Tony Kornheiser (2:52)

Yeah. Yeah. All right. So yesterday on this show, I said that I thought that Michigan could win and should win, but that seven and a half points were too much for me. So I believe I got that right. UConn did everything they could do defensively. Michigan rolled into this game having scored 90 points or more in five straight NCAA tournament games. Five straight. I mean. And they were held to 69 points by Connecticut. If Connecticut shoots well, they win. But Michigan plays defense, too. Michigan held Connecticut, I believe, to 31% shooting from the field. 27%. 3. 9 of 33. And that's the worst game, worst shooting game UConn had all year. What do I think of Michigan? I think they're a worthy team. I think they're big and they're strong and they play inside basketball. 61 of their 69 points, either from the paint or from the foul line. That's. That's really impressive. They dictated the way the game should be played. And I also think this. I think that they are better than Michigan State, they are better than Illinois, they are better than Purdue, they are better than Iowa, they're better than Nebraska. And all those Big Ten teams won at least two games in this tournament. So Michigan, and this is a. I'm not going to go back into terms of eras, but I'm going to say that this is a really good team. And give Dustin May a lot of. They took Florida Atlantic to the Final Four a couple of years ago, three or four years ago, whatever it was, and now he's won a national championship. I will tell you this, though, Mike. I wonder how they're feeling at Duke, because Duke beat Michigan in a neutral site game. And if they had held on and beaten UConn, maybe they're in the final. Maybe they win that final.

Mike Wilbon (4:38)

Yeah.

Tony Kornheiser (4:38)

Yeah.

Mike Wilbon (4:40)

I think in Michigan right now, they're pounding their chest a little bit, standing on the top of the world.

Tony Kornheiser (4:44)

They earned it.

Mike Wilbon (4:45)

They deserve it. Congratulations.

Tony Kornheiser (4:47)

Yes. Yeah, absolutely.

Mike Wilbon (4:50)

Let's move to last night's injury to bow your heads. Victor Wimbanyama. He and Paul George collided early in the second quarter. Wemby left with an injury to his Left ribs, returned briefly and then departed for good before the half after playing a total of just more than 15 minutes. Tone, what are the potential impacts here?

Tony Kornheiser (5:13)

Okay, so I don't know the extent of the injury. I'm inclined to say it's not that serious. But, you know, I don't know if he had to miss a playoff game or two, it's a long time to the playoffs for him because the play ins have to go through. So I'm not worried about that. But we did talk about Doncic and Reaves being lost to the Lakers for some time on yesterday's show. So I'm not going to make some categorical statement here because I don't know about this. I think the larger issue for me is how the NBA is wrapped up in knots with this 65 game rule. In order to get any postseason awards, you got to play 65 games, right? So 65 games. If you don't play it, you can't be the mvp, you can't be an all NBA team, you can't be the defensive player of the year, which Wembanyama certainly would be at the moment. I don't think the NBA makes a distinction between load management misses or injury misses. They're just counting the 65 and Wembanyama is at 64. All right, so he's got to play one more game and he wants to play. But Mike, can you imagine how terrible it would be if he played in that game just to be eligible for the awards and got hurt further? Be terrible.

Mike Wilbon (6:25)

Yeah, yeah, it would be, Tony. It would be. You get all these possibilities now. And you know what, you know, you know how much I love Victor Wyama and this whole season for me has been about watching him. But he had some games in there that were probably load management too. So, I mean, you know, so be careful what you do along the way. And that's not directed only at him, but maybe the coaches and the executives and the people who make these decisions now on when and how long to sit people out. So you know how I feel about load management. It's a scourge of the league. It's. It's loathsome and so you might get bit by it yourself. Luckily, you mentioned this, Victor. When Benyama has two weeks, he's got the, you know, the sort of this week, this is the last regular season week and the play in time because San Antonio wouldn't play until the weekend, like Saturday, Sunday of the following week, when would be game one of a playoff series. So in terms of him missing playoff time. And you know what, Tony? That's all I care about. It really is. For me, this is selfish. Now, for somebody who loves pro basketball and who's followed this league his whole professional life, this regular season, this regular season was a massive disappointment on 100 levels. And if the NBA can't figure out how to get its players fully engaged as much or more than the fan base, too bad. When it comes to the awards, which I vote on, I hate seeing it tied in knots. But maybe that's what this league deserves right now.

