THE HERD - Hour 2 - Aaron Torres Previews the NCAA Tournament

Summary

The Herd with Colin Cowherd – Hour 2: Aaron Torres Previews the NCAA Tournament (March 17, 2026)

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Main Theme

This episode of The Herd puts the spotlight squarely on college basketball and the upcoming NCAA Tournament. Host Jason McIntyre (in for Colin Cowherd), alongside Rachel Nichols and guest Aaron Torres (Fox Sports Radio), dive into major tournament narratives, key players, injury updates, and bracket predictions, blending rapid-fire analysis with strong opinions and insider info. The latter part of the hour loops back to NBA offseason speculation—particularly about LeBron James’s future—and chimes in on evolving debates in basketball culture.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Miami of Ohio’s Undefeated Season & Tournament Inclusion

• Miami of Ohio's Undefeated Run: Jason, Colin, and Rachel debate Miami of Ohio's legitimacy as a tournament team. If going undefeated was easy, “everyone would do it” (Colin Cowherd, 04:12).
• Underdog Respect: The hosts agree Miami deserves credit, even if detractors say, "They haven't played anybody." Few teams have achieved perfection before entering the tournament.

"If it was easy to go undefeated, we’d have one every year… Give them their due." — Colin Cowherd, (04:12–04:31)

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The LeBron James Dilemma: Lakers, Free Agency, and Fit

Rich Paul's Comments

• Narrative Pushback: LeBron’s agent, Rich Paul, stated, "I've never seen a team in my life that would be better without LeBron James..." (quoting, 05:12)
• Impending Free Agency & Market: LeBron nears 41, and serious questions arise about his fit, preferred location (West Coast), and willingness to take a pay cut.
• Lakers’ Future: Is it possible for the Lakers to part with a legend still producing, and could LeBron ever accept a league-minimum salary?

"He's not gonna have much of a market, guys. ... How do you dump one of the best players in the history of the sport?" — Jason McIntyre, (07:00)

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NCAA Tournament Deep Dive with Aaron Torres

The Cam Boozer Debate

• Best Player in College Basketball?
  • Howie Mandel provocatively compares Duke's Cam Boozer to a young Nikola Jokic: "Right now, he's ahead of the pace Jokic was…" (09:05)
  • Aaron Torres: Boozer is “probably the best player in this tournament right now in this moment… and it’s deserved” (09:41). But questions loom about Duke’s health.
• Duke’s Injury Uncertainty: Key starters Caleb Foster and Pat Gongba’s statuses heavily impact Duke’s prospects.
  • Expected: Gongba likely back, possibly not for the opener; Foster unlikely soon. (10:47–11:44)

Arizona as the Favorite?

• Aaron & JMac lean toward Arizona: Consistent all season, “Arizona to me is the best team… the deserved favorite.” (12:06)
• Path to the Final Four: Arizona’s backcourt depth could be a tournament-deciding edge, and their region is relatively favorable unless they face a perfect game from an underdog.
• Bracket-wide Parity: “All the best teams have good front courts… Arizona probably has the best backcourt.” (12:35)

Final Four Picks & Bubble Teams

• JMac’s Final Four: Arizona, Michigan, Duke, Illinois (13:36)
• Aaron’s Analysis: He’s skeptical about Illinois, noting no team to lose their conference tournament opener has won the NCAA since the bracket expanded. “When a team shows you who they are all year, listen to them.” (13:58)
• Dark Horse Watch: AJ DebonSA (BYU) singled out as the possible #1 pick and a player to watch after a monster Big 12 tournament performance (19:22–20:36)

Other Key Teams, Players, & Injuries

• Acuff-hype: “He had the best regular season of any Calipari guard ever.” (15:26) But tournament performance will define his legacy.
• UCLA Health: Torres relays optimism that UCLA’s top injured players, Billido and Donovan Dent, will be back (16:48).
• Louisville & NBA Prospects: Mikhail Brown’s draft prospects weigh on whether he’ll risk injury to play (18:30).
• Purdue Warning: Don't overrate them despite a Big Ten tourney win—“They’re not losing to Queens, but slow your roll.” (18:48)
• Kansas & Darren Peterson: Fit and reintegration issues as the star guard returns; skepticism on a deep Kansas run (22:24)

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Coaching Pressure: Who's on the Hot Seat?

• Tommy Lloyd, Arizona: “I think he’s under the most pressure” given Arizona’s bracket and drought since 2001 (24:40).
• John Shire, Duke: Less pressure than Lloyd, but a non-Final Four would disappoint, especially with Boozer on the roster (43:17).
• Fans’ Expectations: JMac notes the tide of high coaching expectations (“You need a plan. You can’t just fire coaches. Dump quarterbacks. What's the game plan?” — 44:51)

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NIL, Transfer Portal, and Changing College Hoops

• Yautz Yachts' Lucrative Transfer: “The player says Kentucky offered him 7 to 9 million dollars. Other reports say he settled on Michigan for 5 mil.” (27:42)
• Portal Realities: Aaron Torres says teams were “lining up for months before he actually entered the portal.” (28:00)
• Big Picture: Is this exaggeration? Maybe, but “he was the prize of the portal last year big time.” (28:29)

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NBA Modernization, LeBron, & the GOAT Debate

Jokic on Past vs. Present

• Nikola Jokic Quote: “It would be stupid if basketball weren’t better now than 30 years ago. It’s like saying phones were better 30 years ago…” (45:33)
• Modernization in Sport: Colin and Jason echo Jokic’s view: things evolve, the game advances. The endless Jordan vs. LeBron debate (and generational arguments) are framed as passé.

“Things improve... That is why, frankly, I have never engaged in the Jordan vs. LeBron debate. I don't think it's comparable. They played in different leagues with different rules at different times.” — Colin Cowherd (46:27)

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LeBron's Lakers Role: Money, Fit, & Future

• Money or Role? Rachel Nichols and Colin agree: "If he's not going to take a significant pay cut, the conversation will last 20 seconds." (36:12)
• The Fit Issue: "LeBron hasn't turned into a bad basketball player. All of a sudden, it's fit." (38:07)
• Possible Bench Role: Would LeBron accept 'Sixth Man' status, a la Carmelo Anthony's struggle? “Do you want me to come off the bench?” (39:02)
• Cleveland Option: “If you can't get Giannis and keep LeBron, is that the deodorant that masks the potential stage? Hey, we're 20 and 4, who cares if you're not thrilled with the fit?” (41:10)
• Future Unclear: “He is no longer just so omnipresently good that he is the fit. It is now about fit.” (42:21)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Miami of Ohio Undefeated:
  "Give them their due. Let them have a shot here." — Colin Cowherd, (04:12)

