Club Shay Shay - Nightcap - Hour 2: Anthony Davis returns, Juju Watkins injury, and Duke's tournament to lose

Episode Date: March 30, 2025

Shannon Sharpe and Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson recap Best of Hoops Moments of the week, including Anthony Davis returning from injury, Juju Watkins out with an ACL injury, Cooper Flagg & Duke continuing to show their dominance in this year's March Madness tournament & much more!04:20 - Anthony Davis returns against Nets07:44 - Doc Rivers sounds off about playoffs wins18:50 - Juju Watkins goes down vs Mississippi State20:31 - All March Madness brackets busted27:44 - Cooper Flagg leads Duke against Baylor31:11 - Player complaints over overinflated balls36:42 - March Madness is here(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements.)#Volume #ClubSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey all you women's hoops fans, and folks who just don't know yet that they're women's hoops fans. We've got a big week over at Good Game with Sarah Spayne as we near the end of one of the most exciting women's college basketball seasons ever. The most parody we've seen in years, with games coming down to the wire and everyone wondering which team will be crowned national champions this weekend in Tampa. Listen to Good Game with Sarah Spayne on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

What's up y'all? I'm AJ Andrews, pro softball player, sports analyst, and the first woman to win a Rawlings Gold Glove. On my new podcast, Dropping Diamonds, we dive headfirst into the world of softball by sharing powerful stories, insights, and conversations that inspire and empower. It's time to drop bombs and diamonds. Dropping Diamonds with AJ Andrews

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of iHeart Women's Sports Network. My name is Brendan Patrick Hughes, host of Divine Intervention. This is a story about radical nuns in combat boots and wild haired priests trading blows with J. Edgar Hoover in a hell bent effort to sabotage a war. J. Edgar Hoover was furious. He was out of his mind,

and he wanted to bring the Catholic left to its knees. Listen to Divine Intervention on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, everyone? Julie Swirpinks here, along with former NHL player Nate Thompson. We're doing a new podcast together, here we go. The name? Energy Line with Nate and JSB.

Each week we'll get together and talk about hockey, life, all topics are fair game, right? Exactly, and you'll never know who will drop by to join us. Julie is pretty well connected. She has text threads going that you wouldn't believe. Listen to Energy Line with Nate and JSB on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts,

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Hey look, look. I don't know how many players the Lakers would have traded AD for. But you gotta trade in for Luka. Yeah. There ain't a whole lot of players. A team won't trade. It's reported that they called Minnesota by Ant-Man. No.

It's reported they called Milwaukee by Giannis. No. They're not getting Yolk. I'm trying to think, can you name another player? You probably couldn't get, I wouldn't break up JT and JB. Right. But other than that, you don't have anybody here. Everybody's a green light.

Everybody else is a green light. Everybody else is a green light. So you can't feel bad. Y'all know what I think of AD. I love AD. I like him and Ron together because he was the last line of defense. He could guard pretty much one through five.

He was tremendously in the picket role. Right. Excellent. Excellent. Help side defense could give you 25 and 12 on a nightly basis. Mm hmm. But 32 year old AD versus 26 year old Luca. Yeah. And then obviously an injury prone AD.

Yes. Which has always been an issue of his not being able to support, six-year-old Luca. Yeah, and then obviously an injury prone AD, which has always been an issue of his, not being able to go to court, but understanding what he gives you once he's on the court. But the problem is, is you make the trade, it happens, he comes out, he gives you the AD you used to, but not enough consistency to be able to stay on the court

to make the fans feel like okay you know what we let Luka go but we still got AD. He's still able to come here and produce. He's not Luka you know by any means but he's still a quality player that can put butts in the seats and be productive night in and night out when he's on the court. To see him come back and have a good game tonight, you know, until he gets his legs up underneath him, gets acclimated to the speed of the game and gets himself back in rhythm, you know. So still decent tonight though.

Yeah that's one of the reasons Ocho. When he stays healthy, we've seen him last year. I think he played like 70 plus games, which are those games he's played in a very long time. We know what AD can do. He's as skilled as anybody. He can shoot the three. Now, he's not shooting 40%, but he got the three ball in his repertoire. Mid-range game, can post it, can put it on the floor,

can finish at the rim, above the rim. You're following him, he gonna go to the free throw line, and he gonna make 80 plus percent of his free throws. So obviously, and we know he's one of the two or three best defensive players in all of basketball. Right. We're not even, that's not even up for debate, but like you said, his injury history made it real easy,

plus his age made it real easy for the Lakers to say, you know what, Luca for AD, plus we got another decade of Luca, and we need superstar in order to attract, because you look at that, when you look at their court side and you look at everybody else court side, only the Knicks can rival it. Yeah, it's different.

It's different. And it's always been different, and it's always gonna be different. And that's what you need to attract those stars that come out and watch, is a Luka. Dark River says he doesn't get enough credit for winning three games in a playoff series where he blew three one leads.

No one tells the real story and I'm fine with that. It's unfair in some ways, I don't get enough credit for winning those three games. I get credit for losing. I always say, what if we had lost to Houston in six? No one cares. One thing that I'm proud of is that we've never been swept. All coaches have been swept in the playoffs

My team achieved a lot of them overachieved and I'm proud of that Did he say this out loud yeah, I'm not sure he said this so somebody could write it Wait, I is this really his coat. I mean Are we happy about I'm happy about losing but the fact that we didn't get swept, is that satisfying? Is this some type of moral victory or something? It's more embarrassing that you had a 3-1 lead and you couldn't win another game. Hey, I just want to know how you feel about it. Come on, man.

