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Colin Cowherd
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PJ Carlesimo
Now let's get this party started.
Colin Cowherd
You're listening to Fox Sports Sports Radio. Well, he was such a great college coach at Wagner and Seton hall. He got a Head coaching job in the NBA. Now he's broadcasting. He was doing tournament games. He does NBA broadcasting. He was doing March Madness. And if you listen to my show, you know, I've been saying this over the last three years. Nil may drive everybody crazy, but the NBA draft, now, first of all, American colleges are buying all these European guys. So they've fortified college. And now the college guys, even the good ones like Yaxel Lenneborg, he's going to stay in college an extra year. Zach Edey, the quality of college basketball over the last three years, it is a different sport. I mean, that UConn Michigan game, that was a rock fight. That was as physical a college game as I've seen. So I grew up loving college basketball. Unlv, I covered them, the Rebels, and then I got kind of tired of it. With a one and done culture, you know, you go watch a game and you didn't know who any of the guys were. Now it's back to really fortified rosters. And PJ Carlissimo is joining us. There's so many fascinating basketball issues going on. I. I'm going to start with the NBA. So I've made the argument. Good to see you again, pj. We haven't ties to cover you in Portland. Good. See you.
PJ Carlesimo
Great to be with you, Colin. Appreciate it.
Colin Cowherd
I think one of the reasons tanking has exploded this year is because the draft is so good, is that there are about three transformative players and another 10 that will come in. They may not be Cooper flag, but could there be a Con Canopel or two or three or a Dylan Harper? And so my take is there wasn't a lot of tanking in the Anthony Bennett year. There's tanking now because we got a new CBA that really limits acquisitions and trades. And so if you're not good and this draft is staring you in the face like Utah and Indiana, well, I'll take the fine. There's too many good players. So in a weird way, I think college basketball's girth and talent and improvement has kind of created the tank. I don't think it's a ten year issue. I think this last year and this year it's an issue because it's been two great drafts. Am I nuts on this?
PJ Carlesimo
No, you're not nuts. The draft has been unbelievable. I think what's also happening on the teams with the nil and you know, frankly, they're not. Not recruiting anymore. You're buying players.
Colin Cowherd
Yeah.
PJ Carlesimo
They're all ending up at the same places. So you got these bomb squads with, you know, everybody said, like, how does Michigan win a national championship with five transfers? Because guys are going to the better programs. And unfortunately, if you're a fan of Cinderella's, it's gotten a lot tougher to get there. I mean, you got teams. I still talk when I talk to Izzo and got my dinosaurs like me that are still coaching. How do you coach in an 18 team league? The Big Ten, the Big 12, the ACC, the Southeast Conference, they got 16 or 18 teams. That's where the players want to go. Those are the programs that have big money. So that. And that's all it comes down to right now. You get an occasional player that doesn't want to leave somewhere he is or will go somewhere else for a little lesser because he feels he can play right away. But for the most part, they all want to go to the big schools. They. So these teams are loaded. You have these super teams. It used to be Colin. Anytime I went into a gym for college practice or a college shoot around, the first thing that would strike me would be the size of the players. You know, you'd say, I know I'm in a college arena. It's like not even close to NBA. Now you look at Arizona, Michigan, Illinois to a lesser extent, not, not Connecticut, surprisingly. It feels like you're in an NBA practice. I mean, there's all these guys and it's not just that they're long. They're not, you know, a Dai Morris. They're big strong guys like Lindenborg, like Morris, Johnson. They're, they're incredible. So the players are in one place. They're playing against each other. These leagues are super leagues. It's so difficult for somebody to win three games to get to the elite eight. It's hard enough to get to the round of 16, much less to get to the elite eight. And you have what we had last year with four number ones. The, you know, we didn't have four ones this year, but it was still a loaded final four. And you know, you called it right. The defense was incredible. The physicality. It's really hard to officiate these games.
Colin Cowherd
Oh, brutal. You know, it's interesting. I was talking about this the other day. It used to be, I always, I used to think vertical jump and explosiveness mattered, like obviously with Michael. But what you're finding in basketball now, sga is not that explosive. Luka Jokic. People talk about Jaxel Lindenberg and they say, well, he's not explosive. And my take is no, what he Is is the modern NBA big moves. Well, great little. His jumper's gotten way better. And I'm like, guys, I don't care about vertical jump. I like a little twitchiness. The new game is scheme speed, iq, quick cognitive ability and hit jumpers, is it not?
