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Now back to Sophie and Dick on What's Radio ninety three point three kJ r

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FN No Washington Huskies. I see, I don't crack. We're home for

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the Huskies. We're not playing just for this team, like we're playing for

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anybody whoever wore that jersey before us, Like it's important to me. I

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come with that edge every day in practice. Days they don't want to practice,

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Okay, I'm pushing them because Isaiah Thomas would want to push them.

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I'm pushing them because Brandon Roy deserves that. I'm pushing them because Quincy Pondexter

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and everybody that played before Debtlift Shrimp, all those guys. Like that's my

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job, and I take an immense amount of pride in that, and our

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team's gonna take a lot of pride in that. So we're at the press

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conference today, guys with the head coach, Danny Sprinkle, and I'm sitting

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in the back and I'm with eldridgri Kazner, Spencer Hawes and coaches name dropping

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all these ex Huskies, and Spencer's like, what's up, man, I

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can't mention that ere big. I mean, all the dudes back there,

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you're gonna get a call from somebody. Man. Well, hey, Danny

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Sprinkle just got done meeting with the media and now he's talking to us here

1:03

for the second time in three days. Well it's it's us, you know

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what. It's all downhill from here, Poway. But the new head coach

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of the Huskey basketball team, in his new house, by the way, is with us here on the air. So what do you think. How

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was the last h maybe forty eight hours been like for you? Pel just

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crazy, like NonStop. Uh, I don't even need caffeine. I'm just

1:22

on a I forget to even drink coffee. How much is it is trying

1:27

to put a team together, and how much of it's just acclimating yourself to

1:32

your new surroundings. I mean it's been ninety percent acclimating. Like, you

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know, we're making some calls, but like there're I need to like right

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when I get done here, like that's what we're gonna go do for about

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three straight hours, Like we gotta we gotta go, we gotta recruit,

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and uh, you know, there's so many kids that are already in the

1:47

portal. There's kids we've got to be on, you know, And I've been dealing with you know, our team here, you know, and that

1:51

was the most important I wanted to have the team meeting. You'll meet with a lot of these guys individually kind of see, you know. I got

1:57

to feel them out too, you know. And uh, I mean,

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obviously we have a lot of spots we have to feel regardless even if everybody

2:02

comes back. And so yeah, I mean it's been uh, it's been

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a lot, you know, but it's all you can do is take it one day at a time. It's the same thing at Utah State, like

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just nail down one recruit at a time, you know, and build the

2:14

team. You don't build my staff, you know, and that's because that's

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a process too, you know, and going through and making sure we're getting

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the right people. Well, Danny Sprinkle's with us, and I think the

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most pressing question of all that has not been asked by anybody at all,

2:25

and I cannot believe it. Nobody has that'sked this question yet. And you

2:30

kind of faded out of it in the last couple of days. Where does this drawl come from? I mean, you grew up in Montana, I

2:35

don't know you coached in Low question where the Southern draw. Where did you

2:38

pick that up? Man, California? I don't know. I mean,

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yeah, came I just I haven't slept well. You came on with us

2:46

the other day and the first words out of your mouth and how y'all doing? It's right? It's like, well, the fellas like it's just like

2:52

a tick or something going on. Is this something we gotta get used to it? Now? You gotta get used to it. I gotcha my team,

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My teams make fun of me all that. Yeah. Well, I'll tell you what. It's exciting for us because we have not been talking about

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Husky basketball in this kind of light for a while, and now we can.

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I mean we're devoting an entire hour of this radio show with the Mariners

3:12

opening up tomorrow six to Washington basketball. The amount of people that were here

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today to see this, so tell us about reaching out to guys. How

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important is it for you to talk to Brandon Roy, Isaiah Thomas, Spencer,

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Hawes, Quincy pondex Aer and help them help you build this thing back

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up? Yeah? I mean it's it's the most important, you know,

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And I mean it like and I've said it every place I've been, Like our teams are going to play for the guys that were the jersey before us,

3:34

all the fans all that too. But like those guys that have you

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know, the blood, sweat and tears to practice all that stuff, like, that's who we play for. You know, It's got to be bigger

3:42

than just yourself or the team that we're currently playing with. And that's what

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tradition is, and that's what makes you know, University of Washington special and

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the teams that have been here before, and you know they're the most important.