You know what? I wouldn't even say anything. I said, yeah, I ate. I sold me. Yes, I've had three-one lead in five or six series, and we weren't able to get it done. I've got to do a better job of putting my players in position so we can get it done. I would have never, ever said,

I don't get enough credit for winning three games because it's not a best of five. Dog, you came in, and there used to be a best of five. As a matter of fact, I'm old enough to remember that you used to be a best of three. Yes, they were the best of three. And because you had a best of three, a best of five, the Eastern Western conference was the best of seven. So was the NBA finals.

So Doc, if you had won three games and a best of five, you got a ton of credit. Yeah. But in a seven game series, it's the first of four, not the first of three. Doc said that. Doc said that out loud. I'm just, you know, also, I'm just want to ask you, do you really think this is his quote? Is it from a reliable source? Yeah, it's him. He's talking. Yes. It's in quotes. Yeah, that's what he said It's the mark Spears. He said no one's tells the real story and I'm fine with that. It's unfair in some ways

I don't get credit for getting those three wins You don't get credit for winning games. You get credit for winning series, right? If it's the MCA You get credit for winning series. Right. If it's the NCAA, you get credit for winning games. One in one shot. Not in a series, not where it takes four. Come on, Doc, Doc is too much of a student of the game. Doc has too much basketball, high level IQ to ever say something like this to have it printed

Lord have mercy. Oh How'd oh Joe That'd be like that would be the equivalent of DQ said hey, I don't get enough credit for having a 28 three lead on the page I don't get enough credit for having a 28-3 lead on the on the page. I don't get enough credit for that because I did Have a lead how many coaches ever had a 25-point lead in the Super Bowl? What good is that you lost? Yeah Yeah, you asked the same thing when when the Houston shoot it door the oilers had that big lead

Had that big lead Against against Buffalo. Yeah, I'll leave you talk about a lead not winning the game, but we had a lead It's even more embarrassing that in the first of four right one three games and you lost the series still Yeah, I Don't know. I need more context to the conversation. The way it's being worded doesn't sound like, come on, Doc, would you really say something like that? Would you work for credit for winning three?

Yeah, because he has the most blown 3-1 leads in NBA history. He's saying, y'all not giving me credit for winning three games. Nah, that ain't the way it works. Who's getting credit? Hold on, that ain't the way to go. Who's got credit? Hold on, that ain't the way of work though. In nothing, in nothing you do in life. He had against the Celtics in 23, a 3-2 lead, lost. 2020 against the Nuggets in the bubble, 3-1 lead, lost.

2015, the Rockets, he was at the Clippers at the time, lost. 2012, against the Heat, 3-2 lead, lost. 2010, against the Lakers, 3-2, lost. 2009, against the Magic, 3-2, lost. 2003, Pistons, 3-1, lost. 2003 Pistons 3-1 lost. My goodness. Listen. What are we supposed to do with that Ocho?

The difficulties of being a coach. The difficulties of being a head coach at the highest level. Here's the question. The question Mark Spears asked him, how do you deal with all the criticism you've received from the media and on social media from losing three one series leads four times?

Doc quote was a direct response to what he was asked by Mark J. Spears. Yeah. How do you feel with all the criticism you received from the media and on social media? So I guess ain't nobody else criticizing. You don't think other coaches talk about damn doc. You don't think players say it. So what you think? I get it. Blame the media. Right. Blame social media. So but we're the only ones. Ain't no player, as a matter of fact, what happened when he lost the Clippers 3-1 lead? And guest management blamed him too.

They got him up out of there. Got him there, yeah. Okay, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, Billy, what did they do? They got him up out of there. So, I guess it ain't just the media and social media. So I have a question. It's bosses. So hold on, ain't just the media and social media. So I have his bosses So hold on. I hold on. Hold on. Hold on. Now. I have a question I think now the opportunities given when it comes in the NFL is a little bit different as opposed to true to

the NBA Now he's continues to get jobs for a reason exactly. So you can't say yeah, he's a great he's a great coach reason exactly so you can't say yeah he's a great he's a great coach he's a great coach he has to be great at something there that he does because there's a reason you continue to have all these jobs despite the losses that are happening at important times at the wrong times yeah and they're letting you go but you get the job somewhere else right away like it's nothing so there's something special about him. Right. I don't like that answer though.

Yeah, no, nobody likes that answer. If he can take it back, if he can read the quote now with a little bit of clarity and understand. Read to me. Let me finish. I guarantee he'll word it different. He'll word it differently. I'm telling you, you see how you in your right state of mind are sitting here reading and

then getting better contact with what he was? He wasn't drunk. Yeah, I... Hey. Yeah, yeah. Let's put up, because we want to put some more comments because you say he was taking out of context, he had no idea what he was asking. Oh, no, let's put up, because we want to put some more comments because you think he was taking out of context he had no idea. No, I know it wasn't because once you told me what the question was that that gave me a better understanding.

It was a direct question. So the answer and the quote was literally direct based on, you know, sometimes, you know, sometimes at least. OK, how about this here? It is what it is. It's a part of my legacy. There's nothing I can do about it. I got a team that was an eight seed up three one. That's coaching.

That's not bad coaching. There are several eight seed that have actually won. The Dibber Nuggets was the first eight seed. They beat the Seattle Supersounds, who was the number one seed, but we'll talk about that later. The one with the Clippers is the only one that got away, but people don't realize that Chris Paul

was running on one leg in 2015 with the Clippers And we also the underdog in that series when you think about it, Houston had home court not us So let me get it was good enough. You got you beat them twice on their home court. Mm-hmm together three To get a three one lead, right? So he was on one leg so one leg got you a three one lead. One leg couldn't get you another win. Okay. Okay. How about this? We didn't have home court. Well it goes road to your first two games at the, if you're the underdog, that means the first two games that they're home.

