Locked On ACC - Daily College Football & Basketball Podcast - ACC SQUAD - How Duke's DOMINANCE Can Change the ACC

Episode Date: April 3, 2025

Duke Blue Devils basketball is on fire, storming into the NCAA Final Four with a thrilling showdown against Houston on the horizon. Can Duke's offensive juggernaut outmaneuver Houston's top-tier defense?Explore Duke's impressive NCAA tournament journey, spotlighting star players like Cooper Flag and their strategic edge. The episode features insights from Alex Donno, Isaac Shade, Kenton Gibbs, Jackson Holzer, and JJ Jackson, who dissect Duke's strengths and the ACC's overall performance. The hosts also tackle the NCAA's controversial decision to block a Syracuse-Colorado joint spring game, sparking debate on its implications for college sports.Tune in for expert analysis and insider perspectives on Duke's path to potential glory. Don't miss the chance to hear how the Blue Devils plan to conquer the Final Four and what it means for the ACC's reputation. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

ACC basketball has been verbally abused and belittled all season long. But here are the Duke Blue Devils. Is it acceptable for fans of all the other ACC teams to rally behind Duke? Let's bring in the squad. You're talking ball with the ACC squad, sponsored by game time. From Florida State to North Carolina, from Syracuse to Miami, and from NC State to California, it's the local experts of the Locked-on Podcast Network, bringing you scoops, breakdowns, and the most comprehensive preview of the upcoming ACC weekend.

Hang on, it could get loud, it could get heated, and it will definitely be fun. Squad up, you're part of the ACC squad. Welcome every dayers and welcome into the ACC squad. Thank you for making us your first listen and your first watch. We're available free wherever you get your podcast. We're free on YouTube. We're part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day. Today's episode is proudly brought to you by Fandual.

right now new customers can get $200 in bonus bets when your first $5 bet wins. On this episode of the squad, we'll talk about the NCAA, the Big Vat NCAA denying what I thought was one of the coolest things that have come out of this football off season, denying the Syracuse Colorado request to have joint practices in a joint spring game. But of course, on this one, fellas, it's all about the Duke Blue Devils who just demolished Alabama and held that vaunted Alabama. offense to 65 points in the elite eight they're headed to their 18th final four who's going to stop them i'm alex dono from locked on canes we got isaac shade from locked on tar heels and locked on college basketball kenton gibbs from locked on wolf pack jackson holzer from locked on syracuse now first things first fellas um it was a tough season for the acc as a whole right uh it was all about

the scc and basketball most of their conference got into the tournament they still do have two teams left, of course, but only one can advance to the championship game. But, you know, Duke are understandably the Blue Devils are favored to get the job done first with Houston and then hopefully in the championship game. And so Jackson Holder, I'll let you buy the first round on this, right? Because we're all ACC guys here, although Locked on Duke is not with us today. We're all ACC guys. How much pride as a conference man can I take in what the Blue Devils have done and are

continuing to do in this tournament? Not much. Not much. Because what else did the ACC do? Nothing, right? Carolina. Oh, hey, JJ. How are you doing? Perfect timing. I want to hear it all. Keep bringing in its own class. And then you have the rest of the ACC, which either underachieved in the tournament or just flat out stunk during the season. trying to claim Duke as like some ACC pride thing is like the West Post conference claiming like, oh, we're such a great conference because we got Gonzaga, who's making the final four every year, even though we only get like two teams or maybe three at most from our conference in the tournament.

But hey, Gonzaga's really good. That's what it's like trying to sit here and claim like, ah, the ACC is strong. See, we got Duke. And then what? Carolina, not good at all this year. They lose in the round of 64. Even though they won a tournament game, it wasn't even a quad one game.

San Diego State was not even net top 50. Louisville. Ah, you know, we all kept saying that they should not have been an eight seat. They should have been higher. What they do? Lay an egg versus Creighton. And Clemson.

