C (2:46)

No, not at all. I know you've been very critical over the years of Michael Malone and so I respect what you're saying now. I didn't see it at all. If they wanted to get a pro coach, I assume they would go after Billy Donovan. Cuz Billy Donovan had been a college coach and won a couple of championships at Florida. No, I didn't see this coming. I'll say another thing, he hasn't been in college. Malone's not been in college, I think since 2001 when he was an assistant at Manhattan. Maybe his, his dad coached Rhode island for a while. Rhode island was not exactly power. He is a wonderful coach. But Mike, North Carolina hired a pro coach in football last year and I thought that was a disaster. And so I'm sort of doubly surprised that this is going on. I don't think of North Carolina and equate that to professional basketball at all. A lot of guys go from college to the pros. Brad Stevens did. Billy Donovan went from college to the pros. Sometimes it doesn't work out. Rick Patino, John Calipari did not have any great success. Not everybody goes the other way. I'm in a wait and see mode and I am very surprised.

B (3:53)

I will say this. It's a new day. It's a new day. And so North Carolina is a professional program. They're all professional programs now. And so I'm confused.

C (4:05)

Okay, yeah, yeah, that's fair. Let's move to tonight's NCAA championship game between number one seed Michigan and number two seed UConn. Michigan got here by blowing the doors off Arizona 91, 72. UConn got here in another close game with another key shot by freshman Braylon Mullens. UConn beat Illinois 71 62. Wilbon, you have had all year to look at these teams. To which team do you give the edge, Tony?

B (4:30)

An edge to Michigan. An edge. And I'm presuming of course that Yel Landenborg, it will be out there. We saw him come back after limping off to the dressing room and I was like, oh my God, can they afford to lose him? You know, I think he's the best player in the tournament and has been tournament long. So they have him back. Apparently Solo ball has a foot spray for Yukon. He, he's going to be out there. They need him. I see Michigan having an edge, but as I told you this morning on your podcast, anybody who thinks that there's some Cinderella in UConn is not paying attention. UConn's a power. This is Ali Frazier. This isn't, you know, Ali and some dude in the 3rd street gym. So to me, there's no surprise winner here, whoever wins it. But again, to answer your question, edge to Michigan.

C (5:23)

It's a hard question for me. To which team do I give an edge? I know that Michigan is favored by seven and a half points. That really seems like a lot to me. Seven and a half. And I understand. I get it. They've been killing people in the tournament. They've gone over 90 in all five games in the tournament. Their last combined margin of victory over the last two teams is 51. And the last three teams, they've held to 37% shooting or worse. So they come in here rock solid. But let me go to your point about UConn. UConn, you know, seven and a half, really. UConn plays close games and wins close games. UConn beat Michigan State by four. They beat Duke by one. They beat Illinois by nine. But it was a closer game than that. And they've had success in this game, the final game. This is the third year out of four that they're in the final game. Their shooter, Caraban, he's been in three final games now, and Danny Hurley is two and, oh, in these things. So, yes, I will not be stunned if UConn wins this game. I think Michigan should win it. I think their conference is better overall on the whole year. But I'm not gonna be stunned if UConn wins this. I'm really not.

B (6:34)

Well, I'm glad neither one of us will be. I don't understand some of the national sentiment I'm hearing. Let's move to UCLA's dominance of South Carolina. Yesterday in the women's championship game, the Bruins led by double digits in the first quarter, won by 28. Gabriela Haquez led UCLA with 21 points, while Lauren Betts had 14 points, 11 boards, and was named the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player. No surprise. The Gamecock showing disappointed. Just days earlier, they had dismantled UConn, leading to inflammatory behavior from Huskies coach Gino Oriemma. Tone, what do you make of the team that won it, the team that didn't, and Geno's behavior on the way out?

C (7:17)

So I'm glad UCLA won because they're all seniors. They've been doing this for a while, and this is the reward that you get. UCLA seniors scored the last 173 points that UCLA scored this year. They scored all 130 points in the final Four. Look, Mike, I don't know anything about the UCLA staff at all. I can't name anybody on it. But I watched UCLA against Texas and against South Carolina demolish good offensive teams, hold them to half half their normal production so somebody in that room knows how to coach defense. And the game was terrible because UCLA made it terrible because they were dominating in terms of South Carolina, Mike, honestly, I think they won the game they wanted to win. UConn is the dynasty in women's college basketball, not UCLA. UConn had pounded them last year, 23 points in the final. They waited a year and they got their revenge by winning that game. And Mike, I'm not sure they were emotionally up for UCLA at all. I'll give you this one stat that's fabulous. Since 2007, every time UConn has lost in the tournament, in the tournament, the team that beat them went on to go 1 and 10 because the team that beat them thought they climbed the mountain by beating them. I'm going to back away from Gino, and you feel stronger about it than I do. I'll come back to it when you're done.

