Colin Cowherd (2:37)

thanks for listening to the Best of the Herd podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio at noon to 3 Eastern, 9am to noon Pacific. Find your local station for the herd@foxsportsradio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR.

Fox Sports Radio Announcer (2:57)

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

Colin Cowherd (3:06)

Welcome in hour two. It is a Monday. Miles Simon just stopped by couple of minutes. Mark Few, who is now officially headed to the Basketball hall of Fame is going to be joining us. Wild week. How about that outfielder for the Angels. Was that one of the craziest things ever seen? Rob? Three home runs, one head first into the stands. That was. That was an all timer. John Middelkoff is is joining us. Okay. We do it every Monday. Colin right? Colin wrong. I had a good week. I'm not going to lie. I don't want to be obnoxious, but

Fox Sports Radio Announcer (3:38)

here we go where Colin was right.

Colin Cowherd (3:40)

Well, I picked Michigan to get to the national championship game and win it. And part of it was I saw him clobber Gonzaga in Illinois and I'm like wait a minute, what's going on here? I mean listen, they don't, their star Yaxel's not 1% but they just pushed. If they're shooting well, I don't even think UConn can beat them when they shoot well, it's over. And I mean they've scored 90 plus points in five straight tournament games. Are they one of the all time great teams? Well, they're, they're a reminder that what college basketball is at its very best is older players coming back for another year of college. Even if they could go in the second round of the NBA draft.

Fox Sports Radio Announcer (4:21)

So we got Michigan right where Colin was wrong.

Colin Cowherd (4:25)

But I didn't think Oklahoma City could play the Lakers and beat them like that because I didn't think they were good enough to be a dynasty. I thought they were just going to be another NBA one and done. But they've got the best record, the best point differential. Their defense is number one by a wide margin. I mean, listen, I. Between the GM Sam Presti, the coaching Holmgren, they just don't have any weakness. And I, I gotta tell you, they may have struggled with the spurs in the regular season, but once you're a champion, the regular season does not mean as much they are even better this year than I thought they would be.

Fox Sports Radio Announcer (5:04)

Where Colin was, right?

Colin Cowherd (5:05)

Luka Dontich, listen, I kept saying the usage rate is a problem. It's gonna be a problem. He has the ball too much. I didn't blame him because the reality is this roster, LeBron's 41, he's got a score. So it wasn't, it wasn't necessarily the injury. Nobody predicts that and that's awful. But I do worry like an Anthony Davis where he's not like a workout Zelick. And I worry about how he will age when. When Dallas traded him, I said, I think a lot of it is they don't think the tarmac's that long to be a 15 year like LeBron or MJ. Great player. And so what's happening with Luka? Last year, a little overweight. This year, beaten up, injuries, too high of a usage rate. You could see some of it coming

Fox Sports Radio Announcer (5:58)

where Colin was, right?

Colin Cowherd (6:00)

Cooper Flagg, I didn't think it was that big of a swing, but I said, oh, I think he's going to be better than Jayson Tatum by somewhere probably in year two. The kid's insane. I am not sure what the weakness is. Incredibly assertive, has a left hand, can do the floaters, attacks the rim, can ball handle, gets the spacing. Listen, I think he is better than we thought. I mean, teenagers should not be scoring 50 points in the NBA. 17 year old should not be the best player in every category at Duke. And he's been both.

Fox Sports Radio Announcer (6:38)

Where Colin was wrong.

Colin Cowherd (6:40)

Boy, that Jalen Hurt story last week. Jeremy Fowler, I love his maturity, his iq, his eq, but the rigidity, his reluctance to sort of embrace new offenses was kind of an eye opener. I was told last August he wasn't loved in the locker room, but that's not the be all, end all. Not every quarterback is beloved. Leadership sometimes is difficult. But it made it sound like AJ Brown was not not the issue in the locker room. It may be Jalen hurts. And so that caught me off guard.

Fox Sports Radio Announcer (7:11)

Where Colin was, right, Giannis and the

Colin Cowherd (7:14)

Bucks, it is getting ugly. He told a Milwaukee newspaper. I want to play. They won't let me. Now the NBA has moved in to sort of investigate it, for lack of a better word. Listen, we said three years ago, when, when people start talking retirement, they're thinking about it, they're going to retire. When people start talking about looking elsewhere, it means they're looking elsewhere all the time if they've already said it publicly. I thought three years ago before some of the lower body injuries set in. They should have moved him and gotten a hall. I still think they'll get a lot of picks. A couple of players you have to to match salaries, but I don't think the haul is what it should have been had you done it a couple of years ago.

Fox Sports Radio Announcer (7:51)

Where Collin was right.

