THE HERD-HOUR 2- Mark Few joins the show, Jalen Hurts, and Michigan Basketball

Summary

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The Herd with Colin Cowherd – Hour 2 Summary

Episode Date: April 6, 2026
Key Segments: Mark Few Joins the Show, Jalen Hurts, and Michigan Basketball

Episode Overview

This episode centers around breaking down the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship matchup between Michigan and UConn, examining the state of the NBA and college sports, and analyzing trending player and coach narratives. A major highlight of the hour is Colin Cowherd’s in-depth conversation with newly named Basketball Hall of Famer and Gonzaga head coach Mark Few, who brings insight about elite teams, the realities of NIL/transfer portal, and coaching culture. Additional discussion includes NFL news and Jalen Hurts’ reputation within the Eagles locker room.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Colin Right, Colin Wrong: Key Sports Observations

[02:53–07:43]

• Michigan’s Dominance & Team Construction:
  • Colin touts Michigan’s scoring and attributes their success to veteran players returning for another year.
  • Quote: “Are they one of the all-time great teams? Well, they’re a reminder that what college basketball is at its very best is older players coming back for another year…” – Colin [02:53]
• Oklahoma City Thunder’s Unexpected Rise:
  • Colin admits underestimating OKC’s ability to beat the Lakers and become a top-tier NBA team, praising their coaching and roster construction.
• Luka Doncic Usage Rate Concerns:
  • Cowherd highlights Luka’s high usage rate and potential limitations for his longevity and team impact.
• Cooper Flagg’s Emergence:
  • Colin asserts that Flagg will surpass Jayson Tatum and marvels at his assertiveness and all-around abilities.
• Jalen Hurts’ Locker Room Dynamics:
  • Reports emerge about Hurts’ reluctance to embrace new offenses and a possible lack of locker-room support.
  • Quote: “His rigidity, his reluctance to sort of embrace new offenses was kind of an eye opener… it made it sound like AJ Brown was not the issue in the locker room.” – Colin [05:54]
• Giannis & the Bucks’ Turmoil:
  • Giannis publicly expresses frustration with Bucks' management, fueling speculation about his future.

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2. Interview with Mark Few (Gonzaga Head Coach, Basketball Hall of Famer)

[08:34–21:41]

Few Reflects on Small-Town Roots & Hall of Fame Honor

• Mark Few shares his hometown (Creswell, Oregon) background and camaraderie with Cowherd as fellow “small town guys.”
• Quote: “Creswell, Oregon. When I was growing up there, it was right around 1,500. Now I think it’s blossomed… just south of Eugene.” – Mark Few [08:34]

Dissecting Michigan’s Team & Dominance

• Few describes Michigan as “the real deal,” noting their size, versatility, and suffocating defense after facing them earlier.
  • Quote: “They are extremely well coached. They are big, they are physical. They can beat you inside, they can beat you outside.” – Mark Few [09:24]
• Credits Michigan’s ability to “choke off” two-point scoring, referencing how both Gonzaga and Arizona struggled.

UConn’s Surprising Run

• Few is surprised UConn reached the final, saying it’s the “least talented” UConn Finals team he’s seen, but credits Dan Hurley’s culture.
  • Quote: “I think this is probably the least talented of all those UConn teams. But I think we really got to step back and just acknowledge what Dan Hurley’s been able to do there.” – Mark Few [11:19]
• Discusses the challenge of prepping for UConn’s off-ball action on short turnaround as key to the championship matchup.

Cooper Flagg’s Potential

• Discusses seeing Flagg up close with Team USA scrimmages, taken aback by his multifaceted game.
  • Quote: “He does everything. The most impressive thing is he does everything… Not surprised. But the 50 [points] kind of stood out for me.” – Mark Few [13:41]
• Notes that NBA stars and coaches (LeBron, KD, Steve Kerr) were universally impressed by Flagg.

Coaching Styles: Hurley vs. Dusty May

• Shares Dusty May is “the most prepared guy” Few’s coached against, detailing May’s adaptability and high basketball IQ approach.

The Transfer Portal & NIL Era

• Few uses a vivid analogy to emphasize the chaos of college basketball’s transfer portal:
  • Quote: “Imagine… the NFL after the Super Bowl, the day after, everybody on every team can leave and do whatever they want…” – Mark Few [17:05]
• Supports one free transfer per player and another if a coach leaves/fired, stressing the need for policy clarity.

Losing Assistants: The Impact of Tommy Lloyd’s Departure

• Describes the personal and professional adjustments after Lloyd left for Arizona: “Our wives were best friends. Our kids literally grew up… That was difficult.” – Mark Few [18:41]
• Credits the broader staff for maintaining program strength.

Game Breakdown & Prediction

• Few agrees Michigan will not be intimidated by physicality and expects three-point shooting to be critical.
  • Quote: “They are as physical as it comes. They’re big at the guard spot … UConn’s gotta make a bunch of threes.” – Mark Few [20:02]
• Praises Dan Hurley’s track record and suggests not counting out UConn.

