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 Now, get ready to roll Shoals, Decatur, Athens and all of Northwest Alabama and Southern Tennessee.

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 It's time for the Valley's exclusive FM Sports Voice.

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 The Boomo Bugg Show.

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 Your exclusive inside track to the Tigers, Tennessee and the rest of the SEC.

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 Now, your host, Harold Bugg on 93.9 The Score.

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 Good afternoon and welcome in to the Boomo Bugg Show.

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 I'm Harold Bugg alongside Brett Beaird.

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 Thank you so much for giving us a street ride around the Tennessee Valley.

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 Brett Beaird, welcome in.

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 Where is the SEC getting ready to take the NCAA to divorce court?

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 Good afternoon. Welcome in and how are you?

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 Happy Thursday to you and the listeners.

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 Auburn beats Mississippi State 79-61 yesterday and prepares to meet Tennessee later today about 2 p.m.

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 One and only Ryan Fowler will give us the latest tie talk as Nate Oates prepares to meet the winner of the Georgia Ole Miss game Friday at 6.

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 And offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb indicates that Jackson Lloyd will be the starting left tackle.

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 But right now, BB is here to talk some March Madness.

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 Why not start with a five-star right off the top?

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 He is the national voice with East Sporting News.

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 Bill Bender, welcome in.

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 How are you?

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 Hey, I'm doing well.

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 Watching the end of this Miami-UMAS game here.

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 It's going to have a fantastic finish, it sounds like.

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 The Red Hawks are in danger of going down here.

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 Oh, my goodness.

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 Will that make Bruce Pearl happy, Bill?

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 What's it going to take to make Bruce happy these days?

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 Well, you know, obviously this would be a stunning loss.

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 Miami of Ohio would deserve to get into the NCAA tournament, but I mean, they're on the brink of losing to a 16-15 UMass team.

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 So, yeah, and that's going to throw another wrinkle into the Sovereign debate.

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 There's no doubt.

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 They're down three with 18.4 seconds left.

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 Wow.

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 Is that not what made March Madness?

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 Does that not put the madness in March?

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 Just what you're talking about there.

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 Last night, Texas got more money than you and Brent combined and me.

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 And yet, they lose to Ole Miss, which is one of the, basically the cellar dwellers.

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 That just goes to show in real time what made March Madness madness.

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 Yeah, I mean, obviously, yeah, it's that time of year where you have teams lose.

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 You don't expect that's gone on in the smaller conferences, no doubt, with Liberty and some other teams.

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 You know, it's contagious.

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 So, when you have an upset like that, it can happen.

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 But this one would have ramifications, obviously, because Miami just closed out a 31-0 season.

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 And now, there's a chance for them to go 31-1.

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 It reminds me of St. Joe's a little bit.

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 Remember, St. Joe's went undefeated with Nelson and then lost their first tournament game.

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 It's a little bit different, though.

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 Speaking of Auburn and bubble teams, a lot of them lost yesterday.

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 I would say, Indiana basketball is not Indiana football.

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 SMU, Cal, Cincinnati, Wake Forest lost.

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 Auburn's playing Tennessee, as we mentioned, in about two hours or so.

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 Again, the prognosticators, bractologists keep saying Auburn really needs to beat Tennessee to get in.

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 I tell you, one team that is playing very well in the SEC tournament, BB, is Oklahoma.

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 They look really good.

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 Darian Reed, the former Alabama player, may have been the best player on the court.

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 But still, a lot going on this week, and particularly with the bubble and whether Auburn and Oklahoma and other teams can get in.

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 Yeah, and there's a line in the SEC, not just Auburn.

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 If they win today, it's going to force this conversation a little bit because their metrics, their net ranking, their 10-palm ranking check out.

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 And then I think Missouri, you mentioned Oklahoma.

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 Aaron, we'll talk about Texas.

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 There's a little bit of a, you almost need to do a first four exclusive of SEC teams at this point.

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 And I think that's something to keep in mind.

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 They won't do that, obviously.

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 But these games are huge today for Auburn, obviously.

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 And you mentioned Oklahoma.

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 They're coming on late.

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 Bill Benner's always on there at the Sporting News.

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 Bill, let's talk about your neighbors up there in Big Ten country.

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 Michigan, at one time, they were the rock star.

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 But it's a long season.

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 Just ask anybody anywhere, including Connecticut.

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 Your thoughts about folks in the Big Ten, how many are going to get in from there?

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 And your thoughts about Michigan here in March compared to, say, January and February?

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 Oh, I mean, they're still one of the best teams in the country.

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 I think they're a lock for a one seed, no matter what happens this weekend.

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 They lost LJ Kaysen.

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 That hurt.

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 But, you know, they showed last week the big wins against Michigan State and Iowa.

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 And if they get into the Big Ten tournament, they're, I think, the two best teams in the country right now are Duke and Michigan.

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 And so we'll see if that pans out in March.

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 But I don't, you know, Duke, they've probably got a few more concerns with some of the injuries they had last week.

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 You're at number one seeds now.

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 And your latest 6.0 branchitologist seeds, Duke, Michigan, Arizona, and the Florida Gators.

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 I know you moved Florida up, I believe, last week.

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 And, of course, everybody's shooting for the Gators.

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 Everyone here thinks that Florida will be, who's Florida going to meet on Sunday.

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 But you have raised the mighty Gators.

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 Alex Condon is playing really well.

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 Honk, Thomas Halk, and friends.

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 They're shooting the three now.

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 Florida looks awfully good.

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 So they've got a tough front line.

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 You know, that's the big one with me.

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 I mean, between Condon and Howe, they're playing really good ball.

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 You know, I mentioned Alabama on the show here last week.

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 They're playing really good ball.

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 So, I mean, if those two end up hooking up in the tournament at some point, it'd be an exciting game.

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 But I think the Gators, their metrics look good for a one seed because they have double-digit victories in the quad one.

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 That always certainly helps.

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 And they're just playing well at the right time.

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 It's really impressive what they do on the offensive side.

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 I think what adds up with them is they just rebound so well.

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 And when you're that tough up front, you know, you want to have either – you want to have a good frontcourt and good guards.

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 But, man, their frontcourt stands out.

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 Sets up everything else, fast breaks, blocks, et cetera.

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 So that's a good deal overall.

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 And you're going to go far into the tournament.

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 Let's talk about a team that's always been there.

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 But this year, just to illustrate the point of how different things can be, did we ever think we live long enough to see Kentucky lead off the SEC tournament?

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 Translated, you've had a mediocre year if you're the first game.

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 They were yesterday.

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 They won.

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 They had a first game today.

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 And at last report, the Cats lead the Tigers from Mizzou, Missouri, 26-20.

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 Your thoughts about Kentucky.

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 Can they catch fire and live up to their tradition here in the postseason?

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 Well, Kentucky, Harold, they're just a weird team.

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 You know, as I projected them over the last couple weeks, I move them up a line, down a line.

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 Up a line, down a line.

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 Because one week they'll sleep, and then the next week they'll lose two.

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 You know, they have a Florida for a while.

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 But they are kind of that definition of chaos team.

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 Because you know they have the talent under Mark Pope.

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 They've been very inconsistent.

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 They are going to be that team that's going to drive you mad in your bracket.

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 Because they could go to the Elite Eight just as easily as they could lose a post-round game.

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 By the way, update is, I believe there is no longer an undefeated team in college basketball.

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 Am I correct?

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 Now there is none left.

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 Yeah, we're going and won.

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 He lost.

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 He lost.

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 Yeah.

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 So I'm going to be busy as soon as I get off this phone call.

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 But, you know, I just, I'm trying to, we can talk live on the air here.

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 Like, I just, I'm wondering what this is going to mean because it was unexpected.

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 They were not supposed to lose by Alexa Martin, the coach of UMass.

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 So a big win for him, former South Carolina coach.

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 So to me, I still think they'll get in.

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 But this really ratchets up that debate with Auburn and some of those SEC teams because it is a bad loss.

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 Yeah.

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 So did you, I don't know if you heard that or not, but that's the unraveling of toilet paper at Toomer's Corner with that news.

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 In all fairness, as objectively as you can be, and as very little time to process is, what would you do if you had the final vote?

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 Auburn goes now, assuming they win today, of course.

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 The deeper they get into the tournament, then obviously the chances are reduced.

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 But they would have at least two wins if they win today, coupled with this loss.

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 You have the deciding vote, Bill.

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 Did they get the green light or they say, you know what?

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 No, it's not going to happen.

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 We're still going to go with the one lost boys from your neck of the woods, Miami of Ohio.

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 Well, come on, man.

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 Whatever I do, they're going to say I have bias.

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 That's right.

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 That's the purpose of the question, Bill.

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 Yeah, if you're actually an Ohio University alone, if the rival school should get in the tournament.

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 So if I say Auburn, you'll say, oh, you're just doing that because you went to OU and you're mad about Friday night.

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 And if I say Miami, you guys down there, they'll say, you're just a Mack homer.

159
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 What's wrong with you just an Ohio guy?

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 Honest answer, I'm actually going to write about that as soon as we get off here.

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 And I think my answer is probably going to be Miami.

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 And people are going to maybe like it.

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 I just think you've got to reward the 31.

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 Oh, I agree.

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 You only play in the league you're playing.

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 The only issue with Auburn, Auburn has all the metrics, though.

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 Yeah.

168
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 Like we can say they have the strength.

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 If they go out and win today, that is really going to amp up this conversation because the committee's in a –

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 I'm not the committee chairman, and I just kind of laugh it off.

171
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 It'll be a very serious decision for them, I think.

172
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 Let me ask you about Michigan State, about two things.

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 You have raised Michigan State, elevated them to your number two seed.

174
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 Izzo is amazing this time of the year.

175
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 25 and 6, 15 and 5, and I'll put both of these together.

176
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 There is scuttlebutt that Bill South of Kansas is going to, quote,

177
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 retire at the end of the season because of health issues,

178
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 and he's had quite a few the last two or three years.

179
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 And Tom Izzo may be looking at retiring this year.

180
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 What have you heard about both?

181
00:11:23,140 --> 00:11:28,280
 So if I can't speculate on health, but to your point, Brent, that's been a thing, right?

182
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 Like that – this is – and you wish for his well-being.

183
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 He's a h*** of a – or a h*** of a football coach, basketball coach.

184
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 He's one of the best.

185
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 Yeah.

186
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 Same deal with his – his own 71 years old, and I think I made a remark from the couch one night this week

187
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 or this year where I was like down, crouched in the stance, and the intensity was there.

188
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 And I told my son, I was like, I'm not doing that when I'm 71.

189
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 I'm like, you know, like I'm probably going to enjoy all the money I've piled up

190
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 and, you know, maybe be an ambassador for the program, which speaks to the highest level of respect I have for Tom Izzo.

191
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 I love him as a coach.

192
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 I borrowed in the youth sports stuff, I borrowed a lot of his philosophy.

193
00:12:12,780 --> 00:12:17,600
 You know, like I let my players yell at me a little bit as long as they have a case, you know?

194
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 Like, I love that about him because I know he loves his players and his players love him.

195
00:12:24,560 --> 00:12:26,440
 And we'll see how they do in the tournament.

196
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 I hope he hangs around a little bit longer, though.

197
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 He's one of the best.

198
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 Alabama fans better hope he does because that's one job I think Mr. Oates would look at.

199
00:12:35,040 --> 00:12:36,280
 He's got strong roots there.

200
00:12:36,340 --> 00:12:37,360
 But let me ask you this.

201
00:12:38,140 --> 00:12:42,540
 The NCC reportedly is pushing for increased autonomy.

202
00:12:42,780 --> 00:12:44,600
 They call it potential in-house regulation.

203
00:12:44,600 --> 00:12:46,380
 I think it's in governance.

204
00:12:47,160 --> 00:12:50,960
 Basically, NCAA, you guys are trying to do this and do that.

205
00:12:51,440 --> 00:12:52,700
 We write a lot of checks.

206
00:12:52,880 --> 00:12:59,800
 Why do we want to surrender all that money and control to you when we basically are making a lot of money with your friends there in Big Ten country?

207
00:12:59,940 --> 00:13:02,360
 What's the likelihood of this happening with Greg Sankey?

208
00:13:03,020 --> 00:13:04,460
 Is he barking or biting?

209
00:13:06,380 --> 00:13:09,480
 You know, I heard you say that at the top.

210
00:13:09,480 --> 00:13:17,840
 I just think the SEC and the Big Ten wield so much power and they have a point because of the revenue that both of those conferences drive.

211
00:13:18,480 --> 00:13:20,200
 And let's be honest, interest.

212
00:13:20,540 --> 00:13:24,020
 I know those two conferences go back and forth a little bit.

213
00:13:24,120 --> 00:13:25,700
 We go back and forth a little bit.

214
00:13:25,960 --> 00:13:30,120
 But they drive the most funny, the most TV ratings, the most interest, all that stuff.

215
00:13:30,120 --> 00:13:39,460
 So, being stagnant probably isn't the one I think, and Greg Sankey is, in my opinion, the most influential commissioner we have.

216
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 So, I hope it's done right.

217
00:13:43,140 --> 00:13:46,460
 You know, and I hope whatever they present, I don't want to see everybody break up.

218
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 I like college football the way it is.

219
00:13:48,020 --> 00:13:50,720
 But I understand there's certain things with them that they have to do.

220
00:13:52,160 --> 00:13:52,600
 Absolutely.

221
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 Well, listen, we will let you get back to doing what you've got to do, including talking about that first loss of the season for Miami of Ohio.

222
00:14:01,340 --> 00:14:02,320
 And I agree with you.

223
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 When you're 31-1, you deserve to be in the tournament.

224
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 Enjoy the weekend.

225
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 The selection show won the best hours of the year.

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 I know you can have the absolute latest Sunday and first next week.

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 Where can we get online to get all your great stuff?

228
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 Well, your headline first from my editor, Miami of Ohio versus Auburn basketball records.

229
00:14:23,260 --> 00:14:25,400
 I was just going to make you two guys write that one.

230
00:14:25,460 --> 00:14:26,080
 Thank you.

231
00:14:27,260 --> 00:14:29,980
 But you can find that at Sporting News here in about an hour.

232
00:14:30,140 --> 00:14:34,660
 Thank you so much for having me on, and we can go over my perfect bracket next week.

233
00:14:34,980 --> 00:14:35,460
 There you go.

234
00:14:35,600 --> 00:14:38,900
 Yeah, and you're not in any trouble down here with your answer, Bill.

235
00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:40,820
 Just so you know, you're out of jail.

236
00:14:41,040 --> 00:14:44,400
 So, listen, good luck with the article, and have a good March Madness week.

237
00:14:44,420 --> 00:14:44,960
 Okay, Bill?

238
00:14:46,120 --> 00:14:46,680
 I will, guys.

239
00:14:46,680 --> 00:14:47,320
 You guys are the best.

240
00:14:47,420 --> 00:14:47,920
 Thanks so much for having me.

241
00:14:47,920 --> 00:14:52,420
 Bill Bender, National Voice with the Sporting News.

242
00:14:52,860 --> 00:14:55,720
 No unbeaten teams in the last 10 minutes.

243
00:14:55,900 --> 00:15:00,440
 That document has been signed, sealed, delivered, and Stevie Wonder didn't even say it.

244
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 Kevin Scarbestia, a lot to say with the hardwoods and March Madness.

245
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 He's on deck.

246
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 Stay with us here on the Boomo Bugg Show.

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 The Florence Kiwanis Club is having their 74th annual Pancake Day Friday, March 13th from

312
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 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday, March 14th from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Florence Lauderdale

313
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314
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 Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door, $9 for bundles of 10 or more, or $6 for children

315
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316
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 Tickets are available at Florence locations of Bank Independent.

317
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 For more information, check out Kiwanis Club of Florence AL on Facebook.

318
00:19:09,740 --> 00:19:17,120
 Welcome back in.

319
00:19:17,120 --> 00:19:17,580
 Welcome back in.

320
00:19:17,580 --> 00:19:23,020
 He's got a wall full of awards there at the Birmingham NewsAL.com.

321
00:19:23,080 --> 00:19:25,680
 Also award-winning speaker, TV host.

322
00:19:25,680 --> 00:19:29,820
 And if you saw anything with the Alabama High School Athletic Association when it came to

323
00:19:29,820 --> 00:19:32,100
 the postseason, football, basketball, you name it.

324
00:19:32,560 --> 00:19:33,340
 You've seen him.

325
00:19:33,400 --> 00:19:33,840
 You've heard him.

326
00:19:33,900 --> 00:19:35,140
 And here's a chance to do it again.

327
00:19:35,280 --> 00:19:36,740
 Kevin Scarbinsky, welcome in.

328
00:19:36,820 --> 00:19:37,520
 How are you?

329
00:19:39,660 --> 00:19:40,620
 I'm good, guys.

330
00:19:40,640 --> 00:19:41,340
 How are you doing today?

331
00:19:41,600 --> 00:19:41,920
 You're good.

332
00:19:42,080 --> 00:19:42,920
 Man, we're doing all right.

333
00:19:43,020 --> 00:19:47,940
 Kevin, is it true that you've got one eye on Nashville and the other one on us?

334
00:19:48,380 --> 00:19:53,960
 I understand that Kentucky right now is catching a late case of cat scratch fever.

335
00:19:54,100 --> 00:19:54,920
 They lead Missouri.

336
00:19:55,000 --> 00:19:55,640
 What's the score on?

337
00:19:55,700 --> 00:19:56,980
 What's the latest on that one, Brett Beaird?

338
00:19:57,480 --> 00:19:59,180
 37 to 26.

339
00:19:59,180 --> 00:20:03,680
 Kentucky is winning the cat fight in day two of the SEC tournament.

340
00:20:03,900 --> 00:20:05,260
 Kevin, would you agree with that?

341
00:20:05,340 --> 00:20:08,440
 And are you shocked at all that Kentucky is living up with a name on their jersey?

342
00:20:11,140 --> 00:20:12,460
 Kind of, sort of.

343
00:20:12,780 --> 00:20:18,240
 I mean, this is a mid-Kentucky team, but they have won some big games.

344
00:20:18,780 --> 00:20:22,520
 So you don't know what you're going to get from one outing to the next.

345
00:20:23,180 --> 00:20:26,320
 And so far in this first half, they've looked really good.

346
00:20:27,080 --> 00:20:28,660
 And Missouri is the same way.

347
00:20:28,840 --> 00:20:33,140
 You know, Missouri is one of those SEC teams that should they lose today,

348
00:20:33,140 --> 00:20:38,340
 they can't feel real comfortable between now and Sunday on whether they're going to get in

349
00:20:38,340 --> 00:20:39,360
 or where they might go.

350
00:20:39,560 --> 00:20:44,080
 So there's a lot to play for in Nashville, maybe a little more so than usual.

351
00:20:44,800 --> 00:20:45,840
 Let me ask you this.

352
00:20:45,920 --> 00:20:50,760
 I don't know if you caught the latest news, but they're rolling Toomer's Corner right now.

353
00:20:51,200 --> 00:20:53,500
 Miami of Ohio lost.

354
00:20:54,380 --> 00:20:56,440
 Bruce Pearl, as I'm sure, is celebrating.

355
00:20:57,140 --> 00:20:58,120
 Kevin, your thoughts.

