jobick is expected to hit the transfer portal at some point. Magwood, who had a tremendous game early in the NIT, announced this morning. I know Elijah Freeman, Sebastian Williams-Adams, or two more, will they stay or will they go? Pettiford, of course, is going to be one. He may want to go through the NBA process. What are you hearing as far – we know about three of them.

What are we hearing about the others as far as who are on the roster? Yeah, so Jovich officially in the portal this morning. So no messing about there, no chance for Auburn to get him back. And that was a situation where, look, that was – I'm sure that was surprising to you guys as well. Like, it wasn't surprising after the end of the season where I started to hear about, you know, what Jovich had wanted to do and that he may have been demanding a little bit more money than Auburn wanted to give.

But just surprising because, you know, a player uproots themselves and comes from overseas and moves their entire life to one place and is now going to go somewhere else. The one that was not surprising at all was Caden Magwood. I mean, obviously that was a tumultuous situation with him all season with Stephen Pearl. Obviously, Magwood was removed from the lineup for the better part of a couple months and didn't really ever come back into it. Like you said, he came back in the NIT after the season was – obviously he didn't make the tournament.

And so, you know, no surprise there. Kevin Overton was one that Auburn wanted to get done ASAP after the conclusion of the season. So now you're waiting on those three guys – you're waiting on those three guys you talked about. Of those three, I probably would feel the best about Elijah Freeman coming back right now just because I think the pitch to him is going to be pretty clear, you know, what he developed into this season and the type of player he became. He was already a starter for them at the end of the season.

He'll come back and be that again. Sebastian Williams-Adams is interesting. Like that's an interesting conversation because he's a guy who showed a lot of potential right away at Auburn. But somebody who's also probably going to hear from some other programs about what he could do there. And then Zahad Pettiford, man, he's a guy that – look, we've talked about on this show before. Like those types of point guards don't grow on trees. Like guys that are – and skilled, but at the same time, it's Zahad Pettiford going into year three.

Like you said, if he chooses to come back to college and not to go to the NBA, is his price going to be too high? Like that's just what happens now. You know, is he going to hear from some other programs, maybe some schools closer to home up in New Jersey, and are they going to offer him in the $3.5 million – that would not be – that's not a good number based on what we've heard over the last couple seasons. Would Auburn be willing to match that? Or would they say, hey, we've got a bunch of other things we need to do on this roster.

[1:25:08] We can go get a point guard. Best of luck to you, and we'll see you down the road. Auburn definitely needs those decisions within the next few days in order to know what their roster looks like. Patrick Klein would say crazy. Nathan, speaking of big money, we know Hollywood spends a lot of money on face lifts, but $323 million for the upgrades to Jerton-Harris Stadium. Nathan, the question is, how much of that money did you contribute to that $323 million? You know, if my four years of tuition helped them at all, then good point.

There you go. Other than that, none at all. Yeah, I mean, that's something we've been waiting on for a while. This has kind of been the master plan from Auburn Athletic Director John Cohen for the better part of three years. You saw it, the first stages of it last year, $27 million video board. Of course, that video board in the North End Zone had not been renovated since 1987 when that other one was put in, so it was a little overdue. So for a bit of a facelift, but we knew that was only phase one and that phase two was going to be what are they going to do with all that scaffolding on the back of the stadium over there.

And today they unveil. It'll be up for voting next week, but obviously that's probably just a formality. This thing's ready to go. It's a multipurpose facility, and like you said, that holds a price tag of $305 million, and then there's also some upgrades to the space on campus around there. Basically just try to make, right, you know, if you've been to Auburn at any time recently, like walking around the stadium just kind of feels like a means to an end, which is, you know, that's what most college places are.

Like, unless you're a pro, unless you're in the battery at a Braves game, like, you know, places don't really have a lot of infrastructure around the stadium. That's just how college campuses are. But Auburn would like to lean a little bit more into what I talked about, you know, having some stuff to do around and making it a little easier for people to get around and hang out around the stadium. And so that project is going to be $18 million. And so that brings us to that price tag you mentioned, $323 million for the two of those.

