Boomo Bugg Show 030326
93.9 The Score WYTK - March 3, 2026
https://www.939thescore.com/boomo-bugg-show-030326/

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

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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.
Good afternoon and welcome into the Boomo Bugg Show.
I'm Harold Bugg alongside Brett Beaird.
Thank you so much for giving us a free ride around the Tennessee Valley.
Brett Beaird, welcome in where the Braves suffer a massive strikeout three weeks before the season even begins.
Good afternoon, welcome in and how are you?
Happy Tuesday to you and the listeners.
It's been a tough two days for Shoals teams at Legacy Arena.
The Red Bay boys lost last night 34-32 in a tight game to Lafayette.
The Mars Hill girls lost to number one St. James 76-56 this morning.
Bell Hill scored 38 points and grabbed 16 rebounds.
Some of you probably just heard the finish of the Lauderdale County boys.
They lost to Montgomery Academy 60-50.
Calvin Watkins, the leading scorer for Lauderdale County in that game with 15 points.
Desiree plays Fairfield this afternoon at 4.30.
And what you were alluding to, the Atlanta Braves designated hitter, Jerkson Profar, is facing a 162-game suspension
after testing positives for performance-enhancing drugs again for the second time in the last year.
Roger is here right now to preview Bama, Georgia this afternoon in the big week for Bama baseball.
Roger's saying, I got to follow that.
A guy that's sitting on the bench with a $42 million deal and he whips again.
Chances are Profar's not a member of the Mensa Society.
But Roger Hoover, I'm sure, totally is there with a go-played name in stone.
Roger's on the Alabama Crimson Tide Network when it comes to football, basketball, softball, you name it.
He's got it. Roger, welcome in. How are you?
Boomo Bugg. I'm doing better than Jerkson Profar, except for that, you know, when he opens his bank app,
it looks pretty good to him. But right now, his baseball days are numbered.
So, I'm doing all right.
I mean, quickly, I know we're talking Bama here, but that is so fresh and a lot of Braves fans here.
Can you imagine what's going on upstairs with a management who signed off on that $42 million deal?
So, now they've got to figure out another hole in the outfield.
Oh, by the way, in the business side, what are we going to do with this massive contract?
Yeah, it's got to be frustrating.
I mean, because they crunched the numbers so much trying to even come up with that figure to pay him.
And then you miss out on other opportunities to sign some other players that maybe wouldn't have gone down this road.
And I ended up being suspended.
So, my heart goes out to all the Braves fans that are listening.
I know this is not easy news to take.
At a time of the year where everybody's supposed to be in a good mood because everyone's in first place.
But that is definitely tough to see.
Alabama basketball fans are in a pretty good mood at the expense of Tennessee basketball fans.
What's the old saying, Roger, it ain't how you begin, but how you end.
And then, what, a total of 23, 24 seconds, who's counting?
All that matters is Alabama, speaking of numbers, won by two on Rocky Top, a massive win.
Massive win, especially considering the history with the losing streak to Tennessee.
And then just the way the last year's game went for Alabama to really turn the script from a year ago to this season.
You know, we heard from Nate Oates, he said that Rick Barnes kind of joked, you know,
you kind of deserve to win that one after what happened last year.
I think that's pretty true, and I think it's a sign of how Nate has gotten his team to play winning basketball
when it matters the most for LeBaron Phylon to get that go-ahead score.
And then you get the defensive stop on the other end like you could in a year ago on the buzzer meter.
It was a remarkable win for the Crimson Tide.
And I think validation that what this group is doing is really working,
and it's working in tough environments away from home against high-quality competition.
So I think Alabama fans need to be very optimistic about the way this basketball team has really gotten itself ready
for the most important basketball of the season.
You know, maybe it's kind of like the Tennessee game overall.
Maybe at times this season has not looked great for Alabama.
But at the end of the game, at the end of the season,
we are seeing this group play to its potential and play their best.
You're exactly right.
Latrell Reitzel is the co-SEC player of the week.
He kept Alabama in the game by scoring 25, and then Reitzel, of course, was the hero at the end,
but also Ayn Sherrell got the hard hat.
He played really well.
Great win for Alabama.
A tricky game this afternoon, Roger Hoover.
Athens, Georgia is an up-tempo team, too.
How do you see Alabama and Georgia tonight?
I think it's a maturity test for this group, and Nate has been talking about that,
saying, you know what, a great win against Tennessee, beat a rival,
you're able to do something a lot of people are saying you couldn't do.
Well, it's really tough as well when you have to now take on a team that you should beat,
even though Georgia's a quality opponent, they're going to be in the mix for the NCAA tournament as well.
But go handle your business, bring your own energy on the road.
That's going to be really important.
That's going to pop up for Alabama in the SEC tournament next week,
and then it's going to pop up again in the NCAA tournament,
especially depending on your draw on the first or second round.
You may have a matchup that looks pretty easy on paper.
You go, okay, we're in the Sweet 16, no problem.
Then all of a sudden you're in the fight for your tournament life.
So I think this is a great test for this group before, obviously,
the final test you're going to have coming up on Saturday at home.
And maybe it's even better of a test to not look ahead to what's looming on Saturday,
just like you don't want to look ahead in tournament play.
One thing that will help, and that is the health.
This is something that's, as much as the opponent in the schedule has been a bugaboo for Alabama this season,
the MASH report has also been an enemy.
I was just sitting here looking, you're closer to it than we are, Roger,
but it looks like, for all things considered, this is about as healthy as Alabama's been,
unless you've got some updated information.
Your thoughts about the health of the team coming into this week?
Yeah, the health report looks really good going into this matchup against Georgia,
considering only three players are kind of listed as out,
and they've been the three players that have been consistently out throughout the course of the season,
and then Davion Hanna, Keaton Bristow, and Collins-Odijakis.
So I think it's really good that Alabama is finally hitting its peak in terms of health
and just play on the floor.
And I think the Charles Bediaco question is really to the side now.
I think those guys in the locker room know who their teammates are,
who they can rely on, and what's going to be most important down the stretch.
Roger, the Alabama women's basketball team had a tough game,
played very competitively against No. 4 Texas.
They lost 72-65.
Jessica Timmons' 25th double-figure game scored a team-high 24 points.
Essence Cody added 16.
Carly Weathers and Scott had a good game, too, but it's tournament time.
It's the SEC Women's Tournament beginning Wednesday.
Alabama is playing, again, kind of wiped the slate.
You know, can Alabama improve on their NCAA tournament chances?
Roger, your thoughts on a tough loss to Texas, but a new leaf this week,
starting with the SEC Women's Basketball Tournament.
Yeah, a tough loss to Texas, but a game where Alabama did a lot of good things,
especially defensively, keeping some star players for the Longhorns really in check,
like Madison Booker.
Rory Harmon didn't come close to her normal points.
So it's a game where you can be pretty proud of the effort defensively.
Just needed a few more baskets on the other end.
It was great to see Timmons get going along with Scott and Essence Cody, as you mentioned.
But Alabama was just a few baskets away from making that a one-possession game near the end.
And I think that's a good positive step against one of the nation's elite teams
who's only lost three times.
So it's tough to lose these past two ballgames to Vanderbilt and Texas,
but Christy Curry knows going into the SEC tournament,
this group has seen everything they can handle in the SEC.
I don't think there's a team that is better prepared for not only this week in Greenville,
but for the NCAA tournament than Alabama, based on the brutal schedule it's had.
And now it's just about all putting together a good run.
And it starts for us coming up tomorrow on Wednesday night against Missouri,
a team that Alabama beat pretty soundly early in the season in Columbia.
And then if you win that game, you take on the number six seed, Tennessee Lady Vols,
who are really struggling right now.
They have lost six games in a row.
And the fan base isn't happy with the coaching staff and players.
It's kind of a tricky time for them.
So it might be a great time for Alabama to face them.
The Lady Vols got the win against the Tide and Tuscaloosa earlier this season
in a game where Essence Cody was unavailable due to health.
So you would love to get a crack at that matchup, a rematch there.
And then you win that ballgame, you could have a rematch against this Texas team
that you played pretty tough on Sunday.
You could play them kind of with the hot hand on Friday night.
So there is a good chance for this group.
I know a lot of Alabama fans probably disappointed that Alabama got the number 11 seed.
But it's all about matchups.
It's all about the draw.
And at least the first two potential matchups, the one we know for sure against Missouri,
second one we would know as well against Tennessee,
a lot of things line up pretty well for this group.
So I'm going to pack three or four suits.
I'm going to make sure I've got plenty of outfits for golf in the morning.
I'm going to be good to go for hopefully a very long week in Greenville, South Carolina.
In the meantime, let's talk Bama baseball.
What an interesting showdown out at Frisco in the college baseball classic out at Frisco.
You knock off some good teams.
You wind up losing the last game to Houston.
But in between, you knock off number 19, Oregon State.
Your thoughts about this Bama baseball team today?