Tony Kornheiser (7:57)

I'm just going to say this, Mike. This kid said he wanted to be the mvp. He said this out loud. This is a kid who wants to be the face of the league. And right now, it looks like the league is preventing him from doing that. And I would reach out to Adam Silver and say, what's going on here? What's going on? Let's move to baseball and last night's threat by Red Sox first baseman Wilson Contreras to take out a random Milwaukee Brewer. Contreras was hit in the hand in the third inning by Milwaukee pitcher Brandon Woodruff. After going to first base, Contreras yelled at Woodruff, and then he slid hard into second, spikes up and tore the uniform of Milwaukee shortstop David Hamilton around his left knee. After the game, Contreras said, quote, they always say, I'm not trying to hit you. That gets old. So next time they hit me, I'm going to take one of them out, unquote. Wilbon Contreras, threat, fair or foul?

Mike Wilbon (8:46)

It's not just fair. It's required. It's baseball. It's been around 150 years. We've seen people stand on dugout stairs and yell at everybody on the opposition, including the other dugout. And that's hall of Famers at times yelling at hall of Famers. They've hit him a million times because he's been on rival teams, the Cubs and the Cardinals, his whole career. Even his brother was on the other team. And they know what they're doing. The brewers know what they're doing. So I would go full Burt Campaneris on the brewers if I was Contreras. And that means bat slinging, like at Larryn Legro back in, like, 1977. You want to throw a weapon at me, I got one to throw at you, okay?

Tony Kornheiser (9:34)

And I hear you, and I know you say that a lot as a Cub fan, and I understand that. Do I have to bring up the specter of Dustin Pedroia, mvp second baseman Manny Machado basically ended his career with a slide not unlike Contreras slide yesterday. I understand why Contreras says this. This is a number shocking to me. He's been hit 131 times in his career. He's been hit by the Brewers 24 times. That's 10 more times than by any other team. He's been hit by this pitcher, Woodruff, six times. Now, I understand that because when he's with the Cubs and Cardinals, they play each other a thousand times a year. Yeah, I get that and I get his pain. But to say I'm going to take one of you out, that strikes me as, to me, it's going a little bit far. I mean, if the threat is just to the brewers, then I think it's manageable because now he's a Red Sox, they're not going to play each other that much. But if I'm an infielder on the Brewers, I go to my pitching staff today and I say, hey, don't drill this guy. I got a whole career to think about. But Mike, what if his threat is to the entire league? What if the next team that hits him, he goes crazy? And by the way, his brother is the catcher right at Milwaukee. What if he takes him out at home plate? What if he takes him out? What? Let's take a break, baby. Coming up, we'll ask Scott Van Pelt how it feels at Augusta without Tiger and without Phil.

Mike Wilbon (10:54)

We'll also ask him about defending champ Rory and world number one Scotty as they head toward the start of play Tonis baseball.

Tony Kornheiser (11:02)

Can I ask you something? You hate NHL fighting, but you like baseball fighting. How do you reconcile that?

Mike Wilbon (11:10)

I don't like fighting, but if you hit me with a baseball, I'm coming at you. I'm coming at you.

Amazon Hub Delivery Announcer (11:19)

Amazon Hub Delivery wants to partner with your business. Help your business. Help your neighbors. A new stream of income for your business. When you partner with Amazon Hub Delivery, you and your team will deliver Amazon packages to customers in your neighborhood on a schedule that works for you. And you'll be paid for every package you deliver. Getting started is easy. There's no delivery experience required, no long term contracts, and you receive weekly direct deposits. Earn more. Gain exposure for your business. Apply today at Amazon.com hubdelivery that's Amazon.com hubdelivery know a local business that will make a great partner. A local coffee shop owner, florist, automotive shop, dry cleaner, you name it. Refer a business today and earn $500. When they successfully join the program, visit Amazon.com hubdelivery to learn more or refer a partner, that's Amazon.com hubdelivery now. Looking for hub partners in your area?