356
00:20:58,260 --> 00:20:59,300
 Auburn won yesterday.

357
00:20:59,540 --> 00:21:01,640
 They still got some business to do today.

358
00:21:02,360 --> 00:21:09,780
 Your thoughts about the White Ops there and your take on this Auburn team now and going forward under Stephen Pearl.

359
00:21:10,920 --> 00:21:15,800
 Well, I think you got caught up in Bruce Pearl's about face when it comes to Miami.

360
00:21:16,300 --> 00:21:22,160
 It's actually bad news for Auburn because now they're – I think Miami's getting in.

361
00:21:22,380 --> 00:21:23,100
 I really do.

362
00:21:23,780 --> 00:21:29,600
 So that means another team from the – whoever wins the tournament there is going to get in.

363
00:21:30,120 --> 00:21:32,800
 So that's a potential bid stealer.

364
00:21:32,920 --> 00:21:38,140
 You know, Akron has put together a very good season, but I don't know that they would have gotten in that large.

365
00:21:38,720 --> 00:21:44,300
 So the real question becomes, you know, who wins the MAAC and does Miami get in?

366
00:21:44,360 --> 00:21:49,300
 And most people seem to think the sentiment is whether they're in the first four or not,

367
00:21:49,380 --> 00:21:50,660
 they're going to be in the field.

368
00:21:51,140 --> 00:21:53,440
 So there's going to be a bid stealer out of the MAAC.

369
00:21:53,580 --> 00:21:59,060
 And while Auburn could have felt good because all these other bubble teams kept falling by the wayside yesterday,

370
00:21:59,720 --> 00:22:03,620
 now with this happening and you know what else is going to happen elsewhere,

371
00:22:04,180 --> 00:22:07,500
 it puts a little more pressure on the Tigers to beat Tennessee today.

372
00:22:08,600 --> 00:22:16,540
 Auburn looked better yesterday, played with more intensity, ended up beating Mississippi State 79-61.

373
00:22:16,820 --> 00:22:20,920
 State kind of fell apart in the last five minutes of that game.

374
00:22:20,920 --> 00:22:22,960
 They played a little better defense.

375
00:22:23,700 --> 00:22:26,160
 Tennessee is a different animal, pardon the pun.

376
00:22:26,360 --> 00:22:29,700
 Nate Amien, according to reports, will play.

377
00:22:30,440 --> 00:22:31,840
 Tennessee is very physical.

378
00:22:32,260 --> 00:22:34,940
 They're going to slow you down and try to beat you up.

379
00:22:35,680 --> 00:22:38,740
 Your thoughts, Auburn and Tennessee, this afternoon.

380
00:22:41,100 --> 00:22:45,420
 Well, I thought it was encouraging as you, especially in the second half,

381
00:22:45,520 --> 00:22:48,860
 Auburn played some of the best basketball we've seen from them in a while.

382
00:22:49,800 --> 00:22:52,500
 And they played at a different level of intensity.

383
00:22:53,200 --> 00:22:55,340
 They were more efficient on offense.

384
00:22:55,740 --> 00:22:57,520
 They did a nice job on defense.

385
00:22:58,220 --> 00:23:04,460
 They did a nice job denying Josh Hubbard the ball after he lit them up in Starkville a couple of weeks ago.

386
00:23:05,340 --> 00:23:08,580
 As you said, Tennessee is a very deep opponent, very physical.

387
00:23:08,860 --> 00:23:10,660
 They're going to get on the offensive glass.

388
00:23:11,120 --> 00:23:17,420
 You better bring intensity and you better go to the boards with wild abandon because Tennessee is going to do that.

389
00:23:17,860 --> 00:23:21,260
 They don't shoot it great, but they don't have it because they can go and get it when they miss it.

390
00:23:21,460 --> 00:23:28,740
 And the real question is going to be how healthy he meant, how effective can he be, how many minutes can he play.

391
00:23:29,460 --> 00:23:33,240
 And so it's imperative for Auburn to put a lot of pressure on him.

392
00:23:33,940 --> 00:23:40,000
 And he's a different player than Josh Hubbard, of course, much taller and leaner, but a dangerous scorer.

393
00:23:40,420 --> 00:23:45,920
 But try to deny him as much as possible and just be physical.

394
00:23:46,040 --> 00:23:51,700
 Because if you don't match Tennessee's physicality, you don't have much of a chance to beat the Vols.

395
00:23:51,760 --> 00:23:52,720
 That's the way they play.

396
00:23:52,900 --> 00:23:56,860
 That's the system that Rick Barnes believes in and has implemented.

397
00:23:57,060 --> 00:24:00,180
 And they play it as close to perfection as possible.

398
00:24:00,400 --> 00:24:05,500
 So this one seems like it'll be more of a dogfight, more of a mud wrestling match.

399
00:24:05,740 --> 00:24:08,140
 And that's not the preferred way to play.

400
00:24:08,540 --> 00:24:12,020
 But they better get comfortable with it today if they're going to win this game.

401
00:24:12,960 --> 00:24:15,720
 Check out Kevin Scarbinsky also with the podcast.

402
00:24:15,960 --> 00:24:17,180
 Skarbo knows.

403
00:24:17,320 --> 00:24:18,120
 Highly recommend it.

404
00:24:18,660 --> 00:24:21,420
 Your thoughts about the other team that's doing pretty well, too.

405
00:24:22,200 --> 00:24:25,440
 Kevin, you've covered a lot of basketball in this state over the years.

406
00:24:25,960 --> 00:24:29,260
 Are folks starting to take Nate Oates' resume for granted?

407
00:24:29,460 --> 00:24:33,760
 He's number two seed again, which means they get to kick back and watch everybody scramble

408
00:24:33,760 --> 00:24:38,820
 and potentially be taking on a team that's going to be playing three games in three days,

409
00:24:38,920 --> 00:24:40,060
 certainly two in two days.

410
00:24:40,500 --> 00:24:43,600
 Your thoughts about where Alabama is coming in?

411
00:24:45,600 --> 00:24:48,300
 I think that's a great observation, Harold.

412
00:24:48,300 --> 00:24:56,320
 That people are just, they've just come to expect under Nate Oates that Alabama is not going to have to sweat on Selection Sunday.

413
00:24:56,660 --> 00:24:58,480
 They have not, not one time.

414
00:24:58,600 --> 00:25:04,780
 Even the year that they had double-digit losses in 2022, not to maybe, you know, put the first year aside.

415
00:25:05,280 --> 00:25:08,680
 Every year since then, even that year they were a sixth seed.

416
00:25:09,020 --> 00:25:12,000
 Now they got knocked out in the first round by Notre Dame, and Javon Quinterly got hurt.

417
00:25:12,000 --> 00:25:17,500
 But they have not had to worry on Selection Sunday, and they have played on Friday.

418
00:25:18,100 --> 00:25:23,060
 Now, every year since 2023 in the SEC tournament, which means you're in the top four.

419
00:25:23,500 --> 00:25:24,700
 So I think I'm right about that.

420
00:25:24,800 --> 00:25:27,400
 There might have been one when they were five or so.

421
00:25:28,040 --> 00:25:28,860
 Am I right on that?

422
00:25:29,040 --> 00:25:31,380
 I've lost my train of thought there for a second.

423
00:25:32,060 --> 00:25:36,920
 No, they have, and this might be one of Nate Oates' best coaching jobs.

424
00:25:37,420 --> 00:25:45,400
 It hasn't been, too many people have talked too much about Charles Bediaco, and of course, some of that's on Alabama for allowing him to play the games that he did.

425
00:25:45,760 --> 00:25:52,640
 However, the number of injuries that they've had to withstand, the number of guys, key guys in the rotation that have missed games.

426
00:25:53,340 --> 00:25:56,360
 The first game they played Tennessee, they had two starters out.

427
00:25:57,240 --> 00:26:08,140
 So the job that Nate Oates has done this year is as good as any job he's done there, and they are very dangerous because we all know how important guards are in March.

428
00:26:08,560 --> 00:26:14,220
 They tend to control games, and nobody has a better collection of guards than Alabama does.

429
00:26:14,580 --> 00:26:16,360
 Let me ask you quickly about Nate Oates.

430
00:26:16,440 --> 00:26:17,960
 He had an interesting observation.

431
00:26:18,360 --> 00:26:24,360
 Alabama and Darbar lost out on what many consider, in our neck of the woods, a generational player this week, Caleb Holt.

432
00:26:24,400 --> 00:26:25,640
 He took the money from Arizona.

433
00:26:25,760 --> 00:26:26,720
 It's a business decision.

434
00:26:27,380 --> 00:26:28,880
 But obviously, Alabama was in.

435
00:26:28,940 --> 00:26:30,660
 The question is, how big is the check going to be?

436
00:26:30,780 --> 00:26:39,540
 And Nate, he said, here's his quote, with the money that's going to be delivered through both RevShare and NIL Go, we're in as good a place as anybody in the country.

437
00:26:39,540 --> 00:26:44,740
 You look at Alabama's payroll, and did we ever think we'd be saying that in this modern era legally?

438
00:26:45,200 --> 00:26:49,080
 They're down near the bottom, Kentucky $22 million, Alabama $8 to $10 million.

439
00:26:49,140 --> 00:26:52,600
 So they're spending anywhere from two to three times what Alabama is.

440
00:26:52,660 --> 00:27:00,700
 Your thoughts about Nate Oates is something that may not be given enough consideration here, and that's his ability to evaluate talent and close deals on a value.

441
00:27:03,000 --> 00:27:15,100
 That's interesting that he spent so much time with Bass so much yesterday about Alabama's commitment and their financial commitment, and he was very positive in discussing it, as you said.

442
00:27:15,860 --> 00:27:20,960
 And I've heard him talk about a number of occasions that they are not out.

443
00:27:21,060 --> 00:27:25,160
 They're not going to be the highest bidder, for the most part, on any player.

444
00:27:25,660 --> 00:27:29,940
 But they're going to emphasize that they play an NBA style.

445
00:27:30,140 --> 00:27:33,220
 You want to get to the NBA, there's no better place to do it.

446
00:27:33,900 --> 00:27:35,520
 You're going to play a fun style.

447
00:27:35,660 --> 00:27:36,360
 You're going to win.

448
00:27:36,700 --> 00:27:38,120
 You're going to be in the NCAA tournament.

449
00:27:38,340 --> 00:27:39,740
 You're going to compete for championships.

450
00:27:40,740 --> 00:27:49,300
 So they're looking for guys that are more interested in developing as players and as people than they are guys that want to get to back now.

451
00:27:49,300 --> 00:27:52,680
 That's why Mo Diabona was playing in Kentucky this year, not in Alabama.

452
00:27:54,240 --> 00:27:55,920
 Alabama is a perfect example.

453
00:27:56,400 --> 00:27:59,540
 He went back to them two or three times last year and asked for more.

454
00:28:00,180 --> 00:28:02,120
 And the first couple of times, they bumped him up.

455
00:28:02,420 --> 00:28:04,620
 But the final time, I can't remember the exact number.

456
00:28:05,020 --> 00:28:07,900
 The final time, they said, look, you just go ahead.

457
00:28:08,360 --> 00:28:10,560
 We're not raising you anymore.

458
00:28:11,120 --> 00:28:11,880
 We've done all.

459
00:28:12,080 --> 00:28:15,580
 We're giving you everything we can, and that's all we can do.

460
00:28:15,720 --> 00:28:19,240
 So if you'd rather, you know, look, if the money is the most important thing to you, go ahead.

461
00:28:19,860 --> 00:28:22,340
 And who's had a better season this year, Kentucky or Alabama?

462
00:28:22,920 --> 00:28:23,560
 Pretty simple.

463
00:28:23,840 --> 00:28:26,780
 Who's 4-0 against Kentucky since tomorrow?

464
00:28:27,060 --> 00:28:27,700
 That's right.

465
00:28:27,740 --> 00:28:28,280
 That would be Nate.

466
00:28:28,280 --> 00:28:29,260
 Who's playing on Friday?

467
00:28:30,700 --> 00:28:31,240
 That's right.

468
00:28:32,560 --> 00:28:34,200
 Kentucky, hey, think about this, guys.

469
00:28:34,600 --> 00:28:42,120
 Kentucky, if they win today to get to tomorrow, Kentucky will have played three games in the SEC tournament before Alabama plays its first game.

470
00:28:42,740 --> 00:28:43,320
 That's right.

471
00:28:44,600 --> 00:28:47,060
 You had a very good article earlier this week.

472
00:28:47,580 --> 00:28:48,920
 Forget Bruce Pearl.

473
00:28:49,100 --> 00:28:51,520
 Can Stephen Pearl keep up with Nate Oates?

474
00:28:51,520 --> 00:28:55,600
 And you'd win a lot of bar bets if you ask a trivia question.

475
00:28:55,800 --> 00:29:02,820
 Since Nate Oates walked in the door at Alabama, he has earned the most overall wins, 168.

476
00:29:03,240 --> 00:29:06,600
 Most SEC regular season wins with 88.

477
00:29:07,400 --> 00:29:10,980
 Most SEC tournament wins, seven tied with Tennessee.

478
00:29:11,740 --> 00:29:13,940
 And here's one, here's the kicker to me.

479
00:29:14,380 --> 00:29:20,280
 The most NCAA tournament wins of any program in the SEC, 11, that's Nate Oates.

480
00:29:20,740 --> 00:29:20,980
 Wow.

481
00:29:21,980 --> 00:29:24,840
 Yeah, that's, I think that captures it right there.

482
00:29:25,400 --> 00:29:32,580
 And when I say things like that, fans jump up and say, but wait a minute, we won a national championship last year.

483
00:29:32,680 --> 00:29:33,980
 Alabama has yet to do that.

484
00:29:34,320 --> 00:29:36,420
 And yes, of course, that's the ultimate.

485
00:29:36,980 --> 00:29:39,660
 So you have to give Todd the edge in that department.

486
00:29:39,820 --> 00:29:43,060
 Todd Golden hasn't been in the league for seven years like Nate Oates has.

487
00:29:43,660 --> 00:29:45,900
 And so he hasn't done it for as long.

488
00:29:46,560 --> 00:29:49,440
 Pretty remarkable collection of achievements.

489
00:29:49,860 --> 00:30:01,960
 To be number one in the SEC at a time when the SEC has raised its game in basketball and is as good as it's been, Alabama's been the best over the last seven years.

490
00:30:01,960 --> 00:30:03,700
 And that says a lot about Nate Oates.

491
00:30:04,320 --> 00:30:18,340
 And that's why he can feel so comfortable, I think, in his approach and not worry about having the biggest NIL fund to throw money at top recruits like Caleb Holtz, who, look, who's a great player.

492
00:30:18,440 --> 00:30:21,860
 I mean, we saw him in high school win two state titles with Buckhorn.

493
00:30:22,300 --> 00:30:24,440
 But, you know, Arizona had another advantage there.

494
00:30:24,880 --> 00:30:31,720
 Tommy Lloyd, their head coach, coached Caleb on the Team USA under-19 team in the World Cup last year.

495
00:30:31,980 --> 00:30:34,740
 So he got to spend a lot of time with him last summer.

496
00:30:35,240 --> 00:30:36,840
 And look, Arizona's a great program.

497
00:30:37,440 --> 00:30:39,180
 I'm sure he can do fantastic there.

498
00:30:39,340 --> 00:30:41,020
 He's an incredible player.

499
00:30:41,440 --> 00:30:43,180
 But he also would have been in an incredible Alabama.

500
00:30:43,180 --> 00:30:47,820
 But we all know he didn't mind leaving the state to go play his last two years of high school in Georgia and Florida.

501
00:30:48,860 --> 00:30:51,040
 But anyway, back to your original point, though.

502
00:30:51,360 --> 00:30:53,400
 Nate Oates has done a fantastic job at Alabama.

503
00:30:54,160 --> 00:30:57,220
 And hopefully for their sake, he'll stick around a while.

504
00:30:57,600 --> 00:30:59,400
 He's going to get some offers to go elsewhere.

505
00:31:00,420 --> 00:31:06,280
 I've always said the NBA would be the most likely next step for him because that's the way he coaches.

506
00:31:06,600 --> 00:31:08,300
 He has so many friends in that league.

507
00:31:08,460 --> 00:31:13,560
 But he still seems determined that he wants to do the one thing Alabama has not done.

508
00:31:13,800 --> 00:31:15,780
 And that's win a national championship in basketball.

509
00:31:15,960 --> 00:31:17,700
 I think he gives them the best chance to do that.

510
00:31:19,040 --> 00:31:21,820
 Harold alluded to this at the beginning of the segment.

511
00:31:21,820 --> 00:31:24,000
 But we're biased about this.

512
00:31:24,280 --> 00:31:28,820
 But congratulations on another excellent job of quarterbacking.

513
00:31:29,520 --> 00:31:31,260
 Maybe that's not the right word.

514
00:31:31,740 --> 00:31:32,480
 The point guard.

515
00:31:32,540 --> 00:31:33,020
 Point guarding.

516
00:31:33,460 --> 00:31:34,400
 There we go.

517
00:31:35,280 --> 00:31:39,660
 The final four coverage on Alabama public TV.

518
00:31:40,660 --> 00:31:41,880
 The camera work.

519
00:31:42,080 --> 00:31:44,880
 I know it probably takes an army to do this.

520
00:31:45,200 --> 00:31:48,360
 But the games may not have been as competitive this year.

521
00:31:48,480 --> 00:31:50,820
 Some of them, quite frankly, got out of hand.

522
00:31:51,460 --> 00:31:55,840
 But great job by you and your guests throughout the tournament.

523
00:31:56,420 --> 00:31:59,220
 I think it gets better every year as far as the coverage.

524
00:32:00,500 --> 00:32:01,860
 Well, thank you for that.

525
00:32:01,860 --> 00:32:04,600
 And I am part of a great team.

526
00:32:05,100 --> 00:32:09,160
 Vince from WOTM, the AHSAA TV network.

527
00:32:09,760 --> 00:32:11,400
 You know, all the folks that he puts together.

528
00:32:11,540 --> 00:32:13,680
 As you know, it is an army behind the scenes.

529
00:32:13,800 --> 00:32:14,080
 Yes.

530
00:32:14,080 --> 00:32:15,800
 To bring all those great pictures.

531
00:32:16,840 --> 00:32:22,160
 The people that I work with, the producers in my ear, you know, helping me steer the ship.

532
00:32:22,620 --> 00:32:24,320
 And then my co-host, Bart Heitsch.

533
00:32:24,560 --> 00:32:27,240
 Nobody knows more about high school basketball in the States than Bart.

534
00:32:27,320 --> 00:32:28,900
 Of course, he was a great player at Winfield.

535
00:32:29,360 --> 00:32:32,400
 And then went on to Mississippi State and went to the Final Four as a freshman.

536
00:32:33,120 --> 00:32:35,400
 And so, Bart and I have known each other a long time.

537
00:32:35,480 --> 00:32:36,440
 I love working with him.

538
00:32:36,520 --> 00:32:37,560
 His passion for the game.

539
00:32:37,600 --> 00:32:39,760
 But so many people on and off the air.

540
00:32:40,220 --> 00:32:42,100
 And it's a privilege to be able to do that.