I mean, come on now. Did not show up for the majority of the game against McNeese State. And we're going to sit here and be like, oh, no, we got Duke. I guess we do got Duke, but I'm not going to sit here and take ACC pride in them because they're just a, they're in a tier of their own. Well, let me say one thing before I let one of you buy the next round because it's like, okay, I have been so conditioned my life is a college sports fan. And I've always been an ACC guy or an old school Big East guy.

I go back to the old school Big East. But I've had to sit through for, especially the last 20 years, all these dopey SEC fans, anytime, you know, one of their teams is successful in football. football or basketball. Why are Florida Gator fans chanting? SEC, SCC when Alabama wins a national championship, if they can do it, so can I. Yes. And what is the, what is the criteria for, we can't take credit for them because they're too good? Was NC State not ACC fraud last year when they made the final four? We're talking about this year, Kenton.

We're not talking about last year. And I'm asking, where does the ACC pride begin and end? Because to me, you're about to make me lose the clean rating because that's ridiculous. No conference is good top the bottom. The SEC screams that they're a different league. They play a different game than everybody else. Outside of Bama, Georgia, and LSU. Who else there has won a national championship in the last 20 years?

Florida and Arbor? So that makes the whole conference good. That means Banderbells, contributing to Tennessee Contribute them, Tennessee in terms of basketball. They never made a damn final four. Congratulations. If you're listening to the show, you got many final four appearances as those clowns in Knoxville.

But I'm supposed to sit here and not be happy that a fellow ACC school is good because they're better than all of us. So because they're better, we can't take pride. I didn't hear that when Damma was walking through that door dominating everybody. I sure as hell ain't hearing it. Not a Kirby Smart is dominating everybody. And whatever the next iteration of FCC pride is, I guarantee you we're not going to hear. Well, why is Mississippi State fans excited about them?

they're not winning a national championship, but only in the ACC, but we have folks on there, but it's enough to say, oh, we can't, we can't take pride in that. How is this not like Gonzaga and the West Coast Conference?

Please, come. No, I love, I think that is a great point. Where it's at for, like, totally hear and agree with the Gonzaga West Coast Conference point. Where it's at for me is we are so belittled and reviled and made fun of

and little stepbrothered by, by the SEC and by the Big Ten, that the fact that we continue, despite whatever, to show up in the elite eight and final four, not just this year, but other years too, and dominate that thing, like that I feel like we, for the good and the sake of our conference,

have to celebrate what Duke is going to do, whether they lose Saturday or whether they win next Monday. We have to be willing to celebrate that and put forth the ACC as like, okay, fine, but look, we're still out here winning national championships. We're still out here getting half of the final four a couple years ago. We're still out here, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. And just the poetic justice of look at us, mighty SEC, 14 of our 16 teams are in the NCAA tournament. And we have all these

one and two seeds. And we still, we still can't win the national championship is gloriously beautiful to me. It's hilarious. And I say that is a Carolina guy. It's hilarious, but it just goes back to my point that Duke is just better than everyone else, or at least that's, what they have shown so far and that this is literally like a west coast conference team taking pride in gonzaga that's all of you are real both of you are wrong i think you're wrong too for a green with that west coast conference nonsense when the hell have the west coast conference made up three and eight teams in the elite a jackson when it's ever happened but i can assure you that there was only one ac c team this year in the round of 32 and that was due that's it so i'm talking about this

year and this year only i'm not going to sit here and claim eight We're going to continue to get trampled on. And this is my question. Okay. So for the ACC only, we're the only ones that we're beholding to every single year is a referendum for whether or not we're good. Are you serious right now? This is the worst ACC year in like two decades. That's fine.

I might get a national championship though. Because of Duke. Hello. Who is part of the ACC? I want to hear from JJ. We got to hear from the actual Duke posting. No, I'm definitely feeling pressure. I am the biggest ACC pride guy that there is.

And so I want to carry the flag for the conference. And hopefully Duke is able to make this done. I will say last year, it was very, very painful to see NC State in the final four, knowing that they had just beat Duke to get there. But yet at the end of the day, we got to continue the conversation of this is a basketball conference. and here we are on basketball's biggest stage with one of our schools being there. So, yeah, definitely excited that Duke is back there this weekend. I want to take care of business and bring home another national championship to the ACC.

