Boomo Bugg Show 033126

[0:00] Now, get ready to roll Shoals, Decatur, Athens and all of Northwest Alabama and Southern Tennessee. It's time for the Valley's exclusive FM Sports Voice. The Boomo Bugg Show. Your exclusive inside track to the tie, Tigers, Tennessee and the rest of the SEC. Now, your host, Harold Bugg on 93.9, The Score. Good afternoon and welcome in to the Boomo Bugg Show. I'm Harold Bugg alongside Brett Beaird. Thank you so much for giving us free ride around the Tennessee Valley. Brett Beaird, welcome in where more good news for the Braves while not so good for Alabama's buddy star, EJ.

Good afternoon, welcome in and how are you? Happy Tuesday to you and the listeners. Steven Pearl and the Auburn Tigers basketball team sign a seven-foot center from France. Las Vegas insider Bruce Marshall previews the Final Four. And Roger is here right now to recap Alabama's basketball run in the postseason and to talk about a red-hot Alabama baseball team who had the brooms out for that team from Lee County. Roger Hoover is the fine voice on the Alabama Crimson Tide Network. Roger, welcome in. How are you?

Boomo Bugg, doing really well. I hope you guys are. Well, we're almost as good as Alabama's baseball team. It's not how you begin, but it's still not in. But what a way to begin the season and what a way to rebound. Is this team just, do they just have the brooms? Either they get swept by Kentucky or they sweep two top 14 teams in Florida and Auburn, respectively, Roger? Yeah, it's been something to watch. This baseball team goes through the ups and the downs that SEC play is going to give you.

And it's not over yet. We still have seven SEC weekends ahead of us that are going to feature more headaches and more great celebrations and more times where you say, has anyone ever played this game before? And then sometimes you're going to say, we can't lose. So all of that is still ahead of this team. But give those guys a lot of credit because, again, you can't start SEC play any tougher than they did. Getting swept to Kentucky, dropping a midweek game at South Alabama where you commit five errors after that.

And then the next time you lace them up, you go out and get a no-hitter by Tyler Faye, something that hadn't happened since 1942. And then the team has just been riding the wave of that momentum ever since. And hopefully it continues tonight as we get ready for Jacksonville State in a very unusual top 25 midweek matchup. The Gamecocks have played really good baseball since Alabama defeated them earlier this season in Tuscaloosa. So you've got that. And then we'll quickly get on the plane tomorrow and go to Norman, Oklahoma for Easter weekend for what should be a really good Thursday through Saturday series to close out week number four of SEC play as we're getting closer to the midway point of conference action.

Well, I tell you what, Roger, I think Alabama's got a satellite office in Norman, Oklahoma, the number of games they've played there the last couple of years. Pitching has been phenomenal. Tyler Faye, of course, with a no-hitter, but also pitched really well Friday night against Auburn. Miles Upchurch, seven starts. Pitched very well. Only one earned run over four innings the other day. Clutch hitting, defense. Roger, it's all come together. Like you said, believe me, it's not going to stop as far as tough competition. But pitching, defense, clutch hitting, bullpen, and particularly, in fact, you interviewed one of those bullpen dudes on Crimson Drive, but everything has come together the last two weeks.

It really has, especially just up and down the lineup. You know, Bryce Feller gets the headlines for the walk-off RBI double on Saturday in that game against Auburn. But the man right before him, Brennan Holtz, had four or five hits this weekend, batting ninth in the order and playing a very good second base. And the best thing, I think, for Rob Vaughn to see is defensively this team played error-free baseball. Just played really, really sharp when it had to after errors. It really plagued this team to start the season.

So those things coming together. And, again, you kind of have now a settled starting nine position players that you're kind of used to seeing each and every time out there. And, again, the pitching staff is doing a really good job, whether it's the starting rotation, like you mentioned, Miles Upchurch bouncing back this week. And then the bullpen, which I still think has maybe thinner depth than Alabama would like when they lost Caden Humphrey with injury a few weeks ago. That was tough. He was kind of the expected closer.

But you get a veteran like Hagan Banks, who you mentioned will be on my show, coming up this afternoon at 2 o'clock on the CPSN social media platforms. He has emerged as a great closer and a great late option that teams do not like facing right now. So all of that is just, again, resulting in what's a very positive stretch for Alabama baseball. Roger, the C in Crimson for you stands for calories. Load up if you're going to need them. We just got done talking about baseball.

[5:05] Obviously, spring football is off and rolling. And the good news is spring football is back. It's good to have a scrimmage. But every coach, number one goal is to get out of it totally healthy. Word is that everything was rocking and rolling until after it was disclosed from Friday's scrimmage. That star, budding star running back EJ Crowell went down with an injury. No specifics. Word is soft tissue, whatever that means. And in Kaylin DeBoer's words, it's not day to day. It's week to week. It's not what you want to see at a position of need.

It's certainly with someone with that much promise. Your thoughts, whatever you can tell us about that and how things overall are going so far on the camp. Yeah, no other details on what Coach DeBoer shared. And the good thing is injuries in spring practice so many times that you're able to get guys back and healthy when it matters most when the games count coming up in the fall. So you're just hoping that he can recover as soon as possible. And he's missing out on some really valuable reps at this time of the year.

But still, there are ways for him to kind of learn the system with a film study, the position group meetings. There are ways for him to stay involved, even if he's not practicing the way he would like to with whatever the injury may be. So I think that's kind of across the board. This group is just continuing to learn the system, refine some things, especially on the line of scrimmage, both sides of the ball. There's so many new pieces in place, some new coaching in place, especially on the offensive line.

How does all that translate into making sure this team plays complementary football? I think that's the overall arching message that we want to hear from Coach DeBoer is this group is getting better to playing complementary football because in the first two years of his era in Tuscaloosa, at times the offense is really dominated. At times the defense is really dominated. But there's only been a handful of games where it's really seemed like they've been both on the same page. And when Alabama's had both on the same page, you think of some of the great wins this past season, the Georgia game in Athens.

It's the game at Oklahoma in the college football playoff. We've seen what Alabama can do when it plays complementary football. And the consistency getting towards that is going to be key, not just through spring practice, but as we continue into the summer and getting ready for this fall. Roger, we don't know what the TV plans are for a day on April the 11th, beginning at 1 o'clock. But as far as the Crimson Tide Sports Network radio coverage, will it be Chris, Tyler, you calling the game usually as you've done in the past for a spring football game?

It absolutely will be. And we'll once again kind of utilize the different interviews in-game. It maybe won't be a true play-by-play like you normally have on the broadcast. But we'll be able to have some really unique interviews, get in touch with the coordinators. I think that was the coolest part of our broadcast last year was that we had the success where Kane Womack was on and telling about what he saw from the defense, Ryan Grubb with the offense, and then head coach Kalen DeBoer as well.

Anytime you get Courtney Morgan on the mic, it's a good time. I'm the general manager for the Crimson Tide football team because he knows what it was like to bring all these players to campus and make sure a lot of guys stayed in Crimson that could have gone elsewhere. So we're going to have a really entertaining show coming up next week. I believe we'll be on air from 1 o'clock to 3 o'clock for all the festivities of A-Day. But, yeah, we will have the whole crew there, Chris Stewart, Tyler Watts, Corey Reimer, myself.

We look forward to bringing you that one. And then I'll make my way over to baseball, hopefully in time for the national anthem. But if not in time for the anthem, I'll be on for first pitch. Don't you worry for that next game against Arkansas. Are you going to be singing the national anthem for that game again, Roger, or is that someone else this year? We're letting someone else do that. I was in my church choir all growing up. But, yeah, I don't need solos. I need some people around me.

I hear you. When the voice changes, a lot of things change. Roger Hoover, Crimson Tide Network. Roger, let's switch gears. A lot of speculation about one Nate Oates' future, according to his boss. Greg Burns says, quote, he's not going anywhere. Nate Oates seems to agree with his boss. What can you tell us about Alabama basketball? And now that the season has been put into a box, how do you reflect on this season? I think, first of all, it's good to know that those two have a plan.

And I think Nate made it about as crystal clear as possible in his press conference last week that he really wasn't going anywhere. Maybe his agent didn't like his negotiating tactics as much, but he made it very, very clear. Like, look, this is the spot for him. And I truly believe that there's not a college basketball program in the country he wants to go to where he could get something that he doesn't currently have at Alabama. He feels comfortable about the facilities, especially the new practice facility that's being built.

And he's a guy kind of like me that just loves Coleman Coliseum. I know there may be a new arena coming down the road, but when Coleman is loud and rocking, it is such a unique building that teams just don't see on a night-in, night-out basis. It becomes a great home court advantage for Alabama. And Nate understands that. He understands that there's a lot of benefits to playing in the SEC right now with all the television money and the exposure that you get in this conference that you simply don't get in other conferences regardless of how good the jobs may be, what kind of blue-blood programs they may be.

[10:17] If they're not in the SEC, they are at a competitive disadvantage. So I think all that works in Alabama's favor. I think we're going to get some news very, very shortly on what the new future looks like for Nate Oates with his contract that Nate said in this press conference was already really good after they went to the Final Four two years ago. So, again, I hope fans didn't spend any time kind of worrying about him going elsewhere because he remains rock-solid with this program. In terms of this season overall, I think this was a group that just had an up-and-down year that I think had a pretty good finish, all things considered, when you look at all the injuries they had to go through.