Yeah, it was thrilling to watch that game on Saturday and see the final result for the Crimson Tide,
getting that win against Oregon State,
especially the way it ended with Hartzell, Payton Steele,
making the catch in right field and then gunning down a man at home plate for a thrilling double play.
Just when it looked like you were kind of hoping for extra innings at best in that scenario.
And now Alabama is able to come out and win the ballgame.
It's really remarkable.
So I think it's a sign that this group has some of that toughness and grit to it
that Rob Vaughn has been telling us about.
And then let's see how they bounce back coming up this week in the midweek contest.
I'll be on the TV call this afternoon for Alabama against Jacksonville State.
We're looking forward to that one here in Tuscaloosa.
The Gamecocks are really good.
They've won 10 games in a row.
So this is going to be quite a midweek battle coming up between Alabama and Jack State.
And then Crimson Tide will be on the road tomorrow in Montgomery against Alabama State.
They played Alabama to a one-run game just two weeks ago.
So a good midweek's coming up and then the North Florida series over the weekend.
That's really the final tune-up before it all begins next week.
SEC play and even a good Troy team in a midweek next week, too.
So it's all a really tricky time of the year for the Crimson Tide,
but I think one that is going to have this group ready to go for SEC play
because you have to be with the caliber of opponents we're going to be seeing shortly.
Absolutely.
Listen, have a great call this afternoon with Jacksonville State,
then Alabama State tomorrow and then off to South Carolina.
Hopefully it is a long stay and you get to play golf for three or four days.
Yeah.
Good morning.
Who is on Crimson Drive today and Thursday,
and where can we get online and listen to all of this incredible competition this week?
Yeah, just follow us on the Crimson Tide Sports Network.
We'll have you covered for everything coming up on radio and then Crimson Drive.
We have the pride of Athens, Alabama, Richard Hendricks.
He joins me to really break down everything he's seen from Alabama women's and men's basketball.
That'll be coming up today at 2 o'clock.
Still working on the Thursday guest.
We've got a lot of moving pieces with all the different ballgames and travel coming up.
But we'll have you covered for a very busy weekend,
hopefully a very winning one coming up for the Crimson Tide.
I hope Richard brings you some world-famous Doves hamburgers from Athens.
So hold him to it, okay, Roger?
I'm going to try to, yeah.
Next time I'm going to know that for sure.
So I'm going to make him live up to that end of the bargain.
Absolutely.
Extra pickle, extra mustard, and no napkins.
Roger Hoover on the Crimson Tide Sports Network.
A man who knows some good eating and some good basketball.
The legend, Coach Sonny Smith on deck.
Stay with us.
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The Score.
Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score.
The Score.
Welcome back in.
Obviously, you're going to be hooking up, hopefully, here, with the legend, Coach Sonny Smith, momentarily, BB.
But in the meantime, in case you missed it, Braves fans after last year said, okay, Profar, we understand we're all human.
You make mistakes, even though the mistake after signing a $42 million deal is one thing.
But then to come back now and allegedly do it again and be suspended, get this.
I'm going to throw some simple math at you, okay?
The word is, Profar is suspended for 162 games.
Brett Beaird, how many games are in a regular season for a Major League Baseball team?
One, it's 162.
Can you explain this, my friend?
No.
Harold, it's one of the more amazing things.
James, our esteemed producer, told us about it a little bit earlier today.
Again, I would imagine he'll get another test just to go through the protocol that you've got to go through for the Players Association.
He will forfeit $15 million if he is declared ineligible.
My first comment is, go take that $15 million and go get one or two starting pitchers for the team.
We'll see how that goes, but it's amazing.
They begin the season.
They've already lost starting pitchers.
Yeah.
Swallenbach and Houston Waltrip for probably two months.
And now they've got another hole as far as their designated hitter or left fielder.
Now, again, you'll be having some players cut, and I'm sure they'll be able to pick up some journeyman left fielders.
But, Harold, this is just, again, we'll see.
Allegedly, this has happened.
They'll probably confirm it later today, but this is beyond stupid.
Well, it's not only stupid.
It's almost criminal.
You said he's got to forfeit $15 million.
I'm not too good at math.
But what about the other $27 million?
I mean, shouldn't there not be some fine print there that says this is what you get unless you violate the following fine print?
And then the ball literally is in his court.
And if he does, he's got to give it back.
I mean, to me, that's a one-sided deal.
And if his people were able to pull that off, you've got to sit here and ask the question, Braves, what are you doing, man?
I mean, you're surrendering a lot of leverage there.
I'm not in the business sometimes in the heat of the moment.
Hindsight's always 20-20 sometimes to close the deal.
You've got to do it or you can go elsewhere.
But you see where I'm coming from on that.
And you talk about going and getting somebody.
That's a possibility.
But two things on that.
Number one, the season, the regular season, gets rocking and rolling three weeks in one day.
Three weeks from tomorrow, the season gets going.
And as you mentioned, you've already got holes in your pitching staff.
Now you've got a big hole there.
And where does the management go from here to try to go out and you said get some starting pitching?
Well, here's the problem with that, PB.
Everybody's searching for the same thing.
And if you are a front-line pitcher, even with a $15 million savings, you're still going to be behind the eight ball.
To me, you've got to sit here and say, we've got to eat this.
You've got to believe these teams have some type of insurance policy to help eat some of that.
But still, at this point, the season is only three weeks to go.
It would be one thing if it's three months ago.
They might have some time to deal with it.
And the bigger question, have you talked with Super Braves fan, Bill Shanks, who got his reaction yet this morning?
No, Bill Shanks is at spring training as we speak.
And I'm sure he will have some interesting comments on social media later today.
Harold, as you mentioned, he's still got a year left on this three-year $42 million.
And I'm sure a morals clause or whatever would allow the Braves to get out of that.
I would not waste too much time doing that.
Now, as far as the starting pitchers, I mentioned, too, last week, Gio Lito is one, and Littell is another one.
They're still out there, and this may be an opportunity to go get these guys.
But, Harold, I wouldn't even think about having this guy try to come in for a third year.
I would just keep it alone.
Cut your losses, man.
Cut your losses.
You know, baseball, three strikes and you're out.
And in this case, maybe two strikes and you're out.
We'll keep a close eye on that.
B.B., I don't know if you saw the article from Kevin Scarbinsky, friend of the show, about the Auburn basketball program.
If you did, you know, jump in.
But to kind of paraphrase, he was saying, you know, it was good at one time when Alabama and Auburn played each other.
But Kevin brought up a good point.
He's basically asking questions of what role Bruce Pearl, not Stephen Pearl, his son, but Bruce Pearl played in where Auburn is being where it is right now, coming in to basically their backs to the wall to make the tournament.
Basically, in effect, he said, Bruce, it's your option.
You can retire.
You can hang it up.
But I think what Kevin was trying to say, it was instead of the timing, there's a certain window that kids can leave.
And Bruce got past that window.
And then right before everything opened up for the season, he said, I'm hanging it up and I'm giving it to my son.
Did you see the article by Kevin and some of the questions he raised as far as the influence that Bruce Pearl played on where the team is this season?
Well, Harold, I think a lot of this is on Bruce.
And the timing is the question about this.
Look, I know that he wanted Stephen Pearl to take over.
Stephen had been rumored to be the coach and waiting for a couple of years.
But he basically put John Cohen, the Auburn Athletic Directors, back against the wall and did not allow him.
There's no way that he could go out and make a coaching hire.
At that point.
I think he did this two or three days before practice was going to begin for the season.
And then the other thing that Kevin brought up is the schedule.
This is a Bruce Pearl schedule.
Now, again, he's kind of amped up the schedule the last couple of years.
Nate Oates has done this from day one.
But this is a Bruce Pearl schedule.
And to their credit, earlier they beat St. John.
They beat North Carolina State.
They lost to Houston by one.
But the problem is, and we've been discussing this now for the last week, when did the bad losses offset the good wins?
Yeah.
And Auburn has lost to Mississippi State, Oklahoma, and Ole Miss.
And all these teams are decent teams.
Oklahoma's playing better.
Ole Miss has now their 10-game losing streak.
But to answer your question, Harold, a lot of this is on Bruce Pearl.
The question is, how do you lose to a team that's on a 10-game losing streak at home after beating the best team by many consideration of the league, Florida, at their place?
I think that illustrates just how crazy this season has gone for Auburn.
Meanwhile, Alabama, and it's a well-put trap game, if you will.
This is a very interesting showdown.
I know on paper people are going to say, well, it's Alabama.
Speaking of streaks, what, eight games now that they're riding?
They got a layup game tonight with Georgia.
And as Lee Corso would say, BB, as someone who, believe it or not, actually played some sports back in the day, not so fast, my friend, do not take anybody anywhere for granted.
Yeah, this is not a layup game.
This is a tricky game.
Now, Georgia's run and gun, up-tempo the way Alabama is.
And they were actually scoring close to 98 points themselves earlier this year.
Now, they've fallen off a little bit.
But Georgia's won four, I believe, four out of their last five games.
