Episode summary

Boomo Bugg Show 032326 aired on March 23, 2026 on 93.9 The Score WYTK. The full transcript of the show is below.

Highlights

  • Tennessee men's basketball** advances to the Sweet 16 with **Jacoby Gillespie** scoring 21 points and **Boswell** making a career-high four three-pointers while contributing nine assists.
  • Rick Barnes** is highlighted as a key figure for Tennessee, with fans still holding onto hope for his success despite past controversies.
  • Tennessee's free throw performance** is discussed as a critical factor in their win, with the team making all 10 of their final free throws to seal the victory.
  • Brian Matthews**, senior editor for AuburnSports.com, discusses Auburn's basketball game against Seattle, noting their strong performance despite defensive issues and progress in the NIT.
  • Auburn's recent baseball series against Texas** is highlighted, including a comeback win and the return of Eddie Madrigal, who may play full-time soon.
  • Xavier Newsome**, a massive tight end from Howard, is discussed as a potential future star despite not being a starter, with comparisons to Dallas Boardingham and Jake Johnson.

Full show transcript (text version of the audio, for readers who are deaf or hard of hearing)

This transcript was generated automatically from the broadcast audio. Names and some words may be misspelt; the audio is the official record.

Download the transcript as plain text (36 KB) · subtitle file (SRT)

[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 Tigers, Tennessee and the rest of the SEC. Now your host, Harold Bugg on 93.9 The Score. Good afternoon and welcome in to the Boomo Bugg Show. I'm Harold Bugg alongside Brett Beaird. Thank you so much for giving us free ride around the Tennessee Valley. Brett Beaird, welcome in where it is the proverbial sweet and sour weekend for the Alabama men and women when it comes to the big dance. Good afternoon, welcome in. Is it through, is it through that it's better late than never?

Happy Monday to you. Yes, it is. We just listened to a tough, tough loss for the Alabama women. They had two key turnovers late in that game. Carly Weathers hits a three to get Alabama close. We couldn't get any closer. Louisville wins 69 to 68. But for the men, they pulled out a can of whoop you-know-what on Texas Tech last night and beat the Red Raiders 90-265 to advance to its fourth consecutive Sweet 16. The SEC gets four teams in Alabama, Tennessee, Texas, and Arkansas. And our next guest can give us some traffic details traveling back from Philadelphia to Knoxville.

The V-Man is right there with Willie. He's on the road again and again and again. He's always got the big story. When it comes to Big Orange, Vince Rora on 99.1, the sports animal up in Knoxville and the Ball Radio Network. V-Man, welcome in. How's the city of brotherly love to you? Well, it's in my rearview mirror. And we got traffic on the 6s, weather on the 8s here with Vince Rora, in case you're wondering about the Northeast. But no, thankfully it stopped raining and hopefully it'll just be sunny or cloudy and just smooth sailing the rest of the way.

But nothing too bad on the roads. But we've got a long way to go today. So, great to talk to you guys during the drive. You too. We'll try to be gentle with you. Our Tennessee fans are going to sit here and get off Rick Barnes back. He is back in the dance again. Like Alabama, they are back in the Sweet 16. Vince, talk to us about the latest chapter of Tennessee men's basketball. Well, Tennessee's made four straight Sweet 16s. Right. You'll see who just gives a little stat about Alabama under Nate Oates.

And Tennessee, Alabama, and Duke are the only three schools to make the last two Elite 8s. And all three of them still alive with a chance to make it three in a row and really separate from the rest of the pack. That's an accomplishment. And to answer your question, no, they won't get off Rick Barnes back. Never. Because, you know, some of it is just like the vault Twitter fan base that, you know, always wants to be the watchdog for the program. And another part of it is that, you know, they want to see him at least get to a Final Four and maybe even cash in on a national championship.

