THE HERD - Hour 1 - UConn defeats Duke in a wild finish, ABS in MLB gets an interesting reaction from the fans

Summary

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The Herd with Colin Cowherd – March 30, 2026 (Hour 1)

Theme: UConn’s Wild Comeback Victory Over Duke & MLB’s ABS System Gets Game Show Energy

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Overview

In this episode, Colin Cowherd dives deep into the dramatic UConn comeback against Duke in the NCAA tournament, analyzes the role of experience and coaching in college basketball, and discusses the new ABS (Automated Ball-Strike) system’s lively effect on Major League Baseball. Cowherd also interviews Michigan head coach Dusty May about his team’s unique offensive style and touches on key news from the NBA and NFL.

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NCAA Tournament Drama: UConn Stuns Duke

[03:14 – 15:03]

Key Discussion Points

• Duke’s Collapse:

  • Duke jumped to a 15-point halftime lead against UConn, largely on the back of Cameron Boozer’s aggressive play (14 points in first half).
  • UConn, struggling offensively (1 for 11 from three in the first half), looked overmatched early.
  • “Duke is an academic powerhouse, but man they played some dumb basketball.” – Colin Cowherd [03:28]

• The UConn Turnaround:

  • Dan Hurley’s Huskies, known for physicality and second-half intensity, wore Duke down as fatigue and mistakes set in.
  • Key difference: UConn’s veteran leadership vs. Duke’s reliance on freshmen and underclassmen.

• Coaching/Experience Gap:

  • Cowherd criticizes Duke coach Jon Scheyer’s in-game management, particularly his failure to use timeouts and guide a young team through chaos.
  • “Where’s the coaching? In chaos. Call a timeout...You got to help the kid.” – Colin Cowherd [05:36]
  • “Old NBA guys get a seven-game series. Not the way it works in college. It's a lot of 18 year olds...” – Colin Cowherd [06:07]

• Aftermath:

  • Duke’s last four NCAA exits saw big blown leads, highlighting the growing pains of young, five-star rosters.

• Duke/UConn Dynamic:

  • UConn’s players were older and more connected within the system, while Duke’s immaturity surfaced in key stretches.
  • “That is the magic of Michigan and the magic of UConn...you got Caravan who's been around the program forever....he's like a secondary coach.” – Colin Cowherd [12:50]

Notable Quotes

• “Duke went from a dream wedding to America’s Funniest Home Videos; the bride's hair was on fire and the wedding cake got knocked over and everybody was lost.” – Colin Cowherd [04:32]
• “You could watch Duke on television melting, and they just didn't have a 23 year old.” – Colin Cowherd [12:50]
• “If you’re not mature and you’re not connected as a group and you’re not willing to be held accountable by the staff and each other, then it’s not going to work.” – Dusty May, Michigan Head Coach [10:37]

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Michigan’s Dominance and the Value of Age

[07:12 – 14:12, 43:13 – 50:40]

Key Points

• Michigan’s Formula:

  • Blends experienced veterans (23-year-olds like Ledenberg) with young talent; boasts a strong, NIL-fueled roster under coach Dusty May.
  • Elite passing, NBA-level three-point shooting (45% in the tournament), and an aesthetically pleasing half-court offense.
  • Defense and physicality draw comparisons to high-level NBA teams.

• NIL’s Effect:

  • Name, Image, and Likeness money has allowed top teams to retain talent, reinforcing a “big dog” dynamic and making upsets rarer.
  • “People can criticize the nil, but what it’s done, it’s fortified the big dogs.” – Colin Cowherd [11:01]

Notable Quotes

• “Their half court offense is aesthetically as pretty as a college basketball half court offense can be.” – Colin Cowherd [09:43]
• “You can see the nil money. You can see the great coaching.” – Colin Cowherd [09:32]
• “That's what Duke is missing, Colin. Michigan has the recipe. You need a mix of old guys, veterans who have 22, 23 year olds and young stars.” – Co-host [12:04]

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MLB’s Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) System – A Game Show Feel

[20:30 – 24:55]

Key Discussion Points

• Technological Umpiring Tweaks:

  • The ABS system enables real-time challenges and quick reviews on ball/strike calls, injecting new energy and immediacy to games.
  • “It’s become like a game show with a reveal on a live studio audience. What’s behind door number three on ABS? Survey says...” – Colin Cowherd [21:09]

• Impact:

  • Makes games more interactive for fans and players, increasing drama and engagement.
  • Highlights the immense skill of MLB hitters and the narrow margins at the plate.

Notable Quotes

• “Baseball's always been strategic, but it was more like chess. It was plotting. Now it’s like speed chess.” – Colin Cowherd [23:01]
• “Baseball between the pitch clock and this has put a time on it—speed it up, guys...And they've worked and it's great.” – Colin Cowherd [24:35]

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News Updates: NBA & NFL Headlines

[25:00 – 31:32]

NBA

• Celtics Win Without Jaylen Brown:
  • Celtics notch 50th win, Tatum drops 32 points.
  • “Boston can play physical, they can play pretty. They can play up tempo. They live on threes and when they're hitting them, it's lights out.” – Colin Cowherd [26:21]
• Coaching Standouts:
  • Joe Mazzulla cited as a likely Coach of the Year; comparison drawn to Jon Scheyer’s rocky tenure at Duke.

NFL

• Josh Allen’s Injury:

  • Played through a broken bone in his foot last year, but expected to be ready for OTAs.

• A.J. Brown Trade Rumors:

  • Eagles GM Howie Roseman is noncommittal about Brown’s future: “A.J. Brown is a member of the Philadelphia Eagles.” – Howie Roseman [30:12]

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Coaching Styles & The Grit Factor: Hurley and May

[33:36 – 37:07]

Intensity Matters

• Dan Hurley’s Intense Culture:
  • Praised for developing resilience and toughness, which translated into UConn’s comeback.
  • “We run a very intense program...we stress them in practice, we put a lot of pressure on them on a daily basis to do the right things to stay in a game like that, where you're getting outplayed…” – Dan Hurley [34:02]
• Contrasting Styles:
  • Hurley is outwardly intense, often with officials, rarely his players. Dusty May is more reserved but builds accountability.