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You know, I mean Spencer, you know, I got to find him, you know, I'm just those lights are so brown. Can't he

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tall guy? Yeah? No, I could eat to see you know.

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And uh but like he's huge, you know, he's he's from the area.

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Like how great of a player he was. You know, I loved

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watching him John Brockman like guys like that that just go literally smack you.

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You know, That's that's what we got to get back to. And uh,

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you know, but I've you know, I've been texting with it and good. Yeah, even you know Jamal Crawford great, he obviously didn't play,

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but he's such a figure in this community, big time uh, you

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know, and and Brandon Roy and there's so many of them, like you

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can go on and on and on and uh, but that's you know,

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that's who we're going to be playing for. And I want to make sure everybody, if they're listening, like they are always welcome back here no matter

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what. I don't care day night, practice games, functions all that,

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Like I'm not here without them, you know. And uh, and that

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that's the most important thing. You know. I went to the same high

4:45

school as a kid named Zoom that you might have heard of. Yeah, so, uh, where are we with those guys that said they want to

4:51

come to the University of Washington but thought they were gonna be playing with coach

4:55

hop Yeah, you know, obviously I can't comment, just tell yeah recruits

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they haven't signed and but no, we're we're actively recruiting very hard, good

5:05

good well coach sprinkle with us. And I gotta tell you Kim Greynold's of

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dog Man I had written down here the exact same question he asked about fouling

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up three with five seconds to go, because we have a little bit of

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a problem with our DNA. As Husky basketball fans, where were you in

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two thousand and six. What were you doing in two thousand and six?

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Oka? Northridge, Okay, so Yukon Washington Sweet sixteen Washington d C.

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Brandon Roy a couple of free throws. We're up three, eight seconds to

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go. I'm sitting behind the Husky bench and here comes for shod freaking Anders.

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Oh yeah, and drops the three to tie the game and go to

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overtime. I'm starting to have like flashbacks, like no tickey going on here.

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Yeah, so we didn't foul on that play. Everybody it's like a

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Hoosiers, right, what kind of offense you gonna run? Yeah, everybody

5:48

wants to know you're up three with five seconds to go. I thought you

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gave a great answer, and you got experience in that regard to Yeah,

5:55

you know, like you have to foul. You have to be smart about

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it because teams are so good now, Like if we know teams are gonna

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fail, like we knew Fresno State was going to try to foul us,

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you know, a couple of weeks ago and we hit a game, tying

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three to put it into overtime, and so we came up and we set

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a screen and dropped the guy. Now, my guy's going full sport in

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his he's facing the basket. The opposing defender had to come up. He's

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not going to foul in that situation because he wasn't the primary defender on that

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play. The only reason we got the shot up, you know, but

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it was it was a design play off kind of their made free throw.

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And we practice against that stuff a lot because coaches are so creative and and

6:30

they're too good and players are too good at acting like they got fouled,

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you know, nowadays, and so if they're facing the basket, it's really

6:36

hard. We talked, you know, from behind the hashes and things like

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that, and we practice it a lot, yep, you know, and

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and if they screwed up and practice, we're the whole team fronting, you

6:46

know, because that's how important it is. And but yeah, I mean,

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like obviously the analytics say, you know, I think it's like ninety

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three percent of the time if you foul, you win the game. But

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like I said, I if rishard Ander said, if he misses that shot,

6:58

then it's like everybody's that was a great decision not to foul and all

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that, Like it's it's crazy, and you know what they would have had

7:03

George Mason and they would have won the game, they would have gone to

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the Final four. And it's still I'm not I'm not over it. By

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the way, in case you haven't gotten that, I don't blame you. You've mentioned analytics now a couple of times. Are you an analytics baby?