• On LeBron's Market:
  "I love LeBron. He's a joy to watch. Ultimate competitor. He's not gonna have much of a market, guys." — Jason McIntyre, (07:00)

• Comparing Cam Boozer & Jokic:
  "Right now, (Boozer’s) ahead of the pace Jokic was when he was a teenager." — Howie Mandel, (09:05)

• On NCAA Tournament Surprises:
  "When a team shows you who they are all year, listen to them." — Aaron Torres, (13:58)

• On NIL Realities:
  "He was the prize of the portal last year big time. And there were teams lining up… for months before he actually entered the portal." — Aaron Torres, (28:00)

• On the Evolution of Basketball:
  "It would be stupid if basketball weren’t better now than 30 years ago… Everything modernizes. Basketball modernizes too." — Nikola Jokic (via translation), (45:33)

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Important Segment Timestamps

• Miami of Ohio Undefeated Debate: 04:12–04:31
• LeBron’s Market & Lakers Future: 05:35–07:55, 34:47–42:34
• Aaron Torres Joins, College Hoops Talk Begins: 08:30
• Cam Boozer & Duke Injury Status: 09:05–11:44
• Arizona Analysis: 12:06–13:36
• Final Four Picks / Tournament Trends: 13:36–16:38
• UCLA, Louisville Injury Updates: 16:48–18:48
• AJ DebonSA as a Dark Horse: 19:22–20:36
• Portal/NIL Stories (Yautz Yachts/Kentucky & Michigan): 27:40–29:31
• Coaching Pressure Segment: 24:40–25:51
• Jokic's Modernization Quote / Old School vs New School Hoops: 45:33–47:22
• LeBron’s Role With Lakers (Deep Dive): 34:47–42:34

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Tone & Style

The episode maintains The Herd's hallmark blend of high-energy debate, statistical reasoning, and unfiltered commentary, with Jason and Aaron volleying sharp insights and Rachel/Colin offering measured, sometimes wry, context. Strong opinions, playful ribbing, and the occasional hot take keep it engaging for hoops junkies and casuals alike.

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For Listeners Who Missed It

Expect a turbocharged preview of March Madness with deep dives on star players, pivotal injuries, and bracket dynamics, spiced with LeBron/Lakers future talk and thoughtful basketball philosophy. This hour will give both college hoops enthusiasts and NBA followers plenty to debate—and some near-expert info to prep for their own brackets.

Transcript

[Colin Cowherd]

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[Jason McIntyre]

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[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

Thanks for listening to the Heard podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports radio at noon to 3 Eastern, 9am to noon Pacific. Find your local station for the [e-mail] or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR.

[Jason McIntyre]

Now let's get this party started.

[Howie Mandel]

You're listening to Fox Sports Radio, our number two here on the Herd. A lovely news filled Tuesday and a sports filled Tuesday night as well. Back here on the herd with Jason McIntyre in for Colin, joined by Rachel Nichols, we're getting fired up about USA Venezuela. The first four. Is that what they're. I forget what they call it. Yeah, first four is Miami of Ohio tonight. I don't even know what the games are.

[Colin Cowherd]

I'm not sure if Miami is tonight. By the way, I would like people to stop talking crap about Miami of Ohio. I have no attachment to that team at all. Okay, but if you're the last team to be undefeated, everyone's like, oh, it's easy. If it was easy, everyone would do it. Yeah, right. So no one else did it. Give them their due. Let them have a shot here.

[Howie Mandel]

They may get smoked.

[Colin Cowherd]

They may get smoked, but that's smoked.

[Howie Mandel]

But it doesn't matter. It still doesn't matter. I'm with you 100%. Like, if it was easy to go undefeated, we'd have one every year. I think we've had six or seven in the last 50 years, something like that.

[Colin Cowherd]

I mean, that's the Bam out of bio thing. Like, I get all the reasons why people weren't happy with the way that happened. Happened, but no one else has scored 83 except for Wilt. So, like, if it was easy, everyone would do it.

[Howie Mandel]

It could be an Internet thing where everybody's a hater of undefeated Miami of Ohio. They haven't played anybody. Bam. At a bio 83, eh? So this next topic, Rachel, will dovetail right off that. And that's his quotes from Rich Paul that are coming out right now about LeBron. And obviously, everybody knows LeBron, one of the greatest players in basketball history. I say he's the goat. You might think it's Kobe, you might think it's Jordan. Well, Rich Paul was talking about this narrative that's building that the Lakers are, quote, better without LeBron. And here's what LeBron's agent, remember that had to say about it. I've never seen a team in my life that would be better without LeBron James. I think it's more so about figuring it out.

[Jason McIntyre]

And sometimes it takes you longer than not, because for a guy that's been on the ball for so long, how do you play him off the ball?

[Howie Mandel]

You have to understand or factor in his presence.

[Jason McIntyre]

You got to realize something.

[Howie Mandel]

Most guys that steps on the basketball floor with LeBron James, number one, are in awe. Yes, that's true. They're in awe. But at the same time, we need to remember rich Paul is LeBron's agent. LeBron is becoming a free agent at the end of the season. At 41, he'll be 41 and a half in June. I love LeBron. He's a joy to watch. Ultimate competitor. He's not going to have much of a market, guys. He's just not what the Cleveland Cavs are going to want him for. What, a third tour of duty? Does he want to go back to Cleveland? I know his family loves it out here. His other son, Bryce, is on Arizona. I believe he's red shirting this season. You see him celebrating with a stacked Arizona team. LeBron wants to be on the West Coast. He wants to stay with the Lakers. That's obvious. And, you know, listen, it's going to be tough for the Lakers to nab it. How do you dump one of the best players in the history of the sport who's still averaging close to 26 and 5? Like what? You just going to dump them? So you got to figure it out. But can he go from making, you know, 50 mil or whatever his max salary is to the league minimum? Would he do that? Nobody knows the answer to that. LeBron has a lot of pride. I'm sure the players association would hate it for a marquee name to go from making a ton to making the minimum. That would be a signal to all other veterans, hey, take less. I don't think they're gonna like that. Does LeBron care? Another thing we don't know. Listen, I purposely for the first two days have avoided talking about LeBron's future cuz I'm living in the moment. You know, they say, hey, live in the moment. Forget about the past, forget about the future, enjoy the now. I'm doing my best. It's hard because with every great win, it's like, shucks, is LeBron going to be here next year? Can we get Giannis? Like, that's what you do in the NBA. You look to the future. So I'm trying to enjoy the now, but I'm just telling you, this is going to be. I think it's this or Giannis will be the biggest storyline the rest of the NBA season. Wembanyama a close third because I think he's taken down the Thunder and maybe taken over the league. But how the Lakers build around Luka Doncic and whether or not LeBron's part of that is going to be everything. All right, let's get. Let's do some college basketball. Let's bring in my guy, Aaron Torres, Fox Sports Radio. I've known Aaron for many years. He loves college basketball as much as I do. He'll be hosting Fox Sports Radio Thursday and Friday all day. Aaron, you're. You're rare. You want to host on the radio while all the games are happening? I want to just not be working and watch the games.