But even that is fleeting in college politics today. We've heard of some Todd Golder getting today. They won the title last year. And now they think it's a disaster. So, you know, that stuff has a milk-like expiration date when you accomplish something good in sports. But as one of my colleagues, Ryan Shumpert, said in a tweet last night in outlining all the winning that Rick Barnes does in March, and she says, for someone who doesn't win in March, Rick Barnes sure does win a lot in March, which is more than any other SEC coach, I believe, you know, over a period of time.

The Alabama and Tennessee football fans don't quite understand the basketball game sometimes. Tennessee beats Virginia 79-72. Jacoby Gillespie scores 21. Boswell and Nata Mint, critical free throws. Man. I thought this was going to be a tight game. Gillespie scored, I believe, V, 50 points in two games in Philly, including 29 against Miami of Ohio. V, talk a little bit more about the game. Gillespie, Boswell, and Nata Mint, and particularly at times, played well. Yeah. Five and double figures total. But you're right about Gillespie. He hit, I think, seven in the first half.

[5:16] So, they had a lot of guys contributing when they had that halftime lead. But he's a guy that, late in the year, especially here in Philadelphia, where he's doing so much more than just score. He is such a threat now in getting to the rim. Rick Barnes has been trying to get him to not just shoot three, to get to the rim and break down defenses and shoot from mid-range. He has a really pretty floater, which elite point guards in college and the NBA tell you, if you're going to be a great point guard, you've got to have a floater in your game.

And he does. And so, you can just see, especially in the Miami-Ohio game, you see the defenses. When he drives to the lane or towards the rim, like three guys coming at him, and then he'd drop a pocket pass or a lob to the rim. So, he is impacting everyone else and really controlling the game offensively. And he makes clutch shots for you, too. Boswell made a career-high four three-pointers in the game. His previous career-high was two against South Carolina. And he had nine assists with zero turnovers.

And for the first time in a while, he wasn't in foul trouble. So, he was able to play 32 minutes. You know what else he was able to do by him playing 32 minutes? Is Jakari White, who was the best player for Virginia in their close game against Wright State. He went out for 26 in that game. He made a couple of threes. And you're like, this guy is just out of his mind from three. Tennessee's not going to be able to do anything against him. Well, Amaro Morgan, assistant coach, told us on the show this morning that Coach Justin Ganey said, hey, we need to put Boswell on White.

So, they did. Jakari White didn't score in the second half. Wow. And so, bringing the defense, not turning the ball over. I mean, White was huge. And then Nate Amand, who only played 18 minutes against Miami, Ohio, didn't score for the first time in his young career. And they held him out because of the big lead in a good part of the second half. But he just wasn't moving as well. He was able to feel better coming into this game. And he played a lot better. Got to the line.

Hit an early three. And they need that. They need a Nate Amand that can contribute, get to the line, take over when they need it. And you mentioned the free throws. Virginia took a 71-70 lead with 2-0-3 to go. Tennessee made dine of their last 10 free throws to close it out. And as you guys know, we've talked about it. The free throw line has been an issue for this team at times. Oh, yeah. But they were able to make those clutch free throws. And people, I've heard on broadcast, I've heard numerous people say, oh, Tennessee didn't make a 3-1 despite not making a field goal in the last 3-30.

It's a little deceiving because once they took the lead, Virginia took that lead, Nate Amand went to the basket, got fouled, made his two free throws at Tennessee on top. And then Virginia fouled Tennessee and sent them to the line to make free throws. And they did. So it's not like they were throwing up bricks for three and a half minutes. So sometimes the numbers can tell you a different story. I got to fuss about something. V-Man, you know that. It's just life out there in the fandom.

You know what they say. It ain't good enough to get to the Sweet 16. You got to keep on trucking to do that. Beware of those corn boys from Iowa. Iowa State knocks off Kentucky. Iowa knocks off the Divinity Chancellor of Florida. What they got in common? Both big boys in the SEC. And that's up to Tennessee to stop that train. Tennessee, 6, Iowa State, number 2. Yeah, and Iowa State did not have their best player, their star, Joshua Jefferson, in that win over Kentucky. They were down 12, and it looked like, oh my gosh, they are going to get housed by the Wildcats.