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3. Breaking NFL News & Commentary

[26:46–28:47]

• Dexter Lawrence Requests Trade:
  • John and Colin analyze the positional value of aging defensive tackles; suggest a trade is likely, but not for a premium return.
• Golden State Warriors’ Playoff Outlook:
  • Colin says the era of Warriors dominance is ending, highlighting aging stars, team loyalty, and front office stagnation.

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4. College Basketball’s “Blue Bloods” and the Coaching Carousel

[30:52–33:44]

• Are Blue Bloods (Elite Programs) a Thing of the Past?:
  • John claims, “they’re now Green Bloods,” suggesting NIL money is the new kingmaker.
  • UNC’s focus turns to Billy Donovan as head coach; Colin argues he’s a “great coach” but highlights lifestyle and structure differences between NBA and college.
• The Shift in Program Power:
  • Colin: “Indiana just won college football national championship… I think we’re in a different time.” [32:43]

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5. NBA Star Commentary

[34:00–36:01]

• Colin reflects on LeBron James criticizing NBA cities’ accommodations (e.g., Memphis, Milwaukee), analyzing player preferences, city investments, and the evolution of the league's geography and branding.

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6. Jalen Hurts, Organization Responsibility, and Roster Construction

[38:29–44:24]

• Colin unpacks a recent report painting Jalen Hurts as less coachable, critiquing the overvaluation of results versus process.
  • Quote: “Let fans fall in love with results. Coaches, GMs—it’s got to be more than results.” – Colin [38:29]
• Hurts’ offense’s underperformance (scoring fewer points than Giants/Saints with stacked talent) spotlights bigger concerns.
  • Nick Wright adds perspective, indicating Hurts’ need for the right supporting cast: “You need a specific type of team to have peak success with Jalen.” [42:00]
• Colin claims rookie QB Caleb Williams is a “much better player” than Hurts, suggesting the Bears’ infrastructure demands a higher completion rate.

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7. Michigan vs. UConn – Final Takes & Game Narratives

[44:24–47:19]

• Dan Hurley soundbite: “You don’t have to be the best team… to win this tournament… Just got to play one game on Monday night.” [44:24]
• John and Colin review the unpredictability of single-elimination tournaments, the edge of experience, and how physicality matches with age and coaching.
• Colin points out that both Michigan and UConn are exceptionally physical, older rosters—making for a high-level, unpredictable title game.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• “I think this is probably the least talented of all those UConn teams. But… what Dan Hurley’s been able to do there… is amazing.” — Mark Few [11:19]
• “Imagine… the NFL after the Super Bowl, the day after, everybody on every team can leave and do whatever they want…” — Mark Few on transfer portal chaos [17:05]
• “Let fans fall in love with results. Coaches, GMs—it’s got to be more than results.” — Colin on judging Jalen Hurts [38:29]
• “You don’t have to be the best team, you don’t have to have the best season to win this tournament.” — Dan Hurley [44:24]

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Important Segment Timestamps

• Colin Right/Wrong Rapid-Fire – 02:53–07:43
• Mark Few Full Interview – 08:34–21:41
• NFL: Dexter Lawrence Trade Story – 26:46–28:46
• Blue Bloods/Coaching Carousel Discussion – 30:52–33:44
• Jalen Hurts Detailed Breakdown – 38:29–44:24
• Dan Hurley/NCAA Tournament Final Soundbites – 44:24–47:19

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Tone & Style

Lively, opinionated, and steeped in real-time analysis; Cowherd’s signature style is direct, anecdotal, and conversational, blending humor, critique, and inside stories. Mark Few brings humility, technical insight, and a "coach’s coach" vibe to the conversation.

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This summary covers all essential sports insights and stories provided in Hour 2, making it an ideal guide for listeners who missed the episode or want to review key talking points before the NCAA title game.

Transcript

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Podcast Host]

Yeah, the bird looks out of your league anyways.

[John]

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[Colin Cowherd]

Liberty.

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[Colin Cowherd]

Liberty.

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[Colin Cowherd]

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

[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

here we go where Colin was right.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, I picked Michigan to get to the national championship game and win it. And part of it was I saw him clobber Gonzaga in Illinois and I'm like, wait a minute, what's going on here? I mean listen, they don't, their star Yaxel and Borg's not 100% but they just pushed. If they're shooting well, I don't even think UConn can beat them when they shoot well, it's over. And I mean they've scored 90 plus points in five straight tournament games. Are they one of the all time great teams? Well, they're a reminder that what college basketball is at its very best is older players coming back for another year of college even if they could go in the second round of the NBA draft.

[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

So we got Michigan right where Colin was wrong.

[Colin Cowherd]

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

[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

Where Colin was right.

[Colin Cowherd]

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

[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

where Colin was right?

[Colin Cowherd]

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

[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

Where Colin was wrong Boy, that Jalen

[Colin Cowherd]

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

[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

Where Collin was right, Giannis and the

[Colin Cowherd]

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

[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

where Colin was right.

[Colin Cowherd]

I like Fernando Mendoza much more than the people I talk to that I respect his pro day. He put on 12 pounds of weight. He looked bigger in shorts and a T shirt than he did in a uniform for Indiana. I think this kid is an A prospect. Intelligence, gratitude, humility. He's not a great mover, but it wasn't long ago Brady dominated the league. You got to move in the pocket more than out of it. I just, I'm going to disagree with all the people that are really smart that grade draft picks.