So that means in order for you to get a 3-1 lead, you had to have won one game on the court. Exactly. It's on your resume, Doc. I think the best thing is that, hey, look, it's a part of me. I wish maybe I could have said, hey, look, it's a part of me. I wish maybe I could have done something different, call different plays, put players in different situations.

But to say I don't get enough credit for winning three games, when it's a four game series, when it's a seven game series and it's the first of four, not the first of three, he got to miss me with that one. Yeah, he got to miss me with that one. Yeah. He got to miss me with that one. So sorry, Doc, we can't agree on that one. My name is Brendan Patrick Hughes, host of Divine Intervention. This is a story about radical nuns in combat boots and wild haired priests trading blows with J. Edgar Hoover in a hell-bent effort to sabotage a war.

J. Edgar Hoover was furious somebody violated the FBI and he wanted to bring the Catholic left to its knees. The FBI went around to all their neighbors and said to them, do you think these people are good Americans? It's got heists, tragedy, a trial of the century, and the god damnest love story you've ever heard. I picked up the phone and my thought was, this is the most important phone call

I'll ever make in my life. I couldn't believe it. I mean, Brendan, it was divine intervention. Listen to Divine Intervention on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. It's Julie Stewart Banks. I'm doing a new podcast from iHeart Podcasts and the National Hockey League, and I'm paired up with one of my favorite players, the always quotable Nate Thompson.

I wore nine-inch yellow sweaters and I have story after story to share. And believe it or not, I have plenty to say and not just about hockey. Believe me, he does. Energy Line with Nate and JSB is the name of the podcast and it's going to be, well, it's going to be quite the ride. We're officially line mates, Nate. We're the Energy Line. We'll have plenty of folks join us, current players, some of my former teammates, Hall of Famers, and wait to see some of the

connections that Julie has. She has quite the Rolodex. Okay, we'll lean into Nate's playing experience and tap into our interests away from hockey and try to do what Energy Lines are supposed to do, provide an emotional boost. How do you feel about all that Nate? I'm vibing Julie. I'm ready to roll. Listen to Energy Line with Nate and JSB on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, this is Mel Reed, LPGA Tour winner and six time Lady Geo-Beam Tour winner. And Kira K. Dickson, NBC Sports reporter and host.

You forgot to say All My Miss America by the way. And we've got a new podcast, Quiet Please, with Mel. And Kira. We are bringing you spicy takes on sports and pop culture, some golf haps, and interviews with incredible people who have figured out how to make golf their superpower. Or just people we like. Plus tales from the road and everything in between. By the way, golf isn't just for the dads, brads, and chads.

Yeah, it's actually life's cheat code, and we're not going to be quiet about it on or off the course. We're bringing on some of our friends like Michelle Wee, Heather McMahon, Amanda Baleotis. So, if you want to keep up with us and here's YAP, tune into our new podcast. Listen to Quiet Please with Mel and Kira, an iHeart women's sports production

in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find us on the iHeart Radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports. Hey, it's Alec Baldwin. This season on my podcast, Here's the Thing, I speak with California Governor Gavin Newsom.

I watch Fox. I pay attention to Newsmax, One American News. I don't turn my back to the critics, but there is a sort of California derangement syndrome out there that is just sort of ridiculous. This notion that this is the only state that has challenges, it's just comedic, but it's damaging. We record-breaking tourism last year.

We have a surplus again. We have a state with population growing again. You wouldn't know that that's not prevalent It's not part of the discussion golf by the fires. It's been engulfed in the fires It's you know, it's a failed state, you know, California Look, but for me, you know, it's a pride for me again as a guy lives here Who cares about the state is to make a case a new for it and I'm a little clintonia about there's nothing wrong with it They can't be fixed with by what's right with it

I'm a little Clintonian about there's nothing wrong with it. It can't be fixed with by what's right with it Listen to the new season of here's the thing on the I heart radio app Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts No, Joe, we've got breaking news coming in a lot of y'all been commenting in the chat Juju Watkins was carried off minutes into the Mississippi State game. Watkins was on a fast break just under five minutes to go. She appeared to have gotten tangled up with a Mississippi State player. She immediately went down, grabbed her right knee visibly in pain. A foul was called on the Mississippi State Chandler Prater. Prater. Prater Prater.

Damn. Oh my goodness. That just happened. It did. Damn. It did. Oh, okay. Man.

Oh my goodness. She's screaming. It didn't look good. Oh, my. Thanks. Mm hmm. What do you think? I can't see what you think it is. You think you think is I only want to speculate, but she grabbed her knee

and she and she's screaming. She immediately grabbed her knee and she's screaming. She immediately grabbed her knee and she's screaming. Damn. Damn. I'm hoping for the best though. I'm hoping for the best though. I'm hoping for the best too Ocho. I don't want to put that out there. Let's just say she went down.

