Blue By Ninety - Jon Teske Joins the Show

Episode Date: March 13, 2026

Former Michigan Basketball player Jon Teske joins Justin to talk about Michigan's recent Big Ten Championship, Michigan State, and March Madness!

All right, welcome back to Blue By 90. I'm Justin, joined by a special guest today. We've got former Michigan basketball player, John Teske, the Big Sleep. What's up, man? How you doing? Doing a while. How about you? I've been doing great.

Yeah, it's been fun to be a Michigan basketball fan, Michigan basketball alum, you know, here watching this team this winter and out into March. And so tell me, I guess, Let's go back to what we just talked about off screen. But, you know, your first, as an alum, what was your first interaction with Coach Dusty May? And, you know, just bringing it back when obviously, like, you had a ton of success when you were, you know, with this program. You know, you watch what happened. You know, the team going 8 and 24 and then they hired Dusty May. Talk about just like when they brought Dusty on it and his impact with.

a lot of you and a lot of the alums out there yeah i think from the start uh it was either us like reaching out to him or him reaching out to us i think i reached out to t dub asking for his phone number and um i called him i think i went to voice and he literally called me back now even like two hours later um and i was within like the first two days and i think he was just trying to get a hold of a lot of the alumni and just talk to them and um pick their brains just because a lot We've had a lot of success from Bline areas and then the beginning of Dwan's era. And so I think it was important for him to connect with us and us to kind of put back what we learned back into the guys on the team now.

And, yeah, we were very excited for him to come along. And he's done a tremendous job the last two years. Yeah, obviously the record, you know, shows what it is. But it definitely seems like he's been doing the right things behind the same. scenes too with the program with the alumni and all that so that part is is great to hear as well and so now you're you're you're this alum you're you're off the court watching this team and you know i the best part uh was watching you know come come march seeing all the the highlights pop up of yourself playing in the big 10 tournament playing in some of these big games uh what's it like for you to

just like see those pop up um and, you know, think back on your time at Michigan. It's pretty cool to see. It is kind of crazy. It's been almost eight, nine years between, like, that first championship. You're making us feel old, man. Yeah, that first championship, my freshman year, and then that second one, my sophomore year.

But, yeah, seeing those pop up just on, like, memories or family or friends, sending, like, memories to me. I think this time of year, really kind of just hits me where I miss the guys, missed college the team, because you are. going to these tournaments every weekend. You're traveling country, obviously you're not really going in school, but you're like doing all these things

and it's pretty much just basketball and winning goes a long way. And so like my success, my freshman, sophomore, even junior year, like it was so fun. Like, this is the time of year that I do truly miss, like, college basketball just because of

weather starting to get warm. You see all these tournaments going everywhere with buzzer beaters. Yeah, it just crazy. Yeah. No, it is. I mean, it's like, I think that people don't really under, I'm sure the average fan doesn't really understand what you guys go through, right? There's, you know, just from the full season, like you've been grinding, you know, through the summer, all those, you know, workouts, and then you get into the fall and the season starts. And, but then it's like, you know, you do a bunch of the preseason games, right? They don't, when you were playing it wasn't as many of the like big challenges right and whatever else it was you know you play uh you know a couple max schools at home or you know you go on the road maybe one or two times and then um but then you i mean the big 10 grind too uh and then you get to march and it's like to your point um you know it's traveling every single weekend i mean for these guys right now thinking back on it like they you know they just finished the regular season at home and

you know, versus Michigan State, huge win, obviously. You pretty much turn right around and fly out to Chicago. Thankfully, they got the triple buy, so you get a couple extra days. You fly right out. Let's say that they were to, you know, go and win the Big Ten Championship or go to the Big Ten Tournament Championship here again. Then you come home, fly right out to wherever you're going for March Madness. So, yeah, it is, I don't think the average person realizes, like, you know,

I'm sure it's very fun, obviously, because you're hooping and you're winning and you're with your boys. But it's got to be tough too, right? Yeah, I still remember that sophomore year when we made that run the championship game. Obviously, we were in, was in New York. That was different just because it was a week early, just because of the biggest East tournament was that following week.