[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

I think he's an A talent where Colin was right.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, I'm being kind of obnoxious, but let's see. UCLA blows out South Carolina for their first women's title. Indiana won the Natty men's football. Michigan could win the Natty in basketball. Tonight, we said with the nil, it will be a regression of the sec and you're going to see the money in the middle of the country. Connectability in the multiple time zones that the Big Ten now offers is going to be a huge, huge advantage. And it's been. Way to go, Bruins. It's been exactly that. Well, Mark Fusig, small town guy, humble guy, but it, it warms my heart that he is now a basketball hall of Famer. That was just announced. And the Godzaga head coach is joining us live. And he won't want to talk about that, but it should be noted you come from a very small. Tell everybody where you're from.

[Mark Few]

Creswell, Oregon. When I was growing up there, it was right around 1500. Now I think it's blossomed more into like 3 or 4000 just south of Eugene.

[Colin Cowherd]

Wow. So they have a small town, much

[Mark Few]

like you, a small town guy in the Pacific Northwest.

[Colin Cowherd]

I was from a fishing town. You were from a lumber town. Absolutely. And congratulations on that. So the first time I looked at Michigan this year is when they thumped you guys. And I'm like, I don't think Mark's ever lost the game in the last 10 years like that. And I said this the other night, when they shoot, well, forget it. Nobody's beaten them. I mean, when you, when that game was over and you're flying back, what was your take on Michigan? Was it one of these, we couldn't beat them if we played them five times, or did you think, well, they had a great night?

[Mark Few]

Both, you know, basically, especially after talking to Dusty. Dusty was great after the game and was just like, hey, we haven't shot it like that in practice ever. And I mean. And again, he was being so humble. They are the real deal after you watch film. I mean, they are extremely well coached. They are big, they are physical. They can beat you inside, they can beat you outside. The thing that shocked me the most, you know, was Tommy's team at Arizona is built very much like us. We, we score a lot of two pointers and they just choked those off, both our teams, basically. And I mean, it really wasn't even a game. And it's different guys, right? I mean, Lindenberg was out Pretty much the whole game. And for Mara to step up, I mean, you saw Mara last year at UCLA and look at him now. I mean, that staff's done an incredible job. But the last thing that stood out, Colin, especially watching it live there, was just how handsy they were on defense and the pressure defense and how they can switch everything and just a really, really well connected team with just almost like NBA level size.

[Colin Cowherd]

It's interesting because I have so much respect having lived back out east and been to many UConn games. I don't love their talent. I like their age and toughness and culture. But, you know, I watched them with Duke pick them apart in the second half and I watched Illinois feel really a little nervous. It was big. And I thought the first seven, eight minutes, I'm like, Illinois has got to get their feet under them. They're just not quite there. Are you surprised because you've seen all the great UConn teams. They won a title several years ago. They were so good, it was crazy. Are you surprised this roster is in the natty?

[Mark Few]

I am. I really am. And we've played UConn numerous times during this run. They've been on. And I would totally agree with you. I think this is probably the least talented of all those UConn teams. But I think we really got to step back and just acknowledge what Dan Hurley's been able to do there. I mean, he's on the brink of kind of a modern day version. And I'd never, ever compare anybody to what, you know, Coach Wooden did at ucla. But I mean, this is amazing what they've been able to do and done it with three different teams. Essentially. This wasn't a carryover. They didn't have like Kareem for four years in a row or Bill Walton for four years in a row. In this day and age, you're constantly changing out pieces and parts and he's got a strong culture. They're tough, they love playing for him. The interesting thing, and I'm telling you, this is going to be big, Colin. You know, I've been in this game twice. It is such a short turnaround between the semis and the final. Your guys are beat up, they're shot, you're out. I mean, Michigan was, you know, we got out of the arena the other night close to midnight, and it's a quick flip around, you got to walk through and then that's about it. UConn runs a lot of off ball action, more off ball action than anybody in college basketball, where most of us are predominantly ball screen driven and that's a hard prep in a day and I think that's going to be a real key in Michigan. Their staff is phenomenal at game prepping, but that this is going to be a really interesting thing if they can flip the switch from mostly ball screens to do garden all pin downs and flares and off ball screens.

[Colin Cowherd]

I want to talk Cooper flag. You saw him in 2024. You scrimmaged against him.

[Mark Few]

Yeah, Team USA.

[Colin Cowherd]

I mean that's just, I mean the kid was what, 17? And you, you basically do for a living is, is watch young 14, 15, 16 year old talent. I said at the time, I said he's not as good as Jayson Tatum now, but if Tatum was super aggressive, that's what he is. Are you surprised he was this good first year in the league?