Colin Cowherd (7:53)

I like Fernando Mendoza much more than the people I talk to that I respect his pro day. He put on 12 pounds of weight. He looked bigger in shorts and a T shirt than he did in a uniform. For Indiana. I think this kid is an A prospect. Intelligence, gratitude, humility. He's not a great mover, but it wasn't long ago Brady dominated the league. You got to move in the pocket more than out of it. I just, I'm going to disagree with all the people that are really smart that grade draft picks. I think he's an A talent where Colin was right. Well, I'm being kind of obnoxious but let's see. UCLA blows out South Carolina for their first women's title. Indiana won the Natty men's football. Michigan could win the Natty in basketball tonight. We said with the nil it will be a regression of the SEC and you're going to see the money in the middle of the country. Connectability in the multiple time zones that the Big Ten now offers is going to be a huge, huge advantage and it's been way to go Bruins. It's been exactly that.

Fox Sports Radio Announcer (9:02)

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Colin Cowherd (11:32)

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Colin Cowherd (12:40)

think you got to appreciate greatness, and that's probably a cliche, but God, Jokic is insane. Nick Wright, who's pretty darn good himself. First things first, let's start with Jokic. I don't want to make this a Jokic hour, but I mean I grew up on Kareem and I love Kareem and my favorite player was Dr. J and we all loved MJ and then LeBron and Steph and I said he's like he owns the waste management company with a big house on the hill. Where will history allot him?

Nick Wright (13:10)

Oh wow, what a great question. So you mentioned Moses. I think he over the last couple years has jumped past Moses. Moses who won three MVPs. Moses who with respect to Dr. J was the final piece on what I believe to be the greatest team in NBA history. That Sixers team that couldn't get over the hump until Moses got there. So he is right now up against the Shaq Akeem, Steph group. I think he's right on the outside there. I think Akeem is a little underrated. Akeem was averaging 37 a game in the playoffs as a young player got to the finals in year two. Best defensive players for arguably post Bill Russell until Wimby. More on him maybe later in this spot. I do think however Joker, just to be fair, has maxed out how high he can get if he stays at only one championship. I don't think another. I don't, I don't think winning MVP this year or next year, it moves him. Actually I because every guy if you talk about the 12 greatest players ever, Bron, Kareem, Michael, Russell, Magic, Wilt, Duncan, Kobe, Bird, Akeem, Shaq, staff, the the all of them are multi title guys and all Wilt has two, Akeem only has two, everyone else has three or more. So I don't think Joker can elbow any of those guys out of there sitting on one ring, but he might get his second this year and the other thing on it and I don't think it's being unfair. He is clearly the best player in the world. He did remind everyone that while Wimby can say defense is half the game for 100 years of basketball, the best defense, defensive player against the best offensive player, the best offensive player is going to get his Bill Russell is the greatest defensive player ever. Wilt, in 140 career games against Russell averaged 30 and 25. You're going to get yours if you're a great offensive player. But Joker, I just don't think the fact that he's only been to two conference finals, only been to one finals, one one championship. I think right outside the top 12 is the ceiling unless he gets another ring.

Colin Cowherd (15:35)

So I was telling. I said this the other day. Sometimes you just need clarity. I mean, the hardest thing for a lot of sports teams to do is admit not what they are, but what they aren't, and when. Obviously, we don't want to see Luka and Austin hurt. But the inability to compete for five minutes with OKC was actually really important because the new Laker owners watch that and go, oh, we're four players away and you start in March. You're like, oh, all we need is Jaden McDaniels. That's not it. You watch OKC, and OKC is a champion. So we know how it works in the NBA, Nick. Once you win a championship the regular season, you pick about five games that matter. Oklahoma City decided, oh, Luca, you're the mvp. They annihilated them. And I think it was a. I think the new owners needed to see that. Or do you look at it and think, Lucas hurt, Austin's hurt, they're in big trouble. I think even LeBron needed to see that, to know, bro, you either take a pay cutter, we can't bring you back.

Nick Wright (16:44)

All right, so there's a lot to unpack here. It is worth noting that a year ago this week, OKC played the Lakers. I think it was on Easter. And the Lakers annihilated okc. They then played again a couple weeks later. The Lakers were, I think, in position to win that game. And that's when Luka got thrown out for yelling at a fan with six minutes left. And OKC went on to win the championship, and the Lakers went out in round one. I wouldn't read quite as much as you're reading into the one game against OKC last week. I also think it is wildly unfair for anyone to every single team in the league if they lost. Their two leading scorers headed into the playoffs are sunk. Every single team, whether the Thunder without Shea and another great player, the Nuggets without Jokic and another great player, they'd all be sunk. With that said, this was always a very mismatched roster. It didn't have the depth or youth or athleticism of other teams. The reason some of us, myself, maybe most notably, were holding out hope for the Lakers, is we have seen Luka, multiple times in his career take mismatch rosters on deep playoff runs, upset the number one seed Suns with the team that he took to the conference finals, Colin, against the Suns. There's only two guys that were in that rotation that are still in the league. He took them to the conference finals. That map seem he took to the finals was not a perfect team. So I thought the strength of Luka gave them more than a puncher's chance. But obviously you need shooters and defenders around Luka just like you needed around LeBron. And the Lakers had done a very mediocre job at building out that roster. I think that is correct.