So that was just strange. But like going on to the NCAA tournament, we were in Wichita, or was it Des Moines, one of the two? I think it was Wichita. And then we were maybe like the Friday. Sunday game or Thursday, Saturday, maybe Friday Sunday because then we didn't get back to late Sunday and then we were obviously going out to L.A. for the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 and we were supposed to play, I think, the Thursday game, so then we flew out like the Tuesday. So really you're

only going to class at Monday. Obviously you win, so then you keep playing and you don't get back to late. You don't fly back basically until Sunday even if you're the Saturday game. So you're not getting back to late Sunday and then you're going to class Monday and then the final four. in San Antonio and you're leaving Tuesday for all the media. So, like, you're really going to class three days in, like, the span of, like, 25 days, which is really great. I remember, like, we were in L.A., and I had taken an accounting exam with my academic advisor, and there's, like, the band members of one or two other players, and a couple of

cheerleers and dancers, like, we're all in there taking exams, like, just, like, stuff that, like, you don't see on a TV or people don't even think about it. about, but that's just kind of part of life of the student athlete. Yeah, I mean, it is crazy. And you still, I mean, maybe things have changed a little bit now with NIL, but still not, you know, I mean, but like you still are trying to graduate or trying to, you know, finish out that semester, right? And like, you know, contrary to what most people think that every student athlete just

like gets their homework done for them by some, you know, other student. That's not quite the case. So, I mean, I think that part is. funny too just the idea of you you know seven foot uh john teskey uh after he dunks on you know isaac hoss in the big 10 tournament has to then go home and you know quick do this accounting exam too yeah and then like we had i know a beeline um we had like these study uh study study study hours like each day when we were on the road so we'd be practiced in the morning or something and then the afternoon it would be like from three to four everyone had to go in and check in with the

academic advisor some people had some of the freshmen maybe had to stay longer um so just like little stuff like that you made all people just have this downtime they may they can go see this on there they can go at dinner like a lot of times it is still like school i remember writing papers on the road and stuff before bad and stuff so um yeah just part of like i said being a student athlete yeah part of it um the other thing that uh pops into my head um when you said band member um was did you watch the special on your team of the the plane crash on btn i did yeah they did a very good job on that all together um so yeah i did watch that yeah and so um give us i mean you don't have to dive into the whole thing um but uh give us your your high level of what you remember of

what happened during that, you know, while it's, you know, you're on the runway. And then we can talk to about the next five days, which had to be some, that had to be crazy. I mean, you played in a national championship game. That still might have been the craziest five-day stretch of your life, right? Yeah. I mean, just kind of from the start of the day, too, like, I think they mentioned in the documentary, like, on the PDC of lost power. So, like, we couldn't even practice on the main court. We were practiced kind of, like, on our side gym that had, like, some windows that were, like, the light was coming through.

Like, Coach Bee was like, okay, we're going to go down here. Like, we could barely see. So he's like, okay, screw it, we're just going to leave. And then, you know, like, I think most of, like, walking out to the plane on the tarmac, like, we could barely, like, walk. It's just, like, the wind was blowing so hard. So at that point, I was like, okay, like, that, I don't even be able to get up. And I remember sitting on the tarmac for a while, and then finally we were able to get away going. And when the plane started going, it was like, after a while, like, you kind of start to feel yourself, like, lean back and, like, go up.

Like, that never happened. Like, I think we got off the ground, like, a foot. And all of a sudden, like, it came down hard and tires screeching and, like, everyone's, like, looking out at each other. And, yeah, the next thing I know, like, we were bussed through the fence, the road and it's just bumpy. And then all of a sudden just comes to a complete stop. And obviously, the engine's still running. It smells like gas and smokes. Like, you don't know.