541
00:32:42,160 --> 00:32:42,820
 42 games.

542
00:32:42,820 --> 00:32:45,500
 I got to see 42 high school basketball games last week.

543
00:32:45,940 --> 00:32:48,040
 From Monday morning through Saturday evening.

544
00:32:48,660 --> 00:32:52,060
 And while they all weren't competitive, we did have some thrillers.

545
00:32:52,660 --> 00:32:56,560
 Earlier in the week, we were off to a great start with games that were going down the wire.

546
00:32:56,660 --> 00:32:57,980
 Especially in the 1A and 2A.

547
00:32:59,020 --> 00:33:00,900
 We did get some separation later in the week.

548
00:33:01,060 --> 00:33:02,640
 But saw a lot of great players.

549
00:33:02,980 --> 00:33:03,940
 A lot of passion.

550
00:33:04,600 --> 00:33:06,860
 And so many communities, guys.

551
00:33:07,260 --> 00:33:09,440
 Show up to support their teams.

552
00:33:09,900 --> 00:33:14,960
 I don't think there was anybody left in Coleman or Oxford on Saturday when they played the 6A boys' final.

553
00:33:15,040 --> 00:33:18,040
 Folks in Asheville were incredible.

554
00:33:18,740 --> 00:33:19,620
 I mean, we can just go on.

555
00:33:20,040 --> 00:33:22,420
 Gunnersville, their boys and girls both got to the Final Four.

556
00:33:22,520 --> 00:33:23,280
 We could go on and on.

557
00:33:23,660 --> 00:33:30,260
 It's just heartening to see how many people support high school athletics the way people do in the state.

558
00:33:30,320 --> 00:33:31,720
 And I'm just glad to be a small part of it.

559
00:33:32,560 --> 00:33:32,960
 Absolutely.

560
00:33:33,740 --> 00:33:34,920
 Listen, enjoy it.

561
00:33:34,980 --> 00:33:36,760
 This is your time of the year.

562
00:33:36,880 --> 00:33:38,020
 I know that very well.

563
00:33:38,080 --> 00:33:39,940
 As long as we've been talking with you.

564
00:33:40,540 --> 00:33:41,320
 Enjoy it.

565
00:33:41,660 --> 00:33:44,500
 Listen, where can we get online and get all the great stuff?

566
00:33:45,880 --> 00:33:46,280
 Yeah.

567
00:33:46,380 --> 00:33:50,040
 Follow me on X or Twitter if you prefer, at Kevin Scarbinsky.

568
00:33:50,320 --> 00:33:52,800
 You can keep up with my columns in the Birmingham News.

569
00:33:52,920 --> 00:33:55,440
 You can find links to those on AL.com.

570
00:33:55,960 --> 00:33:56,760
 And then go to YouTube.

571
00:33:57,560 --> 00:34:01,360
 My channel is Kevin Scarbinsky-Skarbonos.

572
00:34:01,860 --> 00:34:02,600
 Go ahead and subscribe.

573
00:34:02,760 --> 00:34:03,560
 It doesn't cost anything.

574
00:34:04,020 --> 00:34:05,380
 And you'll get a notice.

575
00:34:05,520 --> 00:34:06,400
 Then I read up a new one.

576
00:34:06,900 --> 00:34:07,560
 I've got one.

577
00:34:07,680 --> 00:34:11,360
 I'm going to try to do some more shorter ones throughout the postseason here in basketball

578
00:34:11,360 --> 00:34:12,700
 to keep up with it.

579
00:34:12,740 --> 00:34:15,540
 Because obviously, it's fast and furious.

580
00:34:16,000 --> 00:34:17,780
 And it's wall-to-wall ball every day here.

581
00:34:17,960 --> 00:34:20,200
 So we're going to be pumping out a few more of those.

582
00:34:20,280 --> 00:34:21,360
 And I hope people will check them out.

583
00:34:22,160 --> 00:34:24,400
 We checked on that comment about Coleman.

584
00:34:24,480 --> 00:34:25,040
 Nobody left.

585
00:34:25,220 --> 00:34:29,700
 Actually, the only people who were left in Coleman last week were the Monks at St. Bernard Monastery.

586
00:34:29,700 --> 00:34:31,980
 So we'll try to confirm that next time we talk.

587
00:34:32,100 --> 00:34:32,580
 Okay, Kevin?

588
00:34:34,140 --> 00:34:35,980
 I think you're probably spot on there.

589
00:34:37,680 --> 00:34:39,560
 Kevin Scarbinsky-Skarbonos.

590
00:34:39,560 --> 00:34:42,620
 Check them out amongst other places at Skarbos.

591
00:34:43,360 --> 00:34:47,840
 Coming up, can Tennessee spoil the party for the Auburn Tigers?

592
00:34:47,960 --> 00:34:48,920
 Ryan Callahan next.

593
00:34:49,020 --> 00:34:49,540
 Stay with us.

594
00:34:54,220 --> 00:34:56,840
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595
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602
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603
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604
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608
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609
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610
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622
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623
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649
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 Progressive presents the Sports Flash on 93-9.

650
00:38:02,680 --> 00:38:03,280
 The score.

651
00:38:03,900 --> 00:38:04,780
 Spring training baseball.

652
00:38:04,940 --> 00:38:06,940
 The Braves beat the Rays 5-3.

653
00:38:07,060 --> 00:38:09,240
 Braves are 12-4-2 in spring training.

654
00:38:09,640 --> 00:38:14,180
 The Atlanta Braves are set to play again today as they meet the Pittsburgh Pirates.

655
00:38:14,720 --> 00:38:18,280
 USA advances to the quarterfinals of the World Baseball Classic.

656
00:38:18,440 --> 00:38:20,880
 They're set to take on Canada tomorrow.

657
00:38:21,200 --> 00:38:22,960
 SEC tournament yesterday.

658
00:38:23,140 --> 00:38:26,020
 Auburn beat Mississippi State 79-61.

659
00:38:26,260 --> 00:38:28,100
 Auburn will play today against Tennessee.

660
00:38:28,380 --> 00:38:31,260
 Georgia Bulldogs in action today against Ole Miss.

661
00:38:31,620 --> 00:38:35,880
 Bundle auto and home, renters or condo, and save with Progressive.

662
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 I'm John Thayer with the Sports Flash presented by Progressive on 93-9, the score.

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 Why'd I go to the doctor?

664
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665
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675
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676
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677
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678
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685
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 The Score.

686
00:39:48,660 --> 00:39:53,400
 Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score.

687
00:39:53,940 --> 00:39:54,220
 The Score.

688
00:39:54,220 --> 00:39:55,000
 Welcome back in.

689
00:39:55,120 --> 00:39:57,080
 All eyes in the SEC.

690
00:39:57,520 --> 00:39:59,460
 Going to be on the states of Tennessee.

691
00:39:59,620 --> 00:40:01,180
 Where we take you next with Ryan Callahan.

692
00:40:01,320 --> 00:40:04,780
 Speaking of which, he covers the Tennessee Vols at what better place?

693
00:40:04,880 --> 00:40:06,260
 Go Vols 24-7.

694
00:40:06,400 --> 00:40:07,240
 Ryan, welcome in.

695
00:40:07,280 --> 00:40:07,820
 How are you?

696
00:40:08,600 --> 00:40:08,960
 Hey, guys.

697
00:40:09,020 --> 00:40:09,360
 Doing well.

698
00:40:09,380 --> 00:40:09,660
 How are you?

699
00:40:10,020 --> 00:40:10,320
 Hey, Ben.

700
00:40:10,720 --> 00:40:13,860
 We're assuming you don't have a tea time for this afternoon, do you?

701
00:40:13,860 --> 00:40:15,200
 You're probably going to be busy, right?

702
00:40:16,380 --> 00:40:17,380
 A little busy.

703
00:40:17,500 --> 00:40:21,640
 Tennessee getting ready to play at the SEC tournament opener against Auburn.

704
00:40:21,880 --> 00:40:25,260
 Yeah, I'm not in Nashville today, but we'll obviously be tracking that one.

705
00:40:25,260 --> 00:40:28,640
 And Ben McKee is over there for us covering that one in Nashville.

706
00:40:28,880 --> 00:40:32,060
 So, yeah, it should be a fun one and pretty interesting to see, you know,

707
00:40:32,100 --> 00:40:34,660
 kind of how this Tennessee team can respond after, you know,

708
00:40:34,740 --> 00:40:36,720
 a bit of a tough stretch run to the regular season.

709
00:40:37,300 --> 00:40:38,120
 What do you think?

710
00:40:38,160 --> 00:40:39,860
 You've got, obviously, time's going to tell.

711
00:40:39,900 --> 00:40:43,020
 Auburn's going to have to be playing like their hair's on fire.

712
00:40:43,240 --> 00:40:46,980
 They got news today that Miami of Ohio lost.

713
00:40:47,420 --> 00:40:50,860
 And we were talking with a guy who knows basketball in this state and by as well as anybody anywhere.

714
00:40:50,860 --> 00:40:54,080
 You may know Kevin Scarbinsky, and he brought up a very good point.

715
00:40:54,080 --> 00:41:00,640
 He said in some ways that's bad for Auburn because if Miami gets in, then that means the conference

716
00:41:00,640 --> 00:41:03,460
 champion also gets in and eats up two spots.

717
00:41:03,760 --> 00:41:05,600
 Auburn right now is fighting for one.

718
00:41:05,840 --> 00:41:10,640
 So, the point is, you know, Auburn's going to come in throwing everything they've got at Tennessee.

719
00:41:11,280 --> 00:41:13,560
 What do you see in this matchup this afternoon?

720
00:41:14,460 --> 00:41:18,940
 Yeah, as you said, I think Auburn's got to play with a lot of desperation.

721
00:41:19,480 --> 00:41:27,020
 You know, the big key for Tennessee and the big question has been, will Nate Ament be back for the Vols in this game?

722
00:41:27,100 --> 00:41:32,460
 He's been banged up down the stretch, dealing with what Rick Barnes has described as a high ankle sprain.

723
00:41:32,460 --> 00:41:37,620
 But, you know, it sounded like, you know, despite that, the severity that often can come with that injury,

724
00:41:37,800 --> 00:41:41,940
 that, you know, the road to recovery has not been that long.

725
00:41:41,940 --> 00:41:46,620
 And it sounded like all along that he was, you know, not going to be out in an extended period of time.

726
00:41:46,620 --> 00:41:48,060
 And it sounds like he's going to play today.

727
00:41:48,160 --> 00:41:53,040
 Now, the big question is on what level and how much and how effective will he be?

728
00:41:53,900 --> 00:41:55,280
 And will he re-aggravate it?

729
00:41:55,380 --> 00:41:58,920
 That's the type of injury you've got to worry about that all the time.

730
00:41:58,920 --> 00:42:02,940
 If he comes down funny on it just one time, it could throw off the rest of the game.

731
00:42:03,100 --> 00:42:06,280
 So I think Tennessee feels good knowing he's going to be out there.

732
00:42:06,560 --> 00:42:12,300
 And they feel good about their chances of matching up well with Auburn based on the way they played in the regular season.

733
00:42:12,620 --> 00:42:17,820
 So, you know, but again, you're going to be facing an Auburn team that you know has everything to play for

734
00:42:17,820 --> 00:42:23,780
 and a lot of reason to want to play a lot better than they did the last time they faced the Vols.

735
00:42:23,780 --> 00:42:28,440
 So I think this is a fascinating matchup and obviously a dangerous one for Tennessee.

736
00:42:28,560 --> 00:42:31,000
 And that's your typical 12th seed in the SEC tournament.

737
00:42:31,160 --> 00:42:32,720
 You know, this league's gotten so much better.

738
00:42:33,040 --> 00:42:37,000
 Not often we see a 12th seed as quality of an opponent as Auburn is.

739
00:42:37,040 --> 00:42:40,860
 And that's obviously a team capable of beating Tennessee, especially if they don't play that well.

740
00:42:41,960 --> 00:42:45,100
 Amari Evans came in to really help Tennessee.

741
00:42:45,340 --> 00:42:51,080
 As you mentioned, they lost to Vanny, but Evans scored 24 points trying to make up for it.

742
00:42:51,080 --> 00:42:55,120
 J.P. Estrella started scoring late.

743
00:42:55,760 --> 00:43:01,200
 Steven Pearl, the head coach at Auburn, keeps saying that they're going to check our manhood.

744
00:43:02,020 --> 00:43:05,840
 And everybody knows Tennessee's very physical and particularly in the paint.

745
00:43:06,440 --> 00:43:08,900
 Jacoby Gillespie's had a good year.

746
00:43:09,100 --> 00:43:13,700
 Akpara was one of the all-SEC selections.

747
00:43:14,480 --> 00:43:20,880
 But we've talked with you for years about Tennessee in the postseason with their offensive lulls.

748
00:43:20,880 --> 00:43:26,400
 And I know that's something that they work on all the time.

749
00:43:27,040 --> 00:43:33,640
 Your thoughts on can Tennessee keep it up offensively and will they check Auburn's manhood in the paint?

750
00:43:34,440 --> 00:43:36,760
 Yes, I mean, this is a Tennessee team.

751
00:43:36,940 --> 00:43:38,540
 They're known for that, as you said.

752
00:43:38,660 --> 00:43:40,580
 They're going to play with some physicality.

753
00:43:40,700 --> 00:43:42,920
 Rick Barnes kind of demands that defensively.

754
00:43:43,340 --> 00:43:46,260
 And they've got the bodies to throw at you in the paint.

755
00:43:46,420 --> 00:43:50,860
 That's the thing about them that makes them a difficult matchup in addition to, you know,

756
00:43:50,900 --> 00:43:54,260
 kind of their go-to guys in Jacoby Gillespie and Nate Amon.

757
00:43:54,260 --> 00:43:59,100
 They've got those bodies in the paint to throw at you and a pretty good rotation in there.

758
00:43:59,520 --> 00:44:03,100
 And they can play a more guard-oriented lineup if they need to as well.

759
00:44:03,260 --> 00:44:05,680
 But what they do best is kind of that bigger lineup.

760
00:44:06,360 --> 00:44:10,020
 And they're tough to match up with when those guys are playing well.

761
00:44:10,280 --> 00:44:12,480
 But those are big wild cards, though.

762
00:44:12,560 --> 00:44:15,980
 And Jacoby Gillespie, for that matter, has been a big wild card this year.

763
00:44:16,400 --> 00:44:19,080
 So they're a tough team to figure out sometimes.

764
00:44:19,480 --> 00:44:25,040
 I think they kind of found their sweet spot the second half of the season as Amon settled in

765
00:44:25,040 --> 00:44:28,580
 and got up to speed in the second half of his freshman year.

766
00:44:29,140 --> 00:44:30,840
 You know, they sort of found their groove.

767
00:44:30,840 --> 00:44:34,700
 But they've got to have the good version of Jacoby Gillespie.

768
00:44:34,860 --> 00:44:40,060
 He's been a little too turnover-prone at times, been a little too erratic with his shooting at times

769
00:44:40,060 --> 00:44:42,000
 for a first-team all-SEC player.

770
00:44:42,640 --> 00:44:46,960
 You've got to have the version of him that's capable of carrying a team

771
00:44:46,960 --> 00:44:49,740
 if you're going to make any kind of run in the SEC tournament.

772
00:44:49,960 --> 00:44:52,360
 So I think they're a tough matchup.

773
00:44:52,560 --> 00:44:54,680
 Again, their size and size present some problems.

774
00:44:54,800 --> 00:44:58,200
 If J.P. Estrella is that third score that they need to step forward,

775
00:44:58,620 --> 00:45:01,220
 especially they're a very tough team when he's on.

776
00:45:01,740 --> 00:45:05,300
 But, yeah, they're a tricky team to face because they are going to be physical.

777
00:45:05,300 --> 00:45:07,080
 And, you know, they've got some size.

778
00:45:07,180 --> 00:45:09,560
 And they've been able to out-rebound a number of teams this year.

779
00:45:09,920 --> 00:45:11,500
 So you've got to try to beat them on the glass.

780
00:45:11,660 --> 00:45:13,940
 That's what's been one of the keys for their success this year.

781
00:45:14,060 --> 00:45:16,640
 When they're rebounding well, they are a tough team to beat.

782
00:45:16,700 --> 00:45:17,800
 And they've done that a lot this season.

783
00:45:19,980 --> 00:45:20,420
 Absolutely.

784
00:45:20,940 --> 00:45:25,020
 Let me ask you, when you get to this time of the year,

785
00:45:25,120 --> 00:45:27,420
 people start talking about coaches,

786
00:45:27,560 --> 00:45:30,260
 and particularly if they've been at a school for a long time.

787
00:45:30,720 --> 00:45:34,980
 There's chatter about Bill Self retiring at Kansas

788
00:45:34,980 --> 00:45:38,980
 because of some health issues he's experienced the last couple of years.

789
00:45:39,560 --> 00:45:43,440
 Tom Izzo comes up every year, and I think that's the other Big Ten teams.

790
00:45:43,820 --> 00:45:46,820
 But I've heard a little bit more about Rick Barnes.

791
00:45:47,160 --> 00:45:49,220
 You know this program very well.

792
00:45:49,380 --> 00:45:50,220
 You know him.

793
00:45:50,960 --> 00:45:56,500
 Do you still expect Rick to coach for another two or three, four years?

794
00:45:57,100 --> 00:45:59,560
 And I don't know if you've heard this or not.

795
00:45:59,620 --> 00:46:00,640
 You probably have.

796
00:46:01,400 --> 00:46:04,260
 What's the future of Rick Barnes at Tennessee?

797
00:46:05,140 --> 00:46:09,800
 Yeah, you know, he's at the point in his career where you kind of have to treat it

798
00:46:09,800 --> 00:46:13,080
 like it's a year-to-year thing to a degree, but at the same time,

799
00:46:13,140 --> 00:46:17,080
 there's not been a lot of speculation recently that he's on the way out the door.

800
00:46:17,160 --> 00:46:19,980
 And I think the thing that makes it even tougher to read is, you know,

801
00:46:19,980 --> 00:46:24,300
 while there's been a lot of frustration from guys that have left the field

802
00:46:24,300 --> 00:46:27,080
 and guys that have gotten out of college coaching

803
00:46:27,080 --> 00:46:30,260
 because of the frustrations over NIL and the transfer portal,

804
00:46:30,780 --> 00:46:34,320
 he's one of the old-school coaches who's kind of adapted pretty well to this system

805
00:46:34,320 --> 00:46:37,920
 and seems to have almost been rejuvenated by it in some ways,

806
00:46:38,040 --> 00:46:40,440
 despite some of the other coaches' frustration.

807
00:46:41,020 --> 00:46:46,040
 He seems to, you know, I think there's a little bit about the transfer portal

808
00:46:46,040 --> 00:46:51,360
 recruiting world that's easier to accept than it is with high school recruits

809
00:46:51,360 --> 00:46:53,720
 where you might pour three years into recruiting a player

810
00:46:53,720 --> 00:46:56,060
 only to lose them at the finish line sometimes.

811
00:46:56,540 --> 00:46:58,680
 Transfer portal recruiting, it's over in a couple weeks,

812
00:46:58,760 --> 00:47:00,880
 and you move on to the next one if you don't get one.