[Jason McIntyre]

Well, as somebody who hosts on a lot of Saturdays and Sundays in August when there isn't much to do.

[Howie Mandel]

Yes.

[Jason McIntyre]

I would rather have wait. Like, it was actually kind of sad. We were on air Saturday night and we had the four screens going, games on every screen. I was like, this is the last Saturday. We're going to get this for the very foreseeable future. So it's a fun time of year and there's a lot. I'll tell you this, there's a lot to talk about. It feels like there's more storylines, more intriguing players than there have been in years past.

[Howie Mandel]

Okay, let's start with you making fun of me. Rachel got in her digs yesterday. A couple people called me crazy. So I like Cameron Boozer a lot. He's 18 and a half years old.

[Jason McIntyre]

Sure.

[Howie Mandel]

I'm saying at right now where he is as a player, I mean, he can't jump over. He can't jump on this stage. He doesn't have any vertical. He's so good all around skilled. The most efficient player in Ken Palm history. You know the stats. I say right now he's ahead of the pace. Nikola Jokic was when he was a teenager coming to America and playing the NBA and people took that. How could you compare them? Well, young Jokic wasn't as skilled as Boozer is. Now Boozer has a better bag and I think he's maybe the best player in college basketball. I don't think he's the best upside. But I'm just curious your thoughts on Boozer and Duke as we head into the tournament.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah. By the way, let's circle back to the Miami of Ohio at some point because I enjoyed your guys conversation about that and I agree with both of you. Cam Boozer. Okay, so I haven't seen a ton of jokic 17 year old Serbia film to compare and contrast. Yeah. So no, listen, he is probably the best player in this tournament right now in this moment. And what I will also say is he's got a team that's uniquely built around his skill set. Now what's interesting about Duke and this is just going to be a conversation until they tip off on Thursday is two of their starters were out for for the ACC tournament. Caleb Foster is probably their best guard and Pat Gongba is the guy. He's like a true seven footer. And I think what's interesting about him, I think he takes a lot of the pressure off of Cam Boozer, especially on the defensive end to have to kind of carry the weight on both ends of the court. So Cam Boozer is probably the best player in college battle. He's going to be a national player of the year and it's deserved. So I think there's other guys with higher upside we could talk about. But I think the big thing for Duke is are they going to get those two guys back? Specifically Patrick Gangba?

[Howie Mandel]

Yeah. Are you hearing, I know you're plugged in many teams around the country. Do you think the big guy will be back or like foot soreness is so damn general?

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah. No. So it seems as though he will be back. I'll be Curious playing a 16 seed on Thursday if they end up bringing him back for the opener. If they just wait until that second round game which I believe would be Ohio State and tcu. That would be the interesting thing. I actually think he's more important, the big man Patrick Gangba than the then Caleb Foster, the guard. And you would think well he's the point. But you know Cam Boozer too, I would say this, he's kind of a pretty good playmaker kind of at the 4, at the 5. And so weirdly I think the other big guy with him is as important, if not more important than Caleb Foster. To answer your question directly, I would not expect Caleb Foster anytime soon. I think. Think we could see Pat Gongba. I probably wouldn't assume it be for the opening game against. I believe it's Sienna.

[Public Ad Voice]

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[Howie Mandel]

Yeah, Sienna. All right, let's go to the team I have winning it all. I have Arizona. I really went out on a limb this year. I know Arizona really like them a lot. I had Duke last year. They let me down. I think Arizona, four first round picks in the starting lineup. I mean, they're, they're loaded. The only two losses were back to back. Pete missed one of those games. Do you have Arizona winning it? And if not, who do you have and what do you think about Arizona?

[Jason McIntyre]

No, I probably have Arizona winning it. You know, I haven't. I'm actually, you know, I'm one of those guys. Like, I know when the bracket comes out on Sunday, everybody's like, what are your picks? Give me your final Four. I'm like, can you, can you tell me the Duke injury report? Can you tell me the Yukon injury report? Their starting point guard left the Big east tournament championship game. So Arizona, to me is the best team. They've been the most consistent team. I was in Vegas on opening night, they played against Florida, which was obviously the defending champs, and Florida was a comfortable favorite and Arizona won that game and they haven't really slowed down. What I think is interesting about Arizona, what's interesting about college basketball, J. Mac, this year, I think you'll appreciate Rachel as well is like we talk about the NCAA tournament being such a guard driven thing. All of the best teams have good front courts and it's actually Arizona that probably has the best backcourt out of all of those teams. And so you mentioned buries, you mentioned Jaden Bradley. I think they are the, they are the deserved favorite, especially with the Duke injuries. And I think too they have a pretty favorable path. I know Arkansas is hot, but Arkansas is probably the only team that I could see beating them out of that region. And you kind of need a perfect game from them because they're not very good in the front court. And so to me, I would say that Arizona, excuse me, has a very advantageous path. And I do believe they are the deserved favorite. And when I eventually fill out a bracket, barring something surprising, and by the way, Jaden Bradley left the Big 12 championship game for a minute can with a wrist thing, so. But assuming that he's good to go, they will probably be my eventual all

[Howie Mandel]

right, so here's my Final Four apart. And then give us yours, since you haven't done a bracket. So I have Arizona, Michigan, I mean, shocker. And then I have Duke against Illinois. I know Illinois is a little out there. Rachel agrees with three of these. She has a different one we'll reveal soon. Anything you love or hate here. And again, I'm a big boy. I can take it.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah, I don't love the Illinois thing. You know, it here's the thing is that I think that the thing I've learned through the years covering this tournament, but also just loving college basketball, is generally, I like the thing that I've decided the last three or four years. When a team shows you who they are all year, listen to them, you know. And so, like, I'll give you an example. I'm a Yukon alum. I'd love to sit here and say, dan Hurley, we're going three and four. Everything's good. You know, I watched 32, 33 UConn games. Everything is not good. That team has flaws. And so with UConn, I do think they have a favorable draw, but I bring it up because I'm not going to sit here and dismiss what I saw the last four or five months. And with Illinois, I like Illinois, but four and five in their last five. J. Mac, I'm sure you know the stat. No team that's ever lost their conference tournament opener has ever gone on to win the NCAA championship. Illinois did, but, you know, you don't have winning the national championship. Listen, I'll say this. That bracket does feel pretty wide open. Florida's obviously not coming off a very strong showing at the SEC tournament. I think Houston's good. They're not what they were a year ago. And so stranger things have happened. JMAR or J. Mac, I'm not going to pick you apart on that.