Notable Quote

• “Is anybody surprised that a coach known for his intensity, Dan Hurley is the coach of a team that comes back from a 15 point deficit to maybe the best college basketball program? Duke.” – Colin Cowherd [34:03]

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Interview: Michigan Coach Dusty May

[43:13 – 50:40]

Major Takeaways

• Team Philosophy & Passing Culture:

  • Emphasizes passing and selfless play as core to Michigan’s offense.
  • “We begin every single practice with a passing drill. We sell it in recruiting and we tell guys that if you don't want to share the ball and make the right play then, then you shouldn't come here because we're going to be stubborn with that being part of our DNA.” – Dusty May [43:13]

• Player Development:

  • Adai Mara (7'3" Spaniard) has blossomed in a European-style system tailored to his strengths.

• Allowing Swagger:

  • May lets players express personality and “edge” — as long as they don’t cross the line.
  • “We want our guys...to be their authentic selves while also making sure that they do...They don't distract us from what we need to be doing.” – Dusty May [46:08]

• Arizona Preview:

  • May is impressed by Arizona's talent and intensity, considers them a mirror image in some respects.

• NIL and Roster Construction:

  • Both Michigan and UConn have used NIL revenue to build a balance of youth, experience, and size, mirroring modern power programs.

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The NIL Era: Impact on the Tournament

[50:40 – 54:12]

Discussion Points

• Elite Programs Fortified:

  • NIL has concentrated talent among "big dogs," making Cinderella runs less likely but elevating quality and drama at the top.
  • “The downside to the tournament, the NIL is Cinderella stayed home. She netflixed and chilled.” – Colin Cowherd [53:05]

• Quality of Play:

  • Modern tourney games feature high-level skill, shooting, and NBA-ready players, a big shift from the low-scoring, lower-skill finals of past decades.

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “Duke went from a dream wedding to America’s Funniest Home Videos.” – Colin Cowherd [04:32]
• “[NIL] has been jet fuel for the top 12 to 15 programs.” – Colin Cowherd [52:45]
• “You should think, I'm a little over my skis. Joe Missoula, first year was learning on the job...” – Colin Cowherd [26:57]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Duke-UConn Breakdown: 03:14 – 08:00
• Michigan Analysis & NIL Impact: 08:01 – 14:12
• UConn/Duke Experience vs. Youth: 12:01 – 13:43
• ABS System and MLB Segment: 20:30 – 24:55
• NBA & NFL News: 25:00 – 31:32
• Coach Hurley on Intensity: 34:02 – 34:36
• Interview with Dusty May: 43:13 – 50:40
• NIL Tournament Analysis: 50:40 – 54:12

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Overall Tone

The episode balances Cowherd’s characteristic sharp analysis, colorful metaphors, and opinions on leadership and culture in sports. The discussions are marked by a mixture of humor, insight, and directness, and interviews are thoughtful and candid.

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Recommended for listeners seeking high-level sports insight, especially on the evolving landscape of college basketball and the intersection of technology and tradition in baseball.

Transcript

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[Colin Cowherd]

All right, here we go. It is Monday live in Chicago where I watched in person, live and in living color. Michigan Thump Tennessee went home and watched like the rest of you, Duke blow a huge lead and lose to a team that is always magical in March. UConn, wherever you may be, however you may be listening, thanks for making us part of your day. Dusty May, the Michigan coach, is going to show up in 45 minutes from now. Duke is an academic powerhouse, but man they played some dumb basketball. First of all, they jumped out to a huge lead. Terrace Reed For UConn, an old school big was essentially the entire UConn offense in the first half. It was Terrace Reed against Duke and he was holding the fort down. But UConn couldn't hit shots. They shot 9%, 1 for 11 on threes in the first half and Cameron Boozer aggressively took it right to UConn. 14 points in the first half. He was the best player along with read at UConn on the floor. UConn's great in March, but they looked overmatched. They needed somebody else to help them. Offensively. Duke leads by 15 at half and honestly you're thinking if UConn doesn't start was dynamically the game is over. But Dan Hurley's teams very good in the second half. They are physical, they wear you down. Fatigue sets in, you start making mistakes. The Boozer kids combined had seven in the second half and that's where Dan Hurley's intensity comes through. John Shire is a great scheme coach and a great recruiter in game. Coaching could use some work. They got tentative, Duke got sloppy, they got tight. It jumped through the television. Duke went from a dream wedding to America's Funniest Home Videos. The bride's hair was on fire and the wedding cake got knocked over and everybody was lost. You could see it on television. Duke looked lost and tired and listen, great coaching is more than just drawn up plays in recruiting. It is when you've got a young team and Duke's players are five star guys. There's a lot of one and done guys. Where's the coaching? In chaos. Call a timeout. You don't have to get the ball over half court. Sit on it. I'm looking for coaching there again, I. Shire is a great recruiter, but you got to call a timeout. You got to help the kid. So, because I mean that's, let's, let's be honest here. It's not a seven game series. Old NBA guys get a seven game series. Not the way it works in college. It's a lot of 18 year olds and you know the great Chris Weber. We have great players making mistakes. Of course they do their kids. So UConn's best players are older, Dukes are younger. And that was very clear in the second half of that game. And here's the Duke coach after more

[Dan Hurley]

disappointed and feeling for our guys at the same time of, you know, just trying to process what happened. I don't have the words. I don't have the words. It's easy to look at that play. You know, I look at every play that happened, especially in that second half. This is not about one play. It's about every play to put us in that position. And that's what you don't want to do.