[Mark Few]

Oh, wow. I'm. You know what? Not this good because as you were describing in the intro, he does everything. The most impressive thing is he does everything. He, he handles the ball. He, he passes extremely well. He's got great size. These clips you're showing where he's shooting threes off the bounce, I had not seen that. Okay. And I mean when he gets 50 in a game because usually it's more, you know, 8, 20 and 10 rebounds and 8 assists and a couple steals. And I mean he is the real deal. And always remember after we scrimmage them, I was just watching how the guys on our team were talking about him. You know, the LeBron's and KD's and Steph's and then also how our staff was, I mean Steve and Spo and Ty Lue were had, you know, great praise for him, you know, at the next level. So not surprised. But the 50 kind of, kind of stood out for me.

[Colin Cowherd]

You know, you go to Pratt, you've been on Team USA and Krzyzewski and Beha, you've seen so many different personalities. And Hurley is very intense and that's who he is. Dusty May comes on my show and he's genuinely funny. You know, he's got a light personality. What are, what are his practices like?

[Mark Few]

I haven't been to any of his practices, but I can tell you, and I, and I saw Dan mentioned. Hurley mentioned it in his press conference today. You know, a lot of times you play teams and you know, maybe they don't take certain things away or whatever. I mean, easily the most prepared guy, you know, that we've played against as far as just. And we had a short prep with that Game, too. You know, we played three games in three days down at the thing in Vegas and just extremely well coached, extremely well prepared. Took a lot of stuff, took our strengths away. You know, tweaked some things on offense to kind of exploit our defensive coverages. Endgame stuff also, I think there, I think it's a really, I think he's got a really mature group and a really smart group, so he challenges them, you know, on a, on a very, very high basketball IQ level. And they, they respond with a lot of the stuff they do. And they're, they're switching. Watch their switching tonight. How they'll just switch off and they'll get their bigs back on the bigs after switching ball screens and they talk their way through everything. Very impressive.

[Colin Cowherd]

Did you see that he had them practice outdoors because they're playing in a dome. Did you see that?

[Mark Few]

I. I did not see it. I was kind of busy this weekend with some stuff I didn't. But I think it's brilliant because those domes are. We just don't do that in college basketball. I mean, it's just so huge and the backgrounds are different shooting, and yet they shot the ball extremely well the other night. But I think it's brilliant.

[Colin Cowherd]

So I am pro portal and nil, but I don't think they're perfect. The portal literally opens tomorrow, I think, for you.

[Mark Few]

What a glorious day.

[Colin Cowherd]

So. But you gave me an analogy in the break, and I think it's really funny. Go ahead.

[Mark Few]

No, the analogy is, and this is true, imagine all the sports that you cover. The NFL after the super bowl, the day after the super bowl, everybody on every team can leave and do whatever they want. They can go anywhere they, anywhere they want. And if they don't like it this year, they can do it the next year. And same in the NBA. Imagine, imagine that in the NBA and imagine trying to balance that. When you're culture driven like we are here, when UConn's culture driven. I mean, it's just. Look, I'm, I'm all for, you know, transfer. Once you don't like that, the next time you transfer, you need to sit. Yeah, we've had so many great guys sit here calling and become NBA players, and it helps you graduate. It's such a positive thing. And listen, if a coach leaves, you get another free transfer. If a coach gets fired, you get another free transfer there. And I think, yeah, literally everybody would agree to that. Players, coaches, administrators, Democrat, Republican, everybody. We just got to get our act together.

[Colin Cowherd]

The, you know, your guy Tommy Lloyd. So you have this great assistant and he leaves. And I've said this, I can remember covering Oregon football and you know, you lose Jeff Tedford left and it was like, for a year or two, Oregon was like, whoa, whoa. And like sometimes you get one all time great assistant. Is it? I mean, Tommy goes from you guys to Arizona. Was it pretty jarring? The first 12 months, his just, you know, his personality, his recruiting, walking out

[Mark Few]

the door, the hardest thing, to be honest, was, you know, the impact on our families. I mean, our wives were best friends. Our kids literally grew up. I mean, that's me 20 years. So our kids were his daughter and my daughter, best friends, his boy, my two oldest sons, best of friends, played it, played together in high school, won state championships together.

[Colin Cowherd]

That.

[Mark Few]

That was difficult. But, yeah, listen, when you have somebody that's grown with you through the ranks, and I was delegating a lot of stuff on him because I knew how good he was and really, you know, leaning into all the wisdom that he had. I mean, yeah, there was an adjustment, but we've got other guys in here that are helping prop me up here because I need that.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, we all need that, don't we? We all need that. So I'm going to take Michigan close tonight, but I would be surprised if it wasn't competitive because I think UConn knows the way to beat Michigan. The only way they can beat Michigan is to get really physical and try to get them out of sorts. You're not going to beat them player for player. The way Mara's playing, forget it. And I think Michigan has the wherewithal and strength and physicality and age to push back. I think it's a hard game to officiate tonight. So I'll take Michigan close. What do you see?