This is going to be a tough, tough game.
Auburn lost there earlier this year.
A lot of other teams have.
Mike White, of course, who was the Florida coach for a while and then navigated over to Georgia, has really made the Georgia basketball program respectable.
But no, there's no question about that.
They can shoot the three.
They can rebound a little bit.
This is going to be a tricky game tonight for Alabama.
Brett, my Lear Jets running low on field.
Can you recommend where I can listen to the game tonight?
93-9, the score, pregame at 4.30, the tip-off at 5.30.
By the way, this game is being broadcast on ESPN News.
Not ESPN, not ESPN2, not the SDC Network.
ESPN News.
We actually have ESPN News supposedly on our cable subscription.
We can't get it.
So I'll be watching it on the radio on 93 now.
That's about my favorite, man.
You lost me about nine channels ago.
Speaking of Jets, why don't we load up and head on out to the desert to the pride of Las Vegas.
Bruce Marshall on deck.
Stay with us.
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March means March Madness.
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In men's basketball action tonight, the Alabama Crimson Tide will play on the road at Georgia.
16th ranked Alabama is 12-4 in the SEC.
22-7 on the season.
Georgia is 20-9 on the year.
8-8 in SEC play.
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Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score.
Welcome back in.
Time to head to West, young man and young lady.
Bruce Marshall calls Las Vegas home.
That's because he's busy there at BounceSports.net, CBS Sportsline, Winners and Whiners, Picks and Parlays, Bent Rivers, and Vegas Insider.
Man, that ain't all.
Bruce Marshall, welcome in.
How are you?
Hey there, Harold.
Pretty good.
How are you?
March Madness is here.
March Madness is here.
Is Vegas in a good mood?
Bruce, I know the Super Bowl is always going to wear the crown when it comes to this stuff as far as business there.
But I've got a feeling March Madness has got to hold its own as well.
It does, Harold.
And it's kind of interesting because, you know, for a few years there, and it might even be the case now, but the totality of March Madness and a lot of the real business at the sportsbooks where it's really buzzing there is actually in the conference tournaments because there's actually more games and they go on throughout the day.
And that'll be mostly next week.
But the volume they got in total for a while actually exceeded the Super Bowl.
Wow.
Just not for one game, but if you put all of them together.
And many of the hotels up here did, for a while, really, you know, bend over backwards to accommodate ballrooms and things like that with extra TVs in there.
And they would bring in, you know, kiosks to do more betting and things like that.
However, in recent years, not quite as much.
And some of this came out, you know, after COVID, it took them a while to get back doing that.
But, you know, in general now, and I think we saw this in the Super Bowl too, the city wasn't, it's still buzzing Super Bowl week, but not quite as crowded as it had been before all these other states started to have their own casinos and sportsbooks and things like that.
But it's still an exciting time here, but temperatures down a little bit from where it was seven, eight years ago.
I asked you last week about the top four seeds.
Duke, Michigan, Arizona, they're kind of a no-brainer.
Iowa State was there for a while, and I think they've dropped to a three seed.
UConn, according to a lot of the mocks, is now joined that one seed.
But what about the Florida Gators, the defending national champion?
They ran Arkansas out of the gym, 111 to 77, and had a little dust up with John Calipari and Todd Golden.
So, tell us your number one seeds, and could the Gators get to that one seed, Bruce Marshall?
Well, Brett, I wish I could have taken a swing at both of those guys, if you ask me, but for what that's worth.
Yes, I think the Gators could, and right now I'm not sure they aren't the best team in the country right now, and that would be Duke included.
Right now, you know, Duke, Arizona, and Florida, I think, are my top three, and I think there's room in there for Florida to get on the top line.
Now, they did have that really, they had a couple close losses early there, a couple actually in the SEC too, but early in the season, including that one to Duke.
That may perhaps keep them off the top line, but as far as the top line goes, and right there between one and two,
is sometimes, sometimes that comes down to how these teams fare in their conference tournaments, and they're looking, you know,
and we know these, I think most of the decisions on the entire field are made before you get to the conference tournaments,
just right at the end, but how they seed some of these teams is there.
If Florida wins the SEC tournament, which I think it will, and if Michigan doesn't win the Big Ten, or if UConn doesn't win the Big East,
I think that's where Florida could slip into the top four, but it's really, it's not really that relevant,
because I think they'd probably be the number one, two seed right now, which means they would probably,
they'd put them in the same region, the way they snake this thing around with the last number one seed,
and right now, I'd say they'd probably be UConn, so I think they're probably going to be one, two with UConn,
either order, and perhaps it would be Michigan, but I'm going to say mostly right now, UConn, one, two,
either order in whatever region it is, so it's probably not going to make that much difference,
but I do think there's a chance Florida ends up on the top line, yes.
Bruce Marshall, amongst other places, Vegas Insider.
Bruce, where do you put this team from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, they're kind of hot, eight games in a row,
coming from way behind, again, a Baker's dozen on the road at Knoxville, that makes it eight in a row.
First things first, your thoughts about tonight's, as they put it, tricky game at Georgia,
and then what do you see Alabama heading into this as we get deeper into March Madness?
Oh, Alabama's in pretty good shape, and I think when we throw around the term protected seed,
and that means a one through four seed, and all that really means the practicality for the sub-regional round
is they give them a more geographically favorable assignment in the sub-regional.
In Alabama's case, and certainly Florida's case, that would probably mean Tampa in the sub-regional,
so I think Florida for sure we can pencil in there, and perhaps Alabama too.
The other southern sort of venue in the sub-regional is in Greenville, so that's a possibility too,
but Duke's going to be in there in that sub-regional, but I think they're pretty good for Alabama.
I think they are into that category now, four-line, possibly moving up to the three-line.
Having said that, this could be a little tricky here tonight.
Georgia is probably on the safe side of the cut line.
I think Georgia wins this game tonight.
That would be a quad one, I mean, a quad one A win, I think, for Georgia,
and that would put Michael White's team safely into the tournament,
and they've got some firepower, and this could be a very entertaining game tonight.
But I think they're both probably going to be there.
We know Alabama's going to be there.
I think Georgia's probably in there too.
There's a couple of other SEC teams, including that one down the road in Auburn.
Not quite sure about them yet.
There'll be an action night.
A&M's the other one, so it is a pretty good night in the SEC tonight.
That's what I was going to ask you about is Auburn.
They've got big wins.
They beat Florida and Gainesville, which seems to be an apparition now.
They lost to Houston by a point.
They beat North Carolina State and other teams,
but they've lost to Ole Miss, who ended their 10-game losing streak.
Oklahoma, who's shown some life.
And Mississippi State, the center later right now,
I've seen several who've said Auburn right now is on the bubble
or they're the last four out.
Do the bad losses finally end up surpassing the good wins?
Brett, my gut feeling is yes,
although there is still a little time for Auburn to change that narrative.
And the reason I think it's yes that they've done a little too much losing
is just that.
There are just too many losses right now on this resume where, you know,
I know they've got some quad one wins and some good wins in there,
but at some point, you know, you can't be at 500, I think, on Selection Sunday,
no matter how many good wins you have and expect to get in there.
So they have, I think they've got to finish above 500.
It would be good to win these last two games.
They've got Bruce Pearl campaigning for them
and campaigning for his son on Barstool,
saying unflattering things about the Miami O.
I bet that's what Barstool does.
I mean, they're supposed to say unflattering things on Barstool.
So I don't blame Pearl for saying that, though.
I don't necessarily agree with them.
But nonetheless, they can still play their way in,
but I think Auburn has put itself right now no margin for error.
And some of these losses lately, yeah, you just can't lose that many games, I think,
and hope the selection committee keeps overlooking it.
It's just too many losses there for Auburn.
But it's got to stop like now,
and they've got to win a couple games in Nashville next week too, I think.
Otherwise, they could wind up conceivably with 16 losses,
and that's not good if you're trying to get off that bubble there.
Bruce, obviously, basketball, unlike some of these other sports, it's a marathon.
You get out like a jackrabbit.
You can get hot.
You can get a lot of national buzz.
And then, like in NASCAR, you run out of fuel as you get near the end.
On the other side of the coin, you've got teams that start slow like a turtle,
and they wind up fast.
Your thoughts, in your opinion, as we get closer to the dance,
who maybe is losing some steam that at one time we thought was a lock to go deep,
and then on the other side of the coin,
who's getting, like Lazarus, a second breath here?
Yeah, I mean, I wonder, you know, in the ACC besides Duke,
and Duke looks like, you know, like I said,
one of the two best teams in the country right now,
but beneath Duke there.
I mean, NC State took a really bad loss against the Blue Devils last night.
They've taken some losses here.
I know Joe and already still got them in the dance,
but I wonder about NC State, and I wonder about North Carolina, too.
If Caleb Wilson doesn't come back, and he's supposed to here before the end,
I mean, how that's going to rate with how North Carolina is going to be able to do.
The SEC's got a couple of those.