Colin Cowherd (18:41)

You know, sometimes I've always defended the media. I've always said we're the irs. Sometimes you get a check, sometimes you get an audit. We're not built or constructed to be your friend, you know, we're built and constructed to be as honest and without agendas as we can be, which we often fail at. But we're not your ally necessarily, although it may feel like it on some days. And so in the media, I've always tried to remember it's not about being liked, it's about being honest. And strong opinions get blowback. You know that more than anybody. And I remember when Cooper. I watched Cooper Flag. I watched a lot of Duke games and I watched it and I'm like, he's not going to be as good as Jason Tatum in year one. He may be in year two. We're looking at this kid doesn't have a flaw in college. He defends, he slashes. So he comes into the NBA, he's still a teenager and he's got. I didn't know he had a left hand. I didn't know he could post catch and shoot spacing. I would argue today I would choose him over Jayson Tatum if I had to make a choice on two and I don't know, over the course of a series, Tatum probably would be more consistent. He's just older, more mature. I think Cooper Flagg has a chance to be outside of Wemby the best player in the league. I think he's that.

Nick Wright (20:03)

So I agree with the last piece that he. He has league MVP potential. Upside, he is showing that he's 19 years old. He's really should be a college freshman this year he reclassified up. He is there. They're doing with him what they did with young LeBron, which is have him play point even though he's not a point. Just to get the. Pardon me. The reps are doing a bit of everything.

Colin Cowherd (20:29)

Yeah.

Nick Wright (20:29)

So I do think he is a future superstar. I also think he is the rookie of the year. With respect to con knipple for rookie of the year. I don't so much care about team success. That's the one award I don't care about team success. It's Rookie of the Year. I do not agree with you that I do not think he is going to be better than Jason Tatum at any point in the next. Call it three seasons.

Colin Cowherd (20:58)

Wow.

Nick Wright (20:58)

I think if you, if you're sitting now, if you want to say like right now, this moment, Tatum coming off the Achilles where he's not fully. But if we're saying Jason Tatum at full strength next season, walks into next season one of the seven best players in the sport, Cooper Flag, in my opinion, does not approach that until probably year four. I think that's fair.

Colin Cowherd (21:21)

Closer than you. Wow.

Nick Wright (21:23)

Oh, I mean, well, that is where I do need to see what it looks like when you're playing competitive basketball, what it looks like when you're on a competitive team. I think he has all the whole toolkit. And if you're saying, is his. Is Cooper Flag's ceiling higher than Tatum's ceiling?

Colin Cowherd (21:40)

I don't know if he is probably

Nick Wright (21:42)

because I don't think Tatum's ever going to win league mvp and I think Cooper could, but I don't think, I don't think anytime soon Cooper Flagg is going to be a consensus top eight player in the league. And I think Tatum, when he is fully recovered from his Achilles, he will be. I also think the Celtics might win the title this year, and that will be in large part because of Tatum's miraculous recovery and coming back as quickly as he has.

Colin Cowherd (22:10)

So I believe this is that one of the things I. I used to. This used to be a topic with my buddies. They're like, if you could coach football in the NFL or college, which would you choose? And I always said, I don't want to grovel to 16 year olds in small towns and spend 300 hours on them. And then not. One of the things I like about the NIL is and Mike Malone takes the UNC job. Belichick goes to college. It's administrative. It's truer. Hey, let's not beat around the bush. Here's what we can pay. We have a really good coach. Okay, I'll sign. That's why college basketball, the old guys are flourishing. You have to go to high schools in grovel. It's not an energy game anymore. It's an administrative game. And the NBA coaches are getting younger to deal with, you know, the younger NBA, it kind of goes in reverse that maybe 20 years ago. So I look at the nil. The other thing I like about it, players get paid. They deserve to. The other thing I like about it is that academics now matter. Vanderbilt an academic powerhouse, top 10 in football and basketball at least at some point last year. These are universities. And I'm not saying your footprint shouldn't matter. If you're in Georgia or Texas or la, you've got more good players. I'm not saying that. But these are universities and what you're seeing with the Big Ten is affluent alumni matters. Sure, yeah. And I think it's better for the player. It's more administrative and no more groveling. And the truth is there was always this feeling about like college sports. It was like are they going to care? Is it just now it's like yes, the alumni matter, the school matters, the quality of academics matter to some degree. I love Nil. What do you think about what wins in college sports?