Like, we all thought, like, maybe there's there a fire or, like, blow up. I don't mean, me and Mark were in the X or else. We popped open that door. And, like, we all just hopped out on the wing, and we just ran in that field. But, yeah, everyone just kept saying that you run, run. Because we didn't know, like, the engines were still going, and, like, those are really loud. So, like, we just didn't know. But, yeah, everyone got off safely, and I think DeWalt had a couple of stitches on it.

leg but otherwise everyone everyone got off and yeah very thankful for the for the pilot that kind of went against orders but yeah you saved everyone's lives yeah that's insane and i think i mean obviously just chaos but i think that also paints a picture for the average fan to know like who's all on the plane like it's you know i think that some people think that you guys are on this just like private jet it's just you and 12 you know teammates or whatever and the coaching staff but you have the whole band you've got a huge training staff, huge coaching staff, you know, your whole team, whatever, like all these people, just craziness.

And then, and then, you know, so you go through that traumatic, you know, scenario, and then you get to, was it Indy or Chicago at the time? I can't remember. That one was in D.C. D.C., okay, D.C. Because they had just expanded the big time probably at that time. So, and then, you know, you're playing in your practice, jerseys, which is the, we were talking about it the other day.

I think that they should do a throwback game that, like, every year one game at Chrysler, the guys wear the practice jerseys. Yeah, that would be funny. I think that would be sweet. And then, so then you guys go on this run, though, and, you know, let's be honest, like, that wasn't your guy's best team, right? Like, that was, I mean, what were you guys in 8th seed at the, in the, I can't remember. what your seating was. Yeah, we were eight and nine. I think Illinois and us, we switched

flip-flop. But yeah, we were that noon game on that Thursday. Thursday, yeah. So then you play, is it, four days in a row, right? And, I mean, just craziness. And I felt like something magic was going on with you guys during that, because it was like, you guys couldn't miss it. You just had the juice that weekend. Yeah, I just remember Dee Wall was playing unbelievable. Zach Irvin had a great game, one and two games. Mo and DJ were doing their thing. Han and Duncan were killing it. And, yeah, basically the front row seat. But, yeah, just trying to be the biggest cheerleader, help on the scout team we can because those are quick turnarounds within less than 24 hours. So anything, us freshmen that weren't really playing, anything that

we could do to help the team and those little walkthroughs that know the opponent plays. That was kind of our job. But yeah, just watching DeWalt kind of control the team and really, lead us in those four days was crazy. And then even like that final weekend when we beat Oklahoma State and Louisville. Yeah. Yeah. It was still DWalt just doing his thing.

And I mean, we had a shot to be Oregon too in the Sweet 16, which I kind of forget about sometimes. But yeah, we really did have an opportunity to go to lead eight that year too. Right, which is crazy. And I think Derek Walton is one of the like, he's kind of a forgotten, you know, because he was in between a Tray Burke and, you know, and a lot of these guys. But he was unbelievable in Michigan. You know, I think there are a lot of those guys that people kind of forget how good they really were during those times. So, so fast forward to now, you know, 2025, 2026, this team,

we've been watching them all year. I wanted to ask you, as a guy who has played in the Big Ten, You played Illinois, played Purdue, played at Mackie, in Champaign, played at Michigan State, all these different teams. How impressive was it for you to watch this team in and every night just go and demolish teams in these crazy environments in a really, really good big 10? Yeah, it's very impressive for what they've done. I mean, they don't undefeated on the road that hadn't been done in 40, 50 years. there's been some really good big 10 teams since then. So to do that is very impressive. And yeah, like I said, to win at Reslin, like we haven't done that since my junior or sophomore years of like 2018.

To win at Mackie, I think we did that my junior. But still, like, that's very tough places to play. Hard to win at Illinois. It's hard to win in the road in the big time. It really is. You always kind of say protect home court. And then as long as you split on the road in the big 10, you give yourself a chance at the Big Ten. right of season title.

And obviously they did that, but a lot more. And I think in the ways they've won, too, they can play big, they can play small. They kind of grind out wins. They come back from wins. The Northwestern game, they were down, what, 15, and came back and went by like 15, all in a matter of, like, it felt like eight minutes span.