Vanderbilt going the wrong way.
I think there was a time this season I really thought Vanderbilt was going to be a threat for the Final Four.
I do not think that right now.
I mean, they're struggling somewhat.
Gonzaga, I think, has got to get back Braden Huff.
I'm not sure that they will.
He's been out since early January.
There's another 6'10 guy inside, 17 points per game score.
They're a threat to go to the Final Four if they can get fully healthy,
but I'm not sure Huff is going to be able to do that for him.
Speaking of Gonzaga, St. Mary's out there in the WCC.
I think they are safely in the tournament right now,
and I think this actually might be Randy Bennett's best chance to advance.
He's been in the second weekend twice, I believe, but I think they can get there,
and all of a sudden this team is coming together.
They are big and rough, so they could be there.
So I'd watch out for them making a late move here.
One other one that I would be a little worried about going the wrong way right now is Kansas.
All of this hype with Darren Peterson, I just think you just can't have that much hype on a guy,
and I'm not sure that he, you know, it's not a distraction there.
And all this Peterson talk, I mean, they got smacked pretty good at Arizona the other day.
They seem to be going in the wrong direction.
So I think there's more teams kind of going in the wrong direction than in a good direction right now.
So we'll just have to see how this sorts out in the next week and a half before we get to selection Sunday.
Let me ask you about two Big Ten teams that may be going in the right direction.
The first one is Tom Izzo's Michigan State.
24-5, 14-4.
I saw them play Indiana Sunday a little bit.
Four-game winning streak.
Fears is playing really well.
They're 8-5 in Quad 1.
No losses in Quad 3-4.
And it still amazes me to say this.
Nebraska.
They're 25-4 and 14-4 overall.
And we've laughed about them playing Alabama.
That'd be 120-118.
And some people I've seen have Nebraska a three-seed, no lower than four, and one of them I saw had them a two-seed.
Your thoughts on Michigan State, Nebraska, going in the positive direction?
Yeah, they are.
And they're two that are moving in the right direction.
You're correct.
Michigan State definitely.
Now, Fears had a little bit of a controversy there for a while a month ago, got involved in a couple things.
But he's straightened out.
He's leading the nation.
I mean, we've seen Izzo do this before.
He's only won one national title.
That's something we think about.
Izzo, we keep thinking he's done this so many times.
But he has made runs in March before.
And I could see that happening again with Michigan State.
Nebraska has surprised me a little bit because they haven't lost that much altitude here.
And in the Big Ten, we thought, you know, eventually this will catch up with Nebraska.
That wasn't a really tough non-conference schedule they played.
I mean, you know, Oklahoma and Kansas State aren't as good as we thought they were going to be.
And Oklahoma's playing better now.
Creighton's certainly not as good as we thought they were going to be.
But I give Fred Hoiberg credit.
And, again, this is another guy working the portal very, very well.
And they've got some, you know, frontliners who do some things.
Sanford, the Iowa transfer.
Mass came out of the Missouri Valley two years ago.
They've got some guys who can do it.
I'm going to give you one other one in the Big Ten I would watch here.
Wisconsin has played better.
They've gone back and forth a little bit here the last few weeks.
But at their best, they can be kind of dangerous, especially if, you know,
if they get going in the backcourt there.
They've got some guys who can do some business in Boyd and Blackwell.
That's a pretty good combination they've got on the perimeter.
So I'd watch out for Wisconsin, too.
I can't believe, Harold, and I have to ask you about one team in the SEC
that people still think is the standard bearer is Kentucky.
Who?
19-10, 10-6.
They played Texas A&M in College Station, I believe, tonight,
and finished with Gulf, Florida.
Kentucky's had some good wins.
They stayed with Florida in their first game.
Your thoughts about the Cats?
I don't think – I mean, they'll be there.
I think they'll probably get them on the seven line or something like that.
But I don't think they're going to get beyond the first weekend, really.
I'd be surprised to get the Sweet 16.
They've just lost too many games this year.
And it just doesn't look like a vintage Kentucky team to me.
They really – the front line usually gives them some more scoring
than what they're getting this year up front.
And a lot of it – they're kind of riding on the –
the transfer from Oklahoma a couple years ago.
As he goes, they sort of go.
Well, I know about Kentucky.
It's interesting.
A newsflash this morning that Mitch Barnhart is expected to retire.
As AD has been there.
He's been there a long time.
I don't know – I don't think Mark Pope's in any trouble yet.
But whenever your AD who hires you retires, you've got to start looking over your shoulder.
Next year, I think maybe Pope feels some real heat.
Yeah, Greg Byrne and John Cohen both are disciples of Barnhart.
And you're right.
He has been there for a long time.
And you have been the gold standard for a long time.
Be it the National Hockey League, college basketball, the last week of the regular season.
All the other stuff, the NBA that's going on, still the gold standard.
Where can we get online in all your many, many platforms?
Yeah, we've got a lot of games.
I mean, they're playing again in the NHL, NBA, college hoops.
This is a good, fun week in college hoops.
So picks up there, old places, VegasInsider.com, CBSSportsLine.com.
And picks the different twists up there, WinnersAndWiners.com, PicksAndParlays.com.
Lots of options, Bruce.
As always, good job.
Thank you so much.
Let's do it again soon, okay?
Have a good week, boys.
Thank you.
Thank you, Benny.
You do the same.
Bruce Marshall against some other places, Vegas Insider.
BB, obviously, good job by Jimmy Oliver and Cruz this morning.
But a disappointing end for friends out of Lauderdale County and the state dates, BB.
Yeah, Harold, just to recap real quick, the Red Bay boys lost last night to Lafayette, 34-32.
This morning, the Mars Hill girls lost in number one, St. James.
They are good.
76-256.
Bell Hill, 38.16 rebounds.
And as you may have heard as we were coming in,
Lauderdale County boys lost in Montgomery Academy, 60-50.
Calvin Watkins with 15 points.
One more to go this afternoon.
Dessler boys at 24-7 versus Fairfield, 22-10.
That should start approximately at 4-30.
Good luck to Brian Pounders and the Dessler Tigers.
Absolutely.
Echo those sentiments.
In the meantime, what's going on down on the plains?
We'll kick it off with Brian Matthews and more.
The second hour of the Boomer Buck Show.
Stay with us.
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The recent challenge to the candidacy of John Wall as he runs for lieutenant governor here in Alabama
has been quietly bankrolled by another challenger in the race, which is the current secretary of state, Wes Allen.
The official challenge was first initiated by Gil Isbell to the Alabama Republican Party executive committee.
That executive committee did not pursue the challenge to Wall's residency.
After Wall presented his side of the story, Wall calls the whole residency issue a lie and misinformation.
Isbell has now told 1819 News that the Wes Allen campaign did finance the challenge,
and it's also been confirmed through the campaign finance filing for January,
where $20,000 was paid by the Wes Allen campaign to the Al Agricola law firm.
Wes Allen has now released a statement regarding this payment made to the law firm.
He says that he's always been outspoken about his concerns that Wall got a driver's license in Tennessee
as well as Alabama and appears to have registered to vote in both states.
Wall calls Allen's actions deeply disappointing and says that Allen should run on his own record
and not try to disqualify the opponent.
Other Republicans who are running in this lieutenant governor primary race are Rick Pate,
Nicole Wadsworth, Dr. Stuart Tankersley, and Pat Bishop.
I'll be back with more Alabama stories after this.
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A robotics team from Hedlund High School has qualified for the world championship competition
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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.
After the Boomo Bugg Show, I'm Harold Bugg alongside Brett Beaird.
Thank you so much for giving us free ride around the Tennessee Valley and checking in on the 93.9 The Score.
Brian Matthews probably does that, amongst other things, the senior editor for auburnsports.com.
Brian, welcome in.
How are you?
I'm doing great.
How are y'all?
Hey, bud.
Man, we're doing all right, Brian.
Obviously, is it safe to say this has been a frustrating year for Auburn basketball fans?
Oh, it really has.
You know, they had that four-game winning streak about a month ago, and you're feeling really good.
They had some really nice wins, have played a really tough schedule, and you thought they'd be able to build on that
and, you know, make a nice run here in the SEC and at least, you know, compete in the top half of the league.
But that hasn't happened.
Last month, they've really played poorly.
21-1 of the last six or seven or eight, I think it is now.
They've really, really fought down the stretch here and lost to LSU.
It was really, really tough when it comes to their chances of getting to the NCAA tournament and, excuse me, lost to Ole Miss,
and now they've got LSU coming in and, you know, a fairly similar team to Ole Miss in that they play better on the road
and, you know, they probably saw what Ole Miss did and they're like, well, we can do the same thing.
The thing is, and that's the question, Brian, would you agree?
Because, you know, which has more weight?
The wins that this team has been able to accomplish in this place is something that's extremely rare, beating Florida at Florida.
But then you turn right around, as you mentioned, you lose to a team riding a 10-game losing streak
and you do it on your home court, which has been sacred territory for this program over the years.