I know it'll be tough, though. This is JJ Jackson's time coming up here because coming up next on the squad. Let's talk about Duke's matchup against Houston. Something's got to give when you got the top offense going up against the top defense. I can't wait to break this matchup down. We got locked on canes, locked on tar heels, locked on Syracuse, locked on Blue Devils, locked on Wolfpack represented here. You want to keep it locked. We're only getting started on the squad. How do we have so much energy when we're watching all these

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Isaac Shade from Locked on Tar Hills and Lockdown College Basketball. Jackson from Lockdown, Syracuse, the man of the hour, JJ Jackson from Locked on Blue Devils, carrying the conference on his back. And we got Kenton Kibbs from Locked on Wolfpack. And, man, JJ, I'll let you by the first round here on your thoughts heading into this Houston matchup where Duke's, Duke's offense is historically good. Their D has been tremendous.

I mean, Exhibit A, that Alabama performance. Houston, statistically, the best defense and also statistically the best three-point shooting team, which I think is a big X factor in this matchup. Yeah, without a doubt, I mean, talking offense for the Stuke basketball team, that has been incredible to watch throughout the course of the season and certainly is carried over into the NCAA tournament as well. Worth noting with that Duke defense, I'm thrilled that they were able to come back and play as well as they did against Alabama coming off of that game against Arizona.

Hard to believe that the 93 points Arizona scored in the Sweet 16. where the most points Duke had given up all year, and yet you're still able to find a way to win that basketball game because Duke scored 100. So knowing that Duke's offense is going to be able to go toe to toe to with anybody and also aware that their defense can kick it into gear. They did do that against an Alabama team. Now they're going up against a Houston team that, yes,

they've got three players on the outside who shoot it greater than 40% from three. But if you bring them in, they're not as effective in those closer range shots. I think Duke's size has been a problem for everyone all season long. And then at the end of the day, we have the best player in the sport. We've got three top 10 lottery picks on this basketball team. It's really, really hard to sound or to not like what Duke has going into the final four. And all of this confidence inherently makes me all that more nervous that I could be disappointed once this weekend finally comes around. But no, all in all, I am feeling really good about Duke's chances going into a field like this.

Look, and it's crazy because, JJ, you were talking about what, what Arizona did and then what Duke was able to do. And then holding Alabama to 65 coming off of 113 against BYU, the most threes ever made in an NCAA tournament game, beating a record held by LMU back in 90. I mean, it's ridiculous, JJ. And then not only did they, did you guys limit Alabama's makes from three, but also their take. from three. And that was equally as impressive to me because they had taken 51 in that BYU game. I thought Duke's game plan of just getting Alabama off of that three point line. And I think they were held to 31 attempts cutting that down by 20. Alabama's season average is like 29, I think. And so still above their season average, but cutting it down that far when they were going to have to make

a bunch to beat the Duke length was really impressive. I think the biggest problem for Houston in this game is that stylistically, they're too much like Duke. They just, just don't have the horses in the stable to do it. The reason why Alabama was such a bad matchup on paper was because pace and space is their game. How do you get rid of a size advantage? You run the bigs to death. And they couldn't do it.

Donald and I talked about it unlocked on ACC multiple times. Duke's path to victory against the majority of the teams left who are go, go, go, running gun and saying, you know what, we're going to make you execute in a half court. We're going to make you do it in the half court again. and again and again. And when the Bama was put in the half court, they couldn't do it.

Houston is a very good team in the half court. The problem is they're just not Duke. They're just not Duke. And again, one team has Cooper Flagg. One team does not. That's, you know, JJ said it. Best player in the game is always going to make the difference. And at the end of the day,

I think the worst part for Houston in this one, the worst part where I really feel like the only way Duke loses this game is that they absolutely wet themselves in this one is the fact that you cannot single out the best player in the game without leaving open like JJ mentioned. Another guy that's going in the top 10 this year. Oh, yeah, we're going to double the lockdown perimeter. There's a guy named Malawatch underneath. He's going to do things to that realm.