813
00:47:00,880 --> 00:47:05,780
 So I think it's been a little bit easier for him to manage later in his career,

814
00:47:05,960 --> 00:47:10,780
 and he's adapted well enough to get by and in some cases thrive

815
00:47:10,780 --> 00:47:12,580
 where Tennessee's gotten guys like Dalton Connect

816
00:47:12,580 --> 00:47:14,660
 that have really hit the transfer portal.

817
00:47:14,940 --> 00:47:17,980
 So I think Rick Barnes is not looking to retire.

818
00:47:18,100 --> 00:47:22,000
 Certainly nothing that we've heard on this end suggests he's considering anything this offseason.

819
00:47:22,140 --> 00:47:25,720
 So if I had to guess right now, I think he probably does have at least two, three,

820
00:47:25,860 --> 00:47:27,000
 four years left at Tennessee.

821
00:47:27,160 --> 00:47:30,020
 But again, it's kind of a year-to-year thing at his age,

822
00:47:30,140 --> 00:47:33,460
 and he's the kind of guy that he's got enough other things going on in his life

823
00:47:33,460 --> 00:47:36,020
 that it wouldn't surprise you if one day he just decided to call it quits.

824
00:47:36,100 --> 00:47:39,260
 So right now, no signs of that, and he seems to be doing pretty well overall.

825
00:47:40,060 --> 00:47:42,980
 He can go down to the pilot truck stop again, top off his tank,

826
00:47:43,040 --> 00:47:45,740
 and probably a pretty good deal there if he's running low on fuel.

827
00:47:45,860 --> 00:47:48,760
 But speaking of Tennessee head coaches, your thoughts,

828
00:47:48,900 --> 00:47:50,600
 will Josh Heupel have his way,

829
00:47:51,300 --> 00:47:56,480
 and let's see a 2014 playoff field in college football?

830
00:47:57,480 --> 00:47:59,440
 Boy, I personally hope not.

831
00:47:59,440 --> 00:48:00,420
 I agree.

832
00:48:01,280 --> 00:48:01,680
 Absolutely.

833
00:48:02,200 --> 00:48:07,900
 I mean, there have been such seismic changes in college football over the past five, six years,

834
00:48:08,100 --> 00:48:12,740
 and for that to be something that's even on the table at this point is just wild to me.

835
00:48:12,960 --> 00:48:16,060
 But I just think it would water down the regular season so much.

836
00:48:16,240 --> 00:48:19,480
 But to me, coaches are the worst people to ask this question to,

837
00:48:19,580 --> 00:48:24,700
 but it is interesting to me that we've heard Kirby Smart and Josh Heupel in particular come out

838
00:48:24,700 --> 00:48:27,380
 and say that they're in favor of 2014 playoffs.

839
00:48:27,840 --> 00:48:28,060
 You bet.

840
00:48:29,840 --> 00:48:33,520
 Coaches are always in favor of the idea of expanding the NCAA tournament field too, right?

841
00:48:33,680 --> 00:48:35,100
 It's job security for them.

842
00:48:35,320 --> 00:48:35,920
 Job security.

843
00:48:36,880 --> 00:48:38,940
 They know that's going to be the new bar.

844
00:48:39,100 --> 00:48:42,060
 If you have a 16-team playoff, that is going to be the bar.

845
00:48:42,340 --> 00:48:45,000
 Everyone's going to be expecting you to make the playoff every year.

846
00:48:45,320 --> 00:48:48,120
 And Kirby Smart, you know, he's not a team that's been on the borderline there,

847
00:48:48,180 --> 00:48:49,340
 but they could be in the future.

848
00:48:49,960 --> 00:48:55,240
 And the bottom line is I think they believe a bigger playoff field is going to lead to the SEC

849
00:48:55,240 --> 00:48:59,320
 just packing the field with six or seven teams in a 2014 playoff.

850
00:48:59,400 --> 00:49:01,640
 So Kirby Smart's thinking it's good for business that way.

851
00:49:01,780 --> 00:49:05,020
 So, yeah, I don't know what to make of that.

852
00:49:05,020 --> 00:49:09,380
 I don't know if that means that there's some inevitability to the talk of a 2014 playoff,

853
00:49:09,480 --> 00:49:11,500
 which mostly the SEC is opposed,

854
00:49:12,120 --> 00:49:15,660
 or if that's just coaches kind of looking out for their own self-interest.

855
00:49:15,780 --> 00:49:16,740
 But either way, it's interesting.

856
00:49:17,160 --> 00:49:18,860
 I don't know that he's eventually going to get his way,

857
00:49:18,980 --> 00:49:20,540
 but something's going to have to give here eventually,

858
00:49:20,840 --> 00:49:23,060
 and maybe that is the direction it ends up going.

859
00:49:23,160 --> 00:49:26,060
 I just know coaches are sometimes not the most reliable sources on that

860
00:49:26,060 --> 00:49:27,980
 because they're usually looking out for themselves

861
00:49:27,980 --> 00:49:29,400
 and their own long-term job security.

862
00:49:30,940 --> 00:49:35,440
 There's a rumor Tennessee is going to begin spring football practice here soon.

863
00:49:35,440 --> 00:49:42,100
 Your staff did a very good article talking Tennessee position battles to watch during spring practice.

864
00:49:42,860 --> 00:49:44,860
 And, again, basketball's front and center.

865
00:49:45,020 --> 00:49:46,520
 We know that this time of the year.

866
00:49:47,420 --> 00:49:51,600
 But what are your one or two questions about Tennessee football entering spring?

867
00:49:52,440 --> 00:49:53,680
 Well, there's a lot of them.

868
00:49:54,140 --> 00:49:57,540
 The problem is that they've got a lot more to answer than just a couple.

869
00:49:57,660 --> 00:50:00,820
 That's one of the things that probably worries Josh Heupel going into this season.

870
00:50:01,600 --> 00:50:05,860
 You have to start with the obvious one for most people, which is the quarterback position,

871
00:50:05,860 --> 00:50:07,780
 because you don't get Joey Aguilar back.

872
00:50:08,360 --> 00:50:12,500
 He was not successful in his legal attempt to get another year of eligibility.

873
00:50:12,820 --> 00:50:16,500
 So you've got to figure out what you have in redshirt freshman George McIntyre,

874
00:50:16,580 --> 00:50:21,900
 a former highly ranked prospect in state that Tennessee coveted and landed in the 2025 class

875
00:50:21,900 --> 00:50:23,560
 and didn't play a lot last year.

876
00:50:23,740 --> 00:50:26,980
 And then Faison Brandon, the five-star freshman from North Carolina

877
00:50:26,980 --> 00:50:29,180
 that a lot of people are excited about his long-term potential,

878
00:50:29,300 --> 00:50:34,000
 but can he be ready to win a starting job in an open competition as a true freshman?

879
00:50:34,640 --> 00:50:38,320
 You've got to transfer there, and Ryan Staub out of Colorado as well.

880
00:50:38,400 --> 00:50:41,200
 But I don't think anyone really expects him to win the job,

881
00:50:41,280 --> 00:50:43,260
 just sort of a veteran insurance policy.

882
00:50:43,560 --> 00:50:44,460
 So you've got to start there.

883
00:50:44,600 --> 00:50:47,920
 And then defensively, you know, a new defensive coordinator in Jim Knowles,

884
00:50:48,380 --> 00:50:50,940
 Tennessee was not very good defensively last year at all.

885
00:50:51,060 --> 00:50:55,000
 Can they take a noticeable step forward this year, at least with Jim Knowles?

886
00:50:55,140 --> 00:50:59,420
 And his defenses have been known for not being fully up to speed in year one.

887
00:50:59,600 --> 00:51:04,000
 Can they make maybe a faster progression than we've seen with his previous stops

888
00:51:04,000 --> 00:51:09,760
 and get Tennessee's defense back into being competitive, at least in the top 50,

889
00:51:09,860 --> 00:51:15,200
 top 30 kind of range after they ranked toward the bottom of among the worst defenses in the SEC

890
00:51:15,200 --> 00:51:19,060
 and close to 100th or so in the country in total defense.

891
00:51:19,360 --> 00:51:21,220
 They were pretty bad for most of the year.

892
00:51:21,280 --> 00:51:22,060
 They've got to fix that.

893
00:51:22,180 --> 00:51:23,340
 So I think you've got to start there.

894
00:51:23,420 --> 00:51:24,860
 Those are the two big glaring questions,

895
00:51:24,960 --> 00:51:29,140
 and there's a lot of smaller ones in each of those categories on both sides of the ball

896
00:51:29,140 --> 00:51:30,580
 that Tennessee's still got to address as well.

897
00:51:31,480 --> 00:51:36,740
 Yeah, a lot of teams in the SEC beginning spring practice, and particularly next week.

898
00:51:37,320 --> 00:51:39,100
 I always enjoy the conversation.

899
00:51:39,320 --> 00:51:44,060
 I know you're going to have the absolute latest coverage on Tennessee and Nashville.

900
00:51:44,580 --> 00:51:48,240
 The baseball team begins SEC play this weekend.

901
00:51:49,020 --> 00:51:53,260
 I know you're still covering prospects in recruiting.

902
00:51:53,860 --> 00:51:56,280
 Where can we get online to get the absolute latest?

903
00:51:57,080 --> 00:51:58,820
 Yeah, GoVols247.com.

904
00:51:58,820 --> 00:52:02,120
 As you said, recruiting, getting ready to heat back up with spring practice visits

905
00:52:02,120 --> 00:52:04,340
 starting next week, Tennessee on the practice field Monday.

906
00:52:04,500 --> 00:52:05,680
 So we'll have all that covered for you.

907
00:52:05,720 --> 00:52:08,260
 And, of course, Election Sunday, just a few days away.

908
00:52:08,380 --> 00:52:13,140
 So the fun is the madness, I guess, is about to begin and should be a fun one.

909
00:52:13,240 --> 00:52:15,700
 And we'll have it all covered for you at GoVols247.com.

910
00:52:16,360 --> 00:52:17,660
 Two words, Red Bull.

911
00:52:17,880 --> 00:52:19,000
 Load up, okay, Ryan?

912
00:52:19,680 --> 00:52:20,340
 Sounds good.

913
00:52:21,060 --> 00:52:23,220
 Ryan Callahan, GoVols247.

914
00:52:23,220 --> 00:52:26,160
 B.B., what's the latest with their friends up in Nashville at the tourney?

915
00:52:27,660 --> 00:52:31,540
 43-31, the Kentucky Wildcats over Missouri.

916
00:52:31,900 --> 00:52:35,260
 17-45 remaining in the second half.

917
00:52:35,580 --> 00:52:41,580
 Coming up in the second half of the show, we'll talk about the king of the road of the SEC basketball tournament,

918
00:52:41,720 --> 00:52:43,860
 the Florida Gators with John Ferrari and more.

919
00:52:44,260 --> 00:52:45,460
 Straight ahead, stay with us.

920
00:52:49,960 --> 00:52:53,400
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921
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922
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923
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924
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925
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 In the Shoals area, call David Jordan at 256-978-6732.

926
00:53:14,800 --> 00:53:17,720
 Or stop by his office at 103 West 6th Street in Tuscumbia.

927
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 Or in Killen, call Matt Henry at 256-757-5006.

928
00:53:23,020 --> 00:53:26,200
 Or stop by his office at 1717 Highway 72.

929
00:53:27,100 --> 00:53:28,400
 It's not March Madness.

930
00:53:28,560 --> 00:53:31,740
 It's Mad Marchness at Sam's Sports Grill in Florence.

931
00:53:32,120 --> 00:53:37,560
 Every game, every bracket buster, every unbelievable buzzer beater, all on wall-to-wall TVs.

932
00:53:37,940 --> 00:53:44,120
 Fuel your picks with quality food, ice-cooled drinks, and game day energy that hits harder than a full-court press.

933
00:53:44,120 --> 00:53:50,280
 From crave-worthy favorites to unbeatable drink specials, Sam's is where Florence comes to watch, cheer, and win.

934
00:53:50,440 --> 00:53:55,360
 So grab your crew, lock in your bracket, and experience Mad Marchness the Sam's way.

935
00:53:55,560 --> 00:53:57,120
 Make our place your place.

936
00:53:57,600 --> 00:54:00,120
 Thy ticket, Lady Jennifer of Coolidge.

937
00:54:00,580 --> 00:54:02,260
 Well, many thanks, good sir.

938
00:54:02,940 --> 00:54:04,860
 Heareth my Discover card.

939
00:54:05,640 --> 00:54:07,980
 They accept Discover at Renaissance Fairs?

940
00:54:08,340 --> 00:54:09,340
 Yeah, they do here.

941
00:54:09,680 --> 00:54:12,080
 Discover is accepted at the places I love to shop.

942
00:54:12,500 --> 00:54:14,000
 Getteth with the times.

943
00:54:18,000 --> 00:54:21,700
 Corridor is a highway that will be built running from Tuscaloosa to Mobile.

944
00:54:22,080 --> 00:54:24,520
 This project has received heavy criticism from state leaders

945
00:54:24,520 --> 00:54:30,520
 because the construction costs are being covered by the state only rather than receiving matching federal funds.

946
00:54:30,660 --> 00:54:36,340
 Elliott believes that this project will put a massive strain on the state's ability to pay out for other road projects.

947
00:54:36,680 --> 00:54:43,140
 Recently, the state sold $730 million worth of bonds to help fund the West Alabama Corridor project.

948
00:54:43,140 --> 00:54:46,200
 I'll be back with more Alabama stories after this.

949
00:54:46,200 --> 00:54:49,860
 Some of the greatest blessings is just having the people that care about you.

950
00:54:50,160 --> 00:54:53,800
 To have someone that's just going to love you and make you feel important.

951
00:54:54,140 --> 00:54:55,820
 They encourage you to be in church.

952
00:54:55,960 --> 00:54:56,960
 They encourage you to be in prayer.

953
00:54:57,080 --> 00:54:58,760
 They encourage you to be in your Bible.

954
00:54:59,300 --> 00:55:01,500
 Now it's a part of my day every day.

955
00:55:01,920 --> 00:55:08,940
 My house parents planted seeds in me that you can see where those seeds have sprouted in my life and helped change my life.

956
00:55:09,660 --> 00:55:13,140
 Big Oak Ranch, a Christian home for children needing a chance.

957
00:55:14,800 --> 00:55:19,540
 Investigators in Mobile have found three bodies that are believed to be connected to the missing Chalk family.

958
00:55:19,780 --> 00:55:25,900
 Aurelia Chalk and her two children, ages 17 and 2, went missing this past January from their home in Theodore.

959
00:55:26,100 --> 00:55:29,340
 Authorities will be holding a press conference on this finding later today.

960
00:55:29,680 --> 00:55:30,480
 I'm Andrea Tyson.

961
00:55:31,020 --> 00:55:35,220
 For more news affecting Alabamians, go to 1819news.com.

962
00:55:35,380 --> 00:55:38,200
 And while you're there, subscribe to the daily newsletter.

963
00:55:41,200 --> 00:55:46,620
 Valley Broadcasting Corporation, WITK-FM, Rogersville, Athens, Decatur, The Shores.

964
00:55:46,800 --> 00:55:48,980
 Sports Radio 93.9, The Score.

965
00:55:49,780 --> 00:55:54,700
 Boomo Bugg on 93.9, The Score.

966
00:55:55,260 --> 00:55:58,240
 You hear him every afternoon on your way home here on 93.9, The Score.

967
00:55:58,500 --> 00:55:59,480
 Feinbaum, welcome in.

968
00:55:59,520 --> 00:56:00,200
 How are you?

969
00:56:00,500 --> 00:56:01,840
 Harold, I am doing great.

970
00:56:01,920 --> 00:56:06,140
 Someone asked the other day, he said, is that really Paul Feinbaum on with you or is that AI?

971
00:56:06,580 --> 00:56:09,040
 I said, it has to be Paul because I know nothing about AI.

972
00:56:09,180 --> 00:56:10,440
 I thought that meant as it is.

973
00:56:10,500 --> 00:56:12,820
 So, Paul, can you confirm or deny that you are the real deal?

974
00:56:13,900 --> 00:56:16,340
 I am sad to report I died five years ago.

975
00:56:16,480 --> 00:56:17,140
 This is all AI.

976
00:56:19,140 --> 00:56:20,140
 He's like Elvis, right?

977
00:56:20,680 --> 00:56:25,520
 Your take on Arch Manningham, you already, like everybody else, bestowed him as the Heisman Trophy winner.

978
00:56:25,740 --> 00:56:26,580
 I did that last year.

979
00:56:26,640 --> 00:56:27,640
 I'm not going to do it again.

980
00:56:28,840 --> 00:56:29,120
 Why?

981
00:56:30,040 --> 00:56:32,760
 He was actually quite good in November, in December.

982
00:56:32,960 --> 00:56:34,060
 Here's what I'm going to do, though, guys.

983
00:56:34,220 --> 00:56:37,600
 I'm so sick of being humiliated and harassed by a Big Ten idiot.

984
00:56:37,860 --> 00:56:42,460
 I'm just going to pick the Big Ten to have all 12 spots in the college football football.

985
00:56:45,360 --> 00:56:46,680
 Remember the old show, Kung Fu?

986
00:56:46,780 --> 00:56:47,900
 You are wise, my son.

987
00:56:47,900 --> 00:56:51,940
 The Boomo Bugg Show, weekdays, noon to two, on 93.9 The Score.

988
00:56:54,500 --> 00:56:55,960
 93.9 The Score weather.

989
00:56:56,460 --> 00:57:00,120
 For today, partly sunny to sunny skies, high around 60 tonight.

990
00:57:00,620 --> 00:57:03,000
 Clear skies, low near 35 tomorrow.

991
00:57:03,560 --> 00:57:05,860
 Sunny skies, high around 70 tomorrow night.

992
00:57:06,380 --> 00:57:08,460
 Patchy overnight fog, low around 40.

993
00:57:08,620 --> 00:57:11,720
 And Saturday, sunny skies, high around 75.

994
00:57:12,580 --> 00:57:14,860
 Your weather from 93.9 The Score.

995
00:57:15,960 --> 00:57:24,500
 Now, get ready to roll, Shoals, Decatur, Athens, and all of northwest Alabama and southern Tennessee.

996
00:57:25,160 --> 00:57:28,480
 It's time for the Valley's exclusive FM sports voice.

997
00:57:31,560 --> 00:57:33,980
 The Boomo Bugg Show.

998
00:57:34,380 --> 00:57:36,440
 Your exclusive inside track to the tie.

999
00:57:36,620 --> 00:57:39,580
 Tigers, Tennessee, and the rest of the SEC.

1000
00:57:40,400 --> 00:57:45,800
 Now, your host, Harold Bugg on 93.9 The Score.

1001
00:57:46,800 --> 00:57:48,680
 Welcome back in, our tour of the Boomo Bugg Show.

1002
00:57:48,780 --> 00:57:50,420
 I'm Harold Bugg, alongside Brett Beaird.

1003
00:57:50,520 --> 00:57:53,440
 Thank you so much for giving a street ride around the Tennessee Valley.

1004
00:57:53,560 --> 00:57:58,220
 B.B., they tell me there's a basketball tournament going on, even as we speak, in Nashville, Tennessee.