PJ Carlesimo
It is. And it's also getting point to point. You know, you watch Luke and you watch LeBron for years, they can get from point A to point B with a guy on their hip. They move guys out. Jokic has been doing that for years now. Yeah, you love it when you have a guy who's lightning quick on top of that, too. SGA is not lightning quick. He's quicker than most, but, you know, he's not beating people with, like, sheer speed. He just, you know, he's got that herky jerky. He's really good with the ball. He goes left so well and he's got the middle game. Everybody says, you know, Yaxel, the concern for a lot of people is, okay, he's all. They say he's too old. The fact that he shoots it as well as he shoots it, passes it, he's a complete player. He defends. He led the team in steals. He's a very good passer over three assists a game. And he had these same numbers at uab. A lot of people said, well, he's not going to do that in the Big Ten. You know, he said, yeah, he was good in uab. He's going to struggle at Michigan. Well, obviously he didn't struggle. He was the best player in the Big Ten. Yaxel, to me, is instant help. Is he going to be the best player on the team? No, but he's somebody you can probably plug into a roster right away. And he's not going to hurt you. Whether he starts or whether he comes off the bench, you know what you're going to get from him. And he's got a complete game. He shoots. He's 38% from three. He was over like 82 or 83 from the, from the free throw line. He's really a skilled player. And Colin, he's so big. Him and Morez, forget about how long a Di Mari is. Those two guys are like brutes, Arizona guys, the same thing. They bring a walker off the bench to go with Cola Pete, to go with Mo Crevas. The amount of big quality guys, strong, physical guys who I think will fit in very well. Now, again, when you start talking about A.J. you know, when you start talking about BYU or Kansas, okay, you're talking maybe Generational talent, obviously questions with. With what's going on in Kansas, it's. Let's talk situation.
Colin Cowherd
I want to talk about that. So you're a rare coach. You were on a dream team, a college. The Big east was. I mean, it was like there was no other conference. ACC was close, but not that. You coach, had success in the NBA. You've been an assistant on a dynasty. San Antonio. You've had all these layers of coaching. And I said, Darren Peterson, first of all, I feel this way about college football. If you get dinged up and have durability issues at the college level, well, people don't understand how physical the NBA is. You do. I mean, I covered a series with Shaq and Sabonis. It was like offensive tackle, defensive tackle.
PJ Carlesimo
It's brutal.
Colin Cowherd
It's brutal. And then, then beyond the durability issue, he plays in a silo. A little like Kawhi early in his career. No assists. He kind of plays in a silo. Don't love it. The other thing is he admitted. He admitted. Well, it's kind of getting into my head. I'm like, okay, we got a Ben Simmons thing. I couldn't take him number one. I honestly, I said this last week. I said I'd rather have the number two pick in the draft highlight. The number one scares me. Would you struggle with Darren Peterson? Durability plays in a silo doesn't necessarily elevate others. Acknowledged it got into his head. That worries me.
PJ Carlesimo
It would concern me. I will say this. We had him the first week we happened to be in San Diego, which was a great region. We had him, we had St. John's we had Villanova, we had Arizona. He can get point to point and make shots. That's what really impressed me in San Diego. I didn't realize how good he was at creating his own shot. Like he can use the quickness and the athleticism. He's also a little bigger than I thought he was a guy who can get his own shot and make it like he. I actually liked him a lot more seeing him there now. He played. I also know. And Bill Self, of course, is a. The ultimate professional, so he's not going to kill him. But it was a tough year for Bill Shelf in Kansas, for their players not knowing. Is he playing today? Is he not playing? I mean, when a guy is as good as he is and you don't know whether he's going to be there, it's a concern. There's no question about that. You mentioned Ben Simmons. There's been other guys. Look at, look at A.D. you know, like, it's kind of hard to hit your wagon to somebody who's got a history. Now, his history is not quite as long, but it would really concern you what's going on in Lawrence, Kansas.
Colin Cowherd
The, you know, I said this Cooper Flag and Con can Apple have shocked people how good they are. But if you go to their last college game, they played a Houston team with two seniors, two juniors, a sophomore, no freshmen played a minute. And my thing about college basketball now, not only are the Euros who always play against older players coming to the states and then got our college guys staying longer, even the one and done guys like Cooper Flag, they're facing 35 games with against older college rosters. So part of Cooper Flag's emergence to me is, well, that Houston team, that was his last college game. So I mean, like, I'm. I'm a little shocked Cooper Flag's left hand is this good and that he didn't appear to have a weakness. Are you shocked his teenage numbers are beating Jordan? Are you shocked at how good he is?