And then they figured things out, and then Kentucky turned the ball over like 20 times. And they had something, they had a lot to do with that because they played tough, tenacious defense. Some similarities, I think, to Virginia and how well a bunch of guys can shoot the three. However, the difference is, is Iowa State does, and Joshua Jefferson, both on an air cast yesterday, not being able to put any weight in his leg. Is he going to be ready to go for Friday? And if so, how effective is he?

[10:17] Tennessee's just been dealing with Nate Ament with an ankle injury. That wasn't just a, hey, I'm back and we're good to go. That had some growing pains and some ups and downs. So that's an equalizer in my mind because I think Tennessee has two stars, especially when Ament is healthier and playing well than Jacoby Gillespie as well. And Tennessee can match them in toughness where not everybody that they played on their schedule this year could match them. Some of those Big 12 teams could, but others could not.

So I think Tennessee is a live dog in this game. Not a big dog, so to speak, but with the Vegas line. But I think they can win. Tennessee can win this game, especially if Iowa State doesn't have their star in Jefferson. And Tennessee doesn't turn the ball over. V, let me ask you about the SEC. Texas may have been the most impressive team, literally winning three games last week to get to the Sweet 16. Sean Miller is the dadgum good coach. Arkansas, guess who's back in the Sweet 16?

Yeah, John Calipari is there again. And Alabama may have played their most complete game of the season against a good team. They just ran Texas Tech out of the gym. Your thoughts about the SEC getting four teams in. And oh, by the way, the defending national championships severely underestimated their opponent, and they're going home. Yeah, there's no doubt. If you think about it, the team that was by far the most impressive in the regular season is gone. And then most of that second tier, as we viewed it for a good part of the year, is in the Sweet 16.

Vanderbilt, Vanderbilt, Vanderbilt's worthy of getting there. That Vanderbilt-Nebraska game, I don't know about you guys, that was the game of the tournament. Elite play. And then, you know, that Tanner shot looked like it was going in and just slipped up on a level. And then, and so, and then you have Texas who, let's stop the Cinderella nonsense. They're not a Cinderella, but they were a team that barely made the tournament. And we always knew they had some talent there, but they've, Sean Miller has been very critical of his guys, but they've finally put it together and, you know, matchups are a part of the deal.

They've been playing well for a while, except for that, that Georgia game. And then I guess the Ole Miss game, but overall playing well. Well, sure, when they made their 25th, they didn't shoot three the next. Oh, by the way, that's a better, a better opponent that they're playing in. And then Arkansas, I'm not surprised. I thought Arkansas had the second best shot to go deep in this league. Yeah. It's a fascinating matchup for them. Give me a little bit of an in and out there.

Obviously, you're on the road, but if you can still hear us quickly, your thoughts switching gears, that they always, I think there's a football team still rocking and rolling up there with the orange. Your thoughts about how things are going. A lot of folks looking at, like everybody else in the quarterback room, said George McIntyre is a skinny mini. Is it true that he's trying to do something about that? Has he been down to Krispy Kreme, or where did he pick up those 20 pounds that's going to dispel some of these folks that says he's too skinny to play in this league?

Yeah. The new strength and conditioning coach, Derek Owings from Indiana, and the staff, they're not prescribing Krispy Kreme or Gus's famous night chicken. Those are wonderful places for the rest of us, but not them. He's drinking protein shakes. He's put on a little bit of a wrong way to go. Based on Brandon, he's more filled out, but he's just a little bit farther behind of George McIntyre in terms of understanding the offense and making decisions. Dolly Halsley was really interesting in him breaking down how difficult it is for young players to play because, right now, play quarterback because so many defenses are showing you unscouted looks, doing things that they've never done before, and then the quarterback has to be able to adjust.