1005
00:57:58,740 --> 00:58:02,380
 Can you share any wisdom for us at this hour?

1006
00:58:03,140 --> 00:58:07,600
 There's a Kent fight, day two, first game of the SEC tournament.

1007
00:58:07,880 --> 00:58:11,400
 Kentucky leading right now 43-31.

1008
00:58:11,400 --> 00:58:16,460
 In fact, Harold Bugg, let me double-check that score.

1009
00:58:17,040 --> 00:58:18,340
 Oh, I'm glad I did.

1010
00:58:18,540 --> 00:58:21,520
 53-39, 14-08.

1011
00:58:21,660 --> 00:58:24,840
 Kentucky now beginning to pull away a little bit from Missouri.

1012
00:58:25,260 --> 00:58:27,440
 Living up to the name on their jersey.

1013
00:58:27,440 --> 00:58:31,680
 John Frawi is the name when it comes to fun of the Florida Gators down the Sunshine State

1014
00:58:31,680 --> 00:58:38,800
 at CBS Sports Radio, 1420 WAOC, and 1240 WFOY in St. Augustine, Florida,

1015
00:58:39,040 --> 00:58:43,840
 or anywhere, anytime, online at 965sports.com.

1016
00:58:43,920 --> 00:58:44,680
 John, welcome in.

1017
00:58:44,740 --> 00:58:45,240
 How are you?

1018
00:58:46,400 --> 00:58:47,280
 Doing great.

1019
00:58:47,280 --> 00:58:49,560
 Great to be with you and Brett, Harold.

1020
00:58:49,560 --> 00:58:54,240
 And it looks like Florida's going to have to play Kentucky a third time.

1021
00:58:54,380 --> 00:58:59,940
 There's still 14 minutes to go, but Otega Owe is having a day right now with Missouri.

1022
00:59:00,340 --> 00:59:08,060
 He was the one player Florida had difficulty with last Saturday, but they still won relatively comfortably.

1023
00:59:08,280 --> 00:59:13,740
 It got a little dicey towards the end, but if they do have to play Kentucky again, guys,

1024
00:59:13,800 --> 00:59:18,360
 you really never want to play the same opponent three times just because of the percentages.

1025
00:59:18,980 --> 00:59:24,200
 But this Florida team looks like a team that's running on all cylinders right now,

1026
00:59:24,220 --> 00:59:29,580
 and if there is one that could beat Kentucky three times in a season, it might be these Florida Gators.

1027
00:59:29,760 --> 00:59:30,400
 But we'll see.

1028
00:59:30,460 --> 00:59:32,420
 It looks like we might have to find out tomorrow.

1029
00:59:33,060 --> 00:59:37,160
 John, I think it's safe to say if Florida sits here and has that question about Kentucky,

1030
00:59:37,260 --> 00:59:39,420
 I think Kentucky has more questions against Florida.

1031
00:59:40,100 --> 00:59:41,760
 You're the perfect person to ask.

1032
00:59:42,160 --> 00:59:45,640
 Correct me if we're wrong, but Florida had a pretty good team last year.

1033
00:59:45,640 --> 00:59:49,640
 How does this year's team compare with that one at this point in the tournament?

1034
00:59:49,800 --> 00:59:55,500
 And let's face it, the problem with all the love and verbal bouquets this team's getting,

1035
00:59:55,640 --> 00:59:57,260
 there's only one way to go, and that's down.

1036
00:59:57,620 --> 01:00:01,620
 Because even if they live up to the expectations, well, they're just doing what's expected of them.

1037
01:00:01,760 --> 01:00:05,840
 So from a psychological standpoint, there's a lot of pressure on this team to live up to that.

1038
01:00:05,880 --> 01:00:07,660
 But your thoughts about this team realistically?

1039
01:00:09,220 --> 01:00:14,440
 Well, you just hit the nail on the head why I think Todd Golden has done a much better job this year

1040
01:00:14,440 --> 01:00:17,920
 than last year, Harold, because of the expectations to live up to.

1041
01:00:18,480 --> 01:00:20,440
 Because there is only one way to go.

1042
01:00:20,540 --> 01:00:23,420
 If you don't win at all, it was a disappointing year.

1043
01:00:24,080 --> 01:00:29,940
 Having said that, I think this team is pretty close going into the SEC tournament

1044
01:00:29,940 --> 01:00:34,920
 where the one a year ago was as far as hitting on all cylinders.

1045
01:00:35,560 --> 01:00:40,200
 In fact, they're on a longer winning streak this year than they were a year ago.

1046
01:00:40,320 --> 01:00:43,280
 They lost to Georgia late in February a year ago.

1047
01:00:43,800 --> 01:00:46,100
 They didn't lose in the month of February this year.

1048
01:00:46,740 --> 01:00:50,680
 Now, having said all that, my two biggest concerns for this team,

1049
01:00:51,400 --> 01:00:55,840
 one cropped up late against Kentucky last week in rough turnovers.

1050
01:00:56,840 --> 01:00:58,460
 They don't have Walter Clayton.

1051
01:00:58,460 --> 01:01:05,140
 They don't handle the ball as clean on offensive possessions as they did a year ago.

1052
01:01:05,340 --> 01:01:06,820
 I'm really nitpicking here.

1053
01:01:07,360 --> 01:01:10,860
 But that's the one concern I have there, number one.

1054
01:01:11,020 --> 01:01:14,920
 And then number two, free throw shooting.

1055
01:01:15,260 --> 01:01:17,820
 At times, they're a little erratic.

1056
01:01:18,160 --> 01:01:22,420
 And that's really the two biggest concerns now.

1057
01:01:22,660 --> 01:01:27,740
 I think this team is playing better in the front court, though, than they were a year ago at this time.

1058
01:01:28,400 --> 01:01:32,900
 Specifically, Ruben Chinulew, who has gone to another level, guys.

1059
01:01:32,980 --> 01:01:39,000
 He wasn't anywhere near what he is right now for this team this year at this point in the season.

1060
01:01:39,000 --> 01:01:42,320
 And I think even Alex Condon's gotten better.

1061
01:01:43,040 --> 01:01:44,260
 Halk's gotten better.

1062
01:01:45,080 --> 01:01:47,400
 So it's really close.

1063
01:01:47,520 --> 01:01:54,260
 I think they were a little bit better a year ago with that dynamic backcourt of Clayton, Richard, and Martin.

1064
01:01:54,980 --> 01:01:58,900
 But Lee and Flan have come on and have learned their roles.

1065
01:01:59,420 --> 01:02:03,280
 And do I dare say this team could win the whole thing again?

1066
01:02:03,400 --> 01:02:05,760
 You never know in a single elimination tournament.

1067
01:02:05,760 --> 01:02:12,880
 But I think, all things being equal, they're going to have a great chance to get back to Indianapolis and see if they can repeat.

1068
01:02:14,480 --> 01:02:17,580
 Let me ask you a little bit about yesterday to recap.

1069
01:02:18,000 --> 01:02:22,760
 The two teams that impressed me yesterday was the night camp.

1070
01:02:22,840 --> 01:02:25,400
 And a lot of people may have gave it up and went on to bad.

1071
01:02:25,540 --> 01:02:27,920
 But Oklahoma is on a heater.

1072
01:02:28,620 --> 01:02:31,600
 They beat South Carolina 86-74.

1073
01:02:32,000 --> 01:02:36,220
 Nigel Pack, 24, former Alabama player.

1074
01:02:36,320 --> 01:02:39,440
 Darian Reed at 20 and four rebounds.

1075
01:02:39,500 --> 01:02:41,600
 I thought he was the best player on the court.

1076
01:02:41,740 --> 01:02:47,120
 They've also got Muhammad Wagyu, who played at Alabama.

1077
01:02:47,940 --> 01:02:57,180
 And Ole Miss, it was absolutely no fluke that Ole Miss beat Texas and put their NCAA tournament hopes

1078
01:02:57,180 --> 01:03:00,820
 kind of on the standstill right now.

1079
01:03:01,640 --> 01:03:05,600
 And I think Chris Beard enjoyed beating his former team.

1080
01:03:06,080 --> 01:03:09,740
 But, John, Oklahoma and Ole Miss impressed me maybe the most yesterday.

1081
01:03:11,120 --> 01:03:12,640
 I think you're right, Brett.

1082
01:03:13,180 --> 01:03:17,740
 Porter Moser, earlier in the year, I'd heard rumblings he might be on the hot seat.

1083
01:03:18,060 --> 01:03:20,080
 And they have come on.

1084
01:03:20,180 --> 01:03:23,980
 And I think, I don't know how it's going to end as far as this tournament.

1085
01:03:24,180 --> 01:03:28,500
 But I think what they've done on the back end of this season has probably saved his job.

1086
01:03:28,920 --> 01:03:30,840
 I think he'll be there next year.

1087
01:03:31,520 --> 01:03:35,700
 Nigel Pack, I think, played as well as anybody in this tournament to this point.

1088
01:03:35,820 --> 01:03:41,460
 Now, I know Florida and Alabama haven't even got on the court yet, but I've really been impressed with him.

1089
01:03:41,560 --> 01:03:42,420
 You mentioned Reed.

1090
01:03:42,560 --> 01:03:47,220
 And then there's no doubt Chris Beard enjoyed that yesterday, Brett.

1091
01:03:47,500 --> 01:03:53,320
 I mean, beating Texas, even though Texas seems to be firmly in the tournament.

1092
01:03:53,460 --> 01:03:55,040
 I thought maybe there might be a little doubt.

1093
01:03:55,040 --> 01:04:00,480
 But from Lenardi and some other national experts, they seem to think they're solidly in.

1094
01:04:00,880 --> 01:04:03,180
 But those were impressive performances.

1095
01:04:03,640 --> 01:04:08,680
 Now, Ole Miss would have to win the entire tournament to get in with the disappointing year they had.

1096
01:04:09,520 --> 01:04:13,840
 Oklahoma, if they were to maybe go one or two more, I don't know if they have to win the whole tournament.

1097
01:04:14,020 --> 01:04:17,800
 But they need to still win at least one or two more in my mind.

1098
01:04:18,560 --> 01:04:21,560
 And I think that's where Auburn is right now, too.

1099
01:04:21,560 --> 01:04:33,740
 I know right now they've got them in the tournament, Lenardi, but with an addendum and an asterisk on it that they've got to beat Tennessee later this afternoon or else.

1100
01:04:33,860 --> 01:04:42,280
 I don't see Stephen Pearl and Auburn, despite a win over Florida, the last time Florida lost, being enough to get them in.

1101
01:04:42,400 --> 01:04:46,820
 So I think they've definitely got to win this afternoon for any chance to get in.

1102
01:04:47,780 --> 01:04:52,960
 If there's any coin toss going on, you know the committee would love to have that money from Texas and Oklahoma fans.

1103
01:04:53,060 --> 01:04:54,900
 So I think they're going to win all the time breakers.

1104
01:04:54,960 --> 01:05:00,560
 I'm sure it's just a coincidence that those fans of wherever they go and wind up in the tournament will be spending some big bucks.

1105
01:05:00,680 --> 01:05:07,320
 But speaking of the tourney, Florida still, I mean, let's face it, there's obviously beer secure, but they're playing for a lot themselves.

1106
01:05:07,440 --> 01:05:18,120
 If they want to lock down, leave no doubt of getting that number one seed and just going up the road to Tampa, that's huge for a team to basically play with a home team crowd in their backyard.

1107
01:05:18,320 --> 01:05:21,720
 Your thoughts just about, in that standpoint, what the Gators are playing for.

1108
01:05:23,140 --> 01:05:24,860
 Well, I think you touched on it, Harold.

1109
01:05:24,920 --> 01:05:26,140
 They're playing for a one seed.

1110
01:05:26,240 --> 01:05:27,780
 I think it's either a one or a two.

1111
01:05:27,780 --> 01:05:34,000
 I think they are going to play, by the way, in their backyard in Tampa, regardless of what happens tomorrow or the weekend.

1112
01:05:34,560 --> 01:05:45,300
 But basically, like Joe Lenardi said, it's playing for whether you have the white uniform or the dark colored uniform when you possibly play Connecticut.

1113
01:05:45,580 --> 01:05:56,160
 Because from all accounts, Florida and Connecticut are going to be in the south region, and they're going to be one and two, whether it's Florida one and Connecticut two or vice versa.

1114
01:05:56,160 --> 01:06:09,000
 But I think more than that, I think Todd Goldman just wants this team to continue the momentum they're on and go into the tournament with the trajectory going up.

1115
01:06:09,360 --> 01:06:12,800
 And I think that's what this is more important than maybe even the seed.

1116
01:06:13,660 --> 01:06:16,400
 And so, I look for them to have a great weekend.

1117
01:06:16,560 --> 01:06:18,260
 I think they're going to win this tournament again.

1118
01:06:18,500 --> 01:06:22,400
 They've only won this five times in the history of the school, the SEC tournament.

1119
01:06:23,020 --> 01:06:25,080
 So, this is still pretty important.

1120
01:06:25,640 --> 01:06:28,160
 And the same with the regular season title.

1121
01:06:28,300 --> 01:06:37,440
 There's not many years they've won both the regular season title and the SEC tournament, last time being 12 years ago in 2014.

1122
01:06:37,960 --> 01:06:40,680
 So, I think there's a lot to play for.

1123
01:06:41,000 --> 01:06:43,080
 I look for them to play well.

1124
01:06:43,660 --> 01:06:49,380
 The other thing I would worry about tomorrow, it's always that rust against a team that's in rhythm.

1125
01:06:49,520 --> 01:06:52,040
 Because Kentucky will be playing their third game if it's them.

1126
01:06:52,480 --> 01:06:57,660
 Now, on the back end of that, does Kentucky run out of gas in the second half tomorrow?

1127
01:06:57,980 --> 01:06:59,340
 I'm assuming they're going to win.

1128
01:06:59,400 --> 01:07:01,500
 No disrespect to Missouri, but we'll see.

1129
01:07:02,960 --> 01:07:08,820
 But having said all that, I think Florida's in great shape this weekend and in the month of March.

1130
01:07:08,820 --> 01:07:19,920
 You mentioned that Kentucky's won 31 SEC titles, Bama second with eight, and Florida third with five, I believe.

1131
01:07:20,480 --> 01:07:30,180
 John, I've heard Florida and maybe even Alabama could possibly be in the south region at Tampa or Greensboro, South Carolina.

1132
01:07:30,420 --> 01:07:32,600
 What have you heard as far as the destination?

1133
01:07:34,240 --> 01:07:38,500
 I've heard Florida and Tampa, and I've heard that pretty firmly.

1134
01:07:38,960 --> 01:07:43,780
 And there has been some rumblings down here about Alabama being there, too.

1135
01:07:43,920 --> 01:07:52,600
 And for those that don't know, when you play, they have these in pods, meaning they could both be in Tampa, Florida, and Alabama.

1136
01:07:52,600 --> 01:08:04,300
 But they wouldn't necessarily be in the south region, just for those that are not familiar the way they do this until you move on to the round of 16 when the teams that go to that side are in the same region.

1137
01:08:04,740 --> 01:08:07,380
 So I am keeping my fingers crossed.

1138
01:08:07,720 --> 01:08:13,240
 I tend to head down to Tampa next weekend, guys, if that's the case, and I think it will be.

1139
01:08:13,480 --> 01:08:19,480
 And I think it'd be great to have two SEC schools down here, Florida and Alabama.

1140
01:08:20,420 --> 01:08:24,840
 And they could play each other on Sunday in this tournament.

1141
01:08:25,020 --> 01:08:25,840
 We shall see.

1142
01:08:26,180 --> 01:08:32,040
 I'd really like to see another Alabama-Arkansas semifinal on the other side of this SEC tournament.

1143
01:08:32,320 --> 01:08:35,120
 That was a fantastic game the first time.

1144
01:08:35,600 --> 01:08:37,300
 So a lot of good basketball.

1145
01:08:37,620 --> 01:08:39,480
 This is clearly a great time of year.

1146
01:08:39,560 --> 01:08:41,040
 I know it's not football season.

1147
01:08:41,500 --> 01:08:43,780
 They're practicing, but this is a great time of year.

1148
01:08:43,860 --> 01:08:44,560
 That's for sure.

1149
01:08:44,940 --> 01:08:52,160
 Yeah, the way Alabama-Arkansas scores, it's called the Noah special, 40 days and 40 nights before that baby winds up.

1150
01:08:52,480 --> 01:08:55,440
 Switching gears, John, let's talk a little bit about football.

1151
01:08:55,620 --> 01:08:58,980
 It was the quote of the week from the top gator, Jon Sumrall.

1152
01:08:59,460 --> 01:09:02,740
 I'm going to try to paraphrase it and clean it up a little bit here.

1153
01:09:02,800 --> 01:09:05,880
 He said, my wife turned 40 this week.

1154
01:09:05,900 --> 01:09:06,540
 It was her birthday.

1155
01:09:06,940 --> 01:09:07,940
 The anniversary came up.

1156
01:09:07,980 --> 01:09:08,940
 It was number 15.

1157
01:09:09,380 --> 01:09:16,080
 We had planned to go to Italy to celebrate, but I've got too much to do here.

1158
01:09:16,140 --> 01:09:17,920
 Was that the quote of the week from Jon Sumrall?

1159
01:09:19,280 --> 01:09:23,660
 It was, and I like a man that has his priorities in the right place.

1160
01:09:23,860 --> 01:09:29,540
 I know the ladies aren't going to be happy with me, guys, but Gator Nation out there loves that.

1161
01:09:29,680 --> 01:09:30,400
 That's for sure.

1162
01:09:31,100 --> 01:09:38,520
 And the other thing they've loved so far, Jon Sumrall is the antithesis of Billy Napier.

1163
01:09:38,520 --> 01:09:42,300
 And what I mean by that is that quote was an example, Harold.

1164
01:09:42,600 --> 01:09:45,400
 That's not something we'd ever get from Coach Napier.

1165
01:09:46,040 --> 01:09:54,380
 And Jon Sumrall in the practices, the media hasn't been allowed to watch much, but he is so much more energetic.

1166
01:09:54,380 --> 01:10:04,540
 He is spending time with every unit, especially the special teams, which Billy Napier, when we saw the practice, we never saw him with the special teams.

1167
01:10:04,540 --> 01:10:08,120
 He was basically over on the side with the quarterbacks.

1168
01:10:08,840 --> 01:10:10,680
 Jon Sumrall is getting in guys' faces.

1169
01:10:10,940 --> 01:10:11,940
 He's calling them out.

1170
01:10:12,440 --> 01:10:13,580
 He's making them accountable.

1171
01:10:14,060 --> 01:10:17,420
 And he has stated, this team's got a long way to go, and it does.

1172
01:10:17,600 --> 01:10:20,100
 I mean, this was a 4-8 team a year ago.

1173
01:10:20,460 --> 01:10:21,520
 Facts are facts.

1174
01:10:22,020 --> 01:10:25,240
 And so I like what I've seen so far.

1175
01:10:25,920 --> 01:10:32,740
 I know you're familiar with him from North Alabama, and maybe we needed some of that Northern Alabama personality and attitude.

1176
01:10:33,260 --> 01:10:34,960
 Be careful what you wish for, John.

1177
01:10:34,960 --> 01:10:36,080
 North Central Florida.