[Mark Few]

I see exactly what you're saying. And listen, I would just give you a pause there. And Michigan's not going to be threatened by any physical play. They are as physical as it comes. They're big at the guard spot, you know, especially at those wings. They're huge inside. I mean, nobody's more physical in Arizona. I mean, they've been bullying everybody and Michigan bullied them. But. But I think it'll come down. I mean, UConn's got to make a bunch of threes. You got to make a bunch of threes. And. And I do think, you know, Lindenberg not being full strength is going to really help. And last thing I'd say is do not count out Danny Hurley. I mean, just did not count him Out. I mean he is just owned late March and early April here in these last five years. So I, you know, wouldn't surprise me.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, congratulations on the hall of Fame. You know, you know that I moved to Chicago so like you, I have a little bit of a winner. But you know that I am built Ford tough and I bought a jacket and I got to tell you something did not phase me Louisiana Nice. But I handled it. You probably were deeply concerned about could I handle 9 degrees and it's just okay, I'm fine.

[Mark Few]

I was concerned about country club calling, playing tennis and walking and jogging in his shorts always telling me about it all winter. And so I utterly surprised by that. And I'm happy for you. Very happy. Well done.

[Colin Cowherd]

The hall of famer Mark Few go Zags. Great seeing you, coach.

[Mark Few]

Yeah, you too.

[Colin Cowherd]

All right, Mark. Boy, he has just been a good friend and just a funny, funny guy when you get to know him. Yeah, boy, we got a lot tonight. I think it's, I'll tell you when Michigan is shooting. Well, good luck. I mean the game may come down to this. They're really good teams. Michigan's got a little bit more talent. Their best player in Michigan's banged up. Mara is going to have to play great. He did. It's funny again, if you look at Adai Mara, he spends two years at ucla. If you didn't have nil, he may have just said I'm going to go develop against pros. 7 foot 3 Spaniard guy, I'm going to go develop against pros. He's like, no, no, no, I'm going to go to Michigan. Look at how much it's benefited him. He's a really, really nice offensive player with a good skill set. Good feet can pass. That's the benefit of nil. It's the herd.

[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

One more herd. 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.

[Colin Cowherd]

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[Colin Cowherd]

I'm trying to run as fast AS T mobile 5G home Internet, Zach.

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[Colin Cowherd]

Really?

[Mark Few]

How's this?

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[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

No.

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[Colin Cowherd]

How can I go any faster?

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[Colin Cowherd]

Hey, whoa, whoa. That's too fast.

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[Colin Cowherd]

Get on the fast track. T Mobile now has the fastest 5G home Internet. And for a limited time, it starts at just 30 bucks a month with autopay and a voice line. Plus a 5 year price guarantee plus taxes and fees. Fastest according to Ooklev Speed test intelligence data. Second half 2025. All rights reserved. Guarantee for monthly price of 5G Internet data on eligible plans. Find exclusions and details@t mobile.com on the serving Pancakes podcast.

[Podcast Host]

Conversations about volleyball go beyond the court. Today we have a little best friend compatibility test. Okay, how long have we been best friends for? Since the day we met. As the League1 volleyball season heads towards its final stretch, there's no better time to tune in. We really are like yin and yang, vodka and tequila. You'll hear unfiltered analysis, behind the scenes stories and conversations with leaders making an impact across the sport. Today we have Logan Lednecki. I feel like our fan base in general is very connected.

[Colin Cowherd]

Just like a comforting feeling getting to play at home.

[Podcast Host]

Whether you're following the final push of Love season or just love the game, serving Pancakes brings you closer to the action and the people shaping the future of volleyball. Jordan Thompson had that microphone out. God forbid we make mistakes or cuss at our coach.

[Colin Cowherd]

Like when talking or two times.

[Podcast Host]

Open your free iHeartradio app. Search serving Pancakes and listen. Now this has been Serving Pancakes. And we'll catch you on the flip side. Okay. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports.

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[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

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[Colin Cowherd]

Hit that thumbs up icon and comment. Away

[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

line news.

[John]

Well Colin, we got a little breaking news in the National Football League. Dexter Lawrence, he has requested a trade and he will not attend the team's OTAs. Now he became a star under day ball rattling off pro bowls becoming one of the better interior defensive tackles. Here's the kicker. He wants a long term contract. They've been in negotiations. Clearly they're a little far, far off on the number. Remember defensive linemen nowadays make a lot of money and this is a guy now, third contract, getting a little older. Yeah, you know Harbaugh didn't draft him but he, he's a, he does feel like a raven massive defensive tackle like his type guy. I think these, sometimes these issues are simply financial.

[Colin Cowherd]

Colin, I don't think he had as good a year.

[John]

He didn't, he was bad. He didn't. I think he had a half a sack on the season.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, I don't, I couldn't, I couldn't back up the brinks truck to him. I thought he was really good for five, six years stretch. I don't, I don't feel like he's that same player. Yeah, I'd struggle with this and I also think with Jackson dart and scatter boo and a new coach, you know most coaches want to get their guys and get kind of younger and have a new culture and you know you bring in a defensive lineman that wants to get paid top of market. I think they probably move off him.

[John]

Yeah, I think it's very difficult to give guys 30 plus million dollars and he had a good year a couple years ago with nine sacks, but he's, he's probably a four to six sack guy. He's not a pressure. He's a dominant interior size guy.

[Colin Cowherd]

Right.

