Hour 2: Travis Steele & Dusty May join the show...

Summary

Sunday Mornings with Matt and Myron

Hour 2: Travis Steele & Dusty May Join the Show...

Date: March 16, 2026
Hosts: Matt Jones (ESPN Radio), Myron Medcalf
Guests: Tom Crean, Travis Steele (Miami OH Head Coach), Dusty May (Michigan Head Coach), Keith Gill (NCAA Selection Committee Chair)

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Overview

This episode dives into NCAA Men’s College Basketball Selection Sunday with bracket analysis, upset picks, deep dives into prominent programs, and interviews with key figures heading into March Madness. The conversation covers detailed critiques of top teams like Duke, St. John's, Kansas, Alabama, and Kentucky. Special guests—Miami of Ohio coach Travis Steele, Michigan head coach Dusty May, and NCAA Selection Committee Chair Keith Gill—offer firsthand reactions and insight into the seeding process and team preparation. The tone is lively, sharp, and analytical, driven by rapid exchanges, coaching anecdotes, and bracket drama.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Tournament Recap and Bracket Reactions

• Opening Segment: Celebration of tournament champions across conferences, setting the Selection Sunday energy (00:23–01:31).
• Bracketology Kickoff: Odds for national championship favorites with Duke leading at +330, followed by Michigan, Arizona, Florida, and Houston (02:24).

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Deep Dive: Duke’s Tournament Odds and Weaknesses (02:24–06:56)

• Duke as #1 Overall Seed

  • Matt, Myron, and Tom discuss if Duke truly deserves the favorite status despite losing point guard Caleb Foster.
  • Myron Metcalf: “Cameron Boozer is a generational college player… I'm not picking against Duke.” (02:55)
  • Tom Crean: Highlights Duke’s elite team defense but exposes weaknesses in individual defending and one-on-one situations.
  • “Where they struggle is individual defenders… You can drive, pick the ball up… and still score through them.” (03:38)

• Potential Weaknesses and Vulnerabilities

  • Foster’s absence puts pressure on defense; individual matchups could be exploited.
  • TCU matchup is eyed as a “real” test; Tom Crean explicitly says, “Absolutely I do,” when asked if TCU can beat Duke (05:36).
  • Consensus: To upset Duke, opponents “must lead with 6–8 points going into the final minutes” (06:07).

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Spotlight: St. John’s, Kansas, and Potential Upsets (07:17–10:14)

• St. John’s vs. Kansas in the Second Round

  • Tom: “I love Kansas if they're healthy and clicking. St. John's takes away your individual space… they could beat anybody in this tournament.” (07:37)

• Skepticism on St. John's Consistency

  • Myron: “It's hard for me to believe in a St. John's team that seems to only get excited when they're playing UConn in the Garden.” (08:39)
  • Consensus: St. John’s has the talent but lacks consistency.

• First-Round Upset Potential

  • Watching Kansas vs. Cal Baptist and South Florida vs. Louisville as possible upset picks, but not seeing much risk for St. John’s against Northern Iowa (09:24–10:14).

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Interview: Travis Steele, Miami (OH) Head Coach (12:38–20:22)

Miami of Ohio makes the tournament after a perfect 31-0 regular season.

• On Being Slotted in the First Four:
  • “It doesn't matter where we are, where we play, who we play… we're just thrilled to be in it.” (13:31, Steele)
  • Facing SMU: Recognizes POOPY Miller and Pierre’s scoring ability; keys are “keep them out of transition, make them take contested jump shots.” (14:47)
• Fan Excitement:
  • “In a lot of ways, this will be a home game for us... it’s just going to be, in a lot of ways, gonna be a home game for us... it’s pretty cool.” (16:12)
• Culture & Player Loyalty:
  • Pete Suter’s decision to stay: “When they saw Pete was staying, it was almost like, well, shoot, if he stayed, I gotta stay.” (17:49)
• Key Player: Antron Woolfolk:
  • “He’s our enforcer… opens up everything for our shooting.” (18:33, Steele)
  • Tom Crean: “That's why I brought his name up, because you don't win without him. He’s an X factor.” (19:09)
• Prediction: Picks brother John Groce’s Akron team to upset Texas Tech: “I got them going. I got them advancing in my bracket. I know that.” (19:56)

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SMU Selection & Bubble Team Debate (20:43–21:59)

• Tom and Myron debate Auburn/Oklahoma over SMU for the last spot.
• Myron: “We’re not giving out blue ribbons on Selection Sunday… The goal is to beat enough to qualify.” (21:09)

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Interview: Dusty May, Michigan Head Coach (24:20–29:23)

A look into the life and preparation of a #1 seed after the Big Ten tourney loss.

• Handling Loss, Preparing for Unknown Opponent:

  • “I've got to shift my focus into preparing... We're still in better shape than who we're playing because we've got a playing game.” (24:20, May)
  • Details logistical scramble: “Our staff is diving into Howard and UMBC right now… start preparing for anything that could be out of the ordinary…” (25:14)

• On Replacing LJ Cason’s Production:

  • “Our bench...was as good as any in the country... Now, all of those guys are in a new role and we've changed our rotations a little bit.” (25:56)

• Scouting Second Round Opponents (St. Louis, Georgia):

  • “I probably watched 20 combined games of St. Louis and Georgia this year. So… we won't have to do extensive film study because we already know them pretty well.” (26:56)

• Key to Success:

  • Needs guards (Burnett/Gill) to step up and mentions importance of committee contributions. (27:54)

• On Utilizing Multiple Bigs:

  • “They figured out ways to let each other operate… because Yakshel's ability to expand his range and think more like a perimeter guy...” (28:31)

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Midwest Bracket Analysis: Kentucky, Alabama & Upset Watch (29:25–34:42)

• Kentucky vs. Santa Clara:

  • Tom: Santa Clara can “set the pace,” beat St. Mary’s, and “adjust their style based on how they need to win.” (29:44)
  • Matt: “Kentucky’s variance is so wide... they can win this region… but I could also see them losing their first game.” (30:42)

• Alabama’s Wild Card Status:

  • Tom: “There’s a run left if they can outscore you… but their interior defense is a major problem.” (31:44)
  • Myron: “A lot of highlights, a lot of flash, zero defense. That’s what I think of Alabama.” (32:35)

• Hofstra’s Talent: Guards Edmead and Davis pegged as “dangerous” in the portal and capable off the dribble (32:56).