Grainger Announcer (12:18)

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-GRAINGER click granger.com or just stop by.

Tony Kornheiser (12:55)

It's Masters week, and we are thrilled to be joined from Augusta by our great friend and our bald brother, espn, Scott Van Pelt. Scott, so let's start with this. No Tiger, no Phil at the Masters for the first time since 1994. How does it feel to you without them there?

Scott Van Pelt (13:15)

Tony it feels different, certainly, because this is a place that, more than any other in this game, I think, invites people to reflect on memories. Right. It's 40 years since Jack in 86, and that'll obviously be discussed and remembered throughout this week. But so much of Jack Beyond 86, you go back in time with Jack and Arnold and Gary, and it's black and white pictures maybe, Right. Which takes us into the past in history. Tiger and Phil lived all of what they did in vivid, vibrant color, and they've won eight of them combined. And so it feels the same in terms of a sense of optimism and joy to be here on the property. But it's undoubtedly different. Their presence changes things, even though they would certainly not want to be described as ceremonial. Just seeing them, if you're a patron or if you're covering it, is something that gives you a little jolt. And that will be missing this week, undoubtedly.

Mike Wilbon (14:12)

Well, one guy that won't be missing, of course, is defending champ Rory and Scott. Tony and I have been wondering about this, like, all year. Is he good? Does he burn to win it again or add to his total? What's you've been around Rory for a long time yourself now. What's your sense of him as defending champ?

Scott Van Pelt (14:31)

I'll say the three hardest words for any of us to say in this business. Michael Honestly, I don't know and I'm fascinated to find out. And I'll tell you why. I think forever this place represented a finish line of sorts, right? To join that fraternity, to finish the race and become a grand Slam champion when you saw him fall to his knees and then literally face first on the green. I said to him, when I saw him at the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, I said, seemed like you were holding back more in that dam than you knew until you let it burst. And he said, it's true. And so having completed that, where's the motivation is he's his good still as good as anyone? I don't think we doubt that. I just don't know if the. Where's the fuel tank in terms of. Want to. And so I don't know what we'll see unencumbered by that, untethered from that boulder he was dragging behind him, is he freed up to just go bananas? Wouldn't surprise me. But if he's content, that wouldn't either. So, I mean, it's a lousy answer, but it's an honest one.

Mike Wilbon (15:33)

No, no, it's a great answer. All right. So we're wondering about Scotty Scheffler, too. Before a different set of circumstances, he. And we all three of us know what this is like. He's. His life. His professional life has been interrupted by being dad. And I don't know if he's a diaper changer. I certainly was. But where. Where is Scotty right now? Is he the world number one or is he dad right now? We're going to have to put that off for a little bit.

Scott Van Pelt (16:02)

I think we found that we know this to be true, that he is. He has a ravenous appetite to compete, and he loves to win. But then that isn't what fulfills him. That doesn't complete him in any way, shape or form. Remember he went to the Open Championship last year and was like, ah. And then after he won, he won. And he. And they were saying, are you happy you won? Because they were legitimately curious if that was at all satisfying to him. And so I know what fuels Scotty, it's his family and his faith, first and second in whatever order, combination of the two. But he's a hell of a fighter, and he's a great player. His issue this year, Michael, has been real simple. He's got that one odd round where he's sort of pedestrian. And then the other three, Scottie Scheffler. So one of these weeks, maybe this one, he plays four Scottie Scheffler rounds and he puts on the green jacket again. And you go, well, of course. But I don't think the dad thing is going to in any way be a net negative. I think It's a positive for sure for Scottie.

Tony Kornheiser (17:03)

We will get you out of here on this. Who are the contenders in your mind that you are intrigued by, particularly this week?

Scott Van Pelt (17:12)

Zander, for sure. Patrick Reed's a name I keep hearing. This golf course might be very firm. The weather should be spectacular. Wouldn't surprise anybody if he competed here as a past champion. Well, and perhaps won again. I hope. And we're not supposed to root, but I hope Justin Rose has a chance to win again. Twice in his Life, he played 72 holes. Got to Sunday evening, and no one was lower. And then he didn't win either time because he lost in playoffs. I'd love it if he won, but the guy I'm picking is Bryson. I think this is a place where you learn the golf course over time. He famously said parr was what, 67? And everyone is like, is that right? And maybe the golf gods didn't smile on that idea. And he's figured it out some. Finished tied for fifth last year, and he arrives having won a couple of times on live, so his form is really good. I feel like Bryson's a guy come Sunday evening. I don't know what the size is. He's a big fella. But I believe Bryson could be your Masters champion.

