Hour 1 - Duke let that one get away

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd Episode: Hour 1 - Duke Let That One Get Away
Release Date: April 7, 2025

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Introduction

In this episode of The Herd with Colin Cowherd, Jason McIntyre steps in as host in Colin Cowherd's absence. The show delves into the dramatic Final Four showdown where Duke faced an unexpected defeat against Houston. Additionally, the episode covers a range of other sports topics, including standout performances from the Lakers, Steph Curry’s defensive challenges, Alex Ovechkin’s historic NHL achievement, and the Dodgers' strategic dominance in baseball.

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Duke’s Final Four Meltdown

Dramatic Upset:
The centerpiece of the discussion revolves around Duke’s shocking loss to Houston in the Final Four. Despite holding a 14-point lead with eight minutes remaining, Duke’s youthful lineup faltered under pressure, leading to their downfall.

• Jason McIntyre remarked at [03:50]:
  "The scariest movie I’ve ever seen are the final eight minutes of Duke against Houston. I was a wreck, a total train wreck, watching Duke’s offense crumble."

Youth vs. Experience:
Duke’s reliance on three freshmen in the starting lineup is contrasted with Houston’s experienced veterans. The episode highlights how Houston’s 23-year-old LJ Cryer and Roberts made crucial plays that dismantled Duke’s strategy.

• Jason McIntyre at [05:50]:
  "Houston leaned on 23-year-old LJ Cryer with an unbelievable six-point play during that comeback."

Coaching Critique:
John Shire, Duke’s coach, faces criticism for his lack of preparation, specifically failing to have an effective inbound play ready during the critical final minutes.

• Jason McIntyre at [49:55]:
  "Why didn’t John Shire have one inbounds play ready for the final minute when Duke melted down?"

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Player and Coach Analysis

Cooper Flag’s Performance:
Despite being the best freshman, Cooper Flag struggled down the stretch, contributing to Duke’s collapse. His inability to maintain performance under pressure is a focal point of the critique.

• Jason McIntyre at [05:20]:
  "Cooper Flag can handle, but he faded away like Anthony Davis. Coach K had RJ Barrett and Zion Williamson, and they still lost in the Elite Eight."

SGA’s Free Throw Struggles:
The discussion shifts to SGA (Stephen A. Smith), highlighting his inefficiency at the free-throw line during a Lakers game against OKC Thunder.

• Jason McIntyre at [24:45]:
  "SGA did not shoot a free throw, proving that he's the kind of guy who gets all the calls."

John Shire’s Future:
While this loss is a blemish on Shire’s coaching record, McIntyre expresses faith in his ability to rebound and improve in future high-stakes games.

• Jason McIntyre at [50:47]:
  "John Shire’s career isn’t defined by this one game. I still believe in him, but this one really stings."

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Lakers and Warriors Performance

Lakers’ Resurgence:
The Lakers’ recent victories are discussed, emphasizing Luka Doncic’s exceptional performance against the OKC Thunder, where he dominated defensively and offensively.

• Jason McIntyre at [15:43]:
  "Luka Doncic owns the OKC Thunder. He put on a clinic, stepping back and hitting deep threes that tied a franchise record."

Steph Curry’s Defensive Challenges:
Despite Steph Curry’s historical prowess, the episode highlights a recent game where Houston’s defense successfully limited his effectiveness, marking a significant challenge.

• Jason McIntyre at [24:20]:
  "Houston held Steph Curry to 1 of 10 shooting, a master class defensively."

Warriors’ Future Predictions:
McIntyre expresses skepticism about the Warriors maintaining their standing without Curry leading the scoreboard, suggesting that their performance may decline in the playoffs.

• Jason McIntyre at [26:00]:
  "The Warriors are not good when Curry doesn't lead them in points. I’m not buying the hype that they're the second best team in the West."

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Alex Ovechkin’s Historic Achievement

NHL Record Breaker:
Alex Ovechkin shattered Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal record by scoring his 895th goal against the Islanders. The moment was celebrated with Gretzky in attendance, symbolizing a passing of the torch.

• John Fanta at [27:32]:
  "Ovechkin scored his 895th goal, breaking Gretzky’s long-standing record. Wayne Gretzky was there to honor him, and it was an incredible moment."

Future Prospects:
The conversation explores potential upcoming records and the impact of Ovechkin’s achievement on the NHL landscape.

• Jason McIntyre at [28:33]:
  "What do you think is the next big record? Hockey's welcoming Ovechkin’s accomplishment positively, hoping other leagues take notice."

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Dodgers’ Strategic Dominance in Baseball

Financial Strategy:
The Dodgers’ ability to outspend and attract top talent is lauded, while critics are urged to focus on their own team’s shortcomings rather than complaining about the Dodgers’ success.

• John Fanta at [30:15]:
  "Only losers complain about what the Dodgers are doing. They’re making it a place where superstars want to come play, and that’s how they win."

Criticism of Complaints:
McIntyre and Fanta debate the fairness of criticizing the Dodgers for their financial strategies, comparing it to the Yankees’ long-standing dominance through similar means.

• John Fanta at [31:45]:
  "It's part of the game. There have always been powerhouses like the Yankees. Don't get mad at the Dodgers; get mad at your ownership."

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Knicks’ Performance and Playoff Aspirations

Jalen Brunson’s Return:
The Knicks improved their standing with Jalen Brunson’s return from injury, showcasing his contributions in recent wins.

• John Fanta at [33:16]:
  "With Brunson back, the Knicks are in a night-and-day situation. They need him to reach the conference finals."

Playoff Challenges:
Despite Brunson’s return, the Knicks face a tough path ahead with upcoming games against playoff-bound teams like the Celtics and Cavaliers.

• Jason McIntyre at [34:00]:
  "The Knicks have a three-game lead on the Pacers, but they need to win against strong teams to secure their spot."

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Conclusion and Future Predictions

The episode wraps up with a mix of optimism and skepticism regarding the future performances of the discussed teams. McIntyre remains hopeful about the Lakers’ trajectory but remains cautious about the Warriors and Knicks facing formidable opponents in the playoffs. The historical achievements of players like Ovechkin are celebrated, while the coaching decisions in critical games like Duke’s meltdown are scrutinized, setting the stage for future discussions.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

1. Jason McIntyre [03:50]:
   "The scariest movie I’ve ever seen are the final eight minutes of Duke against Houston."

2. Jason McIntyre [05:20]:
   "Cooper Flag can handle, but he faded away like Anthony Davis."

3. Jason McIntyre [24:45]:
   "SGA did not shoot a free throw, proving that he's the kind of guy who gets all the calls."

4. John Fanta [27:32]:
   "Ovechkin scored his 895th goal, breaking Gretzky’s long-standing record."

5. John Fanta [30:15]:
   "Only losers complain about what the Dodgers are doing."

6. John Fanta [33:16]:
   "With Brunson back, the Knicks are in a night-and-day situation."

7. Jason McIntyre [49:55]:
   "Why didn’t John Shire have one inbounds play ready for the final minute when Duke melted down?"

8. John Fanta [31:45]:
   "It's part of the game. There have always been powerhouses like the Yankees. Don't get mad at the Dodgers; get mad at your ownership."