And even Charles Bediaco coming in to try and give Alabama more size, which Nate kind of said in the post-mortem press conference on Friday night, that's the one thing we're going to have to get more of in the future. Unfortunately, in that position outside of Aiden Shirell, it really didn't work out from what Alabama wanted. Wanted a little more out of Noah Williamson. Colin Zoni-Jaca out with a medical condition for the entire year. You know, if he's healthy, he would have been a difference maker there, too.

So I think that shows that there was a need for Charles Bediaco at times this year, and Alabama got a glimpse of what its best basketball could look like, I think, when he was on the floor and helping this team. But had that adversity, had the adversity at the end of the season with Aiden Holloway being unavailable due to his legal troubles, and Alabama still goes out and beats two really good teams in the NCAA tournament and runs into a great team in Michigan to close out the year.

So, again, all in all, I think it's still really good for this program to just be a consistent second-weekend team in the NCAA tournament. You know, Alabama's only lost once in the first round since NATO took over this program. And I think there's just a comfort in knowing that this is a group that, yes, you can write on your bracket pretty consistently, will get beyond the first and second round. You're not seeing embarrassing upsets to a college you've never heard of or anything like that when it comes to this program.

This is a winning program, and it's going to continue knocking on the door, the Sweet 16, the Elite Eight, and beyond, I think, for years to come when Nate at the helm. Absolutely. Tell us about your week. I know you hosted, hey, Coach, last night. You gave Chris Stewart the night off at Baumhauers. Crimson Drive interviews coming up. Logan Davenport taking banks with baseball. Again, as you mentioned, you're going to Jack State, a hot Jack State team. Then going off to Norman. What's Roger Hoover's week look like, and where can we get online to get all the good stuff?

Yeah, just follow us on the Crimson Tide Sports Network at UA underscore TTSN. Like you mentioned, Hagan Banks coming up, as well as Logan Davenport on today's Crimson Drive. We'll have Bryce Fowler from the baseball team, as well as Alexis Papillo from the Alabama softball team join us on Thursday as they preview their weekend against No. 1 Texas coming up in Tuscaloosa in softball. So excited about that. Excited for the baseball games you mentioned on the road this week at Jacksonville State tonight and then in Norman, Oklahoma, against the Sooners for Easter weekend.

And then we look forward to bringing it all back to campus next weekend for what's seemingly like every sport on campus being in action coming up next weekend while I'm checking my phone furiously for Masters updates. So it's going to be a very serious business trip coming up, but we look forward to it. Like a man with his priorities. Roger, safe travel to and from, and thanks so much for your time today. You guys are the best. Thanks for having me on. Thank you, buddy. Roger Hoover, Crimson Tide Network.

Alabama better watch Jack State in baseball if he'd be a long time baseball fans. They remember a guy named Rudy Abbott. The field is named after him. He was legendary down there, built the foundation. So Alabama, make sure you take care of biz and don't look at the name of that jersey on the front. It may not be Florida. It may not be some of his other guys, but Jack State's legit when it comes to baseball. Coming up, let's go up north to Knoxville and say hello to R.C.

Ryan Callahan on deck. Stay with us. DQ presents the Blizzard Double Flip deal. For a limited time, when you buy one Blizzard treat, you get a second for just 99 cents. That's two Blizzards, two spoons, two flavors, and two flips. So don't miss out on the Blizzard Double Flip deal, available only for a limited time and happening now at DQ. Because the only thing better than a Blizzard treat is a second Blizzard treat for just 99 cents. It's a deal to flip for. The Blizzard Double Flip deal.

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And chemical ingredients are not always listed accurately on vaping packages. Vaping can also damage your DNA, your heart, your lungs, and even your smile. Enough with the puff. Learn more at ul.org slash vaping. Sponsored by Underwriters Laboratories. The Score. Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score. Welcome back again quickly. Roger mentioned the Masters. FYI, we'll be giving you updates next week from the Greens right here on 93.9 The Score. And speaking of golf, called the Zip City Fire Department. Stuart Seek is on fire these days, BB.

He is fresh from picking up his third title in his last five starts. He knocked off Ernie Yelts by two shots at the Hogue Classic out in California. And you're talking about someone who's come a long ways since his days at Florence Country Club, BB. Oh, listen, he's just tearing up the senior tour this year. My goodness, he's had an incredible year. So why go to the Masters when you're collecting checks over here? Shows you what happens if you take care of business and stay in shape.

And, oh, by the way, you're a pretty good golfer at heart as well. Ryan Callahan finds out every day just how good the Tennessee Vols are across the board. They're at Go Balls 24-7. RC, welcome in. How's life with UT these days? Well, March Madness is over for the Vols. So, you know, the fans are still dealing with the disappointment of that. But, you know, the green practice is still in full swing. I mean, off-season stuff is already underway. Transfer portals start getting fired up. So it's never a dull moment here.

Ryan, did I understand you say Tennessee fans are upset with Rick Barnes? Did I hear you right on that? So let me ask you another way. What's new, Ryan? Well, you know, funny thing. I haven't heard many people upset with Rick Barnes this week. And that shouldn't be that. Yeah, that's going to be the case. This is a team that did really well to make the Elite Eight. And just to be in that company, I mean, there's two teams in the country that have made the Elite Eight the last three years, Tennessee and Duke.

[20:59] But that's a pretty good company. So, yeah, I don't think anyone's too upset about that. And, obviously, the way that game went, you know, it's not a game where they can point to a tactical error or anything that didn't go their way. They were just completely outmanned by Michigan almost from the start. So just not their day, not a great matchup for them. And Michigan looks like a machine so far that has a chance to win the whole thing. So, yeah, just a, I mean, really good season for Tennessee when you look back on it because it's a team that didn't really hit its stride in the regular season.

You know, kind of the way we used to see with some Kentucky teams in the past. You know, you have a young, talented freshman in Nate Amen, and he figured it out going around the start of conference play, dealt with the injury toward the end of the regular season. You weren't sure if he was ever going to be, you know, close enough to 100% to be himself. But he was still a guy that opposing defenses had to deal with in the NCAA tournament. So, overall, just to get to the Elite Eight, given everything that happened, I think, you know, Tennessee mostly has to be satisfied with that.

Of course, everyone's asking the question, what do they need to do to finally break through, to finally get to a Final Four? And that's, of course, a fair question to ask. But I don't think anyone can be disappointed with the way the season ended, given the way they played for, you know, down the stretch in the regular season. They lost four of their last seven. Going into the NCAA tournament looked like a team that, you know, might not make it out of the first weekend, and they're right back in the Elite Eight for the third straight year.

Ryan, there are 330 teams across the country that like to go to three consecutive Elite Eights. My goodness. And I asked you this question about three weeks ago. You know, you get to this time of the year, and there's so much speculation about coaches' futures. And I'd heard a little bit about Rick Barnes retiring. Well, he kind of squelched that after the game. And I know he was disappointed. I also appreciate his, some of his inspirational messages about his faith. Yeah. And how he shares that with his team.

But he was asked after the game, when asked if he's 100% committed to returning for his 12th season in Knoxville, he simply said, yeah, yeah, I am. And that's kind of what I expected. You know, there were some, there have been some whispers at times, people wondering, is this maybe it for Rick Barnes? But, you know, again, he kind of alluded to this with some of his answers going into the mission game and the press conference the day before. Talking about how, you know, we've kind of talked about how recruiting is a little bit easier, I think on a, especially on an older coach these days.

You know, you don't have to spend three or four years on a recruit only to get disappointed at the last minute because of money. You have a week-long recruitment out of the transfer portal and it's over. And that's more and more what basketball is becoming. There's the occasional Nate Amon that you've got to get out of the high school ranks. And they still do recruit some of those developmental types. You know, a guy out of Alabama that they ended up playing a lot this year, Dwayne Brown, you know, the high school player, a nice pickup.

So they continue to supplement things with high school recruiting. But let's face it, some of their biggest successes in recent years have come out of the transfer portal and that's more and more what the game is becoming. And I think he's been almost rejuvenated by that. Not only adapted well, but he's thriving in that environment. So, yeah, I think, you know, if this was still just high school recruiting with NIL thrown in, I would question how long he would do that because that would probably drive you crazy, you know, devoting three years to a player and then losing him over money.

But doing it this way with the transfer portal being the big thing, I think it's easier for him. And I think that's something he's learned to live with and adapted pretty well. So I think he's still got, you know, if I had to guess, he's probably got a couple more years left in him. But it's obviously kind of a year-to-year thing once you get to his age. The thing is, he no longer has to court somebody a long time. It's like a Las Vegas wedding. You meet somebody in 10 hours and then two hours later you're married.

So that's kind of a way. I'm not going to say it's going to stay married. I'm just going to say you get married. But it's almost an impossible question for anybody to answer about any team. But how do you see the roster next year, given the makeup this year, and as far as going back to the portal, the comings and the goings for Tennessee? Yeah, that sort of remains to be seen because they've got a lot of players set to return. Obviously, it kind of starts with the big question that a lot of people still have, even though they think they know the answer probably.

But will Nate Amon consider returning for a second year at Tennessee? And I would say the odds are probably against it. But you see more and more mock drafts that don't have him in the top 10, top 15. And some people have wondered, is that enough to give him some pause? This is a pretty loaded draft for the NBA. Does he maybe consider coming back and trying to make himself a top five, top seven pick next year if he doesn't think he can do that this year? And the flip side of that is he might think he can play his way up into being in that range this year, even though he's not currently getting that kind of buzz.

So I don't think he's likely to return, but got to answer that question first. And then, you know, we'll see who else leaves beyond that. They've got a Belmont transfer guard, I think, on campus right now for a visit because he's a grad transfer already in the portal. They do need a shooter, and I think they needed one this past offseason, frankly. That's the one thing that team maybe lacked this season was another perimeter shooter to give them a little bit more of a scoring threat.