[John]

You're not moving them. Jason Kelsey has said he's by far the hardest guy to move as they get older, you know, banged up a little bit. The problem though, he needs a new contract. What's his. It's not like you're getting a first rounder for a guy that wants $35 million a year. So they're kind of in a weird spot sometimes. These just become long staring contests this time of year.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[John]

To the NBA, a place where I used to live, the Golden State warriors, who, when I was there, pretty tough to beat. Now they're not quite as good. They look destined for the 10 seed, but they're going to play the Clippers. And Steph Curry came back after the game. Steve Kerr talked about the difference vibe in the locker room. As they approach the playoffs with Steph

[Mark Few]

Curry, you can just feel it.

[Steph Curry]

We're, we're back in the mix. You know, we're back in the fight with, with Steph. Steph looked amazing. He's worked really hard for this. You can see, you know, it doesn't take much for him to find his rhythm. And his rhythm is also our rhythm. The off ball stuff that, that, that we get as a result of, you know, his movement. We got a lot, a lot of easy layups. Gary got layups, a big one near the end based on, you know, the, the attention to Steph. So he changes everything.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, listen, Steph, KD, LeBron, the baton has been passed. You know, the warriors, it's been weird because, you know, that's the downside to having a beloved legend. They can't move off him. And it just, you've got to find a player, I guess, like Giannis that can play on his timeline. But I don't know how they get. You look at the youth of San Antonio and the youth of okc, the size and domination of Jokic, I don't know what they are anymore.

[John]

I also think it's. They're in a weird situation because, you know, Durant's very nomadic. LeBron, who knows, maybe next year is on a different team. Curry's very loyal to that area. And if you look at the Bay Area and he's seen it firsthand, Joe Montana, Barry Bonds, Jerry Rice, Steve, these guys all live there still. Buster Posey came back. He's running the Giants It's a pretty special place when you're on that level. Yeah, but this team, colin, old brittle 10 seed. I mean this, this ain't the KD warriors, that's for sure.

[Colin Cowherd]

Right.

[John]

Well, let's, let's wrap up with, with some basketball because I think we got to have the conversation. Do Blue Blood still exist? In my opinion, they're now Green Bloods. Whoever spend the most money in North Carolina, they struck out on Tommy Lloyd, they struck out on Dusty May. And it looks like Jeff Goodman reported the sole focus is on the Bulls head coach right in your backyard, Billy Donovan.

[Colin Cowherd]

I think he's the best choice. I think he's a great coach.

[John]

But Colin, he hasn't coached in college in over a decade. I mean, the landscape changed. He left college to go to the

[Colin Cowherd]

pros because of recruiting.

[John]

Now it's even crazier.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, but it's more administrative and the difference is people. And I think it's fair to say the Bulls are not seriously competing in the front office. Carolina will do anything to win. And I said this two weeks ago, this was my choice. Overwhelmingly. He is an incredibly, like this insatiable appetite for competition and winning. And you can't if you're the Bulls. Chicago's a great place to live. He's well compensated, they're loyal to him. But to me he is too fiery and too competitive. And the Bulls are just not well run. They're not like seriously close to anywhere in the top eight to ten well run organizations. I think, listen, Carolina is a nice place to live. And again, it's not hanging out at AAU tournaments anymore. I mean, Rick Patino won't even recruit high school players. He just won't. It's writing checks and Carolina's got a big bank.

[John]

But hasn't the landscape changed a lot? I mean, I mean, Duke is rolling. Shire's landing all the big guys. Obviously Hurley's got him rolling. And then the football schools, I mean, that's the thing. The football's brought in so much money. Look at Michigan. Michigan's going nowhere with this guy. So I, to me, the North Carolina I grew up on, when Roy Williams went there and they're winning championships.

[Colin Cowherd]

I don't know. Indiana just won college football national championship.

[John]

I mean, I think we're in a different time. Colin.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, maybe I think he's a great coach. I think you forget how good of a coach he is because of the Bulls front office. I think you just forget how good he is.

[John]

Why hasn't he already left? Like why Is he. Why is he holding on to this job?

[Colin Cowherd]

Because I think, you know, that's a great question, John. Ritz Carlton's great travel, big cities. I mean, the NBA. And this is nothing against college sports, but, you know, you're in. You're. You're two hours outside of Chicago in, you know, Champaign, Urbana, or you can be in Chicago. And I, you know, I think a lot of these guys, I've heard this before from scouts and coaches. It's a better lifestyle. You know, you don't. You're not dealing with parents or the ncaa. He would rather coach. And I think he's asking himself and his family this, like, I prefer the NBA. I like pro arenas and pro living and pro hotels and travel. But at some point, he's a competitive guy, and I think Chicago's not competitive in the NBA.

[John]

I mean, look at LeBron. The one NBA city that puts him at a Marriott. He wants out. He wants him to move.

[Colin Cowherd]

That's so true, John, with the news.

[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

Well, that's the news.

[Colin Cowherd]

And thanks for stopping by the herd.