And, you know, again, it's been something that Auburn's been waiting on for a long time. They've been excited about it. And it's going to, by the response from the rendering today, I think people are pretty excited about it. It looks cool. It looks like something that is going to have a little bit for everybody. It's just more seating. It's more, it's got like a ballroom kind of area. It's going to be for more than just football. They want the stadium to be somewhere that people can go for all sorts of events over the course of a year.

And that's their goal. That's what I was going to say. Bryant, Denny, and other stadiums across the SEC hold weddings. They hold Chamber of Commerce events. They hold multi-events and purpose events. And, again, the athletic department can make money off of that. So, yes. Again, I know it costs a lot of money, but people get tired of hearing keeping up with the Joneses. But if you can turn an area into a multi-purpose and get rent, get money from events, it's certainly worth it. Listen, we've got a little shorter show.

The Braves are coming up here shortly. But we wanted to get you on and talk a little, Auburn, and particularly I know the spring game is coming up a week from Saturday. Listen, where can we get online and get yours and Jason and all the team's great stuff? For sure. Auburnundercover.com. If you're an Auburn fan, we're offering 60% off right now for the transfer portal. Our transfer tracker has been moving right along. Lots of updates already here in a couple days. It's definitely one of the craziest times of the year.

Nothing like the college football transfer portal. So, if you want to stay on top of it, Auburnundercover.com. Nathan, sounds great. Man, thanks for your time, Dan. Let's do it again soon, okay? Thank you, guys. Appreciate it. Thank you, bud. Nathan King, busy there, 24-7 Sports, Auburn Undercover. Coming up, he's D-Squared. Drew DeArmond on deck. Stay with us. When getting the job done is job one, you need construction equipment that's built right. From compact track loaders to the world's number one selling compact excavator, the Kubota construction lineup features durable Kubota engines, more comfort, and the versatility to do it all and do it right.

Visit your local Kubota dealer today. Go to KubotaUSA.com for full disclaimer. Stop by Brown Equipment, located at 826 North Military Street in Loretto, or visit them online at BrownEquipmentCompany.com. 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. Their handshakes are said to be legally binding. They don't read case law because they wrote it. 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. Progressive presents the Sports Flash on 93.9 The Score. Atlanta Braves were winners yesterday as the Braves beat the Angels in Anaheim 7-2.

[1:30:51] 12 hits for the Braves in the victory. Atlanta with the win improves to 7-5 on the season. The Braves and Angels are back at it this afternoon. Grant Holmes starts for Atlanta. He's 0-1 with a 2.45 ERA. Reed Detmers will get the start for the Angels. In college baseball action yesterday, 8th-ranked Alabama. Winner over Samford in 7 innings, 16-2. 15th-ranked Auburn, beaten by Jacksonville State, 15-4 in 8 innings. North Alabama fell short against Tennessee Martin, 6-5. Bundle auto and home, renters or condo, and save with Progressive. I'm John Thayer with the Sports Flash presented by Progressive on 93.9 The Score.

The problem with radio is we can't show you our new box packed with a KFC snacker, five nuggets, fries, and a drink for just $7. So you'll just have to trust us when we say the crispy golden fried breading will make your mouth water. You'll have to trust us when we say this is a ridiculous amount of chicken for such a small price. And you'll have to really trust us when we insist that, yes, it really is only $7. $7 box feast from KFC. Trust us, it's finger-lickin' good.

Prices and participation may vary. Tax tips and fees extra. The Score. Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score. Welcome back in. It is an absolute pleasure for us to welcome in Double D, Drew DeArmond. He's host, Talking Ball on Huntsville's 97.7 FM The Zone. Drew, welcome in. How are you? I'm good, guys. How are y'all? Hey, man. We're trying to keep up with this roster construction and also A-Day game and a host of other things, Drew. Where do we start? Obviously, comings and goings. And one thing we have in common with everybody we talk to, everybody's saying, my team is blowing up.