[Howie Mandel]

Okay. I want. I got to ask about Acuff. A lot of people are saying, oh, he's better than Derrick Rose, better than John Wall, better than Booker when they were in college.

[Jason McIntyre]

It's the Cam Boozer, Nicola Jokic thing, because I've been in this argument for about three months.

[Howie Mandel]

Well, wait, except Derrick Rose took Memphis to the Natty within seconds, if not for Chalmers of winning at all.

[Jason McIntyre]

Well, it just depends what your definition of, like, best or greatest or whatever. Yeah, because I think that's been especially like the. The Kentucky contingent who has followed Caliper's career. John Wall, you know, led Kentucky to an elite eight, and I think that's what They've been saying is, let's see what, what Darius Auff does in the tournament. But I actually went back and looked at the stats. The stats actually aren't even comparable. The crazy thing about Acuff with any of these guys, one and Kelvin Sampson said this before they played Arkansas this year is he's a great shooter. Like I think we think, oh, the finishes at the rim and all this, he's shooting like 43% from 3, which is insane. And the other thing too, that I don't think he gets enough credit for, he doesn't turn the ball over like it's, it's bananas like that. I think the Alabama game, it was a double overtime game. I think he played like 49 minutes, had one or two turnovers. It was the most preposterous stat line I've ever seen. Super efficient. I think, listen, we could get into the semantics of whatever. I think he had the best regular season of any caliper guard ever. But to your point, JMac, you know, Derrick Rose has the tournament success. John Wall went to an elite eight, dear. And Fox went to an elite eight. So Auff obviously has some games to win. And to your point, a tough path with Arizona as well.

[Howie Mandel]

They do have a tough one. I want to go back to you. You said Yukon doesn't have a bad path. And you're right, I'm looking at it now. Have you heard anything on UCLA's two injured players? Aaron?

[Jason McIntyre]

Mick Cronin said all the right things after the, you know, and this is. They all do. I'll also say this is that when I look at the conference tournaments, like I am somebody who loves conference tournaments, I've covered them for years. But at the Big east, you know, whatever. I was thinking watching this conference tournament, when the two UCLA guys go down, when Jaden Bradley goes down, I don't know that that is the most efficient way to be doing things the week before the biggest games of the season. But Mick Cronin did say, like Billido and Donovan Dent, who are their two best players? They both left one each one game Friday and Saturday. He said they'll be back. I have no reason to believe that they won't be. Donovan Dent looked like he could have come back in that game on Saturday. And I think they, you know, Mick Cronin was probably ready to get on the plane and come back to la. And so I assume that they will be good to go. And I think that is an interesting one to watch because I actually think they match up favorably or Fairly well, probably is the right way to put it against UConn. UConn's really struggled to guard the perimeter, and again, I've watched way too many of their games here on FS1. Of course, lovely FS1 and Fox, but I've watched way too many of their games. I think Donovan Dent can give them problems, assuming he's.

[Howie Mandel]

Well, that's the problem. I, I've reached out to a couple UCLA boosters. Okay, I will let you know. Nothing yet. But if those guys aren't around, UConn's going to the Sweet 16.

[Jason McIntyre]

No doubt.

[Howie Mandel]

And I'll be honest, I don't love Michigan State.

[Jason McIntyre]

No.

[Howie Mandel]

I don't even know if I think Louisville, South Florida, that's one of the games. I bet we'll talk about those, I think tomorrow real quick.

[Jason McIntyre]

I don't want to burn your sources, but what are they saying about the UCLA situation?

[Howie Mandel]

Oh, well, I'll let you know when I hear.

[Jason McIntyre]

Okay, I'll text you.

[Howie Mandel]

Yes, but Louisville's another one and they're in the quadrant with Yukon. Mikhail Brown.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yep.

[Howie Mandel]

He missed the last four games. Like he's a NBA guy. Do, do. Does he want to jeopardize a being a lottery pick and to play against South Florida? So I, I.

[Jason McIntyre]

And they've been kind of playing. I don't want to say they play better without him, but they played reasonably well in the ACC tournament, beat smu and I think there was Miami. I think they lost. There's so many games last week I can't keep track of.

[Howie Mandel]

So talk people off the ledge here. The last time Purdue won the Big Ten tournament, they went all in. They lost as a number one seed in the NCAA tournament. They just went all in, took down Michigan, are flying high. Some of my buddies are like, oh, should we bet Purdue to win the daddy? I was like, whoa, slow your roll. They're not losing to Queens.

[Jason McIntyre]

First ever NCAA tournament, first year of eligibility. That's a pretty cool story. Yeah.

[Howie Mandel]

And Purdue's gonna beat him. I don't know any Miami, Missouri. I don't feel confident about them. And then Gonzaga is not good. Can AJ DebonSA get on a run and pull it off to the Elite Eight?

[Jason McIntyre]

It's not inconceivable. No, it's not inconceivable. And AJ has been so awesome. And I'll say this is that once the season went sideways for people who haven't followed the BYU story, they know they have a lottery pick. Whatever. They've had six season ending injuries I mean, that is preposterous. And this guy, like. And I'll give him so much credit. And his family is the best. I've known his, his parents for a long time, and specifically his dad, Ace.

[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

They.

[Jason McIntyre]

The converse. Like, I thought from the outside, I was like, I wonder if he's just going to shut it down. He's done what he needs to do. And, and instead it's the exact opposite. He's playing 40 minutes every night. He's going, you know, he had 40 points in the Big 12 tournament opener, you know, averaged. How about this? He made the all Big 12 tournament team, and they didn't even win in the quarterfinals. So, yeah, to your point, I clearly don't have the box scores in front of me. But I mean, you just talk, listen, if you can get 32, 35, 40 in Big 12 games, there's nothing you're going to see in the tournament that you aren't going to be ready for. And the other thing I would say, too, that's been cool to follow his story. You could just see him getting more and more and more comfortable over the course of the year. I don't know if you'll ask me before the end of the segment, but that would be my number one overall pick. Oh, he would be, yeah, 100%.

[Howie Mandel]

So I had a hot take in the meeting this morning. People did not like it. I said, I don't want the number one pick in the draft this year. There's too many good players. And inevitably, whoever you pick is going to have a lot of pressure to deliver as the number one. When, shucks, Acuff, debona, Boozer. Caleb Wilson.

[Jason McIntyre]

Caleb Wilson, Boozer.

[Howie Mandel]

Head to head. It was like, oh, my gosh.