B (8:39)

I'm going to take the rest of the time to deal with Geno, who was guilty of. With not just the handshake, but the bogus apology and the fictionalizing of a ripped jersey. Saying that the other team behaved like thugs and did it when his own player ripped her own jersey is the disgraceful, disgraceful, excuse me, behavior of a massively insecure bully. It was petulant. It was classless. The fictionalization of the ripped jersey is unbelievable. The apology didn't even address the person he offended. And it's just. We're all taught to shake hands at the end of a game, no matter what happens, maybe before a game, to shake hands at the end. He couldn't even do that and he wandered away and he lied on national television. Round after round of interviews and. And accused South Carolina's players are doing something his own players did. As if we don't have television. And the apology, the aftermath, all of it was disgraceful. Gino Auriemma is one of the biggest figures in the history, deservingly so, of college basketball. And he behaved like a garden variety bum. And it's awful that he behaved that way. He took away from his own team season. He took the moment away from South Carolina. He ought to be embarrassed. But at this moment, I Don't think he has any shame. And these attacks, these public attacks on pat Summitt, Muffett, McGraw, Don Staley, I could go on another day about those attacks and why they existed. They're awful.

C (10:14)

Let us move to the NBA and ESPN's favorite basketball team to talk about the Los Angeles Lakers. They were really hot. They'd won 16 of 18 by the middle of last week. And now they're looking at life without Luka Doncic, who has a bad hamstring and is flying to Europe for treatment. And they're looking at life without Austin Reaves for four to six weeks as he nurses an oblique injury. Wuban. What is the state of the Lakers without Doncic and Reaves?

B (10:39)

Tony, I don't want to be flip and say it's a wrap, but look, with those guys in the court last year they got sort of taken out in the playoffs by Minnesota. With them on the court now, they played together a year. They're hot now. They're a better team than they were a year ago. No doubt. LeBron just figures out what it is that he needs to do in a given week or month or quarter and does it. And they are really impressive. But they not beating without those two guys who put up about, what, 60 points a game, 57. Then I beat Denver or Houston or Minnesota or don't. God, don't. Let's not mention Oklahoma City and San Antonio. They're just not doing that without those guys. Tone. And it's too bad, because the Lakers had turned into quite an impressive story.

C (11:29)

If the question is what is the state that the Lakers are in right now? They're in a state of despair. They're in the capital city of the state of despair. Without these two guys, they are done. Dun. You know, something like that, it's just not going to happen. I mean, you know, they're losing. How do you replace 57 points, 13 rebounds and 14 assists a game you don't replace is that if these guys are out for four weeks, and that is the common term that people are talking about, four weeks, they will not win the first round of the playoffs. They would not win if LeBron was 21 or 31 and he's 41. So they're just not going to win this. The shame of it is they were playing great. Luka Doncic had inserted himself in the MVP conversation. I'm not saying the vote that you have to vote for. I'm saying he's in the conversation, no doubt. In the month of March, Mike, 38 points a game, eight rebounds, seven and a half assists and two steals. And you can't lose them both. You can't. Yeah, can't lose them both. You just can't. Let's take a break. Coming up, Jokic and Wembanyama go to ot, but did Cooper Flagg make the biggest NBA headline of the weekend?

B (12:38)

And what's the word for what Joe Adell did Saturday night?

C (12:43)

Man, I'll just go back on Geno just to say this one thing. There's no nuance there. What he did was wrong. He's incomparable as a coach. What he did was wrong. You have to mention Dawn Staley in the apology.

D (12:56)

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A (13:27)

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C (14:35)

Let's see what's cooking with the commoners. In mail time. We'll get the first one. Put on my glasses and read this. Biggest deal of the NBA weekend. Cooper flag putting up 96 points over two games. Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets besting Victor Wembanyama and the spurs in overtime or Steph Curry's return.