[26:13] So they're exploring that right now. You know, they've got to replace Jacoby Gillespie. That's the big one, obviously, at point guard. So they've got some internal candidates there. They don't necessarily have to go to the portal for that, but they could. And they've got a lot of guys potentially coming back in the post. So a lot of it's going to come down to who enters the portal, who doesn't. But this team has potentially a lot of returning pieces that could give them a chance to make another run next year.

Absolutely. Listen, I know trying to get information out of a spring football practice is about like trying to get Pentagon secrets. Tennessee hit a scrimmage last week. When is the next scrimmage or are they looking at having one this week? And probably the best way for me to say this is, now what you've seen, what are you hearing so far in spring practice? Yeah, they'll have another scrimmage on Thursday. And so far, you know, it sounds like an overall pretty good spring, all things considered. They had their first scrimmage last week.

And that was a bit of a not an ideal day for Tennessee's quarterbacks, which is probably to be expected on some level. You always hear about the first scrimmage kind of favoring the defense. The defense is usually ahead at that point, even in fall camp, it's that way, but certainly in the spring. And the only thing you wondered about that this year, whether that would be the case with this team, is you didn't know if this team was going to be ahead defensively because they're installing a new system.

But that was still the case. And it sounds like Jim Knowles' defense has done a really nice job causing some problems for those young quarterbacks. But on the flip side, those quarterbacks, you know, still figuring it out and had some turnovers and some missed throws. And on the flip side, some good throws that were dropped. So just overall kind of shaky day for the offense. But the defense, I think, coming along nicely, especially in the back end, they sound like they're noticeably better at safety with some veterans out of the transfer portal and a couple other transfer additions that have looked good so far.

Receiver play looking good for the most part, aside from a couple drops. And then offensive line, I think a little bit of a pleasant surprise so far. But with four returning starters, that's a group that needs to be better than last year. So overall, pretty decent returns. Now they need to see in scrimmage two if those quarterbacks can kind of help the offense bounce back in scrimmage two, as you often see. Ryan Kellyanne, Go Vols, 24-7. Ryan, are any Tennessee baseball fans missing Tony Vitella so far?

I think they are, yeah. Whether that's fair or not, whether that's the only reason for it, they've not gotten off to the best start this week. This season, really tough loss in that series at Vanderbilt last weekend. Just a couple brutal losses. Extra innings in a marathon game and then a walk-off the next day after they led that game up until the end. So just a brutal couple of days for them in Nashville. We'll see if they can get off the mat. This is a team that still has a lot of talent.

And again, they were right there with Vanderbilt basically all weekend, just did games that didn't go their way in the end. So I don't think they're very far off from being a pretty good team, but they're having a lot of games kind of not go their way so far against some of the power conference teams they have played. So we'll see if they can start to turn their fortunes around. But obviously fans kind of thinking that Tony Vitella's departure is one of the big reasons, whether that's fair or not, that they're not off to the start they're used to having over the past several years.

Listen, I appreciate you coming on a little bit early this week. I know we've got a Braves Day game tomorrow, but a lot of Tennessee fans in our listening area, and they always look forward to listening to you quite a bit, even though basketball is over now. But again, the transfer portal, recruiting, certainly for football, spring football still going on, baseball, you name it. GoValos247 is going to cover it. Where can we get online and get yours and the team's great stuff? That's right. GoValos247.com.

50% off an annual subscription right now. It's a great time to join with all that coverage. She has transfer portal getting fired up for basketball, recruiting, plenty going on, some visitors on campus even today. So a great time to check out the site. Tennessee's Pro Day also going on as we speak. Some possible first-round picks in Jermon McCoy and Colton Hood working out there. So a lot to keep track of, and we've got it all covered for you. GoValos247. Sounds great, Ryan. Listen, man, thanks for your time, Dane.

Have a great week, okay? You too. Thanks a lot, guys. Thank you, bud. Ryan Callahan, GoValos247. Final Four fever in the house. One of the folks in Vegas saying we'll take you there with Bruce Marshall on deck. Stay with us. Defendants ask for depositions just to spend more time with them. TV stations pay them to advertise. 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.

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Back out to Lendeborg. Wide open three. At the top of the key. It's good for Yaxel Lendeborg. And it's 41-20 Michigan. Michigan dominated the Midwest region just like they did most of the regular season. Now they're two wins away from a national title, but another marquee one seed, Arizona, stands in the way. Stay tuned for Westwood One's exclusive coverage. The Final Four, right here. Oh, oh, oh, O'Reilly. Check engine, ABS, or maintenance light on. Take the guesswork out of your warning lights with O'Reilly Veriscan. The service is free and provides a report with solutions verified by ASE certified master technicians.

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[36:49] The Score. Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score. Welcome back, Can't Be Be This. This is one of those crazy weeks, obviously, Final Four fever. I can't wait to get Bruce Marshall on the line with us to find out what Vegas is saying about the Final Four. But you've got to believe they got it right. And you can say what you want. To me, if you are a TV executive, you kind of like this matchup because, let's face it, Hurley is ESPN, is in the backyard, Connecticut there.

He's got the kind of personality that sells on air. The cameras love all his antics and everything else. Your thoughts, just from now that we know the Final Four in the house, what are your thoughts overall? Well, it's certainly not a surprise to me, by the way. Bruce has joined us. But Harold, like him or love him? Or hate him? I mean, either way. And he practically head-butted an official. Listen, that had tossed Nate O'd so quick. If he had a head-buddied official, it wouldn't have been funny.

But again, like him or not, but UConn in the last four seasons, their record in the NCAA tournament, and Bruce Marshall knows this, is an incredible 17-1. Wow. Good grief. Wow. Their only loss was to the Gators last year. Again, say what you want to about them, but they're good, and that comeback against UConn was nearly as powerful. You know who else is good, VB? Bruce Marshall. Yep. He's busy there, Las Vegas Insider, with a gold sheet wager talk. Winners and whiners, picks and parlays, boundssports.net, all on the line at CBS Sportsline.

Vegas Insider, you name it, Bruce got it covered. Bruce Marshall, welcome in. How are you? Guys, and you know all this talk about the big dance in Indianapolis this week. We've got another tournament going on in Las Vegas called the Crown, and it starts tomorrow with some games. Eight more teams are still playing. We get to see Oklahoma and Baylor and Creighton and Stanford one more time. So, anyway, we're not done yet. In the meantime, Bruce, who scripted that Hollywood ending for the Connecticut-Duke game? Is it safe to say, even though you may be up 19 points, buyer beware, what an ending.

Yeah, not me scripting it, because we picked Duke. So, I mean, that's… For a while, we're all smart, right? But you sort of saw that coming, although, you know, Connecticut was making up a little bit of ground there, but it still looked like Duke had enough cushion. I thought Duke sort of lost its verve once it got up by 19 there, and Connecticut didn't get any worse than that, cut it a little bit to 15 at halftime, and it started to chip away. But still, I mean, we're at six minutes left, we still had a double-digit lead with Duke.

But in the end, you know, they just didn't protect the lead all that well. I mean, they ended up with, what, 20 turnovers in the game, and there were several empty trips and some pretty just really sloppy losing the ball. I mean, both boozers guilty of it. But Evans did not help Duke one bit on Sunday, not like he did in the Friday game for Duke against St. John's. And then that last second goal still should not have happened. I mean, it really did not have happened.

And all boozers, Cade boozers, hang on to the ball. They'll foul you. You don't have to even advance it past the timeline. You'll get free throws. There'll be two or three seconds left. You could go up four. You can go up three. There's little chance Connecticut's going to do anything. That's the only thing that Duke could have done to let UConn have a chance in the last three seconds. It did, and it didn't have to do that. This is going to hurt a long time for Duke.

And, you know, I'm sure, you know, Cam Boozer and some of the others are going to be moving on anyway. So that's just going to take a while to heal with Duke. They never should have lost that game. Let me ask you about UConn. Terrace Reed, their big 6'9", 6'10", center, 14 points a game. Carabin, Alex Carabin. I mean, all these guys, they're nearly in double figures. DeMerry Jr. averaging 10. Illinois with their international team, which I noticed when Alabama beat them in Chicago in November. Illinois is a two-and-a-half-point favorite in this game right now, and you can update us on what that is.

Is the wrong team favored? I don't think so, but, you know, at this point, it's hard to say. I mean, UConn could certainly win this game, so I can, you know, if somebody wants to make a case for UConn, I wouldn't argue. Illinois has had some flat spots this year. They've had some games where they haven't looked as great as a game late in the season against Michigan, for example. They just didn't play well at all. They lost by 14 at home. But when they have been hitting on all cylinders, I don't know that there's a better team in the country.

[41:57] The Balkan connection that they've got, I mean, all these guys can shoot. They have got size. They've got NBA-like size. They average 6'8", I mean, that's their average height, the starting lineup. Wagler turned into one of the best freshman guards in the country. So you've got a real go-to score there. All these guys can shoot. They have got size. The Ivacic brothers, he's 7'1", 7'2". I mean, they're – listen, Terrence Reed has been really good. He's just overpowering a lot of these guys. And his footwork really impressed me.

He is – I mean, he's not – he can't shoot a jump shot, I don't think. But he doesn't really have to at this level. You can just roll your way around, and he does have a pretty good passing touch. So he's a – right now, if UConn wins this thing, he'll be – especially the MOP of the tournament, more than Caravan and more than the others. But I'm not sure they can win this game. And I wonder, coming down from that game last week, maybe that's not a factor.

