Best of The Herd

Summary

The Herd with Colin Cowherd (Best of The Herd)

Date: March 18, 2026
Host: Jason McIntyre (filling in for Colin Cowherd)
Notable Guests: Rachel Nichols, Miles Simon

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Episode Overview

This episode of "The Herd" dives into the electrifying aftermath of the World Baseball Classic, breaks down NCAA basketball storylines as March Madness begins, unpacks the drama behind the scuttled Max Crosby trade, and features in-depth tournament player analysis with college basketball legend Miles Simon. The episode is high-energy, conversational, and loaded with sharp opinions, memorable moments, and insider perspectives on the day’s biggest sports events.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. World Baseball Classic Recap

Segment Start: [03:16]

• Main Takeaway: The USA fell 3-2 to Venezuela in a classic finale, as the American bats went quiet despite high expectations.
• Venezuela’s Passion: The energy in Miami was described as "jumping," with the Venezuelan team’s passion on full display both on and off the field.
• Analytics in Baseball: Jason discusses the issue with home run-or-strikeout approach in single-elimination tournaments.
• Highlights: A pivotal Abreu home run for Venezuela put the U.S. on the ropes ([05:27]). Bryce Harper’s 8th-inning home run brought hope, but ultimately the Americans couldn’t finish.
• Heartfelt Interview: Venezuelan player Suarez’s postgame interview captured the emotional significance for his nation ([08:14]):

  “Nobody believe in Venezuela, but now we win the championship today, and this is a celebration for all the Venezuelan countries. We’re not just teammates, we are family... That’s why this is a lot for us as a player, players, as a people, as a human being, and as a Venezuela, now we are the champion.”

Notable Quotes

• Jason McIntyre ([04:18]):

  “The World Baseball Classic was really about the vibes and the energy and you could just tell Miami was jumping. The party was crazy last night.”

• Suarez (Venezuela) ([08:14]):

  “Nobody believe in Venezuela, but now we win the championship... we are family. That’s why we play with passion, with love, because we feel the jersey, we feel our country in front of us.”

• Jason ([08:50]):

  “World Baseball Classic, we don’t win it, but we were there at the end and it was great for baseball.”

Timestamps

• Abreu home run highlight: [05:27]
• Bryce Harper game-tying home run: [06:16]
• Game-winning call for Venezuela: [07:30]
• Passionate postgame Suarez interview: [08:14]

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2. Max Crosby Trade Fiasco

Segment Start: [09:00]

• Background: Max Crosby's trade from Raiders to Ravens for two first-round picks is abruptly called off after questions about Crosby's medical evaluation.
• Inside Look: Jason likens the situation to a “30 for 30” doc, noting the whirlwind 96 hours and fan outcry in Baltimore.
• Athlete Perspective: Max Crosby’s emotional reflection on his own podcast is played, detailing confusion, anxiety, and a sense of destiny returning to the Raiders.
• Analysis and Speculation: Jason details possible behind-the-scenes tensions in Baltimore: uncertain rationale for the trade, Lamar Jackson’s contract issues, veteran departures, and a rookie head coach.

Notable Quotes

• Max Crosby ([11:43]):

  "The first thought in my head, like, I was terrified. So it just kind of hit me. I'm like, what, is there something wrong? Like, I'm freaking out, like, low key, deep down. I'm like, I can't get another surgery... I'm livid, confused. The whole nine, all in one."

• Jason McIntyre ([12:23]):

  “I'm meant to be a Raider.”

• Jason ([13:23]):

  “Is it too hot of a take to say the Raiders are bigger contenders for a playoff spot next year than the Baltimore Ravens are?”

Timestamps

• Max Crosby’s account of the failed trade: [11:43]

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3. NCAA Tournament Top Five Players Breakdown

Segment Start: [19:48]

• Jason’s Top Five ([20:00]):

  1. AJ DeBonsa (BYU) – Most NBA-upside, three-level scorer, “I’m enamored with this kid.”
  2. Koa Pete (Arizona) – High IQ, unselfish, impactful in biggest games.
  3. Cam Boozer (Duke) – Compared to a young Jokic, top 10 in scoring/rebounding.
  4. Darius Acuff (Arkansas) – Derrick Rose/Allen Iverson energy with a better shot.
  5. Yaxel Lendeborg (Michigan) – Big Ten Player of the Year, journey from obscurity to stardom.

• Jason recounts his own March Madness nostalgia, remembering emotional bracket victories and upsets ([19:48]).

Notable Quotes

• Jason ([21:40]):

  “No, he’s not Jokic, but neither was Jokic when he was 18. Boozer makes winning plays.”

• Jason on DeBonsa ([23:10]):

  “I think for me it’s going to be DeBonsa. They lose Richie Saunders, probably their second best player. Huge loss. All DeBonsa does is step up.”

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4. Miles Simon Interview: NCAA Tournament Insights

Segment Start: [25:32]

NCAA Backcourt Comparisons & Underrated Stars

• Miles sees parallels between Houston’s backcourt and his Arizona champs from ‘97 ([26:52]):

  “The backcourt that reminds me of our team is actually the Houston backcourt... Kingston Flemings, Mike Bibby, Milos USAN... Mercy Miller off the bench, like the Jason Terry for our team.”

• On Jason’s Top Five:
  Miles argues for Thomas Houck (Florida) as a top player, emphasizing his improvement and leadership ([27:52]).