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Final Thoughts

This episode of The Herd provides an in-depth analysis of critical moments in college basketball, professional leagues, and individual player achievements. The discussions offer valuable insights into team dynamics, coaching decisions, and the broader implications of financial strategies in sports. Whether you're a fan of college basketball, the NBA, NHL, or MLB, this episode delivers comprehensive coverage of the most pressing sports narratives of the day.

Transcript

[Colin Cowherd]

The finals are here, and the only thing for sure it's the last time to bet on college basketball this season. Bet the unexpected with DraftKings sportsbook. You download the Sportsbook app. The code is heard. That's me. H E R D for new customers get 150 bucks in bonus bets. All you have to do is bet five bucks only on DraftKings. The crown is yours.

[Jason McIntyre]

Gambling problem. Call 1-800-G GAMBLER in New York, call 877-8-HOPENY or text hopeny 467-369 in Connecticut. Help is available for problem gambling. Call 888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org Please play responsibly on behalf of Boot Hill Casino and Resort in Kansas 21 Age and eligibility varies by jurisdiction. Void in Ontario, new customers only. Bonus bets expire 168 hours after issuance. For additional terms and responsible gaming resources, see DKNG Co Audio. Wendy's is the official hamburger of March Madness, which means more deals for you and more burgers for your face. It also means we got a junior bacon cheeseburger or a double stack for $1 with an in app offer and a purchase. It's hard not to get excited when there's an offer of two of the freshest hot off the grill burgers that Wendy's makes. The Junior Bacon Cheeseburger with the fresh beef, applewood, smoked bacon, cheese, crispy lettuce, tomato and mayo and the hot and juicy Double Stack with two patties of fresh never frozen beef with cheese, ketchup, mustard, pickle, onion. The real champions of March Madness. Head to Wendy's app and grab a $1 junior bacon cheeseburger or a $1 double stack with an in app offer and a purchase for the freshest deal in fast food. Gotta be Wendy's.

[Colin Cowherd]

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[Jason McIntyre]

Now let's get this party started. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.

[Alex Curry]

Welcome into the Herd.

[Jason McIntyre]

Happy Monday. It's me, Jason McIntyre, in for Colin Cowherd, who is fishing in parts unknown. I will not give away his location, but if you follow him online, you've seen the fishing video. That's hysterical. Joined today by Alex Curry. Alex, how are you?

[John Fanta]

We're back. J back, Been back. It's been a minute, but you know, what a fun weekend to come back like it was. I know you were doing like your own sports stuff, but can we just like yesterday was like such an incredible TV day for sports. You got to have breakfast with baseball, lunch with the NCAA Women's Championship, UConn. Just like absolute domination. And then you had dinner with. Are you a White Lotus fan?

[Jason McIntyre]

Listen, no spoilers.

[John Fanta]

Not spoiling, not spoiling. But it was just like.

[Jason McIntyre]

