PTI - UConn MCBB Punches a Final Four Ticket in Dramatic Fashion!

Episode Date: March 30, 2026

Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser discuss UConn men's insane last second shot vs Duke, who the most impressive team is in the Final Four, and which women's #1 seed looks stronger: UConn or UCLA? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, sports fans, the ESPN app has all of ESPN all in one place. The ESPN app is your home to thousands of live events, ESPN shows, and originals across every ESPN network and service. And now you can check if you already have ESPN Unlimited as part of your TV package for no additional calls. Visit activate.espn.com to learn how to access your account or sign up, then start streaming in the ESPN app. It's all of ESPN all in one place. Sign up or activate now. Pardon the interruption, but I'm Mike Wilbon. It's National Doctors Day, Tony. You're an honorary doctor.

I am. I am. I am celebrating. I'm Tony Coronizer. I tried foot surgery on a neighbor. There are a lot of bones down there in the feet. A lot of bones. You know, my honorary doctorate,

it's a doctorate of humane letters, not just regular letters. Not inhumane at all. Humane letters. I never know what that meant. I think they're the ones between the A and the B, but I'm not exactly sure. Welcome to PTI, boys and girls. In today's episode, the men's final four is set.

The women's is halfway there and several umpires but getting some tough corrections from the new ball strike system. But we begin today with Yukon beating Duke last night on an almost unbelievable play. A shot from 35 feet out with less than one second remaining that gave Yukon a 73-72 victory in a game where they had been down 19 points in the first half. That shot by freshman Braylon Mullins put Yukon in the final four

kept Duke out. Wilbon, what did you mention? of the moment. So many things, Tony. So many things. And started him. I just felt for for Caden Boozer, who has been just getting better and better and better. And he doesn't have the profile of his big brother. But he, you know, he's, again, he's an important player for Duke. And I had that thought. And then my second thought went historical. Because I was at courtside watching when Fred Brown of Georgetown famously threw a pass to James Worthy instead of a teammate. And Michael Jordan hit a game winning shot and Georgetown lost.

But I also thought I hope it is like this for Caden Boozer because Fred Brown came back and won a national championship two years later. And then I thought about how, to me, I want a Duke guard, Caleb Foster, not on the floor. Don't exactly know the thinking. We'll hear about it because everything about that play will be examined a million times over for 50 years. Isaiah Evans wasn't the floor. I want Isaiah Evans or Caleb Foster with the ball, period. Not that Boozer shouldn't have a capable free-throw shooter as well,

But I want those guys on the floor, all three of them, and that wasn't the case. So I found it amazing in the moment. I found the shot actually amazing. It was. I was amazed that the best shooter on Yukon, Alex, what's his name? Caravan. Didn't take that shot. Had the ball in his hands.

Passed it back. Passed it back. Right. He had two guys near him. Saw that Mons was open. Passed it back. A deeper shot, but an uncontested shot. I was amazed as you were amazed that Yukon had the ball at all.

Yeah. Right? Because Caden Boozer, here, you have to hold the ball to get fouled. There are six seconds left in the game. And you don't have to cross mid court. No, you don't have the time frame to worry about. There are six seconds left in the game. Yukon is down two.

They have no other choice put to foul you. That a foul. But instead, he dribbles, he picks up his dribble, he tries to pass the ball, it gets deflected, And this happens. My immediate thought, yours historically went to Fred Brown. Mine was to Christian Leitner. I was at that game. When Christian Leitner hit a shot that put Duke into the final four and knocked Kentucky out.

Now, as I remember that game, it was more of a back-and-forth game. This was not that. This was a game of sprints. Yukon looked like it was going to be knocked out at one point. Duke sprinted in the first half and then Yukon sprinted in the second half. The other thing that stood out to me, and I'm sitting at my house watching this on television, the elation on the Yukon bench was palpable. You could feel it to the television center.

I don't know how Danny Hurley did what I'm about to say, but he convinced his players throughout that game that they were still in that game. I'm not surprised at that part. This started with about 80 seconds to go in the first half. They made a couple of buckets, cut the leave a little bit. Then in the second half, it was steady, and it was incremental. But with all that, Mike, there's no way Yukon wins that game.