Florida & Final Four Picks

• Florida's Potential: Despite a bad SEC tourney loss, Miles has Florida going to the national title game ([28:58]).
• Final Four Picks: Arizona, Michigan, UConn, Florida.
  On UConn:

  “There’s something to be said about championship coaching. Hurley’s going to have these guys prepared.” ([29:46])

St. John's and Duke Analysis

• St. John’s as a “hard out” in the tournament due to defense and athleticism ([31:49]).
• Expresses concern about Duke’s injuries, especially missing Caleb Foster ([32:30]).

Momentum and Peaking

• Miles downplays "momentum" as overrated for college teams, emphasizing learning from losses ([33:08]):

  “Kids, they don’t think about that. They live in the moment... As a coach, you talk about next play.”

Arizona’s Current Team

• Cites their ability to win different styles and improved coaching by Tommy Lloyd ([34:48]):

  “They can win in different styles of fight... I’m not too concerned about Tommy Lloyd because... he’s continued to get better as a head coach.”

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5. Analyst Deep Dives: Trends and Player Development

Segment Start: [39:14]

• European Influence: Increasing numbers of high-impact European players in NCAA due to attractive NIL money and exposure:

  “Now these young guys... get to play on some of the biggest stages and make six figures, develop and then get ready for the NBA. Tommy Lloyd is a master of that.” ([39:44])

• Player Watch:

  • Cam Boozer: Versatile, elite passer, brings “hard hat every night.” Likened to an NBA All-Star trajectory ([41:11]).
  • AJ DeBonsa: Miles asserts he’s the clear #1 NBA draft pick, “separated himself from the group.” Praised for handling pressure and leading BYU ([42:58]):

    “He is the real deal in all aspects... he’s the guy that has the ball in his hands making all the decisions.”

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6. Lakers & NBA Check-In

Segment Start: [44:51]

• Lakers Surging:

  • Team has won 9 of 10, with LeBron embracing being the “third option” behind Luka and Austin Reaves—a major shift for a superstar ([45:16]).
  • The Lakers now run the most zone defense in the NBA, fueling their turnaround.
  • On LeBron’s buy-in:

    “Arguably the greatest player ever... accepting being the third option and letting Luka and Austin Reaves be the engine... that’s huge for this team and uplifting to the whole group.” ([45:16])

• Defensive Identity:

  • Since January 18, Lakers have a top-10 defense; their zone tactics breed confidence.

Timestamps

• Miles Simon on Lakers’ tactics: [45:16]

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• Jason (reflecting on the World Baseball Classic):

  “I mean, folks, it’s 12 hours later. I still get goosebumps watching that and listening to it. An awesome comeback.” ([06:42])

• Miles Simon on old tournament memories:

  “Unfortunately, like, my kids don’t care that much. So, like, that kind of hurts my heart. Like... people tell them, like, your dad was this great player, but, like, the kids, they don’t care.” ([25:53])

• Miles Simon on college momentum:

  “We lost. We finished fifth. We had nine losses on the seat. We were 19 and nine going into the NCAA Tournament... But that didn’t, like, like, kids... they really live in the moment.” ([33:08])

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Notable Segments with Timestamps

• World Baseball Classic breakdown: [03:16]–[08:50]
• Max Crosby trade drama and player podcast perspective: [09:00]–[13:23]
• NCAA Tournament Top Five Players: [19:48]–[25:32]
• Miles Simon interview & deep college hoops analysis: [25:32]–[44:51]
• NBA/Lakers analysis with Simon: [44:51]–[47:16]

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Episode Tone & Style

• Upbeat, direct, and debating—Jason (filling in for Colin) brings energy, rapid analysis, and strong opinions.
• Insider guest analysis is warm but candid; Miles Simon delivers both praise and tough questions.
• Personal anecdotes and big-picture thinking make for an engaging listen, especially for fans tuning in for pre-March Madness hype.

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Summary prepared for listeners seeking in-depth episode insight, major sports storylines, and expert analysis.

Transcript

[Jason McIntyre]

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[Jason McIntyre]

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[Miles Simon]

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[Miles Simon]

This is the Best of the Herd with Colin Cowher on Fox Sports Radio.

[Jason McIntyre]

It's Wednesday. Welcome to the Herd, wherever you may be. It's me, Jason McIntyre, filling in for Colin Cowherd. No, I don't remember what he says at the outset of every show. Joined by Rachel Nichols, we have a banger of a show today. Oh my gosh. World Baseball Classic thriller Texas taking down NC State in the final second in the NCAA tournament. Obviously Lakers Rockets part deux tonight. Rachel, last night was a big sports night and that doesn't even include the gray foxes winning a 35 and up men's league championship. But I know the World Baseball Classic. You've got red on today. Yeah, usa. We didn't quite get there. I mean, last night. Bats, man, like what we. You and I talked yesterday and we talked to all the experts this week and we expected the pitching to maybe come into play. And why won't these major league teams at the championship let them pitch? Guess what? Pitching was fine. Yeah, that's hit a ball. Yeah. And so, you know, I wonder, I

[Miles Simon]

just sort of wonder if any of

[Ad Read Announcer]

that will influence the makeup of the

[Miles Simon]

team three years from now or if it's just unlucky.