But, yeah, to watch them play, it's been a lot of fun this year, and I hope it continues this weekend and in the next couple weekends as well. Yeah, 100%. Yeah, it's just, I mean, I've watched a lot of Big Ten basketball. I've watched a lot of Michigan basketball. And I, you know, you've played in it.

And it's just, it was shocking to me to see, you know, to your point, no matter how good a lot of these Big Ten teams have been over the years, you know, you usually drop one or two on the road because it is so difficult, you know, to play that Tuesday night game at, even, you know, a Tuesday night game at Rutgers or, you know, you go to Iowa and, you know, whatever it is. And so it was really impressive. And then the other thing that we had talked about off-screen too was just how impressive it was that this team jelled so quickly. You know, it's a bunch of misfits guys, you know, I think people forget about the Namari Burnets and the Will Cheddars and how important those guys are.

We'll talk about them in a second. But, you know, for four transfers essentially to come in and be starters here, you know, how surprising was that to you to see them gel quickly? I mean, they're dominating Gonzaga and a lot of these teams early in the year and then to keep it up throughout the season too. Yeah, that was very impressed. That's kind of shocked. I mean, obviously, you have a couple of those transfers coming in.

You don't know how they're going to gel, how they're going to play to together. But that's kind of what the summer is for. All those guys did probably come in end of June or maybe early June and since then I'm playing together and practice this open gym. So I think from then, Dusty's probably done a very good job of just buying, having them all buy in. And I think that three-game span in Vegas where they played Auburn, San Diego State and Gonzag. I think, like, them just dominating them, like, in all different ways. And it was one guy going off. It was a different guy each night. I think that really showed the team, hey, it doesn't have to go one guy every night.

It can be any one, eight of them, basically. But I think I really thought it probably wouldn't take them until like almost a halfway point in the Big Ten play. But they kind of gelled right away, and it's been really fun to watch. Yeah, it's very impressive. We had talked about this, too, of like, it's one thing for all these guys to get along, you know, off the court. But then for them to gel and play, like they are, you know,

a team of five seniors that have been playing. together for four years is next level impressive. And so, okay, let's talk about Will Cheddar. He's, you know, fifth year guy. Namari's been here for a minute. You know, those guys tell me how important. You dealt with a few transfers, I think, you know, at your time. You know, Duncan transferred in and some of these guys.

How important is it now in the transfer portal era where it's, you know, more prominent than ever for guys like that to be leaders and be your kind of your mainstay on a team. I think it's huge. I think Will and Amari has done a very good job, probably having all the guys buy in too and just showing them the ropes of kind of what Michigan basketball is or kind of getting them back to what it is. And then just show them around the town as well. Obviously, Will's been there through ups and downs, Nomara, too, a little bit. And just some good mix of A couple of guys have been there, a couple of the freshmen that I think will be tremendous. Trey has done a tremendous job this year, and I think he'll even grow more.

Next year and even Ikeason just being there last year as well. It's unfortunate what happened to him, but I'm hoping to see how he bounces back. And then just bring in those couple transfers. I mean, tomorrow barely played last year at UCLA. So that was a great pickup from Dusty, like putting him in right away, getting him a lot of playing time. Obviously, Yaxil being the number one guy. transfer that was a huge pickup but then like um maris johnson like just not working out at illinois but him wanting to stay in the big 10 and um dusty willing to like giving a shot to play here

with mara at the 4-5 and even if we play small have him play at the 5 and just in the system we run like Illinois looks like it's just fast-paced a lot of those guys shooting 3s that's not more johnson's game like he's more inside out um be inside the paint um So I think, like, just the guys like DUSCIA has kind of targeted in the transfer portal, I think has been really great, really great additions, and alongside with Kaysen, alongside Trey, alongside the Marri and Will. So, like, they can go seven, eight, nine deep at times. I'm like, as Will even played to this game, but it's like we've been up, like, 40,

so it's like, well, it can be any one of those eight-night guys. Yeah, even there. been multiple games this year where Namari hasn't played the last 15 minutes of the game, you know, and it's not because he's like rip playing poorly or whatever. It's just the lineup that they're going with, you know, is working, you know. So it is, I think that is definitely, you know, the secret weapon of Dusty right now is being able to hit you with, you know, a bunch in a bunch of different ways. And then to your point on that, you know, there's a lot of talk right now on, you know, the building a roster of $10 million, whatever, you know, buying players, et cetera, et cetera.