Who's going to play? Well, the good side is there's plenty of folks out there looking for greener pastures. Drew, where is Alabama in all this stuff? Well, they're, you know, they've, you know, they haven't added anybody yet. They've lost three guys. And two of them are no shock to anyone because, like I said, you know, Jalil Bathea is more apt to be playing at Rucker Park and in the N1 mixtape open run than he is in a structured basketball game. And then a good athlete just didn't, wasn't healthy at first.

And they just never really fit, just like he didn't fit at Miami, really. And so he's moving on. There's no surprise there, even though I think his attitude stayed good. But he's just not going to have a big-time opportunity, I don't think, to develop at Alabama, at least in his mind. And then certainly, you know, I don't think anybody's surprised that Taylor Bull-Bowen moved on. A lot of it's money because they want probably the same amount of money. And, you know, and he had a decent year when he was healthy, but he wasn't healthy a lot.

And I'm sure Alabama didn't want to pay the same rate or especially give a raise. So he has decided to move on. And, you know, and then, of course, we know, you know, that Aiden Sherell. Now, Aiden Sherell, his situation, I know Alabama's still plugging away at it. They've been doing that for a while. They had a significant offer already on his desk. But the thing about bigs is they're kind of like Sasquatches. They're, you know, they're in demand and they're rare. And if you find one and you have a good one, not even a great one, because I think, you know, Aiden improved a lot.

He's a good player. But is he worth a price tag of potentially $3 million? I don't think so. So Alabama has to decide what they're going to do because they're going to, I think, have about a $12 million payroll. Certainly, I think he's worth money and certainly I think he can continue to get better. And I think he'd be good if they could go out and get a true five and have him play the four. But, I mean, he's also a guy that I don't think is ever going to get drafted, and especially in the first round to go to the NBA.

So he's trying to maximize his value. And so we'll see if they can reach some common ground. But I think Sherell so far is the only one that's a mild surprise. But in this climate, it's not even a stunning one, in my opinion. D2, let me ask you about some of the other guys. Maury Allen, speculation that he may go through the draft period in the draft combine, give it a shot. I know speculation that he may have been a first-round draft pick early in the year and kind of tailed off toward the end.

Do you think he puts his name in the draft, tries it, and then makes a decision? And then you've got London Jemison, who is a young player developing, who showed some skills. Davian Hanna, who got hurt. Collins O, as I call him, got hurt, too. D2, what about the other guys? How do you think? What route would they go? Well, I mean, Anya Juwaka's still got a – they have to decide what his health situation is. Yeah. He had a couple of heart procedures. You know, so I don't think he's going to have – even as a big – he's not going to have great value right now.

[1:36:09] And so – and that's no disrespect. It's just fact. He can get a clean bill of health. I'm sure Alabama would like to bring him back, especially with the look right now in the room of the post players, which is barren, about like Tennessee women's basketball. So, they certainly would like to have him back. Davian Hanna, he had a hip injury. He had a legit injury. So, I would want to bring him back. I thought he showed a ton of potential. You know, and I don't know what his value would be, too, after having the red shirt.

But certainly, I'd like to bring him back if I were Alabama. I think he's a really good system fit and continue to get – could get – to get better and could make a big jump. And then, you know, when you look at some of the other guys on the roster, we haven't heard anything from Keaton Briscoe. I was kind of expecting him to hit the portal. But it may be a situation of where Alabama wants to keep him, maybe be – and give him a shot to develop.

Because he is a serviceable big. Yeah. I'm not sure he's an SEC talent yet. And especially, it could be a price point situation. We'll have to see, you know, what the economics are. And then, we know with Aiden Holloway, you have to wait on his, you know, legal situation. I do think that may help Alabama in a way, though, with him. And I would certainly think they would like to bring him back. So, it's just going to be interesting to see what happens in the next coming days.

I expected them to keep a handful of these guys. And I still think there's a really good chance they will. Double D, Drew DeArmond, host, Talking Ball on Huntsville's 97-7 in the zone. We alluded to it. Believe it or not, Alabama's also got some football news coming up this weekend. A-Day game. Drew, where do you start breaking it down? Well, you get to look at the offensive lines and see if they're still continuing to progress and see if Michael Carroll's continuing to settle in at right guard, which he is.