That's not great. That's been the biggest X factor, man. And Jackson, I do want to hear from you. But like what common Bala watch has been able to do throughout this tournament run and really the back half of the season, he's getting more comfortable. And also credits of Cooper flag in these Duke guards, John Scheier's been yelling at them to throw the ball up to the rim. You got someone that's 7-2.

It's crazy that that's a good idea, guys, to just throw it up and let them go get it. The other freshman Pat Gamba, 610, 6-11, he's been catching lobs as of late. So when Duke drives, there's not much you can do because they're shooting better than 40% on threes. And then there is this 7-2 guy that you can just throw it up to on the inside. The two-man game with Khan Kinniple,

And Malawatch is insane to me. It's so fun to watch. Oh, I love it. I think Duke can win any style of basketball. And that is the difference between Duke and every other team in this tournament. I know how Houston wants to win this game. They want to make this the most miserable night in the history of basketball for Duke. They want to squeeze them to the point where Duke is just looking up to the head.

Evans like, what do we have to do to score? That's what Houston wants to do. Duke can play any way you want. Fine, Houston. You want to play that game? You want to play defensive, tough, style game, rough, physical down low. All right. We're more talented than you. So we're going to beat you it that way. You want to try to run up and down the court? We got Cooper flag. We're going to beat you anyway. It does not matter. Oh, Arizona. That's cute. You want to put up 93? You want to actually cut into our defense? That's okay. We'll put up 100. It does not matter what you do against two. I picked them going into the tournament and I still am picking them right now because they can win no matter what style of basketball they play. Don't know if I can say the same about any of the other three

teams. Let me ask this to Isaac and you all can chime in. I mean, at, at, this point, is there still any concern about the fact that it's worth noting Duke is the youngest of the teams remaining in the final four? So it's like if you're really going to reach for something that might be a negative X factor, is that valid? There is something to it. The problem is for the other three final four teams that while yes, Cooper Flagg, Tom and Malawatch, con canipal, Gongba, Isaiah Evans,

they're all freshmen. But then you got a couple other dudes around them, a guy named Tyrese Proctor, who is a junior at Duke. You've got Cian James, who came over from Tulane. You've got Malik Brown, who started to work back in a couple minutes,

even though he's still banged up. And then you got Mason Gillis, who literally played in the national championship game last year for Purdue. Those guys are going to continue to bring the youngsters along. And when we look back at the 3rd, teams that have won the national championship that were freshmen led. Each one of those had experienced players surrounding them.

Most recently, Duke's own 2015 team that while, yes, you had Justice Winslow and Chias or Tias. Yes. And Jalil Ocifah for. And you had in the national championship game, a freshman Grayson Allen scoring the second most points for Duke in that game. You also had a senior Quinn Cook. you also had a junior,

Emil Jefferson? What year was he that? Yep, JJ. Yeah. You go back to the Kentucky team in 2012. Yes, you had Anthony Davis, but you had a sophomore Doron Lamb. You had a senior somebody that I can't even think of. And that's Syracuse team.

I know that was pre-won and done, but still, that was Mello. It was Jerry McNamary. You had a junior heme work on that team, Jackson? No, I believe he was sophomore. Sophomore. But all the same. It's like these teams that have won,

despite being young, yes, have this upperclassman support to help bring them along. Meanwhile, Auburn's starting lineup averages an older age than the Atlanta Hawks starting lineup. And so it's just a silly comparison, man. You're already here. Like, I don't want to buy into the, but they're young and their freshmen. I don't know. The spooky ghosts, they're already here. They've already played really tough teams. They already played against Arizona. They already played against Alabama. Why all of a sudden? Already played against Stauberon this year.

Yeah. Why all of a sudden is it going to matter now in the final four? Are the lights going to be too bright? Like I just, I refuse to believe if Duke loses, I don't think it's because, well, the lights were too bright for the young guys. It just couldn't handle it. It's because you know what? Houston, you got good outside shooters. And guess what?