Tony Kornheiser (18:10)

Scott, it's a great pleasure for us that you would come on the show.

Mike Wilbon (18:13)

Appreciate you.

Tony Kornheiser (18:14)

Enjoy yourself this week. Thank you. And enjoy yourself. Thanks.

Scott Van Pelt (18:18)

Thank you. Man.

Tony Kornheiser (18:20)

SportsCenter at the Masters begins at noon Eastern tomorrow. Let's take one last break. But still to come, Fernando Mendoza makes an unusual decision with respect to the NFL draft.

Mike Wilbon (18:30)

And Dawn Staley releases a statement about Friday night's issues with Gino

Tony Kornheiser (18:37)

Wilbon. You change diapers. You don't strike me as a diaper changer.

Mike Wilbon (18:41)

You just tony right away. And you know who got me there? You know who convinced me to do it from day one? Stuart.

Tony Kornheiser (18:47)

Who?

Mike Wilbon (18:47)

Scott. Stuart Scott?

Tony Kornheiser (18:49)

Really?

Mike Wilbon (18:49)

He said do it.

Tony Kornheiser (18:50)

When did you stop? Day four.

Mike Wilbon (18:52)

Get. Get vomit on your tie when you walk out the house. Do all of it. Stuart convinced me to do it, and I'm grateful.

RK Zero Proof Announcer (19:01)

Smalls, here. What if you can enjoy the flavor of a cocktail without the alcohol? Meet RK Zero Proof, a pioneer in the alcohol free spirits category that delivers boost, bold taste and a warming sensation. But with zero alcohol, zero sugar, zero carbs, and zero calories. So you can celebrate with friends, unwind after a long day, and wake up tomorrow feeling great. It's all the ritual of a drink without the regret. Discover RK@rkbeverages.com that's Arkay Beverages.com RK the spirit without the alcohol Rich Eisen here.

Rich Eisen (19:32)

The April 15th tax deadline is coming fast, but don't worry. Hand off your taxes to a TurboTax expert today. You know how April feels. Everything speeds up, Games matter more, hoops and hockey schedules tighten, your phone won't stop buzzing. And somewhere in the middle of it all, there's that quiet little reminder.

Mike Wilbon (19:50)

Taxes.

Rich Eisen (19:51)

You'll get to it tonight or tomorrow or after the weekend. And if you handle it the old way, you're refreshing your inbox like it's breaking news. Waiting, wondering, hoping. Everything's squared away. That's a lot of mental bandwidth. With Intuit TurboTax Expert full service, you can match with a dedicated expert who understands your specific tax situation and handles your taxes for you start to finish. You can do it all online or meet in person at one of their new tech enabled store locations, have your tax forms imported directly into the app and hand everything off to your TurboTax expert while they work to get you every dollar you deserve. You can go about your normal routine, giving you time back to focus on what actually deserves your attention. Like rooting for your team to make the playoffs. April 15th is not waiting people. Visit turbotax.com and hand off your taxes to a TurboTax expert today.

Tony Kornheiser (20:49)

Happy time people. Happy 47th birthday. Adrian Beltre Beltre was elected to the hall OF Fame in 2024. Beltrae played third for the Dodgers, the Mountains, the Red so Sox and the Rangers over 21 seasons. The most years Beltre had with any one team was eight with Texas. Over the course of his career, Beltre batted.286 with 477 home runs and 1,707 RBI. Beltre's biggest number was 3,166 hits, 18th all time. Beltre led the majors with 48 home runs in 2004 when he was playing with the Dodgers. He also had 121RBI that year, a personal best. Beltray was a five time Gold Glove, a four time Silver Slugger.