So it's really hard for a true freshman. So they both are throwing the ball fine in practices. I've not been there. I was there for the first couple. But, yeah, that and the defense for Jim Knowles, those are the positions, the areas to watch on this team. V, I enjoyed your Facebook post. That amazed me. You were literally standing in a parking lot, and you could see the football stadium, the baseball stadium, and the arena where the Flyers play, and also the 76ers. That is incredible to literally be within a walking distance of three major stadiums.

[15:42] Listen, it was great to see you in Nashville last week. God bless you coming back. Safe travels. Where can we get online and get the V-Man? Yeah, I appreciate it. Awesome to see you and hug out with you, and hopefully we get to do it soon and again soon. But, yeah, you can follow me on all the socials, Vince Sports, V-I-N-T-E Sports. I have plenty from the Tennessee locker room after the win and just so much from Philadelphia. If anyone wants to take a look at that, we should have more content.

Another trip to Chicago once we get to go ahead here in the next day or two. So that should be a lot of fun, and all of that will be on the socials. And then TV work at SportsSource Digital Network on YouTube. Somewhere, where can I fit a cheesesteak up there? Okay, V-Man? I did before I left. Everyone talked about Pat's as the one that came up the most. So that's the one I did, even though some people were like, no, it's overrated. I tried it.

It was outstanding. So I didn't get to try all the spots, but we did it. We got the cheesesteak in. You are a very wise man. Listen, safe travels, you and from wherever you go, and thank you so much for your time today, buddy. I appreciate you guys. Always enjoy it. Thank you, bud. Safe travels. V-Man, he knows sports, and he knows good food. The V-Man is Vince Rohrer, 99.1, the sports animal in Knoxville. Coming up, what's the talk on the planes? Brian Matthews with that and more.

It's been ahead on the Boomo Bugg Show. Stay with us. Shoals drop everything. This is not a drill. Lost Pizza Company Shoals is running the full-court press. The full-court press Cuban sandwich, inspired by Coach Tony Pujol. This sandwich brings championship flavor, and it's only available at Lost Pizza Company Shoals. And coming off the bench hot, our brand new buffalo chicken dip. creamy, spicy, straight-up MVP material. Run the full-court press at Lost Pizza Company Shoals, where every bite beats the buzzer. Garnet Electric Company has been serving the Shoals and the surrounding areas for over 79 years in commercial, institutional, and heavy industrial construction and maintenance.

Garnet Electric has a tradition of successfully completing major electrical projects for state, federal, transportation, utilities, commercial, and industrial markets. We build strong relationships with owners, general contractors, engineers, and architects. We take pride in our reputation and prove an ability to complete projects within time, budget, and safely. Garnet Electric Company, a winning tradition since 1946. Sound familiar? At Mattress Firm, we understand there are many problems that can keep you up at night, like snoring, aches and pains, or sleeping hot. Our sleep experts have the unrivaled know-how to match you with a mattress that can help.

And now at Mattress Firm, upgrade to a Tempur-Pedic and learn how you can get 3% back plus an instant gift. For the great sleep you deserve, visit Mattress Firm. We make sleep easy. Restrictions apply. See store or website for details. 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 can 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. Potential savings vary. Allstate North American Insurance Company and affiliates. Northbrook, Illinois. Rich Eisen here. For small businesses, every hire counts. And so does your time. Hiring can quickly become overwhelming, from sorting applications to figuring out who's truly qualified. That's where LinkedIn Hiring Pro helps. It streamlines the process so you can focus on connecting with the right candidates, not managing the noise.

Hire right the first time. Post your job and get $100 off towards your job post at linkedin.com slash eisen. That's linkedin.com slash eisen. Terms and conditions apply. Out on the course, they're the PGA Tour's best players. But in the arena, they're prime time. And Season 2 of TGL presented by SoFi is back with lights, cameras, action. We're talking big moments, big personalities, big names in the stands, all on the big screen. Big time matchups with shot clocks, hammer drops, timeouts, overtime, and playoffs. It's city versus city.