[Jason McIntyre]

That's a good thought. Let's start there. Let's start with the bats. They fell asleep last night for the Americans. We lose 32 to Venezuela. A thrilling comeback thanks to Bryce Harper. We've got some amazing highlights and folks, the World Baseball Classic was really about the vibes and the energy and you could just tell Miami was jumping. The party was crazy last night. Venezuela takes us down with a impressive ninth inning. And as Rachel noted, our bats just were not there. I mean, we end the World Baseball Classic 4 for 48. They just went to sleep. We could not do anything. And listen, the new modern analytics in baseball call for. Hey, swing for the fences. Strikeouts or home runs and that's fine in 162 game season, in a seven game series, it's probably okay. But in a one game setting, we Just didn't deliver. So let's start. The first highlight we have is Venezuela going up 2 nothing. Abreu with a deep solo shot. And at this point, the Americans are, like, on the ropes. Watch, by the way, as a Breu rounds the bases. The entire dugout comes out to celebrate the. That was kind of the vibe at the World Baseball Classic.

[Ad Read Announcer]

We thought the offenses would establish themselves. Here's a drive to center field off of the bat of Au will.

[Miles Simon]

Your Abreu hits it out.

[Jason McIntyre]

You usually don't see guys burn around the bases. Abreu was so geeked, the helmet comes off. He's just booking it to celebrate. And at this point, you're thinking, oh, my gosh, we're in trouble. Holy cow. We. We. We got a zero on the board. We've got the best of the best bats in American Major League Baseball. We got nothing. And then Bryce Harper, who had been struggling throughout the World Baseball Classic, steps up in the 8th and delivers this classic.

[Ad Read Announcer]

Machado's 10 pitch.

[Miles Simon]

Harper sends a fly ball to deep center field. Better than never. Bryce Harper has tied the championship. The salute as Bryce Harper connects changes everything.

[Jason McIntyre]

I mean, folks, it's 12 hours later. I still get goosebumps watching that and listening to it. An awesome comeback. Now at that point, you're thinking, okay, we got this. This is what we do, okay? We own baseball. That's our sport. America's pastime. And just like we saw in hockey, the Americans came back to take down Canada. And just like we saw with Steph Curry in the Olympic team, we rallied in the semifinals, we rallied in the final. We got this right. It was not meant to be. And ultimately, the U.S. which led the World Baseball Classic, and strikeouts at the plate, the hitters just couldn't deliver. They watch Venezuela, you know, sacrifice fly, get on base. You do the little things that you've got to. To pull away. And here's the call for the 32 victory. Joe Davis on the mic.

[Miles Simon]

Venezuela, the best in baseball.

[Ad Read Announcer]

For a team that was carrying a country, a World Baseball Classic. Tit.

[Jason McIntyre]

Great stuff from Joe Davis. Carrying a country. We're not going to get into the political ramifications of what went down in January in Venezuela, but obviously a lot going on there, and you could just tell the passion and the excitement. And then afterwards, Suarez talked to Ken Rosenthal, and, folks, this is like an interview for the ages. Look at the passion, okay? This looks like the greatest moment of his life. This is an incredible interview. Can you describe what this means for your country?

[Ad Read Announcer]

I mean, what can I say about this? It's amazing. Nobody believe in Venezuela, but now we win the championship today, and this is a celebration for all the Venezuelan countries. We're not just teammates, we are family. This team is awesome.

[Miles Simon]

We are family here.

[Ad Read Announcer]

That's why we play with passion, with love, because we feel the jersey, we feel our country in front of us. That's why this is a lot for us as a player, players, as a people, as a human being, and as a Venezuela, now we are the champion.

[Jason McIntyre]

So naturally, you know, we lose 3, 2. We lost to Japan. Remember the last time Trout struck out in the ninth, I believe, against Otani. And it's like, geez, how do, how do we lose this in 23 and 26? What do we do to win it next time? And there's all this talk, well, is there a way you can move it to the All Star break when. When players are in full season and it's like, well, there's probably going to be issues there with arms. Are there injuries mid season? Maybe that doesn't work. Well, can you push it earlier than March? Maybe the right after the super bowl in February? Is that possible? And then it's like, well, people aren't warmed up. They're coming off the off season. So ultimately, like World Baseball Classic has been tremendous. Obviously, you know, we would love a better result than losing in the final the last two times it's happened. But, you know, ultimately it's just an outstanding event. World Baseball Classic, we don't win it, but we were there at the end and it was great for baseball. Spring training continues and opening day is around the corner. All right, let's pivot to the NFL and the failed Max Crosby trade to the Baltimore Ravens. Now, I love this. I read a story. The one magazine I subscribe to is the New Yorker. Just a tremendous journalism, excellent stuff. And they had an article about conspiracy theories and how they kind of bubble up and usually in the absence of information and facts, you just get conspiracy theories. What happened? And with this Max Crosby trade, right, he goes from the Raiders to the Ravens for two first round picks. It happened on a Friday, okay? And all weekend the Ravens were getting crushed. Why are we doing this? We as a franchise have never traded a pick for a, for a player before. We're doing this now. We just fired our coach. Lamar Jackson wants a new contract. We didn't make the playoffs. What's going on? And there was a lot of outcry about what the Ravens did. Their fans were not thrilled, as you see other Edge rushers come off the market, and it's like, wow, we overpaid. And so Max Crosby on Monday flies out to the Ravens. By Tuesday, there's an awkward meeting. The GM's not there to see him. The head coach, Jesse Minter. Hello, by the way. Welcome to the NFL. Jesse Minter, defensive coordinator all your life, first job as a head coach. Go tell Max Crosby. We saw some stuff on the mri. We're concerned, huh? Max Crosby starts panicking, and next thing you know, hey, they're backing out of the deal. And it's just this whirlwind, like, 96 hours, you know, if they still do those 30 for 30 things, I would love one. On the Max Crosby trade that happened and then was recanted. Because if you listen to Max on his podcast, man, he sounds. He's gone through all the emotions. Take a listen. Max Crosby on his podcast talking about the trade that did not happen.