She did not return to the game. We're going to wait till they give us a diagnosis after this game. But it did look good. Damn. Ocho March Madness has zero perfect brackets that remain. More than 35, 34 million brackets was entered. None remained perfect. It took 43 games, but number three Kentucky's,

84, 75 win over number six Illinois, busted the final bracket. So Ocho, this is the first time that a man's perfect bracket has lasted until the second round since 2019. In 2024, the last perfect man's bracket was busted in the 31st game of the tournament. Are you surprised that there are no perfect brackets remaining? Listen, I'm not surprised because if you look at the odds when it comes to having a perfect bracket and winning prize money or winning something

for having the perfect bracket, I mean, you would know the chance of winning or having the perfect bracket is less likely than actually winning the lotto. It actually is. If I'm not mistaken, statistically, and if it's like that, the chance of having a perfect bracket,

you would have to almost guess or create multiple brackets at that to actually have one that goes perfect and have a different scenarios in the way games are going to play out. Because if you look at it, this only comes down to one game. It comes down to one game. I was excited and didn't even create a bracket. I just went on a limb and said, you know what? Hell, St. John's is going to win the whole thing. And St. John's, they didn't win a loss.

They got bounced in the second round. They didn't lost in the second round. So if I had a bracket, which I didn't, then the goddamn one team I did pick, now they going home. Yep. And because normally if your team, it's hard for you to win a bracket

if the team that you picked up win the tournament gets knocked out early Because think about all the because you had been winning they got knocked out the route of 32 So now they don't make the sweet 16. They don't make the elite eight. They don't make the final four So one side of your bracket is already gone unless you're perfect on the other side Right, it's hard to overcome that but this is why people love marching magic so much, is the uncertainty, the unpredictability of college basketball. Because you're not dealing with professionals here, old child.

You're dealing with kids. You're dealing with 18 to 20, 21-year-old kids. Maybe some are a little older now because of the portal and what we had with COVID. So sometimes the kids are 22, 23 years of age. But you're not dealing with professionals. Although some of them are getting paid. So I guess you would consider theoretically consider them professionals.

But when you look at it like that, Ocho, I'm not surprised. I'm surprised they haven't been more upset. You think so? Yeah. Yeah. You're normally, I don't think we had, we didn't have any like what? 13, 14 seeds that upset anybody this year No, we have a 13 or 14 seed 15 seed that would upset somebody

It's just it's just hard now Ocho because the freshmen's if you're really good you leave And and the portal guys going back to go in one school here I didn't like the amount of playing time or they got into it with coaches or whatever the case may be. And so now guys, the talent is spread. Guys are not just going to Carolina, Duke and Kentucky and Kansas. Guys are spreading out, Yukon, even though they lost a day to Florida. But that's what happened. That's what happened. You're going to see this, start to see this, I think a little bit more in football also, Ocho, the unpredictability of college football, because the guys are starting to spread out because you know what?

There are a lot of teams that got money. Now they might not have as much as Ohio State or say Michigan or Alabama or Georgia, but hey, considering I was gonna get nothing that I can get 200, 300,000, that's pretty good money for an 18-year-old that's entering college. And when I think about it,

you talk about the landscape and how the dynamic of the playing field has somewhat even because players are going everywhere. I think when it comes to college football, I think that's already happened. I think it's already happened from the, you think of the days when the hurricanes of Florida Gators and the Florida and the Seminoles

used to absolutely dominate collegiate football and get all the great players, especially from down here in Florida, as opposed to now Listen the kids out of Florida and Texas and in LA they going everywhere They go to Ohio State they go in Alabama look at Amari Cooper. Yeah, look at Jerry Judy. Look at Jeremiah Smith He's at Ohio State. Yeah Look at Lamar Jackson. He from Florida. He went to Louisville So we're guys the guys from Florida would normally stay home. They like we got out of there

Yeah, yeah, and so, you know if Florida could actually keep their guys, that's why Florida Florida State Miami the canes that's why they were so good because they normally kept that homegrown talent now that homegrown talent they leave Yeah, and so we Really in Calvary in Calvary homegrown talent, they leave. Yeah. And so Ridley, isn't Caber-Ridley from before? Yeah, Caber-Ridley, yeah. He and his brother, they went out of state. And so you're right, Ocho, I think because the guys are starting to leave and starting to spread out,

you're gonna see, the likelihood of you see the domination that you once saw, I don't know if we're gonna see that again. No, it's not gonna happen. Listen unless unless there's some booster from somewhere that comes along with in it an abnormal amount of money and it's starting in stars Let's say you and for example or Florida State in order or noted for them to get back to their Dominating ways they have to come in coming to come into these homes Yeah, and offer some of these five-star kids or steel players from other schools.

Yeah, that's what you're going to need to do, Ocho. Based on the amount of money they're willing to pay them, in order for the hurricanes or the Seminoles to get back to how it was back in the 90s. You got to keep all homegrown kids right here within the state. When you look at it, Ocho, and like you said, okay, you got to get a kid that was, like, you're like Jordan Addison. Yeah. He won the Balintnikov Award at Pitt and now he ends up at USC. USC, yeah.

Because you got those big movie studio execs and all those guys that went to USC. That's a big film school. Yeah. Which one of those, is it Katzenberg? Or David Geffen that went to USC? It's one of them, because, uh, SKG is Spielberg, Katz, and Geffen. Spielberg, Katzenberg, and Geffen. SKG.

But I know one of them got a sc got a film school named after him at USC. Because they started Pixar, didn't they? SKG, Spielberg, David Geffen. But that's what you're going to have to have, Ocho. You're going to have to have, like you said, those big guys to have that kind of money. You see a Larry Ellison, his wife went to Michigan. He intervened and got Rice Underwood to flip from LSU to Michigan.

Yep. DreamWorks, SKG, Spielberg, Katzenberg and Geffen, right? Which one with the USC? Cause one of them has a Spelms school named after him. I think it's David Geffen, but it might be Kassenberg. DreamWorks, yeah, not Pixar. Cooper Flagg scores 18 points in his second round win over Baylor.