So, Brian, the question is, which has more weight here, the great wins or the losses?
Yeah, I think they're about the same, but, you know, before last week, Auburn didn't have a bad loss, and now they do.
So, yeah, I just think that's another notch on the wrong side of the ledger for Auburn, you know,
when the tournament committee, you know, tries to figure out who are the last few teams in this tournament.
So, and it also puts Auburn in a situation where it's impossible to say they have to do something
because you really don't know.
You don't know what everybody else is going to do.
You don't know if there'll be a bunch of bid-stealers or no bid-stealers.
You just don't know.
But you feel like Auburn is in the position where they've got to win, I guess, LSU, late tonight,
games at 9 o'clock, and they probably have to go and win at Alabama,
which is not going to be the way Alabama is playing compared to Auburn.
Let me, Monday musings, I always enjoy it.
And the one you had yesterday talks about the learning curve of a first-year coach.
There have been discipline problems there.
Again, Auburn's won some impressive games, but lately they have not.
Everybody knew there was going to be a learning curve with the staff.
It's amazing.
You can be six inches, sit six inches away from the head coach, and it's amazing at the difference.
And you can kind of sum this up.
It's complicated.
It may be too soon to draw conclusions.
Stephen Pearl is a good coach.
I know a lot of people said, well, Bruce resigned late, a few days before the season began.
This was his schedule.
This was his roster.
Summarize money musings for us in the learning curve of a new coach.
Yeah.
You know, you sort of got to bounce things out, right?
Auburn has played poorly.
They've gotten worse as the season's gone on.
You know, you can point to a lot of negative things.
But you can also look at it and say that, okay, Stephen Pearl's a first-time head coach.
He got the job full-time.
He got this roster right before the start of preseason practice.
And, you know, he's also got a group of players that when you go back to the summer,
Bruce, when he was the coach, was talking about having to play higher tempo,
having to play more players, you know, being a little bit different than they were.
And then you get into the season and you have a couple injuries, a discipline issue here or there.
Some guys aren't ready.
And suddenly you've got a seven-man rotation and you can't play high tempo.
You can't play full court.
You've got to play this slow half-court game.
And, you know, why I think a guy like Keyshawn Hall is good in any system offensively.
Defensively, he's just not that guy when it comes to playing a half-court defense
and expecting him to defend his man and do everything right for, you know, 20, 30 seconds or whatever it is.
Here's the bottom line.
First things first.
All Auburn can do is, like all of us, you've got to control the things you can control
and let the chips fall within may, obviously, after that.
Shock, shock for that depth of that observation.
But be that as it may, you've got to take care of business tonight.
If you lose this one, I think it's pretty safe to say that you don't like your chances.
Not that it's LSU, but LSU's not had a startling season.
That's just being totally honest about it.
Your thoughts about this matchup tonight?
I'd be very concerned, right?
I mean, you look at Auburn.
It's the same thing over and over.
It's the defense.
It's the inability to defend the three-point shot.
Over and over again, teams come in and play Auburn and shoot higher percentages,
make more three-pointers than they normally do against other opponents they play.
And, you know, you just wonder, at least I wonder, how motivated this team is, right?
You don't really see them getting after it when they're on the floor.
You certainly didn't see enough of that against Ole Miss.
So, yeah, I'd be very concerned.
But, you know, you never want to count a team out because you never know, right?
You just don't know.
These are young people.
They're playing a sport.
You know, a lot of things can happen.
If they end up – just, again, this is hypothetical.
They beat LSU tonight.
They lose to Alabama in a close game Saturday.
And then they win one or two games in the SEC tournament.
In other words, they win three of their last four.
Would that be enough to get in?
You know, that would probably be, like, depending on what everybody else does, right?
They might need some help with that.
But then maybe the tournament committee looks at their resume overall and sees their schedule, see some of their good wins.
It takes a look at that first Alabama game they lost to home and, you know, takes it to effect that it had a player that only played four games for them and was ruled ineligible.
So, all that could be a factor.
But I couldn't certainly say for sure that would happen.
I just – if you want to more or less guarantee it or want to guarantee it or feel a lot better of it, you've got to beat LSU.
Then you've got to go beat Alabama.
And I'm not sure Auburn can win either of those games, to be honest.
While we're on the topic of basketball and craziness out there, I don't know if you saw the story with now USC forward Chad Baker-Mazzaro.
Originally to break it up, obviously he came to USC from Auburn.
I haven't seen all the details.
Maybe you have, and please share if you have.
But from what I understand, obviously he was a problem child at Auburn.
He goes to USC, and now he's been tossed there.
Did I see where he falsified his birth certificate?
He's actually – I saw one number.
Maybe this was a sensational story.
32 years old with four kids.
I mean, this –
I don't know about that.
He's a unique character.
I'll say that, would you not?
Yes, and I feel bad for him in a way, right?
I mean, I know he's responsible for his own actions, but, you know, it probably would have been better for him to stay at one school for longer
and, you know, not jump around and do the things he's done.
I don't think that lends to learning discipline and learning to be able to handle your emotions better.
But, you know, I wish him the best.
He helped Auburn make it to the Final Four.
He was a key part of that team and, you know, played here, you know, two years.
He certainly had his ups and downs at Auburn, right?
He was certainly a guy that you had to be concerned with.
Is he going to, you know, make it to the next game or not?
But I think a lot of people are, you know, laughing about this or taking some sort of, I don't know, happiness from seeing him fail somewhere.
I just don't feel that way.
I feel bad for him as a kid, I guess.
I don't know.
The updated information here is that was one report.
This one says 26.
So, either way, pass, but you go to college football, you've got guys probably older than that.
So, that's just, to me, it illustrates where college sports is in general.
Switching gears a little bit here, Auburn fans said, can you give us some good news?
Do you want to talk Auburn baseball, Brian?
Yes.
So, the baseball team is 9-2.
I thought they played really well against Nebraska.
You know, they had a tough loss Friday, 9-8, 10 innings.
They brought the top two relievers in, and those guys just didn't have it that night.
But they bounced back, and they run-rule Nebraska on Saturday.
And then they come back and really almost run-rule them again.
They won a 12-3 Sunday.
And, you know, the pitchings come together really well.
Jake Marciano, the Friday night starter, 29 strikeouts, zero walks, and three starts.
That's really, really impressive.
Don't know that, but I've seen that in my 25 years coming to the baseball team.
And the hitting, which has got a little bit of a slow start, I think, is really coming around the lineup.
And, you know, just like last year, you had a few freshmen that were all SEC all-freshman guys and freshman all-American types.
They've got three more this year.
The McCrane brothers, Mason's a true freshman.
He's an SEC freshman for a week.
He's a 45-5 with six RBIs, a home run Saturday.
Brandon McCrane is a redshirt freshman's older brother, leading the team with a batting average over 500.
And then Ethan Bingaman, who was the SEC freshman of the week a week ago, playing first base and then got his first opportunity to pitch Sunday and threw a scoreless inning there in the ninth.
So, they've got some more good young talent in, starting to come together as a team, I feel like, and really excited about what the pitching is doing.
I think they are.
They should get Griffin Gray's back, assuming he doesn't have a setback from his little back injury here, potentially this week or early next week.
Listen, Auburn's pitching staff has struck out 140 batters, 25 walks in 97 innings, 140 strikeouts for the most through 11 games, I think, in decades.
It's been amazing.
And you mentioned the McCrane boys, Mason with eight runs in four games, first career home run, and his brothers only hitting a cool 533.
That's pretty good.
Yeah, it really is.
And, you know, Brandon McCrane, the older brother, he can play just about any position on the team except for catch or pitch.
And then Mason McCrane is just a, I don't know if freak is the right word, 6'6", can run, has one of the best arms you'll see in left field.
I mean, at some point this season, somebody's going to test that arm and he is going to gun them out and play to third base and make one of those eye-popping type throws we see every once in a while.
And, yeah, they're just really good.
Ethan Bingaman is another guy that, you know, is very versatile, can play first, second, third, and, of course, can be a back-end pitcher, a closer type guy.
So, yeah, they've done a great job of bringing in high-skill talent with this team and then supplementing with the portal.
He might be able to play for the Braves.
They need a left fielder right now.
Yeah.
My goodness, great.
They need a D.A. too, don't they?
Exactly.
And somebody who understands, he's got a $2 million contract to honor.
Yep.
What a mess.
Absolutely.
Always good to talk with you.
Have a great week.
It should be an interesting night in the SEC tonight.
Where can we get online?
Is football going to get started here next time we turn around?
That's right.
Baseball.
Yeah, absolutely.
But where can we get online and get all the good stuff?
Yeah, I appreciate that.
AuburnSports.com will have full coverage tonight.
I'll be at baseball.
Caleb and Justin at basketball.
And, of course, we've got recruiting.
The dead period is over.
Football practice starts in two weeks.
All that more.
AuburnSports.com.
Follow me on Twitter.
That's X at BMATAU.
Other than that, not a cotton-picking thing going on, right, Brian?