I think that's going to be hard for UConn to top, and that's going to end up being their crowning moment. It was last week. I think it's still to come for Illinois. I think Illinois is going to get them, but I understand anybody voting for Connecticut. It's after, you know, the weekend. I mean, how can you – it's hard to beat. Bruce Marshall got it all covered there, amongst other places, the goal sheet. Bruce is the best matchup, the one that will not be in the championship game.

It's number one Michigan. Ask Alabama and Tennessee fans and a host of other folks. I'm going to see somebody beat that team. Arizona fans say we're the ones. They are also a number one seed, so it's one-on-one. Charles Barkley, before he went political on CBS in the set, said it's the Arizona Invitational. Your thoughts about one versus one? Yeah, this is really something here. And maybe these are the two best teams. They've beaten the semifinal. You know, just watching Arizona all year, you know, very few flaws in this team.

I mean, they just – right from the outset, I mean, the freshmen didn't play like freshmen right off the bat. And it's Cole Pete, you know, early on, and then Burries and the others as the season went on. I mean, they just stepped into their role so smoothly, and they really – we'll see. I think, you know, what might happen here. Arizona is really great at getting into the foul line. If they can get some of the Michigan bigs in a little foul trouble here, this could change the game, and they might be able to do that.

Michigan still, you know, that front line is so good, and Lindenburg has been a revelation this year coming out of UAB. But Arizona just keeps, you know, pounding that ball inside, and that second half against Purdue was about as good as you can get. I still wonder about Michigan's guards, although they played pretty good in the game against Tennessee. And I did think – I mean, listen, referees, it goes both ways with the referees here, but sometimes they get a little carried away, and they took Tennessee out of that game.

Tennessee's only chance is to keep its bigs on the floor. And they weren't able to do that. They were – by midway in the first half, when that was still a close game, the bigs were out, and, you know, that opened the floodgates, and then Michigan just poured through. So, unless something like that happens again, I'm not sure. And Tennessee's built up in Arizona, so I don't think that it will. But I just don't see any flaws in Arizona. I think they're going to be very tough to beat.

I lean that way a little bit. We'll see. I'll tell you one thing. Linda Borg's three-point shot is so smooth. It was incredible. Actually, Alabama played them the first half, led 49-47. I think one of the few weaknesses Michigan has is their free-throw shooting. But Alabama had them a little bit off-balanced, and then they come out and hit seven out of seven, and the rest of it was over with. All right. North Carolina, let me ask you about your inside information, which you've got. According to multiple media – now, I know Billy Donovan's in this.

I keep hearing that he's gotten a little bit tired of the NBA and would consider going to North Carolina. It certainly helps. He doesn't have a buyout. But I'm hearing Dusty May may be the club leader. Tommy Lloyd is in there. You can throw some other names. Once this is over with come Monday night, what are you hearing as far as a North Carolina? Boy, this is tough because I don't know that there is a clear guy here because always, from the past, I mean, North Carolina's hired from within.

[46:58] Yes. And it looks like they're not going to do that this time. Donovan, now I can understand him because of the Bulls situation, just kind of getting fed up with that. Yeah. So, I could sort of see that. But right now, I mean, a lot of coaches wouldn't, you know, want to come back to college with all the stuff that's going on there. The NBA is a lot better life here. Maybe Donovan would like to come back for one more thought here. You know, we're hearing would May really leave Michigan.

I don't know. I mean, that's – you know, he's got a pretty good deal there. Otzelberger says he doesn't want to leave. Byington just re-upped Vanderbilt. Otzelberger says no. You know, Tommy Lloyd, I mean, would he really leave Arizona? I don't think he would. He has a very big buyout, and I'm not sure he wants to leave. So, one I would maybe look at is Ryan Odom. I know he's only been one year at Virginia. I think the buyout would be a little bit less. He's a winner.

He's won everywhere he's been. He grew up with the ACC's dad coach for all those years at Wake Forest. It seems like that's a possibility. I mean, he's back in the ACC, too. So, that might be there. But what complicates this is it looks like North Carolina – and you go back. I mean, you know, Frank McGuire, I think, is the last one they hired outside of the family there. He came from St. John's. And then Dean Smith after him, and then Bill Guthridge, you know, and then Doherty was a North Carolina guy.

And Roy had been there before, even though he was at Kansas. But, I mean, he had been a long time on the Carolina staff for Dean Smith. And then Hubert. So, this is odd that they would go outside of the family, but it looks like that's what they're going to do. Bruce Marshall, Vegas Insider, amongst other places. We were joking earlier this week, Bruce, with some of our friends at Auburn. How many teams make it back-to-back Final Fours? Auburn is the answer. Last year, the NCAA.

This year, the NIT. What do you see there, from a Vegas perspective, when Auburn takes on the Redbirds from Illinois State? Here is an interesting angle in the NIT this year. Auburn has won three straight games. It has not covered the point spread in any of them. So, now we've got Illinois State, which has got a big bruiser, 6'9", 280-pounder. Chase Walker really takes up some space down low. These guys won the CBI last year. Now, that was a fight when they were still playing the CBI down in Daytona Beach.

It was against, you know, I could beat Cleveland State in the final. A lot of big majors they beat. But they apparently have a taste for tournament play. And they have been winning some of these games out on the road that I didn't think they would, including, you know, the Dayton game. So, I, you know, Auburn could certainly win and not cover. That has been their pattern in the NIT. And this Illinois State is pretty darn scrappy. If I'm not mistaken, they're playing the semifinals at Hinkle, at Butler, and they're going to play the final game at the Pacers Arena.

So, Auburn wins really close, doesn't cover the spread. That seems to be the angle I would pursue here. All right. Before we let you go, let me ask you one more. Now, SEC coaches who appear to be staying. Rick Barnes said, yes, I'm coming back for a 12th year. As you mentioned, Mark Byington at Vandy, they've got a contract extension. I don't know if he signed it yet. And Greg Byrne, Alabama's AD, said Saturday night he ain't going anywhere, meeting Nate Oates. The Bill Self rumors were out in full force last week.

And then he had to come out on ESPN and say, I haven't made a decision one way or the other yet. He's had health issues the last couple of years. What are you hearing about Bill Self's future? 50-50 on Self. There's some people we talk to who think he really, for his own good, has to step down. And it sort of comes down. I think his wife is telling him, look, you don't need to do this anymore. The thing in that situation, I think he wants to make the narrative there.

He doesn't want to have somebody else come out with it. But I would think if we hear something on Kansas, it'll be within a few days of the final game. That would not surprise me. We even heard some whispers about Izzo, though he's in his 70s now, too, though I don't think he's, that seems to be less prevalent because he doesn't have the health issues that Self has had. So I would really watch that Self thing. As far as the SEC coaches, if Byington has not signed that extension yet and they have it on his desk, that would be another name North Carolina I think would look at.

And so I would, Nate's not going anywhere and Barnes at this stage isn't moving and, you know, he's out beyond 72, so he may only have a year or two left as well. But Byington is one I would kind of watch if he hasn't, if he hasn't actually put pen to paper that at Vandy yet. That could be a guy to move. And then if this Kansas thing opens up, here we go again. We've got another huge job opening up and we could be starting this North Carolina type talk all over again.

[52:23] Absolutely. Well, Major League Baseball got started. The NAP, as Daryl mentioned, the Final Four, still got some pro sports going on, hockey and the NBA. The gold standard is Bruce Marshall. Where can we get online to get all the great stuff? Yeah, thanks, Brett. Yeah, one place now to go for me, back at the gold sheet, and it is at wagertalk.com. So that's where you find all the stuff and my picks up there at Wagertalk too. So you go to wagertalk.com, you can click the gold sheet icon there at the website, and you can get in that way and get the gold sheet.

But also wagertalk.com, all my picks, you can get them up there. Bruce, it's always good to hook up with you, man. Thanks so much. Have a great week out there, okay? Enjoy the games, boys. Thank you. Thank you, buddy. You do the same. Bruce Marshall, busy there amongst other places at Vegas Insider. BB, again, in case you missed it, Auburn signing a tall tree, or at least courting a tall tree to join their basketball team. Seven feet. French center, Narcisse Nogoy. And I will check to see if I'm even close to pronouncing the name.

But he is quite a load. I saw some clips on him this morning, Harold. He's impressive. How do you say Tumor's Corner in French? I guess we now know, right? Coming up in the next hour, first, going to be taking you down to Orlando. Matt Merchelle is going to be checking in. Joe Cox all over the SEC. And Thomas Ashworth joining us from AL.com. It's all straight ahead and stay with us. It's on the Boomo Bugg Show. Hello, Scholes. It's Elmer Pierce from Garner Pierce Autos.

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Discover why Pella is a trusted choice for homeowners everywhere. Visit Pella.com slash Eisen today. That's Pella.com slash Eisen. 18-19 News. Today, March 31st, is the last day for applications to be submitted to the state of Alabama for families who want their school-aged children to take part in the CHOOSE Act. This year, families must still meet a certain income qualification in order to take part in the school choice program. Those limits will be phased out in the years ahead. Families will have $7,000 placed into education savings accounts for their student so that they can enroll that student into a private or public school of their choice.

[57:42] CHOOSE Act was first passed by the state legislature back in 2024 and is now entering its second year of implementation throughout the state. I'll be back with more Alabama stories after this. Are you enjoying 18-19 News? If so, consider joining 18-19 News as a member. As a non-profit news organization, we depend on the support of Alabamians like you. Memberships start out as little as $5 a month and you'll get access to exclusive content only offered to our members. You'll be supporting independent journalism done by people who cherish Alabama values.

