The Matt Thomas Show with Ross - Joseph Duarte Talks UH Basketball at Big 12 Tournament

Episode Date: March 13, 2026

Joseph Duarte Talks UH Basketball at Big 12 Tournament 

When we have fun guests, interesting people on, they say, hey, can you move us up a little bit? So we're going to move him up a little bit. Joseph Tortay. I want Joseph to tell the audience where he is and what he's doing before we start talking about this big 12th term. Joseph, tell people where you are right now. Well, you know, well, first of all, I feel privileged because I think I'm moving up a picking order of your guest because you did this for me. But I am literally at the door at Slapsed barbecue in Kansas City. You have to wait until there's room to get inside.

I'm number two now in line. So I'm probably a few minutes and getting to place my order. Great barbecue place, a little bit off the beaten path. But I'm going to about to get some ribs and some sausage and all the good six things. All right. So will they ask for your order while you're talking to us? Or are we in a free space? They might.

And you know what? That would be a great radio if I'd place my order while we're doing this interview. Yeah, because Ross, my partner here, is the biggest barbecue snob in the world. So the ruling is this. not only do we by way Ross do we I am not close to the biggest bar Do we like where you went

We have good reviews on this? I've heard good things about slaps I have not been there Okay So we're going to judge you on your order Whenever it happens So if it's time to order You just interrupt what you're saying

And start ordering okay Well well I'm in the door now And I see the menu We're going to throw some burnt ends Oh burn hands Delicious Okay And we're going to have some sausage

And maybe I'm deciding between the ribs And the chicken My time is a little healthy option today But the side's look incredible. I came here last year. This place is legit. I'm a Texas barbecue guy that's never going to change, but this place is legit. All right.

All right. So let's get to the first thing. Why did Brent Yormark think this floor thing was going to be cool to begin with? You have an amazing conference, Joseph. You've covered every team. It's a power league. It's not time to be gimmicky. This was a bad idea from the jump. And now

it's the lead story on ESPN on a slow sports day that the floor was so bad last night. it takes something extraordinary to take the focus off of big tour basketball as good as the league has been from top to bottom this year and they managed to do it brettiormark managed to do it i mean terrible idea last week you heard from the women that it was slippery it wasn't a good court situation and then the pushback and the criticism publicly uh became too much and it's not like the commissioner to sort of backtrack and maybe even admit, hey, we got this wrong, but they corrected it. You know, if I'm the other schools, probably not happy this morning that, hey, I'm slipping and sliding in my game.

It kind of neutralizes some of the things that you've done throughout the year just because you go with the gimmick and court. But at least for the last three games of this thing, they're going to go back to tradition, you know, hardwood floor. and hopefully we won't have as much slipping around as we did the last few days. All right. Number two, Cougars beat the other Cougars, BYU, Y, yesterday. Great second half. Chase McCarty's become a part of this team. What has happened to his game that allows him on the floor in key moments of the second half like it was last night? I mean, it's development at this time.

It's earning the minutes. You know, this is the guy that came in. The report with him was that he's a great shooter. But considering where he was behind last year in the rotation, he redshirted it's a whole national championship run. And towards the latter part of this season, he's just, he's proven that he can help them and he moved up that rotation. And you saw what he did against Oklahoma State to 20 points of six three.

Last night it was really about his job defensively when he came in on the bancer. And then when they needed that three for some separation there in the last three minutes, he hits another huge three and then Fleming's folded up so it's just a matter he's grown into the role and this is kind of what they expected from the guy when they sign him it's just now he's getting a chance to show it

story line for me about yesterday and why they fell behind you had multiple players in foul trouble early on and then Emmanuel Sharp just could not get the jump shot going does this team go as far as Sharp goes because look we know Kingston's going to do his thing we know Uzon's going to

up and down. We know that Jojo's going to grab rebounds if he stays out of foul trouble. But is Sharp the factor in this whole thing when it's all sent down? Or am I missing another element here? No, I think sharp is 1A and I throw Milo's in there as 1B. You've got to have

both of those. Those are your veteran guards. You get to the tournament. Those are the guys you lean on. You belong, the ones that have been in there because you look at the rest of the roster and as talent as Kingston has been and as Chris Sennack has been, they have not in this tournament.