The Blue Devils finished the first half on a 12-0 run, and the run didn't slow down after the half, asserting their dominance in an 89-66 win. Cooper flag was once again the best player on the court. Finished with 18 points, nine rebounds, six assists and a block. While Tyrese Proctor added 25 points and shot seven of eight from the three. Duke have been dominant and has shown that they still can win it all. You're absolutely right, Ocho.

They look like the most impressive team that I've seen in the tournament. Hey, from top to bottom, from top to bottom, in every phase on the court, in transition, on offense, on defense, everything about Duke looks phenomenal. I'm not sure, I think they might be the anomaly. I might be using anomaly in the wrong context, in the instance where I'm talking about Duke

might be in one of the teams where regardless to what day it is, they probably will beat everybody. I'm not sure who can compete with them or contend with them. You would probably be better versed in well-knowledge in the game of collegiate basketball to tell me is there a team that can actually challenge Duke based on what I've seen so far and based on what I've seen during the regular season.

Right. Hold on for a second. What'd you say all of them with the USC all of them have schools named after Yeah, it's all we're not surprised So that's how USC is able to get some got be able to flip you'll get Jordan Addison After you won the blitnik off award at up and get him to come to USC. But Cooper flagged, he looked good. I mean, hey, he, I mean you watched him at high school at Mount Verde, Mount Verde, and he was sensational and he hadn't disappointed. He looks like he's gonna be the presumptuous number one overall pick in

this upcoming draft. Oh, so he not coming back? Not bad, he coming back. You want to go to the NBA? How can you get higher than number one? I can see if he's going to be like an end of the lottery pick. He's going to be number one. To do what? It's so funny watching him play today and watching Cooper Flagg. He just reminded me so much of myself when I was in high school.

Our game is very similar. He can score from anywhere, mid-range, put the ball on the floor, take people on, in the post, back to the basket. I mean, you can shoot the three a little bit. I mean, it's just very reminiscent of myself in high school back in 1991. It's a joy to watch, it's a joy to watch. Somebody say Cooper Flagg is the best prospect since LeBron. Did you not just see Wimby come out last year? Yeah. So he's a better prospect than Wimby.

You feel comfortable saying that? No. Hey, listen, one thing about us in general, people in general, society, we are prisoners of the moment. Absolutely. Whatever is hot right now, that's what it is. You forget about some of the great players that have come in the past. Hey, nigga my dawg, tight as what's up baby? Well you could, hey, you couldn't let you couldn't let me get no more moments, huh? That's how it is. He say, my auntie had me for 10 days

and I was ready for her to leave, Ocho. So she be stingy. So she don't wanna be sharing no chicken tenders. She don't share nothing. So I was ready for her to go. Inflategate, Ocho, players are complaining about overinflated basketballs. Here's a list of the players that have spoken out

about the absurdity of the ball overinflation in the NCAA tournament game. Aw, come on, man. You know, you had Sam Decker, Kobe Bray, Colvin Hawkins, Joseph Girard III, Dalton Connect last year, Armando Baycott, Hunter Dixon. What do you think, Ocho? Is this something or nothing? Man, I mean, to me Baycott, Hunter Dixon. What do you think, Ocho? Is this something or nothing?

Man, to me, it's nothing. I wouldn't be complaining about the ball. When you were growing up, sometimes you had to worry, but you had no control over the conditions, huh? You playing outdoor, you play indoor. Sometimes there's no net, sometimes there's a net, sometimes there's a chain net, sometimes there's a double rim. Sometimes the ball is flat, sometimes the ball is full.

Either way, you adapt, you make the adjustments necessary. Now you see what I mean? Now we got players that done got to college. Now they complaining about the goddamn ball and forgetting how we grew up. Oh, I'm not sure how they grew up. Then yeah, everybody had a silver spoon based on this area that's in college right now.

Listen, I ain't even had no shoes. I had the hoop and P class and a pair of trucks. Everybody's hooping trucks. I know, but I'm just saying, I'm still hooping in trucks and they talk about, oh, the ball is too much and the ball. Man, if you don't go out there and play basketball and adjust and adapt to the goddamn ball, what are you talking about? Man, he's made a, uh, boy, a chat. I was the checker that saw me boy. Boy back in 1990. You look like you played in the 60s the way you holding that basketball.

Oh, I have an unorthodox grip. You hear me? I got an unorthodox grip. I have an unorthodox game. You do? So do you, let me ask you a question. Do you think that you think there's something to this? What should the MCH? Should they look into it? Should they check the ball? Hey, honestly, honestly, as a player, I'm just saying as a competitor, I wouldn't care about that. That's just me. Now, I can't speak on behalf of the. If they're saying maybe the ball has too much air in it. I mean, maybe it does. Should that affect your game in any way?

No. When you shoot the ball, don't hit the rim. When you put the ball on the floor, you know what to do with it. No air, a lot of air. It shouldn't matter. It shouldn't affect anything. That's just me. I ain't complaining about no damn ball. I'm going out there and I'm finna hoop.

If you're a true hooper, now I'm talking about a true hooper. If you're a true hooper, you adapt regardless of circumstance. I ain't telling you what I heard. I'm telling you what I know. You think the player that go to rugby park, they complain about the ball being,

having too much air? Well, I think sometimes these arenas are bigger than what they normally play. And I think, you know, you heard an NBA player saying, you gotta get used because the depth perception, because you, you know, you used to play it and now they're playing in multipurpose arena. And so maybe that has something to do with,

maybe the ball could be over inflated. It's a little, you know, go ahead. I have a question. Don't they have shoot around in college football and college basketball too? Right? Yeah. There's plenty of time to make the necessary adjustments to your game, to your skillset based on the balls that you were using. Me personally, I'm just saying they have a right to complain.

