The Matt Thomas Show with Ross - Houston's Chronicles Joseph Duarte Joins the Show

Episode Date: April 4, 2025

Houston's Chronicles Joseph Duarte Joins the Show  

Here we go. This is going to be the fifth. This is the absolute last time. Hello, Joseph. Now, can you hear me? Yes. Where are you? Well, first of all, you, this is the price you pay if you want live. I know. We're live in the Alamo Dome. I know. There's a bunch of people here. Yes. Do they know who you are? Absolutely, but they're probably like, that guy looks like he's furious on the phone and who's the idiot on the other side of it. That's exactly right. But you know what you're the, you're the, you're the other side of it. That's exactly right. But you know, you're the only legit media member there.

So that's why I had to get you on the show. You know this, right? I appreciate that, buddy. All right. So before we lose you again, give us the vibe. What are they doing right now? You're inside for the open practice. Yeah, I mean, it's Kelvin joke that they're not going to go out there and run plays and stuff.

But, you know, they're doing shooting drills. They're doing layups. He's gathering them at midcourt right now, giving them some instruction. But, you know, this is a, I mean, you've, you know, It's like a glorified practice, and it's, there's probably about, I don't know, seven, eight thousand people in here, maybe a little bit more. And, you know, they're just going through the, you know, they put on a little bit of a show. They'll talk, do some of the interviews with some of the national shows. And it's, it's pretty wild.

I mean, it's a great scene because if you remember back in 2021 when they made into the final four, these people that were sitting in here, they were all cutouts. They were paper cutouts, cardboards, because you. could have any fans in the arena. So we've actually got live people in here. There's a lot of them. And they're just kind of going through some of the basic drills. How much do you think of them being in Indianapolis last week

in a dome setting with, you know how strange domes can be a benefit to them this weekend? Or are we going to make too much out of that? You know, they were asked that a little while ago. We had breakouts with the players. And, you know, they were the only regional that had their games in a setting

like this. So if any advantage is probably a small one, and it's not one that they're going to lean on because, you know, you adjust to it pretty quickly, or at least you try to. But I don't think that's stuff. You know, there's other issues and other things to look at, especially with this Duke roster and the fact that they've got three freshmen,

but they're three projected lottery pick guys. They rim protect, they rebound, they shoot well, they blow out their opponents. Is there anything that you think the Cougars can take advantage of against a Duke basketball team that has been really top three this entire season? I mean, yeah, it's fascinating because you look at it, and I know it's billed as Duke's number one offense against Houston's number one defense, but Duke plays really good defense too.

They do all the understandable just as well. I think where Houston gets a lot of teams is with their physical play. You don't replicate that. You don't see that a lot. So it's hard to go into a game when you haven't played them and have that. think also the experience factor. You've got a lot of guys that have been in these big moments. If you're Duke, do you worry about guys, you know, Cooper Flagg and a con,

Kenipple and common Malook that haven't played in the Final Four. What, you know, because if it happens early and it takes them a while to get going, you saw what happened in the Tennessee game if you jump out to a big lead and gives you a lot of momentum. But I don't think there's a lot of things that you take. These are two really good teams, and I think the winner of this one goes on to win the national championship. Joseph Tort, take up more minutes with us from the Houston Chronicle Live from the Animal Dome. Which L.J. Crier jump shot is going to show up in this game tomorrow night, you think?

Well, you better hope it's the one that played against Gonzaga and scored 30 points of the one that earlier this year against Alabama scored 30. You know, he's going to do things for you regardless of whether he scores. Now, granted, with Duke, you're going to do. going to need all hands on deck. You're going to need your firepower. And that's something Houston brings that they haven't had. The element of the three-point shooting were prior sharp and really Milo's Usan. But LJ is sort of battled through things the last few games. Finished with 17 against Tennessee, but it was a hard 17. And of course, he really, you know, didn't have much on the board against Purdue. So, yeah, they're going to need this guy to step up.

and he's got a lot at stake. He knows what's in front of him. He's been there. He won a national championship. And, oh, by the way, if he wins another one, he'd be the first player in history to win it at two different schools. Last question for you.

Who spends most of the night guarding Cooper Flagg? You know, I think Jaywon Roberts is going to get that assignment, at least the start. I think at some point, the way that their front court is because my loop is not, easy one. I mean, he's a lot of lobs, a lot of a round of basket. You're going to have Tuggler, Francis, and Roberts

equally involved, and then that game plan. And that's where it's going to be dietary, because you can't, you got to be aggressive, you've got to be physical, but you've got to be disciplined. You can't have that first half against Tennessee where Robert sat on the bench. It's going to be all hands and all three of them. You know, I wouldn't

be surprised if they even put Federer Glock in there a little bit just to get a big man to get some minutes where you're not having to exert the other three. and put them in some foul situations. Very, very, very, very last question. Do the Cougars to win the game have to keep Duke under, say, 72 points?

Can the Cougars win a game where they have to be in a perimeter showdown with the Blue Devils? Or do the Blue Devils provide much more offensive punch than the Cougars do? You know, that's going to be interesting, because they are a really good at a pretty team and Houston

teams like Arizona maybe BYU to kind of brought them down where you're thinking 88 points or something like that and they're able to play their type of game. I think ultimately I think this is a game in the 60s. I pick Houston's 67,

62, 63, somewhere around there. I just think it's another one of those games where Houston's defense, rises to you the occasion and you know we're going to test the defense wins championships but i think for now uh with uh with about a week to prepare uh kelvin's got something up his sleeve and i think you see chusin's defense be the uh the deciding factor in this one joseph the interview went beautifully after the fifth time my friend i will see you monday in san antonio that's how encourage i am about this well be sure to print those those shirts for it that says always the fifth

Time's a charm on the Mac Thomas show. That felt personal. Thank you, friend. We'll talk to you later. All right. Later. See it.