They're really good. So they just started making them. And there's nothing you can do sometimes. You throw your arms up in the air and you say, Houston, they made 15 threes. They were 15 to 25 as the team, and that's why we went home. It's not because I just don't believe that it'll be up. The lights were too bright on us. We're fresh more, but we can't handle it.

My brother, whatever deity you worship, 15 threes ain't going to be enough. The only way Houston wins this game is if they hit about 20, 25 of them things, minimum. And I'm not joking at all. But no, no, I agree with all. And another thing that we don't realize, a lot of people aren't, really talking about here. Those diaper dandies are not just surrounded by experienced players. They're surrounded by other great players.

That's the other thing. Normally when you talk about young guys who are messing up in the tournament, they're normally the 1A and then they got another young guys, the 1B, but they're not really true like, oh, they could get to the league and be Batman and Robin. You do have that in Kari Knapple and Cooper Flagg. Those are two guys that if somebody told you, Carrick-Kinipple is the second option on the struggling team that picks him in the top 10 next year.

Would you be shot? Would you say second option on the Wizards Carlinple? No way. Well, he's a baller. He's a baller. It makes sense. Cooper Flagg, same thing. He's going to be somebody's Batman most likely next year.

That's just how this thing is going to work out unless he goes to Charlotte, of course. But you get the point. So with that being said, there is a difference between young guys where you're like, man, these guys are really good. They got like a 15th overall. Dick and comes back next year, plays well, he can be top 10. No, no, you've got legitimate like, hey, these guys are it. They're the primo. They're, you know, nothing's above them.

Even though they're young, they don't have to, you don't have to get Cooper on 30, 20, and 10 to win. You don't need anything near that for Cooper Flackford. I'll just add. Go ahead, JJ, sorry. I was just going to add six total players for Duke in the latest top 45 big board for the draft. So, I mean, you've got the top three and the big ones. but Tyrese Proctor, C.

on James, Isaiah Evans are all getting looks at the next level now. Pretty good. It's not just the players that are young. It's John Shire's coaching career, right? This is year three. And Pelvin Samson's been, if I remember correctly, he started coaching the year John Shire was born. I think I saw somebody dug up that stat the other day.

I saw four months old. I saw four months old. Okay, there you go. But here's the thing. Hey, JJ, I need your help on this one. You ready? Can your name? There might have been more.

than one. Who was the captain on Duke's 2010 national championship team? I think he's going to play or he's going to be at the game in 20, 2025 this year, John Chire. Oh, yes, that's good. And can you name some of the assistance on the 2015 Duke National Championship team? Yeah, John Chire was one of them. Oh, interesting. So look, I know his coaching career is very young, but this dude has been at this level and he's won as a player. He's one as a coach. Maybe not the dude that the buck stops with him yet. but what's to say that he can't go ahead and do it now? There's nothing that, like, let's go to my school. Hubert Davis in his first year at the helm was an Armando Becott,

gimpy ankle away from doing it in year one. And they were not good at here. Why can't Duke do it in year 300 John Shire? Correct me if I'm wrong, but the other coaches that are in this tournament, Calvin Samson, Todd Golden, Bruce Pearl. Have they won a national championship? Nope. Okay, great.

So they all have the same number of national championships. all the way they have more experience. Well, not all experience is good experience. Hello, it's not always good. If Duke loses, it's going to be because someone got ridiculously hot from deep. That's it. That's like the only way you're going to be able to beat him. I thought that their only real shot of losing was to Alabama.

If Alabama had the game where they had in the sweet 16, that was it. If Houston gets hot rate, but it's not going to be because, oh, they're not experienced. experience enough and the freshman and the coach it's not that anybody uh anybody want to offer their prediction on uh on who you know i think we're all picking duke to beat houston hopefully those are not the famous last words who do you think the blue devils are going to face in the championship game if they get there they're going to face their arch nemesis that bunch of old guys from albara now we're going to face those 40-year-olds over there with with wives and mortgages and whatnot I'm going to who did Cooper kid?