1178
01:10:36,840 --> 01:10:44,420
 Well, yeah, but we definitely needed something, guys, because the last four years has really been hurting for Florida football.

1179
01:10:44,760 --> 01:10:48,640
 So I'm excited April 11th to see what the spring game looks like.

1180
01:10:48,700 --> 01:10:52,080
 And he even said, there's going to be tackling in that spring game.

1181
01:10:52,160 --> 01:10:59,920
 You don't normally hear a coach say that, but he wants to see these guys perform in front of the bright lights, per se.

1182
01:10:59,920 --> 01:11:07,340
 I know it's just a spring game, but still, it's different when you are performing in front of people than when you are in practice.

1183
01:11:07,740 --> 01:11:15,200
 So you don't want anybody to get hurt, obviously, but I just like the attitude Coach Summerall's come in with this spring so far.

1184
01:11:16,160 --> 01:11:20,660
 John, I think Florida fans will continue to be impressed with him.

1185
01:11:20,760 --> 01:11:29,060
 By the way, I'm sure you're glad it's on Saturday instead of Thursday or Friday night, which was quite frankly ridiculous.

1186
01:11:29,060 --> 01:11:34,140
 But be that as it is, John, where can we get online and listen to your show today?

1187
01:11:35,040 --> 01:11:45,400
 You can follow me online at 1240news.com or at 102.1 or 1240 in St. Augustine, WFOY.

1188
01:11:45,560 --> 01:11:50,500
 And follow me on x slash Twitter at JF underscore sports now.

1189
01:11:50,800 --> 01:11:53,480
 And as always, an honor and a pleasure, guys.

1190
01:11:53,600 --> 01:11:57,740
 And let's hope maybe Florida meets up with Alabama on Sunday.

1191
01:11:57,740 --> 01:11:59,120
 I think it'd be a great final.

1192
01:12:00,320 --> 01:12:01,760
 Hot time in Nashville.

1193
01:12:01,980 --> 01:12:03,220
 Listen, have a good March.

1194
01:12:03,360 --> 01:12:04,680
 Just do it again as soon as possible.

1195
01:12:04,860 --> 01:12:05,340
 Okay, John.

1196
01:12:06,140 --> 01:12:07,040
 Thank you, guys.

1197
01:12:07,520 --> 01:12:08,100
 Thank you, bud.

1198
01:12:08,340 --> 01:12:11,880
 John Flora, again, 965sports.com, amongst other places.

1199
01:12:12,000 --> 01:12:17,000
 So when it comes to high school talent in the upcoming classes, how do things stack up?

1200
01:12:17,100 --> 01:12:19,940
 Randy Kennedy on that and more straight ahead of the Boomo Bugg Show.

1201
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1262
01:15:35,080 --> 01:15:38,440
 From the University of Alabama, this is Crimson Tide Today.

1263
01:15:38,780 --> 01:15:42,880
 It's a daily update on Bama sports and it's brought to you by Crimson Drive, driven by NASCAR.

1264
01:15:43,220 --> 01:15:49,460
 Streaming live at 2 p.m. Central on all CTSN social media platforms at UA underscore CTSN.

1265
01:15:49,740 --> 01:15:50,480
 Hello again, everybody.

1266
01:15:50,480 --> 01:15:51,500
 I'm Roger Hoover.

1267
01:15:51,980 --> 01:15:57,500
 On today's edition of Crimson Drive, driven by NASCAR, we'll be joined by Alabama softball pitcher Vic Moten.

1268
01:15:57,780 --> 01:15:58,380
 It's been good.

1269
01:15:58,500 --> 01:16:02,840
 You know, it's been very exciting getting the chance to pitch a lot recently.

1270
01:16:03,120 --> 01:16:05,260
 So I'm excited for that.

1271
01:16:05,320 --> 01:16:07,360
 I'm thankful for Murph and all the opportunities.

1272
01:16:07,900 --> 01:16:10,400
 Is it even more fun now that we're getting into SEC play?

1273
01:16:10,460 --> 01:16:14,500
 You've had some great matchups in non-conference play, but it ticks up a notch when we get into the conference.

1274
01:16:14,840 --> 01:16:15,320
 Oh, for sure.

1275
01:16:15,340 --> 01:16:20,200
 It's a lot more competitive in the SEC because nobody wants to get swept or lose a game.

1276
01:16:20,200 --> 01:16:24,100
 So it's very competitive and our team were extremely competitive.

1277
01:16:24,320 --> 01:16:26,780
 So going to Ole Miss, I just knew we were going to sweep them.

1278
01:16:27,400 --> 01:16:28,280
 Yeah, that's outstanding.

1279
01:16:28,460 --> 01:16:30,200
 The right mindset to have for you.

1280
01:16:30,540 --> 01:16:36,960
 Again, as you are making a difference as a freshman, first of all, tell us where you grew up and your start to your softball journey.

1281
01:16:37,680 --> 01:16:39,880
 Yeah, I grew up in Daphne, Alabama.

1282
01:16:39,880 --> 01:16:42,800
 I started playing when I was around like maybe seven.

1283
01:16:43,680 --> 01:16:45,080
 I was always a pitcher.

1284
01:16:45,480 --> 01:16:46,400
 I'll have more in a moment.

1285
01:16:47,600 --> 01:16:54,100
 Hey, Bama fans, each Tuesday and Thursday at 2 p.m. Central, join us live for Crimson Drive, driven by NASCAR.

1286
01:16:54,460 --> 01:17:05,420
 This live streaming talk show features the latest on Alabama athletics with exclusive conversations with Tide student athletes, coaches, and media members giving their perspective on the Crimson Tide.

1287
01:17:05,420 --> 01:17:12,380
 You can watch on YouTube, Facebook, and X with all conversations archived as well on the Alabama Insider Podcast.

1288
01:17:12,840 --> 01:17:15,700
 Roll Tide with Crimson Drive, driven by NASCAR.

1289
01:17:16,820 --> 01:17:25,840
 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.

1290
01:17:26,240 --> 01:17:28,820
 Crimson Tide Today is brought to you by Crimson Drive.

1291
01:17:29,140 --> 01:17:32,900
 Crimson Tide Today is a production of the Crimson Tide Sports Network from Learfield.

1292
01:17:33,700 --> 01:17:34,660
 The Score.

1293
01:17:35,120 --> 01:17:39,900
 Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score.

1294
01:17:40,460 --> 01:17:40,760
 The Score.

1295
01:17:40,760 --> 01:17:41,380
 Welcome back in.

1296
01:17:41,400 --> 01:17:46,360
 It is always a pleasure for all of us here in North Alabama to head on down to South Alabama.

1297
01:17:46,540 --> 01:17:47,560
 Say hello to Randy Kennedy.

1298
01:17:47,560 --> 01:17:49,260
 He's busy there at AL.com.

1299
01:17:49,340 --> 01:17:56,680
 Behind the microphone is radio host of the Randy Kennedy Show Afternoons 4 to 6 on 995 Sports Talk in Mobile.

1300
01:17:56,920 --> 01:18:00,260
 Winner of the Mel Allen Award for the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.

1301
01:18:00,860 --> 01:18:04,880
 And named one of the 50 legends of sports writers in Alabama.

1302
01:18:05,200 --> 01:18:06,000
 Randy, welcome in.

1303
01:18:06,060 --> 01:18:06,700
 How are you?

1304
01:18:07,280 --> 01:18:08,040
 I'm doing great.

1305
01:18:08,100 --> 01:18:08,560
 How are you guys doing?

1306
01:18:09,100 --> 01:18:09,400
 Doing good.

1307
01:18:09,420 --> 01:18:10,860
 Yeah, we're trying to keep up with everything.

1308
01:18:11,100 --> 01:18:12,680
 It's a busy time of the year for all of us.

1309
01:18:12,740 --> 01:18:13,660
 You've got basketball.

1310
01:18:14,060 --> 01:18:16,560
 You've got football as far as camps opening up.

1311
01:18:17,120 --> 01:18:18,900
 Randy, are you able to keep up with everything?

1312
01:18:19,940 --> 01:18:26,520
 You know, you guys are like me where you get to this time of year and the actual events are taking place while you're on the air live.

1313
01:18:26,520 --> 01:18:31,600
 So, luckily, here at iHeart, they provided me a TV in my studio.

1314
01:18:31,800 --> 01:18:36,520
 So, yes, I'm watching all the basketball games while also trying to do a radio show.

1315
01:18:37,240 --> 01:18:42,040
 Randy, let's ask you a little bit about that because you know Scar, Kevin Scar-Benz.

1316
01:18:42,100 --> 01:18:43,240
 He brought up an interesting point.

1317
01:18:43,400 --> 01:18:47,600
 And it happened even as we were speaking that Miami of Ohio lost.

1318
01:18:48,220 --> 01:18:50,680
 And, of course, we know by now the story with Bruce Pearl.

1319
01:18:51,220 --> 01:18:54,400
 And he's a father, so you understand the back story there.

1320
01:18:55,060 --> 01:18:56,780
 But now they've got a loss on him.

1321
01:18:56,840 --> 01:18:59,960
 And as Kevin pointed out, a lot of folks said, boy, that's good news for Auburn.

1322
01:19:00,020 --> 01:19:10,820
 He said, not necessarily so fast, my friend, because if the committee allows a one-loss Miami team to get in, that means the eventual conference champ there will also eat up another one of the coveted spots.

1323
01:19:11,200 --> 01:19:12,420
 So, where does that put Auburn?

1324
01:19:12,580 --> 01:19:14,100
 Your thoughts where Auburn is?

1325
01:19:14,140 --> 01:19:16,920
 Of course, if they lose, I think it's a foregone conclusion.

1326
01:19:17,040 --> 01:19:20,440
 We're going to start finding that out shortly now as they take on Tennessee this afternoon.

1327
01:19:20,520 --> 01:19:21,860
 But your thoughts about Auburn?

1328
01:19:22,680 --> 01:19:24,220
 Well, I think this is the case.

1329
01:19:24,280 --> 01:19:29,240
 That with Auburn, they're at the point where if they beat Tennessee today, they're in.

1330
01:19:29,420 --> 01:19:34,020
 You just look at the resume for Auburn, and it's easy to look at it and say, oh, they're not an NCAA tournament team.

1331
01:19:34,040 --> 01:19:35,860
 But you can't look at it in a bubble.

1332
01:19:36,000 --> 01:19:39,060
 You've got to look at it with, okay, compare them to everybody else.

1333
01:19:39,060 --> 01:19:44,160
 And all these other teams that were also on the bubble have also been losing, like Auburn.

1334
01:19:44,300 --> 01:19:47,640
 So, Auburn's wins, if you look at Auburn's losses, they're terrible.

1335
01:19:47,880 --> 01:19:50,540
 But if you look at their wins, they're really, really good.

1336
01:19:50,700 --> 01:19:56,300
 I mean, when they've beaten St. John's and Arkansas and Florida and, you know, on and on, they've got good wins.

1337
01:19:56,360 --> 01:19:58,700
 And if they beat Tennessee today, they're in.

1338
01:19:58,840 --> 01:20:04,120
 But, yeah, the Miami loss is terrible news for Auburn because that means now that the Mac's going to get two teams,

1339
01:20:04,120 --> 01:20:07,600
 whereas they were only going to get one if Miami had won that league.

1340
01:20:07,840 --> 01:20:10,940
 So, that's the first bad news of the week for Auburn, quite frankly.

1341
01:20:12,320 --> 01:20:15,980
 You wear many hats, as Harold mentioned.

1342
01:20:16,460 --> 01:20:22,820
 You've got the top offensive lineman dropping later this afternoon on AL.com.

1343
01:20:23,260 --> 01:20:26,240
 We've talked with you about some of the running backs, et cetera.

1344
01:20:26,920 --> 01:20:28,420
 And I want to get to that in a minute.

1345
01:20:28,580 --> 01:20:30,540
 But you covered the Final Four.

1346
01:20:30,900 --> 01:20:33,820
 I wrote articles about quite a few of the games.

1347
01:20:34,320 --> 01:20:41,760
 And your best of Bama, we were nearly joking about this, but it is amazing to me.

1348
01:20:42,020 --> 01:20:49,780
 And I mentioned some 8th and 9th graders who are in your top three as far as potential prospects.

1349
01:20:50,620 --> 01:20:58,160
 But I wanted to ask you, Randy, it is incredible to me at how talented some of these young boys and men,

1350
01:20:58,260 --> 01:21:02,660
 actually young men and young women, for example, for the girls.

1351
01:21:02,660 --> 01:21:05,780
 Belle Hill is a sophomore in Mars Hill.

1352
01:21:06,360 --> 01:21:09,240
 She surpassed 3,000 career points.

1353
01:21:10,280 --> 01:21:18,420
 Kennedy Bowie at Guntersville, they've got basically three kids who are major contributors to their team.

1354
01:21:18,860 --> 01:21:24,560
 She's an 8th grade guard, averaging 16 points, and has scored 1,000 points.

1355
01:21:25,380 --> 01:21:30,620
 Chloe Ford of Missouri is a, I mean, of Hoover, is going to Missouri.

1356
01:21:30,780 --> 01:21:32,240
 She's a signee there.

1357
01:21:33,000 --> 01:21:39,640
 The Sawyer Kate Hogan of Plainview set a national record for threes.

1358
01:21:40,140 --> 01:21:43,280
 And you've got a chance to watch these guys during the week, Randy.

1359
01:21:43,740 --> 01:21:48,880
 It is amazing to me at how young they are now and how talented they will be.

1360
01:21:49,700 --> 01:21:51,100
 It's crazy when you think about it.

1361
01:21:51,160 --> 01:21:51,640
 And, yeah, I did.

1362
01:21:52,220 --> 01:21:55,220
 I watched all 42 games over a six-day period.

1363
01:21:55,400 --> 01:21:56,380
 That's a lot of basketball.

1364
01:21:56,920 --> 01:21:57,940
 So it all sort of runs together.

1365
01:21:58,540 --> 01:22:05,000
 But I think this, if we were to put together an all-star team for, like, the best five senior girls,

1366
01:22:05,000 --> 01:22:07,220
 best five junior girls, best five sophomore girls,

1367
01:22:07,520 --> 01:22:10,980
 I think the winner of the tournament would be the best five freshman girls.

1368
01:22:11,540 --> 01:22:13,540
 That's how good the young girls are.

1369
01:22:13,720 --> 01:22:16,160
 It is incredible, the young talent.

1370
01:22:16,240 --> 01:22:17,400
 You just mentioned some of those.

1371
01:22:17,880 --> 01:22:19,380
 And Kennedy Booey's an 8th grader.

1372
01:22:19,660 --> 01:22:21,200
 You know, might be the best of all of them.

1373
01:22:21,460 --> 01:22:27,260
 That freshman group of girls that have already got, like, SEC offers before they get a driver's license.

1374
01:22:27,480 --> 01:22:29,540
 I mean, it's incredible.

1375
01:22:29,800 --> 01:22:32,040
 And there are a bunch of young boys, too, who are good.

1376
01:22:32,040 --> 01:22:36,260
 But among the girls, it's like, okay, this is who we're going to be seeing the next four years.

1377
01:22:36,400 --> 01:22:40,100
 I mean, we've already got to set what the tournament's going to look like three or four years from now

1378
01:22:40,100 --> 01:22:43,780
 because these young girls in Alabama, the future is very, very bright.

1379
01:22:44,900 --> 01:22:47,740
 Check out Randy, amongst other places, AL.com.

1380
01:22:47,820 --> 01:22:51,500
 Randy, to that end, how things have changed with NIL.

1381
01:22:51,760 --> 01:22:54,320
 The reason I bring it up, there was a young man.

1382
01:22:54,380 --> 01:22:57,500
 I think he won a state championship as an 8th grader at Buckhorn back in the day

1383
01:22:57,500 --> 01:22:58,700
 by the name of Caleb Hope.

1384
01:22:58,780 --> 01:23:00,080
 We know you're familiar with that name.

1385
01:23:00,400 --> 01:23:02,940
 Everybody kind of had him penciled in to go to Alabama.

1386
01:23:03,340 --> 01:23:07,220
 But he showed early on, look, they want me over in Georgia.

1387
01:23:07,400 --> 01:23:08,120
 They write a check.

1388
01:23:08,320 --> 01:23:10,260
 No, they want to spend more to go to Florida.

1389
01:23:10,360 --> 01:23:11,240
 I go down there.

1390
01:23:11,660 --> 01:23:13,280
 And now he's on his way to Arizona.

1391
01:23:13,280 --> 01:23:16,400
 The reason I bring that up, I mean, people are going to criticize Caleb,

1392
01:23:16,480 --> 01:23:18,080
 but he's making a business decision.

1393
01:23:18,180 --> 01:23:19,280
 That's his business.

1394
01:23:19,660 --> 01:23:24,280
 But how does that influence keeping this talent that we just talked about in the state going forward?

1395
01:23:24,280 --> 01:23:29,480
 Because the talent's there, but it's a different era to keep that talent in here at the college level.

1396
01:23:30,460 --> 01:23:33,080
 Yeah, you know, Alabama put a lot of effort into getting him.

1397
01:23:33,500 --> 01:23:35,360
 Auburn did, too, but they weren't in it at the end.

1398
01:23:35,820 --> 01:23:37,220
 Alabama put a lot of effort there.

1399
01:23:37,360 --> 01:23:40,540
 And I did the research just from being in the state for all these years,

1400
01:23:40,620 --> 01:23:42,200
 thinking about it and did a little research of,

1401
01:23:42,480 --> 01:23:46,660
 I think Alabama missing out on Caleb Holt is the biggest,

1402
01:23:47,320 --> 01:23:51,020
 most important Alabama basketball recruiting miss ever.

1403
01:23:51,460 --> 01:23:57,440
 I think he's the best player who ever decided to go elsewhere that Alabama reasonably thought they could get.

1404
01:23:57,780 --> 01:24:01,740
 I think before now the answer would have probably been Trendon Watford.

1405
01:24:01,860 --> 01:24:03,540
 Remember him, the great player at Mountain Brook,

1406
01:24:03,960 --> 01:24:06,980
 who went to LSU and now plays for the Philadelphia 76ers.

1407
01:24:07,400 --> 01:24:09,580
 That was a huge in-state loss for Alabama.

1408
01:24:10,060 --> 01:24:12,580
 There have been a couple of others that would be in the conversation,

1409
01:24:12,860 --> 01:24:16,660
 but I think Caleb Holt is just, you guys know as well or better than I do.

1410
01:24:16,760 --> 01:24:17,940
 That guy is so different.

1411
01:24:18,600 --> 01:24:19,500
 He's going to the NBA.

1412
01:24:19,760 --> 01:24:20,700
 He's a one and done.

1413
01:24:20,920 --> 01:24:24,000
 And Alabama put all the effort they possibly could into him.

1414
01:24:24,340 --> 01:24:25,640
 And he's going to Arizona instead.

1415
01:24:26,580 --> 01:24:31,600
 Randy, I mentioned that you've done the top AL.com running backs.

1416
01:24:32,420 --> 01:24:36,220
 One of the recent ones was tied in Lee Steele,

1417
01:24:36,900 --> 01:24:42,040
 who is a tremendous basketball player, I believe, at Orange Beach.