• The Virginia Factor: Matt calls for a major upset; “There’s no team in college basketball I consistently believe in less than Virginia in the postseason.” Picks Wright State over Virginia. (33:46–34:04)

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Interview: Keith Gill, NCAA Selection Committee Chair (35:51–44:52)

Behind the Bracket—Explanations on Seeding Logic and Bubble Decisions

• On Miami (OH):

  • “Miami of Ohio wasn’t the last team selected… but scrubbed down to be the last at-large on the seed list.” (36:29)

• Championship Game Impact:

  • “Championship games do matter… Michigan was #2 overall before losing; Arizona scrubbed ahead to #2 after results.” (37:31)

• Bubble Cuts:

  • Auburn: “Great strength of schedule... but 515 winning percentage, 16 losses... just didn’t quite make it.” (38:43)
  • Oklahoma: “Fewest wins against the SEC’s top seven... resume metrics a little below the typical cut line.” (38:43)

• Regional Balance and Bracketing:

  • Duke’s region “adds up to 31” but “fits within the parameters”; geography and conference management often dictate seed spread (40:01).

• Potential 1 vs. 2 Seed "Home City" Problem:

  • Matt questions Houston as a #2 possibly playing Florida #1 in Houston:
    • Gill: “Only 30% chance those teams meet… We follow our principles and try not to pick winners/losers.” (43:26–44:52)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Cameron Boozer is the greatest winner maybe we've seen in 20 years in this sport.” —Myron Metcalf (06:07)
• “Where they struggle is individual defenders… You can get them up in the air. You can score over them.” —Tom Crean on Duke (03:38)
• “In a lot of ways, this will be a home game for us... it’s a special moment just to be a part of the NCAA tournament...” —Travis Steele on tournament excitement (16:12)
• “A lot of highlights, a lot of flash, zero defense. That’s what I think of with Alabama.” —Myron Metcalf (32:35)
• “The goal is to beat enough to qualify. I just don’t think Auburn fit that profile.” —Myron Metcalf (21:09)
• “They figured out ways to let each other operate, to play off each other and stay out of each other's way.” —Dusty May on Michigan’s bigs (28:31)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | |-----------|-------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:23 | Tournament champion roll call, Selection Sunday hype | | 02:24 | Bracket odds & Duke as #1 overall seed discussion | | 03:38 | Tom Crean technical breakdown of Duke’s defense | | 05:34 | TCU’s chance against Duke | | 07:17 | Kansas vs. St. John’s preview | | 09:24 | First round upsets: Kansas/Cal Baptist, St. John's/UNI | | 12:38 | Travis Steele (Miami OH) interview begins | | 14:47 | SMU matchup, keys to the game | | 16:12 | On playing in Dayton, fan excitement | | 18:33 | Antron Woolfolk’s importance | | 24:20 | Dusty May (Michigan) interview begins | | 25:14 | First-round prep: Howard/UMBC, logistical realities | | 26:56 | On knowing second-round foes from personal history | | 28:31 | Michigan's unique big-man rotation | | 29:44 | Kentucky/Santa Clara breakdown | | 31:44 | Alabama’s “all offense, no defense” identity | | 35:51 | Keith Gill (Selection Committee Chair) interview begins | | 36:29 | Rationale behind Miami, OH selection | | 37:31 | Impact of championship games on seeding | | 38:43 | Detailed cut for bubble teams Auburn, Oklahoma | | 40:01 | Why Duke’s region is so “top heavy” explained | | 43:26 | Houston location conundrum as a 2-seed at home | | 44:52 | Keith Gill wraps up |

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Episode Summary

This packed episode is a fast-paced Selection Sunday special that covers the big landscape moves of March Madness—revealing vulnerabilities of top teams, warning of dangerous matchups, and providing the inside scoop from coaches and bracketing authorities. Lively debates about bubble teams and regional strengths, combined with on-the-ground reactions from Miami and Michigan’s coaches, bring the drama of the NCAA tournament to life. Listeners come away understanding not just who’s in, but how and why, and what surprises may lurk in the early rounds.

Transcript

[Travis Steele]

Spring is here and there's a whole

[Tom Crean]

new way to chai at Starbucks that's made perfect for you.

[Matt Jones]

Choose your sweetness.

[Tom Crean]

Dial it up or keep things light.

[Matt Jones]

Add a touch of pistachio, a hint

[Myron Metcalf]

of strawberry or vanilla, or make it

[Tom Crean]

a spring classic with lavender. Because this season there's endless ways to chai at Starbucks.

[Matt Jones]

The Arizona Wildcats, they win the Big 12 tournament championship.

[Keith Gill]

The UMBC retrievers dancing on a March Madness. This is a victory for St. John's and the Panthers are going dancing. Our nation, the 2026 Conference USA champions

[Matt Jones]

and Hawaii is on to the NCAA tournament.

[Travis Steele]

NDSU is your regular season and postseason champions of the Summit League.

[Keith Gill]

Shark Nation. Put your fins up. Liu has won the NEC and the Roy State Raiders, your 2026 Horizon League tournament champions.

[Matt Jones]

The Hobster prime heading to the NCAA tournament, they are CAA Conference tournament champion.

[Tom Crean]

Sienna back where it belongs.

[Keith Gill]

And the Saints are marching into the madness.

[Matt Jones]

CBU says save the last chance for me.

[Travis Steele]

Let the games begin.

[Matt Jones]

This is the men's bracketology selection show

[Tom Crean]

on ESPN and on the ESPN app.

[Travis Steele]

Let the games begin.

[Matt Jones]

Letting the games begin here on the NCAA Men's College Basketball selection special presented by Marriott Bonvoy. If you're traveling for game day, make Marriott Bonvoy your home base for pregame moments and post game stories. Marriott Bonvoy where game day checks in. Myron was trying to tell me it's Marriott. It's Marriott.

[Myron Metcalf]

Marriott. Marriott. Marriott.

[Matt Jones]

Who says that?

[Myron Metcalf]

Marriott.

[Matt Jones]

It's Marriott. That's what you say in real America. I don't know where you're. I don't know where you're out there with your Marriott.