B (14:53)

Tony it's not Steph Curry's return. I hate that. It's Not. But the warriors can't remake their whole season just because Steph is back in the lineup. It was wonderful to see him out there yesterday and my goodness, he played well coming back. But the warriors are in the play in and they probably won't get out of the play in. So it can't be that. And I'm not going to make it Cooper Flag. Because Knipple to me is still the MVP because it's a season, not a weekend award. A season award. Though. Cooper Flagg looks great.

A (15:20)

He.

B (15:20)

He looks better and better every night out. The kid looks like he's going to be the great player that almost everyone projected. And good for Dallas. They try to still recover from getting rid of Luca. No, it's Denver and San Antonio. Look, I picked Denver to win the whole thing at the beginning of the year and they've had mostly a disappointing regular season. But when the big man, when Joker is on, he can go head to head with Wimby. That's each guy picking on somebody his own size. Forget the result of the game. The nature of the game was a playoff game. It was fabulous. If those two meet up, either one of them, Denver can win a game seven on your court or theirs. The development is Denver winning that game.

C (16:05)

Yeah. I have no disagreement with any of that. None whatsoever. That is a playoff series I would actually like to see. Denver's now won eight in a row and San Antonio had one eleven in a row. You're right about Curry. He's walking into a team that six games under.500. It's great. 29 points in 26 minutes. But let me go to Cooper Flag for a second because I think he's the rookie of the year. I do. Cooper Flag did something that hasn't been done since 1962. To score a rookie scoring at least 45 points in consecutive games hasn't been done since 1962. Mike. When Walt Bellamy did it, he also became one of six rookies ever to score 45 points. At least 45, three times in a year. You want to know who they are? Besides Bellamy, have you heard of Wilt Chamberlain? Have you heard of Michael Jordan? Have you heard of Earl Monroe? Have you heard of Kareem Abdul Jabbar? So that is a category. That's a category. That's unbelievable. And I'll. I'll just leave it at that. I'll go to the next one.

B (16:58)

It is an unbelievable cat. Walt Bellamy, I think was overall number one pick too. Way low many years ago. Yes, he was.

C (17:04)

Yes. Long time ago. What's the word for Joe Adele robbing three homers in one game?

B (17:10)

How about Griffey? Ish. As you know, I. Other than Willie Mays. Look, everything starts with your idol Willie Mays. To me in center field, and it's not center field, but outfielder going up, snagging stuff, great out play, outfield plays. This three of them in one game. I mean, God, Griffey never even did that. There's a kid, Denzel Clark, remember for the A's last year, we had the video Tony of him doing like a couple of catches in a week, three in a night. It's astonishing he could come up with that sort of production and glove And Torrey Hunter. When Torry Hunter is in the dugout and says, yeah, yeah, yeah, this, this Torry Hunter, it just gives it all the credibility you could have.

C (17:56)

Yeah. The word I use is, you know, unprecedented. And I'll go right to Torrey Hunter, who had nine Gold Gloves in the outfield. He said, this is the greatest defensive game I've ever seen. It's a one nothing game, Mike. So every time he goes over the wall, he saves the game.

B (18:10)

Saves the game.

C (18:12)

The amazing thing here is that you can go a whole season and not get three shots at it. In 162 games last year, the most home runs that were brought back, two different guys had four. One of them is Jacob Young on the Washington nationals. That's over 162 games. This was in one game. Which leads me to ask you, it's Johnny Vandermeer. Is it? If nobody's ever done three before, who's going to break this? Who's going to go to 4? That's not going to happen. It's remarkable. And the last one, when he falls in the stands, you go, my God. I mean, that's it. That's about. That's enough email. Let's take one last break. Still to come, did Patrick Waugh deserve to get canned with four games left in a regular season? This is hockey season.

B (18:53)

Are we going down that road again in the NHL? That's what they just was just dealt out of Chicago. Tone, I'm not even surprised.

C (19:01)

Are you happy or sad? Are you happy or sad?

B (19:05)

I'm kind of neutral. I just never thought she'd be there long term. It didn't seem to be a great fit to me. And it's too bad because she's a star.

D (19:14)

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C (20:17)

Check engine, ABS or maintenance light on. Take the guesswork out of your warning lights with O'Reilly Veriscan. The service is free and provides provides a report with solutions verified by ASE Certified Master Technicians. And if you need help, we can

D (20:32)

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C (20:33)

Ask for O'Reilly Veriscan today. Auto parts. Happy time people. Happy Sunday. 75th birthday. Burt Bly Levin Bly Levin made the hall of fame in his 14th year of eligibility. He was a two time World Series champion in 1979 with the Pirates, 1987 with the Twins. He threw a no hitter in 1977. Bly Levin is fifth all time in strikeouts with 3701, 27th all time in wins with 287, 14th all time in innings pitch with 4970 numbers that will get you in contact. Cooperstown now on your first ballot, Justin Verlander has more strikeouts than any active pitcher. He's eighth all time. Verlander has one strikeout so far this season, 148 more will move him all the way up and past bly Levin for fifth all time. But Verlander just went on the 15 day injured list with hip inflammation.