PJ Carlesimo
I'm not Colin. Only because I sat there in Las Vegas. They put him on the select team. The young guys that practice against the Olympic team.
Colin Cowherd
Yeah.
PJ Carlesimo
Last year before. Before two years ago, before they went to Paris. If you saw any of those practices and any of the guys on the big team would tell you they knew from the first practice, this guy's NBA ready right now. He wasn't backing down. He was taking it at people. He was showing the versatility to his game, you know, passing the ball, pulling up, making shots. But the physicality was there and the ability he has to put the ball on the floor. He's not playing for a good team. The big difference between he and Khan, Khan's role with Charlotte was more conducive than what I thought, than what Cooper had to do in Dallas. And yet at the same time, he's. He's generational Colin. And even I could figure it out. If you watch one practice in Vegas, him against the Olympic team. And this was before he went to Duke. This was the summer before his freshman year at Duke. He hadn't even gotten to Duke yet and dominated college basketball for a year. But he was dominating these workouts. He was the best player on the select team and he played better than some of the guys on the Olympic team. People are just sitting there shaking their head. I walked over to John Shire. I was kind of laughing. I said, john, you think he can help you a little Bit. He was unbelievable how good he was. And it was very obvious then that he is that special and we'll be that special. And that gets to your point before. Why do teams tank? I talked to owners, like I was saying, like, you know, what is it worth it? They're saying, you can't find us enough money to not make it worthwhile to get a guy like Flag. That's generational. That's one thing. If you're a pretty good team, you know, and you can't get yourself to that and. And you have a good roster, that's going to be there when you're nowhere near competitive and you got a chance to get somebody like him. Find me all you want. It's worth it. If somehow I get him, it's worth it. And I, you know, I don't know who the next Cooper Flag is. This draft this year is really impressive, but I like them all, but I haven't seen another Cooper Flag.
Colin Cowherd
Wow. Okay. I want to end it with this. The, you know, Arvida Sabonis and I, and I said at the time, from Lithuania, I remember covering him and saying, he may not have the power of Shaq. He may not have the sky hook. I thought on those Blazer teams, I thought he was the best passer. And he was also on top of the arc. Nobody was shooting. He wasn't shooting corners on top of the arc. He may have been the best shooter, better than Pippen or Bonzi. I feel like jokic is Sabonis plus 25% if Sabonis in his prime. That's what I see with Jokic. What do you see?
PJ Carlesimo
I agree. The only thing that we didn't see, I saw him a little bit Arvidus when he was younger, Colin, I'm talking 10 years before he came to Portland. He was incredibly athletic. If you saw that Sabonus, you just shake your head and go, I can't believe it. I loved coaching him. He was delightful and he was a hell of a player. Yeah, Nicola Jokic is underrated because he makes it look easy. He impacts a game more than anybody I've ever seen on both ends. Is he a great defender? No, he's not a great defender, but he takes up space and he's a pain in the neck down in there in the paint. But everything else he does on the floor, especially in the last six minutes of a game, when a game's going to be decided, he makes it look too easy. He really does. He's one of those guys I would pay money every single day to watch him play because you're going to see some things that nobody at his size ever did. The players talk about him that way. You hear Shaq when he's on TV talking about him. Him and Charles just shake their head like it'll go back to them at halftime and they just go like this. They go, wow, I'm glad we're not playing against the sky because he just messed.
Guest Contributor / Advertiser Voice
He.
PJ Carlesimo
He messes with people. He's unbelievable. I think he's super special. He's a delightful person. But, I mean, he is clearly a talent like we have very, very rarely seen, if ever.
Colin Cowherd
All right, P.J. carlissimo, see you on the broadcast. It's a pleasure to see you again. Congrats on your life. You look healthy. I know you love traveling and you love your Italian food, if I recall. And you love travel and it's great to see you. Great seeing you.
PJ Carlesimo
You too, Colin. Thanks for having me on. Appreciate it.
Colin Cowherd
You bet. PJ Carlissimo, who has really lived a basketball life. Dream teams, assistant, spurs head coach, college coach, and now broadcaster. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio FS1 and the iHeartRadio app.