Squad versus squad. This sport just hits different under the light. It's TGL presented by SoFi. Keep up. It's golf. Tune in to every match. Only on ESPN. Progressive presents the Sports Flash on 93-9, the score. In college baseball action yesterday, Alabama was the winner over Florida, 14-7. Alabama now 3-3 in the SEC. Auburn Tigers yesterday fell to Texas 5-0. Auburn is now 4-2 in SEC play. North Alabama was the winner yesterday. They beat Eastern Kentucky 7-5 to sweep the series with the Colonels. South Alabama beat UL Monroe 16-4.

[20:46] South Alabama 3-3 in the Sun Belt. Troy fell at Southern Miss 5-4. Troy is 3-3 in conference play. NASCAR Cup Series yesterday at Darlington. Tyler Reddick was the winner. Brad Keselowski and Ryan Blaney rounded out the top three. 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. Do you owe back taxes or have unfiled tax returns? The IRS won't quit until they get your money. Here's great news fresh from those in the know.

Major changes have happened at the IRS. If you owe more than $10,000, you may be eligible for a 99% reduction of what you owe. Haven't filed a return for a while? Their happy clients are talking. The IRS was going to levy my bank account, but Guardian was able to prevent that and fix all my IRS issues. Thanks again, Guardian Tax. Need relief from crushing tax debt? The IRS now has special programs. Guardian Tax knows all about them. Personal or business, this is the fresh new brick you've been hoping for.

We aren't the company you call when you need a hug because you're scared of the IRS. Guardian Tax is the company that wins when you need it most. Guardian Tax Service is really great to work with. They really help me out. I'd recommend them highly. Call now for a free confidential consultation. 800-355-1032. 800-355-1032. 800-355-1032. The score. Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9, the score. Welcome back in. It is a pleasure for us to say hello to Brian Matthews. Got the Tigers covered there.

Senior editor for AuburnSports.com. Brian, welcome in. Happy Monday after. How are you? I'm doing great, guys. Thanks for having me in. I'm good. Basketball team's not going to let you take any breaks, Brian, and just keep on rocking and rolling. Talk to us about the date with Rudy the Red Hawks in Seattle over the weekend. You know, I thought Auburn played pretty good. I know Seattle made a little run there late to tighten up the score a little bit. I think overall Auburn played a pretty good game other than their perimeter defense, which is something that's been an issue all season.

You know, Seattle, of course, shot a season high with three-pointers made and everything. But other than that, offensively, Auburn was really, really good against one of the best defensive teams in the country. There was a pretty good crowd at Neville, I thought, Saturday. So I think that's a positive. And, you know, they move on. If they can beat Nevada on Wednesday night, they get to go to Indianapolis for the Final Four and play in Hinkle Fieldhouses where they shot, what was the movie called? The Hoosiers.

So that was a good experience for them, yeah. Back when they were a basketball school, right? Yeah, exactly. Well, listen, the effect of this, obviously you're still rolling in the NIT. Talk to us what this means to the program, the fact that you're still playing and putting up Ws. Yeah, I don't know that it means a whole lot to the program overall, right, historically. But I do think for Stephen Pearl and this particular team, I think it's helpful what they're doing right now. I think you're seeing certain players continue to step up.

I think Elijah Friedman has continued sort of his late-season run where he's playing much better on both ends of the floor, especially when it comes to scoring and being aggressive offensively. You've seen Cade Magwood come back after basically spending 18 games on the scout team. He's playing really well in his return. I think the two freshman forwards, Philip Yovic and Sebastian Williams-Adams, are playing, you know, really well, solid. They're getting more minutes, more time. So I think that's helping them, too. They have more responsibility. So, you know, plus I think the biggest thing is that Stephen Pearl is getting some Ws under his belt before the season ends.