B (21:38)

For 500 years you knew what pitchers threw in baseball and it wasn't a circle change and it wasn't a four seamer versus a two seamer. You had to have a good curveball. That's what Burt Bly Levin had. One of the great curveballs. Uncle Charlie of all time. Right Tony? I mean he knocked your knees out from under your body with his curveball. Old fashioned curveball.

C (22:01)

Happy double anniversary. Mike Krzyzewski on this day 34 years ago, Krzyzewski guided Duke to their second consecutive NCAA title, defeating the Fab Five freshman of Michigan. Then 11 years in coach K led the Blue devils to their fifth and most recent national championship 68, 63 win over Wisconsin. The Blue Devils were led by Tyus Jones is 23 points. Krzyzewski is one of the greatest college basketball coaches of all time. For those who are growing impatient with John Shire, who started it guard on Krzyzewski's fourth national championship team. Because Shire has not yet won a championship, it's prudent to Remember Krzyzewski went 10 seasons at Duke without winning.

B (22:39)

Tony, I suppose you could have Hank A. And Adolph Rupp high on the list, but Mike Shesky is going higher on my list under only John Wooden in college basketball. Mike Krzyzewski, who spanned generations into this latest transfer portal nil. I mean, he sort of gotten to the mouth of that river. Mike Krzyzewski. Everybody else, take a step back.

C (23:04)

Happy trios. Patrick Waugh. If you thought last week's firing of Bruce Cassidy in Vegas was late in the season, get a load of this. The Islanders fired Waugh with four games left in the regular season after losing four in a row and seven of 10 and falling just out of the postseason field. The hall of Fame goalie coached the Isles for two seasons, going 97, 78 and 22. He's replaced by Peter DeBoer, who took the Dallas Stars to three start straight Western Conference finals before getting the ax last year.

B (23:34)

Is it unseemly to fire Patrick Waugh? How do you even convince yourself you should tell the great Patrick Waugh, get out. How do you. How do you do that?

C (23:44)

Yeah, well, he can't hear you because he's got Stanley cup rings in his ears. Let's go to the big finish. Your Chicago sky traded Angel Reese to the Atlanta Dream for two first rounders. Does that make sense?

B (23:56)

I don't know. She was a rebound champ last year. The sky went 1:13 without her in the lineup. But it didn't seem like it was going to last long. I don't know what to make sense of that. JJ Spawn when the Valero Open, his first victory since last year's U.S. open, you want to break it down?

C (24:12)

Yeah, he came from two or three back. He shot 67 on Sunday. You know, it's a great year for him. I mean, starting with the Oak, Doc was Rivers, Mike d', Antoni, Amari Stoudemire and Candace Parker headline the Basketball hall of Fame class. You happy about that?

B (24:28)

I know them all. Love them. Two of them are great Chicagoans and friends. Doc and Candace. Yes, I'm happy. Oklahoma freshman softball star Kendall Wells has 30 homers in 40 games. You have to be impressed.

C (24:42)

Well, the record is 37 in 72, so. So, yes, I'm impressed. Last one. Bulls fired head of basketball Arturis Karnischevis and GM Mark Eversley. Didn't they just trade away your whole team?

B (24:56)

Don't blame Mark Eversley. Blame AK Konish. He's the one who deserved to be fired before. Now they gotta start over. Hate to be blaming Mark Everest. Stop.

C (25:06)

We're out of time. Try to do better the next time. I'm Tony Kornheiser.

B (25:10)

Bulls is so pathetic. I'm Mike Wolf by the same time tomorrow, knuckleheads.

D (25:14)

As you know, managing maintenance, repair and operations is never easy. But for the ones who always rise to the challenge, Grainger has your back. From professional grade products you can count on to fast, dependable delivery, they're there to help you keep things running smoothly. Plus, their technical product specialists are here to help answer your toughest questions. And because Grainger knows safety is always a priority, they're committed to being your partner in protecting both your people and your facilities. Call 1-800-granger. Click granger.com or just stop by.