[Jason McIntyre]

So I will say this. It's so unfortunate that Caleb Wilson will not be in this tournament. And I say this all the time about him. You know, as somebody who covers, you know, the high school and the college stuff, every kid you meet, I'm built different. I'm a dog. I'm. You know, and it's like, then they get to college. It's like you're averaging nine a game at Clemson. Everybody calm down, you know, and so Caleb Wilson is that guy. Go back and look, he outplayed. He actually outplayed Darren Peterson. It was one of the games where Darren Peterson, he actually played a reasonable amount in that game. UNC played BYU in an exhibition. I know you don't want to take too much out of it, but he was really good in that game. And he outplayed Cam Boozer. And so it's such a shame that we're not going to get to see him in this tournament. And I do think that it does put a definitive ceiling on what North Carolina can do.

[Howie Mandel]

Oh, I took VCU in that one.

[Jason McIntyre]

There you go. I will, I will. When I eventually fill out my bracket, I will.

[Howie Mandel]

All right. So you just saw some Darren Peterson highlights. I just, you know, you ask anybody around the sport and it was kind of a mystery. There was a lot of. Well, I don't think. I think he was thinking NBA. He has played a lot more lately, as you notice. I. I don't know. I can't tell if they're dangerous or not. Aaron, where do you fall? They got Cal Baptist. Baptist has a lefty who's really freaking good. This point guard. Kansas will win. I'm not a believer in St. John. Sorry. Can Kansas give Duke a game? Peterson against Boozer. I. This Kansas team. I. That win over Arizona was like, whoa.

[Jason McIntyre]

But they did it without Darren Peterson, though.

[Howie Mandel]

So now you add Peterson, or is Peterson, like, pull back?

[Jason McIntyre]

It's been weird. Let me say this, is that I think, you know, for anybody who has followed anything that I do, and I. I don't mean to be like, oh, you know, listen to what I say or whatever, but I was one of the early vocal critics of Darren Peterson, and I think it got misrepresented of. I want him to play through injuries because I love college basketball. That's clearly not it. You know, he could be worth 500 million, 600, 700, $800 million before the end of his career. If he's not healthy, he shouldn't play. Where I think the frustration came out for a lot of people was that every day the story was different. One day it's a hamstring, then it's cramps, then he's playing full games, then he's pulling himself out, and you just could never get the definitive answer. But I think what's interesting is, is that since, you know, whether. Whether he's playing because he's healthier, because he was kind of under fire, under a microscope or whatever, I think you brought up the point. I don't think they have played as well with him in the lineup, trying to figure out how to reintegrate him into everything they're doing. We, you know, you and I, will.

[Howie Mandel]

Will.

[Jason McIntyre]

You know, one of us is going to win a steak dinner because I don't think they're beating St. John's in the round of 32.

[Howie Mandel]

I really don't wow any coaches here under the most pressure. I mean, like Arizona's Tommy Lloyd's not under pressure.

[Jason McIntyre]

Oh, I would disagree. I. I think he's under the most pressure.

[Howie Mandel]

Tommy.

[Jason McIntyre]

They haven't. Arizona has not made a final four since 2001. And if you don't do it this year out of the west, the bracket that they got now, listen, if acuff goes for 50 and he has a Kemba moment or a Walter Clayton moment, that's one thing. I don't think the pressure is actually on Tommy to get to. To win a national championship. I think it's. If you can't get to a Final Four after this regular season out of the west as vocal, that's a, you know, rel. The fan base is passionate, but it's not like, you know, an Ohio State football fan base or an Alabama football fan base. But if they can't get to a Final Four, I think he's got the most. People say Shire. It's like, you know, Shire's in his fourth year. Like he. Shire has elevated the program since Coach K took over. Like, that's an indisputable fact. If you look at the number flag

[Howie Mandel]

last year, they choked down the stretch. But let me go back to Louis. I need to take that back. I forgot about some of these bad losses. That Princeton loss cost me a lot of money. We don't need to talk about that. The loss to Houston, not that bad.

[Jason McIntyre]

No, no, no. Two years ago he lost Clemson. Yeah, that was at staple of crypto.com arena. I was there.

[Howie Mandel]

You're good. Tommy Lloyd has some pressure not losing in the second round here.

[Jason McIntyre]

No, I think. Listen, and. And I think Arkansas is uniquely not a good. Like, I think Arizona is a bad matchup for Arkansas.

[Howie Mandel]

Is Arkansas getting by Wisconsin?

[Jason McIntyre]

It's a fair. You know what's actually really funny? I forgot this. There's some Arizona, Wisconsin tournament history from like.

[Howie Mandel]

Don't remind me.

[Jason McIntyre]

Arizona, back to back Elite eights. Arizona fans, cover your ears. Back to back Elite Eights. Wisconsin beat Arizona to go to the final four. 2014, 2015. Frankenski was in one of those.

[Howie Mandel]

Wisconsin.

[Jason McIntyre]

So when the bracket came out, I'm thinking Arizona fans are going to be upset. They got to face Darius Acuff potentially in the sweet 16. They're like, I don't want Wisconsin. I'm like, listen, Wisconsin is really good. If you can't beat Wisconsin, that's a you problem. I can't be worrying about 2014. Although.

[Howie Mandel]

No, no, dude, those were so I'm a weirdo who remembers the bad losses more than the wins.

[Jason McIntyre]

You may remember your bad bets or your, your.

[Howie Mandel]

And I had Arizona in both those games against Wisconsin.

[Jason McIntyre]

Well, I was.

[Howie Mandel]

Devastating losses.

[Jason McIntyre]

The first one I was at, it was funny. Aaron Gordon was on Arizona. I was like watching the Nuggets or he plays for Nuggets, though, I think the other night. And I was like, oh, yeah, I remember when. So that game was crazy. It was an overtime game and I'm pretty sure no one had more than a one point lead for like the final 12 minutes or something like that.

[Howie Mandel]

Look it up on YouTube. That game was phenomenal. Arizona, Wisconsin. All right, we got to go back to Miami of Ohio.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah.

[Howie Mandel]

Something Rachel or I said triggered.

[Jason McIntyre]

I want to give Rachel credit. I, I think she nailed it. This, like, because, you know, listen, you can't listen to dummies on social media. And not everyone on social media is dumb.

[Howie Mandel]

A dummy, huh?

[Jason McIntyre]

Not you, nobody. Nobody on set here. But this. I, I did see some they shouldn't be in because now teams are going to schedule to go undefeated. I'm like, I got to be careful what words I use here. What descriptive words. I don't want to, you know, get an FCC violation.

[Howie Mandel]

You're good.

[Jason McIntyre]

You know how dumb you have to think that you can schedule your way to a 310 regular season. You know how hard it is. You know how many ankle twists. You know, and especially at that level. J. Mac, you know, like you're, you're taking buses places, you know, you're taking two layover flights to go. And it's like this idea that, you know, and you brought up the great point. I don't have the number of. If it's five team 16, it's like seven team, six team, something like that have ever entered the tournament since, you know, the bracket expanded undefeated. This notion that we're just going to have nine undefeated teams next year because they let Miami in. It's one of the dumbest things that I've ever.