So I think those are two guys, and people, you know, seems to see the Seattle as much, but Joe Thugler sprung together four really nice games offensively, and he stayed on the court. And when he's on the court, this is a completely different team, and it helps make those other guys job a little more manageable. And that's what you need.

So I think Tugler, as much as sharp is the key out there and can get hot, I think Tuggler is just as big of a, X-factor, you know, come March here in the tournament. Joseph D'ortez, joining us from a barbecue stand in Kansas City here on the Matt Thomas show with Ross. Joe Lannardi continues to put the Cougars as the two-seed in the South region.

A, do you agree with that? And B, is there going to be any hesitation from other teams around the country or barking about the Cougars potentially having a two-seat and maybe playing in Toyota Center? Well, you can bark as much. much of a member of the early family could, and it's not going to make a difference. Whatever the selection committee decides, that's the decision.

And after talking with people here in Kansas City, I'm more convinced now than ever that Houston will play in the South region. I think that the number two series is a lot for them, regardless, whatever reason. But I think they go to the South. I think Florida ends up being the number one. And that could get interesting because if you're playing an elite eight game in Houston, and a rematch of the final four, those opportunities are rare. And if I'm a one-seat and I'm playing Houston and they're the two-seat in their own regional,

their own hometown, that's as good as the number one. That's gold. And, yeah, there's probably going to be some people and teams and schools that complain, but at that point, there's not much about it that you can do. And, you know, you have an Indianapolis situation with Purdue last year. It happens. But this is about as close to kids. camp as perhaps anybody will ever play in the NCAA tournament if that happens.

So we've got the Cougars in your mind locked as number two. Is there anything that can be accomplished by winning the Big 12 except just getting another trophy? No, I mean, yeah, I think the one is still in play, but a lot of things have to happen. And, you know, you look at Florida, you look at Utah. Those to me are the two teams that you have to leap from. because I see Houston's probably in that six, five, six, seven range and overall seating.

So I think the main thing is you stay healthy. You know, if you lose tonight, you go home, no damage done. You're still at two. But for Kelvin, they want to win the Bay 12 tournament. They want that momentum. They want things to carry over. So there's some value to that,

but I don't think there's going to be much of a chance seating wise to move up. You're probably about where the, where the ceiling is right now, unless some other things shake out nationally. All right. I had a great friend of mine and I were texting about the Cougars yesterday, about how ultimately this far this team will go.

And we mentioned 1A and 1B. Last year it felt like the team's defense could overcome a offensive stretch or five or six minutes. I don't think that's the case this year, but it doesn't necessarily mean the Cougars still can't make their run. So tell me, give me an element that you can see, beyond the fact that Fleming's is going to be the best player on the floor for either team when they're playing, that ultimately says, yeah, the Cougars can get back to Indianapolis and play for a final four.

You know, yeah, I mean, they lean on the defense. And just for instance, you look at the second half yesterday, you know, the Bansa and Rob Wright, they go off in the first half for nearly all of BYU's points. And then the two of them, I think, are maybe three for six games. Absolutely. Adjustment, that's what Houston does. You know, they're either going to grind you or they're going to have a situation where they make adjustments and advise them time where, you know, I don't, the drawl is going to be such a huge part of this map where, you know, there's some upsets and stuff that go along the way. I mean, it's just who you play and how it matches up, you know, some teams may match up better based on length or their style.

but Houston, as you've seen during this run that they've had over the last eight years or so, they adjust and they adapt really well. So I think the defense is going to always be there. It may not be up to par like it has been statistically in the past, but if someone put it, it's pretty good. And on most nights they're good is enough to beat most teams. All right, we're talking to you from Oklahoma City next week. Correct? That's a foregone conclusion when you assume?

Yeah, that's pretty much a done deal. They'll open, I believe, Thursday, Saturday, regional, and they'll, you're quite familiar with that arena. That's where the Thunder plays. That's where they'll go for the first two rounds.