[Tom Crean]

Maybe, maybe the level, the. Whatever the highest level is, he may be on it. That's how they make special pronunciation.

[Myron Metcalf]

A couple different hotels. He gets the Marriott.

[Matt Jones]

Tom Cremeyer met Kevin Matt Jones right now at the courtyard on DraftKings. There are the odds to win the national championship. The odds on favorite right now is Duke +330, then Michigan, then Arizona, then Florid. And then Houston is fifth at plus 1000. So let's go to the Duke region number one overall seed, Myron Metcalf. They lost their point guard, Caleb Foster, but what is this dude? Does dessert Duke deserve to be the overall favorite in your mind?

[Myron Metcalf]

I think so. I mean, if you get through that region, you're definitely the favorite of my eyes to win the national championship. You look at Cameron Boozer, best player in the country, a lot of his numbers are better than Cooper flags and that's saying a lot. I think the thing about Duke is you're going to play the way Cameron Boozer wants you to play. He controls the tempo, the pace. He's an incredible passer. This is a team that is, is led by a guy who could just has a different level. Hasn't lost a championship game I think since sixth grade. And then you look at the supporting cast, Isaiah Evans and everything he brings to the table. You look at Kaden Boozer, his twin, who has stepped up now that Caleb Foster is out. I think Duke has it all. A lot of young teams don't win national championships, but I think Cameron Boozer is a generational college player. I'm not picking against Duke.

[Tom Crean]

Well, with, with Duke they have very good team defense. And I've been saying this all week, people see the results, right? They see the stats. So they look at it and say, okay, they're really good. Where they struggle is individual defenders. And taking Caleb Foster out, who is a good individual defender, not great because, because he gets his stance so wide sometimes. It happens to a lot of their guys. They can open you up because their stance is wide. So they open their shoulder up. Not to get too technical with it, but like it's an issue. And, but here's the other issue. Not only is it the one on one defense, people that go after Cam Boozer, which very few have, can have success, he struggles in one on one defense. He struggles at times in a one on one post up now, Malik Brown, Gamba, those guys are really, really good. But getting this team in space, right? When you run around your sets and, and, and you can allow Duke to be a help team. Like when I was at Indiana and we would always play Kentucky there, there

[Matt Jones]

you won a game that still hurts me.

[Tom Crean]

We won a couple, right? But I'm so.

[Matt Jones]

Well, we want a big one, so

[Myron Metcalf]

a spot for him.

[Tom Crean]

Yeah. I'm just gonna say what the game plan was like. They were so good, right? They were so big so long that if you let them play help defense, it was like dealing with a zone all night, right. If you spread it out. So when we played Kentucky, we always move things three feet up. Always. And so all of a sudden our ball screens are three feet higher. Our catches in the slot wing are three feet higher. Now we're playing way beyond the NBA line to start our offense because you wanted to create long closeouts and you wanted to make them individual defenders because if you let them guard as a team, you're not beating them. And that is a little bit What Duke is like right now when you ISO them, when you beat them off the dribble. And here's another really concerning thing. You can drive, pick the ball up. Okay. And still score through them. It's amazing how many people score or get fouled after they've picked the ball up and still go up in the play because everybody sees the shoulder bump, right?

[Matt Jones]

Yeah.

[Tom Crean]

You don't have to have that to beat Duke. You can go in and you can get them up in the air. You can score over them. And that's a problem. That's why the TCU Duke matchup.

[Matt Jones]

You think TCU's got a shot?

[Tom Crean]

Absolutely I do. Absolutely I do. Duke's offense is unbelievable. The best thing that happened to Duke. And I'll shut up. The best thing that happened to Duke was Kaden Boozer building his confidence the last couple of nights.

[Myron Metcalf]

Yeah, I think that, I think that'll help them going forward. You obviously a coach with all this experience and I'm glad you're a part of the show. Your game plan, who's executed it this season?

[Tom Crean]

Oh, only one. Yeah, I got one team.

[Myron Metcalf]

But here's my thing about Duke. Duke is going to play a tight game at some point in the NCAA tournament. It's going to be a close game with six for seven minutes to go. You're not going to beat Duke in those seven minutes.

[Tom Crean]

Exactly.

[Myron Metcalf]

They're going to be the better team. So to me, unless you could somehow have a 6, 7, 8 point advantage going into the final minutes, you don't have a chance against that team. Cameron Boozer is the greatest winner maybe we've seen in 20 years in this sport. And I think you see his impact.

[Tom Crean]

I agree. Can I answer your question? Can I answer the whole team? Texas Tech in the Garden, full strength.

[Myron Metcalf]

They're not anymore.

[Tom Crean]

But, but, but. No, no, no. You estimate the game plan.

[Myron Metcalf]

Yeah.

[Tom Crean]

Right. Their game plan was to go after Cam Boozer. Their game plan was to make him guard. They went after him. They attacked him. Now you are exactly right. Nobody has really done that. But if somebody figures that out and something. Now Florida State has had two great games with them. Two high scoring games. Even the one at Duke, they beat him off the dribble.

[Matt Jones]

Let me, let me ask you guys.

[Tom Crean]

And I'm a Duke. I'm not, I'm a Duke fan. I'm not trying to be Duke hater here. I'm just trying to look at it. I'm trying to look at.

[Matt Jones]

I'm a Duke. I' noticed this over the Years with Duke. Duke all. It feels like many years going back to some of the great Duke teams. They always have a second round game that's tough. Think about Central Florida, the year with Taco Fall. And they, and there's so many though Duke should have lost second round games that they find a way to win. I kind of agree with you. You get in a close game with them, they're going to be tough to be.

[Tom Crean]

Oh, I agree.

[Matt Jones]

A lot of people will sit there and see. I know I would. St. John's Kansas is a second round matchup. I think that would be the marquee. I don't know what day it is, but that CBS would put that one in that prime slot you watch on Sunday afternoon. Kansas, St. John's if we got there, Tom, that's two great coaches and two great teams.