And he could use those the way the season kind of ended there. I think there's a lot of disappointment. And I think it would be helpful for him just to build up some good vibes, so to speak, as we go into the offseason. I think that's the best way to look at it. And, again, a little bit more optimism going into next year and some more development for some of the kids. And hopefully he can get most of those guys to come back. Let me ask you about your initial impressions of Alex Golich and his staff.

We talked with some of the Auburn dudes last week. And energy, organization, attention to detail, pace of practice, coaching, this is our culture. This is how we're going to develop that. First time you've seen them in action, what was BMAD's impressions of Alex Golich and his staff last week to begin spring practice? I was going to say attention to detail, too. And a lot of things you just said, you know, last year you go out there in the defense, you can tell they're getting after it.

[25:54] And the offense, you know, it was not quite the same. And, you know, it's kind of more of both sides now look very similar, I think. Although we haven't had a really long, extended, you know, time to be at practice, you know, to see it. But that's just kind of the energy I got off from being out there for a little while last week. And we'll go out again, I think, on Thursday this week. But, yeah, I think it's just definitely a change from what it was.

I think Alex Golich demands a lot more from his players on and off the field, you know, has more rules, regulations. And I think sometimes young people, even though they say they don't want that, they actually do well or do much better when they have that in their life. Because it really helps them, you know, just sort of set them up for the future if they know that if they follow these steps, it leads to success. And, you know, I think that's sort of the way he arranges everything in their lives, whether it's how they, you know, handle practice or how they show up for meals or how they show up for meetings, all those things.

He's more about this is how you're going to do it every time. Brian Matthews, junior editor, Robertsports.com. I know he is a lightning rod, but Charles Barkley, I think, to sum it up and paraphrase what he said, he says, Izzo and Patino, they're the old school. And they're basically the only two coaches left that can sit here and lay down the law and boundaries, basically saying life is tough. These kids need it because once they get out from under the glamour of college, it's a jungle out there.

If they don't know it now, they will. Only time is going to determine that. But, Brian, to that end, sometimes you have a coaching change. You can have all the potential talent in the world, but it just doesn't fit. That regime is gone, if you will. Freeze is gone. The guys left on the roster, who basically now has a fresh, if you will, blackboard and a chance to start all over, where this system might fit them better, could have had a lot of potential under Freeze, but the system just didn't fit.

Who does it fit now? That's an interesting question. I think nobody really jumps out to me. We see it all the time with sports. I mean, you get some people because there's so many, you know, maybe the fact that there is discipline, now they've got to focus. Just that alone might bring out the potential of some of these kids. Well, you know, maybe Bryce Kane is a guy that, you know, is part of the Freeze 4, and now it's the Freeze 1, so to speak. And he's a guy, I think, that's going to, his skill set, his speed, his ability to get some separation, I think that's really, really important.

And Golesh's offense. So I think that's one guy to really watch on that side of the ball. I'm interested to see what some of these redshirt freshmen or second-year offensive linemen like Kale Ellis does. I think he's a really, really good player. But I think he's going to be a better coach and be in a better system now. You know, on the defensive side, you know, you've got the same coordinator. You've got the same system. So I just think it's sort of continuing there. But you do have a brand-new defensive line, right?

So there's going to be a lot of opportunities for those young second-year guys that came in last year. Jordan Crawford, the big nose guard for the Birmingham area, certainly one of those, Darian Smith, who you saw was a little undersized, but really quick. You know, he's a guy that can, you know, make a big move during the offseason. So, you know, I think there's a few guys out there, I think, also up front. You know, they really need a guy like Jim Smith and or J.J. Falk to step up at that edge defensive end position.

Because that's a position they don't have much experience at all back, and they lost some really key players. That's what I was going to say. Some of the sophomores, the Smith boys, Elijah Melendez, Bryce Dees, Altry, Eric Winters, Anquan Feagans, and Deshaun Womack, Nate Johnson, the Missouri transfer. I know you've got 100 kids in front of you, and you've got a limited time there. Anyone else really stand out to you as far as just gaining weight, moving, quickness, et cetera, et cetera? Well, there's this huge tight end they got from, I think, from Howard.