[Ad Read Announcer]

I'm so excited, like, fired up, you know what I mean? Like, this is a new opportunity, whatever. And you could just tell the energy was off. Like, I dapped him up. He had, like, a blank face. And I'm like, okay, GM was standing, like, the hall, like, in the room next to me to the right. And that was the first time I seen him. The first thought in my head, like, I was terrified. So it just kind of hit me. I'm like, what, Is there something wrong? Like, I'm freaking out, like, low key, deep down. I'm like, I can't get another surgery. I'm, like, frozen. I'm like, what the. I'm livid, confused. The whole nine, all in one. And so I. I told him, like, I'm trying to get out of here, bro. I wasn't supposed to be in Baltimore.

[Jason McIntyre]

And that's it.

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You know what I mean?

[Jason McIntyre]

I'm meant to be a Raider.

[Ad Read Announcer]

It's through my damn core.

[Jason McIntyre]

There's a lot there. Max Crosby, interesting individual for sure. Obviously, you know, you wish him the best, and he went through a lot there, folks. That's a tough one. You asked to get traded publicly. You go on podcasts and talk about wanting to be out, and then the Raiders do their best to ship you. You get traded, and the new place is like, we don't know any more about the deal. We're going to send you back. And maybe he's right, you know, it sounds very California to say, hey, I wasn't. That wasn't meant to be. This is where I'm meant to be. I do kind of like that Max, shout out for that one. But I will say there are some, some interesting things here. So, for starters, according to basically every story I've read, Max Crosby played last season with that meniscus injury, and he was tremendous. He was outstanding all season, essentially grading out as one of the 10 best edge rushers in the league by some metrics, top five, some top three. And that's with the meniscus. Okay, so he was still elite, but now all of a sudden, the Ravens are nervous. Oh, well, I don't know about the future with this injury. It just not. Not everything's adding up. So then you start wondering, well, what if there's something else is up? Something else is afoot, perhaps with the Ravens? Are they concerned about Lamar Jackson? Are those negotiations not going well? Now, I know Ravens fans are like, so look, we restructured so we can make moves, but the restructure wasn't enough to keep their center, Tyler Linderbaum, who goes to the Raiders, by the way, interesting. You almost wonder if, I don't know, are things not going well with the Lamar Jackson new contract that he demanded? Remember about a month before John Harbaugh was fired, a big article came out in one of the Baltimore newspapers about how Lamar Jackson and John Harbaugh were not really vibing, things were not going well. And then you start to wonder, well, huh, Is Lamar the reason John Harbaugh is not there anymore? And you just got all this change breaking character and tendency to trade two picks for a player, and then watching Trey Hendrickson's value come down and say, well, if we just dump Max Crosby and send him back, we could get Trey Hendrickson cheaper and keep our picks. And there seems to be a lot going on in Baltimore. I will just say, overall, now that this, this ordeal is done, I get the sense that this is going to work out great for the Raiders. You guys know how those narratives work. It's like, oh, the sky is falling. Raiders tank. They get Mendoza. They're terrible. I don't know. They got a center, a veteran center for their young quarterback. They've got. They do have some good picks in this draft. They went and spent in free agency, and ultimately, I think they spent their money pretty wisely. I mean, is it too hot of a take to say the Raiders are bigger contenders for a playoff spot next year than the Baltimore Ravens are? I don't know if the Ravens are going to be better, folks. I don't think Hendrickson makes them better. Losing your, your great center does not make you better. They haven't improved the wide receiver room and then there's rookie head coach in mentor and oh by the way, did Lamar get that contract yet? So a lot happening in Baltimore. And Max Crosby, thank you for podcasting. I honestly think, you know, I know people love Kelsey's podcast. I think Max Crosby saying more and I think he's going to spur more athletes to come out and talk on podcasts about their experiences. I thought it was great, great input. So we have a great show coming up next. An NBA insider believes that NBA players should want to play with a superstar center. I say I don't know about that. I think there's a wing in Los Angeles I'd rather play with. That's next year on the Herd Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the iHeartRadio app. Hey, this is Jason McIntyre. Join me every weekday morning on my podcast Straight fire with Jason McIntyre. This isn't your typical sports pod, pushing the same tired narratives down your throat every day. Straight Fire gives you honest opinions on all the biggest sports headlines, accurate stats to help you win big at the Sportsbook and all the best guests. Do yourself a favor and listen to Straight fire with Jason McIntyre on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

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[Jason McIntyre]

Here we go. Hour number two on the herd. What a great first hour. Chopping up some World Baseball Classic. Bryce Harper, dignified, carried the offense. The rest of the bats were sleepy. Goodness gracious. Of course we had Texas winning the first big game in the NCAA tournament. Nice game winning shot. Wait till you see the highlight of their coach nearly costing them at the end. And special guest we had Matt Leiner. Next up, I mean, goodness gracious. Five minutes from now, Miles Simon. If you love the NCAA tournament like I do, you know Miles Simon is a absolute legend. I mean Jim Nance was one of the great calls. Simon says championship. I mean, come on, that was classic. I could see it in my head right now. I just tease you guys. That was the first tournament where I won a bracket contest because I love that Arizona team with the guard play. And my biggest bet was that Arizona beating Kansas in the sweet 16. It was. I remember where exactly I was in college when that happened. Just I have such a memory for the NCAA tournament. So I'm going to geek out here and give you my top five players in the NCAA tournament. This is difficult. Obviously 68 teams and you have a ton of great players and there's probably going to be some eye rolling. J. Mac, how did you leave this guy off? So here we go. Number five. I'm going to go with Michigan star Big Ten player of the year, Yaxel Lendebord, 23 years old. Just an awesome story. I think we got into it a little yesterday. He didn't really play high school basketball. You know, he had some off court issues that were not great. And he just proceeded to become an awesome player to uab. And of course there was a bidding war. Yes, a bidding war we got into for him. Michigan lands him for 5 million. He turned down a Kentucky offer from for over $7 million in the $7 to $9 million range. He says he goes on to be the Big Ten player of the year. There he is hitting a game winner against Wisconsin over the weekend. Michigan should be the favorite. They're not Duke injuries and everybody bets Duke. But Yoxell Lindaborg I have is the fifth best player in the NCAA tournament.