[Colin Cowherd]

What's interesting about Duke's last four losses, they led by 19, 13, 17 and 14. So I felt Duke was a really talented team. But when you recruit these great five star players, they need guidance. They need guidance in those spots. I mean, you got, you got some UConn guys. They've been around through titles. They could have left last year. So Hurley, Duke, UConn's an easier team to coach. You've got guys that know the system. They've been around. I mean they're passing on that final shot. These guys have been around a long time. The culture is set. You know, Duke is still in that guidance stretch of their basketball career. I feel terrible for Duke, but I'll be honest with you. You were thinking what I was thinking. Shire is young, would coach K's team A lost that game. Maybe it's, maybe it's unfair. But you kind of wonder because it feels like, and this is all credit to UConn that is a great coach and A great program as a little part of that that felt like Duke lost it as much as UConn won it. Okay, so I went. I wanted to watch Michigan play. Michigan checks all the boxes. They've got old guys, young guys, the hottest coach in the market the last two years. They've got scores, they've got size, they've got the defensive player of the year. And I went and watched them in person and they do everything well. I mean, the one thing that's clear in college basketball these days, size is about 70% of it. And you have to collapse on Mara and Landenberg. And therefore they're wide open on the perimeter. They're shooting 45% in the tournament on threes. That's like NBA high end NBA shooting. And I don't think I've ever seen a college team in the half court set. I mean, again, they buy into the culture. They hit the threes. And Mara is an interesting player. He's a 73 Spaniard. He was at UCLA for two years. And when he was at UCLA, he wasn't a scorer. He was a big, strong kid filling out his body. Now he can score and defend and so he's kind of an offensive hub. You can, you can run the offense through him, drop it to him, you double, he kicks it out. Landenberg, 6, 9, 2, 40 runs the court, can hit a three. But he's too big and strong. He's 23 years old. And you know, remember a couple of weeks ago when Bama to buy you scored 83 points and I said, well, the team he played, the Wizards, had 19 and 20 year old guys. They're just not strong enough to defend Bama to Buy, who's been in the league for 10 years. It's the same thing with Landenborg. He has been around a long time. He can drive and finish. He can shoot. I mean, Mara, I just don't know. Little Zach Eady there, I don't know how you beat these guys. Arizona's next. And Arizona, I mean Michigan went on a 21 nothing run against an excellent Tennessee team. That is insane. And Arizona doesn't shoot many threes now. They're not great at it. When they shoot them, they can hit them. But I don't know how you beat Michigan playing your standard game. Now Arizona's got better guard play, Michigan's got better bigs. A lot of this is Dusty May. I mean, they went to the Portal, they found the hottest coach in the market. They've got size, they've got a defensive stopper I guess you could attack their guards, but I'm telling you, when you watch Michigan play, you can see the nil money. You can see the great coaching. Their half court offense is aesthetically as pretty as a college basketball half court offense can be. They not only lead the tournament in assists, but they lead it by a wide margin over Illinois. Another excellent passing team full of Euros. So here is Dusty May after.

[Dusty May]

If you're not mature and you're not connected as a group and you're not willing to be held accountable by the staff and each other, then it's not going to work. And once it creeps in, it's almost impossible to weed it out. And so our guys never let it in. Our guys have been up to the challenge to deliver at the big in the biggest moments all year and nothing changed tonight. But just to be proud, just, we're all just very proud to be a part of this group.

[Colin Cowherd]

You know, J. Mac, when you go to a game and I went with a friend and we sat upstairs, it was a corporate kind of sweet thing. And so it's like watching hockey from the back end and you can watch the play develop. I'm telling you, the way Michigan passes the ball and swings it around to the open guy, they are so incredibly unselfish and there's just so many boxes they check, there's so many elements to the offense. I told you I wanted to watch that Michigan, Illinois game late in the year down in Champaign outside of Chicago and Michigan thumped them and now you got Illinois in the Final Four. So I mean they, not only, I mean to, to shoot the percentage, they're shooting on threes with dominant bigs. I, I, you know, this is the first time in forever, both Final four games are under a two point spread. So you can, people can criticize the nil, but what it's done, it's fortified the big dogs where you, you can, you can recruit a five star guy, then you can go get a Landenberg, bring him in.

[Colin's Co-host (possibly Colin's guest or analyst)]

Yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

And boy, I think Michigan's tough.

[Colin's Co-host (possibly Colin's guest or analyst)]

Yeah, I think you nailed it. That's what Duke is missing. Colin. Michigan has the recipe. You need a mix of old guys, veterans who have 22, 23 year olds and young stars. Duke playing too many freshmen. I know the Foster injury hurt. He shoots 58% free throws. He had a rough game because he was so great against St. John's yeah, I just, Colin, I, I'm, I had to wear a bright shirt today to pick up my energy because you know, I was big on Duke. We had him in the Calcutta. I, I'm devastated, Colin. Last year's loss to Houston. Remember that meltdown?

[Colin Cowherd]

Y.

[Colin's Co-host (possibly Colin's guest or analyst)]

Again, young guys, Con Caniple, Cooper Flag.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yep.

[Colin's Co-host (possibly Colin's guest or analyst)]

Just melted down against old guys from Houston. And, and Sunday. I, I'm still in shock. I mean, my kids thought like, like they were watching me. You know, usually I'm excited and stuff. Yeah, I was in stunned silence for like 30 seconds. I, I can't believe it. I could not believe it.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, you know, it. It's UConn and Duke is. And that's the thing about the nil. You, you gotta be smart about it. So Con Knl and Cooper Flag are great, but 18 is 18. You could watch Duke on television melting, and they just didn't have a 23 year old. And that's, and, and, and, and for the record, that is the magic of Michigan and, and the magic of UConn where you can get a four and five star guy, but you got Caravan who's been around the program forever. You know, you go to a timeout, you got two coaches, you got Hurley, and then as you walk to the floor, you've got the guy that's been there for five years, he's putting his arm around the guys. He's like a secondary coach. So I just think their last play. I felt so bad for Kaden Boozer. It's like, you know, if he is a junior, he calls a timeout or he doesn't.