News/Commentary Contributor
Fox Sports Radio is taking over YouTube
Colin Cowherd
and you can be a part of it. Just go to YouTube and search Fox Sports Radio. Hit that subscribe button and smash that
News/Commentary Contributor
notification bell and catch.
Colin Cowherd
Watch all the videos from your favorite shows. Two pros and a cup of Joe. Dan Patrick, Colin Cowherd, Stu Godson company Live, Covino and Rich, the Odd Couple with Rob Parker and Kelvin Washington, the Jason Smith show with Mike Harmon and the Ben Maller Show. Fox sports radio on YouTube. Subscribe hit that thumbs up icon and comment away. Service opens doors and at the American Military University, it can open doors for the whole family. If you have a loved one who served in the military, you may qualify for reduced tuition. AMU offers flex online programs designed to fit your schedule so you can keep moving forward wherever life takes you. Learn more at amu.apus edu. Military open doors to the future for you and your family with the help of American Military University. Some people have a Starbucks order depending on their mood. Morning coffee weekend, something iced and fun. But now afternoons have a new go to because Starbucks just launched their new energy refreshers. They're the Starbucks refreshers flavors everybody already loves, like the strawberry Acai Pink drink and Dragon drink. Now with an added boost of caffeine to power you through the rest of your day. Plus you can try new flavors like Mango Strawberry Energy Refresher or the Mango Dream Energy Drink. They're bright, flower, fruity, super refreshing. When that afternoon slump hits, whatever flavor you like, Starbucks Energy Refreshers are exactly what you need to take on the moments that matter. So next time the afternoon slowdown kicks in, head to your nearest Starbucks and try one of the new energy refreshers or order one right now on the Starbucks app.
Guest Contributor / Advertiser Voice
Support for the show comes from Public Lately, the line between investing and gambling has started to blur. But let's be real, you can't build actual wealth on a coin flip. That's why Public takes a different approach. It's the investing platform where you can build a serious long term portfolio. Stocks, options, bonds, crypto. They have it all. But unlike platforms that basically just give you a buy button, Public provides actual context. So when you see volatility in your portfolio, you aren't just staring at a chart, you're reading a helpful explanation about why the stock is up or down. You can even go down deeper with the built in AI Research Assistant. It's all about giving you the information you need to invest with conviction. Be right more often. Go to public.com and earn an uncapped 1% match when you transfer your investments. Public Investing for those who take it seriously Ad paid for by Public Holdings Brokerage Services by Public Investing member finra SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors SEC Registered Advisor all investing involves risk of loss. See complete disclosures@public.com disclosures struggling to see up close?
Colin Cowherd
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PJ Carlesimo
No no no.
Guest Contributor / Advertiser Voice
Turn on the news.
News/Commentary Contributor
This is the Herd line News well Colin, the the Dallas Cowboys OTA start a little over a week and George Pickens is going to be talked about heavily and to his dismay. Obviously he was franchise tagged, but cowboy legend Emmett Smith is trying to make sure he stays in Dallas. He said that you're not going to go to too many places. That's going to be like the Cowboys. You can go to Florida somewhere, but down in Florida, who is going to throw you the football? To me, he's coming off a big year statistically, 93 catches, almost 1500 yards. Second half of the season got a little weird. Remember that Lions game on Thursday night?
Colin Cowherd
Yeah.
News/Commentary Contributor
You know, Jerry, these contracts, following a pattern, right. He waits and then he kind of overpays. He's clearly. Which some people just don't like each other for whatever reason in business. Him and Mel get a. They butt heads and Jerry will get, you know, usually gets what he wants. You know, I think Jerry is really pushed back against that. And I think that's a heavy story for, you know, I grew up on Tom Condon. That's Mogeta's kind of that guy right now in the NFL. And Jerry just doesn't feel like playing that game.