1418
01:24:43,500 --> 01:24:44,540
 Thompson's got one.

1419
01:24:44,540 --> 01:24:45,540
 Boy, that's a shock.

1420
01:24:47,260 --> 01:24:55,280
 In the Pleasant Valley, you are dropping later today the top offensive lineman on AL.com.

1421
01:24:55,400 --> 01:24:56,480
 Randy, summarize it.

1422
01:24:56,520 --> 01:24:58,520
 You mentioned a couple of guys on the list.

1423
01:24:59,300 --> 01:25:02,380
 Yeah, you guys are probably familiar with Cord Pig, right, at Mars Hill?

1424
01:25:02,520 --> 01:25:02,880
 Absolutely.

1425
01:25:03,320 --> 01:25:03,760
 There you go.

1426
01:25:04,020 --> 01:25:05,900
 He's a guy who's definitely on the list.

1427
01:25:06,180 --> 01:25:07,560
 This is not the best in Bama yet.

1428
01:25:07,680 --> 01:25:11,900
 This is the guys who are really strong contenders to be on that list.

1429
01:25:12,280 --> 01:25:13,220
 These are the offensive linemen.

1430
01:25:13,320 --> 01:25:15,740
 He's on the list for sure as a possibility.

1431
01:25:16,300 --> 01:25:19,740
 The number one offensive lineman, the guy that was on the best in Bama all last year,

1432
01:25:20,080 --> 01:25:23,520
 was J.T. Williams, the offensive lineman from Central Phoenix City.

1433
01:25:23,900 --> 01:25:24,860
 One time Alabama committed.

1434
01:25:24,960 --> 01:25:26,320
 Now he's not committed to anybody.

1435
01:25:27,040 --> 01:25:31,820
 Also, Shantae Bailey is a kid from Anniston who made the state championship game.

1436
01:25:31,920 --> 01:25:32,540
 Big kid.

1437
01:25:32,960 --> 01:25:34,280
 He's also getting a lot of attention.

1438
01:25:34,280 --> 01:25:38,480
 So that's three that are up toward the top in terms of offensive linemen

1439
01:25:38,480 --> 01:25:39,620
 who could eventually make the list.

1440
01:25:39,740 --> 01:25:42,160
 And they're on this watch list that publishes today.

1441
01:25:43,240 --> 01:25:47,040
 Randy, how shot were you that Gunner Rivers has committed a North Carolina state?

1442
01:25:48,460 --> 01:25:49,220
 Not really.

1443
01:25:49,440 --> 01:25:53,860
 Not really because, hey, you know, dad's a legend up there.

1444
01:25:54,440 --> 01:25:55,840
 And so that's number one.

1445
01:25:56,160 --> 01:26:00,000
 Number two, you know, Gunner never really got into the whole recruiting thing.

1446
01:26:00,380 --> 01:26:02,200
 He just never was interested in it.

1447
01:26:02,200 --> 01:26:05,400
 In fact, his dad, Phillip Rivers, even said, you know, we need to take some visits.

1448
01:26:05,720 --> 01:26:08,140
 He's like, yeah, but I'm just going to stay right here and throw with my guys.

1449
01:26:08,620 --> 01:26:10,340
 Well, at some point you've got to choose a college.

1450
01:26:10,860 --> 01:26:14,040
 And so I just think it kind of got to the point where, yeah, I'm comfortable there.

1451
01:26:14,120 --> 01:26:14,960
 They like me there.

1452
01:26:15,240 --> 01:26:17,180
 I've got a teammate who signed there last year.

1453
01:26:17,240 --> 01:26:18,020
 I'll go to NC State.

1454
01:26:18,240 --> 01:26:21,520
 So it's not shocking, but he's really, really good.

1455
01:26:21,600 --> 01:26:24,000
 And by the end of next season, if nothing goes wrong,

1456
01:26:24,040 --> 01:26:26,900
 he's going to be the leading passer in Alabama high school history.

1457
01:26:27,680 --> 01:26:29,580
 And not only that, when you go to the stadium up there

1458
01:26:29,580 --> 01:26:32,040
 and you pass the statue of your dad, that's not bad either, is it?

1459
01:26:33,320 --> 01:26:34,400
 It's either bad or good.

1460
01:26:34,460 --> 01:26:35,220
 I'm not sure which.

1461
01:26:35,320 --> 01:26:35,760
 That's right.

1462
01:26:36,060 --> 01:26:36,260
 I'm not sure.

1463
01:26:36,580 --> 01:26:39,160
 But, you know, they were up there recently for a basketball game.

1464
01:26:39,160 --> 01:26:43,300
 I was like, you know, Gunnar could just walk around Raleigh without being recognized.

1465
01:26:43,440 --> 01:26:45,300
 But if he's with his dad, he sure can't.

1466
01:26:45,440 --> 01:26:48,960
 You know, so the fame is coming early if he's hanging out with his dad up there.

1467
01:26:49,940 --> 01:26:50,340
 Absolutely.

1468
01:26:50,700 --> 01:26:55,160
 Ryan, do you tell us where can we get on line and get the top offensive lineman?

1469
01:26:55,420 --> 01:26:59,880
 Now, when is the first best of Bama coming out this year?

1470
01:27:00,000 --> 01:27:03,320
 And where can we get on line, listen to the show, and get all your stuff?

1471
01:27:04,040 --> 01:27:06,980
 Yeah, you can – the best in Bama, we are counting it down.

1472
01:27:07,040 --> 01:27:10,900
 We will actually reveal the 50 in July, so over the summer.

1473
01:27:11,060 --> 01:27:13,440
 But until then, we're doing it position by position.

1474
01:27:13,600 --> 01:27:17,680
 Offensive lineman today, wide receivers coming next and then quarterbacks.

1475
01:27:18,280 --> 01:27:22,020
 So you can keep up with it there on AL.com, the best way to find it.

1476
01:27:22,360 --> 01:27:26,520
 Also, if you want to hear me, I'm on every day on the free iHeartRadio app.

1477
01:27:26,600 --> 01:27:27,400
 Just go get the app.

1478
01:27:27,720 --> 01:27:28,820
 Tune in to the Randy Kennedy Show.

1479
01:27:29,540 --> 01:27:30,740
 You got some ears on you, Randy.

1480
01:27:30,820 --> 01:27:34,580
 Listen, man, enjoy your test of March Madness, and let's do it again as soon as possible, okay?

1481
01:27:34,760 --> 01:27:35,260
 Let's do it.

1482
01:27:35,320 --> 01:27:35,980
 I appreciate you guys.

1483
01:27:36,080 --> 01:27:36,600
 Thank you, bud.

1484
01:27:36,860 --> 01:27:41,820
 Randy Kennedy again, 995 Sports Talk in Mobile, if you want to check him out.

1485
01:27:41,900 --> 01:27:45,040
 Coming up, Talking Tide with Ryan Fowler on deck.

1486
01:27:45,120 --> 01:27:46,420
 Stay with us on the Room of Bug Show.

1487
01:27:50,660 --> 01:27:52,540
 Progressive insurance knows pets, man.

1488
01:27:52,540 --> 01:27:57,160
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1489
01:27:57,780 --> 01:28:00,500
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1490
01:28:00,760 --> 01:28:06,260
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1491
01:28:06,620 --> 01:28:11,300
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1492
01:28:11,600 --> 01:28:14,860
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1493
01:28:15,200 --> 01:28:16,900
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1494
01:28:17,220 --> 01:28:18,780
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1495
01:28:18,920 --> 01:28:20,100
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1496
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1497
01:28:24,480 --> 01:28:25,080
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1498
01:28:25,620 --> 01:28:27,760
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1499
01:28:28,400 --> 01:28:32,280
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1500
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1501
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1502
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1503
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1505
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1506
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1507
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1510
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1511
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1512
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1514
01:29:11,660 --> 01:29:14,660
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1515
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1516
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1517
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1518
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1519
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1520
01:29:47,020 --> 01:29:48,040
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1521
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1522
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 Individuals and businesses with tax problems, listen carefully.

1523
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1527
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1528
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1530
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1531
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1532
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1533
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1534
01:30:50,660 --> 01:30:54,720
 Progressive presents the Sports Flash on 93-9, the score.

1535
01:30:55,200 --> 01:30:59,620
 SEC Tournament yesterday, Auburn beat Mississippi State 79-61.

1536
01:30:59,860 --> 01:31:01,720
 Auburn will play today against Tennessee.

1537
01:31:01,960 --> 01:31:04,860
 Georgia Bulldogs in action today against Ole Miss.

1538
01:31:05,060 --> 01:31:08,140
 Spring training baseball, the Braves beat the Rays 5-3.

1539
01:31:08,260 --> 01:31:10,460
 Braves are 12-4-2 in spring training.

1540
01:31:10,880 --> 01:31:15,380
 Atlanta Braves are set to play again today as they meet the Pittsburgh Pirates.

1541
01:31:15,880 --> 01:31:19,480
 USA advances to the quarterfinals of the World Baseball Classic.

1542
01:31:19,660 --> 01:31:22,060
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1543
01:31:22,620 --> 01:31:26,820
 Bundle auto and home, renters or condo, and save with Progressive.

1544
01:31:26,820 --> 01:31:32,380
 I'm John Thayer with the Sports Flash presented by Progressive on 93-9, the score.

1545
01:31:37,560 --> 01:31:40,700
 Wendy's has a new Girl Scout Thin Mints Frosty Fusion

1546
01:31:40,700 --> 01:31:45,840
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1547
01:31:45,840 --> 01:31:50,640
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1548
01:31:50,880 --> 01:31:55,780
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1549
01:31:56,100 --> 01:32:00,620
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1550
01:32:01,520 --> 01:32:05,080
 So, swing by Wendy's and try the new Thin Mints Frosty Fusion.

1551
01:32:05,380 --> 01:32:06,040
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1552
01:32:06,140 --> 01:32:07,140
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1553
01:32:10,780 --> 01:32:12,020
 The score.

1554
01:32:12,420 --> 01:32:17,160
 Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93-9, the score.

1555
01:32:17,740 --> 01:32:18,480
 Welcome back in.

1556
01:32:18,520 --> 01:32:23,140
 He's warming up the songs to drive you home this afternoon down in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

1557
01:32:23,280 --> 01:32:27,320
 Ryan Fowler, host of the game, down in Tidetown at 109 FM.

1558
01:32:27,460 --> 01:32:28,440
 Ryan, welcome in.

1559
01:32:28,500 --> 01:32:29,220
 How are you?

1560
01:32:30,140 --> 01:32:30,900
 I'm doing good.

1561
01:32:30,980 --> 01:32:31,560
 Doing good.

1562
01:32:31,960 --> 01:32:32,320
 Hi, man.

1563
01:32:33,620 --> 01:32:36,880
 You know, getting another practice in here in Tuscaloosa.

1564
01:32:37,060 --> 01:32:39,680
 Man, we already got a starter in T-Town.

1565
01:32:39,780 --> 01:32:40,400
 How about that?

1566
01:32:40,400 --> 01:32:47,040
 I don't know if you guys have heard, but they have made me the starter in the afternoon drive.

1567
01:32:47,180 --> 01:32:47,740
 Two to six.

1568
01:32:48,000 --> 01:32:48,360
 Really?

1569
01:32:49,080 --> 01:32:55,240
 I'm the starting host of the game, and I won the job fair and square.

1570
01:32:55,720 --> 01:33:00,980
 Had a little bit of competition, but yeah, they wanted to go ahead and declare me starter,

1571
01:33:01,160 --> 01:33:02,720
 and I accepted that responsibility.

1572
01:33:02,980 --> 01:33:03,580
 So, here we go.

1573
01:33:04,080 --> 01:33:05,680
 We'll see you in another few years.

1574
01:33:06,320 --> 01:33:10,320
 You know, you've got a good agent there, so if you don't mind, share some of that NIL package with us.

1575
01:33:10,320 --> 01:33:10,680
 That's right.

1576
01:33:10,980 --> 01:33:11,940
 Congratulations on that.

1577
01:33:12,000 --> 01:33:16,560
 But, you know, you joke about that, but it's how many times, I mean, how many days they've been into it now,

1578
01:33:16,560 --> 01:33:21,920
 and were you surprised that for the folks who might have missed it, they've already named, from everything we're able to gather,

1579
01:33:22,040 --> 01:33:23,140
 the starting left guard.

1580
01:33:23,560 --> 01:33:25,500
 That's one of the most prized positions.

1581
01:33:25,640 --> 01:33:30,160
 A lot of times, that's a mystery right down to the end, but it looks like that they've already said,

1582
01:33:30,240 --> 01:33:31,680
 we're going to settle on Mr. Lloyd here.

1583
01:33:32,880 --> 01:33:39,780
 Yeah, and you know, Jackson Lloyd was a guy that, you know, coming in was no doubt a highly sought-after guy, right?

1584
01:33:39,780 --> 01:33:46,560
 A guy that they could be able to thought, okay, once he got it, and I was told prior to spring practice,

1585
01:33:47,180 --> 01:33:51,860
 that once he got it, that he was going to be a dominant left tackle, okay?

1586
01:33:52,000 --> 01:33:52,200
 Right.

1587
01:33:52,280 --> 01:33:55,500
 When he was going to get it was the big question.

1588
01:33:55,880 --> 01:33:56,140
 Right.

1589
01:33:56,320 --> 01:33:58,680
 Was he going to be able to get it to the level?

1590
01:33:59,360 --> 01:34:01,280
 And listen, you can't fool a team, right?

1591
01:34:01,360 --> 01:34:05,820
 I mean, in the locker room, understands, you know, who is their guy.

1592
01:34:06,480 --> 01:34:08,120
 Who is and who isn't.

1593
01:34:08,500 --> 01:34:08,980
 Yeah, right.

1594
01:34:09,060 --> 01:34:12,580
 I mean, you know, if you want to know who the starters is, ask the team.

1595
01:34:12,780 --> 01:34:13,340
 I mean, they know.

1596
01:34:13,760 --> 01:34:16,840
 So you can't, and people go, well, this may be playing mind games.

1597
01:34:16,940 --> 01:34:21,700
 No, you can't play mind games because when you start playing mind games, the other guys pick up on that.

1598
01:34:22,120 --> 01:34:22,640
 And you know what?

1599
01:34:22,740 --> 01:34:26,620
 No, I mean, so obviously he's separated himself enough in the physical room.

1600
01:34:26,620 --> 01:34:33,740
 I know that that was a priority for him in his first year as a freshman, the redshirt season, to get stronger,

1601
01:34:34,240 --> 01:34:37,600
 to be able to get to a level that he could push some guys around.

1602
01:34:38,340 --> 01:34:39,980
 Looks like he's been able to do that.

1603
01:34:40,460 --> 01:34:43,600
 And so now you have to ask the question.

1604
01:34:43,760 --> 01:34:45,880
 You brought in a couple of tackles.

1605
01:34:46,800 --> 01:34:48,960
 What do you do with those guys?

1606
01:34:49,180 --> 01:34:50,720
 Do you flip them to right?

1607
01:34:51,840 --> 01:34:55,040
 And you experiment with a Michael Carroll inside?

1608
01:34:57,900 --> 01:35:02,320
 I mean, to me, that's a buzz that I'm hearing more and more.

1609
01:35:02,880 --> 01:35:08,740
 But that could be a stronger possibility that maybe you bought my – what it is is they're trying to get the best foul.

1610
01:35:09,020 --> 01:35:12,680
 And we did this last year in the season.

1611
01:35:12,860 --> 01:35:16,300
 The first seven or eight games, it was trying to figure out who was going to be the five.

1612
01:35:16,380 --> 01:35:17,560
 Now, some of that was injuries.

1613
01:35:18,560 --> 01:35:27,700
 But it just looks like they're going to experiment now, and then they're going to turn it up and kind of settle with a five.

1614
01:35:27,860 --> 01:35:31,440
 Coming out – now, William Sanders is still going to be a part of that in the fall.

1615
01:35:32,140 --> 01:35:37,520
 I still think you've got to – I still think you've got it in the back of your mind, but they've got to know a five coming out.

1616
01:35:37,900 --> 01:35:41,020
 They've got to know a five and got to build some chemistry.

1617
01:35:42,460 --> 01:35:44,100
 I just think that's important.

1618
01:35:44,100 --> 01:35:45,520
 But I was shocked.

1619
01:35:45,640 --> 01:35:47,220
 Did not have it on the bingo card.

1620
01:35:47,380 --> 01:35:50,900
 First week of spring practice, naming the starting left tackle.

1621
01:35:51,000 --> 01:35:52,660
 Did not have that one on the bingo card.

1622
01:35:53,780 --> 01:35:59,620
 Let me – there's some big boys on the offensive line, but – and I know you had limited viewing.

1623
01:36:00,520 --> 01:36:04,820
 But the defensive line, Terrence Green, 6'6", 3'30".

1624
01:36:04,820 --> 01:36:09,040
 Devin Tompkins, the USC transfer, 6'5", 2'90".

1625
01:36:09,040 --> 01:36:14,700
 Kendrick Bingley-Jones, Desmond Yu, as Rodney Orr calls him.

1626
01:36:14,860 --> 01:36:17,300
 What about the defensive line, Brian?

1627
01:36:18,960 --> 01:36:24,100
 I think defensive line is a complete opposite when you talk about offensive line.

1628
01:36:24,200 --> 01:36:26,180
 You don't want ten guys out there rotating.

1629
01:36:26,660 --> 01:36:29,400
 But on the defensive front, the more the merrier, right?

1630
01:36:29,520 --> 01:36:32,600
 I mean, you want – I mean, you don't want to get out there with 12 guys

1631
01:36:32,600 --> 01:36:34,880
 because that tells me that you ain't got a dominant guy.

1632
01:36:35,580 --> 01:36:38,820
 But I think – I think when you look at the numbers,

1633
01:36:39,540 --> 01:36:42,960
 it's been a long time since they had this many numbers.

1634
01:36:44,160 --> 01:36:49,400
 And I remember asking someone in the building when Terrence Green signed

1635
01:36:49,400 --> 01:36:55,160
 because they needed that – what I was told is when they think of Alabama,

1636
01:36:55,420 --> 01:36:57,960
 they think of a dominant defensive line.

1637
01:36:58,180 --> 01:36:59,100
 Somebody who can take over a game.

1638
01:36:59,100 --> 01:36:59,920
 Or daddy.

1639
01:37:00,560 --> 01:37:00,740
 Yeah.

1640
01:37:00,740 --> 01:37:01,760
 Yeah, yeah, yeah.

1641
01:37:01,820 --> 01:37:03,320
 I mean, that can battle in the trenches.

1642
01:37:03,960 --> 01:37:05,200
 Well, they didn't have that.

1643
01:37:05,540 --> 01:37:06,200
 They didn't have that.

1644
01:37:07,040 --> 01:37:08,900
 And they didn't feel like they had it last year.

1645
01:37:08,960 --> 01:37:10,320
 They didn't feel like they had it the first year.

1646
01:37:10,580 --> 01:37:12,160
 They knew that that was a priority.

1647
01:37:12,680 --> 01:37:17,020
 And I was told that they would be willing to go out and spend some cash in that department.

1648
01:37:17,660 --> 01:37:24,340
 Terrence Green, the minute he committed, I fired off a message and said,

1649
01:37:24,340 --> 01:37:32,520
 can Terrence Green be that guy that you guys are meeting in that building, the guy that was explained to me.