But you have to put the right roster together for it to work, right? And so, you know, as you're saying this, like, you know, there, I think it was back in October, there was a tweet from John Rothstein that came out that was like, Dusty Mays thinking about using three bigs in Mara, Morris Johnson, and Yaxil, and everybody clowned on that tweet at the time. They're like, there's no way this will work, blah, blah, blah. And he's, you know, he's somehow made it work really well where you have the actual player of the year, Mara defensive player of the year. Merez was, you know, second team all big ten, I believe, right?

And so they all got their flowers somehow. You as a big man, how awesome is it to watch three big men somehow get along on the court and just dominate the big ten? Yeah, it's been very fun to watch. I think, like, they all bring a different skill set to the game. I think, like, I think the first game I watched, I was like, Marr, obviously, he's number 15. I was like, I think I had a few bicyclosers, like, dude, that looks like you, John. Like, he's seven, obviously he's taller than me, but like, around the rim, box shots, rebounds, like, can score down low.

Occasionally hits the three every once in a while, but more so more on the paint. And then more as does it kind of pick and pop, pick and roll within 15 feet, does have that bigger body to, kind of bang with you and get to the rim and get those kind of the dirty plays down low. Then the NFL can do a little bit of everything inside and out. He's been really fun to watch. I didn't know what he was going to bring the team, but yeah, he's done really well, and I think he's bolstered his shot at being a top prospect in NBA next year. But yeah, each one of those brings something different to the table.

But yeah, to see them kind of sweep those awards, a big-time player of your year, coach of the year of the war, defense spread of the year, and then three of the guys on the defense, all defense team too, like you don't see that very often either. So I think it just kind of shows you that not only that they can score too in the 80s, 90s, like they will also put the clamps on you and shut your water off and will guard you. Well, and I think that that was where I, you know, realized that this team was unbelievable, you know, mid-probably. Mid-probably December was when, you know, all the, I don't know if you had this, this experience while watching it, but it wouldn't look like they were doing, it wasn't like they were going on this

unbelievable run, but then you kind of like peek up at the score and it's like, oh my God, they're up 12 now, you know, it was two, two minutes ago, right? And, and then all of a sudden it'd be 20 and some of those games would be 30 and you're just like, holy shit, you realize like this the opposing team hasn't scored in 10 minutes and so to your point like not only were you know was the offense super efficient but um i think that come tournament time right now that defense really is what can power you to a final four yeah anything i think the defense travels like it one of these games your your shot isn't going to fall i mean look at that duke game like we struggled to shoot it but um defensively you kind of stuck in there but like that's going to happen one of these games

it could happen today against Ohio State. Ohio State shoots them all very well. We may come out cold in the first half or something, and our defense may have to pick it up. You may have to win a game either next weekend as well. So I think defensively, they just have to continue and just lock in, and they're very disruptive. They get their hands on everything.

They get deflections. They get steals. They get blocks. I mean, it's hard to go score on more. I mean, you first got to get by Yaxill or Rodney Gale. Get by them. Then as soon as you get by them, And then you got Johnson and Mara standing right there.

So it's like you have all these different obstacles just to get to them. And you got Cado being a little bug back there as well. So it's like as soon as you do get to the rim, it's like you're exhausted just getting there. And then like, you have a 74 due to as a 7-8 windspan. Like you do got knocked down shots. I mean, that's why Wisconsin beat us. That one guy, the guy hit five or six threes. I don't think he had five or six threes the rest of the year.