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Number four.

[Jason McIntyre]

All right, we're gonna go with the superstar guard from Arkansas, Darius Acuff. Guys, if you haven't seen him, he feels like Derrick Rose. Allen Iverson, like that is not hyperbole. And oh, by the way, he's a better shooter than both of those guys. Look at this. Sidestep 3. He was unbelievable in the SEC tournament. Unbelievable all year. If you want to have some fun during a commercial break, go look up his 49 point effort in an overtime game this year, folks. That right there, he looks like Penny Hardaway pulling up in transition, just popping a three. His bag is deep. I don't know that there's a more dynamic guard in the in a college basketball this year. He's my number four. Number three. I'm going with Cam Boozer. I know I ticked some people off on Monday when I said he's on a Jokic type trajectory. No, he's not. 6, 11, 280. But neither was Jokic okay when he was 18 and a half or even 20 years old when he got to the league. Hoosers, 18 and a half. And the numbers are staggering. Top 10 in scoring and rebounding. 57% on twos, 40% on threes. Guys, he's a special talent. He's not going to wow you with the athleticism as some of the other guys. You know, Caleb Wilson, obviously from unc, stood him up head to head. He's hurt, so he's not playing. So I don't have him on this list. But I'm just telling you, Boozer makes winning plays. I think it was Casey Jacobson who was on and said he was like, Boozer was four time all state, three time state player of the year. Some ridiculous, like, how are you state player of the year as a sophomore? Okay, the guy is just an unbelievable player. His dad obviously. Carlos Boozer, Cameron Boozer checking in at number three, number two. All right, this is going to surprise some people, but you guys know I like Arizona a lot. Arizona has a lot of weapons. I love Kohapi from his first college game, okay, where he dropped 30 against defending champ Florida, which by the way has an NBA frontline. This guy I've been in love with. I see a little Paolo Banchero, obviously doesn't shoot the three nearly as well, but as a passer, high iq, you know, I think I could see him running a lot of high post stuff in the NBA. Great finisher. And the key here is Kohipit is unselfish. They have a lot of great players. Two good guards. They got a seven foot big. They got a wing Karchenkov who's outstanding, maybe the best glue guy in the country. And Pete just fits in seamlessly, finishes it with both hands. I'm just telling you, man, you watch this kid, you'll be like, he looks okay. When it matters most against the biggest opponents. Koa Pete's gonna cook. And finally, number one, sorry to step on you, AJ DebonSA, BYU. I mean, I'm enamored with this kid. We're going to have some fun talks for the next three months about who's the number one pick. I think for me it's going to be DebonSA. They lose Richie Saunders, probably their second best player. Huge loss. All Debonsa does is step up. You can't stop him going to the hoop. His pull up three could use a little work, but man, this kid is special. 3 level scorer, unbelievable athlete, great finisher. Did struggle a little against Darren Peterson and no, Darren Peterson's not on the list. Sorry. I have Debonsa as the best player in the NCAA tournament. All right, without further ado, let's get to our guest. I'm sure he's going to critique this. Arizona's finest. Let's bring on Miles Simon, college basketball analyst at Fox Sports and champion with Arizona in 97. Miles, are you excited for March Madness?

[Miles Simon]

I couldn't be more excited, man, to get the tournament started tomorrow. Man, it's going to be so much fun watching so many great teams and great players over these next few weeks.

[Jason McIntyre]

How many times have you and your kids and your friends watched the one shining moment where you were the star and all over it? Come on, man. I know you're going down those YouTube rabbit holes.

[Miles Simon]

When people send it to me, that's when I watch it. Unfortunately, like, my kids don't care that much. So, like, that kind of hurts my heart. Like, they know my daughter's 15. My son is 12. They know what I've done. They've been, like, around Arizona a little bit. So, like, people tell them, like, your dad was this great player, but, like, the kids, they don't care. They, like, live in their, like, own world in their own moment. But I want to go back to, like, how much money did I win? You, like, dude, I heard you talking like that, that Kansas game. I want to know and where's my cut?

[Jason McIntyre]

I was you and Bivy, and I love Dickerson. I was a young college guy, so not. It was not, like, six figures or anything close to it. But I remember that tournament was unbelievable. You guys had such a great run. And I want to start before we critique my top five. Do you. Is there any player or backcourt in this tournament that you see could do what you guys did in 97? Because when you listen to the analysis, everybody's like, well, you need good guard play in March. Well, yeah. No, no, Sherlock. We got that.

[Miles Simon]

Yeah. The backcourt that reminds me of our team is actually the Houston backcourt. Kingston Flemings. Okay. Star, star freshman. Mike Bibby. Star freshman. Okay. Sharp, really good shooter. Maybe I score a little bit better than him, but he probably shoots it. He probably shoots it a little bit better than I do. And then Milos USAN is an absolute stud for that team. Super versatile. And then you bring Mercy Miller off the bench. That's like the Jason Terry off the bench for our team. So that backcourt actually reminds me of our Arizona team.