[Tom Crean]

Here's, here's. I love Kansas if they're healthy and clicking. They've been so inconsistent over a period of time and it's more than just Darren being out, but the thing that St. John's does when they are on top of their game and they were on their top, on top of their game against UConn last night, they take away your individual space. It's not about the spacing of the offense. They get so far up into you and, and, and, and, and it's, it's uncomfortable because that's what helps their, their, their help defense be in position because they're so hard to get by because they're chest. And that's one of those games going to really be interesting how it's officiated. But like last night against UConn, they got the deflections, they got the steals. They're so active with their hands. They got the back tips and now they could have a shooting problem. Right? And yes, they could. And then they've got a really offensive rebound. You know, Zubi Ejafor is going to be there. You're not always sure if Bryce Hopkins is going to be as productive. You're not always sure of the guards, but when they get up into you and they're locked in that way and they're not always locked in that way, but when they're locked in that way, they could be anybody in this tournament.

[Myron Metcalf]

It's hard for me to believe in a St. John's team that seems to only get excited when they're playing UConn in the garden.

[Matt Jones]

UConn.

[Myron Metcalf]

Like, like that's a different version of St. John's can they do that consistently? Because they have not True, but. But they, they haven't played. They haven't played to that level consistently throughout the season. Which is why they're.

[Tom Crean]

No, we, we said, you know, they're not consistent, but that's the problem. But they're more often than not or they wouldn't have won the league.

[Matt Jones]

They also, but they have almost no great wins outside of Yukon.

[Myron Metcalf]

They won the weakest biggies we've seen in a long time. I'm not taking away from what St. John's did, but what we saw in the 20 point win over UConn had they played that way consistently, they're not a five seed. So can they continue?

[Tom Crean]

Yeah, I totally agree with you.

[Myron Metcalf]

I think with

[Matt Jones]

you two or we're

[Tom Crean]

never going to get fun. Man, this is great. I rethink and bringing me in here though, I appreciate.

[Matt Jones]

I love it. I love listening to you. But you get Myron worked up. That's my favorite thing. Look, looking at this bracket, first round, most likely potential upset, somebody would sit there and go, you mentioned South Florida earlier, Tom, against Louisville. You said Kansas should watch out for Cal Baptist. Anybody think you know, St. John's northern Iowa, any chance that game is close?

[Myron Metcalf]

I don't think that one is close, but I do think the Kansas one. Here's the problem. And I've been to a bunch of Kansas games. I've watched Darren Peterson. The defensive tone I think changes a lot because they're working so hard to put Darren Peterson in a position to score when he's off the court. You can see how they react defensively and they're a really elite team. And I think that to me is going to be the question. Can they combine those two? Darren Peterson gets his shots, makes the team better. And they also play elite defense. If you don't, you can get caught in that first game.

[Tom Crean]

Northern Iowa runs a lot of patterns and I think and like UConn's got a lot of really good five man movement. Terrace Reed Jr. Has been very good against St. John's most of the time. They make it really, really hard if you want to run your place. And Rick always has, right? He always has. And I learned so much as a coach. And Marquette, like you got to spread out. You can't just run plays against Rick's teams. Northern Iowa runs a lot of plays. I don't think they'll have a ton of issue with that.

[Matt Jones]

The coach of one of the most talked about teams heading into this tournament, Miami of Ohio. That's right. The coach of Miami of Ohio will join us next here on the NCA Men's College Back Basketball Selection Special. Travis Steele. Next

[Myron Metcalf]

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[Travis Steele]

scre Kareem, you know, yeah, you know, I think, you know, the last couple days, obviously we stubbed our toe in the, in the Mac tournament versus UMass and I told our guys and give UMass a lot of credit. Man, they got a hall of Famer. Coach Frank Martin does a great job. They outplayed us but all of a sudden your, your, your destiny is in other people's hands. We didn't control it any longer and but I don't think we were nervous. You know, I felt like we had done enough. I mean, we went 31 and oh during the regular season. So I spent a lot of time with my family, went to my son's soc and we had a really good spirited practice today, you know, leading up to selection Sunday. So I think our guys are more instead of relief, probably just more excited. I'm happy for our guys to Be able to experience this.

[Myron Metcalf]

Travis, they put you in the first four in a matchup against smu. How fair was that to put you in that first four game?

[Travis Steele]

Yeah, listen, it doesn't matter where we are, where we play, who we play against. You know, we're in it, you know, and I think, you know, again, you know, I'm not. I'm not the one making those decisions. So we're just thrilled to be in it. It'll be, you know, it's an hour drive for all of our fans. So in a lot of ways, this will be a home game for us. And we got a really, really tough opponent here coming up against smu.

[Tom Crean]

Hey, Travis, this is Tom Crean. And first off, as a guy that was born and raised in the back, congratulations on what you did this year. It's been fantastic watching that. And what I want to ask you is this. I want to ask you this. I like your draw. Right. I want to go right to the basketball on this. SMU has lost. I didn't think they'd get in. I honestly didn't. I didn't think they'd get into Dayton, but they did. They've lost five of their last six. One of the common denominators of their losing has been how many threes to three point percentage they've been given up. You're an outstanding three point percentage team and a team that can really space it. I think you're going to be able to score. What are your initial thoughts about playing a team like smu? And I know you haven't gotten into film yet, but what are your initial thoughts on guarding that kind of speed of this guard group of Jerome Pierre and B.J. edwards and Poopy Miller and those type of guys?

[Travis Steele]

Coach, you hit the nail on the head, I think, you know, it's. I've seen them play casually on TV this season and, you know, bup. He's incredible. I mean, he was in our league a few years ago when he was at Central Michigan. I know how talented he is. And then Pierre, I know is a prolific scorer, and they're going to have great size up front. So we got our hands full. Listen, we got to keep them out of transition. We got to keep the floor tight. We got to make them take contested jump shots, which is a heck of a lot easier said than done. And Coach Enfield does a great job. Again, I haven't seen them a ton yet, obviously, this year on film, but just in previous years, when I've watched his teams, they always have an Identity. And, you know, I do think we'll be able to hopefully be able to score. We shoot the ball really, really well. We space it and we play, try to play really fast. And our guys play for one another. So hopefully we can make that offense and in our cult come to life on Wednesday night.

[Matt Jones]

Talking to Travis Steele, Miami of Ohio head coach. All right, so coach is the, you know, Myron's the news guy, coaches the X and O guy. I'm the storyline. I gotta tell you something now. I love America's team Miami of Ohio. And you're playing in Dayton. I've been to those games in Dayton. It is a special atmosphere, and I can't even imagine how special it's going to be with your fans now invading. That may be one of the hardest tickets ever in Dayton. How excited are you about that?