It was amazing. Okay. Yeah, I was in Salt Lake City over the weekend. Alex and her Dodger Blue Dodgers had a rough weekend. We'll talk about that. I was in Salt Lake City. Youth sports, a lot of fun. Salt Lake City is a beautiful town. I'd been. But I was asked this past weekend, Jason, what's the scariest movie you've ever seen? I said, well, that's easy. The final eight minutes of Duke against Houston. Because Saturday night, folks, I was a wreck, a total train wreck, which is what the Duke offense was down the stretch. Folks, listen, we're going to talk Ovechkin, we're going to talk Lakers, but we have to open with a devastating Duke loss over the weekend at the Final Four. Duke in total control of Houston and just blows it down the stretch in unforgettable fashion. One of those games where you just left scratching your head. I'm at a bar with some dads watching it and I could tell things were not trending well Even though Duke was up 14 with like eight minutes left. Yeah, they got Cooper Flag, the best freshman on the planet. And yes, I will be glazing Cooper Flag later. Despite all the hate we're seeing online. I asked for the check from the bartender. I was like, I got to get out of here. I don't know. This does not look good. And folks, Houston shocks Duke and I mean stuns them. And it shouldn't be that much of a surprise to some of us because like all college basketball season, what have we talked about? It's the veteran teams using the transfer portal to bring 22, 23, 24 year olds onto the court. And those are the teams that have thrived. But not Duke. Duke rode three freshmen in the starting lineup all the way to the Final Four. And their youth showed, folks, on Saturday night. Now, Fox Sports asked me to do a mock draft and I did one. And I had three Duke freshmen in the top 20. They've got a great team, but what did we see win Saturday night? The veterans, the KG Houston veterans, they lean on 23 year old LJ Cryer, who had just an unbelievable six point play during that comeback. Who did they lean on? A 23 year old Roberts, who hits two clutch free throws. And the Duke youth showed, folks, I'm sure you've seen the numbers of the meltdown. It was, oh my gosh, we're up nine with three minutes left. We're good. Cooper flag. Hit that three from the baseline and I'm going crazy. Jay's like, we're going to the title game. And then it just fell apart. The youth show. Look, they can't inbound the basketball. Folks, you guys remember, the greatest singular play of the NCAA tournament so far was Houston. Purdue, 2.8 seconds left and Kelvin Sampson, the veteran older coach, dials up an amazing play. They get the dunk and Houston prevails over Purdue. Fast forward to the Final Four Saturday night, young coach John Shire. And we'll get to John Shire in a moment because if you want to blame anybody, you can blame him. He couldn't inbound the basketball. It was painful to watch. Anybody who's coached basketball at any level or played basketball, you know, inbounds, hey, you got some stuff dialed up. You know, even now they're going with the football play where you just have four players running down the court. Duke had nothing. It was painful to watch. Here's Kelvin Sampson, the great Houston coach, talking about culture and veterans in the victory. There's something to be said about having a culture that's based on how you win. You know, there's some nights when the ball goes in and teams don't have defensive players like Duke does or don't have defensive players like this team does or that team does. But our team is. They think they're going to win every game they play, you know, irregardless of what other people think or say, they think they're going to win. Yeah, listen. Kelvin Sampson with a master class down the stretch, never quitting. Now I do. Listen, you never want to crush anybody when they're. They're young. And John Shire, AKA White Mike. Yes. That was his nickname in high school because he was in Chicago and he was honestly getting buckets like Michael Jordan. Shire just had a brutal season, and our staff dug up an incredible stat I had not seen all weekend until this morning. So in close games this season, Duke was 1 and 3. Close games are 5 points or less. They were 1 and 3, folks. Duke lost four games all season, so in the close games, they kind of sort of melted. Now, some of that is due to three freshmen in the starting lineup. I watch college basketball all season, unlike some people. And I remember in November, they gave it to Flag down the stretch. So I think at the time, he was still technically 17. And flag kind of struggled against Kansas. Couldn't get the bucket, and they lose. But in since John Shire took over in 2022, in games five points or less, John Shire just 11 and 12. Now, I know what you're going to say, Jay. You crushed Lamar Jackson. Why can't you crush John Shire? And listen, if you want to blame somebody, you got to blame Shire. And I don't want to nitpick, but scion James, number 14 on Duke, good player. He hit his head on the hardwood. It looked brutal. He goes down, and you're like, oh, that guy's definitely concussed. You got to get him out. He barely sits out. And what happens a couple minutes later? Dribbling baseline, dribbles it off his leg, out of bounds, turnover. And then Shire had him inbounding the ball. And he looked so rattled, like he didn't know what to do. And. And it was just like, Shire, some situational awareness, please. Now, I know there's a segment of Houston fans out there upset that I have not really talked about the Cougars. I've been focusing on Duke, and that's because Duke lost the game. Houston didn't win it. That's really what happened. And we'll get to Houston because they play Florida tonight. Little preface. I'm On Florida. I like the Gators tonight. It's gonna be a great game. Houston, obviously a tough team, but folks, when you take down Duke and then you gotta go play two nights later, you've just slayed the dragon. I think there will be a little bit of a letdown. And I will kind of close out on this note because I know that people want. Jason, you got a bag on Cooper flag. Why is he fading away like Anthony Davis? Let me just remind you guys, Coach K had RJ Barrett and Zion Williamson, okay? Two top five picks just a few years ago, and they lose in the Elite Eight to Michigan State, okay? So it happens these young guys struggle in March. Barrett and Zion were freshmen. Cooper flag canipple. By the way, where was Kippo in the second half? They were young. They vanished. Congrats to Houston. Now let's get to a positive basketball story from the weekend. And you know, I gotta talk about the LA Lakers. Oh, my gosh. So I was at Lakers Warriors Thursday, and it was a bit of a. A funeral at. At the Crypt. It felt sad. The Lakers just looked out of sorts. Luca had his worst game with the Lakers Thursday night. And all of a sudden it's like, oh, here come the Warriors. We'll get to the Warriors. Had the Lakers bounce back. They beat the Pelicans Friday. Nobody cares. Irrelevant game. So Sunday they go to OKC. Mighty OKC. Everybody's favorite. They got the MVP. They're going to win like 65, 68 games. And what did the Lakers do if you guys were watching, if you switched over when Yukon started destroying South Carolina? You watch the Lakers, they put on a clinic. And I know everybody loves to talk about Lou Dort in the dorture chamber. Well, he tried to guard Luca yesterday, and Luca was getting basically a deep tissue massage at a day spa. He roasted Lou Dort. Chet Holmgren had no chance. Look at that. Step back. Three over the seven footer. Plot out. I mean, folks, the Lakers had one of the great three point shooting days in franchise history. I think they tied a franchise record for threes. At one point in the first half, they were 12 15. But why was that happening? Because Luka Doncic owns the OKC Thunder. He does. I'm sorry, I hate to admit it, but Luca, with Dallas last year, extinguished okc. It was a masterful series for Luca, and he did the same yesterday. They tried the hard doubles. Luca made the right pass. They tried the big guys. Step back. Three just in their face. Lou Dort. One on one. I know. Hey, Cowherd's buddy Bill Simmons is like Lou Dort defensive player of the year. You show that Lakers tape, he didn't do a damn thing. He could not stop Luca. Now few can. But I don't want to hear about OKC going, what is that, like, 22 and one against the east. Who cares? Show me what he's doing against Luca. And again, in these highlights, you put anybody on Luca Doncic, and it was game over. Now, at some point, we're gonna have to talk about sga. I don't. Again, I don't want to be in the business of Monday morning filling in for Coward, and I'm out here hammering players. Okay? But folks, a year ago, I saw one of these AI Internet videos where somebody had sliced, like, you know, fake voice over Anthony Edwards talking about okc. And in the video, they were like, yeah, free throw Merchant, sga. And I thought it was the funniest thing I'd ever seen. So I started using it on the show. Cowherd loved it, he laughed, and it became a running thing. I would say it all the time. Now, I'm not saying I started free throw Merchant, but it's out there now, and everybody calls SGA a free throw Merchant. Well, JJ Redick, who is a young coach with the Lakers, made it a point. We're not letting SGA get to the free throw line. Okay? For the first time in three years, the presumptive mvp. I would give it to Jokic, but that's just me, the presumptive mvp. SGA did not shoot a free throw. And here's the best part. You had to be watching closely. So at one point, SGA takes Luca baseline and does that fade away thing where he kicks his leg out and the ref blows the whistle. And then Luca's like, no, no, no. Replay, replay. Begging J.J. reddick. Reddick's like, all right, we'll replay it. What does the replay show? SGA was not touched. He stuck his leg out and drew the foul. Luca Dante to victory. And I know it's a small point, and it's one data point in a huge game, in a big season, but that proved to me that SGA is the kind of guy who gets all the calls. And if you watch closely, he kept driving all game long, and he would miss his shot. I think he was like 12 of 25. He would miss his shot and look to the refs, where's the whistle? What's going on? He got no free throw attempts. The Lakers sent a message, and I know everybody's Jay, who cares about this game? It. Okay, fair enough. If you want to say it doesn't matter, it doesn't count, that's fine. Here's the reality. The Lakers want to avoid the play in. They've almost done that. They needed a split against okc. They match up again tonight. They needed a split. Now the Lakers got their victory. They were probably out celebrating. I wouldn't be shocked if we saw like the Lakers backups play or a lot of minutes for Bronny and, you know, the end of the bench. Guys, maybe they get a lot of effort tonight. Lakers sent notice to okc. Hey, guys, we're not afraid of you. Now, some of us have been saying that for months. Okc, really, really good regular season team. But I, I don't know if they can do it in the playoffs, folks. We've seen James Harden dominate a regular season. They had to change rules so that James Harden couldn't do that, pull through and keep getting to the line. And what would happen every postseason, inevitably there would be a James Harden meltdown game where he couldn't get to the line, wasn't getting the whistle. It got in his head. I saw that from OKC yesterday. This is a really good regular season team. I don't know if they can do it in the playoffs. And that's why I like the Lakers, who everything, well, went in their favor yesterday, right? The warriors lose, we'll do them soon. The Nuggets lose, Lakers win. Lakers headed for the three seed, headed for the Western Conference finals. Sorry, Houston, I hate to do it. And it's just going to be a glorious postseason run for la. Here we got the standings on the screen. If the Lakers get the three, they would, well, hopefully not face the warriors in the first round. Hopefully it'll be Minnesota. Anybody but the warriors. And then it's Houston and then they're on to the conference finals. But a great, great Sunday for the Lakers. Alex, I don't want to get too excited, but listen, it's Monday, it's the Lakers. It was a great win.

[John Fanta]

I like that we get excited because there's so many doubters on the Lakers. And I like to remind people this is a Lakers team that has one of the greatest players of all time in LeBron James with more experience than anybody on that court. And then you have the future of the NBA in Luka Doncic and Austin Reese. Like, they have a Power 3 and everyone was like, whatever, like, washed. No, they're not. LeBron is not. He is one of the best players on that court, if not the best, especially late in the game, fear the Lakers because if you're facing them in a series, in the playoffs, they are the team to be total.

[Jason McIntyre]

I'm so glad you mentioned LeBron. I have it in my notes. I didn't even mention it. LeBron didn't attempt a free throw yesterday. He didn't even have to attack the basket at all.