Nick Wright (24:01)

So listen, I think the way it used to be done was abhorrent and I think there is, you know, there literally have been books written about it. There's not time to discuss it here. But there was something highly uncomfortable for me always that the two sports that generated all the money, men's football and men's basketball were vast majority. The players were vast majority black kids from majority poor communities. They got none of the spoils. And then non rev sports and administrators, most of whom are not black people from poor communities, got all the spoils. I hated that. I thought it was unfair and exploitive. So it needed to be changed. It feels to me like we went from one extreme to another extreme where the only kid in Michigan's top seven rotation that started at Michigan is the freshman. And there is, there are. No, there isn't. The story like what the UCLA women's team had with those seniors growing together and winning and then losing together and then finally overcoming, that's gone in the men's game. So I wish there was something of a happy medium where the players can get the money they deserve. But there can also be some continuity of the teams. Now I don't have the solution. I know the president unveiled a 79 page potential solution. I'll take the under on that working. But I think there are are potential ideas that need to be implemented to where the players can make money and there can still be a little more continuity of teams. With that said, Colin, it feels like the college football game, the actual product has gotten better because of it. There are better matchups that not only is not players are older. Right? It's gotten better. I do not feel that way about college basketball. You and Danny Parkins promised me. Oh no Cinderellas. Just wait for how great the Elite Eight and Final Four will be. We had one good game. Duke Yukon was good. Everything else was a blowout. Last night's a rock fight. You guys promised me that as long as we didn't have FAMU mucking it up for everyone, we were gonna get, you know, Blue Devils, Rebels, back from the 90s again. 95, 94, highly played. Instead, a team that was 2 for 20 from three wins the title and no games close. So I, I. College basketball, to me, is in a state of flux. It's not that it's bad, but it doesn't have as much depth of character as I was used to. College football doesn't either. But the games are so good and the matchups are so amazing. I don't care as much, but I don't feel exactly the same way about college hoops.

Colin Cowherd (26:55)

All right, well, it was a bit of a rock fight, you know, it's.

Nick Wright (26:59)

It was either rock fights or blowouts, all for three weeks. You're like, screw you, little guy. Who needs Butler? And then we see it's 95, 72, Arizona in the elite eight. I'm like, sweet. You told me these games are going to be great.

Colin Cowherd (27:15)

You're complaining about that. Did you watch the NBA last Friday? That was a.

Nick Wright (27:19)

Well, I mean, no. This is a whole nother problem. That's a whole nother story, though. What's going on in the association now? The NBA definitively. These playoffs better be nothing but six and seven game epics because we have. The last two months of the regular season have been teams trying against teams trying to lose and 30 point spreads. So the playoffs better be cinema for the NBA. I think they might be, but they need to be.

Colin Cowherd (27:52)

All right, Nick. Great stuff, buddy.

Nick Wright (27:54)

You, too. Good to see you, Colin.

Colin Cowherd (27:55)

All right, Nick Wright. First things first. Eric Musselman, the USC basketball coach, is going to be joining us. He has a very. You know, for years, when he was in his. When he's a younger guy, you know, you young guys out there, you're getting in fights and you're all feisty, and then you get gray hair and you're like, what am I doing? Anybody got a golf club?

Fox Sports Radio Announcer (28:14)

Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the iHeartRadio app.

Colin Cowherd (28:23)

Some people have a Starbucks order depending on their mood. Morning coffee weekend, something iced and fun. But now afternoons have a new go to because Starbucks just launched their new energy refreshers. They're the Starbucks refreshers. Flavors everybody already loves, like the Strawberry Acai Pink Drink and Dragon Drink, now with an added boost of caffeine to power you through the rest of your day. Plus, you can try new flavors like Mango Strawberry Energy Refresher or the Mango Dream Energy Drink. They're bright, fruity, super refreshing. When that afternoon slump hits, whatever flavor you like, Starbucks Energy Refreshers are exactly what you need to take on the moments that matter. So next time the afternoon slowdown kicks in, head to your nearest Starbucks and try one of the new energy refreshers. Or order one right now on the Starbucks app.

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Nick Wright (29:23)

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Colin Cowherd (29:25)

Everyone's talking about the NASDAQ 100, but let's get more specific software. Actually, too broad. How about software that's already profitable? Companies that beat the last five quarters? Oh, and I want founders who are marathon runners. That's discipline. Yeah, let's see what that looks like.

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Colin Cowherd (30:53)

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Eric Musselman (32:22)

Yeah. The best team, Colin. The best teams in college basketball, they know how to foul legally, meaning they know how to get away with it. And even our guys, you know, I'm not playing higher ground here. They just do such a good job of being physical while showing their hands. It's kind of like the old Bo Ryan Wisconsin defenses. And so that, that's exhausting. It's. It's tough to shoot and finish and score. So I think both teams were playing with great physicality and I thought their game plan was an A plus for knocking us off with, with our, with our speed, athleticism and ability, score and transition. So kudos to those guys. Coach Hurley, I mean, there's a reason he's at the top of our sport. He's brilliant.

Colin Cowherd (33:00)

Hurley said the officiating crew is great. Do you share that?

Eric Musselman (33:05)

It was a great crew. Yeah. And those guys would communicate with you. They're fair. They would let you vent when you're frustrated. I thought they did a great job and even if they came out on top, that game was won because we made just a few more plays than them.

Public Ad Voice (33:21)

Yeah.