He was in middle school when I first started my first college. You know, that's actually the one scenario I'm hoping to avoid, right? I really do not want Duke to play my alma mater in Auburn in the national title game. But I know that, yeah, I know that Florida got the better of Auburn at Neville Arena. I wouldn't be so, that game's so hard to pick for me. Like, I'm glad we're not having to, that we're not locked on FCC. right? Let Gordy and the boys handle that one. Hey, speaking of the SEC, Dono, can I give us a quick note? I did some hard, deep level research while we've been talking. Last 10 NCAA tournaments, last 10 final fours,

the SEC has had a team in five of those 10, six total teams. Let's give it up for the SEC. Really impressive stuff, you guys. In the last 10 final fours, our fair conference has had at least one final four team in eight of those 10 final fours. and a grand total of 10. Wow. That's food for that. A, C, C, A, C. I'm just not claiming to this year. I'm sorry, guys.

I can't do it. I can't do it. This is like a dagger and the WCC. Come on. Well, already, even though he's not playing ball, I will allow Jackson Holeser front and center in the upcoming segment because we got to talk about this NCAA decision.

This would have been a really cool thing. if they had allowed Syracuse and Colorado to have joint practices and a joint spring game scrimmage. But the NCAA do, they did what they always do. And that's trying to ruin everybody's fun. You want to keep it locked right here. We're not done yet on the squad. Oh, and my friends, I've been looking at Duke, favored by four and a half points coming up against Houston. March Madness, guys, it's here, it's been here, and it's not too late to get in at Fanduel.

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It's your team. every day. Welcome back to the Lockdown ACC squad. So Jackson Holzer with us host of Locked on Syracuse, I was not surprised whatsoever when the NCAA, you know, they denied that really cool request,

like Colorado versus Syracuse, get some joint practices in Boulder, a scrimmage. I thought that would have been a really good thing for college football, certainly a good thing for those teams. But, okay, so talk about the NCAA's denial, but also, I do take a little hope in the idea

that it sounded like the NCAA denying it was just a this year thing, and maybe they realized this is something that multiple teams can benefit from in the future. That is the positive way of looking at it, and ultimately what I think will happen. I do think that by next year, there will be joint spring games. I think Syracuse and Colorado are going to try to do it themselves again as a matchup, and I could see other teams around the country doing it, because if one gets approved, then other teams,

teams you're going to start seeing do this as well. But the NCAA denying it did not surprise me at all. It is the NCAA. They do not like nice things. And something that could benefit the NCAA, teams, give everyone more money, grow the sport, help the fans. You know, why, why, why? It's such a great idea that that means we have to say no to it. That's what it means. If it's a great idea, you say no. Okay. They actually had the stone. to say that they care about education. Education. Now, look, I care about education,

and the athletes should 100% care about education because 99% of them are not going to the pros, and even if you do make the pros, you're going to be out of the league, chances are, in a couple of years, in which case, you've maybe made a couple million bucks, and that's probably not enough to survive the rest of your life on. I hope you've, and you're going to have a bunch of injuries, too, so medical bills and all that fun stuff.

yeah, you might want to go focus on your degree. Okay. But to sit here and say education, guys, that's one of the reasons why we denied it. In the same year where you expanded the college football playoff, you expanded the college football playoff. Does that help education? Yes or no. Ohio State playing in more games.

Notre Dame playing in more games. Yes or no. Did that help their education? No. No, it did not because they had to keep playing games. The NCAA tournament, is that good for any of these students? athletes' education? It's awful. The conference tournaments are terrible for their education. You're asking some teams, NC State last year had to win five games in five days. How much class

did they miss during that run? Probably a lot. They try to sit here and say, oh, it's the education part. Meanwhile, in the plan, they said we're going to have session, joint sessions of study halls, financial literacy sessions. It's all going to be in there. It's not just a spring game and a couple of practices, it's going to be also life lessons and focusing on education. And the NCAA said, no. I am convinced that if these were two other schools, sorry, Alabama, LSU, if they wanted to do a spring game, I promise you the NCAA would have said yes. Not only that, they would have paid them to do it to.