[John Fanta]

That was beautiful for him, though, so.

[Jason McIntyre]

He could rest it and play a lot tonight, folks. LeBron, I did look this up. It's only the second time this season he did not attempt a free throw. The other was in a blowout over the Spurs. So LeBron not driving. He's rested, folks. Lakers are dangerous, Alex all right, coming up next here on the Herd, folks, the Golden State warriors picked up a few awesome wins last week. Everybody excited. I was starting to fall victim. And then last night at home against Houston, oh wait, Steph Curry did what? It went that badly? We'll talk about that next year on the Herd. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays in Noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the iHeartRadio Apple.

[Colin Cowherd]

The finals are here, and the only thing for sure, it's the last time to bet on college basketball this season. Been an amazing ride full of unexpected happenings. Maybe there'll be more. So get in on the action expected and unexpected with DraftKings sportsbook. Live betting promos, exclusive content parlays. I love those. DraftKings is the ultimate college basketball destination for March. So are you ready to make your first bet? Check out the matchups and pick a team to win. It's that simple. First time. Here's something special just for you. New DraftKings customers. Bet five bucks to get 150 bucks in bonus bets instantly. So bet the unexpected with DraftKings sportsbook. You download the Sportsbook app, the code is heard. That's me. H E R D for new customers, get 150 bucks in bonus bets. All you have to do is bet five bucks. That's it. Only on DraftKings. The crown is yours.

[Jason McIntyre]

Gambling problem. Call 1-800- gambler in New York. Call 877-8-Hopeny or text hopeny 467-369 In Connecticut, help is available. For problem gambling. Call 888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org Please play responsibly on behalf of Boot Hill Casino and Resort in Kansas 21. Age and eligibility varies by jurisdiction. Void in Ontario. New customers only. Bonus bets expire 168 hours after issuance. For additional terms and responsible gaming resources, see DKNG Co Audio. We live in a divided country. I am a lifelong Republican with all kinds of different people.

[John Fanta]

You know, I'm a mother, I'm a grandmother.

[Jason McIntyre]

That's why we started the Middle with Jeremy Hobson. It's about bringing voices not from the extremes, but from the vast middle into the national conversation. Anna, I'm calling from Las Vegas. Each week we bring together an all star panel. Mark Cuban, so great to have you on the Middle. Thanks for having me. Jeremy, Neil Degrasse Tyson, welcome to the Middle. Thanks for having me. And hear from ordinary Americans from all over the country on the most important issues. Hi, my name is Venkat. I'm calling you from Atlanta, Georgia. And when you subscribe to the Middle, you also get an episode each week called One Thing Trump did that focuses on just one item from the avalanche of news. We should be examining what our government spends its money on and are these jobs necessary? And what are we doing here? But that doesn't seem to be what we're doing in this situation. Listen to the Middle with Jeremy Hobson on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Alex Curry]

Ever wonder what it would be like to be mentored by today's top business leaders? My podcast, this Is Working can help with that. Here's some advice from Jamie Dimon, the CEO of JPMorgan Chase, on standing out from the leadership crowd.

[Jason McIntyre]

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[Alex Curry]

I'm Dan Roth, LinkedIn's editor in chief. On my podcast, this Is Working, leaders like Jamie Dimon, Mark Cuban, and Richard Branson share strategies for success and the real lessons that have shaped them. Listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

[John Fanta]

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[Jason McIntyre]

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[Alex Curry]

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[John Fanta]

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[Jason McIntyre]

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[John Fanta]

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[Jason McIntyre]

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[John Fanta]

Now that's what I call a podcast. Listen to Locator Radio Season 10 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Jason McIntyre]

Back here on the herd, Jason McIntyre in for Colin Cowherd, who's turned into a fisherman this week, apparently. Hopefully he doesn't have to deal with any whales out there in the ocean. Let's go to my favorite player for the last decade in sports. My favorite athlete, Steph Curry, folks. So I think I fell in love with him at Davidson when he was a young player and led that amazing run by the Wildcats to the Elite Eight. And I followed his career with the warriors, and it just so happened I was lucky enough that he was at my gym in, like, 2021, because I work out at the old Clippers facility, and he's training there after getting surgery on his hand. And I just rolled up, you know, I'm playing basketball, lifting or whatever, and I see Steph Curry walk by with, like, you know, a couple of his people as trainers. And of course, all the parents are. Everybody's staring at Curry, you know, J. Max, undaunted. I just rolled right up. I was like, steph, hey, you were on my podcast, like, five years ago. What's up, bro? And we start talking. I get a picture with him. That's like, the only athlete that I would actually get try to get a picture with, maybe LeBron. And I'm just like, the biggest Curry fanboy. So I was torn last week when I went to Lakers Warriors. You know, obviously I'm a Lakers fan. I wore a Luka T shirt, but I have a Curry jersey. I'm a Curry fanboy. And last week, Curry was just unbelievable, incendiary stuff. Dropped 52 on Memphis in Memphis, then went to the lakers and had 37. The next night had 36 in Denver. And everybody at that point is like, okay, warriors are set. They're the second best team in the west, and they did look hella good. Three straight row wins, very impressive. And then yesterday, they went home to face the Houston Rockets, and everybody's like, okay, they got this. Warriors could get the three seed, maybe the two. In one of the great defensive performances of the season, the Houston Rockets held Steph Curry to 1 of 10, shooting, 1 of 8 from deep three points. Folks, it was a master class defensively. And we got a member of the staff here who's a big Houston fanboy, and he's like, they were throwing the kitchen sink at him. You know, the blitzing, the doubles. He come over half court and they're swarming. They just refuse to give Curry anything. It was a pretty great defensive showing. Okay, Amen. Thompson's awesome. It wasn't all him. It wasn't that goon Dylan Brooks. It was just a total defensive effort. However, if you watch closely, a lot of arguing with the Warriors. They were unhappy with the calls. Draymond got into it with Sengun because that's what he does. A European, big white guy. Draymond loves to act tough and get an elbow in the face. Okay? That's what he does. Don't yell at me. So after the game, Jimmy Butler met the media, and he was incensed at the way the refs handled Steph Curry. I've never seen an individual get fouled more than he gets fouled. To me, I think that's. It's astounding. But, you know, it's crazy to say, but he's used to it. You know, it's been happening to him his whole career, and he's found a way through it, around it, under it, whatever you want to call it. I'm pretty sure it's been happening for 16 straight years. I get to see it. And it really angers me that he's on my team and he gets hacked like that. Now, that's interesting because he. Steph made 13 of 14 free throws against the Lakers Thursday, 0 for 0. What a day, right? LeBron doesn't attempt a free throw and Curry doesn't go to the line, which is crazy. So I started thinking about this, and you guys know that there is this Arab issue in the NBA. The old guys think, oh, these young guys, they can't play in our. In our era, with the hand check rules and the toughness, this nonsense. We'll get to it a little later, saving it for later. But it's interesting because if you guys, you know, the older generation, remember there was a book called the Jordan Rules by the great Sam Smith, and it talks about how the Pistons roughed up. Michael Jordan is undeniable. They just clogged the lane. And anytime Jordan would Come in there. Boom. Mahorn, Rodman, Lambert, they would all jack him up. And famously, there's video out there of Jordan saying, I wasn't strong enough. I had to go in the gym. And then of course, they cut to a gym video of Michael lifting weights. Had to get stronger. This is more Jordan hatiography where they're just creating a narrative that is kind of like a half truth. Yes, the Jordan rules existed. Yes, the Pistons roughed up Jordan. But it wasn't about him weightlifting to get better. It was more about the Pistons getting old. They went to the finals three years in a row. They broke down. And that's when the Bulls finally swept him. It wasn't Michael Jordan getting stronger. It was Phil's triangle offense. Phil and Tex Winterstar triangle offense working. It wasn't just Michael Jordan getting tougher. This isn't about Steph Curry not being tough enough to hang with the physicality of the Rockets. And by the way, Curry and Ime Udoka, the Rockets coach, exchanged some words. Curry wanted foul calls. Udoka was basically like, shut the hell up. Stop whining. And of course Curry is not going to take that, especially in his home arena. And I don't think it's a toughness thing. I don't think there's a blueprint for how to stop Steph Curry. We know this. He's the greatest shooter in NBA history. We know this when he's running off seven screens on one possession and that, that kind of thing happens. It's going to free up Podzinski and Kuminga and these other guys for threes. Guess what? They didn't make their shots yesterday against the lakers. Pods was 8 of 10 from 3. He can't duplicate that in the playoffs. He's not doing that. Eight of ten was a one off. You know, Kuminga had a great game. What happened to him yesterday? Ghost Invisible. Curry is awesome when he scores. The warriors are not good when Curry doesn't lead them in points. And it's like, I, I, I like Jimmy Butler a lot. I'm a huge fan. He's not looking like the offensive guy he used to be. Now he could be saving it for the playoffs. I think the warriors are going to be fine. But I'm not buying the hype that they're the second best team in the West. That would be the Los Angeles Lakers, the biggest threat to the OKC Thunder. Let's go to Alex Curry with the news. No, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the Herd line news.