Colin Cowherd (33:21)

So I got into this conversation, I said, in the old days, explosive NBA players, it felt like it was more of an explosive league in the Jordan ERA And I said, the pacing now is so fast. It's about shooting and scheme and skill. And I want guys that make really quick decisions because the pacing of the NBA is ridiculous. It's 100 miles an hour. I need cognitive guys who can make quick, smart decisions. So when people look at Yaxel Lenneborg people, I read the scouting report and they're like, well, he's okay. He's smart and can shoot, but, you know, he's not real explosive. And I'm like, I don't think of sga, Jokic and Luka as explosive. I like smart guys to get up the floor. Do you think he transitions to the NBA and if so, why?

Eric Musselman (34:07)

I do. Colin, I think you're ahead of your. Ahead of the game with that evaluation. The processing power is his strength. I don't know if I've ever been around someone that can learn things on the fly and be able to change his move or his body contortion based on something that he saw a month ago. And so that processing, his passing ability, his ability to see the floor, I think those are all really unique now. And he's a different athlete where when you watch him, he doesn't seem like a plus athlete. And then you see him make these athletic plays where go underneath and dunk on three guys. And I just think he's. He's so untapped because he's so new to the game.

Colin Cowherd (34:51)

So Mark Fuse a friend that he was funny. He said, can you imagine being in the NFL? The season ends, the super bowl, the next day, everybody's a free agent. He goes, that's what college basketball coaches feel like with this ridiculous portal. It is absurd. You got a couple of guys to replace. So are you basically on zoom calls for the next several days? I mean, you're right in the middle of it, right? Have you already landed anybody? What are you doing for the next three days?

Eric Musselman (35:20)

No, we actually just finished a Zoom before I jumped on Colin. Literally. We finished the game the other night. We get back to the hotel at 2am There's a reception for friends and family and those that are associated with the program. And so we have a couple pops and some food. And I think I slept an hour and got up and did the whole morning show circuit. We flew back, and as we landed, my wife looked at me, said, are you coming home? And I gave her the side eye. No, this. These next two weeks are. They are our Super Bowl. And if we have a. If we want to have a chance, a chance to play in Detroit 365 days from now, then, then we've got to hit these next two weeks and fill some holes.

Colin Cowherd (36:03)

So you. I said this the other day and this is not a criticism. I said, you know, you guys are telling me this is an all time great team. And I said, I saw a team with Akeem and Drexler not win a title. I saw a team with Chris Mullen, Mark Jackson, Bill Weddington and Walter Berry not win a title. I said, what? Michigan is a reminder of how great college basketball is. When guys stick around for a second, third and fourth year, you get grown men playing. I said, so is Michigan all time? I said, I don't know. But they, they remind me of an 80s and 90s team. You took a freshman, you took a couple of guys who were on the team before you got there that weren't great, a couple of transfers. The really the player for me, Adai Mara is the one I look at and I go, man, I never saw that coming. When did you realize with him? Because you know, Lindenberg was already a good player. But when did you realize with Mara, you know what guys this is going to be, he's going to be a really high end player. I just saw a tall Spaniard, you know, I didn't see it. Did you know? I mean, was it a week into practice? Was it mid season? When did you know? Wow. With him and Yaxel and our size. This is different.

Eric Musselman (37:17)

Well, it wasn't when we played UCLA last year because Vlad golden had his way with a die and he didn't look very good. And then he had a couple games throughout the season and you watch these Big Ten teams and he had a couple games throughout the season where he showed glimpses. So after the year was over, we went in and went back and like we did with Vlad and Danny, looked at all of his old footage and we saw him with Zaragoza and playing in the ACB and we saw him on the national team and his passing and footwork were elite. Now he didn't have the physicality. I don't know if you put him in the right schemes where there's cutting to the rim, there's floor spacing. He looked even better than if he was playing with non shooters. So we thought situationally he had a big, big upside. And the first exhibition early on in the year, he wasn't playing very well. So it just took him some time of us playing him through mistakes, us being frustrated with each other for a couple of weeks, and then he just gradually got better throughout the season and he's such a beautiful person. That's the thing about our team. These are such great guys to be around. They all wanted to do this for each other, which is rare.

Colin Cowherd (38:26)

Minute and a half left. Big Ten is rolling. I would think it would be very easy to go to your boosters and say, guys, this ain't going to last. This is the Big Ten. Like you guys are the power conference. Do you think this dominance continues?

Eric Musselman (38:41)

I think the Big Ten is positioned to do this type of thing every year. Now, the thing with basketball, it's a one game series and you could have nine of the 10 best teams and not win a national championship as a conference. So it's incredibly difficult to do as we, as we've seen, you know, these teams for smaller conferences even be able to win it. Or Baylor from the Big 12. It's been spread out. But yes, I think the Big Ten is going to be in position because of the care for athletics. When you look at how much sports and athletics mean on Big Ten campuses and the resources available, everyone in the Big Ten is, you know, the west coast schools, everyone has the ability to generate revenue for their players, significant revenue for their players. And so there's no reason why the Big Ten doesn't do what we've been able to do in football, in my opinion.