1650
01:37:32,520 --> 01:37:33,840
 And he said, absolutely.

1651
01:37:33,840 --> 01:37:42,740
 And you now hear that from a leadership standpoint, from a standpoint of just watching and listening to the players,

1652
01:37:42,980 --> 01:37:44,540
 that he's dropped some attention early on.

1653
01:37:44,540 --> 01:37:46,960
 And – but I think it's more than just that.

1654
01:37:47,300 --> 01:37:49,120
 I just think it's the total numbers.

1655
01:37:49,320 --> 01:37:54,660
 I mean, if you think about good defensive linemen we've had here in Tuscaloosa, it's been about numbers.

1656
01:37:55,120 --> 01:37:56,180
 It's been about numbers.

1657
01:37:56,320 --> 01:38:03,500
 You need – you need some of those numbers to get, you know, seven or eight of those guys that can play.

1658
01:38:04,180 --> 01:38:07,660
 And keep in mind, I think London Simmons showed you a little something, too.

1659
01:38:08,400 --> 01:38:12,980
 So, I think there's a reason to be excited about the defensive front.

1660
01:38:13,080 --> 01:38:15,720
 Now, linebackers is where, you know, I want to see more.

1661
01:38:16,280 --> 01:38:19,400
 You know, Caleb Woodson is a guy that's taking a leadership role.

1662
01:38:19,400 --> 01:38:25,400
 He's probably, I would guess, even though he's a first-year player, he'll probably be your green dot on your communication guy.

1663
01:38:26,080 --> 01:38:27,160
 It's just a guess.

1664
01:38:27,220 --> 01:38:28,900
 QB Reese could be that guy, I guess.

1665
01:38:29,560 --> 01:38:33,740
 But, you know, there's a lot of optimism in Tuscaloosa.

1666
01:38:33,860 --> 01:38:35,620
 I know some fans don't want to hear it.

1667
01:38:36,760 --> 01:38:41,640
 But, you know, you see these Alabama projections that they're just going to slide off.

1668
01:38:42,500 --> 01:38:46,160
 They're not seeing the same – I think some of that's wishful thinking.

1669
01:38:46,640 --> 01:38:51,560
 When you see so many people putting Alabama, well, they're down there 16, 17.

1670
01:38:52,880 --> 01:38:54,940
 I mean, guys, they finished in the top 10.

1671
01:38:55,340 --> 01:38:57,620
 There's some people who act like they've had a losing season.

1672
01:38:58,220 --> 01:38:58,940
 I mean, they really did.

1673
01:38:58,940 --> 01:39:06,680
 I mean, they act like they're – Alabama just got, you know, played like Auburn last year or something.

1674
01:39:06,860 --> 01:39:10,060
 I mean, it's – I mean, Alabama finished in the top 10.

1675
01:39:10,200 --> 01:39:16,680
 They were the only team in the playoff era that went on the road and beat a team in a home stadium.

1676
01:39:17,360 --> 01:39:17,820
 Doesn't happen.

1677
01:39:18,460 --> 01:39:19,420
 Alabama's the only team.

1678
01:39:19,960 --> 01:39:24,180
 And people act like Alabama can't tie their own shoes, which blows my mind.

1679
01:39:25,060 --> 01:39:35,900
 Well, and the thing you're describing here about Alabama, I don't see how these people can make predictions this day and time because every school across the league and nations right now got a lot of question marks because of all the new faces in town.

1680
01:39:35,980 --> 01:39:36,760
 You mentioned numbers.

1681
01:39:36,760 --> 01:39:41,460
 Another fact on that is going to a nine-game comfort schedule, you better have numbers.

1682
01:39:41,940 --> 01:39:51,080
 And speaking of that, Ryan, as far as the depth chart, I think it's pretty safe to say Mr. Hill probably will lead the horses there in the running back room with the depth chart coming out.

1683
01:39:51,580 --> 01:39:56,600
 Your thoughts about the depth chart, where are you going to put Mr. Crowell at the beginning of the season?

1684
01:39:57,360 --> 01:40:03,180
 And if he lives up to his potential, where are you going to put him, say, come mid-October for the rest of the season?

1685
01:40:04,120 --> 01:40:06,400
 Yeah, I think Daniel Hill's lost some weight, too.

1686
01:40:06,840 --> 01:40:09,500
 He just looks – he looks like a different player.

1687
01:40:10,360 --> 01:40:10,500
 Yeah.

1688
01:40:10,720 --> 01:40:21,400
 I think when you study that, I think when you look at – see, the problem, when you add competition to the room and you get this competition level,

1689
01:40:21,580 --> 01:40:29,660
 to a level that – you know, it's not about going out here and buying a $6 million running back, and then you only have one running back.

1690
01:40:30,020 --> 01:40:30,460
 Right.

1691
01:40:30,700 --> 01:40:33,100
 At this age, these are not professionals.

1692
01:40:33,720 --> 01:40:36,800
 The competition is what makes them better.

1693
01:40:37,100 --> 01:40:37,340
 Okay.

1694
01:40:38,200 --> 01:40:42,740
 What all have we talked about for the last 60 days?

1695
01:40:43,380 --> 01:40:47,560
 Xavier Crowell, Xavier Crowell, Xavier Crowell, Xavier Crowell.

1696
01:40:47,680 --> 01:40:48,640
 Yep, next, man.

1697
01:40:48,700 --> 01:40:49,180
 Xavier Crowell.

1698
01:40:49,540 --> 01:40:51,060
 I mean, nonstop.

1699
01:40:51,060 --> 01:40:56,680
 Well, Daniel Hill says, guys, hey, man, don't forget about me.

1700
01:40:57,260 --> 01:41:04,260
 Kevin Riley says, hey, if it's okay, I played a year in the SEC, broke my jaw.

1701
01:41:04,880 --> 01:41:06,520
 I was starting to kind of peak here.

1702
01:41:07,680 --> 01:41:09,320
 Don't forget about me.

1703
01:41:09,400 --> 01:41:12,540
 If it's okay, guys, I'd like to have a run at this thing, too.

1704
01:41:12,920 --> 01:41:13,300
 That's right.

1705
01:41:13,300 --> 01:41:18,740
 And I think if you look at it, you're starting to see that, that competition.

1706
01:41:19,240 --> 01:41:19,600
 Right.

1707
01:41:19,680 --> 01:41:26,940
 I mean, I labeled this spring as the word that I wrote on top of my note sheet was competition.

1708
01:41:27,460 --> 01:41:29,300
 They've added a lot of competition.

1709
01:41:29,300 --> 01:41:31,400
 A lot of competition.

1710
01:41:32,880 --> 01:41:34,440
 And, you know, here we are.

1711
01:41:35,160 --> 01:41:41,740
 This is where we're at when you look at, you know, the amount of competition that they've had.

1712
01:41:41,880 --> 01:41:45,120
 And I think Daniel Hill is a byproduct of that competition.

1713
01:41:45,380 --> 01:41:46,240
 It's Xavier Crowell.

1714
01:41:46,480 --> 01:41:49,200
 Nobody wants to lose their job to a true freshman.

1715
01:41:49,880 --> 01:41:50,080
 Nobody.

1716
01:41:50,560 --> 01:41:50,740
 Nobody.

1717
01:41:51,220 --> 01:41:55,740
 Including Daniel Hill, Kevin Riley, the whole kit caboodle.

1718
01:41:56,060 --> 01:42:06,760
 I mean, so when you begin to kind of analyze this and you begin to kind of study, it's the same thing we talked about with defensive front, is there's enough competition.

1719
01:42:07,300 --> 01:42:10,600
 Last year, I felt like they had a lot of placeholders.

1720
01:42:11,700 --> 01:42:17,320
 They signed some guys in the portal that was no more than just depth guys.

1721
01:42:17,800 --> 01:42:20,300
 This year, they've added some fire.

1722
01:42:20,560 --> 01:42:22,320
 I mean, think about Jackson Lloyd, okay?

1723
01:42:22,600 --> 01:42:23,380
 Think about it.

1724
01:42:23,500 --> 01:42:27,360
 Okay, if you look at Jackson Lloyd, he's a true freshman last year.

1725
01:42:28,140 --> 01:42:30,620
 Obviously, he wasn't going to stop in front of Caden Frockett.

1726
01:42:31,220 --> 01:42:40,000
 But bringing in a guy that can play left tackle and had already done it at Mississippi State for nine games, that fired up Jackson Lloyd.

1727
01:42:40,260 --> 01:42:42,100
 He said, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

1728
01:42:42,100 --> 01:42:47,360
 I'm not going to give my position up to this guy that has not been in the system.

1729
01:42:48,100 --> 01:42:48,980
 And it motivates.

1730
01:42:49,280 --> 01:42:53,500
 It's a different level of motivation that I think that you need at the college game.

1731
01:42:53,500 --> 01:43:01,400
 And I wonder sometimes if these portal buyers that go out and spend, you know, four, five, six million dollars on a player,

1732
01:43:01,580 --> 01:43:06,820
 for one, you're going to have to play that player because if you don't, your fan base looks like you just wasted that money.

1733
01:43:06,920 --> 01:43:11,100
 If you spend four million on offensive tackle, you can't really have competition.

1734
01:43:11,620 --> 01:43:13,160
 Guys, these guys are not professionals.

1735
01:43:13,300 --> 01:43:14,080
 They're college kids.

1736
01:43:14,440 --> 01:43:15,100
 They're college kids.

1737
01:43:15,640 --> 01:43:17,220
 They're going to have good days and bad days.

1738
01:43:17,280 --> 01:43:19,460
 These are not, you know, Kansas City Chiefs players here.

1739
01:43:20,140 --> 01:43:22,160
 They're looking at the Kentucky basketball team.

1740
01:43:22,960 --> 01:43:23,320
 Sure.

1741
01:43:23,500 --> 01:43:28,380
 I mean, I mean, it's not all about the money that wins you the games.

1742
01:43:28,380 --> 01:43:34,320
 And I just think that this year they took an approach to competition.

1743
01:43:34,560 --> 01:43:35,240
 Will it pay off?

1744
01:43:36,200 --> 01:43:39,260
 Guys, y'all's guess is just as good as mine.

1745
01:43:40,360 --> 01:43:44,280
 But there is a different mindset here that I haven't seen.

1746
01:43:44,780 --> 01:43:46,420
 And I'm not saying last year was bad.

1747
01:43:46,620 --> 01:43:47,760
 It doesn't have to be.

1748
01:43:48,280 --> 01:43:52,020
 I'm just saying that there's a different mindset here in Tuscaloosa.

1749
01:43:52,960 --> 01:44:05,240
 Brian, if you ask your listeners this afternoon, which team in the SEC is second to Kentucky for winning the most men's basketball tournament titles in the SEC?

1750
01:44:05,240 --> 01:44:18,120
 By the way, since Nate Oates walked in the SEC is third with five.

1751
01:44:18,120 --> 01:44:26,700
 By the way, since Nate Oates walked in the door, he's got the most wins of any program in the SEC in the NCAA tournament.

1752
01:44:27,060 --> 01:44:33,560
 Your thoughts as Alabama begins the tournament tomorrow night against either Georgia or Ole Miss.

1753
01:44:34,440 --> 01:44:37,880
 Yeah, I just like it that it's, hey, go get that double bye.

1754
01:44:38,120 --> 01:44:39,280
 Go get that double bye.

1755
01:44:39,340 --> 01:44:39,840
 And they did.

1756
01:44:39,840 --> 01:44:44,660
 And, you know, now everybody else has got to fight their way to Alabama.

1757
01:44:44,860 --> 01:44:46,160
 That's what's going on.

1758
01:44:46,380 --> 01:44:51,760
 I mean, that's the part that kind of gets you a little, you know, gets you juices.

1759
01:44:51,940 --> 01:44:55,720
 Because you look at the standard that Nate Oates has been able to create.

1760
01:44:56,380 --> 01:44:59,960
 And I apologize, this wind's blowing open and killing me too much on sound.

1761
01:45:00,180 --> 01:45:14,280
 But, I mean, what he's been able to create from an environment standpoint, just the overall, it's just, guys, I mean, do we realize, do we give him enough credit?

1762
01:45:15,300 --> 01:45:19,320
 Like, I mean, like, we just assume that winning is easy.

1763
01:45:20,180 --> 01:45:20,960
 That ain't easy.

1764
01:45:22,100 --> 01:45:23,840
 But do you ever notice it sometimes?

1765
01:45:23,980 --> 01:45:25,440
 I mean, we're just like, oh, you know.

1766
01:45:25,820 --> 01:45:26,220
 Human nature.

1767
01:45:27,040 --> 01:45:29,440
 Yeah, it's like, hey, oh, it's easy, guys.

1768
01:45:29,560 --> 01:45:30,120
 It's easy.

1769
01:45:30,760 --> 01:45:33,140
 Nah, let Nick save him back in the day.

1770
01:45:34,700 --> 01:45:39,000
 What Nate Oates has been able to do, that's a different sport.

1771
01:45:39,000 --> 01:45:41,480
 And I'm not comparing him to Nick Saban.

1772
01:45:41,620 --> 01:45:45,760
 So, people, if you hear what I'm about to say, don't think I went off the cuckoo list.

1773
01:45:46,720 --> 01:45:52,000
 Guys, it is as impressive what he took over as a program.

1774
01:45:52,800 --> 01:45:53,320
 Yep, yeah.

1775
01:45:53,320 --> 01:45:56,640
 And has built a standard in Tuscaloosa.

1776
01:45:57,040 --> 01:46:02,460
 Where they expect to compete for big-time NCAA tournament.

1777
01:46:02,800 --> 01:46:05,460
 I mean, you know, I think they want another shot at Florida.

1778
01:46:06,640 --> 01:46:11,720
 Now, I don't know if they could do anything with that shot.

1779
01:46:12,440 --> 01:46:14,800
 But that's kind of the wish.

1780
01:46:15,640 --> 01:46:17,940
 But it's just, it's remarkable.

1781
01:46:18,200 --> 01:46:21,240
 You guys know I'm not the biggest basketball guy.

1782
01:46:22,060 --> 01:46:29,440
 But I went Saturday night, Coleman, and the atmosphere was just unreal.

1783
01:46:30,300 --> 01:46:30,740
 Electric.

1784
01:46:30,940 --> 01:46:36,580
 And you're just sitting there, you're just sitting there watching what Nate Oates has been able to do.

1785
01:46:37,320 --> 01:46:44,800
 From building this program where you could get any ticket you wanted, anywhere you want to sit.

1786
01:46:45,480 --> 01:46:50,080
 And it was the second-highest ticket behind Duke and UNC for the weekend.

1787
01:46:51,120 --> 01:46:51,320
 Yep.

1788
01:46:51,740 --> 01:47:06,800
 I mean, that's the thing that really, I don't think a lot of people, but he has come in, taken a lot of film in town.

1789
01:47:06,960 --> 01:47:12,500
 And once again, talking about NIL, they don't have unlimited budget in NIL.

1790
01:47:12,500 --> 01:47:17,420
 But he does forward with less every single year.

1791
01:47:18,340 --> 01:47:21,820
 That's to me incredible what Nate Oates has been able to build in Tuscaloosa.

1792
01:47:22,960 --> 01:47:23,340
 Absolutely.

1793
01:47:23,720 --> 01:47:29,720
 Yeah, tickets I saw were $300 to $500 for the Auburn game.

1794
01:47:30,380 --> 01:47:32,700
 A lot of stuff going on this time of the year.

1795
01:47:32,820 --> 01:47:37,040
 Ryan Fowler, who have you got on your award-winning program this afternoon?

1796
01:47:37,340 --> 01:47:39,040
 And where can we get online to listen?

1797
01:47:39,900 --> 01:47:42,260
 Well, we've got Big Mike Johnson, offensive lineman.

1798
01:47:42,260 --> 01:47:44,960
 And we're going to spend a little time with him and some others.

1799
01:47:46,360 --> 01:47:50,160
 Got a lot of talk around, you know, the spring practice.

1800
01:47:50,300 --> 01:47:52,060
 Ryan Grubb giving us plenty to talk about.

1801
01:47:52,120 --> 01:47:53,120
 We'll certainly do that.

1802
01:47:53,840 --> 01:48:01,100
 But we're going to dive into some X's and O's with him because I really want to talk about the offensive line.

1803
01:48:01,100 --> 01:48:05,680
 And we'll talk Alabama basketball, but kind of waiting on who Alabama is going to play.

1804
01:48:05,820 --> 01:48:06,980
 We're going to do a score prediction.

1805
01:48:07,160 --> 01:48:09,140
 We're not going to do that tomorrow.

1806
01:48:09,460 --> 01:48:11,840
 But we'll start that coming up here.

1807
01:48:12,020 --> 01:48:14,760
 In just a couple of minutes, guys, I always appreciate it.

1808
01:48:15,360 --> 01:48:18,440
 I hope you guys have a great rest of your day and have a great weekend, guys.

1809
01:48:18,980 --> 01:48:20,160
 Hey, you do the same.

1810
01:48:20,280 --> 01:48:20,980
 Mike is a good one.

1811
01:48:21,020 --> 01:48:23,060
 He is articulate and very knowledgeable.

1812
01:48:23,300 --> 01:48:24,040
 That's going to be a good guest.

1813
01:48:24,160 --> 01:48:28,800
 BB, I tell you what, this turned into a true catfight in Nashville between Kentucky and Missouri.

1814
01:48:29,320 --> 01:48:32,540
 Listen, Missouri came back and got within one point.

1815
01:48:32,660 --> 01:48:32,940
 Right.

1816
01:48:33,380 --> 01:48:39,240
 Now, with four seconds remaining in the game, Kentucky 76, Missouri 71.

1817
01:48:39,240 --> 01:48:47,220
 So, it looks like the Kentucky Wildcats are going to move on to tomorrow to play the Florida Gators.

1818
01:48:47,380 --> 01:48:50,360
 The opening act today, straight ahead, more Tigers.

1819
01:48:50,680 --> 01:48:53,700
 The Auburn Tigers taking on the Big Orange from Tennessee.

1820
01:48:54,000 --> 01:48:55,040
 That's later on this afternoon.

1821
01:48:55,160 --> 01:48:56,440
 Again, Alabama kicking back.

1822
01:48:56,840 --> 01:48:58,500
 They won't play until tomorrow night.

1823
01:48:59,320 --> 01:49:00,420
 Opponent to be determined.

1824
01:49:00,760 --> 01:49:03,140
 What has been determined, you can catch whoever it is right here.

1825
01:49:03,440 --> 01:49:03,760
 Where else?

1826
01:49:03,860 --> 01:49:06,080
 So, 93.9, the score coming up tomorrow night.

1827
01:49:06,460 --> 01:49:09,900
 It's going to take care of us for now on behalf of BB, Greg, James, Blair, the entire crew here.

1828
01:49:10,000 --> 01:49:12,000
 Harold Buck, thank you so much for your time today.

1829
01:49:12,080 --> 01:49:14,280
 Let's do it again tomorrow, noon to two for the Boom Up Buck Show.

1830
01:49:14,600 --> 01:49:16,840
 Back here on Sports Radio, 93.9, the score.