[John Fanta]

Well, J. Mac, there's a new all time goal scorer in the NHL. Alex Ovechkin scored his 895th goal on Sunday against the Islanders. The former record holder, Wayne Gretzky, the Great One, was in attendance and they stopped the game in New York and everybody celebrated his accomplishment on the ice. It was great. They kind of. They rolled out a carpet onto the ice and Wayne Gretzky, Gretzky gave Ovechkin his flowers. He's been following him around kind of the last month, waiting for this moment to happen. And I don't know if you saw it, but Ovechkin had a chance to. To beat it in the last game, but he didn't want to because it was on an empty net. And he said he wanted to earn the final goal in order to break Gretzky's goal. But this is insane. Gretzky, like, broke that record in 94 and scored his last goal in 99. So the Great One, number 99, scored his last goal in 99. And it has been decades since anybody has ever gotten close to doing this. What do you think is the next, like, biggest record?

[Jason McIntyre]

That can be really awesome. Alex, at the risk of teasing a segment later, I think it's awesome that the NHL was totally wrapping its arms around this for about a month. This.

[John Fanta]

Yes.

[Jason McIntyre]

Hockey's had two huge stories this year. That All Star Game thing, the nations.

[John Fanta]

Cup, that like, other leagues take notice.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah.

[John Fanta]

Because that was incredible.

[Jason McIntyre]

And this hopefully, hopefully other leagues take notice of a positive story and embrace in a positive manner a successful star of this generation surpassing a Wayne Gretzky accomplishment. I don't think anybody's saying Ovechkin's better than Gretzky. I don't.

[John Fanta]

No, no, no, no.

[Jason McIntyre]

Nobody's saying that.

[John Fanta]

It's different. Right. It's again, different generation. This is going to go back to the, the Jordan and LeBron argument. It's kind of just who you believe was great for you at that time. And I just love how supportive.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yes.

[John Fanta]

And into it Wayne Gretzky was because he was. He was following around the Capitals in Ovechkin the last month just in case he was going to break this record. But it was beautiful. His. His wife gave Ovechkin's wife a gift. He. I think he told the Capitals, like, I think he got a Rolls Royce when he broke the record. So he's like, step up your game. You better get him a good gift. So, yeah. Congratulations to Ovechkin. Insane accomplishment and just so incredible to be able to see such a Superstar play this long. Like, I love when we get to experience greatness, which is beautiful. Okay. Moving to baseball. And the Dodgers, they lost two of three games in Philly over the weekend. But Philly superstar Bryce Harper had a message for anybody who doesn't like how LA is doing business.

[Alex Curry]

I don't know if people like this, but I feel like only losers complain about what they're doing.

[Jason McIntyre]

You know, I think they're a great team.

[Alex Curry]

They're a great organization.

[Jason McIntyre]

That's why guys want to go there and play.

[Alex Curry]

Louisiana is a great city to play in.

[Jason McIntyre]

Obviously.

[Alex Curry]

It's, you know, they're at the Mecca of kind of the world of everything, right? From food to nightlife to sports, from.

[Jason McIntyre]

The, you know, the Dodgers to the Lakers to anybody. They're going to continue to get guys. They're going to continue to pull guys.

[Alex Curry]

From, you know, this sport. And if that's bullpen, starting pitching players.

[John Fanta]

Anything like that, I think this was the most incredible response that you can have to anybody complaining about a winning team. Only losers complain about what they're doing. Because he's right. Like, the Dodgers aren't doing anything illegal. They figured out a way to beat the system. So what you should be doing is you should be watching and learning, or look in the mirror, look at your ownership. Why aren't they doing something? Why aren't they pulling out the checkbook? The Dodgers are doing it right? They're making it a place where superstars want to come play. They're paying the team, and they're making that money back with merch and the fans coming to the games and the sponsorships. Like, it's like, hats off to Bryce, because I think that can go for, like, anything you're complaining about in sports. Like, get over it.

[Jason McIntyre]

I kind of got it. So, you know, I have, like, a journalism background. I went. I wrote for newspapers and magazines. Alice, I got to ask. Who are these losers that are complaining? Is this, like, online stuff, or is it other teams? Are they out teams?

[John Fanta]

It's.

[Jason McIntyre]

It's.

[John Fanta]

It's fan bases, it's teams, it's players. It's people who aren't putting together a winning team saying they cheated. They're doing all this deferred money. How are they able to go and buy all these players? Excuse me. Do you not remember the Yankees for decades doing this? This is what baseball is. You can go out and you can pay guys a ton of money. So don't get mad at the Dodgers for doing whatever it takes to win. Get mad at your ownership or would.

[Jason McIntyre]

You prefer a salary cap like basketball?

[Colin Cowherd]

It's.

[John Fanta]

It's not the way the game is. Like, baseball, players get guaranteed money no matter what, and there's not really a sal. You play a luxury tax.

[Jason McIntyre]

But there's like, basketball has guaranteed salaries too, but they have a cap. Like the Lakers can't go over the cap, whereas New Orleans also has the cap and they don't want to go. So they're on like the same playing field. Do you think, like, the Pirates or the Dodgers should have a cap just like the Yankees, league wide?