Right. So it's like, you got to get a shot to beat us. And one of these teams will hit shots and it's got to be us to respond, how we're going to respond. So, yeah, it'll be interesting. For sure, for sure. I definitely think it takes kind of, I don't want to say historic night, but it takes an abnormal night to beat Michigan. I mean, the way that, let's talk about the Duke game for a second.

I don't know if you watch that one, but, you know, that one was, I think that looked like two final four. teams going up against each other. It looked like a Final Four environment, all that type of stuff. You know, what are your thoughts on if, I don't want to get too ahead of ourselves, but if Michigan were to get down to, you know, an elite eight final four and they're playing one of the Dukes, the Houston's, the Arizona's that they've got awesome big guys just like Michigan does, how do you think that they'll match up against those teams? Yeah, I think that just having that test in late February was good.

I'm just having a different big body team like Duke. That is, has that top panel and freshman guys and some older guys as well. I mean, Boozer is really good. He's unbelievable. So, I mean, we didn't play well and we had a shot to win at the end. I mean, Kado didn't have his best game. Like, I don't see him doing that again in the tournament. Like, so we didn't get some of the offensive rebounds we usually do.

And that does credit Duke being physical. going on a defensive end. But getting a few more offense rebounds. I think we had a few 20 turnovers as well. So just really taking care of the ball. And then like I said, anything can happen. Obviously, Houston's very, very good. I don't think they're as big as Duke, but they're probably, if not more physical. I think Yukon and Florida do scare me as well. Just say they have those big bodies. But it'll be a lot of them. They've got terrorists who is here, right? Yeah. Yep. And then Florida's a reigning champion. So like, you can't out them out. They have a few big bodies and they've

dominated the SEC last few weeks. So yeah, it'll be a lot of fun, I think, as soon as second weekend in the Sweet 16, really anyone can win. I mean, even anyone from Big Ten, Michigan State's been playing really well. I think Wisconsin with those two guards of Big Boyd and Blackwell, like

they'll make them go. And so, yeah, I don't know, Purdue looked very good at last night. I'm not sure if you watched them, but dominated Northwestern, like if they can get back to form. I mean, Illinois is solid. I don't know about Nebraska,

but until they win a game in a big time of tournament, I think it is what kind of what it is with them. But, yeah, besides those, like top eight teams, like I think really any one of those can win. Yeah, I mean, it is, and you know it, you know, the reality is once you do get to, once you get past the first weekend in the NCAA, tournament, you know, it's anybody, let's be honest, even in that first weekend, you know,

anybody can win. We know that for sure, right? But, you know, you are, you're going to have to play somebody really good once you're in the second weekend, you know, so it really doesn't matter. And then, you know, it obviously gets even harder from there in the elite eight and the final four. So, but I don't want to get too ahead of us. They've got the Big Ten tournament this weekend.

One other thing I wanted to ask you here was. just watching Michigan and Michigan State go back and forth. I know you've been obviously very involved in that rivalry. You know, you live in Michigan now. And, you know, I know that you're from Ohio, right? So you didn't grow up in the Michigan, Michigan State rivalry. But what's it like for you to now watch, you know, Izzo get super worked up after that game abnormally, in my opinion.

I don't think I've ever seen him. He's obviously always gone after the refs and everything. thing like that. But what's your take on the state of that Michigan, Michigan State rivalry right now? Because obviously, they, you know, they handed Michigan two losses last year. Michigan hands them two losses this year. They might meet in the tourney. It just feels like it's at its peak right now. Yeah, I think it is. I think just going back to like when we played or in 2017-18, like from the start of the air and the battles like DeWalt had and Xavier had with them they had Tillman, Cassius, Miles,

like they had very good teams then, and even the last few years, they kind of had our number. But to kind of sweep down this year, it's been fun. I mean, we could see them against Sunday as well. And then again in the tournament. So really, it's been a lot of fun. A lot of friends and family that on my mom's side are Michigan State fans.