Yes. So spare me NCAA for all your list of reasons why you said no to this. It'll happen next year, but stop it. Well, I would like to echo coach Fran Brown's sentiments because he didn't even say Alabama and LSU. He said if it was Bill Belichick and Bill O'Brien trying to do this, it would have been successful. And I hate to be the guy that brings that up, but let's be honest. There are certain optical features here that matter a lot, that it should matter, that we should be looking at this and saying, hey, if this is going to be a life lesson thing, if this is going to be even, let's be

honest, right? Because as a former Division I athlete, as a guy that graduated from Castaac where we put out Division I guys, a ton of them every single year. One thing that I do know is all of us, regardless of what school we're going to, some of us are going to the best public university in America in terms of University of Michigan. Some of us have gone to smaller schools that, you know, fighting for their accreditation. One thing that all of us have in common, either we ourselves or one of our teammates, we know for a fact, has been specifically instructive. You cannot have that major because you have as few as one classes, one class rather, not classes

as one class, that would interfere with practice. So let's get the education stuff out here. Let's just be honest about this and say, hey, you didn't want to give teams an advantage when this was a one-off that other teams weren't prepared for. and again, other factors that are at play here. But the reality is, this is going to be one of the more lucrative things to come along for the NCAA in quite some time. This is going to be one of the most lucrative things for all of our conferences.

Think about the coverage that happens. The Big 12 Network, or not the Big 12 Network, but Fox Sports gets their crew out there, ACC Network gets their crew out there. And all of a sudden, we've got football in March. All of a sudden, it's not the USFL, But we're watching guys play some ball. Holy hell. Everybody's going to be excited about it.

Everyone wins. Everyone wins. The game would have pulled out. It would have been amazing. And they're like, nah, timing. Give me a break. And that's what I'm saying. To me, I think it was just that this was the last minute thing that other teams did not have

opportunity to do, which to me, that would have amazing saying like, hey, in the sake of fairness, other teams were not prepared to mobilize in this way, which, let's be honest. all of us up here represent schools that all of our schools if it need be oh you can call up somebody you can call up hey let's go up there but but i get it every school don't have our schools budgets so i understand the premise of all your central michigan's your san jose states or whoever's might not have the same budgeting opportunity to do this but that to me is the only area where the nca made sense in this denial every single other thing that was cited in their denial it's foolishness. It's nonsense.

Can we be fair, though, about Western Michigan? Okay. Can we say that? Can we say it? Okay. Nobody cares about Western Michigan. All the schools on here, they could have mobilized. They absolutely could have mobilized. We love some action. Miami, if they want to call up UCF, they could do it. Okay. If Duke wants to call up someone, they could do it. If Carolina wants to call up someone, they can do it. If NC State wants to go, every power conference team would have had the ability to call up U.C.F.S. someone and say, hey, let's figure this out. Let's do it in a couple of weeks.

We can figure it out. We can market it. It'll sell out at all these stadiums. I'm not buying because I think that if two other teams came up with this. You want to say if it was North Carolina and Boston College because of Bill O'Brien, Bill Belichick? Sure. I'll do you one better saying Alabama and LSU. If those guys came up with it, I promise you the NCAA would have said, yeah, we'll do it. We'll do it. I'm not disagree. We'll see how this plays out next year. Hopefully we have joint spring games across the board.

I just want spring games to be saved because teams are canceling. I want more spring games, not less. Huge thank you and shout out to the whole crew, the whole squad for today. Our guy, JJ Jackson from Lockdown Blue Devils, Kenton Gibbs from Lockdown, Wolfpack, Jackson, Holzer, locked on Syracuse, Isaac Shade from Lockdown Tar Heels and Lockdown College Basketball. I am Alex Dono from Lockdown Keynes. And we'll have a national champion by the next squad.

So we'll talk to you then right here on the awesome lockdown podcast network. Your team every day. JJ, going to bring out the champagne on us. Go Duke.