[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

Lie news like, you know, that whole

[Colin Cowherd]

LeBron, Memphis thing, it's like, listen, St. Louis, the downtown, there's nobody there. Portland, Oregon, there's nobody there. It's the politicians not blaming the city. The city isn't, you know, a singular entity. It's just a City. But LeBron, you know, he's finally comes up. People think he's been too practiced or rehearsed. He's not authentic. He's finally authentic. Like, I don't like staying in Memphis. This is outrageous. He's like, yeah, they should put it in Nashville. That is my old takeaway on that. Why did he bang on Milwaukee, which, for the record, has spent five and a half billion dollars in the last 10 years. Downtown, fear the deer, the Riverwalk, The Iron District, 3rd Street, Milwaukee. Downtown is great. I mean, if you don't like Akron and Memphis, okay. But Milwaukee has been, you know, politically. They had a plan. They threw a fortune at their downtown. And I have friends. I had a friend this weekend that went to Milwaukee. He's like, it's great downtown. So, you know, throwing shade at Milwaukee. But, you know, I mean, so many NBA players and broadcasters have, you know, kind of, you know, grumbled about Memphis. I'm not blaming Memphis. It's got some charm and some history. It's got political dysfunction, stagnation, population decline. It's not ideal. But, you know, you want all these stars to be honest and upfront and, you know, oh, they're corporate. And LeBron just, you know, he's on a golf course, says something to somebody and boom, he's the worst guy in the world. It's like cities go through. You know, when I lived in Portland, it was dynamic downtown, it was. Now it's empty. You know, it's, it's just not a good downtown. Coming up next, Jalen Hurts knows the word is out. And man, you can blame who you want. Look upstairs and blame the owner when you ruin a great brand. That's coming up.

[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

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

[Colin Cowherd]

From 2004 to 2018, they had four World Series titles and they were winning 90 plus games every year. And then, and that was 2018, 2004 to 2018. Now they're awful. Fans were chanting, sell the team yesterday at Fenway as they were losing to the Padres. They can't hit. They have no bats. And then a couple years after 2018, 2020, they traded Mookie Betts of the Dodgers for a bag of wrenches. And none of those players panned out. You talk about changing two organizations since that time. The Dodgers have won three World Series titles and the Red Sox since that trade have two playoff wins, one a wild card series win. They have since 2016, 2020 to 2026, that six year period, they have fewer playoff wins than Tampa. So basically they're the, they're Tampa Bay with a really cool big green wall. That's what they are. Theo Epstein to a middle of the pack front office. They've got money, but they've spent it on Liverpool. So it just, it is amazing. You guys think the Luca trade was bad. You know, at least it, you know, at least they got in Dallas they got, you know, Anthony Davis who did age quickly, but Boston just got nothing in return. That worked in their favor and it completely flipped two organizations. From 2004 to 2018, the Dodgers were good. They could win a division. They didn't have World series championships. Now they've got three. Roman Anthony is a star for that. Can you imagine that? I mean, I remember going to Fenway park during those great years. I mean, it's hard to get seats. I mean, it was just hard. It was hard. A Saturday day game, a Thursday night game in the summer. It was hard to get a good seat. Here's Roman Anthony, their star. On the fans chanting, sell the team. And the start this year where nobody can hit.

[Red Sox Player/Coach]

Work your ass off and get in the video room and be prepared as you possibly can. And I mean, I don't think that we're not doing that. I think it's, again, it's just a tough stretch and we need to find a way to just bring more energy and just be better. This is unacceptable. It's unacceptable to the fans. It's unacceptable to the standard that we set for ourselves.

[Colin Cowherd]

I mean, you can watch a Red Sox game, you can see seats, open seats. And it's a small stadium and a huge city. So there was a story last week on Jalen Hurts and it had 12 sources written by a respected journalist. And it really showed a side of Jalen Hurts that was not terribly coachable, some rigidity kind of specific to hurts, inability or want to be coached in certain situations or make changes. I thought it was pretty surprising. But I was reading a quote this morning from Jeff McLean of the Philadelphia Inquirer, and he said, quote, jalen knows this is the last year of guaranteed money. He knows the cat's out on some of his baggage. You can't be near the bottom of the league in passing two years in a row with the amount of talent he has. Everybody is saying it. The owner's saying it, the coach is saying it. Everybody's on the same page. And this goes back. I argue with J. Mac all the time on this. Jalen Hurts is example358 that you can't just fall in love with results. Let fans fall in love with results. They're not paid to run A team. Coaches, GMs. It's got to be more than results. Last year. Think about this. With Saquon Barkley, AJ Brown, devontae Smith, above average tight ends, grado line stack roster. They scored fewer points than New York Giants. Just think about it. They had an offense that ranked a total offense that ranked lower than the Saints. Think about this. The Steelers. The Steelers spent all their money on defense last year with a 40 year old plus quarterback. These Steelers were a more effective offense without a number two wide receiver than Philadelphia was. Let fans wave the pom poms and base everything on results. That's, that's not what GMs have to do. And I've said this about Jalen Hurts. I like his kind of his iq, his eq. He goes to the podium. Philadelphia is a loud, loud media city. The last. I mean if Baker Mayfield would have been drafted by the Eagles, I mean that would have been an inferno four days into it. Like I like his personality. Nick Foles low key. Jalen Hurts low key. Do not start fires. Philadelphia starts its own fires. Nick Ceriani can start don't start fires. Put him out. That part I love about him. But, I mean, they have a Stack roster and this offense. I mean, they had halves last year where they couldn't get first downs. Like, he is not an elite quarterback. That's not a criticism put. I mean, honestly put 12, 15 other quarterbacks in this space. They probably end up in a Super bowl last year because the roster so, so good. I mean, they're one of the few teams that has two elite receivers, two elite corners, multiple elite linebackers with a salary cap, and you're paying Hertz. That's hard to do. So Nick Wright talked about this last week on AJ Brown getting the heat, but the story indicates the players in the locker room support AJ and they've turned on Hurts.