[Jason McIntyre]

I like that. That's good. That's spicy. All right, let's go to my top five players in the tournament. I had your guy co opied in there. Listen, if I could have put buries or Bradley in, probably would have added them. No Darren Peterson. Did I miss Anyone, Anyone jump out. Braden Smith is about to break Bobby Early's record. I couldn't put him on there again. This is not an NBA projection. This is just top five in the tournament.

[Miles Simon]

Yeah, I think, I think one guy I would add to that list is Thomas Houck from Florida. So they won the national championship last year and he was like in a role, player role for that team. Nine points per game. But now he's in a starring role for Todd golden squad. He went up from 9 points per game to 17 points per game this year. But the things I love about him and I got to spend some time around him. And last time we were on this, I talked about Nike Basketball Academy where Braden buries, Braden Smith, Linda Borg were all there. Like I coached this guy this summer and his basketball iq, his athleticism, how hard he plays, how physical he is. He's good on both ends of the floor. He can knock down threes. I think he's going to have a star type run in the NCAA tournament over these next couple weeks.

[Jason McIntyre]

Some people are off Florida because of that Vanderbilt loss. And for the record, I did have Florida in that game. Vanderbilt, he was like by 30 and it kind of exposed the backcourt. I like the kid who transferred from, I think Princeton and bit of a chucker, but I don't know about Florida. What do you have them doing?

[Miles Simon]

Yeah, I have Florida going to the national championship game. I think Lee. Yeah, I think Lee and Fland have been, have been good enough. Like they, they went on a nice run, nice winning streak in the sec. Okay. Winning, winning that league. Yeah, they had a, you know, they laid an egg against Vanderbilt and give a lot of credit to Vanderbilt and what they did against Florida. But this team will be juiced up and ready to go. They have a tremendous front line and like I said, led by Hauk, Condon, Chinillo. Those guys are really, really good. I think Florida and Todd golden are going to be tough, be a tough out.

[Jason McIntyre]

So let's just hear it. So you have them going to the Natty who round out your final four for us.

[Miles Simon]

Oh, my Final Four. I go, I go with Arizona, Michigan, Yukon and Florida Yukon. Okay.

[Jason McIntyre]

You got to say more on UConn. I'm not, I don't know about that.

[Miles Simon]

You're not sold. I like, I like solo ball like Braylon Mullins, the freshman off, freshman off the bench. And then Taurus Reed. And then there's something to be said about championship coaching. Like Hurley's going to have these guys prepared. They can, they can really they can really defend. I think they'll be able to score. I think they'll be able to score enough. And then Demery at the point, he's kind of the key for that. If he plays well, sets the tone at, like, point of attack defensively, I think UConn gets to the Final Four.

[Jason McIntyre]

It's weird. Like, you know, some people go full season data, and then some people are like, let's start around February 1st. You know, you got your team gelled, you got the league play. They haven't really beaten anyone in a while, you know, and the way they ended St. John's didn't they just beat

[Miles Simon]

St. John's they did, but then they

[Jason McIntyre]

got smoked by them at the Garden, and I'm like, yeah, they also smoked it.

[Miles Simon]

Yeah, they also smoked St. John's remember, St. John's missed 20, 24 shots in a row against UConn. That was as impressive of a performance as I've seen from anybody.

[Jason McIntyre]

Interesting. So. So go ahead. Go ahead.

[Miles Simon]

And I was going to say, if you look. If you look at their region like it is, the east is the toughest. Is the toughest region like it really is. And they could. They could match up with St. John's again. But remember, Duke is hurt. Caleb Foster and Gangba is out. Foster for sure. Gungba, we don't know when he's coming back. So that you got the number one seed, that. That's going to be out. Kansas, I'm not sold on in that region. They've been too inconsistent. Michigan State is good, But I'll take UConn and UConn in that matchup, and then maybe they could see St. John's if St. John's beats Duke. So I think UConn has as good a chance of anybody to. To get out of that region if

[Jason McIntyre]

St. John's beats Duke. Whoa, Miles, dropping some haymakers here.

[Miles Simon]

I don't know.

[Jason McIntyre]

I'm kind of. I took the points with northern Iowa. The St. John's is weird. So they look awesome in the Garden, right? They got the home court advantage. They got the crowd all juiced up. Now they got to go across the country to San Diego to face Northern Iowa. They're not going to have the fans. I don't. I'm. Maybe I'm overthinking it. I don't know.

[Miles Simon]

Yeah, you're definitely overthinking. A Zubia, Zubie, Edge of four. Rick Patino is a master in the ncaa, in the NCAA Tournament. Hopkins is tough. Mitchell's really good. Like, Saint John's. Saint John's is rolling and I mean, they are going to be a hard out in the tournament. They're so, they're so good defensively. They're very athletic at all their positions and just tough to defend.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah, they made UConn look pretty mortal in the Big east tournament. I mean, that was a, was it 20 point game, basically. You see some of the highlights on the screen. They looked incredible. I just, the shooting ability, like, I think they're really low in twos and three. They just aren't a great field goal shooting team. But again, they had like four transfer starters, I believe.

[Miles Simon]

Yeah, I think defensively, like, if they get to that matchup against Duke, they're gonna, I think they're gonna cause Duke a lot of problems, especially with Caleb Foster, Caleb Foster being out. And I know Duke played very well in the ACC tournament. Boozer is an absolute stud. Evans is really, really good. But I think that Caleb Foster piece is going to be a big missing piece for this Duke team.