[Travis Steele]

Listen, to be able to share this moment with our fan base is incredible, you know, very. I mean, we're an hour max, an hour away from Millette hall, from our university to UD Arenas, probably 50 minutes. And in a lot of way, Southwest Ohio, Dayton, Cincinnati are two major hubs for us with all of our alumni base. So. And we have our students on campus this week. You know, next week they're on spring break, so it's just going to be, in a lot of ways, gonna be a home game for us, you know, so it's a special moment just to be a part of the NCAA tournament, but then be able to have our fan base be involved, man, it's. It's. It's pretty cool.

[Myron Metcalf]

Travis, I gotta tell you, this ain't gonna help your scheduling next year. I gotta. I don't know if you. I don't know if you realize that or not, but you had a guy in Pete Suter coach who said, I'm coming back. I'm not going to the Power 5 level. I'm not taking nil money. I want to run this back. What did that mean for your team and how did that impact what you were able to do today?

[Travis Steele]

Yeah, Pete, he's the ultimate winner. I mean, he's. He's the guy you want in your foxhole on your team. He's the guy you hate coaching against. I mean, he. He impacts the game on both ends of the floor. He maxes out every time he's out there. His iq, his unselfishness, his leadership. I mean, he just does so many things to get him back. I mean, shoot, he was first team all league last year, you know, so he had a lot of options. You Know, there's a lot of schools reaching out, a lot of agents and stuff. And for him to be able to say, listen, coach, I'm all in.

[Keith Gill]

I love what I'm doing.

[Travis Steele]

I've never played better in my life. And I love the culture, getting a great degree. Like, man, it was. That was a big moment for us, right, because it gave us momentum to be able to keep the other guys on our team. When they saw Pete was staying, it was almost like, well, shoot, if he stayed, I gotta stay. And so it was a big moment being able to get him back. And we're so appreciative of him, man, because he is a phenomenal player, but he's a better human being.

[Tom Crean]

Let me ask you, Travis, about Antron Woolfolk. You've got the guards, everybody knows about the shooting, but as you know, if you're going to advance in this tournament, you've got to have rim protection, rim play, and somebody that can really patrol in the middle. Tell the listeners what Antoine Woolfolk means to your team and how important he's going to be in this path moving forward.

[Travis Steele]

Yeah, Antoine obviously played in the Big Ten for two years at Rutgers, where he was really well coached. And he brings us physicality, toughness. He's our enforcer. He's 6, 9, 235, 240 pounds. But he's super, like, he's very, very mobile. So he allows us to play ball, screens different ways. He could switch, he can hedge, he can drop. He's very, very versatile defensively. And he can rebound the ball and he can score on the interior, you know, so he does a lot of different things for us. And honestly, a lot of it probably he doesn't get enough notoriety for it.

[Tom Crean]

That's why I brought his name up, because you don't win without him. I mean, he's so good at doing the things you need done when your perimeter game is going and he's just there and he's finishing things up. He's scoring in the post, he's running the floor. He is an X factor for you. Obviously, you know that.

[Travis Steele]

Yeah, he opens up things for our perimeter players, coaches, you know, and he rolling to the rim and just the attention that he commands, it opens up everything for our shooting. So you kind of got to pick your poison.

[Matt Jones]

Not since the days of Wally Zerbiak going to the Sweet 16. His Miami of Ohio basketball gotten this kind of national excitement. I'm pulling for you Wednesday, Travis. I think America's pulling for you. Good luck. And on your way out quickly, your Mac cohort. Akron. Any chance against Texas Tech when I'm filling out my bracket?

[Travis Steele]

Absolutely, man. They got a really good team. They didn't get enough national publicity in my opinion. I'm the better looking of us brother. I got a little bit more hair than my brother, but he is a. He's a phenomenal coach, man. I'm so proud of him. And I got them going. I got them advancing in my bracket. I know that.

[Myron Metcalf]

I love it.

[Matt Jones]

All right. Travis Steele, Miami.

[Tom Crean]

Wow.

[Matt Jones]

Good luck in Dayton and I can't wait to see the scene.

[Travis Steele]

Thanks, guys.

[Tom Crean]

Good luck, Travis. Good luck.

[Matt Jones]

There you go. Yes. Two Mac teams make the team. Two brothers coaching them in the same state.

[Tom Crean]

One wears a half zip and the other one wears a winner vest to the games. I mean, we're looking last night. He might have some fishing tackle inside of that vest. He might have a hook. Got a snack in there. That's a real life vest I love John Gross wears.

[Matt Jones]

We hit this earlier. You. You think SMU should not have been him? We will have the selection committee chair to ask who the last team what you'd replace SMU with? Auburn. Would you make a change to the bracket?

[Tom Crean]

Oklahoma. Even Oklahoma?

[Myron Metcalf]

I wouldn't. Especially with BJ Edwards coming back for smu. I would have the been.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, I. That Auburn. Oklahoma team had had a lot of chances. Auburn, to be fair, Auburn lost a ton of close games, which.

[Myron Metcalf]

You know what? Kudos to you. We're not giving out blue ribbons on selection Sunday. That's the thing. It's like, okay, you played a bunch of great teams. The. The goal is to beat enough to qualify. And I just don't think Auburn fit that profile.

[Matt Jones]

Now that we've had him on. Do they win against smu, Tom?

[Tom Crean]

I think they do.

[Myron Metcalf]

You do.

[Tom Crean]

And that's why I brought up Antwerp Woolfolk because he is their big guy now. He's got to be productive. He doesn't have to have 15 and 15, but he's got to stay out of foul trouble beyond the floor. I think the biggest issue for them is going to be keeping the initial dribble in front of them so that. So that SMU can't get into a driving kick game. Certainly you can't get. Yeah, but you can't even all of them because they can really drive it and kick it. If you give them live ball turnovers, I don't know if they can beat that, but I think they're going to be able to make shots. SMU's three point defense has been very poor over the last month.

[Myron Metcalf]

Matt, I don't think people understand about the crowd and what's coming.

[Matt Jones]

We've been there. Yes, that is loud. And if it's all one team, folks, Wednesday night you're going to watch duke, Florida. They're 1 seeds. Arizona was one seat, but there's one more and their coach of Michigan is next. Here on the College Basketball Selection Special,

[Myron Metcalf]

Matt and Myron the Podcast.