[Colin's Co-host (possibly Colin's guest or analyst)]

Well, listen, John Shire could have easily. They had two timeouts. Colin Shire could have just, hey, give me a time. He's right next to the referee and two guys wide open down court. You just throw a grenade in the air. You don't need to like, make a precise pass, just chuck it. Connecticut had nobody on the other side of the court. It is one of the most mystifying endgame moments. I mean, Colin, I could not watch the replay for a few hours last night. I was, I was just destitute. I was like, how did this happen? I mean, it was unbelievable.

[Colin Cowherd]

You know, I'm sitting there, I was watching. There was a Cubs game on in the suite I was in. I'm watching Michigan play Tennessee and Michigan. Obviously, you can drive from Ann Arbor to Chicago. So it was a heavily Michigan crowd watching Big Ten basketball. And, and then I'm, I'm. I'm Big Ten basketball powerhouse Michigan. And then. You know what's great? Sometimes whenever you make a big change in sports or life, there's an unintended benefit. And Rob Manfred, the baseball commissioner I don't think they had any idea that the ABS system was going to become a game show. And we'll talk about that. It's the Herd live in Chicago. Foreign.

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You have to work on it every day.

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the smart, but definitely analysis. Listen to 40s and free agents on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Colin Cowherd]

Rob Manfred is baseball's commissioner, and I hope Adam Silver has been watching because there's so many things about the NBA where they need, need little tweaks and they're just obsessed with tanking. And it's like now there's a lot of tweaks that fans would really like and we could get to that later. But Manfred's made six or seven moves, a couple of them big swings. And this is one of them. It's called abs. And so, you know, it's a ball and strike system where they can go quickly to technology and see if the umpire got it right. So the first thing is you're not picking on umpires. They get over half right and even when they miss, it's close. But the unintended benefit of this is, is that it's become like a game show with a reveal on a live studio audience. What's behind door number three on abs? Survey says so the fans are playing along. It also illustrates how great batters are because to hit a 96 mile an hour splitter is one thing, but these batters are, they know millimeters around the plate. And again the umpires get about half right and about half wrong. Now one umpire, cb, CB Buckner, did not have a good. He did not have a good weekend. But here's an example of how it's playing out. It's the unintended benefit. There's often unintended consequences of new legislation or new business. Here's the unintended benefit. Listen to the crowd during a Reds game. The batter is. Listen to the crowd. Play along and watch how fast the reveal is.

[ABS System Announcer]

Gotta look good. Challenge. Immediate tap of the helmet. The Reds runners all hold. Batters challenging the pitch. ABS powered by T mobile. That's out of the zone. The AB continues. Now the two, two called strike three. Tap the helmet again. He says it's off the plate away now there's challenging the pitch. Here we go.

[Colin Cowherd]

Outside

[ABS System Announcer]

the loudest cheers of the game. The Reds have hit two homers, come

[Colin Cowherd]

up back to their challenges, and we didn't have to do editing there. So listen, baseball's always been strategic, but it was more like chess. It was plotting. Now it's like speed chess. And I've said this for years, I know if you're retired and you've got nothing to do all day, you don't mind a three and a half hour game. Strategy and drama are better. Efficiently. Baseball is so much more watchable and a lot of it's the pitch clock. And these kind of tweaks are just adding. You're not taking any strategy away. I think you're adding a dramatic game show feel to it. And listen, there's so much money in sports now. You gotta get the call right. And I don't think it's picking on the umpires. I think half the time they're right, half the time they miss. And it's always by, I mean, that second one, that was a big miss, which felt pretty obvious for a viewer. But I think it's unbelievable. I, you know, because, you know, when Tennessee is getting beat by Michigan, you know, Tennessee fans are all the refs. It's like Michigan would have beaten Tennessee 12 out of 12 times. It's not close. But in, you know, in baseball, you don't want the home plate umpire changing outcomes. In baseball, it's so situational in the postseason that, you know, one at bat, one awful ball and strike call changes outcomes. So I just like how fast it is. It just works really quickly. The pitcher, the batter, the catcher, you got it. You got to tap your helmet and you got to go quick. They're not, I mean, baseball between the pitch clock and this has put a time on it, like speed it up, guys. And everybody's like, oh, I don't know. Guys got habits. Yeah. Get new ones and they've worked and it's great. And J. Mac with the news.

[Daniel Alarcon]

No, no, no, turn on the news.

[Rob Parker]

This is the herd line news.

[Colin's Co-host (possibly Colin's guest or analyst)]

All right, let's start in the NBA. Jaylen Brown sat out last night for the Celtics. He's missed a couple games, but it didn't matter. Boston got the dub anyway. Their 50th of the season. Jayson Tatum dropped 32. And Jaylen Brown had some fun after the win over the over Charlotte, saying 50 wins in a gap year, obviously poking fun at everybody, including you and me. Nobody thought Boston would sniff 50 wins. Colin Peyton, Pritchard had 28 Boston, 12 straight seasons, going to the playoffs. Now a lot of people are off Detroit right now because Kate Cunningham's hurt.

[John Green]

Right.

[Colin's Co-host (possibly Colin's guest or analyst)]

The Knicks, I don't really want to talk about them. I hope they're not in the show. They are on the struggle bus. And then you got like the Sixers getting, getting healthy with Paul George's back from suspension. Is Boston like the default leader to come out of the East?

[Colin Cowherd]

Oh, I don't even. I don't even think it's close. Atlanta Hawks.

[Colin's Co-host (possibly Colin's guest or analyst)]

I mean, what are we doing, like?