Colin Cowherd (39:28)

Colin, does breakfast taste different when you're a national champion? Is it a little different when you wake up?

Eric Musselman (39:36)

No, not at all. Because of the current climate, we can't even enjoy it because we're driven to do this again and we are process oriented. I'm not. I don't really want to do the parade and all the other stuff that comes with it. I want to recruit, get a roster for next year that we feel that we would love to work with every single day and have a chance to do this and then take some time to enjoy it when our players go home for the summer. And the one thing about winning, you get to do a lot of really cool things when time permits. So that's when I'll celebrate the championship whenever we get to do some real cool experiences.

Colin Cowherd (40:09)

Dusty, great. I got to be honest, I'm a good luck charm. I keep putting you on and you keep winning. Yeah, I won my bracket amongst my friends. So congrats to you and the Wolverines.

Eric Musselman (40:20)

Wow. I appreciate that. Colin, big fan of the show.

Colin Cowherd (40:23)

All right. Thank you. Yeah, it's. We're feeling pretty good here on Fox Sports Radio. Our. Our staff that we just found out today, our staff sort of cleaned Up Fox Sports Radio. We're kind of the envy. Just all our guys crushed in the brackets because we all took Michigan. That was the secret. Take Michigan. Greg Tuohy. Way to go, buddy. Back in la, he crushed as well. Martin. Way to go.

Fox Sports Radio Announcer (40:49)

Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the iHeartRadio Apple.

Colin Cowherd (40:59)

So we do these mock drafts and the last time I did one I do a couple before the draft, which is two weeks from today. Here's what I would do. That's not what this is. This is basically connecting with as many people who would return my texts or calls on what I believe to be true. Based on the new coach, the old coach, the style, the fit, the system, I think all the early top seven or eight picks, there's going to be a little domino effect based on what the jets do with number two. So let's go. I'm going to give you the top 15 draft picks where I think I have a chance to be at least reasonably accurate. Can I get five? Right. We'll cross our fingers. And here we go.

Fox Sports Radio Announcer (41:44)

Number one.

Colin Cowherd (41:45)

Okay, that's the easy one. I'm going to go one for one. Fernando Mendoza, 49 touchdowns, no intercepts the last two years in the red zone. Hyper smart, ball placement, toughness. I wouldn't be surprised if the Raiders top of the second, don't go get Omar Cooper who may be available top of round two. Maybe he goes late first. There's nothing here. The Raiders had the worst scoring offense in the league and they've got a left tackle, Colton Miller. They've got Brock Bowers at tight end, Ashton Jackson. They drafted a wide receiver last year and picked a couple of up in the off season. So I think they're ready for kind of microwave this thing. I think Mendoza is going to be very good very quickly.

Fox Sports Radio Announcer (42:32)

Number two.

Colin Cowherd (42:33)

I think the jets take a big swing on Arville Reese, who's one of the youngest prospects in the draft. He's only 20 and doesn't have a clear defined position yet. That's what the jets do. I think they need six or seven good players before they take a swing. With the coaching staff they have in the head coach, I just don't trust them. I would rather get a plug and play guy who has a defined already made position. Reese is a fascinating player. The jets had the second fewest sacks in the NFL, so it's a position of need. That's why I like Bailey. You can drop Reese in The coverage. So I think he's a great talent. But I worry about the jets and Aaron Glenn being able to bake this and make it work quickly.

Fox Sports Radio Announcer (43:22)

Number. Yeah, number three.

Colin Cowherd (43:25)

So Arizona, seeing that Bailey is now available. David Bailey, Texas Tech, they will then draft David Bailey because they have a pass rush issue. Cardinals ranked 28th in defensive sacks last year. So this will be a bit of a break in my opinion, for the Arizona Cardinals. They'll get my favorite pass rusher in college football. I think Ruben Bane's very good as well, but I mean, he led the college football in sacks and pressure rate and he's getting better. He's a much better player now than he was at Stanford. So Arizona takes advantage of the jets going for a yet defined player. And. And by the way, Arizona has drafted one player drafted in the last decade who had 10 sacks or more. They found their guy. If they get Bailey number four, then I think the Titans will take Jeremiah Love. First of all, Robert Sala knows the value of a star running back for a young quarterback. He watched McCaffrey with Brock Purdy and Sala is got a better offensive feel than most defensive coaches. He actually does. I texted Robert on that. He likes offense and he knows the value. And this kid's a home run hitter. He's. I'm telling you, man, the drop off between Jeremiah Love and the second best running back in this draft, it may be greater than Fernando Mendoza and the second best quarterback. He is an absolute jameer. Gibbs Day one in play and they were 30th last year. The Titans were in rushing offense. They got to get Cam Ward some help. There's plenty of receivers in the second, third and fourth round. There's good tight ends in the second and third round. This is the star running back. Cam Ward needs help. He goes four to the Tennessee Titans.

Fox Sports Radio Announcer (45:11)

Number five.