Become a member today by visiting 1819news.com and clicking become a member. That's 1819news.com and click become a member today. A second Alabama man has been arrested in the state of California for a murder that occurred this past January. Kenneth Maxwell of Midfield is the latest arrest. James Petrie of Birmingham was also arrested by police at the end of January. Both men are wanted for a shooting that occurred at an apartment complex in Murrieta that killed a man. Investigators say this case is being viewed as a murder-for-hire case.

The city leaders of ARAB say that they have now recovered $431,000 after it was first sent to an unauthorized bank account for a city construction project. The money was taken from the city through a scheme where impersonators pretended to be part of a construction company that was working on ARAB's new recreation center. I'm Andrea Theis. For more news affecting Alabamians, go to 1819news.com. And while you're there, subscribe to the daily newsletter. Valley Broadcasting Corporation, WITK-FM, Rogersville, Athens, Decatur, The Shores. Sports Radio 93.9, The Score. Dribbles right, spins, jabs, steps, steps back, wide open, three.

That's good. Just brilliant. With 64 NCAA men's tournament games played, just three remain. Coming up Saturday, it's Michigan versus Arizona and Connecticut versus Illinois. Then the winners meet to settle the 2026 men's basketball title. Tune in this Saturday to hear Westwood One's exclusive coverage of the NCAA men's Final Four. Final Four coverage begins this Saturday following Atlanta Braves baseball on 93.9, The Score. Brought to you locally by Lost Pizza, Alabama Health Guidance, Carter Oil, CB&S Bank, and Champy's famous fried chicken. 27 tournament trips. Five journeys to Omaha. 72 major leaguers.

It's good to be a Bama baseball fanatic. Swing and a fly ball lifted high in the air. Deep left field. A go-ahead two-run homer over the high left field ball at Auburn. Alabama's favorite pastime plays right here on your home for Alabama baseball, the Crimson Tide Sports Network from Learfield. 93.9, the score weather. Today's sunny with a high around 85. Tonight, partly cloudy with possible gusty winds overnight and a low near 65. Tomorrow, partly sunny with a 40% chance of afternoon showers and a high around 85. Tomorrow night, partly cloudy with a low near 65.

Every Thursday, partly sunny with a 20% chance of afternoon showers and a high around 85. Your weather from 93.9, the score. Now, get ready to roll Shoals, Decatur, Athens, and all of northwest Alabama and southern Tennessee. It's time for the Valley's exclusive FM Sports Voice. The Boomo Bugg Show. Your exclusive inside track to the Tide, Tigers, Tennessee, and the rest of the SEC. Now, your host, Harold Bugg on 93.9, the score. Welcome back in our tour of the Boomo Bugg Show. I'm Harold Bugg, alongside Brett Beaird. Thank you so much for giving us a free ride around the Tennessee Valley.

And for Thomas Ashworth, taking time out of his busy schedule there at AL.com to join our huddle here. Thomas, welcome in. How are you? Hey, doing good. How are you guys? Hey, man. We're doing all right. Always a fun time of the year. Obviously, it's sad to see the season go, and there's a lot of seasons out that you guys cover at AL.com. But talking about basketball, it's always fun to get the best of the best. And when you start talking about North Alabama, that's not the easiest job in the world to come up with the top boys, basketball players in North Alabama.

Would you agree, Thomas? Yeah, it was tough. Lots of good players this year. Lots of good coaches. Lots of really good teams. A lot of really fun stories to follow. And luckily, I don't have to include the Shoals in mine, or else I'd be even more screwed than I already was. But they got their own, luckily. So it's always a good time of year. It's tough to decide these players just because there's so many good ones. But yeah, we had a lot of good ones and a lot of really good, deep postseason runs for a lot of teams, which makes it even harder.

[1:02:43] For the folks who might have missed that list, let's talk about some of the guys who are on the list there, Thomas. Yeah. I mean, you look down the list, I mean, there were so many good players this year. A lot of really good state champions. The section had a really good year. Jake Cloud was a really good player for them. Caden Ricks is a guy at 7A level who, he was playing in a really tough region and still put up some really good numbers. Going to Calhoun Community College, I think he had some Division I offers, but he'll be thankful to home in Calhoun over in Decatur.

I mean, Whitesburg Christian had a fantastic year, I thought. And Patrick Harding is our coach of the year. And Tripp Mason, I thought, had a fantastic year for Whitesburg. They had a really tough schedule. I mean, they played pretty much everybody they could. It seemed like playing the Hunkle City Classic and in the same day actually beat through the 3A champion Montgomery Academy and the 4A champion midfield in the same day and beat them both. So, I mean, you know, that kind of stuff is pretty impressive.

And then, you know, obviously the guys from Huntsville, Evan Toms, had a fantastic year for Huntsville. He's in the running for 7A Player of the Year in Mr. Basketball. He had a fantastic year. And then Newcomer of the Year, Graham Gossett's another guy who came on this year. And obviously there's, I figured at the beginning of the year there was going to be a breakout player of the year come from Huntsville just because their entire lineup from last year wasn't playing college basketball. So, you know, it was pretty easy pick there, but just a lot of really good players this year.

So, a really tough time deciding. I was telling one coach this morning, I think there was like 15 players that I was having time, you know, trouble deciding between for five spots, which is, you know, really tough. A lot of really good players this year. Besides handling and covering high school sports, you also do college. We got some very good colleges, universities, of course, in the state of Alabama. UNA announcing a new women's coach. In fact, I believe today at 2 o'clock, there's a press conference for Anonyms.

It was coming in from Northwestern State. Kendi Whittaker left UNA to return as head coach at Kansas City. A lot of people really like Anna. They say good things. And then the UAH women. We've been talking about the UAH men for years going on these runs in postseason. The UAH women finished 32-6, went to the final four. So, again, I know UNA looking forward to a lot of things that come a year. But talk a little bit about, in particularly, the UAH women, a historical year for them.

Yeah, I'll start with UAH. I mean, it was a team that had a lot of questions, I guess, going into it. They lost some players to the portal, but returned two of their best players in probably franchise history, and Lily Wilkin and Millie Brown. So, there was some consistency, but they started out the year one and three. A lot of questions there after they got back from a road trip. And then, you know, they had a player go out. Ava McClain, who was a fantastic player at Good Hope, had a great start for UAH.

Went down with, I think, an ACL thing, like midway through the year. I mean, I was – this team could have been dead in the water very easily, and I think anybody will tell you that in the building. But, I mean, they were fantastic down the stretch. And, you know, you look at the team and you're like, man, they aren't really overpowering anybody. They're not, you know, they're not dominating, really, I guess, when you look at frame. I mean, they weren't really a big team. They never really overpowered anybody physically all season.

But they found a way. I mean, their offense was fantastic. They had really good defensive stretches when they had to. I mean, it just seemed like whatever they needed to do during that time, they could do it. Obviously, part of that's Lily Wilkin, who probably have her number retired at UAH. Fantastic career, two years. I think she was All-American twice, Gulf South Conference player of the year twice, transferring from Trebekah. Just a fantastic player, fantastic person. And Millie Brown also had a really good year for UAH.

I think they both started, I think, 70 games, you know, for UAH after transferring. And Millie transferred because of Millie and all that. And it's a really fun story. But you're losing two really good seniors there. But, I mean, they're set up for a really good run. I mean, Ivy Maddox is coming back for them. They have Chloe Siegel, a player you guys probably have heard of, coming back. Absolutely. But they have some really good players coming back. So, I mean, I like the future UAH. I think they're set up to have a really good run, especially if they can hit the portal and, you know, get a couple of freshman talent.

But I really like this team moving forward. I think they've really set a good foundation. Talk to us about NAIA basketball. I mean, obviously, UAH fans know about it. But Drew Stutz, a Florence native, just won his second national championship at Freed Harmon in men's basketball. Do people realize how good this talent is? Let's face it, Auburn had a star from UAH on the team a couple of years ago. Do people realize how good this level of basketball really is? Yeah. I mean, Freed Harmon, like you said, they've got a Florence native leading the way.

[1:08:03] So, that's a really cool story. And I think there's some kind of brother-sister thing going on there. Yeah. The women's team as well. Which is really cool. But, no, I mean, it's a fantastic year. And I think it just kind of shows the level of excellence in the Shoals specifically. I mean, just talking about Chloe Siegel and, you know, players like her that are just fantastic high school players. And, you know, Freed Hardman as well is a perfect example of a really good coach that's done a lot when they leave North Alabama.

And, obviously, you can talk about Huntsville all day long and all that stuff. But, I mean, I think the Shoals certainly has garnered kind of that same level almost. I mean, the high school basketball runs they've had this year, the last couple of years, the players they've produced. I mean, there's some really good players out there in Huntsville and North Alabama all around. So, I mean, I think that Freed Hardman is just kind of an extension of that almost. I mean, there's, you know, some players over there that are a coach over there and some really good relationships as far as the stories that came out of that national championship run for both teams.

And the women's team had a fantastic year as well. So, yeah, like you said, really cool story to follow. It really is. I'm happy for that community. Really am. Let me ask you about a young man we watched play Alabama in December at the Civic Center. Grissom alum R.J. Johnson was playing for Kennesaw State in Antoine Pettway. They had quite a season. Listen, he scored 15 points and four assists against Gonzaga. Which tells you what kind of player he is. And all the listeners are certainly familiar with Antoine Pettway when he played for Alabama.