[Colin Cowherd]

No, I mean, they like Michigan basketball. They check the boxes. They've got the coach, they've got now set culture. They've got two go to guys who are now veterans. They've got a one guy. Peyton Pritchard could go off the bench and be just a killer for, for them. They've got size. They were getting old between Porzingis and Horford, they had size, but they were getting old. Now they're younger with their bigs and Brad Stevens, they draft well. I think they're, you know, it's. I just don't think the Knicks are going to match up. Knicks haven't matched up all year with Detroit. Detroit's more physical. Knicks can be a little pretty at times, a little finesse. So I think Boston can play physical, they can play pretty. They can play up tempo. You know, they live on threes and when they're hitting them, it's lights out. Yeah.

[Colin's Co-host (possibly Colin's guest or analyst)]

By the way, it seems like Joe Missoula is probably going to win Coach of the Year. I remember when your buddy Boston Bill came on the show and was calling him second row Joe and making fun of Joe Missoula. Not ready for Joe Missoula has been amazing. Yeah, he, I mean, he has just been incredible with this.

[Colin Cowherd]

You, you have a right in life to learn on the job. I tell people this all the time, is that, you know, if you're not nervous when you take a job, then you didn't take a big enough swing. You should think, I'm a little over my skis. Joe Missoula, first year was learning on the job, but obviously Brad Stevens saw something in him. Brad Stevens is one of the smartest guys in the league. Do you think he'd hand the keys over to a dim guy who couldn't grow? Sometimes you're just quite, not quite ready for the moment, you know. By the end of. By the beginning of year two, Joe Missoula had established himself. The players liked him. I think Boston's really good yeah, it's

[Colin's Co-host (possibly Colin's guest or analyst)]

almost like a parallel there. Is John Shire ready for the Duke job? Is he too young? He's kind of got bodied in a lot of close games. A lot of big leads blown.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Colin's Co-host (possibly Colin's guest or analyst)]

By Jon Shire. All right, let's go to the NFL with Josh Allen. Some news. Obviously, he battled through an injury last season, had the broken bone in his foot.

[Dan Hurley]

Yeah.

[Colin's Co-host (possibly Colin's guest or analyst)]

He had surgery to repair the bone this offseason and Joe Brady says he's good to go. It will not hamper Josh Allen's status for OTAs. Now, Brady added that Allen could barely walk with the injury, but he was able to play through it. I, I, that doesn't really compute in my head, but this kind of is more fodder for. Listen, man, is that Buffalo window closed? Colin, we know the AFC is going to be stacked next year.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, you know, Cam, Big Ben aged very quickly because when you're as big as Josh is, you're going to hang in the pocket more. You're going to, I mean, you, let's be honest, Even in the NFL, Josh Allen, Justin Herbert, guys like that, they're six, five and a half, they're 245 corners and linebackers can struggle with them. So the downside to sizes, sometimes you feel you're kind of bulletproof. Well, this is what happens. You can only take so many hits. I mean, Big Ben aged fast. Cam overnight aged. Cam took too many shots head on and didn't slide. So I mean, my take on this stuff is, yeah, this is what we've talked about. You probably have three more A plus plus years by Josh and then you're going to feel like it's a minus, that he's not quite willing to just scramble. So by the way, it's probably he has price six great years left. But I do wonder, you know, Dak Prescott aged really fast. Lower body injuries. And Dax big and he doesn't move like he used to.

[Colin's Co-host (possibly Colin's guest or analyst)]

So we've seen Lamar break down Patrick Mahomes coming off a major injury. Allen has been, you know, I don't, I don't know how many games he's missed over the last five. It's not many, maybe zero. But essentially he's hitting that 30 wall. And Colin, he's taken a lot of hits over the years. Remember, late in the season they just turn on, hey, Josh Allen runs 12 times a game because we need wins. I don't know, man. I listen, it's March. I'm not going to bury the Buffalo Bills, but file it away for the off season. Final story, Collins, go to the Philadelphia Eagles. Howie Roseman, lot of rumors about A.J. brown. Well, how he met the media and said, I understand that there's a lot of interest in the A.J. brown story. I unfortunately don't have a home under a rock, whatever that means. But my answer to any question on A.J. brown is, A.J. brown is a member of the Philadelphia Eagles, which to me is not a total. I'm not trading him. And remember that June 1st date is coming up rapidly.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, I've been wrong on this. I think that's what you say. So you never appear desperate. So if somebody calls for him, you're like, we love him. We think he's great. First rounder, two first rounders. If you start, if you start showing signs of distrust or unhappiness, well, then you give away leverage in negotiation. I've been saying it for two years. This is a run first team. I think AJ With a right quarterback. I mean, look at Devonte Adams with Matt Stafford. How, how many touchdowns did he have last year? Like, it's just, I mean, I, I, I don't think it's a good fit. But, you know, they keep winning the division.

[Colin's Co-host (possibly Colin's guest or analyst)]

Well, I mean, Devonte Adams is a model soldier. He's a professional athlete. AJ Brown is a professional instigator. I mean, he's reading books on the sideline so people could talk about him. Come on. Yeah, he seems to get into it often. I, we'll see. I think he gets shipped.

[Colin Cowherd]

But J. Mack with the news.

[John Green]

Well, that's the news.

[Rob Parker]

And thanks for stopping by the herd line news.