Colin Cowherd
It feels like, yeah, I, My take is I don't want to pay two wide receivers. I, I, and I think CD Lamb's an absolute number one. He's always been better than I thought he would be out of college. He's terrific. Pickens again, man, I, I'm gun shy. If a wide receiver shows moody or dramatic character glimpses of it, I'm like, get me out of here. Like, I love A.J. brown's talent. I'd be like, I'm done with Pickens. I've just got too many examples of kind of getting moody. I mean, listen, John Snyder's as good a GM as the league. Has he moved out DK Metcalf. Well, DK Metcalf is maybe the strongest pound for pound player in the league, certainly a wide receiver. So my take on. And the other thing is, well, there's not a lot of places like Dallas. That used to be the case. There are a lot of organizations that are better run than Dallas. I mean, they have no state tax. It's football crazy. You can get a big home for not that much. Like, I get that. But the idea that the Dallas is the ultimate destination. Look who their last three or four coaches are. Are the top coaches in the league. I mean, was Harbaugh banging the drum or able to get the job there? I don't think that's the case. Sean Payton, much happier going to Denver right now in his situation than Dallas. I don't think it, I don't think the brand is what it used to be. I don't even think right now they're America's team. I'd rather watch the Buffalo Bills and Josh Allen, frankly.
News/Commentary Contributor
Well, I'd agree there. I think they're going to be pretty good this year. I've said that this week. The one thing that could throw that a little off kilter is this big personality, you know, Brian Schadenheimer. George Pickens, not happy with his contract. I will support Jerry though, because George Pickens, a wide receiver like that would cost 25 to 30 million dollars. But typically if you give in a contract extension, you have to guarantee probably three plus years. They're just going one year, 27 million. We'll see how it goes. We can always move off. So they're not tying themselves any. Sticking with the NFL. We talked about some coaches that could be on the hot seat yesterday. I mean, one guy, Zach Taylor, pretty polarizing. An NFL exec saying, speaking about Taylor said that he has one year to figure it out, meaning this year, obviously there's comes pressure with Joe Burrow, who in the last hundred games, Colin has missed 23. That's almost a quarter of them. And we saw last year, he disappears. You're in major trouble, especially when you've invested that much. The Bengals, when he's on the field are really good. When he's off the field, they're well under.500. So is Zach Taylor. I personally think if the defense is just solid and you tell me Burrow plays 15 plus games, they're my pick. They're my pick to win the division.
Colin Cowherd
Yeah, I've never. J. Mac has disdain. I think Zach's fine. I think there's a cream of the crop at the top. I've never. Burrow likes him. I've never been anti Zach Taylor. Cincinnati's cheap, I think. I mean, I was joking with somebody in the league who said the other day, he said he thinks they'll draft Caleb Downs because they can save on airfare. He's like, I mean, that's literally what Cincinnati feels like. So I, I think, I think they're going to be a potential playoff team too. I don't think it's a Zach Taylor issue. I always feel bad when like everybody bangs on Matt LaFleur right now or Mike McCarthy in Green Bay, but they don't get free agents. That's a little bit of a missing leg in the bar stool. So I think Zach's fine. I don't think he's in that upper crust, but I think he's, I think he's more than capable.
News/Commentary Contributor
The Cowboys and the Bengals are discussed way differently. Obviously, Jerry, the big brand, the money. There are some similarities though, because both owners are very heavily involved in player acquisition. And like you said, you know, Zach Taylor gets a bad rap. He's not the one that let all those guys walk over a couple Year, period. That's Mike Brown, who kind of plays pseudo GM owner. Another team who got rid of a lot of people, the Dolphins, obviously, they. They're eating a lot of dead money on a lot of players. One of their big moves, I mean, really, their big move this offseason was signing Malik Willis, someone Halfley is very familiar with. And he talked about the expectations for his quarterback in Miami.
Guest Contributor / Advertiser Voice
I had a great conversation with him yesterday. He came off. I said, don't change who you are. I said, don't put any extra pressure on yourself. You've earned the right to be here and have this opportunity. Opportunity. And you've done that by doing all the things the right way. Don't change that. Don't press.
Colin Cowherd
Just be you.
Guest Contributor / Advertiser Voice
And I want to make sure that he understands that it doesn't have to be perfect. There's going to be mistakes made. But I want him to play with that confidence, and I want him to play the way he's always done it.
Colin Cowherd
Yeah, I think he's going to be better than people think. Now they don't have any talent. They have a good running back. I mean, honestly, they could use literally a player in every unit like. Like now the good news is they have a first, a first, a second and four thirds. They could. They could find seven starters in this draft. If they draft well and they had. They bring over the GM from Green Bay, a team that drafts and develop wells, they could get seven starters in the draft. And I mean, they, they, they have guys. I'm talking wide receiver, tight end, offensive tackle, center edge, rush, chop, Robinson, one side, the other side. They have so many openings. If they have a good draft, they could set the culture going forward.