[John Fanta]

It's never been that way, so you can't unless, like, the league does something to change it. It's always been this way, so stop complaining. No, no, no. It's just part of the game. There's always been powerhouses. But the thing with baseball, unlike other team sports, baseball is an individual sport played in a team atmosphere. So you can pay all the guys and you still might not be the best team out there. You still can't win because if a pitcher has a bad game or it's. The guys aren't seeing the ball well at the plate, like, it doesn't guarantee that you're gonna win. Opposed to, like basketball and football, where you rely on each other, like baseball, it's a very individual sport.

[Jason McIntyre]

Pitcher versus batter. Yeah.

[John Fanta]

Yeah. So it's. I just like, hats off to Bryce about this. It was just such a Philly response and I, I loved it so much. Okay, final story. The Knicks have been doing okay since Jalen Brunson turned his ankle nearly a month ago, going 9 and 6, 6 without their point guard. Now, Brunson returned to the lineup yesterday as the Knicks beat the Suns. And Brunson had 15 points and six assists in his return. This is. Yeah, we're coming down the stretch here, J. Mac, how much better are the Knicks chances in the east with a healthy Brunson back in the lineup? Right. It's night and day.

[Jason McIntyre]

Definitely need him. You got, you need him to get to the conference finals. It's going to be tough for, for my Knicks. I know I said I'm a Lakers, but I'm born in New York, so.

[John Fanta]

They'Re currently in third. Yeah, you got four games left. Two of those. You got Celtics, Pistons, Cavs. Knicks are 0 and 6 against Boston and Cavs this year.

[Jason McIntyre]

The problem is they have the Celtics in the second round and that's like mission impossible.

[John Fanta]

It is like they, I, I don't.

[Jason McIntyre]

Know what I mean. They have, like you said, they haven't beaten The Cavs or the Knicks this year?

[John Fanta]

They haven't beaten Boston or the Cavs this year. Owen.

[Jason McIntyre]

I'm sorry. Cavs or. Or Celtics.

[John Fanta]

And three. They're. They're fainting. They. Four games left. Three of those games against playoff team. Celtics, Pistons, Cavs.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah, I. I don't even know if I trust Thibodeau, you know, to cook up something to beat the Celtics.

[John Fanta]

This is tough.

[Jason McIntyre]

It's. It's gonna be tough because I love this.

[John Fanta]

They have a three game lead on the Pacers, so they're like, steady in that they have to win.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah.

[John Fanta]

If they want to hold on to that third.

[Jason McIntyre]

So.

[John Fanta]

Third spot.

[Jason McIntyre]

Listen, we gotta. We gotta pace ourselves this week. So with that Knicks win, I think the Suns were mathematically eliminated from the playoffs.

[John Fanta]

Okay.

[Jason McIntyre]

And Kevin Durant obviously ain't gonna be playing for the Suns next year. That's, like, pretty well documented. Like, he didn't like that they tried to trade him. So I just wonder if there's an early Knicks flame out. Do they then, look, hey, we need to level up. They gotta either get rid of the coach or add Kevin Durant or, I don't know. They're gonna need something.

[John Fanta]

Oh, yeah. I mean, look, if it didn't work again. Look at the mirror. Look in the mirror and figure out what you need to do to get better.

[Jason McIntyre]

Okay, so cabs. Hold on. The Cavs last year bounced in the first round. Everybody's like, oh, my. I think they got.

[John Fanta]

But they're young with so much talent. Like, there's potential there.

[Jason McIntyre]

No, I'm sorry. Cavs got by. They got out of the first round barely against Orlando and then lost badly to the Celtics. But it's like, oh, should we run it back? Donovan Mitchell, trade. And now the Cavs look awesome. They're the number one seed. So maybe you need another year to bake for the Knicks.

[John Fanta]

Yeah, you could, but again, is that a risk you're willing to take? Or do you add another superstar to the mix right away who you know can be a difference maker?

[Jason McIntyre]

I'm a passion speaker, guys. Alex, are you patient or impatient? Let me adjust in traffic. I'm impatient in the last traffic.

[John Fanta]

I'm no traffic. I'm so patient. Well, grew up in la. It's just. It is what it is.

[Jason McIntyre]

Like, so if it rains, you're doing 35 on the highway like most other people.

[John Fanta]

If it. No, no. I am an incredible. I feel like I could be, like, secretly a great race car driver. Oh, like, that's like a weird secret thing I have. I am a professional driver. I am great.

[Jason McIntyre]

You would do well in New York. I love driving in New York. All right, Alex Curry with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by the herd lie news. So who's got the edge tonight? Houston and Kelvin Sampson or the Florida Gators? You know who I'm backing. We'll talk to John Fanta, the great college basketball announcer next. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific.

[Alex Curry]

Hey, it's Steve Covino. And I'm Rich Davis. And together we're Covino and Rich on Fox Sports Radio. You can catch us weekdays from 5 to 7pm Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific on Fox Sports Radio. And of course, the iHeartRadio app.

[Colin Cowherd]

Why should you listen to Covino and Rich?

[Alex Curry]

We talk about everything, life, sports, relationships, what's going on in the world.

[Jason McIntyre]

We have a lot of fun talking.

[Colin Cowherd]

About the stories behind the stories in.

[Jason McIntyre]

The world of sports and pop culture.

[Alex Curry]

Stories that, well, other shows don't seem.

[Colin Cowherd]

To have the time to discuss.

[Alex Curry]

And the fact that we've been friends for the last 20 years and still work together, I mean, that says something, right? So check us out. We like to get you involved, too.

[Jason McIntyre]

Take your phone calls, chop it up, as they say.

[Alex Curry]

I'd say the most interactive show on Fox Sports Radio, maybe the most interactive show on planet Earth. Be sure to check out Covino and Rich live on Fox Sports radio and the iHeartradio app from 5 to 7pm Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific. And if you miss any of the live show, just search Covino and Rich wherever you get your podcast. And of course, on social media, that's Covino and Rich.

[Jason McIntyre]

We live in a divided country. I am a lifelong Republican with all kinds of different people.

[John Fanta]

You know, I'm a mother, I'm a grandmother.

[Jason McIntyre]

That's why we started the Middle with Jeremy Hobson. It's about bringing voices not from the extremes, but from the vast middle into the national conversation. Anna, I'm calling from Las Vegas. Each week we bring together an all star panel. Mark Cuban, so great to have you on the Middle. Thanks for having me, Jeremy. Neil Degrasse Tyson, welcome to the Middle. Thanks for having me. And hear from ordinary Americans from all over the country on the most important issues. Hi, my name is Venkat. I'm calling you from Atlanta, Georgia. And when you subscribe to the Middle, you also get an episode each week called One Thing Trump did that focuses on just one item from the avalanche of news we should be examining what our government spends its money on and are these jobs necessary and what are we doing here? But that doesn't seem to be what we're doing in this situation. Listen to the middle with Jeremy Hobson on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Alex Curry]

Ever wonder what it would be like to be mentored by today's top business leaders? My podcast, this Is Working can help with that. Here's some advice from Jamie Dimon, the CEO of JPMorgan Chase, on standing out from the leadership crowd.