[Colin Cowherd]

So there was A Dusty May, Michigan coach joining us in 10 minutes, 12 minutes. Dan Hurley, great coach. Yukon had a tweet yesterday. Basketball capital of the world stores, Connecticut. And his screaming and his intensity, you know, gets, it gets a lot of play. For the record, he mostly screams at officials. Very rarely does he scream at his kids. But here's the thing about sports. Successful people, especially in sports, they're intense. Brady and MJ And Peyton Manning and Sean Payton and Ben Johnson and Mike Vrabel and Colby. They're first in the building guys. I mean, they are first in the building guys. And Dan Hurley, he goes after officials. And I, you know, listen, man, laissez Faire may be great for substitute teachers and babysitters, but you get into pro sports and college sports at the highest level, you know, capitalism. You need urgency and you need intensity. And I mean, anybody see the video this weekend of Mike Vrabel, New England Patriot head coach, former NFL guy working Out a potential first round offensive tackle and Mike Vrabel is literally sizing him up. And you know, I mean, it's hand to hand combat. So playing in coaching at the highest levels, there's Mike. It's just not for everybody. It's not for the meek and the passive. And so all the fruit gets bruised in major college sports and in pro sports. And I mean, it's. Is anybody surprised that a coach known for his intensity, Dan Hurley is the coach of a team that comes back from a 15 point deficit to maybe the best college basketball program? Duke. Is anybody surprised that it's that team. It's that kind of personality, that fight to the end, back alley. Be he coaches it, players feed off it. And you're going to find a lot of times with these coaches that are intense. Their teams have a certain grit and toughness. And I mean that's, that's what makes Michigan good, is they can play pretty and they can play physical. Duke is young and it's pretty. But in that second half, I mean, they were. Duke was against the ropes. Duke was taking way too many shots. And passive just does not build powerhouses. Here's Hurley on his coaching style in the comeback.

[Dan Hurley]

We run a very intense program. You know, we're on these guys, we put them, we stress them in practice, we put a lot of pressure on them on a daily basis to do the right things to stay in a game like that, where you're getting outplayed, you're having a really bad shooting night at the absolute worst time. But what kicks in at that point is just a bunch of strong men, a strong team, players that let their coaches coach them hard and prepare them for tough moments.

[Colin Cowherd]

You know, what really jumped out to me watching this on TV is that in the first half, Hurley wasn't barking at his players. He just. They couldn't hit shots, they were getting looks, they couldn't hit him. And Hurley, he wasn't passive. He was almost pensive. He was just kind of looking at it, thinking, if we get a couple of these to drop. I got older players, they got younger players. We got to put the heat on them. And then you saw Duke start to make really bad turnovers. I mean, the boozer kids are smart kids, great dad, NBA dad, but they had seven turnovers and. And Shire's young. So Hurley has been through so many battles. This UConn program is just. You know, there are certain things, we talk about this in the NFL that play like the Miami Dolphins when they had Jalen Waddle and Tyreek, Hill and Tua. They look great in great weather. You put them in cold weather. They're not built for January in the afc. What, what Duke does, the Duke is pretty, and they're efficient and they're talented and they're young, and that. That can kind of blow you away in the first half. I mean, you can prepare for Duke, and they are so skilled and so talented and they've got depth. But what really plays in college basketball is what plays in the NFL when the weather gets bad and it's tough and physical because you're playing these games without a lot of prep time. And you. It really felt to me like Duke fatigue set in. You know the old saying, fatigue makes cowards of us all. Like, Duke looked like beaten down, tired. And it's amazing how often UConn has a second and third gear in the later stages of these games. Like, like, I honestly thought at halftime, I'm like, this game's got about five minutes. If Duke, if UConn doesn't start chipping away on this thing, it's over fast. And you could just see Hurley and the toughness and the culture. You know, there's studies shown that tough coaching and tough parents, that's. They. It's built to help you later in life with adversity. And I mean, a lot of these UConn guys could transfer. They could leave, and they don't. The good ones don't. They only leave if they get it to be a lottery pick. All right. Dusty May, the coach of Michigan. Boy, is that a work of art, that offense. Wow, he's around the corner.

[Rob Parker]

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

[Bob Pittman]

Hi, I'm Bob Pittman, chairman and CEO of iHeartMedia, and I'm kicking off a brand new season of my podcast, Math and Magic stories. The frontiers of marketing. Math and Magic takes you behind the scenes of the biggest businesses and industries while sharing insights from the smartest minds in marketing. I'm talking to leaders from the entertainment industry to finance, and everywhere in between. This season of Math and Magic, I'm talking to CEO of Liquid Death, Mike Cesario, financier and public health advocate Mike Milken. Take Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick.

[Mike Cesario]

If you're unable to take meaningful creative risk and therefore run the risk of making horrible creative mistakes, then you can't play in this business.

[Bob Pittman]

Sesame Street CEO Sherry Weston and our own chief Business Officer, Lisa Coffey.

[Podcast Announcer]

Making consumers see the value of the human voice and to have that guaranteed human promise behind it really makes it rise to the top.

[Bob Pittman]

Listen to math and magic stories from the frontiers of Marketing on the iHeartRadio app Apple podcast Podcasts are wherever you get your podcast.

[Colin Cowherd]

A ambitious, well intentioned, ferocious and wealthy mother looks like in the Black community

[Keep It Positive Sweetie Host]

this Woman's History Month. The podcast Keep It Positive Sweetie celebrates the power of women choosing healing, purpose and faith. Even when life gets messy, love. It's not a destination.

[Colin Cowherd]

You have to work on it every day.

[Keep It Positive Sweetie Host]

Keep It Positive Sweetie creates space for honest conversations on self worth, love, growth and navigating life with grace and grit led by women who uplift, inspire and tell the truth out loud.

[Colin's Co-host (possibly Colin's guest or analyst)]

I have several conversations with God and I know why it took 20 years

[Keep It Positive Sweetie Host]

to hear this and more. Listen to Keep It Pies as sweetie on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.

[John Green]

I'm John Green. You may know me as the author of the Fault in our Stars and now I guess also as the co host of the Away End, a brand new world soccer podcast.

[Daniel Alarcon]

I'm Daniel Alarcon, a writer and journalist and John and I have known each other since we were kids. My first World cup was Mexico 86. I was nine years old. I watched every game and I fell in love. On our new podcast, the Away End, we'll share with you the magic of international football all leading up to the 2026 World cup for us.

[John Green]

Soccer football is a story we've shared for over 30 years since Daniel was the star player on our high school soccer team.

[Daniel Alarcon]

Very debatable.

[John Green]

And I was their most loyal and sometimes only fan. I love this game. I love its history, its hope, its heartbreak and above all its beauty.