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[Matt Jones]

it's been a fast paced, fun college basketball selection special presented by Marriott Bonvoy here on ESPN Radio. Matt Jones, Meyer Metcalf, having a lot of fun. Have Tom Cream coach here today and we have a lot of guests coming for you. And now the head coach of a number one seated in the Midwest. Michigan Wolverines lost earlier today to Purdue in the big championship game, but still rewarded with a one seed in the Midwest, Dusty May. Dusty, let me ask you a question. First of all, congrats on the number one seed. It's a tough turnaround for those of you all in the Big Ten because you play that last game right before but then almost immediately have to adjust as a coach, getting that game, that loss out of your head and then getting the bracket and being excited and happy for your guys at the reward of the season. How do you make that change so quickly in less than an hour?

[Dusty May]

Well, Matt, I'm not doing it very well myself. I've got to shift my focus into preparing. But we're still in better shape than who we're playing because we've got a playing game. I'm sorry if you Guys hear that on the bus we played the winner of UMBC and Howard who plays on Tuesday. So I guess it could be worse.

[Tom Crean]

Dusty, this is Tom Cream. Congratulations. I mean it's been watching you build this team, it's been, it's been tremendous. And I have a question I big picture question I think would be great for our listeners to hear because you just said it, you don't know who you have first round, but you do know you have St. Louis and Georgia. If you win that, take the listeners through what your week is like as you build up into that, how you prepare for a team that you don't know yet but also want to get the concepts or some preparation for your second game because it's such a short turnaround when you win or if you win game one.

[Dusty May]

Well, our staff is diving into Howard and UMBC right now and after playing three games in three days. And we'll get back, we'll get home late tonight. We're busting home from Chicago now. We'll get home late and then tomorrow will be a mental day, but we'll start trying to prepare for the things that are out of the ordinary. I think UMBC when the system said they play in zone, press back to, I mean tempo, press back the zone. One of them has a five out offense with a stretch big. So we'll start preparing for anything that could be out of the ordinary with limited practice time tomorrow. We'll use tomorrow to get, get rested, healthy and get some treatment.

[Myron Metcalf]

How impressed have you been by Elliot Caddo and the pressures he's handled, especially after the LJ Cason injury?

[Dusty May]

Yeah, he's been really solid all year and since LJ's went out, he's elevated his play and we've needed it. You know, our bench I think was as good as any in the country when LJ went out and we haven't had the same production since. All of those guys are in a new role and we've changed our rotations a little bit. So it's almost as if we're, you know, evolving now this late in the season because of the piece going out. But there are a lot of teams that are having to deal with it and we've got to get back to playing smash mouth basketball, get our edge back and if we do that we'll, we'll feel good about where we're going in Buffalo.

[Matt Jones]

Talking to Dusty May, head coach of Michigan in the Midwest Region. What do you do when you're watching the bracket? Obviously I know the coach answer is to say, well, I look, I see I'm playing UMBC versus Howard and that's it. But you also probably look at the bracket as a whole. I think that's gotta be human nature when you do that. How do you kind of see your region and what are your thoughts on it?

[Dusty May]

Well, the second round we'll have a chance. If we're able to win and advance, we'll have an opportunity to play. Those are two of my closest friends in coaching. And Mike White, who's done as much for anyone in my career, hired me at Louisiana Tech and took me to Florida with him and his brother Brian White is who hired me at fau. So I owe a lot to the White family. And then Josh Sturtz and I are two really, really close friends that we talk ball a couple days a week even now. So obviously we know each other's teams well. I probably watched 20 combined games of St. Louis and Georgia this year. So that one we won't have. As you know, we won't have to do extensive film study because we already know them pretty well.

[Tom Crean]

Dusty, you. You brought up LJ Cason when you were talking to Myron. Who is the one guy, if you had to pick one guy, as you've gone through this now for almost two weeks as you go into the tournament, this guy has to pick up the slack not only for LJ but because we need more from this position in the backcourt to achieve our goals.

[Dusty May]

Well, really by committee. If any One of our two guards, Trey Namari, Burnett, Trey McKinney, Burnett or Roddy Gill, we need one of those guys to play really well on each given night. And then we need more out of wheelchair, especially as either a Die or Morez have been battling out trouble just about every game. We've got to manage those situations better. But I think those two guards, that's. That's kind of be. That's got to be the spot that just gives us more consistent production, especially from behind the three point.

[Myron Metcalf]

You have obviously Day, Mara, Morris, Johnson, Jax, Linda Borg. That's not supposed to work. All those big bodies on the floor together. Why has that been so successful with your system?

[Dusty May]

Well, they're all three highly intelligent basketball players and so they figured out ways to let each other operate, to play off of each other and stay out of each other's way. Most importantly, and a lot of it is also because Yakshel's ability to expand his range and think more like a perimeter guy when he's with those two. And when one of them checks out, then it can go more into a playmaking point forward role. And so just that's not always easy to do to transition almost two different types of players in the middle of a game. But because of his versatility, because of his iq, he's been able to do it at an extremely high level, as he was Big Ten player of the year.

[Matt Jones]

Dusty May, number one seed in the Midwest, joining Arizona, Duke and Florida is the 1 seeds. Thank you very much. You're on a bus headed back to Ann Arbor. Be safe and good luck in the first round.

[Dusty May]

Thank you, guys. I appreciate having good luck.

[Tom Crean]

Dustin.

[Matt Jones]

There we go. On a bus. I like the. I always like the phone calls on the bus for some reason. Let's look at this Midwest region. Tom, I'm going to be selfish and I'm going to go down to the bottom and look at my Kentucky Wildcats against Santa Clara. I know I got a lot of people that are Cats fans listening. What do they got to watch out for in that Santa Clara team?

[Tom Crean]

Well, the bottom line is they can. They can score. They have numerous guys that can drive the basketball. And I think that's the thing that they can set the pace. I mean, to beat St. Mary's to get to the championship against Gonzaga said a lot. They can adjust their style based on how they need to win. They can slow it down and be possession oriented. They can attack. They can really, really attack off the dribble. And I think that's something that Kentucky has struggled at at times this year, especially those wing attack drives. Throw it ahead and close out. And Herb Sendig does a great job. It's not as much about the switch he's trying to get, but how to attack the matchup that he wants. And it usually comes off a reversal. So those are the types of things that are really, really important that side of game. Herb's got a straight culture in there and they know exactly how they want to play. And he's also got that adjustment ability. And so there's some chess match to this one.