[Howie Mandel]

Yes, it's criminally stupid. All right, we'll wrap up with this. So an amazing story popped. Yachts.

[Jason McIntyre]

I know where you go with this. Yeah, yeah.

[Howie Mandel]

Who went from uab. The NBA wanted him. He said, no, I'm going to go to Michigan. He says. The player says Kentucky offered him 7 to 9 million dollars. Other reports say he settled on Michigan for 5 mil. He wanted to play for Dusty maybe. Okay, let's just. Big picture, take it away.

[Jason McIntyre]

So I saw that story yesterday. I was running around Let me say this. So Yoxel's a really interesting guy because I think, you know, I saw Dusty May was on the show with you guys. He was awesome. Yoxel didn't start playing basketball till he was like 18, 19, something like that goes to juco UAB and so he doesn't have like that media training of the dude that. And so he kind of like, even if you listen to him in a post game interview, he kind of just says like whatever's on his mind at that moment. Love that and I love it. I agree with you 100%. I don't know that I believe seven tonight, but I don't think that he would like intentionally lie about it to me. It was more like Kentucky probably was in the weeds on the recruitment and they were like, name your price. We'll do whatever it takes. And he's like, you know, I want to go to Michigan. That's where I want to go. You know. And I know you know this about, about college sports right now, J. Mac, but like he was the prize of the portal last year big time. And there were teams that were lining up. You know, I don't want to say anyone was tampering and I'm certainly let the record show I'm not saying Michigan was, but let's just say there were teams that were trying to figure out would he go in the portal and what would the price point be for months before he actually entered the portal. Not saying anything to anything illegal. You're allowed to talk to agents, whatever. And so it does not surprise me that if you've had your eyes set on him for months and you see him going another direction that you just throw out one of those. Whatever it takes. Yeah, what do you need? But was there a Publisher's clearinghouse check with $9 million on the desk? I don't think that there probably was.

[Howie Mandel]

Listen, we're going to talk more about that story later. I would largely agree with your take. Maybe that's exaggerated, but he was the bell of the ball and it's worked out. Michigan's. I think we just showed the odds on the screen. I think the second best odds to win the tournament. They were number one much of the season. It was worth it. Nil works. Aaron Torres, Fox Sports Radio. Catch him covering the tournament Thursday and Friday. I mean all the time. He's all over college hoops. He'll do a early top 25 the day.

[Jason McIntyre]

Oh, you gotta do the way too early top 25 stuff.

[Howie Mandel]

Dude, I eat it up. Aaron Torres Thanks a lot, buddy.

[Jason McIntyre]

My man. Thank you.

[Howie Mandel]

All right, coming up next, Rachel Nichols with Herdline News. That's next year on the Herd.

[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

Want more?

[Howie Mandel]

Heard the herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the iHeartRadio app search herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. Hey, this is Jason McIntyre. Join me every weekday morning on my podcast, Straight fire with Jason McIntyre. This isn't your typical sports pod, pushing the same tired narratives down your throat every day. Straight Fire gives you honest opinions on all the biggest sports headlines, accurate stats to help you win big at the sportsbook, and all the best guests. Do yourself a favor and listen to Straight fire with Jason McIntyre on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Colin Cowherd]

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[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

Here we go. I went to college with college football coach Jim McElwain. I began my broadcasting career doing play by play for the Las Vegas Stars, and I've been a Verizon customer for 15 years. Okay, I lied. All three are true. Verizon isn't as expensive as you think. In fact, if you bring in your ATT or T mobile bill to a Verizon store, they'll give you a better deal. That's right, a better deal on the best network with the most ways to save on plans, streaming and phone deals. So take that AT and T or T mobile bill to your local Verizon store today. Get a better deal and start saving based on root metrics. Best overall Mobile Network Performance U.S. 2nd Half 2025 All Rights Reserve must provide recent consumer mobile bill in the name of the person redeeming the deal. Additional terms, conditions and restrictions apply. Support for the show comes from public. So it kind of feels like there's two types of investing platforms. You got the old school brokerages that look like they were designed in like 1995. Then you have those other platforms, the ones that feel less like investing and more like a casino. Public is neither. It's the investing platform for people who actually take this stuff seriously. You know people who are serious about building their wealth. Because on public you can build a portfolio of stocks and options and bonds and crypto without all the bugs or the confetti. Retirement accounts. Yep. High yield cash. Of course they even have direct indexing. Honestly, this is what investing platform should look like. Modern design, simple to use, and customer support that actually cares. Go to public.comcowherd and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.comcalhurt ad paid for by Public

[Howie Mandel]

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[Jason McIntyre]

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[Howie Mandel]

all investing involves risk of loss. See complete [e-mail] disclosures the Bleacher Report

[Bleacher Report Ad Voice]

app is your destination for sports right now. The NBA is heating up, March Madness is here and MLB is almost back. Every day there's a new headline, a new highlight, a new moment you've got to see for yourself. That's why I stay locked in with the Bleacher Report app. For me, it's about staying connected to my sports. I can follow the teams I care about, get real time. Scores, breaking news and highlights all in one place. Download the Bleacher Report app today so you never miss a moment. The Bleacher Report app is your destination for sports right now. The NBA is heating up, March Madness is here and MLB is almost back. Every day there's a new headline, a new highlight, a new moment you've got to see for yourself. That's why I stay locked in with the Bleacher Report app. For me, it's about staying connected to my sports. I can follow the teams I care about, get real time. Scores, breaking news and highlights all in one place. Download the Bleacher Report app today so you never miss a moment.

[Howie Mandel]

Back here on the Herd. Great stuff from Aaron Torres on the NCAA Tournament. I'm sure you guys realize I love that damn thing and I could just nerd out for three hours on the tournament. But we got a lot of other good stuff. So let's go to Rachel Nichols with the news. No no no.

[Public Ad Voice]

Turn on the news.

[Howie Mandel]

This is the Herd line news.

[Colin Cowherd]

Jason, we all saw it that game over the weekend. LeBron diving on the floor, going for the loose ball. Well now he is showing off on Instagram his knee. What it looked like the day after. You can see it in a minute. Here's a dive, right and then look and he says might be it for diving for the year. Ouch. Lol. I mean he's joking, right? But the irony of this is that him diving on the floor, going for loose balls, doing those little things is a big part of what the Lakers want from him right now. This guy is now behind not just Luka Doncic, but Austin Reaves in the pecking order. Austin Reaves, who is undrafted.

[Howie Mandel]

Look, I love.