[Daniel Alarcon]

Together we'll find out why. Of all the unimportant things football, soccer is the most important.

[John Green]

Listen to the Away End with Daniel Alarcon and John green on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Amber Grimes]

It's the new me and it's the old them.

[Keep It Positive Sweetie Host]

Everybody's on their journey and your journey

[Colin Cowherd]

is different to theirs.

[Amber Grimes]

This woman's History Month, the podcast if you knew better with Amber Grimes spotlights women who turn missteps into momentum and lessons into power.

[Guest on If You Knew Better Podcast]

I think coming out of where I came from, I'm from the Bronx. I think I grew up really poor. I didn't know that then cuz I very much use my creativity to romanticize life and I'm like my mom did a really good job of like, you step back and you're like, whoa. We, I don't know how we made it. So a lot of my life was like, built out of like, survival to get to the next place. Like, my drive, my like, tunnel vision of like, I got to be better, I got to achieve this was off the strengths of like, I want to make a better life for us.

[Amber Grimes]

If youf Knew Better brings real talk from women who've lived it, unpacking, career pivots, relationship lessons, and the mindset shifts that changed everything. Listen to if you knew Better with Amber grimes on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

I'm Daniel Jeremiah.

[Greg Rosenthal]

And I'm Greg Rosenthal.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

And this is 40s and free agents.

[Greg Rosenthal]

The games may be over, but the NFL never stops. This is my favorite part of the calendar.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Yeah, mine too, Greg. Free agency, the combine, the NFL draft, pro days, trades, the. This is where teams reshape their future.

[Greg Rosenthal]

This is where Daniel Jeremiah makes his money on 40s and free agents. We break down every move that actually

[Daniel Jeremiah]

matters from my draft evaluations, mock drafts

[Greg Rosenthal]

and team fits to my top 101 free agents and how real rosters are built, cap space, contracts and all the tough decisions included.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

You got quarterbacks on the move.

[Greg Rosenthal]

We got teams rebuilding its hope season.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Yeah, absolutely. It's hope season season. We'll tell you what's real, what's noise and what it means for your favorite team.

[Greg Rosenthal]

Smart analysis, real conversations every week.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

I don't know about the smart, but definitely analysis. Listen to 40s and free agents on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, it, it is going to be an all time classic. Michigan faces Arizona in the Final Four on Saturday, 8:50 Eastern. So I went, I wanted to watch Michigan. I went and watched them and I said that half court offense, they pass like an NBA team. I mean not everybody on an NBA team is a great passer, but you've always got a collection of guys who are slick. And I think Michigan figured it out. The nil is you got to do a mix. UConn and Michigan feel the same way to me, you got some youth, you got old guys, you got size, you got the hottest coach on the market. Dusty May is 62 and 13 the last two years. The most impressive thing. Let's bring him on. Dusty May, Michigan basketball coach, joining us live. Dusty, I tell you the most impressive stat for your team is that you lead the tournament in assists by a mile and I, as a coach, I was watching you sitting next to a Sparty fan who was begrudgingly admitting he was going, yeah, they really know what they're doing. They're really good. The passing just most college teams don't distribute like yours. Take me inside that.

[Dusty May]

Well, first of all, Colin, I appreciate you having me on and you're a better man than me if you can sit and watch a game with a Spartan fan. I think as all coaches, we value certain things more than others. There's only so much you can work on every day. And we begin every single practice with a, with a passing drill. We sell it in recruiting and we tell guys that if you don't want to share the ball and make the right play then, then you shouldn't come here because we're going to be stubborn with that being a part, being part of our DNA. And if there's a second defender on you, you must pass it or that's one of the few times that you're going to get. Caused me to raise my voice.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. You know, it's funny, you were a student manager under the late Bobby Knight and you don't raise your voice much and you know you have a chance. There's some guys left in the tournament like Dan Hurley that does, but I think it's very effective. Everybody's got a different style. It's interesting. Adai Mara, when he was at UCLA, good defensive player, great size 73 Spaniard, not much of an offensive threat. What has happened to his game? Because I think he's a great passer. I. He's become a bit of an offensive weapon for you and I didn't see that. What, what transpired?

[Dusty May]

Well, stylistically each player, I think when you, when you look at the NCAA tournament, Jaden Bradley is a great example. He played at Alabama which they rarely shoot mid range jumpers and he didn't look like he's nearly as good as he does now. For Arizona they value the elbow pull ups, the mid range jumper. So he excels because of the style of play and obviously just being older and better and I think it dies the same way. We run a very European style offense where the passing, the spacing is paramount to our success and we don't hard hedge ball screens so we don't have him out towards half court away from the basket. We try to keep him at the rim as much as possible. So a lot of what we've done is design our defense around his skill set. In an offensively, we just try to take what the Defense gives us and we have, we have so many weapons offensively that when he has the right matchup or we have the right style of play, he's impressive to watch because he sees the game. And then obviously being able to play over the top of it is a genetic gift.

[Colin Cowherd]

You know, you do something that I like and I, and not all college coaches are comfortable with it. You are, is that you let your team express themselves. You can be classy, but basketball is a swagger sport, okay? When you're feeling it, you know, your body takes over. Like in some of your guys. I. You have a personality and you allow your team to have a personality. Is that a fine line for you that you know, you don't. You never want to show up an opponent, but you guys go on 21 nothing runs. I mean, you, you physically beat people up. Where are you as a coach? Letting guys be creative and expressive but not taunting? Because I think that can be a tough line for a coach.