[Jason McIntyre]

Develop your eq. A lot of people have plenty of brains, but EQ is do you trust me? Do I communicate well? You know, when you walk in a room, do people feel good you're there? Are you responsive to people? Do people know you have a heart? Develop the team, develop the people. Create a system of trust. And it works over time.

[Alex Curry]

I'm Dan Roth, LinkedIn's editor in chief. On my podcast this Is Working, leaders like Jamie Dimon, Mark Cuban, and Richard Branson share strategies for success and the real lessons that have shaped them. Listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[John Fanta]

Are your ears bored?

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah. Are you looking for a new podcast that will make you laugh, learn, and say gay? Yeah.

[John Fanta]

Then tune in to locatora radio season 10 today. Okay.

[Jason McIntyre]

I'm Diosa. I'm Mala, the host of Locatora Radio, a radiophonic novella, which is just a.

[John Fanta]

Very extra way of saying a podcast. We're launching this season with a mini series, totally nostalgic, a four part series about the Latinos who shaped pop culture in the early 2000s. It's Lala checking in with all things Y2K 2000s. My favorite memory, honestly, was us having our own media platforms like Mundos and MTV Tres. You could turn on the TV, you see Thalia, you see JLo, Nina Sky, Evie Queen, all the girlies doing their things, all of the beauty reflected right back at us. It was everything.

[Jason McIntyre]

Tune in to locatora radio season 10.

[John Fanta]

Now that's what I call a podcast. Listen to Locatora Radio Season 10 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Jason McIntyre]

You have to be very careful with tradition because sometimes tradition is just dead people's baggage. I'm Jemel Hill, host of the sports.

[John Fanta]

And politics podcast Spolitics. On this week's episode, I talk with comedian and CNN host Roy Wood Jr. About the lack of African American star power in Major League Baseball.

[Jason McIntyre]

Baseball Needs an Anthony Edwards and I don't know who that could be. Mookie Betts is Steph Curry. He's exceptional and likable. Million dollar smile, that's important. But you also need chaos Negro. You need.

[John Fanta]

So you think Anthony Edwards is a chaos agent.

[Jason McIntyre]

He told. He talked. You saw the clip of him talking to Obama. He was talking to Obama like that was his little brother. Oh yeah, you oh what you did. You killed bin Laden. That's what's up.

[John Fanta]

Listen to Politics on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.

[Jason McIntyre]

McIntyre in for Colin Cowherd. Oh boy. Houston, Florida tonight in the natty very excited Florida opened up as a favorite. Looks like money coming in on Houston. To break it all down, we got the great John Fanta, Fox Sports, college basketball reporter, host. He announces games. He's got a podcast. He's blowing up on social. John, how's it going this morning?

[Alex Curry]

J. Mack, it is great to be with you. Look, a national title in the balance and this all time final four that you and I talked about, we said, well to be all time it's gotten deliver the goods. Well, that Saturday night is how you deliver the goods. That was big time stuff in both games. I was in the elevator with two people who have attended the last 35 of these.

[Jason McIntyre]

Wow.

[Alex Curry]

And they both said that's the wildest Saturday night of final four I've ever had. I have to agree. That was crazy, man.

[Jason McIntyre]

So it's interesting, both of the teams that won, John, they were trailing at half and they both looked to be in trouble. Houston was like I felt they were dead. Dukes got them and then Florida couldn't stop. Broom inside. But the second half, man, things change. So we got two veteran teams, but one veteran coach and another kind of newbie in Golden.

[Alex Curry]

I think that that's what's interesting about tonight. Houston's never won the national championship and you think by slam a jama and all of those great players from Hakeem to Clyde Drexler and those legendary teams, they never were able to cut down the nets. Now they ran into Patrick Ewing back in in 84. So for Houston, Kelvin Sampson's been working at this. This program's 160 and 23 in their last 183 games. It would be an amazing story for him to accomplish this. The job that he has done with this program. When he took over, nobody was at these games. We're talking, you could count the people in the stands. They've built a beautiful building in The Fertitta Center. They make the move from the American in the Big 12. How J Mac has Houston come into the Big 12 and dominating the league back to back years, only losing one time in league play this year. This is a remarkable rise of a titan in college basketball that's not a blue blood brand but has had a Villanova like renaissance under Jay Wright. That's what Kelvin has delivered with the Houston Cougars.

[Jason McIntyre]

So we'll get to Duke in a minute and their meltdown. But I do want to quickly ask about the Florida Gators who seem to be getting the short shrift in all this because of the Houston comeback and the Kelvin Sampson story. I'm just saying I think Walter Clayton, the young guard who was a no star recruit starts at Iona, then lands at Florida and now he just had from what I saw was like the greatest scoring output in the final four wins since like 1981. I think he had 34 points. He looks like Keba walk out there.

[Alex Curry]

He looks up to Kemba Walker. He told us this past week that he has watched a ton of Kemba Walkers run with Connecticut back in 2011 when the Huskies won 11 consecutive games. Big east tournament, the national championship. Well, Clayton led Florida to the SEC tournament title. J Mac, you and I know how good the SEC was. That Clayton was absolutely outstanding. And now this guy is a tough shot taker and even tougher shot maker. You cannot just send one at him. And that's the dilemma for Houston. It is only fitting that the best defensive team in this sport now has to find a way to crack the code of the hero of this tournament. He has put the cape on. He's been brilliant and to your point, the nugget of all nuggets that makes you want to watch tonight, America. We have not seen a player in the NCAA tournament in the Elite Eight or later have back to back 30 plus point games since Larry Bird in 1979. Enough said. Clayton has been that man.

[Jason McIntyre]

So you talked a little bit about Houston's strategy. I. I don't know if it's going to work. If they double Clayton hard and they want to do the double in the traps. Florida's one of the best three point shooting teams in this country. I think 17th they're gonna their guys can make a. Martin is a stud. He's been to the Final Four. I like their bigs pick and pop guys. I. I'm on Florida here. I don't Will Houston change his stripes or just stick with what got him there?

[Alex Curry]

Well, I think they're going to stick with what got them there because they're going to send doubles, they're going to, they're going to try to blitz on ball screens. They like to create chaos, but they have the front line that could stay with any opposing front line enough that they don't really get paid in terms of easy. They don't give up easy buckets. But Florida has the pieces to capitalize with some perimeter shooting to your point. I think this game gets decided on which backcourt is better offensively at the end of the day because if they do try to frazzle Clayton with their defense, which they're going to, they're going to apply ball pressure, they're going to swarm the ball, they're going to make him work. Will Elijah Martin and will Richard be able to cash in? Conversely, if you're Florida, you want to send coverage hard at LJ Crier, you cannot let LJ Cryer get cooking early. He's coming off a 20 plus point performance. He was brilliant. Milo Shuzan and Emmanuel Sharp did not shoot the ball well on Saturday night. Sharp made a couple of huge shots, including the biggest one of the game I felt when he cut the lead from six to three. But if you are Houston, the reason why you're different this year is you have had a three headed monster in your backcourt that can get cooking at any instance. Florida can shut teams down offensively too. Make no mistake about it, Jason, Florida can defend and if you didn't think they could, look at the job they did on Jani Broome and to Hod Pettiford who only made one shot on Saturday night. So Florida's really good defensively. They're top 10 in the country themselves. They're number two in offense to me. It's a Guards game tonight. Florida does have the best guard on paper, but Houston's got some really difficult shot makers. This is a toss up for a reason. My pick in my bracket was Florida, so I'm staying committed to my guns here because Clayton has been a man possessed and I trust Florida's front line. But could Houston win this game? Of course. Yeah.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah, certainly. All right, I want to save a few minutes here for Duke and the meltdown. I'm going to start with the obvious. Why didn't John Shire have one friggin inbounds play ready for the final minute of the game when Duke melted down?