[Colin Cowherd]

No, I'm not. I think Austin is one of the most fun guys in the NBA. I have a great relationship with him since he got to L. A. Like, he's great and what he's done on the court is just phenomenal this season. And the fit with Luka is terrific. I'm not saying he shouldn't behind be behind Austin Reeves. I'm saying that I'm not sure LeBron James ever imagined that at any time in his career he'd be behind in the pecking order. A guy who was not drafted, who took his team to round two of the NCAA tournament, I mean, it's just a different thing for him. I don't know. I think the question this summer is going to be more about role than money. I mean, where do you think is LeBron going to be in for a whole season of skin knees?

[Howie Mandel]

Probably not. But what if that's what they need him to do?

[Colin Cowherd]

I'm asking. That is going to be what they need him to do.

[Howie Mandel]

So I mean, I guess my, my thought would be, well, what's the alternative? Like, let's talk through this. I'm the Lakers, you're LeBron, or do you want to be? Which one?

[Colin Cowherd]

Just.

[Howie Mandel]

Okay, so LeBron, we, we saw the numbers are better when you're used to just down offensively. This is my best JJ Reddick, your instrumental passing IQ defense hustle. We would need a little more of that and less shooting. And oh, by the way, if we get Giannis, we're going to need even less shooting. Are you cool with that?

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, I mean, so from LeBron's side, right, the money, people keep talking about the money. The money is just kind of a non starter. If he wants a lot of money, we're not even having this conversation back and forth, right? If he's not going to take a significant pay cut, the conversation will last 20 seconds because they got to pay Austin Reeves a huge amount. They got to start building more specifically around Luca. So the money part that people keep talking about, will he take this pay cut? This conversation back and forth between us would be again, 30 second conversation. If he doesn't do that, that's why to me, the role question and that's why Rich Paul is on TV stumping for no team isn't better without LeBron James. And then you got to compare, right? Cleveland, you said, does Cleveland really want him? Cleveland really wants him, Jason. Well, yeah, look, Donovan Mitchell really wants it. Well, no, but it's interesting. So Cleveland really wants Donovan Mitchell to stay. Donovan Mitchell is entering a year where he'll have to decide about extensions like Donovan wants. LeBron. And the Cavs are happy to host a Make money from the LeBron farewell tour. So if you're LeBron, if I'm speaking for LeBron here, what I really want to know from the Lakers is what do you see my role being? Okay. And because I know again with Cleveland, it's still going to be a major role. And that that's really the issue is that LeBron hasn't turned into a bad basketball player. All of a sudden, it's fit.

[Howie Mandel]

Yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

LeBron James has never had to worry about fit. He is the fit. Right. In his entire career, teams are built around him. But now that he's this age, it is about fit. And he doesn't fit with the Lakers with Luka and Austin because they're too repetitive.

[Howie Mandel]

I mean, he fits, but in a different way.

[Colin Cowherd]

Not in a champion. I. I don't think he fits in a championship way. Oh, look, you and I were talking about this earlier, like at the beginning of the week, like if you were in a tight playoff game. Game six against the Spurs. Yes. Luka Austin and LeBron have been playing better defensively in this stretch. Is that the trio you are putting out in the final five minutes, or does one of those guys have to sit?

[Howie Mandel]

Well, I trust inherently LeBron over Rui DeAndre 8 and Jake LaRavia. Right. I think another addendum is, do you want me to come off the bench?

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, that's what I'm talking about.

[Howie Mandel]

Okay, so his boy Carmelo Anthony did not like. He was like, there's a press conference out there. It's embarrassing. He's like, they want me to come off the bench, like, laughing. No, we really do. Chris Paul didn't seem to fit well as an off the bench guy. I mean, you know these are superstars, right? Dwyane Wade kind of sort of did and figured it out. He was a little more amenable. I don't know what LeBron's going to be going through.

[Colin Cowherd]

And with Cleveland, that wouldn't even be a question because they have the defensive players that LeBron would fit in with that team. Right. So the fact that he's going to be 42 next season and, you know, doesn't move the way he did and all of this stuff, it won't matter as much with the Lakers. It really matters. And again, this has never even been a question with LeBron before. Fit. LeBron.

[Howie Mandel]

LeBron.

[Colin Cowherd]

To Rich's point, LeBron fits everywhere. But at this age, LeBron has finally kind of gotten into the middle 80% of the league where fit is really important.

[Howie Mandel]

Do you think he would trust J.J. redick to figure out the fit? Hey, you could tell me this and give me lip service in the summer just to keep me, but I don't know if it's actually going to happen during the season, then I'm going to be unhappy. It's going to be ugly.

[Colin Cowherd]

I don't think they're going to give him lip service in the summer.

[Howie Mandel]

Reddick will be honest.

[Colin Cowherd]

I don't. I mean, I don't know how much it'll be JJ versus the front office, but I don't. I think they would. They want to be. The intention is to be extremely clear that if you came back, it would be under these conditions and we don't want a problem later. And that LeBron is such a big presence in every locker room he's in that if he's unhappy, that'll be a big deal. So the conversation, obviously, again, money. If they can't agree that he's going to take such a significant pay cut, then they're not even having this conversation. But then I think. My guess is they will be extremely specific about role. But it's because they don't.

[Howie Mandel]

Because that in the summer.

[Colin Cowherd]

But they don't want him back. If he's not going to be able to fit the role that they need, they'd rather move on without him.

[Howie Mandel]

So does winning. Is that the deodorant that masks the potential stage? Hey, we're 20 and four. We got Giannis, Reeves, Luka, you. Who cares if you're not thrilled with the fit? I don't to a championship.

[Colin Cowherd]

I don't think they can get Giannis financially if they keep LeBron even for any price. But who knows? I mean, that's not. I'm not a capologist, but I think that winning this postseason may have an impact on LeBron's willingness to take a lesser role. So winning a round? Well, no, not winning a round or two. I think if they got to the Western Conference championships, oh, that would be interesting, certainly if they got to the finals, but they could. If they stay in number three, they're avoiding some of the, you know, big team Nuggets and Thunderbirds. It's not as big a deal. Right. So although I think the spurs could beat them. But, but look, if they reach some great height this postseason, which would be better than expected, maybe he feels like, okay, I can do this, this is cool. But that's where winning to me would would take into account. I just think the roll thing is the biggest question. What are the Lakers going to tell him about what his role would be and is that going to be good enough for him? And again, this is not about his skill level because at 41 he is killing it still. He's killing it for a 31 year old. But he is no longer just so omnipresently good that he is the fit. It is now about fit. And he does not quite fit with these guys the way he would in say, Cleveland.

[Howie Mandel]

What if the Lakers told him, hey, you can win a six man of the year award two to add to your legacy, right?