He has decided to enter the transfer portal after a breakout year at Kennesaw State. Certainly wish him a lot of luck. I remember watching him in the Huntsville City Classic a couple of times play for Jack Doss. Talk a little more about R.J. Johnson. Yeah, I mean, you remember those groups of games. Those were fantastic games. Butter Johnson was also on that team. He's at Clemson now. They had some fantastic players. Izzy Miles was another guy who played in that era. He was at Northwestern State.

Had a really good year. I mean, they were stacked. They were. And he was a big part of that, obviously. But had a really good year at Kennesaw State. I mean, Kennesaw State was one of those teams that, like, you know, they should have been dead in the water, too. I mean, they had a player that was their leading scorer, the Conference USA leading scorer, get busted for a gambling ring. Like, it's like the 1930s or something going on, you know. That's so weird. Like, it's a strange story.

I mean, that team should have been, you know, they should have won another game after that, probably. I mean, they were, you know, obviously they had talent, but when that kind of stuff happens, they can create a lot of distractions. But they found a way, and R.J. Johnson was a big part of that. He really stepped up. He had a really good game. I think you remember against Alabama as well. Yeah. You know, when they came to Huntsville, he had a pretty solid game there.

Off the bench and then kind of molded into that player that eventually earned first-team all-conference honors. And I think anybody in the Huntsville community knew it was coming for him. I mean, he was a really great player. I think he was originally committed to Alabama and then fond of the Kennesaw State. I mean, I think when he hits the portal, I think Alabama will be a team to watch for him. I think he's, you know, obviously Antoine Pentway is involved and, you know, he needs some players now with some players leaving.

But I think he could be a player to watch to Alabama. I really do. I mean, I think he could go anywhere. But he's a really good player, like you said. Had a great season. And, you know, it's making Huntsville proud, I know. Thomas Ashworth, AL.com. A poll you guys conducted has a lot of interest throughout North Alabama when it comes to public versus private, including Mars Hill, shows Christian and others. Thomas, the poll is in. And as far as do you love it, do you hate it?

Based on what I'm reading, you can clarify if I'm reading it wrong. Pretty much about half like it and about half hate the new proposals. Yeah. I mean, I was a little surprised by that. And I think any time that you say, oh, I like this, 10 people are going to say no, it's terrible. And any time you say no, this thing sucks, then, you know, 10 people are going to say, oh, great. So, I mean, it was kind of I wanted to see where it was. I mean, I was really curious and it's a little surprising, I think.

I mean, I think a lot of the reaction that I've gotten from coaches was I thought this was coming, but I didn't think it'd be now. I thought that it would be two years down the road or four years down the road, but a lot went into it. And there's a lot of stuff that happened behind closed doors, obviously. But it's certainly a hotbed topic. It really is. And I think that it'll create some really interesting things going on, especially when you're talking about hypothetically, like just thinking of an example, if there's a player at Mars Hill and they're only playing private school competition, would they want to still play at Mars Hill?

[1:13:10] There's not being that really a competition because, I mean, if I'm a public school and would I want to play Mars Hill if I didn't have to? Probably not in football or in any sport, really. They're really good at everything. So, you know, I think it'll create some interesting things. And like I said, I think that the split is interesting. It's not really what I expected. I thought that it would be more of the lines if I don't like it rather than, you know, split like they have or like we have.

But I think the reaction for the coaches is kind of the same of just we'll have to see what happens and, you know, see how it affects us. But I think there's already going to be some positive and negative consequences of it. But, you know, they're going to have to weigh it out. And I guess they could change it in two years. Who knows? You know, the Central Board's meeting April the 15th on a couple of matters, the private school playoff structure, the schedule for the Super 7, which may now be the Super 10.

I'll be curious to see how that goes. And also the shot clock edition that they've discussed for what seems like 20 years. Maybe they'll make a decision on that soon. Listen, great stuff, as always. Get through with basketball. And next thing you know, it's going to be more coverage of soccer, baseball, and softball coming up going down the stretch. Thomas, where can we get online and get yours and the team's good stuff? Yeah, a lot of coaching changes and portal entries and baseball, softball. It doesn't stop.

There's a lot coming on AL.com, whatever kind of sports you want to read about. I mean, if you don't subscribe to AL.com, subscribe to the Cater Daily or Florida Times Daily. It's a good time to be following sports. It really is. There's a lot going on right now. So, it's a good time to read all about it. Busy, busy spring. Thomas, thanks for your coverage, and thanks for joining us today. And keep up the good work, okay? Yes, sir. Appreciate you guys. Thank you, bud.

Thomas Ashworth, AL.com. Coming up across the SEC, final thoughts on basketball. And based off rocking and rolling, the latest with Joe Cox on deck. Stay with us. Good call or bad call, officials always have the final say in sports. And at Alpha Insurance, we know it's important for you to have the final say on the insurance plan we build for you. You'll have peace of mind knowing that we will work hard to get you the lowest rates and best discounts available. Alpha Insurance, always a good call.

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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 Vector Security Champions Lane, the best pregame fan fest in college football. For more information, visit championslane.com. Hello again, everybody. I'm Roger Hoover. Here are thoughts from baseball head coach Rob Vaughn as Alabama prepares for a midweek matchup on Tuesday night at Jacksonville State. There's so many good players all over the country that the haves and haves not are not really a thing anymore.

There's good players everywhere. And if you don't show up and ring the bell, you're going to lose. It's just the way it goes. And so I think we're also realistic enough to know we're playing good right now. Like there's going to be some adversity hit somewhere over the next seven weeks, I can promise you. Or we're the best team of all time. I don't know, but more than likely there's going to be some adversity over these next seven weeks. And it's going to be, can we do what Platt talked about?

Can we, can we remember who we are? Can we draw that line in the sand and choose to step over and say, this is us win, lose or draw. And so, um, fun time to be a part of it, but man, the noise, good or bad, it ain't helpful for anybody. So everybody can write what they write. And I hope these guys get some praise for it because I think they deserve it, but I can promise you, it ain't going to affect any way we go about our business.

I'll have more in a moment. Tide fans, are you ready for game day in Tuscaloosa? Don't miss the ultimate pregame experience this season at Vector Security, Champions Lane. Opening four hours before each home game, this FanFest has everything you need to get pumps for kickoff. Located next to the Walk of Champions, you'll enjoy live music, player autographs, the best food trucks from all over Alabama, and ice cold beer in our Legends Lounge beer garden, where there's never a cover charge. Check out ChampionsLane.com each week for the latest updates.

Roll Tide. Join us this afternoon for Crimson Drive, driven by NASCAR, streaming live at 2 p.m. Central on all CTSN social media platforms at UA underscore CTSN. Crimson Tide Today is brought to you by Vector Security, Champions Lane. Crimson Tide Today is a production of the Crimson Tide Sports Network from Weirfield. The Score. Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score. Welcome back in. It is a pleasure for us to open the door and say hello to Joe Cox. He's checking in from Saturday down south.

Joe, welcome in. How's life in Kentucky today? Can't complain. Pretty day, and I think the world's looking pretty good out there. Joe, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to do the math here. Ten teams begin the NCAA tournament from the SEC, and all of them got one thing in common. They're going to be watching the Final Four from the couch again. Joe, your thoughts about the SEC. We know what the folks across the country are saying. It's doomsday. It's over in football and basketball. The other side of the coin is going to say, well, it's cyclical.

Big Ten, it's your life right now. Your thoughts, Joe. We know where we've been. We know where we are. The question is, where are we going? Yeah, the Big Ten's living large at the moment, but it's worth noting that they had their own hoops title drought to contend with there. They haven't always finished well. It's funny. A lot of years, they have been where the SEC was in basketball this year, where they had a really strong league top to bottom and a lot of really good teams, but no great teams.

And I think that's the final chapter on the SEC. It seems to me, to the extent that we can draw any big-picture story from this, the key to the sport at this time seems to be having one of the five to ten just impact guys. That's not to be all and all, because I think you can make a pretty good case for, say, Amen at Tennessee or Phylon at Alabama as possibly being toward the bottom of that list. But you've got to get those guys, and from there, you give yourself a chance.

I think of Yaxl at Michigan, for instance. He's definitely one of those guys. Although, then again, Boozer at Duke was one of those guys, and he's on the couch now, too. So there is a lot more parity. It's going to be a lot harder for the big dogs to eat, but the big dogs who are eating are going to be the ones who spend on the recruiting, I think it's safe to say. And one of those big dogs over the years has been eating at the trough.

It's a place that you know well, and that's Kentucky. Joe, what did the administration learn from trying to put this team together this year? They went to the bank. They backed up the brink truck. They spent big. They didn't come up big. What did they learn from this season? I think, again, the message here probably is you're better to have one great player and a couple of good ones than five or six or seven or eight good ones. The gap between the good and the great is pretty large, and I think Kentucky tried to spend on a team of good players, and that's pretty much what they got.

[1:23:35] They got guys like Diabate and Aberdeen who were good players who occasionally would have a really great game, but night in and night out would probably get you eight points or so, and that's really not what I think you've got to track down. You know, again, it's a buyer's world in the portal, in the high school recruiting. I told a friend of mine the other day that I was a little worried at Kentucky that maybe they had hired a Boy Scout to do a gangster's job at this point in time.

Joe, according to sources, a lot of the or the majority of the SEC basketball coaches are coming back for another year. Nate Oates, Greg Byrne mentioned Saturday night he ain't going anywhere. Mark Byington has an extension. I don't know if he's signed it yet, but Vandy's come through with a big extension for him. Rick Barnes says, yeah, I'm coming back for year 12, and the one and only Will Wade is back officially in the SEC. You know, again, that's going to be a fascinating year. Hired Rick Stansberry and the former LSU coach.