[Jason McIntyre]

How much does peaking at the end of the season matter? I know we've seen some stats. If you lose your first game in the conference tournament, you never win the championship. But I'm just talking like, you know, Florida lost badly. UConn lost badly. But you don't seem deterred at all. That's not going to like, stop them. Is it a motivational ploy?

[Miles Simon]

Like, I'll tell you, it doesn't, doesn't bother me at all because I lived it. Okay, so the year we won the title in 1997, okay, we ended up finishing fifth in the Pac 12. Now there's a little kind of like caveats or Pac 10 at the time. There's a little caveat to that. So like going into the last weekend of league play, we were up in the Bay Area playing Stanford and Cal, who were two very, very good. Two very, very good teams. And we were, we were in like a three way tie for second. We got swept in the Bay Area. So we lose both games. There's no PAC 10 tournament at that time. So that was our last two games going into the, going into the NCAA tournament. So we lost. We finished fifth. We had nine losses on the seat. We were 19 and nine going into the NCAA Tournament. Like, but that didn't like, like kids, they don't, they don't think about that. They, they, they really live in the moment. Like they, for the most part, like as a coach, you talk about like, next play, okay, we got to go on to the next game. We Learn from, we learn from those losses and then we move forward to the next task at hand, which is now the NCAA Tournament. Regular season's over. Everybody now pretty much has the same record. So I don't put too much stock in. Too much stock into that, like bad momentum.

[Jason McIntyre]

Interesting. We, we haven't really talked much about your Arizona squad, the current one. This is a loaded team, man. I, I think they could have four guys drafted in the first round. There's a lot of talent. But then there's questions about, well, Tommy Lloyd in the NCAA Tournament. You know, I'm not going to bash the guy, but he hasn't exactly delivered. Maybe I'm being politically correct, I don't know. Is the biggest concern for Arizona the lack of three point shooting? They just don't shoot them or is it maybe their head coach? That's a question mark.

[Miles Simon]

Yeah, I don't think the three point shootings are concerned because they've been dominant without it. They have like the most Quad One wins. They've, they've beaten all the best teams basically that they played on their schedule. I think the biggest concern is just maybe like that they feel some pressure that they have to get to the Final Four because there's no Arizona team that's been there since 2001. But this team, but this team is like ready for anything. And what I've loved about this team is that they can win in different style of fights. So like they, when they play the Houston Cougars and they were down a couple bodies at Houston, like they can grind it out and beat a really good defensive team. Or you play Iowa State in that great semifinal game in the Big 12 in the Big 12 tournament and you play this high scoring game where you're like matching shot for shot and there you see the Jaden Bradley shot to end it right there. Like they can win different styles of fight. They're big, they're physical, they really defend. They have a closer in Jaden Bradley, which I think you need in the NCAA tournament. Like he's hit, he's hit big shots all season long against UCLA, UConn and then obviously the biggest one against Iowa State there. I'm not too concerned about Tommy Lloyd because I've, I've watched the adjustments this year. He's continued to get better as a head coach and then they have all, they have all the right pieces and chemistry this year and the leadership to go, to go all the way.

[Jason McIntyre]

Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd. Weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific.

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[Jason McIntyre]

Let me drill down on Arizona for a sec. So there's this European thing happening around college basketball, especially at the top teams. So Arizona has Krivoz, the big guy from Lithuania, Karchenkov, who I love from Germany. The shooter, Del Orso is from Australia. I guess. Just tell me a little bit about what you think is happening with the Europeans. Illinois, we're seeing it. Arizona, a lot of kids coming over from, they play professionally from like 16, 17 years old. Now they're coming to college and they're huge factors.

[Miles Simon]

Yeah, what's happening is the money. So like before these, the top European prospects were just staying, let's say like Luka Doncic or Jokic, they're staying within like the European club system with the Real Madrid or Panamaikos and that's where they were growing their game. And they get, they got paid like they get paid a salary. They were, they were professionals at 18 or 19, but now you have a crevasse or Karchenkov who can come over. And I don't, I don't know the numbers that those guys make, but 300, $400,000, whatever the number is at a Power 4 school. So now these young guys are seeing this chance play on, play on some of the biggest stages, you know, in basketball. And so it's like almost a no brainer for these guys to come over and make six figures, develop and then get ready, get ready for the NBA. And Tommy Lloyd is a master of that. That was, that was his niche at Gonzaga, you know, like Ronnie Turioff and all these guys. He was Ronnie Turf I bring up because he was like the first, he was like the first one. But he brought a ton of the European influence over to Mark Few and the Zags.

[Jason McIntyre]

Let's go back to Duke real quick. And Cam Boozer, I made a comparison. I said, listen, he's not, he's not Jokic the two time MVP, but he looks at 18 and a half like somebody who could turn into a Jokic. High IQ, great passer, you know, deceptively athletic, gets all the rebounds. And when it matters most in the Clutch. He delivers. Just your thoughts on Boozer as a player now and what do you think he can be?