[Colin Cowherd]

I don't know. We'll see what what he wants to do. But I think, I think, you know, that Instagram post was funny to me because I was like, I was like, my friend, you will be there will be skin knees in your future. Many we're just talking having great conversation with Aaron. We want to talk a little bit about Duke, number one overall seed despite two starters having injuries. John Shire's had an Elite eight run and a Final Four run, but he has yet to win a national championship. Duke, of course, has a rough draw in this tournament. We know they could face UConn, Michigan State before they even get the Final Four. Kansas in their bracket. What do you think, Jason? How big a disappointment would a Duke flop be? And by the way, since most people have picked them to get to the Final Four, let's just say that not getting to the Final Four. How much of a disappointment would that be?

[Howie Mandel]

Come on. Probably the biggest Duke disappointment since Zion didn't get to the Final Four. The Michigan State lost. I mean, Jayson Tatum, I'm pretty sure they lost opening weekend to South Carolina. The the second round game. You gotta get there with Boozer. But the injuries matter. What's interesting is Boozer's younger or not younger twin brother. Yeah, Kaden, the guard. He's been pretty awesome in the ACC tournament, so if he could keep that up. Actually, I don't think they're twins, but he's, he's the guard. Boozer's the big.

[Colin Cowherd]

I think they are twins.

[Howie Mandel]

Are they twins? I think so either way, like, if they can get to the second weekend and maybe get the big guy back, I don't see why they can't get back to the Final Four. It would be a disappointment if they didn't get to the Final Four, you know?

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. I mean, look, I think coaches are under too much pressure as it is these days. Like Ryan Day at Ohio State. If you don't win the national championship, you're out of here because you've lost to Michigan. I mean, but really. And the coach is always the first to go in professional sports. Right? Because they have an investment in the players now at the college level. Because they have financial investments in the players. You know, Aaron told us, oh, John Shire is not under pressure. I think he's going to be under pressure if they lose before the Final Four. And I don't know, when people say fire the coach, I don't know what your reaction is. Mine is always, well, who are you going to get? Because I got to know if it's better than what we have. Do you sometimes. Are you just like, I don't care. I get this guy out of here.

[Howie Mandel]

No, no, no, I'm with you. Yeah, I need to know what the game. You need a plan. You can't just fire coaches. Dump quarterbacks. What's the game plan?

[Colin Cowherd]

You mean like your New York Knicks when they fired Tom Thibodeau?

[Howie Mandel]

I like Mike Brown.

[Colin Cowherd]

I mean, I like my breakdown too. But he was not their plan.

[Howie Mandel]

No, I think they were swinging a little higher than.

[Colin Cowherd]

Speaking of the NBA. In a rare sit down interview, Nikola Jokic said he doesn't understand why older NBA players seem to disrespect the current players. I know this is one of your things, Jason. In an interview translated from Serbian, Jokic made this point. I thought this quote was really good. He said it would be stupid if basketball weren't better now than 30 years ago. It's like saying phones were better 30 years ago and they weren't because of technology, modernization, everything modernizes. Basketball modernizes too. You, I gotta think you like this.

[Howie Mandel]

Oh my gosh, I love the Joker even more now. Yeah, I mean, we've been beating this drum forever. Yeah, I mean, listen, I don't have the power to talk to certain people who want to bash the current players all the time. Listen, it's annoying, this idea that like, oh, basketball in the 90s was better. Rachel, you covered the league. I did. You go try to watch one of those games on YouTube. It's so boring.

[Colin Cowherd]

Are you kidding? I was Live at the Pistons San Antonio spurs series when the final scores were in the finals in the 80s,

[Howie Mandel]

74, you gotta like they changed the league. It was so bad. Like, I don't know, I'm thousand percent with Jokic on this one. It's disappointing. And I, I mean I don't, I haven't talked to Adam Silver, but people who do know that he's not thrilled with the, with the constant disrespect of the.

[Colin Cowherd]

And by the way, I love 90s basketball because, you know, we grew up on it. It's like the, it's like you know, the song that you grew up in high school and you, those are the songs you still love best. But I, what he's saying is exactly right. Things improve. And that is why, frankly, I have never engaged in the Jordan vs. LeBron debate. I don't think it's comparable. They played in different leagues with different rules at different times.

[Howie Mandel]

Yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

And just to not understand that and the game advances and the game changes is just, I don't know if it's a fan thing or a talk radio thing or an Internet thing or whatever.

[Howie Mandel]

Engagement farming, according to J.J. reddick.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yes, exactly. But I think Jokic is absolutely right. And to have to turn on the TV and look, there's a million people now giving opinions. Right. It's not just the guy on the pregame show or the post game show, it's the guy, you know, on the Internet channel and the YouTube channel and the podcast and the whatever. But to have to like live in the world with all of that as an NBA player, to know how elite you are and that frankly, you could be better than some of these guys. I think that must be frustrating.

[Howie Mandel]

All right, Rachel with the news. Well, that's the news and thanks for stopping by the herd lie news. All right, coming up next, there's a new mock draft out, a big one, and it is a little crazy. That's next on the Herd. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd. Weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the iHeartRadio Apple.

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[Howie Mandel]

Great, great stuff so far. We got Rachel's Final Four pick coming up next hour. We have a guest, Mark Medina, stopping by to talk some NBA, but a couple NBA mock drafts are popping and we're going to put one on the screen right now. That just dropped this morning, folks. You guys have seen Mean Girls, right? They the girl keeps trying to make fetch happen and ultimately stop trying to make fetch happen. Stop trying to get the jets ty Simpson at 16, please. I respect Ty Simpson. I liked him during the season. You guys will remember this. I was talking up Ty Simpson like, dude, he's having a great season. I like him a lot down the stretch. He struggled. He only was a one year starter. We saw that with Zach Wilson. Guys, I'm not trying to do that again. Yeah, I fell victim to Zach Wilson, the Mormon Mahomes. Remember that? I was calling him that on the show. It sounded cool. You guys laughed and then he flopped. I'm not saying Ty Simpson is going to flop. We don't need him. We got Geno Smith. We got a quarterback coming in 27. I build the roster the way the Seattle Seahawks have done, the way the Denver Broncos have done. And then plug in the quarterback and let's talk. So I'm sure Ty Simpson is a really talented quarterback. Maybe he's going to do great things if Arizona wants him. Who just traded in the back of the first round? Miami Dolphins? Did you want to take him with the 30th pick? He's all yours. I don't think it makes any sense to have ty Simpson going 16th overall. The jets have needs all over the place. They were one of the worst teams in the league last year. Stop trying to make Ty Simpson to the jets happen. I'm sure he's a nice guy. I rooted for him at Alabama. Guys, enough please. No mas.

[Colin Cowherd]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Howie Mandel]

Guaranteed Human.