News/Commentary Contributor
And he's a culture guy, right? High character, impressive. Isn't that part of his value that he gives them a couple year window to just be solid? You know, they're probably not going to be drafting one overall, but if they draft well over the next couple years and kind of redo this cap, he can get the train back on the tracks. For an organization, let's face it, has kind of been rudderless. Post Dan Marino, they really have. They've struggled. Post Dan Marino.
Colin Cowherd
Yeah. I mean, and again, I don't think the ownership and Steven Ross, I don't think he's necessarily impatient. I mean, he didn't just run Mike McDaniels out. He let him coach the rest of the year. Miami has to become a little bit. I mean, first of all, they can't afford anybody now because the two is contract for about a year, year and a half. But they have so many draft picks. If they draft well, you know how it works in this league. The cap goes up and all of a sudden if you got seven new starters out of the draft, you find cap space, you find ways to get. Because Ross is actually one of the richest owners in the league. So they. And it's also an attractive free agent spot. If Malik Willis is as good as I think and they hit on draft picks, you start looking at their schedule, I think people think they have no talent. If you have a quarterback that can move and this kid, Malik's got six starts, but boy, he's been good. They'll be. They'll be the kind of team late in the year with all those young players, they'll knock a playoff team off and ruin somebody Sunday.
News/Commentary Contributor
I know this the Jet. Not to beat up on the jets, but this team is going to spend the least amount of cash this year in the league, have the most dead money. You cannot let this team finish ahead of you in the standings in the AFC east.
PJ Carlesimo
Or that is.
Colin Cowherd
And they will. Yeah.
News/Commentary Contributor
To me. If that happens. Sayonara to everybody there.
Colin Cowherd
Yeah. John Middlekop with the news.
News/Commentary Contributor
Well, that's the news, and thanks for
Colin Cowherd
stopping by the Herd Lie News. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific service opens doors and at the American Military University, it can open doors for the whole family. If you have a loved one who served in the military, you may qualify for reduced tuition. AMU offers flexible online programs designed to fit your schedule so you can keep moving forward wherever life takes you. Learn more at amu.apus.edu Military open doors to the future for you and your family with the help of American Military University. Some people have a Starbucks order depending on their mood. Morning coffee weekend, something iced and fun. But now afternoons have a new go to because Starbucks just launched their new energy refreshers. They're the Starbucks Refreshers flavors everybody already loves, like the Strawberry Acai Pink Drink and Dragon Drink, now with an added boost of caffeine to power you through the rest of your day. Plus, you can try new flavors like Mango Strawberry Energy Refresher or the Mango Dream Energy Drink. They're bright, fruity, super refreshing. When that afternoon slump hits, whatever flavor you like, Starbucks Energy Refreshers are exactly what you need to take on the moments that matter. So next time the afternoon slowdown kicks in, head to your nearest Starbucks and try one of the new energy refreshers or Order one right now on the Starbucks app.
Guest Contributor / Advertiser Voice
Support for the show comes from Public. Lately the line between investing and gambling has started to blur. But let's be real, you can't build actual wealth on a coin flip. That's why Public takes a different approach. It's the investing platform where you can build a serious long term portfolio. Stocks, options, bonds, crypto. They have it all. But unlike platforms that basically just give you a buy button, Public provides actual context. So when you see volatility in your profile portfolio, you aren't just staring at a chart, you're reading a helpful explanation about why the stock is up or down. You can even go deeper with the built in AI Research assistant. It's all about giving you the information you need to invest with conviction. Be right more often. Go to public.com and earn an uncapped 1% match when you transfer your investments. Public Investing for those who take it seriously Ad paid for by Public Holdings Brokerage Services by Public Investing member finra SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors SEC Registered Advisor all investing involves risk of loss. See complete disclosures@public.com disclosures oh, I'm loving this.
Colin Cowherd
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Colin Cowherd
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News/Commentary Contributor
Fox UFL Friday features two of the league's newcomers as the Orlando Storm and Louisville Kings look to light it up on prime time. Pro football in the spring is ramping up. Tomorrow at 8 Eastern on Fox.
Colin Cowherd
Rory McIlroy won his first Masters last year, his 17th try. He is four under one back through 14. Scotty Scheffler just starting minus three through four. How great is it for Rory McElroy? All that pressure? I was talking to Alan Shipnock who just wrote the book. Rory, you go on Amazon, look up the book. Rory Interesting read. Very complex guy. Kind of fascinating how all the pressure now has been released and Rory finds himself in a good spot. I know you like Bryson dechambeauty. It's going to be a wild weekend and I dechambeau's gone from unlikable to completely likable, so that's a pretty good bet. Scotty Scheffler's hard in these. I you know, I root For Rory and Bryce DeChambeau, a lot of the reasons they're more interesting, they're just more fascinating personality. Scheffler's pretty low key to me.