That's right.
Have a good one.
And Brian Matthews, senior editor of AuburnSports.com.
Coming up, let's go all over the SEC with Joe Cox on deck on the Bumo Bunk Show.
Stay with us.
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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.
Following the weekend in Frisco, Texas for the Crimson Tide.
I told our guys like the next step for this team is like how we play from behind.
You know, like the first two days we've got out to big leads offensively.
Things have kind of gone our way offensively and we weren't playing from behind.
And today, you know, after the third, you know, I just thought like we just too many weeks early out.
Not enough consistency in our at-bats.
And it seemed like anytime we did swing a ball, it was right at them.
Just not near enough of them.
Not near enough tough of that so we took something away from them.
And that's how he's still in the game in the eighth.
So credit him, man.
He did a great job.
We just have to do a better job offensively.
And the defense came to somebody from the tail on the fifth.
Just plays not made.
It, you know, should have been a zero and turned into a three spot.
So that'll come back and get you, but all in all, it's a good weekend, but a frustrating finish.
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The Score.
Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score.
The Score.
Welcome back in. Time to say hello to Mr. Joe Cox, fine columnist there with Saturday down south.
His book is called A Fine T-Man.
Joe, welcome in. How are you?
Can't complain. Weather's improving by the day and ready for a nice march with lots of good hoops, lots of good baseball.
Joe, who's got a more expensive mouth? You or me? We live in a dentist's chair.
Last time we talked, I have to have a follow-up question there.
I mean, we could retire if we just could cash out our teeth, could we not?
Hey, I have talked with my mom sometimes and said, I think maybe the older generation's had it right.
Just yank the things out, be done, give me some false chompers, and I'd probably be happier and definitely wealthier.
Yeah, I still got my mom's old t-shirt, just gum it, you know?
Now I know what she meant.
Joe, obviously, let's talk about Alabama chewing into Tennessee's big lead down at one point by a baker's dozen.
It's always tough to beat Tennessee.
Just ask Nate Oates, especially at Tennessee, especially when a lot's on the line for Tennessee at this point in the season.
Joe, where do you start breaking it down, Bama and Tennessee?
That was a really impressive comeback, really impressed by the guts of Alabama to come back and take that one away.
And, you know, we said last time there was kind of a rough stretch there, had a few losses in short succession.
But, boy, since that loss to Florida on the first day of February, everything's coming up aces,
and you feel like Alabama's locking in about where you'd want to be right now.
Joe, some bubble teams in the SEC.
Auburn is at the top of that list.
They've got LSU tonight, finish with Alabama and Tuscaloosa Saturday night on senior night.
Auburn 15-14, 6-10.
They have impressive wins.
St. John's, Florida, and Gainesville.
They beat North Carolina State.
But they've lost to Mississippi State, Oklahoma, and Ole Miss, and snapped a 10-game losing streak.
They've got to go 1-1 this week at least and maybe win two games in the tournament.
I don't know if even that would be enough.
Texas A&M, they've lost six out of their last eight after losing very impressive in January.
But they're 19-10 and 9-7 in the SEC with a 4-6 quad one.
Auburn and Texas A&M, can they get a 9 or 10 seed and get in the tournament?
How much more work do they have?
You know, in the case of Auburn, it suddenly looks very daunting.
I think they really need to beat Alabama to have a particularly good shot because even if you split this week, okay, that's a 15th loss.
Unless you come into Nashville and win the soccer, that's a 16th loss.
You don't see a lot of 16-loss teams make an NCAA tournament and probably shouldn't, to be honest.
A&M, you're in a little bit better shape.
I think they're a mild home favorite tonight against Kentucky.
If they win that, I think it's all gravy for them.
Even if they lose that, if they take care of LSU, that puts them 20-11 going into the SEC tournament.
You feel like they're probably in pretty good shape.
But, again, if they win tonight, I think that pretty much would lock them in.
Joe Cox, Saturday, down south.
Joe, what's your thoughts about Bruce Pearl stomping for?
Let's face it, if you're a dad, you're going to do this.
It's natural stomping basically for Auburn over Miami of Ohio because Auburn is a brand and Miami is Florida, not Ohio.
Joe, your thoughts about Bruce's pitch?
I'd be interested to hear what Bruce's thoughts would be if Stephen was the coach at Miami of Ohio.
You know, Bruce coached at some small schools that had some good teams over the years.
Right, Wisconsin-A-Wonkey.
Yeah, I think he would recognize, you know, one of the things everybody loves about March is that those small schools can sometimes write some amazing stories and make some deep runs.
And, yeah, I mean, of course, you're going to stick up for your kid.
It is the dad thing to do.
But I don't think it's one of his better takes, I'll put it that way.
Let me ask you about two other teams that I believe are in the tournament.
Number one is Texas.
They're 18-11, 9-7 in the SEC.
They've got more quad one wins than Tennessee and as many as Arkansas and Kentucky.
They won five in a row, and then they've lost back-to-back games to Georgia and Florida.
Believe me, there's no lack of respect for losing to either one of those two teams.
Missouri, they're 20-9.
They've won six out of their last eight, 10-6 in the SEC.
Now, they may only be an eight- or nine-seed, quote-unquote, but, Joe, to me, am I crazy?
I think Texas and Missouri are in the tournament.
I think they probably are.
I think Missouri almost certainly is with 10 league wins already.
They played Oklahoma tonight, so a very good chance to get another one.
I don't think you could shut out an SEC team with 11 conference wins.
Texas may be a little bit shakier, but as you say, there's a lot of quality wins there.
They play Oklahoma this week, too, so I think for them, you know,
with a road game in Arkansas and in Oklahoma, I think a split probably would just about lock them in.
I think they probably do need to take care of Oklahoma, but they're in good shape.
But you start to talk about seeding, and you're going to lead me to one of my sermons.
I'm going to go ahead and get this out there.
We said this early, and then it proved itself true in football,
how you didn't want to be in the conference championship game.
So here's my wild, long-distance takeaway for the big dance.
You do not want to be a 4 or a 5 seed.
And we've got, you know, Alabama's talked about there, Arkansas's talked about there,
Tennessee's talked about there.
You don't want to be a 4 or a 5.
It would be better to be a 6 or a 7 than a 4 or a 5.
Amen, brother, pass the plate.
You live in a state known for basketball.
It's called Kentucky.
Joe, we're on family radio.
To the extent you can comment on this season under Coach Pope,
what are Kentucky fans saying at this point?
You know, up, down, up, down, up, down.
It's been a roller coaster.
And, of course, you know, the big news this morning is that Mitch Barnhart is expected to resign
as the athletic director effective around the summer.
I mean, he's been in since 2002.
He's certainly had a good run.
But, you know, I think some people around Lexington are excited about possibly getting some new blood,
somebody who's a little more acclimated to the current culture, whereas Mitch has got kind of that
Debo Sweeney kind of feel to him in that, you know, he's out there gutting it out.
But you can tell some days that he just doesn't necessarily understand all of the new rigmarole.
So we'll have to keep an eye on that because that will, of course, directly affect Mark Pope
because Barnhart hired him and the new AD, you know, every AD kind of has their own people.
So it's another sign that it's probably time to win some more games, Mark.
Joe, if the Gators win, finish with two wins this week and get two wins in the SEC tournament,
much less win it, could they get a one seed?
That's certainly within the realm of possibility.
And, you know, what history teaches me is they should and they probably won't.
I still feel like the SEC is a little bit undervalued by the people who make those decisions.
But, man, after watching Florida the other night against Arkansas,
there aren't four better teams in the country right now.
No, no.
No question about it.
Baseball, we will get into a lot more.
I know you're going to have your power rankings for baseball.
Joe, just quickly, who's impressed you so far in baseball?
You know, Texas is pitching really well.
I've been really impressed with them off the top of my head.
And then, of course, you know, you and I, this is another one of our crusades, B.B.
We are always talking about Arkansas and the year that Dave Van Horn gets it done.
Could this be that year?
It could be.
Finally.
You know, one day we're going to look really smart.
It's just taking us a while.
Well, we're in it for the long haul.
I mean, where can we get online and get yours and the team's good stuff, Joe?
Check it out.
It's Saturday down south.
Yeah, it shapes up to be a really fun and interesting March,
and I'm looking forward to it as much as anybody.
And we're looking forward to saving you a seat next time, Joe.
In the meantime, thank you so much, and stay out of the dental chair, okay?
I will do my best.
You guys take care.
Thank you, man.
Docs, busy there at Saturday down south.
Coming up, double L, Matt Michelle on deck.
Stay with us.
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He called it a twister and never called that friend again.
The colonel lived, so we could chicken.
The Twister.
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Progressive presents the Sports Flash on 93.9.
The Score.
In college baseball tonight, the South Alabama Jaguars will take on UAB.
They'll play at Riverwalk Stadium in Montgomery.
UAB is 7-5.
South Alabama is 9-3 on the season.
Alabama Crimson Tide will host Jacksonville State.