It's a good sign. Javon James at right tackle. Nick Brooks was there last week. He's the transfer from Texas. And then Jackson Lloyd, I think, has done a great job developing at the left tackle spot and then gaining confidence. You know, we'll see, but certainly, and then, you know, left guard right now, Ethan Fields has been playing there some. And I think Brooks has played there also. And then, of course, we'll see, you know, if the young man from Brookwood, if he can get healthy in the fall, I think he's probably going to be the starter.

So we'll see there, certainly. And then Delgatti seems to be settling in at center. So, certainly, I think the offensive line has started to take shape, which is encouraging. And then you hear about the running back room. And, you know, Treshawn Brown is kind of a guy that's a prize from Huntsville, Texas, who they signed late. And I think he's going to be a guy that I don't know if he'll, you know, be a starter or anything, but it's good that he's showcasing ability. And certainly, you hear good things.

I have a second scrimmage coming from Kevin Riley. I think Daniel Hill's in better shape. He ate beer as well. And Crowell will be a huge part of things when he's healthy. So I think the running game is hopefully making some strides, no doubt about it. And then quarterback-wise, look, I mean, I think from what I hear, they both struggled a little bit on Friday, last Friday. But I still think it's going to be a situation kind of like A.J. McCarron and Phillip Sims and where it's going to play itself out where they'll know who the starter is probably after the first game.

I think both of them would play against East Carolina. I think they're both talented. And I think Austin Mack and certainly Keelan Russell bring a lot of talent to the table. Absolutely. Well, we got the Braves Day game in California coming up. Maybe there won't be another fight this afternoon. And then a Masters update. D2, where can we get online to get you and Scott with your expanded show? Oh, yeah, certainly they can go to 977 ESPN to follow us on X. Or you can go to, certainly you can go to 977 ESPN The Zone, our X, or excuse me, our, on Instagram, 977 The Zone.

You can find our content and our sub, 977ESPN.com. And then, of course, you can go to our sound file page, ESPN 977 The Zone, if you missed any of Talking Ball. And, of course, now we're on the expanded show from 7 to 10 a.m. each Monday through Friday. And I know it's a big time of year for the Masters. We're actually giving away a driver. And, man, we probably had 45 phone calls today. Everybody's looking forward to golf. And if you give away a golf club, it's amazing how people want to get a high-quality piece of equipment this time of year to play some golf.

But looking forward to another great Masters as well. Absolutely, bud. Well, listen, have a great week. We will probably see each other come Saturday for a day. But have a great week. I know you've got a birthday coming up to yourself. We'll be talking about that a little bit later in the show, buddy. Always enjoy it. Have a great week. Well, and happy birthday this week to you and your brother. And we're glad to see you both turn forward. Drew DeArmond, host of Talking Ball on, I suppose, 97.7 FM, the Zone.

[1:41:38] BB, give us some wisdom. You've got a birthday in the house here. What have you learned in your 29 years on this earth? That's a really good question, Harold. What these days I'm going to sit down long enough to figure it out? Now, as we mentioned, coming up, the Braves are going to be coming up. We've got a busy, jam-packed afternoon here. We've got the Masters. It's going to be interesting. No Tiger Woods is going to be at the Masters this year. And did you see the photo the other day?

You know, Tiger Woods back in the day, everybody was saying he is going to do this and do that. Everybody was joking about John Daly, and I don't know if this meme had it right or not. John Daly was going to the Masters, and Tiger's going to be watching the sideline, BB. Yeah, unfortunately, Harold, you're right. Tiger's an incredible, as a lot of people say, the greatest guy on forever, but he's got his issues. You think that maybe John Daly got there because he took such good care of himself, BB?

I'm sure that's what he did. As we mentioned, coming up at the top of the hour, it's pregame for the Braves in the land of the Angels. But straight ahead, it's par-three day on the eve of the real deal tomorrow at the Masters. Coming up, the latest from the par-three action at the Masters. That's coming up right here on 93.9 The Score.