It's just something I wouldn't complain about Before we have a football game. What is the coach stated go do two hours before the game go out there and test the what? That's your shoes So, you know what shoes you need to wear because you had you might have to make the necessary adjustments Based on the feel you plan on yep Come on now. We talk about a ball having too much air man We ain't even had no air in our balls in P.E. back in the 80s. And we, I made do just like that. Talk about the ball got too much air in it, man child, please man, come on now.

My name is Brendan Patrick Hughes, host of Divine Intervention. This is a story about radical nuns in combat boots and wild haired priests trading blows with J. Edgar Hoover in a hell-bent effort to sabotage a war. J. Edgar Hoover was furious somebody violated the FBI and he wanted to bring the Catholic left to its knees. The FBI went around to all their neighbors and said to them,

do you think these people are good Americans? It's got heists, tragedy, a trial of the century, and the god damn best love story you've ever heard. I picked up the phone and my thought was, this is the most important phone call I'll ever make in my life. I couldn't believe it. I mean, Brendan, it was divine intervention.

Listen to Divine Intervention on the iHeart radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. It's Julie Stewart Banks. I'm doing a new podcast from iHeart podcasts and the national hockey league. And I'm paired up with one of my favorite players, the always quotable Nate Thompson. I wore nine NHL sweaters and I'm paired up with one of my favorite players, the always quotable Nate Thompson. I wore nine NHL sweaters and I have story after story to share. And believe it or not, I have plenty to say and not just about hockey.

Believe me, he does. Energy Line with Nate and JSP is the name of the podcast and it's gonna be, well, it's gonna be quite the ride. We're officially line mates, Nate. We're the Energy Line. We'll have plenty of folks join us, current players, some of my former teammates, Hall of Famers, and wait to see some of the connections that Julie has. She has quite the Rolodex. Okay, we'll lean into Nate's playing experience and tap into

our interests away from hockey and try to do what Energy Lines are supposed to do, provide an emotional boost. How do you feel about all that, Nate? I'm vibing, Julie. I'm ready to roll. Listen to Energy Line with Nate and JSB on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, this is Mel Reed, LPGA Tour winner

and six-time Lady Geo-Bean Tour winner. And Kira K. Dixon, NBC Sports reporter and host. You forgot to say All My Miss America by the way. And we've got a new podcast, Quiet Please with Mel. And Kira, we are bringing you spicy takes on sports and pop culture, some golf haves and interviews with incredible people who have figured out how to make golf their superpower. Or just people we like.

Plus tales from the road and everything in between. By the way, golf isn't just for the dads, brads, and chads. Yeah, it's actually life's cheat code, and we're not going to be quiet about it on or off the course. We're bringing on some of our friends like Michelle Wee, Heather McMahon, Amanda Baleotis. So, if you want to keep up with us and here is YAP, tune into our new podcast.

Listen to Quiet Please with Mel and Kira, an iHeart Women's Sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find us on the iHeart Radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports. Hey, it's Alec Baldwin.

This season on my podcast, Here's the Thing, I speak with California Governor Gavin Newsom. I watch Fox. I pay attention to Newsmax, One American News. I don't turn my back to the critics, but there is a sort of California derangement syndrome out there that is just sort of ridiculous. This notion that this is the only state that has challenges. It's just comedic, but it's damaging. We record-breaking tourism last year. We have a surplus again. We have a state with a population growing again. You wouldn't know that.

That's not prevalent. It's not part of the discussion. It's been engulfed by the fires. It's been engulfed by the fires. It's a failed state. California, but for me, it's a pride for me. Again, as a guy who lives here, who cares about the state, is to make a case anew for it.

And I'm a little clintony about it. There's nothing wrong with it. It can't be fixed by what's right with it. Listen to the new season of Here's the Thing on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. We will get into March Madness. I'm gonna show you this a little later. Day one of March Madness, in the books. Hey, got an upset already, Ocho. The biggest upset of the tournament thus far, McNeese, number 12, McNeese State over number five Clemson, 69-67.

McNeese became the 47th number 12 seed to win a first round game since 1979 and in the process won his first NCAA tournament game in school history. The performance comes in wake of coach Will Wade's agreement he's leaving McNeese at the end of the tourney run to become the head coach of the Wolfpack of NC State but Wade's transparency with his players and the mission that he had contact with NC State did not become a distraction, he said, Ocho, do you think him leaving propelled his team to spring this upset? Maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe so.

But listen, you know, when it comes to basketball, it's one game. It's not a seven game series. It's not a five or six game series. You go out there and what team shows up that Pacific day. Your ranking don't matter. It don't matter what you've done during the regular season. Once it comes to March Madness, you got one shot, one shot to get it right. And they got it right. Maybe there might have been some type of motivation behind coach, them knowing coach is leaving and you want to send him out the right way and if this is any testament to that kudos to them yeah they play really well oh joy the thing is is that there's a difference between truth and

transparency you see the difference see truth is you ask me a question I tell you the truth transparency is you telling me something question, I tell you the truth. Transparency is you telling me something that I didn't even ask you to tell me. Uh, I'm sorry, I ain't gonna do that, Ocho. Nah, just get that thing. Hold on, hold on, hold on. We just started the show. Hey, hey, I'm gonna start, you know what, I'm gonna start.