I mean, you can't help but notice this kid. He is just massive-looking. Xavier Newsome, he's looking about 6'6", 255, but he looks a lot, lot bigger than that. So he's just a guy, and I think he's going to be – I don't think he's going to be a starter or anything like that. They brought in some more veteran guys, some more experienced guys. Dallas Boardingham played at Florida really well for two years. Jake Johnson, he's played at Texas A&M, North Carolina. So I think those are going to be a main guy to tight end.

But watch out for Xavier Newsome in the future if he'll stick with it, and they can get the most out of him, because he certainly has that incredible size, and it looks like he moves around pretty good, too. Brian, for the folks who don't follow it as religiously as some of us, I don't care what color jersey you're wearing. It all starts with the Lions. Where are you right now as far as the respective Lions in camp? I'm sorry, the what Lions? The offensive line, defensive line.

[31:19] Oh, I'm sorry. As far as how confident are you, they're going to be – because we talk about quarterbacks all the time, and that's great, but you better have somebody protect them. Your thoughts where things are, trying to get both the Lions ready for the live boss, if you will. Yeah, I think it's still a big question mark. I have more confidence in the defensive line just because you've got the same system back. You've got the same coaches there. Vontra Williams is back there, King Williams. So, you know, you feel like there's some continuity there, and those guys have shown in the past they have success with those guys.

So, yes, it's new players, but you've got, you know, some guys that have already been successful there. So, I feel bad about that. I think the offensive line is sort of wait and see. You know, Golesh joked with us, you know, about a week or two ago about, you know, he's praying. He's praying for that side of the ball, you know, every night, you know, kind of. But, you know, you're talking about 17 total newcomers. Not all of them are here yet, but in every job being open, I think that's, you know, going to take some time.

I wouldn't expect it to be perfect right away. And, you know, it may be a little while before they really get rolling there. So, but, you know, who knows? Maybe they'll find five or six, seven real guys, really good players right away, and they'll put it together earlier than I think. I just think it could go a lot of ways right now. So, I think there's a lot of uncertainty in that position. You saw two of the best college baseball teams in the country play each other this weekend.

Auburn came back and won the front unit game. The ball, I think, literally went through the outfielder's leg and scored three, and Auburn went four to three. Texas wins game two, seven to six. And then, as you mentioned on money musings, Texas won handily five to nothing. Texas is really good. But I agree with your line of money musings. It was a measuring stick. Yes, Auburn lost the series two to three, but they were all close games. You got a little bit of a chance to see how Auburn measures up.

Texas may be, has already won the top two or three teams in the nation. That looked like a fun, very competitive series over the weekend. It was. It was competitive for two games. I don't think Sunday was very competitive. I thought Texas put it on Auburn pretty good. You know, that score could have been a lot worse. Auburn's bullpen. They put some cash into the half-pitch all season, basically, or just a couple times, and they really performed pretty well to keep Texas, to keep that game at least, you know, relatively close.

But Texas is a really good team. I think them and UCLA have kind of separated themselves a little bit so far. That was a big series win for them coming here. But, you know, Auburn got a good win, a good comeback win. They were one base hit away from getting another comeback win Saturday. They beat top 5-10 in Georgia Tech on Tuesday. So this team is really good, but they've also got a lot of growing, I feel like they can do, too. Eddie Madrigal came back.

Sunday had a pitch hit double. They're late in that game, and I think he's going to be cleared maybe as early as tomorrow to play more full-time. So that'll be really, really big for this team, too. That's a big left-handed power bat they can put right in the middle of the lineup if he can be all the way back. So we'll see on that. But this team, I think they started three sophomores, three freshmen in the lineup against Texas most of the weekend. So they're still growing, they're still learning, they're still going through that.

