The Matt Thomas Show with Ross - Joseph Duarte Talks UH Basketball Ahead of Vegas Tournament

Episode Date: November 24, 2025

Joseph Duarte Talks UH Basketball Ahead of Vegas Tournament 

with Joseph Dwarte. He's at lunch in Las Vegas, getting ready to cover you of age at the Players Era tournament. Joseph, what are you having for the audience? Well, I'm trying to have a nice burger here, but, you know, some radio guy keeps calling. I know, my bad. Hey, listen, take me through for the audience how this tournament works for those that are unfamiliar with. First of all, the amount of great teams that are there, but they're there for a reason. They're collecting checks. So explain the audience how this works. Well, it started last year. It was eight. It was eight teams. You had Houston, Alabama, Oregon, Rutgers, Loderdame. So it was, you know, eight teams. They went ahead and made it 18 this year. And it's played now in two venues over at

Mandalay Bay. Houston is going to play at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. And every team is guaranteed a $1 million payout, which is pretty good money for three days work. You're guaranteed two games and then well you guarantee all three but you'll play two opponents that you know of they'll do a, they'll break down the scenarios on who advances in a championship round

because there's a possibility there's multiple you know two and oh teams and yeah you you play and you get paid and the winner can get an additional one million and then I think it's like for the one through four can get anywhere from 100,000 to a million

and then by the way next year it's going to be 30 two teams and Houston is uh was the first thing that ever said yes to uh to to to this tournament to want first of its kind and they sort of have a lifetime contract that that they want to continue to play in this moving forward as long as it exists uh they're invited and again correct me if i'm wrong this is strictly money that goes to the kids none of it goes to the school or they they absolutely it's straight it's straight to the kids so uh you know last year about a week after the game, maybe a little less. The money was wired. And

you know, they do NIL events here as far as the rules and how things are set up. And once they get back to campus, the money is distributed and it is completely roster related.

And it's said this is the way things are going. Kelvin Samson said it's a no-brainer. You have no choice. You have to play these. Maui invitation. It costs an arm and a leg just for the teams to travel out there to the islands the Bahamas same thing so this is the way teams are going and you mentioned the field half of the teams in this this 18 teams are ranked in the AP top 25 and they also have a smaller 14 women's version of it where the lady longhorns

of Texas are playing in it so this is the wave of the future and you know it's to my knowledge it's only going to get bigger the next couple of years. Last year, the Cougars had two losses out there. It didn't affect him, obviously, as it went to the national championship game. I'm assuming that Kelvin Sampson kind of feels, and the kids are the exact same way. Let's see how good

we are against the elites. Maybe it'll pay off for us down the road. Yeah, and this is November, and you've had Kelvin on your show, and if he doesn't get too high or low on wins or losses, and the outcomes of this week are not going to have any bearing.

It will be interesting to see Chris Seneck, Kingston, Fleming's, Isaiah Harwell, all the freshmen, how they respond to really what's their first big stage moment. But, you know, they were four and three coming out of this last year. Everybody thought the sky was falling and they went 31 and 2 the rest of the way. So it's pretty good. And, you know, I don't think anything bad can come out of this other than getting there. their guys, some much-needed experience for the Big 12 play that starts in about a month. Two different players are projected on the Cougar roster to be lottery selections. I know that's not a conversation piece you're going to have with Kelvin Samson.

It's more for later than the year. But it feels like to me the only way they stick around is if the NIL money comes in big time. Is that fair to say? Well, I mean, if you're in lottery, no. I mean, the NIL money is not going to be anywhere near what you'll get. for starting your MBA career. Where it affects people is take, for instance, someone like JoJo Tuggler. Right now, he's probably a second round pick.

He can come back. People project that he'll eventually go, maybe go after this season. But why, if you can make more money in college right now? And that's the way this thing works. You know, Kingston Fleming's, Kirstenac, if they're lottery picks, Kelvin will be the first one to tell them, you've got to go. but it's interesting you bring this up Matt because I was looking at a big mock board

for the 2026 NBA draft I think the top 12 maybe 13 all but one or freshman I mean this is an unreal year for freshman talent and the Big 12 has quite a bit of it with Darren Peterson from Kansas a cat I can't say his name

from BYU, AJ from BYU and then you got two Houston kids yeah so It's a loaded class from a freshman perspective, and there will be some decisions that need to be made. Last question. Any rumors? I know I saw an Animal Bowl representative at the game on Saturday for the Cougar Football Squad. Any gut feeling on where they can be playing bowling-wise? I think it's two balls right now, Alamo Bowl or Texas Bowl. I would probably at this point lean a little bit more toward the Texas Bowl. but, you know, the Alamo Bow folks were impressed. They liked the idea of having a school like Houston that's not far away

that would be able to get fans to travel. So I asked Willie this morning on the Capitol, not a lot of movement yet on that. He expects maybe a few days before that December 7th announcement is winning. We'll know for sure. But the fact that we're talking about a bowl, a good step in the right direction for them. All right. Look forward to reading your stuff, friend. Thank you for the time and enjoy that lunch and enjoy Vegas.