News/Commentary Contributor
Yeah, I think Rory Ship Nuck is kind of an old school writer, isn't he? Not afraid to ruffle some feathers and mix it up. But that doesn't exist as much anymore. And I, you know, I think if you've seen the clips this week of Rory, he, he's beaming. It's like he had another kid or something. It, yeah, it meant a lot to him. This could open the kind of door. It's like when Phil won 20 plus years ago for the first time at Augusta, went on to just rattle off majors. Now Rory already has some. But Rory's currently sitting with five major. What if he ends up with like 10 now? I mean he's, he's freed up. He's one of the great all time talents. And in golf, you know, most, most sports are not Tom Brady and LeBron James. You can play really at a high level into your early to mid-40s.
Colin Cowherd
And also Rory is kind of a combo of Tiger and Phil. He's Tiger and that he's jacked and he is so long off the tee. You know, he's power game and then he's. But he's less robotic and more fun to be around like Phil Mickelson. So he's a little bit. And I think he's probably a little more disciplined than both in terms of a lifestyle. So easy guy to root for. By the way. Dan Hurley, who I think is easy to root for, was on Dan Patrick this morning and he talked about. This has been a topic today, the pitch to keep. I mean these UConn teams this year was a veteran team and older teams are winning in college football and college basketball. That's the trend. Older teams are beating the star studded Arizona Dukes when it gets into March. And he talked about Braylon Mullins keeping him instead of having him bounce to the pros.
PJ Carlesimo
Some players are in a, are in a rush to get to the NBA because they don't like being a college student. The world has changed. There's not this, you know, this pressure to, to go to the NBA now because of the, because of the money situation. He, you know, players like Braylon are probably, he probably make more money at UConn next year than he would if he was the 15th pick.
Colin Cowherd
How about that? Boy, the world has changed. I like older. I always thought the downside to college sports and I'm A huge college football fan. And back to being a big fan of college basketball. I always thought the downside to it was the teams were young, they were inconsistent. PJ Carlissimo really had a great line. He said he used to go to a college gym and you could tell just based on size and muscle and strength you could tell it was a college team. You walk in now with Illinois and Michigan playing on a Friday night that is NBA size, NBA girth. Just the game's better. It's just they're pro athletes now in college and I, I think it's undeniable how it has helped the quality. I mean it portal may drive coaches crazy. The quality of college basketball now reminds me of the 80s and the 90s and that there was a oneand done 15 year run where you had teams like Virginia could win basketball games scoring 46 points. That's not good. No, nobody wins there. Virginia won but the, you know, the consumer did not. Okay, I had my mock draft. Now this mock draft I did probably the last one before the draft, maybe not, but this is where I think, this is what I think teams will do. Not necessarily what I would do. Jets are going to take Arval Reese second. Therefore David Bailey. I think Arizona is going to go. Whoa, best pure pass rusher. We'll take him now. Jeremiah Love to the Titans. One of the picks that I changed my mind on is Sonny Stiles. Talking to people in and around the league is just about as clean a prospect as you can get. And Greg Cosell came on an hour and a half ago and I asked him about, you know, the Giants want toughness, it's hardball. Everybody says, ah, linebackers can't take them top five or six. Here was Cosell on the Buckeye linebacker. The guy's a freakish athlete at his size. He's 6 5, he's 245. We all saw when he did the combine. He's a really good player. He was better this year. I thought he had a better sense of understanding what he was seeing so much about playing stack backer has to do with what you see not just being a great athlete, but he's seeing it much better. And as I mentioned earlier, I think that the stacked backer position in this league is becoming a little more important than people would have said five, six, ten years ago. So another player that's likely to go in the top 10 simply because there's no quarterbacks that are going to do that. Really? Yeah. You know it's interesting. Will Arvel Reese I think he's going to have to pick a position. Will he become Micah Parsons, which is just a great edge rusher? Micah Parsons came into the league and you know, they, they tried the linebacker thing and he just, I was told by somebody he's more of a C ball, get ball guy and Hassan Redick like just go get it, break it up. And Mike is great at that. But the linebacker spot, like some guys do not see the play develop. They don't