[Matt Jones]

Herb Sendak met his wife in Lexington, so maybe there's like a sentimental thing that'll make him distracted.

[Myron Metcalf]

Probably not. But I mean, I also think they're not going to fall apart. I think to be the best offensive team in the wcc, that says a lot. And, and the thing about Kentucky is there's such a variance if you tell me the best Kentucky's gonna show up, they can win this region. That's not a crazy idea. But I could also see them losing their first game. Cause everyone's just not in syncing on the same page.

[Tom Crean]

Well, here's what happens. Colin Chandler and Denzel Aberdeen, they have to be consistent. All right. Otega's been pretty.

[Matt Jones]

Denzel's been pretty. It's really. Colin Chandler has been the one that's been w. Denzel in the last 15 games, has played pretty consistently. Chandler has been hot, cold in that. You're right. They kind of go with as Chandler goes.

[Myron Metcalf]

But I got to stay on the floor too. I mean, you can't get off the floor. Denzel Aberdeen file trouble.

[Matt Jones]

That's Alabama. Tom is a team in this bracket. I have all year kind of waited for them to turn the corner and they just haven't yet. They look great. Taken some surprising losses in conference play, including in the SEC tournament. Do you. Is there a run left in Nate Oats squad?

[Tom Crean]

Yeah, if they can outscore you. That's how it is. I mean, their pace can wear you down. There's no doubt about that. They can win games in the last five, six minutes because you've been chasing them all game. And they have numerous guys can not only shoot it, but they can drive it. Where they have struggled is interior defense is one of the biggest reasons they wanted Bariaco in there. Right. And it didn't help them. When they played Florida, they gave up 72 points in the paint like that. That's the highest anybody's had all year. But the scoring of LeBaron Filon, Aiden Holloway, freshman Amari Allen, there's numerous guys. Houston, Millette who transferred in, those guys can really play. Nate does a great job of getting exactly what he wants. But if this becomes a half court, we're going to pound it in and side on you or we're going to seal you on the roll and those type of things. Now they're in for a problem.

[Myron Metcalf]

Early in my career, I covered the N1 mixtape tour. I don't even remember that.

[Tom Crean]

Right.

[Matt Jones]

I do. Yes.

[Myron Metcalf]

A lot of highlights, a lot of flash, zero defense. That's what I think of with Alabama.

[Matt Jones]

If you see Filon in the right day, he looks like the best player in the country.

[Myron Metcalf]

It's hot sauce. He's a hot sauce in college basketball. And they're incredible. The Baron Filon's great. Aiden Holloway, they can score with anybody. They added Charles Benioco and got worse defensively. I mean, that to me is all you need to know about this Alabama team and their defensive.

[Tom Crean]

They struggle with pick and roll. And I had Hofstra the other night in the Coastal championship. They have two legit guards, all right. Cruz Davis who transferred from my own in St. John's no joke. And neither is Preston Edmead. He's the MVP of that league. Those are the kind of guys that the schools in the portal are like. It's going to be major money if those guys decide to leave Hofstra. The thing Hofstra can do, they don't have the inside play. Silas Sunday did a really Good job. He's 7 forties from Ireland. He did a good job the other night. But they've got two guys that can beat almost anybody in college basketball off the dribble if you give them space. And Preston Edmead can get his shot off. So that is dangerous right there. Those guys can make plays they will not be afraid to run with Alabama though when they put him in the half court, that's where Alabama switching defense is going to have to be excellent. I don't think you can beat him inside though.

[Matt Jones]

There's no team in college basketball. I consistently believe in less than Virginia in the postseason and only one year has it worked against me. Every other year it's been correct. I'm going to go ahead and say you want my out of left field upset pick Myers sure give it to us. I'm taking right State over Virginia.

[Myron Metcalf]

You haven't watched Ryan Notam Steve I've

[Matt Jones]

watched so much you don't even I've been I've been to Wright State. I saw Counting Crows at Wright State. You know what they're going to beat? They're going to be I've been to Dayton. You now all these the selection choices. Miami of Ohio's in Dayton Florida with the 1 seed Vandy's draw SMU last team in. We'll get into all of it with the chair of the NCAA tournament selection committee. That's next here on the NCAA selection special on ESPN Radio.

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[Matt Jones]

It is the NCAA men's college basketball selection special. Matt Jones, Meyer Metcalf, Tom Cream presented by Marriott Bonvoy. We are now happy to be joined. The NCAA tournament selection committee chair Keith Gill is on the phone. So Keith, I've got there, we got a lot of questions. I'll go first. But the one that I'm most interested in, your last four in Miami of Ohio is the makes it talk about the decision to add them. They're one, maybe the lowest RA in analytics to get in the tournament. And then who was the last team to get in?

[Keith Gill]

Yeah, thanks for, thanks for that question. I really appreciate you having me. You know, Miami of Ohio wasn't the last team selected into the field. So the last game selected into the field were NC State, Texas and smu. And in our process when we, when we ceded Miami, we will do a scrubbing process where we look at teams above and below each team to decide whether or not we think there are resume attributes that make a team should move one direction or the other. And through that process is where Miami ended up kind of scrubbing down essentially to be the last at large on the seed list.

[Myron Metcalf]

Keith, it's the same question every year, but I think a lot of people are trying to figure out what the tournament championship games meant. Arkansas gets a four winning the SEC, Vandy had a five and they get a tough opening round matchup against McNeese. How did you assess the value of those teams that made it to their championship games?

[Keith Gill]

Yeah, no, that's a great question. And so it's full body work. But the championship games do matter. You know, if you look at the Big Ten championship, essentially Michigan was the number two overall seed on our seed list going into that championship. And based on that result, Arizona ended up scrubbing up ahead of them to be the number two overall seed and Michigan ended up being the number three overall seed. And then you can look at Purdue as well. So Purdue was on the three line kind of going into that Championship. And then after that result, and we scrubbed, they went from 11 on our overall seed to 8 on our overall seed, which then put them on the two line.