So it's like the friends are as well. So there's a lot of back and forth all over usually. I think that's all part of the sports. I think that's what makes college sports so special. I mean, NFL, NBA, you don't really get that as much. So I think that's what kind of keeps the college sports to spark alive is just those rivalries with Michigan and Ohio State, Auburn and Alabama, like Navy, like Michigan, Michigan State.

So, like, it is fun to just go back and forth. And obviously, it does feel better when your team wins. And if you don't, it's like you've got another shot next year. But it's something you do kind of have to live with for the next, like, football is 365 days. But like basketball, you get like a week. Like we played them last week. We may play them again this week.

So it has been a lot of fun. But yeah, to kind of see the stuff of late, I've kind of enjoyed. So it is what it is. It's part of the rivalry. I guess just beat us, really. That's kind of that simple. Like it goes back and forth. They say stuff.

We say stuff. It's like if your feelings get hurt, like, okay? If your feelings are going to get hurt, this isn't the rivalry for you. That's my opinion. And my opinion also is you win, you get to talk your shit. That's kind of how that goes. You get a year of bragging rights, right?

And, you know, I'm sure that there are always things that cross the line and whatever else. But, you know, you've played in front of the year zone. They don't say nice things, you know. I don't think there's, you know, so. You probably can't stay on here. Go ahead. Probably stuff you can't stay on here. Yeah.

Exactly, right? So that was my take on Izzo, you know, of just him saying like, you know, the little brother thing and kind of, you know, getting after the maze rage, you know, what the, you know, what the Michigan crowd did. I'm like, I'm like, dude, you're in the Breslin night after night. You listen to your students right behind you, say a lot of stuff to your, you know, these opposing teams. You should not be allowed to get worked up about what other teams say.

Yeah, it's all a lot of fun. So he'll have maybe another shot at us this weekend. But yeah, it's all good fun. That's why I say it's part of the rivalry. And that's what makes it so special so fun. And obviously, we don't like them. They don't like us. But there is a lot of respect there too.

So I think it does go both plays. Love it. Well, all right. So we're recording this Friday morning. Michigan in a couple hours is about to take on Ohio State. Hopefully they get through them. and then we'll see what happens come Saturday, Sunday. But it doesn't get better than this time of the year.

Tournament time, it's March Madness. I mean, it is so fun to just watch, like you've said, when your team's winning and when your team's really good, when you get that one seat in the Big Ten tournament, it's always pretty dang fun. And then, you know, heading into the NCAA tournament, I'm looking for this team to make a deep. run and hopefully we can have some fun watching, watching this amazing blue out there.

Yeah, it'll be a fun time of year, excited to see what happens today and going forward. And yeah, next weekend, obviously, I'm sure they'll end up in Buffalo. I think they won Philly, but I'm sure they'll end up in Buffalo. But then, like, the next two weekends are Chicago and Indy again. So it's like just the alumni base that Michigan has, like, we should be able to fill up the majority of those arenas if we do make it that far. hopefully. And so, I mean, we always had a good crowds in D.C. and New York and L.A., and so we always felt the love wherever we went. So I think having that 1C2, it does go a long way with those crowds,

because that does help along the way. And we, the players, I mean, myself, I did really feel that playing. So if they do make it that far, I think the Sweet 16 lead dates in Chicago and Final Four is obviously an indie, so not that far of drive for a lot of the people around the part the state 100% no i think that that that's where you really feel the michigan advantage the michigan fan base um is uh when you go to the big 10 tournament or some of these NCAA tournament weekends and you're like our our fan base dwarfs any other fan base out there right um so i'm excited for that um appreciate you coming on and joining me um congrats on on being a dad uh very fun to to watch you guys I hate that you said it's like been eight, nine years.

That makes me feel really old. It probably makes you feel really old too, even though it feels like yesterday. But appreciate you coming on. Thank you to Woods and Whiskey and Feldman Chevrolet for sponsoring us here too. And for us, you can follow us at Blueby 90 on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, at Blueby90 podcast on YouTube and Blueby90.com. We appreciate you. Go Blue.