Colin Cowherd (45:13)

I think the Giants get that maybe the cleanest player in the draft, Sonny Styles, it just he's going to come in and play linebacker. Freak athlete. 182 combined tackles over the last two years. John Harbaugh has been talking about toughness and attitude. Toughness and attitude that Sonny Styles and people can say, hey, a linebacker, I don't know. Listen, the Giants have spent a lot of money at corner. They could go in the last couple years. They could go corner. Maybe this kid's going to come in play and get a lot of tackles. He is what Harbaugh like. Got a little Ravens feel to him. You know, people are questioning a lot of those Ravens picks through the year. Remember when the Ravens took a center and a safety and they the first round, everybody's like, whoa, they're both great. This is a classic Ravens pick. This is a classic Harbaugh pick. You guys worry about the position. I'm going to take the cleanest player in the draft. Giants take Sonny Styles, number six. The best receiver in this draft is Carnell Tate. And Cleveland's got an egregiously bad wide receiving core. So they had. The Browns had the fewest receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. Again, this guy just walks in and stars. I think he's great. Strong speed, you know, I don't know if he has the route tree of jsn, but I'll tell you, this catching radius, toughness, speed, he's really good. You know, he's an Ohio State wide receiver. They. I don't know if there's ever been a program that has a position that they just suddenly own in the college game like Ohio State and wide receiver, but he is six three, 195 and I. His body fat's got to be in the 4% because he is just a stud.

Fox Sports Radio Announcer (46:50)

Number seven.

Colin Cowherd (46:52)

Well, Jaden Daniels needs protection. Laramie Tunzel, meet Francis, Maui Noah, Miami. Many people think he could go interior and play guard. He's not a left tackle. He's more of a right tackle. I don't think he has elite foot quickness, so maybe move him inside. But I got Jaden Daniels. Jaden Daniels is getting banged up in this league. I always said the downfall to Andrew Luck, they couldn't protect him. He took a beating. And Andrew Luck was big and trunky and thick. Jaden Daniels isn't so this one, he's a road grader. He's tough. He was helping pave the way for the Hurricane's great late season run game. He goes seven to the commander.

Fox Sports Radio Announcer (47:37)

Number eight.

Colin Cowherd (47:38)

Another Miami Hurricane goes eight. Reuben Bain. Listen, you could say the Saints have a lot of needs, but this kid lives in the backfield. I care a little bit about, you know, arm length, but he's a perfect replacement for Cam Jordan, who is a free agent getting up there, been playing forever. And so you just replaced him with a dog. A guy that's going to come in and pressure the quarterback. And everybody I talk to in the league, everybody loves Bane. Now he, because of the measurements, he's not going to be a one or two pick. But I haven't talked to anybody I respect in the NFL that doesn't. Doesn't love him as a player.

Fox Sports Radio Announcer (48:16)

Number nine.

Colin Cowherd (48:18)

See, this seems Obvious. Spencer Fino, the tackle from Utah to Kansas City. The Chiefs have struggled to protect Mahomes the last two years. Eight most sacked quarterback two seasons. And now Mahomes is coming off an ACL injury. And they solved their running back in free agency, getting Walker, Kenneth Walker from Seattle. And do they need an edge rusher? They do, but Bailey will be gone, Reese will be gone and Reuben Bain will be gone. So this is an easy one. I think It's a smart one. 6, 6 3, 15. Isn't it amazing how many good tight ends and offensive linemen Utah produces? But this to me is they got Josh Simmons left tank when he played, he was excellent. Infrequency and scarcity of playing concerns you. But by the way, you get fanow in. Josh Simmons gets banged up or doesn't play. This is what they did with the Chargers and Joe Alt move him to the other side. I think he goes nine to Kansas City. Spencer Fino, number 10. Caleb Downs, Ohio State. I think he could be the steal of the draft. I think he walks in, starts day one. He's just a great football player, really smart, very instinctive. He's not huge. I don't get too caught up on that. People said Troy Palomula wasn't huge. He's just a great player. He's in state. Buckeye fans will love it. Just toughness, urgency, playmaking and the defense for now that Trey Hendrickson's gone. You thought the defense was bad for Cincinnati last year. Could get worse. Caleb down stays in state. He goes to the Bengals and at 10, number 11. Well, defensive have head coach. They need a lot. But Mansour Delaine, the LSU corner, a tough kid, did not allow a single touchdown or commit a single penalty last year at S lsu number one cornerback in the draft. And again, here comes Jeff Halfley, the defensive guy from Green Bay. So with his two first round picks, he's taken a defensive player either with one of the picks or two of the picks. Yes, they need a wide receiver. Yes, they need some offensive lineman. You can get that in the second, third, fourth round. You can't get the best corner in those rounds. I think Miami goes for a lockdown guy. Listen, I don't know if it's a great corner draft. He's a great player and the Dolphins just secure him there. Number 12, I think the Cowboys. I've been on this for a year. You gotta cheapen up that defense because you're spending a lot of money on offense and now you're spending a lot of money on your defensive front they get Jermad McCoy from Tennessee. He can play zone, he can play man to man. Opposing quarterbacks last year on the Dallas Cowboys, 69% completion percentage and a passer rating at 109. So they have upgraded the their defensive front. Dallas has. Now they got to go get some dexterity and versatility on the back end. He's a great player. He is a, you know, sec. If Ohio State is wide receiver, you, I feel like the SEC is defensive back, you. He'll walk in, start first day and that's what Dallas needs.