The kid has to hold it. He's an 80%. Fowl shooter. I'm going to give you credit. You called me with a minute 27 left. It went to five. But before that, you had said, I think it was nine. You said Yukon's going to win this game.

I thought you were crazy. But I thought Yukon was going to be. Danny Hurley, for whatever people might think of Dannyville in his manner. He's a great, great, great, great coach. I need to read you one thing. Duke has lost four times in the last year since they lost to Houston. It's a trend. Okay, plus 14 over Houston.

the game. Plus 17 over Texas Tech this year. Lose the game. Plus 13 over North Carolina. Lose the game. Plus 19 over U.S. There's something structural there? What do we blame? Does it land on the coach? Yes. Does it? Yes, it does. And there may be something structural. I just talked about the guards being on the floor. Caleb Foster

has got to be on the floor against a team that can swarm you defensively like UCon. Each one of those situations is slightly different. Caden Boozer needs to know. You hold it. You hold on the ball. You hold on the ball. I hope this has a Fred Brown ending for Caleb Boozer.

Because for Fred Brown, who I know extremely well after all these years, it ended up like this. It ended up winning a national championship. Look, I hope it ends up like that. Look, I'll give you the analogy. What's that? The Quad God. Has a terrible Olympics and then wins, right? Did he win the gold medal in the internet? Just win

something next. Yeah. That's the analogy. The other three men's final four teams are envelope, please. Michigan, Arizona and Illinois. Michigan dominated Tennessee. Arizona trailed by seven at the half before rallying to be Purdue comfortably and Illinois pulled away from Iowa late.

Telling which of these winners looked most impressive to you? This is a very hard question to answer because they all look great. Now they all look great. Michigan destroys Tennessee. But Tennessee is a sixth seed, so maybe Michigan is supposed to do that. Arizona beats two seed. Purdue is a two seed. Arizona, if I'm not mistaken, they win by 15, but in the second half it's 48 to 26.

Nobody looks better than Arizona at this point. They don't look better. Illinois, to me, looks like a pro team. They're big, they shoot it, and they defend. What they did to Iowa, they held Iowa to 23% shooting in the second half. They had more offensive rebounds than Iowa had defensive rebounds. I landed on them a couple of weeks ago, and I called you. And I said, who are these guys?

Because they're really, the Big Ten is really good, and they're really good. They are loaded with international players. Being loaded with international players. How do you feel about that? It must be many, many millions of dollars. It's like they set up a stand in Eastern Europe and said, come over. Come over. I will also tell you that I think, and then I'll get out of your way.

I'm satisfied with the final four. I think there are four of the best six teams in the country. I think I'd add Duke and Iowa State, but I think we're getting the best teams. I'm fine with the teams we've got. I'm just going to say this as I think about those four teams. There's one name I wrote down out of all those players. A lot of great players. I mean, Arizona, I mean, you know, they got Burries and Peek.

Arizona's got a wave of players and size, right? We just talked about Yukon, which knows what it's doing, and the players might be underrated because the coach is very highly rated. It gets much of that credit. I wrote down one name. Yaxel Landon Ford. Because he's the best player in the tournament. You can have, and all the NBA scouts who might disagree,

they can have whoever they want. 6-9, 240 can handle it. His shot is so soft. It just kisses the net on the way through. He's the best player in the tournament. Your bracket has Arizona winning. You don't have Michigan winning. Mr. Big Ten, you don't have Michigan winning.

Michigan, as you just said, they're putting the wood to people. They are. They're scoring 90 to 100 points on people. And that kid, and they got another guy on that team. All right, a Chicago kid, Catholic school kid, no less, who he's going to be a lottery pick. They got multiple lottery picks. They got multiple great shooters.

Do you want to see the two semifinals? Or do you feel that Michigan, Arizona, they should not have to be matched against each other. That has a Houston Louisville quality to it. You know what game I'm talking about. Or Georgetown, Kentucky, know a game I'm talking about there. But you know what, Tony, I'm okay because Illinois or Connecticut could win anyway.