[Alex Curry]

There's no way to explain it. It's one of the all time classes in the history of the NCAA tournament for them to be up by 14 points with eight minutes left. And I tweeted it. We're all but done here. It's because we were. Cooper flag was having a sensational performance all of a sudden in the last five, six minutes. And Houston's defense has something to do with it. But Duke, how do you turn into hero ball? How? They were not moving the basketball, they were not getting high percentage looks. Only one made field goal in the last 10 minutes of the game. One of the things that we asked heading into this Duke season, Jason, was would they have enough point guard play to get them to the finish line against the elite? They didn't have point guard play in the late goings on Saturday night. Tyrese Proctor wasn't good enough. Ceon James wasn't good enough and as a result con canipple. Where'd he go? Yeah, he had a huge first half disappears in the second half. This is now a part of the definition of John Shire.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah.

[Alex Curry]

Now does it mean that it defines him forever? No. Tony Bennett overcame demons. Jay Wright, Villanova people wanted Jay Wright out at one point. Then he became one of the greatest coaches of all time. Dan Hurley and UConn lost to Teddy Allen three weeks, three years ago. Then he wins back to back national championships. This is going to stay with John Shire forever because of how good this team was and they were the favorite. But now it's up to him to respond. You and I both know the next time he's in a big NCAA tournament game, it's going to be the lead question. It's going to be the lead thing on our minds. They choke this game away. There is no other way to put it.

[Jason McIntyre]

I'm glad you used choke. It is okay to use choke. It's fine. People choke. It happens. I've choked in sports. You've choked, I'm sure. Anyways, I need to ask. This is calling for a conclusion in the courtroom. Do you believe Scion James who hit his head hard on the floor, came back, turned the ball over and then couldn't inbound it? Do you believe he was possibly concussed in the. In the second half? I did not see heady basketball from him and I don't know why he was on the floor.

[Alex Curry]

Well, I'm not going to sit here and say that I think he was because of in today's times, if you're even remotely close, they're sitting you on the bench. These medical staffs are not forcing the issue. And, and, and I don't care what it is. Concussions, that's the One thing that all talking with trainers through the years, Jason, that's a very, very sensitive thing that could lead to some legal action if they, if they played him, you know, and that was even, even in the shadow of a doubt. I don't think so.

[Jason McIntyre]

Okay.

[Alex Curry]

I don't think so. I'm sure he was shaken up. We know he was. And he wasn't himself late. But this is nothing new. Like back in January. Houston's down. Not down six at Allen Field House. Down six with less than 15 seconds to go in overtime. The game looks over. I stepped away from the game for a second. They bury a three, they get a steal on the inbounds, bury another three to send the game to double overtime for Houston. That was nothing new on Saturday night. That's what they do. You have to beat them over the course of 40 minutes and you have to do it on their terms so they earn that. But I did feel that Shire, you know, it's the image, Jason, is real. At the Final Four, the head coach is up on the court, his staff is down in seats. I just couldn't help but look at him and be like, this is a 37 year old and we're seeing it right now against the seasoned vet because they look lost their late. And that's why that inbound scenario. I would have run the football play. Yeah, I'll pass to somebody else and see who you can get it into. I think that, that, that's the route that I take. But you and I aren't the coach. John's going to have a long career. I still believe in John shot. But this one, this one really stings. The inability to get that in. When you have Cooper Flood. They don't have a single player under 6 foot 5. How do you not get the ball?

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah, just lob it up to Cooper, but not in the middle of the court. Like, what was that anyways? John Fanta, the great college football reporter, podcast host, TV host, he's everywhere. He's doing everything. John, thanks for crushing a man. Enjoy the game tonight.

[Alex Curry]

You're awesome, J. Mac. Thanks for having me.

[Jason McIntyre]

All right, John Fanta. The Duke's loss still hurts. Honestly, I got buddies still texting me. Did that really happen? Now listen, I didn't watch White Lotus last night, Alex, but I know Duke is upset set with the Dwight T shirt.

[John Fanta]

You can't even find the gif. It's gone. I had to like take a screenshot from the Internet to add it to a tweet.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah, so tough one for Duke. Eight. They'll bounce back. They got the Boozer brothers coming next year to Durham. All right, coming up next, yes, I'm going back to Cooper Flag. Did his NBA stock take a hit? Next.

[Colin Cowherd]

Hi, everybody. This message is brought to you by the official Whiskey of the Herd with Colin Coward podcast, Green River Whiskey. As you know, we've been having some fun getting to know Green River Whiskey, and we just learned they've launched their first first advertising campaign in more than 100 years. You see, it seems the team from Green river in reviving the whiskey have accidentally also revived its resident ghost. So if you want to see the ghost of Green river come to Life, check out greenriverwhiskey on their YouTube channel or head on over to greenriverwhiskey.com here's to green River Whiskey. Raise your spirits. Product of Green River Distilling Company, Owensboro, Kentucky. Alcohol by volume varies by product. Greenriverwhiskey.com Please drink responsibly.

[Jason McIntyre]

We live in a divided country, and our media couldn't be more polarizing. That's why we started the Middle with Jeremy Hobson. It's about bringing voices not from the extremes, but from the vast middle into the national conversation. Each week, we hear from ordinary Americans from all over the country. And when you subscribe to the Middle, you also get an episode each week called One Thing Trump that focuses on just one item from the avalanche of news. Listen to the Middle with Jeremy Hobson on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, I'm Sam Mullins, and I've got a new podcast coming out called goboy, the gritty true story of how one man fought his way out of some of the darkest places imaginable. Roger Caron, was 16 when first convicted, has spent 24 of those years in jail. But when Roger Caron picked up a pen and paper, he went from an ex con to a literary darling. From Campside Media and iHeart Podcasts, listen to GoBoy starting April 9th on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Are you hungry?

[John Fanta]

Colleen Witt here. And Eating While Broke is back for season four. Every Thursday on the Black Effect Podcast Network. This season, we've got a legendary lineup serving up broke dishes and even broken better stories. On the menu, we have Tony Baker, Nick Cannon, Melissa Ford, October London, and Carrie Harper Howe turning Big Macs into big moves. Catch Eating While Broke every Thursday on the Black Effect Podcast Network. IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast. Wherever you get your favorite shows come hungry for season four.