So they can be a lot better as the season moves on. You know, Brian, you better be good. I just sit here looking at the standings. What, 16 teams, and right now, get this, seven teams are tied at four and two, Auburn being one of them. That tells you how good this league is. Almost half are right there together. Yeah, and you know, Auburn went to Missouri first weekend and swept them, but I think Missouri's still a pretty good team. Alabama, you know who Auburn plays this upcoming weekend, they get swept by Kentucky, and then they come back and sweep Florida.

So you don't know what you're getting, right? I mean, it's going to be competitive no matter what. So I don't think there are any really easy games in this league. You're going to have to fight every single weekend, which when you're a younger team like Auburn can be a little tough, you know, to get up for every single game. So I think it'll be fun. It's Tuesday night, they're playing South Alabama-Montgomery, then it's Tuscaloosa this weekend, and then it's at Georgia Tech next week. So it's five straight road games for Auburn coming up.

Let me ask you real quick, you know, basketball in this league, four advance, Florida severely underestimated Iowa, paid for it at the end. But four advance, is that what you thought would probably get to the Sweet 16 from the conference? I kind of thought, you know, there'd be one or two more. But, you know, when you consider upsets and everything, that's probably about right, you know? And, you know, the best teams, Arizona, Michigan, Duke, I guess, are still there. So one of those three teams, I think, is what most people pick to win it this year.

[36:34] Not enough lower seats to advance, which is a little disappointing, you know, but I guess that's the way it is now. I'm sure we'll still have Cinderella's every so often, but maybe not as many as we used to have. Yeah, I don't know, Luke, it takes us as a Cinderella. I don't know about you. I don't either. It's a red Cinderella. A lot of stuff going on. They're the lowest. They're 11th seed, right? They're the lowest advance, yeah. That's the only reason they're Cinderella is they're 11th seed.

I agree with you. But hats off to them. They won three games last week. Where can we get online and get the greatest information about Auburn sports on the planet? I appreciate it. It was a really big recruiting weekend, too. And they're going to have more recruits in Tuesday. So I think that part of the program is going really well. Plenty of updates on that, on baseball, football, practice, basketball, everything going on in Auburn. Check us out. We'll have a pro day also tomorrow, a practice report tomorrow, a baseball tomorrow.

I'll be in Montgomery. So check us out, auburnsports.com. Follow me on Twitter, such an exit, bmatau. And the beach still awaits. Brian, listen, man. Keep up the good work, and thanks so much for your time today. I appreciate you guys. Thank you. Thank you, bud. Brian Matthews, senior manager, auburnsports.com. Quickly, BB. In case you missed it earlier here on 93.9 The Score, Carly Weathers, Prado Loretto. Hard to believe this kid's a senior, and what a way to go out. She hits her final three, 13 points, but one point short of living the dream, BB.

Yeah, that game, I think, had 13 lead changes in it, Harold. And fortunately, the team that makes mistakes at the end usually wins. Alabama had two key turnovers in the last couple of minutes, but they come back to get within one. If they'd have had 15 more seconds to play, they may have won the game, but still a good season for Alabama women's basketball. And I can assure you, we will have a lot more time tomorrow to talk about it. That was a very impressive performance by Nate Oates and the Crimson Tide last night.

As the group Alabama say, close enough to perfect for me. It's hard to get any more perfect than that from beginning to end. And by the way, now they take on Michigan Friday. They will open as the biggest underdog in the Sweet 16, I think 10.5 I saw before. That's on a Monday. I think they play the game on a Friday, and you can, of course, hear Roger on 93.9 The Score. Until then, on behalf of B.B., Greg James Blair, the entire crew here. Pearl Buck, thank you so much for your time today.

Let's do it again tomorrow at noon or two for the Boomer Buck Show. Back here on Sports Radio 93.9 The Score.

93.9 The Score WYTK logo

Livestream Player