That's quite a trio. Joe, your thoughts on the coaches staying in SEC men's basketball? I think the league is going to be filled with schools that are going to do their utmost to be competitive. You're going to have the resources. You're going to have the money. I don't think there are a lot of better places for coaches to be. And, you know, with North Carolina now open, with Kansas possibly about to come open, with Kentucky very possibly a year from coming open, you know, there are going to be a lot of jobs where there's going to be desperation.

But at the same time, man, if you're at an Alabama and you've raised the program to the point where they're competitive, why wouldn't you stay there? The expectations are going to be more reasonable than you would get at the schools that I just talked about, and the money is the same or better. So, sounds like a pretty good spot to be in. The Will Wade thing is pretty wild. I have to admit, I didn't really see that coming. But I do like hiring the veteran head coaches.

I think that's a smart thing. You know, you get a little bit of insecurity from coaches sometimes, and it's smart. And we'll wait to say, let's take some guys who know some ball, who know some X's and O's, and, you know, maybe they can prop me up there while I go chase after all the talent. So, we'll see. Joe Cox, hooking up with us southeast, our Saturday down south. Joe, let's talk a little bit about something that's kind of getting in the shadows during all this Final Four talking March Madness, and that's SEC baseball.

You do a great job with that. What impresses you so far on the SEC diamonds? You know, it's funny. If we'd had this conversation before the weekend, I probably would have said I was impressed with a lot of pitching. And then I go through a weekend where I'm seeing Vanderbilt beating Tennessee 16-15. Kentucky had a game with LSU where they were up 7-0, and they lost, I think, 17-10. You know, that's a football score. Somebody kicked a field goal on each side and then two touchdowns against one.

But, obviously, the hitting is coming along better. You know, it's a tough league, top to bottom. It's a really good league. A week ago, it seemed like everybody in the league was 4-2 in conference play. It has spread out a little bit over another weekend. But, you know, some of the teams that we thought would be up, let's say LSU, have been kind of down. Some of the teams that maybe we weren't that sold on, let's say, I don't know, Alabama to pick one at random.

They're coming on like gangbusters. So, it's been very competitive. It's been very interesting. And the difference in baseball and basketball is you can take me to the bank that I think you're going to have some SEC teams doing pretty darn well in Omaha at the end of the trail. Joe, have you ever seen a weekend where of the eight series in the SEC, there were seven sweeps? Texans over Oklahoma, Auburn over Alabama, Florida, Arkansas, Mississippi State sweeps Ole Miss, Vandy sweeps Tennessee, A&M sweeps Missouri, Georgia sweeps South Carolina, and I know Pat Palman area stepped down there and they're trying to get it back together again.

Have you ever seen a weekend like that? No, and it's really interesting because of what we just said. It's very competitive, but yet a weekend of one team got an advantage over the other and put the gas down. I guess in this league this year, the thought is get your wins where you can. So, you get a W, you get a couple of Ws. You know, in past years, maybe we've seen a team kind of ease off in that third game a little bit and say, no big deal, it's early in the season.

No, you're chasing every single win right now. Stay hot, stay locked in, get those league wins early because, yeah, with the exception of Missouri and South Carolina, everybody else is competitive here. Joe, you think maybe it was a bad breakup for a marriage? Tennessee fans, I think, would welcome back Tony Votello. And he probably wouldn't mind having the record of Tennessee over his new dig there. He's one in three as a major league baseball manager with the Giants. Tennessee embarrassed by the neighbors of all folks Vanderbilt.

[1:28:54] But your thoughts about the Tennessee situation? Yeah, that was always going to be a tough job. You know, what's the always the point that gets brought up? You don't want to follow the legend. You want to follow the coach who fails to follow the legend. Because then you can, you know, jump on it and get it going upward again. And it's a big ask, but it's early in the year. They've got some talent. They're going to rise above where they're at right now. But I did think to myself, I saw Votello after his Giants finally won a game and nearly blew that one.

They were up 3-0 in the ninth. It held on 3-2. And as I watched him shake hands, I thought, that's a guy who's learned a little bit of humility since his last job. Joe, you may put this in your power rankings later this week. Vandy is second with home runs in 56. Georgia is leading the nation with 85 home runs. Talk about playing guerrilla ball. They've got four players. You've got 10-plus. There are 17 teams across the country who don't have 10 combined home runs. Georgia can hit the ball, can't they?

Oh, they certainly can. We knew it was going to be an offensive show from them, and they really built on that. But the pitching's been good enough to carry them through. And, yeah, Vanderbilt is hilarious just because that's one of those teams that's been the opposite of that. They've been, you know, pitching in speed and doubles, and here they are suddenly hitting the ball out of the ballpark. So, you know, you can always reinvent yourself again in the portal era. There's always help right around the corner if you go out and get it.

Absolutely. Well, it's great to talk to Joe Cox on a weekly basis about basketball and baseball and football. Spring game's coming up. Joe, where can we get online and get the team's good stuff? Saturday down south, we'll have you there all the way. And, yeah, again, we get ready to say goodbye to one sport and start the long wind-up to that other sport. So that's the beauty about it, guys. We've always got something to talk about. I always enjoy talking with you guys. Hey, right back at you, Joe.

Joe Cox picking up with us. Visit you there. It's Saturday down south. Coming up all over the country with Matt Murcia on deck. Stay with us. Roll Tide, Bama fans. This is Keith at Cypress Creek Indoor Range. Alabama football has the proudest football tradition in the country. We got that from great facilities, the top athletes in the nation, and focused practices. At Cypress Creek Indoor Range, we have all three. As the show's largest gun store, we have a great selection of firearms and accessories for all your shooting needs.

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Matt, welcome in. How are you? Good. How are you guys doing today? Good, man. We're doing all right. Matt, your thoughts about some of the newest members to the College Football Selection Committee. I think you might know one of them pretty well. A fellow by the name of Gus Malzahn. Did you nominate Gus to be on that committee, Matt? I didn't nominate. I knew Gus was probably going to be a likely candidate for the job. You know, obviously, retirement is something that Gus has been enjoying over the last few months since he announced he was stepping away from coaching.

But I think this gives him an opportunity to stay connected with the game. You know, he's a lifelong coach. And I think he always wants to have the opportunity to kind of maybe have some sort of connection with the sport. And he's been doing this for over 30 years now. So to have him on this committee, I think, over the next three years, I think it's a tremendous honor for him. And it gets an opportunity to, you know, he's got – he's had his hand in the SEC.

He's had his hand in the Big 12. And so now he can kind of maybe, you know, be a voice that can be in that room when it comes to looking at some of these teams. When we start looking at the 12-team playoff or if the playoff ever decides to expand. Matt, I was curious. What is the criteria? How did they come up with his name? I know he said, it's an honor for me to do this. They added three total. Brian Maggard from Louisiana, their athletic director, then former Cal coach, Fresno State coach, Jeff Tedford.

Did someone submit Gus's name? Did they just call him up and say, would you like to consider this? Did you know have the nominations handed out? I don't. You know, honestly, I think it's probably some – you know, you're probably nominated by somebody from your – I don't even know if it's a nominating process. I mean, it's maybe that when they're looking for someone to – you know, because the 13-member selection committee, you know, they're on – you know, they usually only do three-year – they're on a three-year basis. So they've got to eventually, you know, replace them.

So I think a lot of that is just, you know, you take suggestions from people. You know, are there any coaches out there that maybe have retired or are not coaching anymore? Mike, you know, you look at the coaches on the committee, you can't obviously have any sitting coaches, but you can have someone maybe who's retired. I think it's also looking at athletic directors. I know some of it's based on regions and conferences, you know, affiliation, you know. Like if you have someone who's from the American, you know, you don't necessarily have any from the American.

[1:39:19] You know, if that person leaves, you've got either someone else from the American or else. So I'm not sure how his name – I'm sure there are plenty of people out there who probably suggested, you know, the idea of Gus being on there. Jeff Tenford's another good one. He's been around college football for quite some time. So it really comes down to just, you know, finding the right candidates they feel like have the time to do it. Because it is, you know, when you get into November, you know, in October, November, you're – it's a lot of time dedicated to sitting and watching a lot of football.

So you've got to have the time to be able to do it. And I think it's something that, you know, for Gus, it's probably a pretty amazing privilege for him, you know, to be able to take part in this. Because, again, you are ranking teams. You are deciding where – who's going to go to the playoff. But it's pretty big. And it's one of those deals that, you know, you may be someone's friend before the season starts. But when you get done doing those rankings, you may quickly find yourself off someone's Christmas list.

They know what happens. You know, Matt, the obvious question. If it comes down to tiebreaker and Alabama's involved, we'll never know because the way the rules are drawn over it. You know the obvious speculation is going to be there. Gus, which way are you going here, my friend? Well, the good thing about having done the mock playoff selection thing is that you never really know who the team is. You know, I mean, they do it blind. So you're just supposed to get, you know, based on things.

Now, whether that's – I've also said that's probably not 100%. You know, if you're paying any attention to football, you understand what these teams are, you know, who probably the team A and team B are just based on what, you know, what they look like. But, yeah, I'm sure that'll come up. Listen, I think Gus is going to take this very seriously, and I think he's not going to let any of those past, you know, feelings towards Alabama or, you know, anyone that's in the Big 12 at this point, you know, against UCF kind of sway him.