Mike Wilbon (21:32)

Tony among third baseman. He's ahead of Ron Santo and Brooks Robinson, which is hard for me to imagine, but he's third behind Mike Schmidt, we all knew that. And Eddie Matthews, if you remember. 512 for Eddie Matthews, I think. 548 for Schmidt. But still that's that's a hell of a career.

Tony Kornheiser (21:52)

Happy anniversary Syracuse. On this day 23 years ago, the Orange led by freshman Carmelo Anthony and Jerry McNamara who hit six threes in the first half beat Kansas for Jim Boeheim's only national championship. Anthony and McNamara will be reunited for the upcoming basketball season as McNamara was recently named head coach at Syracuse and one of his players is Carmelo's son Kyan. Kyan Anthony was a reserve guard last year season playing 18 minutes a game for Adrian Autry, another fine former Boeheim player who was fired after three seasons, a 4948 record and no postseason appearances.

Mike Wilbon (22:29)

That was one great season by Carmelo Anthony, a freshman. Before that, many freshmen had that kind of impact on the game. And then Carmelo was great. The next year as a rookie in Denver, he got cheated out of the rookie of the year award because people decided to force forecast LeBron James career. Carmelo national champion then should have been rookie of the year.

Tony Kornheiser (22:51)

Happy trails to all but one lady Vol. The Tennessee women's basketball team is in shambles at the moment. Two seniors are graduating, every other player with remaining eligibility is in the portal and nearly the entire recruiting class, once ranked number 10 in the country, has decommitted. This leaves only incoming freshman Gabby minus Second year head coach Kim Caldwell made headlines earlier this season when she said her team quote has had a lot of quit in us unquote before going 18 down the stretch. Well, she called them quitters. Now they appear to have quit on her. I'm not saying she's a bad coach. I'm saying that situation is a disaster.

Mike Wilbon (23:29)

It is, Tony. Look, I have no idea if the great volunteer Candace Parker is interested in a coaching career. But I tell you what, if I'm at University of Tennessee's athletic department, you got to pick up the phone and call Candace Parker. Whether it's as a consultant, whether you want to make her tell you no, you got to get this thing turned around. That's the person I first think of.

Tony Kornheiser (23:52)

One omission. Cubs starting pitcher Kate Horton will have season ending elbow surgery.

Mike Wilbon (23:59)

They're too depressed to finish the show now. Let's keep going.

Tony Kornheiser (24:03)

All right. Let's go to the big finish. We don't have much.

Mike Wilbon (24:04)

Let's do it.

Tony Kornheiser (24:05)

Dawn Staley released a statement saying she spoke with Gino Auriemma. That one moment does not define a career. And asking everyone to turn the page. Your thoughts?

Mike Wilbon (24:13)

I knew Dawn Staley would find the high road. It's too bad Geno can't. Juan Soto is out for two to three weeks with the right calf strain. Big deal.

Tony Kornheiser (24:24)

Of course it's a big deal. I understand there's 162 games, but he's one of the best players in the league in all of baseball.

Scott Van Pelt (24:29)

Come on.

Tony Kornheiser (24:30)

Fernando Mendoza will not attend the NFL draft. Will instead celebrate with his family in Miami. Does that surprise you, Tony?

Mike Wilbon (24:37)

What we know about him so far that seems consistent so far with him, we're gonna know a lot more over the next, I don't know, couple decades. Max Scherzer, your boy left the Jays 142 loss to the Dodgers last night with forearm tendinitis. Are you concerned?

Tony Kornheiser (24:54)

I'm concerned, but Max is not concerned. It's just more piano playing for the warrior God. Get everything ship shape. Last one. Skubal, Yamamoto, Alcantara, Skeens, Crochet, the Miz and Schlittler all pitched tonight. You intrigued?

Mike Wilbon (25:07)

Skubal and Skeens, Tone? Yeah, it's a great group of Skoobal and Skeens is where I'm gonna start tonight, trying to watch those guys perform.

Tony Kornheiser (25:17)

I want to watch the Nats. Terrible, but we're out of time. We'll try to do better the next time. I'm Tony Kornheiser.

Mike Wilbon (25:22)

I'm Mike Wilbon. Same time tomorrow, knuckleheads.

ESPN App Announcer (25:25)

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 cost. 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.