Alabama is 9-3 on the year.
Jacksonville State comes into the matchup with a 10-2 record.
And the Auburn Tigers are set to host Samford.
Seventh-ranked Auburn is 9-2.
Samford is 5-6.
SEC Women's Basketball Tournament action tomorrow.
Auburn will take on Texas A&M in round number one.
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SEC Tournament is in Greenville, South Carolina.
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The Score.
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A KFC tale in the pursuit of flavor.
The greatest insult the colonel ever suffered was being served a wrap that was just a snack by a friend.
So he took two crispy tenders, lettuce, tomatoes, and pepper mayo, and wrapped them in a soft tortilla.
It wasn't a snack.
It was a meal.
He called it a twister and never called that friend again.
The colonel lived so we could chicken.
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Now back at KFC, classic or with bacon.
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The score.
Now back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score.
The score.
Welcome back in.
What a pleasure it is to say hello to Matt Merchel.
College Insider with the Orlando Center on his podcast.
It's called Gridiron 365.
Matt, welcome in.
How are you?
Good to be there.
Hey, Ben.
There we go, Matt.
Just kind of joking aside here, or maybe it is a joke.
I was just going to go ahead and give the national title again to the Florida Gators.
Are we going to play out this thing and have a full penalty, Matt?
No, I think, listen, I think Florida's playing really well right now, obviously.
I think they've showcased themselves as one of the top teams in the country, but I think based
on what we've seen this year, I think there's, you know, I think it could be some surprises
in there as well.
You know, I mean, you've seen Boobage to pop up and make some good runs late.
I thought Arizona has played really well.
You know, you could make the case for, you know, maybe a mid-major fighting away.
Duke has played well.
Michigan, you know, I think there are teams this time of year that, you know, there's
always going to be a surprise, you know, but I do believe Florida's going to be one of
the teams in the final four unless something kind of strange happens, but because they're
playing really good basketball.
And I think Todd Goldman has done a good job of, you know, rebuilding this roster and getting
them ready for what they need to do to face the challenge of defending their national
championship.
His name has been invoked.
Matt, who are you taking in a cage match?
Todd Golden or John Calipari?
I don't know.
You know, I get it.
You know, there's frustration, you know, both guys thought that, you know, I think, I think
Calipari thought that maybe, you know, that there was some, you know, that he was, it
was not, you know, his team was getting pummeled.
I don't know.
I still take Golden because he's a young guy, you know, Calipari, you know, obviously
is protecting his team, doing the best he can, you know, going on right now with
the season they've had.
So I think it's going to be interesting.
You know what I mean?
It's, it's, we're at that time of year where tempers start to run high and coaches want
to, you know, coaches are getting teed up all the time and, you know, they're, everyone's
trying to do what they can to motivate their team to try to put something together and
make a serious run.
Most of the time when that stuff happens, that's all about motivation.
That's all about hoping your team will, will, will take something from it and maybe
utilize it on the court.
Uh, who's Matt Merchelle's number one seeds?
I know I've seen you, you mentioned a couple, Duke, Michigan, Arizona, UConn, uh, the Florida
is right now is a two seed Houston, Illinois.
Uh, it's kind of interesting.
You've seen Nebraska mentioned on some of the marks in two or three, uh, a lot of good teams
at the top.
Who are your top four?
Well, I, yeah, I think I meant, you know, I think I mentioned, you know, Arizona, Duke
is probably up there.
Um, Michigan has played really well.
You know, UConn is making that kind of special run that we haven't seen before.
I tell you a team that that's going to be interesting to me to watch out for is Houston.
Um, cause I don't, you know, I know they've, they've, they've gone through a, uh, a stretch
here where they've lost three games, but Kelvin Sampson is, is a heck of a coach and a guy
who only seems to get his teams to kind of buy back into what they're doing to make a
serious run.
Um, I'm not saying they're going to be a one seed, but I, I think they're a, they're
a team that's definitely going to make, it can make some noise.
Um, I mean, UConn is probably going to be the other, the other, the other number one.
Uh, and, and, you know, I mean, it depends on what happens over the next week or so with
conference tournaments.
I mean, you could see a couple of these teams, maybe get a lot.
I still think that not much is going to change at the top, but it's going to be interesting
with these, with these teams and different brackets and, and figure out how could someone
take down some of these giants.
And you know, Matt, Matt, I'm a chef of the way to the Orlando center.
Another thing that you're playing for to fill in the blank here, who we're talking
about, Alabama, uh, obviously they're on a streak right now, but this season has shown
it's a, it's a season of streets, winning streaks and losing streaks.
The last thing you want to do now is stumble your toe and your swipe.
Yes, Alabama is in the NCAA tournament, but we have been talking today.
The one thing you don't want to do is land at the four or five spot, because that means
you're playing a tough team.
That's tricky.
It's better if you're going to do that, go for the number three seed, obviously you're
better than at two or even six or seven, but stay out to four and five.
We say all that to say this, the importance of tonight's game for Bama against Georgia,
and then a team who nobody can figure out the Auburn Tigers this weekend.
Yeah.
I mean, I think for Alabama, you're, you're exactly right.
If you want to stay up and be a high seed and avoid, you know, getting a tough matchup in
the first round of the NCAA tournament or second round, you know, you want to be up that
high.
So if you're Alabama, you want to kind of go into this tournament and the SEC tournament,
you want to go in hot.
You want to be able to go in there and, and continue to win and, and, and, you know, guide
your way to the, to the, to the championship game and then see what happens when you get
in the NCAA tournament.
I mean, that's just going to be the short of it is getting out there and finding it out.
You know, Auburn, again, I mean, you know, they're, they're like you mentioned, they're,
they're such an enigma of a team right now.
You know, you don't know what, what you're going to get.
And, you know, they're not a very good team on the road, which is not a good thing to tell,
to say when you're going to go play in a conference tournament or you're going to go on it.
They, you know, I mean, I think for Auburn, you know, it's about trying to try to maybe
spring together some wins, maybe try to, to, to get some pride, maybe going in a little bit
and, and maybe if you get hot, maybe depending on what happens, maybe you could find a way
to slip in and, and, and do some damage.
But again, I'm not quite sure what to make of that team.
It just, it just really seems like every, every time they have a good, a good game that
they followed up with some head scratchers.
So it's, it's definitely one that they're, they're, they're going to look back on the season
and I think they, they've had some missed opportunities.
We have listened to expanding the college football playoffs on nauseam now for years,
but what about college basketball?
I know there's a lot of chatter about expanding it, 64, and then you got the four playing games.
Man, is 68 teams enough?
You know, I don't know.
I do, I think it is, but I know Charlie Baker, the NCAA president has been really pushing the
idea of, you know, bumping that up, trying to get it up.
I think, what was it?
76 is what they're talking about the latest round.
And, you know, I mean, I think, you know, what's driving this is to be honest with you.
It's guys like Greg Sankey and the SEC and the ACC.
You know, these, these conferences want to get as many of their teams in as possible to
the NCAA tournament.
And if you say, let's expand, they say, okay, that's great.
Now we can get, you know, if you're the SEC, we can get, you know, three more teams in,
or we can get, you know, whatever it is.
And then all of a sudden, it's, you know, we've gone to where you've got 90% of a power
conference is going to make an NCAA tournament.
And it's, you know, and I get that.
It's more money, it's more prestige, it's more, you know, opportunities.
So if it's something we need, I mean, do we need a team that's, you know, a 15 and, you
know, a 15-win team maybe making the NCAA tournament, you know, or a 15-win team making
the NCAA tournament?
I'm not sure, I mean, I'm sure if this was going to benefit mid-majors, and you're going
to see maybe some of these conferences that only get one dedicated automatic bid, maybe
them getting a team or two in, I think that would be great.
But I'm not sure if that's going to be what comes to fruition.
I think it's going to be more about getting the power programs more, you know, power conferences
more opportunities to get teams in for them.
And, you know, again, I just think 68 seems to be a nice sweet spot right now.
But, you know, as we know in the past, money drives this thing.
And if they feel like they can make more money, and they can convince the TV networks to give
them more money, then they'll expand to 76.
And next thing you know, we'll be talking about 98, and then, you know, we might as well just
invite everybody in, right?
Just whoever, everyone gets a trophy.
Everybody gets a trophy.
Let's have a group hug here and split the check.
You mentioned Greg Sankey's name.
Greg Sankey is getting involved.
The commissioner of the SEC wants college sports to return to the one-time transfer rule.
Sankey is calling for national eligibility standards that put academics first, blah, blah, blah, blah.
Matt, are they telling Greg, take the cup, go down the hall, close the door, and bring it back in with test things?
What's going on with Greg Sankey?
And is he going to get his Christmas wish here in the summer?
No, no.
I mean, listen, I think Greg loves this.
I mean, maybe personally Greg thinks this is the way it should be, but I mean, he's got, you know,
he's got school presidents right now and, you know, college football coaches from the SEC standing behind him
going, no, no, we don't want this.