[Matt Jones]

Who would have been the two seed if they had not. If they had lost?

[Keith Gill]

It would have been Michigan State.

[Tom Crean]

Interesting. Keith, this is Tom Crane. Congratulations on what you're doing. I mean, it's. When you see it come up and when you see it on paper, it just blows you away. How good college basketball is and the seating and all those things is a real challenge. Here's my question. On two teams that didn't get in, what was missing from Auburn and what was missing from Oklahoma to have a chance at the first four?

[Keith Gill]

Yeah, I think when you look at Oklahoma, they had the fewest wins against the SEC's top seven teams. So they were two and five in those games. And so, you know, also they clearly played better down the stretch. But we really do consider the full body of work and their resume metrics were just a little below kind of the, the kind of typical cut line where we were. And then Auburn, you know, obviously, great strength of schedule. They have some really good wins, obviously, that went over Florida. They beat St. John's so those things are all there. But that 515 winning percentage, think about those 16 losses. So when you're looking at that, they just didn't quite make it into the field.

[Matt Jones]

When I sit and we're talking to Keith Gill, NCAA Tournament Selection Committee Chair when, when I judge these brackets, I often, I can't help it. I tend to look at the top seeds. Okay, the top four seeds in each region. How are they balanced? I saw, you know, you all add up the total seeds, but you do end up in the Duke region of getting the best one seed, the second best two seed and the best three seed. That seems like three of the top nine seeds in one bracket. Seems a little top heavy for a bracket. How did that end up happening?

[Keith Gill]

Yeah, so we went through our bracketing procedures, and so Duke, being the number one overall seed, gets to choose where they're going to be from a regional standpoint, where they're going to be in the first and second round. And then from that point forward, we're going through our seed list looking for the matchups that are closest proximity. And so that's how some of those things play out. Now we have a bracketing principle that says we don't want a spread. You were talking about those numbers saying 31 in the east. We don't want a spread larger than six. Right. And so we ended up in that spot where we had a bracket that added up to 37, we had one with 31. So it fit within the parameters of our principal. And so we're looking at geography, conference affiliation, and that's what really drives bracketing decisions.

[Myron Metcalf]

Keith, it's clear that again, these championship games mattered. In the scenario where Florida loses in the sec tournament, had UConn defeated St. John's in the Big east championship and had Houston defeated Arizona in the Big 12 championship, how would that have changed their seeds in this bracket?

[Keith Gill]

Yeah, there's a good chance that would have changed things. Right. So when we seeded on Wednesday, Florida was that fourth number one seed when we seeded, and then on Saturday they proceeded to lose. And so there was a great chance that if UConn had won or Houston had won when we scrubbed on Sunday, one of those teams could have moved up into that four line. But what ended up happening is both of those teams lost as well. And so when the committee did its scrubbing process, they thought it was best to leave Florida in that fourth overall kind of that last number one.

[Tom Crean]

Keith, let me ask you about St. John's what did you see there that put them on the five line?

[Keith Gill]

Yeah, I think St. John's obviously had a great season, great Big east tournament in that regard. So They've got those two great wins over UConn. They obviously won at Villanova. I think one of the things about their resume, they, you know, great road record in that regard, some really good metrics. So I think St. John's has a really solid resume. I just think that, you know, as they went into the bracket and then as we did our scrubbing, they ended up on that, on that five line. And they certainly moved some as it relates to the Big east, but some of those other schools that are ahead of them, the committee evaluated their resume a little differently. You know, so they're non conference results. You know, there's some they're lacking a little bit. You know, they lost to Iowa State, they lost to Alabama, they lost to Kentucky. And so those things all kind of came into play to kind of determine where they ended up on the seed list.

[Matt Jones]

Talking to Keith Gill, NCAA Selection Committee Chair, I look at it, I understand the rule, which is it depends on whether or not you're the host team for the host city. And I guess technically Rice is the host team in Houston, but it does end up with a scenario where Houston is the 2 seed, might play Florida as the 1 seed in Houston's home city. That seems a little weird. To the average fan, is that just something the ha your hands are tied on because that's the rule, or was that a conscious, like, did you see that as a possible thing you might want to avoid?

[Keith Gill]

You know what? So it's really. I mean, that's a really good question. You know, we do follow our principles in that regard, and so we don't project. I mean, the reality is, if you think about it, only 30% of the time does a one seed and a two seed meet in the elite eight. So a lot of things have to happen for those matchups to happen. So. But, you know, it's not the first time. You know, if you think about last year in Indianapolis, you know, Houston was the 1 seed. They end up playing Purdue and they actually end up winning that game. And so we do try to just follow our principles. We try not to pick winning winners and losers and change our principles and kind of let the chips fall where they may.

[Matt Jones]

So you don't look ahead. You don't look ahead like to what could happen?

[Keith Gill]

We don't look ahead. Well, we do look ahead because we've got some conference affiliation issues that we've got to manage and those things. But we don't look ahead to try to solve problems that aren't in our bracketing principles. And the reality is, it's the NCAA tournament. You're going to have to be beat. You're gonna have to beat good teams away from home and in some of those environments may be more challenging than the other. But, you know, that's the way the bracket principles play out. And if you think about Houston last year they were in Indianapolis playing Purdue. This year they could end up in Houston, you know, playing someone for the right to advance in the Sweet 16 or go to the lead 8.

[Matt Jones]

Keith Gill, NCAA Tournament selection committee Chair, thank you very much for your time and congrats on finishing the process.

[Keith Gill]

Yeah, great.

[Tom Crean]

Thanks.

[Keith Gill]

I appreciate you guys having us.

[Myron Metcalf]

There you go.

[Matt Jones]

Well, that is our committee chair. We will talk more about the brackets and some players. That's all coming up next on ESPN Radio.

[Myron Metcalf]

Matt and Myron the Podcast.

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Shot clocks, Big shots, upsets, ACEs TGL playoffs are here. First, Atlanta drives, starts their repeat run against Los Angeles Golf Club. Then Rory's Boston Common golf and Tigers Jupiter Lynx face off in their playoff debuts. Who will advance?

[Matt Jones]

Keep up its playoffs.

[Commercial Announcer]

Tune in Tuesday, March 17 at 6:30pm and 9pm only on ESPN and the ESPN app.