Hey, no, no, we're not doing that. Ocho, we gonna get on to the show, Ocho. I ain't gonna get into the show. You coming out with hot fire already. Give me that, come on, now. Come on, don't do me doing that. Oh Joe. We go get them get over to the show. Oh Joe I'm gonna get into the show you coming out with hot fire already Give me that you come on that you come on. Don't do me like that. Give me that one more time I got to write that down. I'm telling you that transparency line was unbelievable truth is Telling you you ask me a question. I tell you the truth

Transparency is telling you something. You didn't even ask me. I'm being transparent. You don't even know. See, if you tell me, say what you had a blah, blah, blah, so forth, so on. Yeah, this is what I did. But let me tell you something else that you didn't know. That's being transparent. And there's a difference between the two. And so I think him, even before they found out, he was like, look guys, I've had contact. There's a possibility I could be leaving you guys and going somewhere else.

And I think that plays a large part. That's what transparency is. People say transparent, I want you to be transparent. Now I think that's a good definition, a good understanding is telling someone something they didn't even ask. Now you're being transparent. And so I think this definitely helped. But like you said, Ocho, in a game of this magnitude,

when one shot is, and that's one shining moment, I just gotta be better than you for the day. I gotta be better, I ain't gotta be a better team. I just gotta be better than you for the day. I gotta be better. I gotta be a better team. I just gotta be better than you today. Two hours. That's it. That's it. And they were.

But I think that's why people love March Magic so much, Ocho, because realistically, anything can happen on that Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. And people like that. Because the underdog like, man, my team really got a chance to beat a Duke, to beat a North Carolina, to beat a Clemson, to beat a UCLA, or one of these blue blood programs, Kentucky, Kansas.

My team, you, man, you know what? My team did that. My team really truly have a chance to do that. And listen, there's a reason they call it March and the last word is madness. Because ain't no telling what's gonna happen regardless of seating, regardless of the conference, regardless of how small your program may be. All it takes is what team is showing up that day

for two hours? A team get a lot, Ocho, I think for me, a team get hot. And you know, a team get hot. They make 10, 11, 12 threes in a college game? That's huge. They going to run all of a sudden, they can't miss. We've seen it before. We've seen Villanova pull the upset over Georgetown.

We've seen NC State take down flat five slammer Jemma in 1984. No, that was 83, 83, excuse me, 83. The Wolf Pack took him down. Because in 84, Georgetown won. Georgetown beat Houston that year. because in 84, Georgetown won. Georgetown beat Houston that year. Cause that was the year Akim ended up turning pro. But yeah, so, oh, got another one on Joe.

Drake is headed to the second round. The Bulldogs just upset. Missouri, 67-57. Yeah, leave. That's a number 11 took down a number six. Earlier we had a number 12. Missouri, 67, 57. Yeah, leave. That's a number 11 took down a number six. Earlier we had a number 12 took down a number five. I think the thing is we're waiting for that. We're waiting for that one 16, two 15, three 14.

Because like the, and the note said earlier, 47 times of 12 has taken down number five. So we've gotten kind of like, we expect, we expect one 12 to take down a five seed in the first round. We go into the thing, so when we get this, even though it is an upset because you're ranked five,

the other team is ranked 12, 11 versus a six, we're expecting this now because we've seen it happen so much over the years. So we're not nearly as shocked, but now when we get a 1 16, we got to get a 2 15, we got a 3 14. Now they're like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, what's going on? What's going on? But who upsets early?

I wonder how many perfect brackets that we still have. Honestly, honestly, you would have to make multiple brackets, make multiple brackets with multiple scenarios for your bracket to be right. There's no way in hell people are guessing the bracket on one shot with some of the upsets and getting it right. Because if you are, and if you're able to do it, and you out there, and your bracket is still intact today,

you need to give me the numbers to mega millions in the lotto and pick five. Please, please do. I mean, the first round is really not that hard because I think Warren Buffett had a thing that if you compete a perfect bracket and pick the national champ, you'll get a billion dollars, but that ain't gonna happen. You've got a better chance of winning the lottery than picking a perfect bracket all the way through and getting the national champion right.

You got a better chance. I mean, think about it, Ocho, every single round, from 64 to 32 to 16 to eight to four. Listen, if you get that right, that ain't number God's grace and favor. That ain't nothing but that. well, you better let God pick it You better not think you better let him pick it. You better let it fill out your You better let it fill fill out your

Bracket. Oh Joe the number eight Gonzaga's the Zags Beat number nine, Georgia Bulldogs 8968 the Zags look to be drastically under seeded as the number eight made easy work over the Georgia Bulldogs 89-68. The Zags looked to be drastically under seeded as the number eight made easy work over the Georgia Bulldogs. Gonzaga has now played 26 straight NCAA tournament games. Georgia was playing for the first time since 2015. One team looked very very comfortable on this stage. The other team did not. The Jags jumped out to a 27 to three lead and never looked back. Georgia had 13 turnovers, shot just five or 26 from the three,

including back to back air balls at one point in the first half. They trailed by 25 points on multiple occasions. Look, I think, didn't guys say I could just play for the national championship a couple of years ago? And you know, they have really good players. They had Jalen Suggs out of there, or Timmy, or Chet Holmgren.

So they've had Rui Hachimura. They've had some guys, some really good players come out of Gonzaga. Mm-hmm. So I'm not surprised. I definitely would, even though they were a higher seed, I would have picked the Zags to be the Bulldogs. Absolutely.