Oh, sure. They could beat the team that comes out of that bracket. Let me just tell you one thing, because I know you picked Arizona. Do you know the last year in which a team from west of the Mississippi River won this thing? Well, it must be Arizona. It's 1997. That's Arizona. It's Arizona.

I mean, I think it's bad for Arizona, although you can say that's a good omen because it was actually Arizona that won that. Was Richard Jefferson? That's a long time ago. Richard can't be that old. Richard's not that. I mean, you hate I-95, but apparently, I-95 teams or some proximity near I-95 wins. Because it gets stacked for them. all the time. They get everything in their favorite.

In other words, just favoritism and they're cheated. Including the whistle. Let's move to the women's tournament. Like the lottery. There are two final four teams already decided the two national favorites, Yukon and UCLA. Yukon has won 54 games in a row. UCLA has won 29 games in a row.

Yukon had no particular trouble beating Notre Dame to get to the final four, winning by 18. UCLA had a harder time with Duke but won by 12, outscoring Duke by 20 in the second half. Wilbon, I know you watched these games. You have personal interest here, which you can talk about. Who looks stronger to you, Yukon or UCLA? It's impossible to make the case for me that a team can look stronger than one of

Gino Aurema's undefeated teams. It just sounds stupid, right? It would be like arguing, and we are old enough to have done this, you're wearing the proper colors for this, that somebody looks stronger than one of John Wooden's UCLA teams. That would be dumb. You can't do it. No. I do have personal interest. Kiki Rice, the Rice family, is like family to me. And so I have watched Kiki Rice grow up and play basketball. And in Washington, D.C., right here in the DMV. At Sidwell. As Sidwell, friends.

And I have watched her. I was hoping she might wander over to Evanston, Illinois, when she was in high school, but she didn't do that. And she must, Carol Austin must have, by the way, speaking of a team that came back, and Duke, tough day. Tough day.

You know, Good day for Yon. Good day for Yucon. Good day for Duke. For Yucon. I just admitted. I'm rooting for Kiki Rice and UCLA. Here's the thing.

It is impossible for me to say anything other than Yukon. I have now watched, we have now watched them win 12 national championships. This is their 25th Final Four. They have had winning streaks. You think 54 is good? They've had 111, 90, and 70. These are remarkable numbers. So the 54 almost looks pedestrian at that point.

Do you know Oriam's record is amazing? There's nobody like him ever. In sports, maybe. I mean, he wins just so many times. But I understand what you're saying about Kiki Rice, who's from D.C. and went to Sidwell Friends. She was Player of the Year in D.C. the year after Azee Fudd, also from D.C. at St. John's, was Player of the Year. The schools are two miles apart. We have both been to both those schools. I used to walk my dog for years past St. John's.

Right past St. John's. And I find these two women very easy to root for. But if you say it, and somebody was in my ear the other day saying something like, well, Yukon hasn't played a hard to. schedule this year and UCLA has. Well, you know, stop. We dismissed up. Both of us. Because they play anybody, anywhere anybody you put in front of them. So for me, it's Yukon. It's got to be a favorite. And once we fill out the bracket tonight,

once we fill out the bracket and find out the remaining teams, they're still a favorite. It's going to be, although South Carolina, if they make it, they've won three. Dawn is won three. Who won last year? Gino. Yeah. Let's take a break. Coming up, Should all of the early overrules make you feel sympathy for some home play dumps? And is it too soon? Too soon for fans to boo the mess new off-season acquisition Bo Bichette? Not boo-bushet, Bo Bichet.