[Dusty May]

Well, our guys at FAU had so much edge column that they would, they would talk trash to the other team, the other coaches. And finally after trying to convince them to stop, I just gave into it and thought this is what makes them them. As long as they don't cross the line, they play better. It causes them to play with more edge. And. And so I learned to just go with it. And even with our guys, we have a couple of psycho competitors in practice, we just tell them, just don't go too far. Just look, take it all the way to the point of, of where there is no return and don't go past that. And so it's the same thing in the game. You can get into a physical altercation or a jump ball when you're fighting for the ball, but you can't do something that's going to hurt our team because of a lack of impulse control. So we try to talk about those things. I mean, it's a edgy sport and as you said, I don't raise my voice. We have a Paramount plus documentary coming out soon and I feel like every one of the clips are me being a raging lunatic. And I said this is going to completely ruin my public image. Can we edit some of this out? But no, we want our guys to be the best versions of themselves. We want them to be their authentic selves while also making sure that they do. They don't distract us from what we need to be doing.

[Colin Cowherd]

So Arizona can be terrifying their guard play. Listen, that's five star guys at that buries that young Guard, you're like, wow, he's gotten good fast. I mean what, what when you watch Arizona, what's your react? If I was at a camera on you watching Arizona film, what terrifies you? What worries you?

[Dusty May]

Well, I was just watching them as we got on here, Colin, and they do a number of things to terrify you. Like us, they have so weapons. We could start rattling off co opied and buries and Jaden Bradley and we haven't even mentioned Crevice yet or Carson. You haven't even mentioned these guys that are going to play in the NBA. And it's. That's very similar to the way other opposing coaches talk about our team. So the baseline is the talent, but now they play incredibly hard with great physicality. They share the ball, they do it. Each guy does what he does well consistently. So the way I look at it, there's stylistically some differences, but we're almost like mirror images of each other.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. You know, actually Ledenberg could have gone to the pros. A couple weeks ago, a guy in the NBA named Bam Adebayu scored 83 points and everybody's like, oh, it's brutal. That's bad sportsmanship. And my take is I went and looked at the team he scored 83 on. It was the Wizards and they had a 19 year old starter. A 20, a 20, a 20, a 21. I said, guys, Bam Adebayu has been in an NBA weight room for a decade. He's playing high schoolers. These guys don't. You physically don't match up. When I watch Yaxel, my take is he is strong. I mean it's 6, 9, 2, 40, he can hit a 3. He's a matchup problem for college kids. I don't know how it projects to the NBA, but when's the first time you got a look at him? Is he better than you thought or is he what you thought he would be at Michigan?

[Dusty May]

No, he's better than we thought. His improvements been extremely gradual as far as his skill set and confidence in himself. I'll give you a quick funny story on Yaxel. One of our players, LJ Kason's youth coach, was up this summer and he watched an open gym and he walked up to my office and quote, unquote, he said, that man's in the wrong league and meaning he should be playing in the NBA. So there's a lot of times during the game he'll make a play and one of the assistant coaches will say he's in the wrong League during live play.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, no, it's pretty obvious there, there is a swagger and then just an IQ to your style of play. It's really. I love watching his highlights. You are a fun team to watch, Dusty May. You know, listen, sometimes, you know, I didn't mean to go to a game with a Spartan, but I do like Tom Izzo, so sometimes it happens. You know, I'm in Big Ten country. You can't control everything. Dusty, Congrats. Good luck with Arizona. It's, it's, I would say it's the. Is it the best team you've ever faced, talent wise in your college career?

[Dusty May]

You know, when I was a visitor of Florida, we played Jason Tatum and those Duke, those guys from Duke. We faced some, some teams like that, but they're as good as I can remember in recent memory. It's, it's going to be a great challenge, but our guys have been able to elevate their play when the stakes have been their highest. So we're excited to go to Indianapolis and see what we can do.

[Colin Cowherd]

Good seeing you, coach.

[Dusty May]

Thanks, Colin. I appreciate it.

[Colin Cowherd]

You bet. Dusty May coach of Michigan. They are just, you know, you got to go to games sometimes and just see how it plays out. And when you watch them in person, they are chest out, big confidence, really like each other. And you know, this, this nil, it's very instructive, like how UConn's done it. You know, Duke because their brand is so big. They've got five star guys everywhere, but they're young. Arizona can be young in points, but you look at UConn in Michigan and you get a little old, you get some physicality. I mean, Michigan's got two or three guys on that team that pass at an NBA level and that is just, you know, it's so funny about the nil. You know, the downside of, I guess the downside to the tournament, the nil is Cinderella stayed home. She, she netflixed and chilled. Cinderella didn't show up. Iowa beating Florida is an upset. But the upside to the nil is we got four teams left and the spreads on the game are like a point to a point and a half. You never get that. There's always one that feels like, you know, the conclusion's pretty obvious. So what you have is you have great coaching and then you combine all the big brands who always get four and five star guy and then you bring in a great player from, you know, a mid major who's a dominant player at that level and they get better and it's just the quality at the top of college. I remember this. I can remember. We're not that far removed. How many years ago was it when Duke beat Butler in the championship and the team shot 39% and had zero fast break points? It was unwatchable. And then the next year, UConn beat Butler and shot 31% combined from three. So the game 15 years ago is any good player was one and done. If a guy stayed for three years, he wasn't an NBA guy. It was missing open jumpers. You didn't get the transition. Beauty in the passing. You watch Michigan, they pass like an NBA team. You watch the guard play for Arizona, it's like, these are all. All lottery pick NBA level guys. So the nil has. It's like been jet fuel for the top 12 to 15 programs. And everybody says, oh, what about Cinderella? That stuff was a lot of mythology. Take out Brad Stevens, one guy. How many underdog stories we're doing. I mean, it's always been about the number one seeds, the sport. The difference is you get that one first round upset or two, and people go crazy about it. We had an upset. Iowa beat Florida. It doesn't have to be like Iowa Tech beat Florida. It can. Iowa was an under. Iowa doesn't spend a lot of money on NIL and well coached play their butt off. So just fantastic. We got Ryan Rosillo's coming up at the guy yesterday pounding me. Yeah. For Silo. How's he doing? I'm like, what? What do you want from me? I'm here. Ask me some questions. Hey, what do you know about Resillo? When are you gonna be on Rosillo's pod? Sheesh. Wow.

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