have quick eyes or really great instincts. Instead you put them on the edge and it's just go get the quarterback, make disrupt the play. That is not a knock. Some guys are just absolutely great at it. And so Sonny Styles may not be able to come off the edge like an Arvl Reese or a Bailey, but he'll be great at what he does. And I've said this before, I used to follow high school recruiting. There are so many five star guys out of high school that just bulldoze people because they're big, strong and fast but they play edge and tight end and, and they don't have, they're not great at any position. They're just big and strong. Well, the higher level of football you go up being a great athlete. There's a lot of great athletes in the NBA and in the NFL. It's just a lot of great athletes. What is your defined position? What are you, 10 out of 10? So Arvell Reese, to me people could say, oh, he's got so much dexterity. I want him off the edge. Just put him on the edge. Teach him how to be a great edge rusher. And can he be Micah Parsons? Ish. I think that's possible. That's the best case scenario. He's just an elite edge rusher. All right, Thursday's done. Go watch the Masters. Maybe. Maybe. Hi, it's Colin Coward. If you're looking for the best blend of durability and affordability in decking, trust Summit decking from Deckorators Summit features deckorators patented surestone technology so the boards won't splinter, sag, chalk or crack over time. And the colors, three great options that really capture the rich textures of natural wood. Honestly, it's the best decking you didn't know you could afford. Order a sample before peak build season. Order a sample today. Visit decorators.com herd to get your free sample. That's decorators with A K again. Decorators.com herd service opens doors. And at the American Military University it can open doors for the whole family. 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Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd – Hour 3, April 9, 2026
Special Guest: P.J. Carlesimo
This episode features Colin Cowherd in conversation with veteran coach and broadcaster P.J. Carlesimo, discussing seismic shifts in college and pro basketball, the impact of NIL and the transfer portal, this year's NBA draft class, the qualities of top prospects, and the evolving landscape of both basketball and the NFL. The hour mixes in-depth basketball subjects with a brief NFL news segment and commentary on other sports news. P.J. Carlesimo brings front-line insights from his coaching and broadcasting career, with notable commentary on draft trends, player development, and league culture.
On NIL and Super Teams:
“They're not recruiting anymore. You're buying players. They're all ending up at the same places.”
— PJ Carlesimo [04:40]
On College Basketball's Physicality:
“Feels like you're in an NBA practice...it's not just that they're long, they're big strong guys like Lenneborg, like Morris Johnson.”
— PJ Carlesimo [05:31]
On New Player Archetypes:
“The new game is scheme speed, IQ, quick cognitive ability and hit jumpers, is it not?”
— Colin Cowherd [07:06]
On Cooper Flagg’s Readiness:
“He was dominating these workouts...He was the best player on the select team and he played better than some of the guys on the Olympic team.”
— PJ Carlesimo [13:16]
On Tanking for Superstars:
“You can't find us enough money to not make it worthwhile to get a guy like Flagg. That's generational.”
— PJ Carlesimo [14:34]
On Jokic and Sabonis:
“Jokic is Sabonis plus 25% if Sabonis in his prime. That's what I see with Jokic.”
— Colin Cowherd [16:08]
“He makes it look too easy. He really does. He's one of those guys I would pay money every single day to watch him play.”
— PJ Carlesimo [16:36]
Rory McIlroy and the Masters [33:37–35:14]:
Commentary on Rory’s resurgence and the parallels between the mental side of golf and maturation in other sports.
Dan Hurley on Retaining College Stars [36:05]:
The direct impact NIL money has in convincing players to stay in school.
Draft Talk & Player Roles [36:55+]:
Commentary on NFL draft prospects with emphasis on "defined position" versus pure athleticism; a nod to evolving evaluation in both football and basketball.
Tone & Style:
The episode is opinionated, energetic, and analytic—emphasizing nuanced takes, direct questioning, and wit, characteristic of Colin Cowherd’s style. P.J. Carlesimo’s contributions are candid, drawing from decades of experience.
Summary:
A deep-dive into the transformation of college and pro basketball in the NIL era, with a lens on roster construction, draft strategy, evolving player archetypes, and the ripple effects on both the college and professional game. P.J. Carlesimo provides vivid, first-hand insight, especially around the new NBA superstars and the competitive realities shaping both sport levels. The NFL news segment offers reflections on team building, leadership, and evolving management trends in pro football.