[Nick Wright]

One of the reasons AJ Brown in consecutive seasons could light that locker room on fire and remain popular amongst his teammates is because I think guys are like, well, somebody's got to say it. I'm glad AJ Will take the hit for us. You can never ask question, can you win with Jalen Hurts? They did win, and they at one point won, like, 21 out of his 22 starts. You need a specific type of team to have peak success with Jalen.

[Colin Cowherd]

He had that.

[Nick Wright]

I don't know that they have it anymore.

[Colin Cowherd]

So I think Caleb Williams of the Bears is much better player than Jalen Hurts. I don't think it's particularly close, but when Bear fans get defensive and go, you guys are always critical of him. He completed 58% of his throws. Only J.J. mcCarthy was lower. And Minnesota may move him like, it's okay. Like, I'm not saying everything's linear, but, like, the reality is Caleb Williams needs to complete more passes. I'm sorry. Roma, Dunze, Luther Burden, D.J. moore, Cole Comet, Colston, Loveland. Two good backs. Oh, line was pretty darn good last year. It's not criticism to say, hey, we got too much talent here. You got to complete 63. I'm not asking for 60. I'm not asking you to be Drew Brees. But with Jalen Hurts, there's just too much talent to be less effective offensively than the Saints and the New York Giants. So tonight it's going to be really physical. I think Michigan's the best team. I don't think it was. I saw him beat up on Gonzaga this year and hammer Illinois on the road, and my takeaway was, yeah, they're different now. Their star, Jackson Lindenberg is not 100%. That helps UConn. UConn's going to make it super physical. Michigan, older, super physical. The two teams that play the most physical brand of basketball, you notice what they have in common. They're older. Remember when Bam at a bayou scored 83 points and I said stop blaming Bam. Washington had a 19 year old, three 20 year olds and a 21 year old. Bam just bullied him. He just bigger and stronger. Been in an NBA weight room for a decade. So Dan Hurley has one of his least talented teams, but I think they've got, I think they've got a shot tonight. And he talked about the natty this evening.

[Dan Hurley]

You don't have to be the best team, you don't have to have the best season to win this tournament. You know, these are all one games, game seven, single game elimination. There's been plenty of times in the history of this tournament where the best team hasn't won it. You know the good thing for us it's not a seven game series. Just got to play one game on Monday night.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, I mean I've said this about the NBA, John, is that I think they were better served. The NBA would be better served to have a three game first round playoff series because first round playoff numbers have lacked. Well, there's no urgency. What you want is the Boston Celtics opening up against, you know, a bad team and they lose the first game and it forces fans outside of Boston. I got to watch the Celtics. They're going to get knocked out by like a seven seed. That's the greatness of college basketball, is that sometimes the best team doesn't always win in the NFL. Sometimes. Kansas City was great and both their tackles got hurt and they got blown out in the Super Bowl. It's part of sports nutrition.

[John]

You know, UConn in 1999 was a nine point underdog against that Duke team. And that was kind of their breakthrough moment with Jim Calhoun. I know this. You know, Dan Hurley, major favorite the two years they wanted. He like you said, blown everyone out in those two years. This year a little different. And they are a scary underdog. I think Michigan would Destroy the best 10, 15 teams in this tournament. In theory, that should be the case with this team. How do you bet against this coach? The toughness aspect, that we've been there aspect, they kind of play like that. I mean that Illinois game was one team was ready for the bright lights and the other team just simply wasn't. Now the talents. But like, like Dan just said, we've seen so many times. I remember so many times as a kid you get to these teams they're like, can't lose. And they lose in the final Four. It happened to Calipari a bunch of times. Duke a bunch of times. I kind of like Dan Hurley tonight. Not because I don't think Michigan's awesome. I just think there's something special about the sauce that he's got going at UConn right now.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. I mean, five. Slam it, jam it. You had a Kemalaja one and Clyde Drexler, and they didn't win. Like. Like Mark Jackson. Chris Mullen couldn't get to the final. We've seen that. That's. This is why call it college basketball. You don't have as many good players as pro basketball. It's the urgency, and that's why football's so much fun in the NFL. You really don't know going into the playoffs. I mean, we all kept saying, well, Darnold's going to have a bad game. And then he didn't have a turnover in the playoffs. Like, you know, it's just. I. I think it's close tonight. Would not be shocked if UConn won. The only team I think that can beat them is a team like UConn. Great experience, great coach, insanely physical. It's the way to beat them. You're not going to outshoot Michigan, because when they shoot well, I mean, look what they did to Arizona. And Arizona bullied people all season long. Hour number three coming up in Chicago. It's the Herd.

[Podcast Host]

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