[Miles Simon]

Man, I'm a huge fan of Boozer and you kind of hit it on the head. Like, it's not just the scoring for him. He's. He is so versatile. Okay. He is an elite passer. You see in the ACC tournament, they're playing him at the point guard. He's bringing it up. He's initiating the offense. Okay. Then, then when you need a bucket, you can go to him in the post just like you could with his dad. Right? Because he's 6 10. And if you want to double team in the post, he's going to find the open shooters like on the, on the weak side of the floor. And then he's a guy that just brings his hard hat every single night. He's such a competitor. He's always been a winner, whether it was in high school or the Nike Eybl. Him and his brother are USA Basketball. Like, I love guys who just win, win, win, like over and over again. That's what this guy does. And I think in the NBA, I think he's going to, I think he's going to be an NBA all star because I think the things that he's going to really improve on, he's going to be like a versatile like four man who's going to be able to handle the ball okay, even probably run like some inverted pick and roll. I think he's become a better three point shooter once he gets to the NBA and really stretch out the floor. And then when you have his like competitive drive and then the, like the way he plays every single night, like that's a guy and that's a guy you want on your team and like to be the face of your organization.

[Jason McIntyre]

All right, one more college question before a pro. You know, we've. I'm workshopping this. I don't want the number one pick in the draft because there's so many good players and inevitably living up to that number one pick is going to be difficult when there's like six or seven guys who could go number one. I overall think AJ DeBonsa has surpassed Peterson. But I'm curious what you think of Debonsa and, and you know, you were around for the Danny Manning and the Miracles run. I think. I think DebonSA can really do some things in March. Overall, critique his game for me.

[Miles Simon]

Well, first of all, there's not six or seven guys that can go number one. And I'll just tell you, Debonsa he's the guy, he's number one. He has separated himself from the rest of that group. And so I've called about four or five of his games. I was at the Big 12 tournament. This guy is the, he is the real deal in, in all aspects. Okay. We see the stuff like on the floor, he's, he's, he's six, nine. He's taken over the point guard role. Like, Rob Wright is like, kind of announced as the point guard, but debonza is the guy that has the ball in his hands making all the decisions for this, for this BYU team. He's seen double teams, he's seen triple teams, he's seen it in the post. He sees it on pick and rolls. And that's. And he's handled, handled it all, like, exceptionally okay to still lead the country in scoring. Right. And the ceiling for this BYU team, when you look at the bracket, I'm with you. I think they can make a little bit of a run. And now a big part of it is him, but also a big part of, okay, they're going to play Texas. And then you maybe look at Gonzaga for the next, for the next game. But their defense has gotten better. Yeah. Okay. So, like, coach Kevin Young has done a good job when Saunders went out, okay. And Saunders, no defensive whiz by, by any means, but he, but he, but he's had to adjust. He's playing some smaller lineups where they, where they switch one through five. He's playing Dominique Diamonde, who's kind of been like a beast on defense, getting steals, agitating guys. He's like a 6, 6 athletic wing, and the team has kind of bought into that. And so defensively, that was always my concern with them. If they can guard well enough, this team can score. And you put the ball in debont's hands a majority of the time, good things are going to happen and he could have a magical run through the first weekend. And then when you get to that second weekend when you have the best player on the floor, a lot of great things can happen.

[Jason McIntyre]

Totally agree. All right, let's wrap up with a question about the Lakers. A team you know well, they're starting to gel. Big game against the Rockets. There was a lot of questions. Oh, I don't know if Luka, LeBron and Reaves can play together. And it didn't look great for a moment. J.J. redick seemed to have pushed all the right buttons. Miles, they're on fire right now. Again, you know the team well. You can, you can talk about how you do, but I'm just curious your thoughts on Luka Reeves, LeBron and everything.

[Miles Simon]

Yeah, the things that I'm seeing from the Lakers is, number one, is that they're bought in on both ends of the floor right now. And that's why they've won nine of 10. Okay, most, most importantly, but the person who's bought in the most and the guy that they needed to is LeBron. He has a little injury. He comes back from injury. The Lakers had found like a little bit of a rhythm, but him, and you can see it like in the games, accepting being the, like the third option, that's big for the team because you're talking about arguably the greatest player ever. Accepting being the third option and letting Luka and Austin Reaves be the engine on the offensive, offensive side of the ball. That's, that's huge for this team and that's uplifting to the whole group because now, okay, if LeBron is bought in, then Deandre Ayton, you bet you better buy in. Marcus Smart, Jared Vanderbilt, Jake, Larry, like all those guys, there's no reason to complain anymore, right? And then the, the other factor, since January 18th, they have a top 10 defense. And the thing that has changed, they are playing the most zone in the NBA in that time now, I don't know if that's sustainable to win it, to win a championship, but they're playing the most zone. It's been super, it's been super effective for them. And then like when, when things start to work, like playing zone more consistently, you get, you get better at it than the guys buying. They built. They. It like breeds confidence within the group. And you can see that like when you watch that Rockets game from a couple days ago. And we'll see what happens tonight. Like they were just double teaming Kevin Durant. So the game plan. And you could see KD getting frustrated, right? And like, because he kept having to give up the ball, then we're going to let KD play a one on one. They're going to say, all right, Tari Eason, other Thompson, you're going to have, you're going to have to beat us. And it didn't happen. You can see the Lakers confidence growing game by game.

[Jason McIntyre]

It's almost like you were on the staff there or something. Good stuff.

[Miles Simon]

I've been around the organization a little bit.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yes, he has. Miles Simon, college basketball analyst. Great stuff, man. Enjoy the madness. And the NBA as well. Thanks, Miles.

[Miles Simon]

Thank you, man.

[Jason McIntyre]

All right. Great stuff from Miles Simon. Yes, he was on the Lakers staff, folks. The guy is good. Think Verizon is expensive? Think again.

[Miles Simon]

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[Miles Simon]

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[Miles Simon]

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[Jason McIntyre]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.