You know, we don't want, we can, I mean, look around at these teams.
Look around, most of the teams across the country, especially in football,
they're built on rosters with multiple-year transfers.
They're not built on one and, you know, like one-time transfer guys.
They're built on multiple-year transfers.
And, you know, and I get what Greg's trying to say.
It would be great to do this.
But that's already gone.
That idea is gone.
And, you know, the idea of sitting down and working all this out, I mean, this is a pie-in-the-sky type of plan.
Because, you know, we, I mean, right now we're trying to figure out every little step of what maybe we need to get rid of the NCAA.
Maybe we need to do this.
Maybe we need to do that.
Maybe we need to build another, you know, we should expand our playoff.
Maybe we need to, we can't decide and get one thing done.
You know what I mean?
It's great.
It's like getting a blueprint for a house and you keep adding, you keep adding floors to the house,
but you haven't built the house yet.
You know what I mean?
It's like you've got to go and get at least one or two things done first before we start talking about this stuff.
So, I mean, would it be great for fans to not have to think about, you know, players jumping year after year after year?
Yeah, it'd be great.
But I just don't think that the schools themselves want to deal with that.
And the NCAA doesn't want to get involved in that because every time they start talking about it, you know, someone sues them.
I mean, look at what's going on in the court system.
You know, I mean, there's half a dozen, you know, lawsuits, big profile lawsuits where people are suing them for eligibility.
So, it's a great idea, maybe in theory, but I just don't think it's going to be coming around.
Something that may be, what are your thoughts about this, Matt, as far as what they might be able to do?
And using the template today in baseball, Profar of the Braves suspended all 162 games for violating the PED policy.
$42 million contract, the Braves sitting here scratching their heads right now and saying, how am I going to handle this?
The reason I bring that up, bring it back to college football.
Is there any way that these lawyers can grow some and say, we're going to have at least a two-year deal minimum?
Here's some fine print.
In the case of some of these guys going out and getting in trouble, I won't call anybody's name, Georgia.
Of all these high-profile guys getting in trouble with a big contract, is there any way that you can sit here and write the contract where, yes, here's the money, but here's what you've got to give back?
You're no longer an 18-year-old kid.
You're a millionaire going forward.
You're a businessman.
You're making more money than your family ever made in a lifetime.
So, there's got to be some accountability.
Is there any way we'll ever see that come into fruition?
The only way that happens is if we go collective bargaining.
Yeah.
And I don't think they're going to – they don't want to do that because the moment you sit down and say the phrase collective bargaining, everyone thinks about this idea of, you know, becoming employees of the school.
And then when you're employees of the school, that opens up a whole other Pandora's box of things that have to be taken care of.
And, you know, I just don't think anyone's got the kind of – you know, they're afraid to do that.
They're afraid to sit down and say, you know, there may be a schooler or an AD or someone who might decide, I want to do this.
But what's going to happen is you're going to get players who go, well, why would I sign and keep myself two years to you when I could go to another school and, you know, do a one-year contract and maybe get the same amount of money?
You know what I mean?
Depending on what's happening.
Depending on how elite of a player you are.
You know that – you know, so why would I commit myself to two years?
And I guarantee there are agents around the country that would tell a kid, don't sign that contract.
You know, don't do that.
And then how does that contract become enforceable?
You know what I mean?
I mean, what does the school have to do?
You're going to start suing people?
I mean, look at what Cincinnati's doing.
They're suing Brandon Sorsby, you know, the former quarterback, for a million dollars because, you know, for basically as a buyout for him leaving to go to Texas Tech.
If we're going to start doing that, then you're going to see a heck of a lot of lawsuits going on in court system.
And that's not really what college athletes doesn't want to get into.
So –
Aren't they out there, though?
Aren't they out there?
Man, I didn't mean to interrupt.
But, I mean, college sports – do they just go ahead and just get away with college sports?
Say this is basically pro sports now.
Yes.
If you want to get rid of this stuff, you just essentially make it a professional sport.
Right.
Or semi-professional league.
You admit that's what this is now.
Yep.
You get rid of the sparsitude of what about education.
I mean, that's fine.
You can offer education.
You can offer opportunities.
Right.
Take classes and get a degree.
That's not – that's fine.
But let's not act like what most of these athletes are coming to school for.
And then what you do is you sit down and you set up, okay, here's how we're going to do it.
You get everyone on board.
This can't be like the SEC alone, the SEC and Big Tech.
It's got to be everyone on board.
You say, this is how we're going to do it.
You present, you know, how they're going to pay employees, how they're going to pay what there will be employees.
And then you sit down with collective bargaining.
And that's where collective bargaining comes in and makes this work because it's just like the NFL.
You sign an agreement as a player.
Okay, I've signed.
I can only sign a two-year deal.
You know, I mean, I just take two years and I sign my initial contract, you know,
and this is what I can only do, which is what I can't do,
and then after two years I can do this.
And then that opens the whole door of, okay, you're going to have some money aside for, you know,
health insurance to make sure you're taken care of and all those kind of things.
And you have to work out the language about can you be fired as a technically employee
or how do you get cut, those kind of things.
Then that gets us all back to where we're feeling not so much like this is the wild, wild west.
But right now schools are so hesitant to even talk about that because they're afraid.
That's why they want the government to get involved.
You know, and right now the government's got enough problems.
I mean, we're, you know, and even with the president sitting down with all these leaders, you know,
and talking about this, I'm not sure what comes of this.
Because, again, you know, I mean, you're asking a bunch of people to make a decision.
We can't even decide on expanding the playoff, you know, as a group.
So how do you think we're going to get and change the whole nexus and the whole blueprint
of what college athletics is going to be that quickly?
Yeah, that meeting is coming Friday at the White House.
There is a who's who of sports.
This is not just football.
It's college athletics in general.
I'm like you.
There are a lot of impressive people coming to that, but I don't know what they're going to get done.
And I agree.
I think Sors begins paying $1 million because he, according to the athletics, signed a two-year deal.
Thank you.
One positive out of this, Matt Merchelle, is targeting.
The NCAA rules subcommittee is proposing a one-year trial run to modify the rules regarding targeting penalties.
In other words, you wouldn't have to sit out in the next game or the next half.
I think they proved their point with this.
What they're looking at now is if you're disqualified for targeting for the first time during the season,
you will be allowed to play in the next game.
Matt, is that an improvement?
Yeah, I think it is.
I think, you know, yes.
I think initially when they started this, it was important to lay out kind of the groundwork of what's going on
because they were trying to get rid of, you know, guys who were maybe out there headhunting, you know,
trying to make hits, you know, that they...
And so I think that now they've kind of proven that and they brought that up.
And I think, you know, you could look at it as a case-by-case basis.
I think we've had moments where players have got flagged for targeting and it wasn't intentional at all
and you stretch the imagination.
But then you've missed the first half or half of the game and the next game or whatever, you know,
I mean, it kind of really, it penalizes the player and it penalizes the team itself.
So I think right now they're trying to tweak these things.
We talked about, you know, when this number one targeting first came out,
everyone was screaming and yelling and saying how horrible this was and it's a horrible system.
It just takes time.
It's like life.
I mean, it evolves.
You know what I mean?
It just, things evolve and eventually they move into an area where you can agree and say,
okay, this is working.
This is how we want it to work.
And I think it's going to be for the best of us moving forward.
I agree, Ashley.
People think it's natural for a player to lower his head when they see a collision coming.
But there were many times during the course of the season, there was a questionable targeting
that was upheld and yeah, in that player missed the next half, the next game or whatever.
Great conversation is always where can we get online and get basketball, football,
all sorts of stuff from you and the Orlando Sentinel.
Yeah, you can go to OrlandoSentinel.com to check out the,
the latest or follow me on social media at OS Matt Merchelle.
We've got a lot going on with Florida started spring ball today.
So I know we got that covered.
UCF, BD, been trying to get into the NCAA tournament for the first time in eight years.
So I got that covered and, you know, it's just all sorts of stuff that's happening around the country.
Arnold Palmer, we've got golf in our backyard this week.
So all sorts of fun stuff going on.
TNF, hit it straight.
Listen, man, it's always good to catch you with you.
Thanks so much for your time today, buddy.
All right.
Take care, guys.
Thank you, Ben.
And Michelle, Orlando, one thing they can do is copy basketball, BB.
They got flagrant one, flagrant two.
Well, that's too simple.
Are you ready for some Alabama basketball tonight later on here on 93.9 The Score, BB?
Pre-game at 4.30, tip-off at 5.30 on that bastion of sports coverage, ESPN News.
But you can listen to it on 93.9 The Score.
Or as you put it, watch it on the radio right here on 93.9 The Score.
It's going to take care of business from now.
On behalf of BB, Greg, James Blair, the entire crew here, Harold Bogg.
Thank you so much for your time today.
Let's do it again tomorrow on noon to two with a bit more Buck Show back here on Sports Radio
93.9 The Score.
The Score.