That Yukon shot and Duke's Fold is going to live for 50 years. Right? You don't watch it for 50 years. Time to find out what's making the mob throb and mail time. I'll put on my glasses. I will get the first one and I will read it. Okay. Did any part of you feel badly for umpires C.B. Buckner and Chris Siegel for having so many ball strike calls overturned? Yeah. Yeah. I think it's a, it just sort of puts you on display. And that, I know that's not the intention, at least not the number one intention. And the number of

the intention gets the call right. And I'm with that. I'm with whatever technology you can get the car. I want to use quickly. And this is pretty quick. Seems quick. It seems quick. But it is intrusive. But I'm also, I'm not for showing up. blue. Now, you know, I mean, sometimes I can get on Blue here on this show, but I'm not for sure. That's embarrassing. You're basically putting that guy, you're having him step out

into the camera and be embarrassed. And by the way, I thought, you know, Salvador Perez, he got everything right, it seemed, everything he tapped his head for, he got right. And by the way, at least the pictures are all close. Some of the ones that are called and changed and overruled,

they're a half inch off the plate. I'm not going to be embarrassed about that? I am embarrassed for the umpires. It's a very hard job. They get an enormously high percentage of it right, but they miss. And maybe these guys miss a little bit more than others. But we're not turning back the tide here. We're going forward. In a very short amount of time, Mike, we're going to see the umpire at home plate call no balls and strike. No. Remove him. He will, no. There are two functions. Tag. He'll be there for a tag and to hand new baseballs to the catcher to give to the pitcher.

And I understand it's intrusive, and I know you don't like it. I like it more than you do. But you cannot turn back the tide here. This is coming soon where every single ball strike is going to be automated. Every single one, Mike,

what else are you going to do? I guess nothing. But doesn't part of you think that you want to say to yourself, Babe Ruth, Satchel Paige, Tim Williams are rolling over in their grades? This is the baseball we grew up with, where there's human error, there's human frailty.

And it was good enough for people for 100 years. And when it's one inch off the plate, you know? Do you want to get it exactly right? If you do, you have to do this. If there is an embarrassment factor. The technology's there, you can't go back. But it just bothers me.

I understand. Booing Boobichette. Is it too soon for Mets fans to boo Boe Bo? Three days, three games in? That seems a little soon. Now, here he is. He's one for 14. He's got eight strikeouts.

Yeah. He's not a guy who strikes out a lot. He's not at all. But it does seem a little sort. Do you know what Bob Bichette said this, a direct quote? If anything, I thought the booing took too long. Now, he's signed a three-year deal for $126 million. He understood.

Yes. $126 million, but it's got opt-outs after each year. So do you want to boo this guy out of town? He's had a new position. He's at third base. He's never played third base before. As you know, I grew up with the Mets. in 64 years of existence,

they have two World Series champions. That's all they got is two. Let's not go crazy here. They're not the Yankees. They're not the Dodgers. They didn't make the playoffs last year. How about this to close the season for all the money they spent?

They lost 55 of the last 93 games. So slow down, Sparky. So you just, you want them to give Boba Shet a chance? Yes. A little bit of a league. One three, one three games, yes. Look, is it too soon for them?

No, it's the Mets fans. Mets fans, Phillies fans, Yankees fans, and to a different degree, Red Sox fans, and where are all these people packed in like sardines, I-95, and they'll boo their mothers. So the Cubs don't boo, and the Dodgers don't boo? You don't think the Dodgers boo? I have never. The Dodgers fans aren't even awake. They're not.

They just get there in the seventh inning. They don't even know what's going on. Cubs. I have never booed in Wrigley Field. And if my son did, I was smack him. Yeah. There's no, no. Well, he's six four now, so he'd smack you back.

He'd smack me back. He'd knock me out. I'm not saying no Cubs fans. Don't, I'm just saying I wouldn't boo. Don't put Mets fans, please. Don't put him with Phillies fans. Don't. I love them both.

Don't put them with them. They're already booing. Now, this is a mistake. This is not in their DNA all the time. Enough with the email. Let's take one last break. Still to come. The playoff found Golden Knights

replace their coach with just 10 games left. Who does that remind you of? Lou Labyrinlo, baby. That's right. Lil Amarillo. And the transition from coaching college to managing the majors is off to a slow start for Tony Vitello. Lula Amarillo would fire you with a week and a half left.

They did it all the time. And by the way, made the right move. Most of the times, at least. Made the right move. They went on to win. Happy time, people. Happy 32nd birthday, Alex Bregman. Gregman left Houston for the Red Sox last season,

sparking the upset of Raphael Devers, who felt he was the incumbent third baseman. As a result, Devers was traded to San Diego. San Francisco. Gregman batted 273 for the Red Sox with 18 home runs, 62 RBI, and only 114 games. Gregman then opted out of Boston, signed a five-year $175 million contract with the Chicago Cubs in January. Yeah.