I think he's going to be that person that's really going to want to make sure that he does the right job. I'm sure he's going to be a little nervous. You know, I haven't had a chance to talk to him about it, but I'm sure the first time you sit down there and start casting your vote, it's going to be a little nerve-wracking because, again, you know, this is a pretty big deal that affects a lot of schools, a lot of players, and can really kind of change a season for something.

Man, another used tidbit that probably a lot of people overlooked because of the Final Four, et cetera. Trinidad Chambliss, the NCAA, had filed a petition to appeal the eligibility ruling for OMS quarterback, Trinidad Chambliss, who was on fire during the playoffs, threw for 3,900 yards, 22 touchdowns. Well, a three-justice panel from the state of Mississippi Supreme Court denied the NCAA petition, so unless they take this to the Supreme Court, which would surprise me, Trinidad Chambliss will be returning for another year at quarterback, and Ole Miss fans would like to see him replicate those exact numbers, 4,000 yards, 22 touchdowns, and only three interceptions.

If he does that again, that would be in the playoffs again. Yeah, I think the person who really appreciates that is Steve Golding. I mean, listen, you go for one moment, you don't think you're going to have Trinidad as your quarterback until the next finding out you are. I mean, I hope we're getting past this. I mean, I don't know about you guys, but I'm tired of the back and forth with players going to judges and getting lawsuits and trying to figure this out. I mean, if you're an Ole Miss fan, half the time you're probably thinking, is he going to play?

Is he not going to play? What's going to happen? Who do we have behind him? What's going to happen? I mean, imagine being the quarterback behind him at Ole Miss who thinks, okay, I'm going to be the starter. And then the next day, it's like, oh, guess what? The judge ruled he can play, and now all of a sudden you find yourself as the number two guy again. So, I mean, it affects not just him. It affects a lot of people. So, I'm getting kind of tired of getting into the court cases and trying to figure this out.

I mean, at some point, we've got to come up with some way to make this go away because I just don't think this is working out for everyone. I know Alabama tried to use it when it came to their basketball team. But, I mean, at some point, it's just throw your hand in and let's move on. Let's move on from what we're doing for the court. Lane told Pete, hey, it's your problem. All Lane's doing now. He's part of the Rich Club. It's a country club.

It's not Baton Rouge. I saw where the total salaries, this is just for coaches, no NIL, just the salaries alone, a reported $200 million plus. Your thoughts about the addition of Will Wade to what should be a spicy staff meeting when the AD gets those guys together. And I want to see somebody take on Kim down there in a cage match. But your thoughts just about what LSU is doing, sending a message to college sports going forward, if you want to be competitive and try to win a championship.

Well, I'm also going to remind everyone that, remember, LSU threw a lot of money at a guy named Brian Kelly. And I don't think Brian Kelly worked out as well as they thought it was going to be. So just because you've got money and you've got politicians worth waving fat checks at coaches doesn't really mean you're going to have success. So I think Will Wade will have some success. Yeah. I mean, the guy is obviously a proven winner. He's done a good job. If you think about the times that he got into trouble, it wasn't because of stuff that now is perfectly legal in the NCAA.

[1:44:49] You know what I mean? So I think for LSU, you know, having, you know, listen, with Lane there and Will Wade, I think it's one of those deals where you've got to be careful. You can throw a lot of money at a lot of coaches, but it doesn't necessarily guarantee success. And if he doesn't succeed, if he struggles, if you've got to pay that money out to him in a buyout or whatever it is, it's going to come back to bite you. So, I mean, LSU is rolling the dice.

And I think they understand why, you know, it's important to have a winner in basketball. It's important to try to have that success, rekindle that success. So that's why you go after a guy like Will Wade. That's why you go after a white whale like Lane Kiffin and you say, okay, here we go. Let's see what happens. Now you hope that everything comes out and all of a sudden you start winning games and you start drawing in, you know, you get support in fans. Because if not, if you don't win a championship, if you don't win a title, if you don't get to the playoffs, let me tell you right now, fans will be really fickle.

They'll turn real quickly on that. And they don't want to pay a guy just to find themselves in the NIT or the crown tournament. Yeah, which that crown tournament begins, I think, where it's still going on this week, along with the NIT. Matt, the final four, UConn, Illinois, Arizona, Michigan in the huge game. Both of these should be fun games. Matt, who is going to be playing Monday night? Well, I like UConn. I know they came in, you know, with a last second shot, you know, the upset dude to get to the final four.

But I like the way UConn is playing. I think UConn's got a chance to kind of get back to where they are. I mean, you can't – how can you go against Dan Hurley? I mean, it's a guy who's really like, you know, seems to find a way to almost will his teams to where they're at. I think he's got a chance to do that again this weekend. I've always been a fan of Arizona. I thought Arizona was my pick to win it all. I think Arizona has played really good basketball throughout the season going into this tournament.

I know they're going to face a really good Michigan team, a Michigan team that really has not been, so to speak, been challenged. If you look at what Michigan's done throughout this tournament, I mean, these games haven't even been close. And, you know, so Arizona's got to find a way to shut down this Michigan team and find a way to win. I mean, I got UConn and Arizona in the title game with Arizona, you know, coming out with a win. But, I mean, you know, like I said, it's going to take a lot of hard work for these teams to get to this point because, you know, there's some really good teams there.

Illinois is a good team. You saw what they've been able to do. I've been impressed with Illinois and how the run they've been able to make. We haven't seen Illinois basketball like this in decades. So it's fun to see some of these teams back here. The question, Matt, is what about your neighbors, Florida, a chance to falling, a chance to repeat as champions in the day. Not only did they lose the chance, they'd lose the tallest player in basketball. They're 7'9", let me repeat that, 7'9", center entering the portal.

Your thoughts just because it's modern college basketball, you rent these guys. Your thoughts about the news and Florida next year? Yeah, you know, I think, you know, in Olivier Rioxx, you know, he's a guy that was kind of a fan favorite among Gator fans. 7'9", player. But, you know, in today's day and age, you know, that draws. You know, I mean, I'm sure there was a line of teams willing to take a shot at him, you know, throw some money at him. I think that whether it's just for the fact that he's, you know, going to be just a kind of a, I don't want to say like a, you know, a side show, but, you know, I mean, a guy who can really go out there and, you know, he's a young guy and maybe go out there and play a little surprise to people.

You know, I mean, he's had the experience now playing, you know, with that Florida. So, you know, yeah, it's disappointing. I'm sure Florida would have loved to have kept him around for another year. But in today's day and age, I don't think anyone expects to keep their teams together as many as they used to be because I just think that the transfer portal has changed all that. You know, I've talked to a lot of coaches right now who, you know, if you return, you know, three, four, five players, that's a win.

That's a major win, you know, and most of the time you're not even expecting to do that. So, for Florida, I mean, again, but I'm not worried about what Todd Golden's going to do. I think Todd Golden has an opportunity to restock, you know, this roster, and I think Florida's going to be right back there as well because, again, you know, this is a program that has done a good job of using the portal and also recruiting well. You cover the Big 12, and a lot of people are going to be curious if we know by the end of the week or at least when the Final Four begins what Bill Self is going to do.

He's going to step down because of health issues the last couple years, and if he does, it's going to be a big domino in college basketball coaching. Matt, have you heard anything this week? No, I really haven't. Not the, you know, just the idea that, you know, obviously he's considering it. You know, he looks at his health. I think if he's had some health issues this past year, you know, it's not something I'm sure he wants to do, but I'm sure if it comes down to your health, you take that with a grain of salt, and you're right.

[1:49:58] If he leaves, it's going to be, it's going to open up a big domino. You know, who's going to go out there and replace him? You know, because I think right now, you know, it could be a big-man coach. You're not going to replace him with somebody, you know, that is just, you know, not out there. I mean, you've got, I mentioned Todd Golden. Todd Golden's a guy who could be out there. Dusty May, you know, over at Michigan's a guy. Nate Oates, you know, I mean, at Alabama, you know, I mean, Kansas can make a run at Nate and try to see if he's interested.

And I think the interesting name that I've seen pop up is Jacques Vaughn, you know, former, you know, Kansas player, you know, who's been around NBA and stuff, might be interesting to hire as well, and that keeps it kind of the Kansas family. So, yeah, Bill decides to step down. I mean, it's going to, it could open up some jobs, and if that happens, I mean, that's, then we could see some other movement going around, just like we did with college football. Yeah, I heard Vaughn's name last week.

That is going to be interesting, and if Dusty May or Tommy Lloyd is hired at North Carolina again, you just keep the domino effect. Rolling back, great stuff, football, basketball, you name it, M.M.'s got it covered. Where can we get online to get your stuff? You can go to orlandosetinal.com to check out the latest or follow me on OS Matt Michelle on social media. Matt, enjoy yourself some Final Four action, and thanks so much for your time today. All right, thanks a lot, guys.

Take care. Thank you, Brad. And Michelle, the Orlando Cinel. You've got to be impressed with these Braves so far. I mean, you talk about what a difference the year made. Let's go back to last year. You couldn't ask for a much better start for these guys. Well, yeah, the Royals and the Athletics, who are now officially known as the Athletics. Nothing else, just the Athletics. The schedule is more manageable, but yeah, Harold, 3-1, that looks much better than 0-7. Now, try to go to 4-1 tonight.

Jose Suarez on the mound for the Braves. You can catch it right here on 93.9. The score later on, pregame at 6-15. It's going to take care of business for now. On behalf of BB, Greg, James Blair, the entire crew here. Harold, thank you so much for your time today. Let's do it again tomorrow at noon to 2 for the Bumon Buck Show back here on Sports Radio 93.9. The score one correction. It's actually Thursday. The Braves play tomorrow. See you then.