I mean, you've been there that many times. I don't think anybody I would pick the Zags to beat the Bulldogs. Absolutely. I mean you've been there that many times I don't think anybody's surprised that the Zags I'm probably the only people that are that that that picked them were Bulldog fans. On Saturday get ready to see how good the Zags are they'll try to beat the top seeded Houston Cougars to make the 10th Now that's gonna be a good one. Now that's gonna be a good one. We gotta be able to handle that pressure. Drew Timmy. That's who?

Ah, damn. What, what, what? Number 10 Arkansas, Razorbacks took down the number seven Kansas Jayhawks, 79-72, in a game of runs between two championship coaches 7 seed Kansas escaped the win with eight ties and ten different lead changes the number 10 Arkansas Razorback used a 7-0 run to give coach John Calipari a 79-72 victory over the Jayhawks and Bill Self in the Providence, Rhode Island

What'd you think? I mean, Coach K. Leav, he got the criticisms became a little bit unbearable because I don't know, bro. Every year, think about all the first round draft picks that you've had, all the number one overall draft picks that you've had, and you've only got one national championship to show. And Kentucky is about championships. Coach Ruff, Tubby Smith, Rick Patino even Calypst that one But you got number one overalls and pick Anthony Davis. You got Carl Anthony Towns. You got Boogie Cove

You got number all John Wall. You got a Shay Gilder. You got a Tyler Hero You got Jamal Murray, you got Devin Booker. You got the Vanderbilt. Come on It's been a farm system for them. It's been a farm system for them. In and out with number one picks, some of the greatest, not only to play collegiate football, but some of the greatest also in the NBA. But also, you got to think about it. Think about who they were losing to.

They weren't losing to no scrub, they're also losing to other players that play well collectively as a group. Now, usually we name them one-offs of great players that play well collectively as a group. Now you just, we, we name in one office of great players that happen to be on a team, but the team that they lost to. But you do realize that John Wall and Boogie Cousins was on the same team. But that's why, that's why that's the key word that you heard me say. The team that they lost to played together collectively as a group, much better than them as a head of monster.

So. South, South, South, they, they are the team that's beating them are sophomores, juniors, and seniors sprinkled in where they're just one and done and look, learn try to learn how to play together because all these guys Murray was the guy, uh Book was the guy, Hero was the guy, all these guys were the guy. Now you're asking all these five stars to come together and says okay, bro for the common good, hey, do what you need. It's hard. It's really hard because everybody has the same ambition as to go play in the NBA.

But in order to get there, you're gonna have to have sacrifices and it's hard. I mean you look at the teams that win, they got juniors and seniors sprinkled in there. Look at UConn. got juniors and seniors sprinkled in there. Look at Yukon. They're not as deep as far as juniors and seniors and they're struggling. They obviously don't have the same talent. You lose Klingon, then you lose Castle, you lose some of these other guys and so you're going to struggle. But Coach Cal got it done. At Arkansas, first win in a tournament as head coach of Arkansas. We know he was at a lot of different places, whether they had UMass, he ended up going to, he was an NBA, then he goes to Memphis, then he goes to Kentucky, stayed in Kentucky for a number of years. He did win a national championship, but he moves on and he gets his win there. The number one seeds Auburn and Houston,

both take care of business. Auburn beat Alabama State 83-63. Auburn crews behind 23 points from Miles Kelly and 14 points 11 rebounds from player of the year candidate Johnny Brown. Setting up Saturday with the number nine Creighton, Houston will play SIU-Edwardsville. Oh, they beat SIU-Edwardsville 78-40. Damn, Kevin Sampson was able to rest his starter for much of the second half after building a 28-point lead in the first half. No starter played more than 23 minutes.

Houston has been haunted by injuries in the NCAA tournament the last three years, but it cruised into the second round with his entire rotation intact So no surprise I mean, I think some people a lot of people probably got Houston going all the way through at least Advancing to the elite eight if not the final four now listen, who did you say Houston has coming up? They played the Zaga on Saturday, right?

Yes, okay, I Listen I ain't no telling what's going to happen, dog. It is one day, but Houston is good. Houston is very, very good. But again, it's called March Madness for a reason. Hey all you Women's Supes fans, and folks who just don't know yet that they're Women's Hoops fans. We've got a big week over at Good Game with Sarah Spayne as we near the end of one of

the most exciting women's college basketball seasons ever. The most parody we've seen in years, with games coming down to the wire and everyone wondering which team will be crowned national champions this weekend in Tampa. Listen to Good Game with Sarah Spayne iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up y'all. I'm AJ Andrews, pro softball players, sports analysts, and the first woman to win a Rawlings Gold Glove.

On my new podcast, Dropping Diamonds, we dive headfirst into the world of softball by sharing powerful stories, insights, and conversations that inspire and empower. It's time to drop bombs and diamonds. Dropping Diamonds with AJ Andrews is an iHeart Women's Sports Production in partnership with Athletes Unlimited Softball League and Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. Listen to Dropping Diamonds with AJ Andrews on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Brought to you by Novartis, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports Network. My name is Brendan Patrick Hughes, host of Divine Intervention. This is a story about radical nuns in combat boots and wild haired priests trading blows with J. Edgar Hoover in a hell-bent effort to sabotage a war. J. Edgar Hoover was furious.

He was out of his mind and he wanted to bring the Catholic left to its knees. Listen to Divine Intervention on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, everyone? Julie Swirpinks here, along with former NHL player Nate Thompson. We're doing a new podcast together.

Here we go. The name? Energy Line with Nate and JSB. Each week we'll get together and talk about hockey, life. All topics are fair game, right? Exactly. And you'll never know who will drop by to join us. Julie is pretty well connected.

She has text threads going that you wouldn't believe. Listen to Energy Line with Nate and JSB on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.