Gregman was a two-time World Series champion with the Astros, a three-time All-Star, a gold glove, a silver slugger. Gregman also recently played on the United States team in the World Baseball Classic. Happy to have him. Much should be. Happy to have them than paying some guy a trillion dollars to be with the Dodgers. I'm happy to have pregnant. I know it's not a big deal.

I'm disappointed to start off losing two out of three. Yeah, to my team, to the Nats. Come on, yeah. You know, so you... Just disappointed. Okay, that's fine. I don't want to be rational. We earned them.

Happy anniversary, Martan Brodour. On this day, 23 years ago, Brodour became the first NHL goalie with four 40-win seasons when he led the New Jersey Devils to a 6-0 shutout over the islanders. Not only does Brodur remain the only NHL goalie to compiled four 40-win seasons, but Brodur ended racking up eight such seasons before retiring after 22 years in league, 21 with New Jersey. Brodur is the winningest goalie in NHL history, 691 wins.

One of the perks of such a career is that Brodur, born and raised in the suburbs of Montreal, was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame in 2025, the first hockey player so honored. In case you're born before the get-up era, and you're curious about Sautja. three of those seasons. Jacques Plont, three of those seasons. The great Ken Drydeny. How many would Drive you? Two.

That's all. Eddie Belfour. Balfour. Two. Huh? The separation is amazing. It is amazing. It's crazy.

That's a risky light. Happy Trails, Bruce Cassidy. Vegas fired their head coach just 20 days before the start of the playoffs, despite currently being in the postseason field. The Golden Knights have struggled of late, winning just three of their last 10 games. But Cassidy led them to the Stanley Cup just three years. hasn't missed the playoffs since he took the gig. And get this, he'll be replaced as every coach inevitably is by John Tortorella.

This is the sixth team, Tortswill have coached. And the seventh gig, as he coached the Rangers twice. But he's only won two playoffs series since 2013. Well, at least he wasn't fired by Lou Lamarillo, was he? And they wasn't fired by him. The NHL has these crazy things where people get fired as they step into the playoffs, and sometimes it actually works. This is the important thing to say.

do this in other sports. No. And in other sports, they think it's crazy. And you and I thought it was crazy until we saw results, that every once in a while, that is the one thing that is done, the one little turn, and it helps the team. Yes. Even though it would work for? Michigan basketball once upon a time.

That's right. It works for them. That's right. That's right. All right. All right. Let's go to, what are we doing here? The big finish.

Let's do it. First place battle between the Pistons of Thunder tonight. Is that a big deal? No. Kate Cunningham, Stuart Duren, Tobirin, Tobirin. and Tobias Harris, Duncan Robinson, all out. Isaiah and Joe Dumar's going to suit up? What?

Gary Woodland won the Houston Open. We both think this is significant. Very significant. He had brain surgery a few years ago. This is his first win since 2019 U.S. Open. So glad. He is one of the most popular players on the entire tour. Everybody is happy for him.

Team USA men's soccer blowed out by Belgium on Saturday. Cause for concern? 73 days to the start of World Cup. And we got Portugal tomorrow. I think you can make the case that these results are now serious. I think you can. Your boy, the quad god, won gold at the World Championships. Does that matter?

Yes, I think it's a redemption story of sorts, although I'm sure the Olympics is more important. But this, you talk about Caden Boozer and that mistake. You get another chance. You get other chances. Maybe it turns out right like this one did. Last one, new Giants manager, Tony Vitello, off to an 0-and-3 start. You're smelling a win tonight? At the Padres.

That's going to be tough, division, rival, and all that. down 13 to 1 in terms of runs scored so far in his major league experience. The most intriguing and risky higher of the year. That's the ones. We're out of time. We'll try to do better the next time. I'm Tony Kornhobson. I'm Mike Wilbon.

Same time tomorrow, knuckleheads.