Fox Sports Radio Announcer (51:27)

Number 13, Makai Lemon.

Colin Cowherd (51:30)

Wide receiver, USC. Devonte Adams is 34, got banged up. Puka Nakua has just entered rehab. He's got some off field stuff, maturity issues. This kid does not let the ball hit the ground. 2.8% of balls thrown to him hit the ground. Tremendous kid. He's got a lot of armor on st. Brown will be productive day one and McVeigh's sophisticated system. And listen, Puka issue. This kid also can walk in and play. Matt Stafford doesn't want to teach. Somebody had to play football. Makai Lemon walks in day one. He'll figure the playbook out in three practices. Number 14, Ravens, Lamar Jackson last year pressured on 26% of his throw. Career high. They go get Monroe Freeling, Georgia tackle. He's not, he's a little raw, but he had an 18 starts, one holding penalty. Listen, if you're gonna pay Lamar Jackson and what you keep reading, they're going to pay him, you better protect him. And so I mean this is another player that everybody thinks is going to be really good. Nobody's quite sure if he's going to be good as a rookie. Get him in house. Won't have to play him much for the first four years, but I think they go tackle. Number 15, Buccaneers draft well, safety from Toledo, Emmanuel McNeil. Warren, local kid, played in Tampa. Bucks were 27th against the pass. They had the worst red zone defense. Now Mike Evans is gone. They need a receiver. There are some great receivers in the second, third and fourth round. He's a hometown kid. He is rangy. He runs good enough Again, another one of these small school DBs that we don't watch a lot of. Remember when Sauce Gardner came out, could have been the number one player defensive player in that draft. So there you have it. John. I do think it's not what I would do. Jets go Avril Reese and then I think, you know, in Arizona they haven't gotten to the quarterback, you know, Chandler Jones was there. They got to get to the quarterback, especially in a division with Darnold playing well, Brock Purdy and Matt Stafford, you have to generate some discomfort for the opposing quarterbacks who you play six times in your division.

Fox Sports Radio Announcer (53:43)

You know some people, Colin, because I

Colin Cowherd (53:45)

was hoping to rip this list to shreds, but you're all over it, especially high.

Nick Wright (53:50)

I think Sonny Styles, he might be

Colin Cowherd (53:52)

one of the best linebacking prospects. I'm not talking what he becomes, but as a prospect in 20, 25 years, I mean, he's 6, 5. He ran a 4 4. He's brilliant. He played in NFL defense.

Eric Musselman (54:04)

I mean, what more can you ask for?

Colin Cowherd (54:06)

So Sonny Styles, I think is is one of the more highly valued prospects in this draft. And Harbaugh's been preaching toughness. New culture this kid brings. It runs downhill. Hi, it's Colin Coward. If you want your outdoor space to really stand out, Deckorator Surestone technology is where you should start. Decking with Shirstone technology is made through a patented process that uses crushed rock, not wood fiber like other composites, which gives every board incredible strength and durability. And it's engineered with a unique surface design for better traction when things get wet. It's comfortable, it's safe, it's durable, and that just looks great too. Build season is coming fast, so order a sample today. Visit deckorators.com herd to get your free sample. That's decorators with a K again. Decorators.com herd everybody hits that mid morning moment where a little boost would really help. That's where the new Starbucks Energy Refreshers come in. They're great if you already love Starbucks. Starbucks refreshers these have the same taste now with an added boost of caffeine. Your favorite flavors like strawberry, acai or pink drink now have an extra kick for the perfect midday reset. So when a little lift sounds good today, try the new energy refreshers at Starbucks or order one right now on the Starbucks app. Imagine never buying gas again. EVs are as easy to charge as your phone and perfect for everyday life. Drive daily with confidence everywhere you go. Most Americans drive 40 miles a day. Most EVs are equipped with 200 to 400 miles of range. They've got fewer parts, fewer repairs and fewer headaches. With hundreds of new and used EV models available today, there's an EV to fit every lifestyle and every budget. I love my electric vehicle. It's easy. No more gas stations. The way forward is electric. Learn more at lectric for all.org wasabi is purpose built to free your business from skyrocketing storage costs and fees from the big guys. Wasabi is the go to provider for professional and collegiate sports teams around the world. Check out Wasabi's AI enabled intelligent media storage. Wasabi Air to the industry's only cloud storage service with triple protection against cybercriminals. Wasabi driving innovation in data storage for up to 80% less than the other guys. Try for free@wasabi.com Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage proud partner of the Volume Podcast Network. This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.