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If you will, not a baby like I like him. I like them

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for myself and my staff. I don't like overloading our players with that information.

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Mm hmm. I want them to play like they know if they're shooting

7:26

bad from the corner, they know if they're shooting bad from the three.

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Uh and so yo. But I'm not an analytic guy. Like if guys

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like the kid I had raykwon Battle who put you know at Montana State.

7:34

He's one of the best mid range shooters I've ever had, Like, why

7:36

would I not let him shoot that shot? Okay? And some coaches don't.

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Well, we won like three game winning shots with Rayquan shooting no shots,

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So I have to do what's best to win the game. And uh,

7:48

you know, so I'm not a I mean, I love analytics,

7:51

but it's more for our staff and more for scouting purposes. New Husky head

7:55

coach Danny Sprinkle joining us and you made mention in the press conference you're new,

7:59

but not as new your athletic director. Yeah, how about that?

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What is your Have you had any contact with him? Did you cross paths

8:05

at all in past years with Pat John? No, Uh, you know,

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I haven't. You know, obviously I know the staff at Washington State

8:11

really well, or the previous they're gone too. Everybody's new college, you

8:16

know. But he you know my athletic director at Utah State, Dinasabo,

8:18

who's phenomenal. You know, she was in her first year at Utah State

8:22

also, but she was at Ohio State for a long time and so she worked with Pat. She obviously had you know, glowing things to say about

8:28

him. Said, he's terrific. Obviously, I know he's he's tremendous on

8:31

the on the football side too, you know, and being part of a

8:35

lot of the committees. But you know, if you just look at his

8:37

track record and the institutions he's been at, like yep, you know,

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I mean he's elite. Well, you mentioned something to us here day on

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the show, Danny Sprinkle again with us from you Dub from the heck ed

8:46

that you want almost combat and practice right, And I wonder how much of

8:50

that is because of what you're about to walk into into the Big Ten.

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Then, just to follow up on that, Dick and I were talking on

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Monday that, you know, like back in the day when Coach Carl was

8:58

here, drive me crazy. You always say, you know, we got

9:00

to match up to them. No, you make them match up to you. Okay, that's how you do it. So why not collect a bunch

9:05

of athletes that can bring a style of basketball that nobody has seen in that

9:09

Big Ten and run those clods to death out there. Hey we might be

9:16

onto something might be on. I mean, are you are you trying to

9:18

match a certain style of play in that conference? Yet? No, because

9:22

like you can't, like on the West Coast, it's a different kid than

9:26

the East Coast, you know, like the majority of our team and seeat

9:28

like yeah, like the style of playing Seattle, it's proven it can win,

9:33

Like you can win with Seattle players, you know, And I don't

9:35

want to change that, Like I want to play. I mean I remember coming here as an assistant playing Coach Romar's team and just you had no chance.

9:41

The fan was good, but they played so fast and with tenacity and

9:45

a chip on their shoulder. They'd pick you up full court, whether it

9:48

was isaiahor Benoi, Overton or Bobby John like it was crazy and you had

9:52

no chance, and it was just like, man, let's just get this forty minutes over with. And that's the same type of feeling teams need to

9:58

have when they when they come into he kid and you know, and that's

10:01

you have to recruit a certain type of player. But you know, but

10:05

but you also have to be able to play in the half court too,

10:07

because you know, it is when you're going to Michigan State and Ohio State and Purdue, you know, and you're playing in Zachy. You know,

10:13

there's not a lot of those in the world, not only on the West

10:15

coast. But you know, I mean, we have to we have to be tremendous recruiting the entire country, but we have to play. We have

10:20

to play our style. You mentioned that guys don't leave your program. That's

10:26

stuck with me and that you've got You've had guys that the only reason they

10:28

left your program is because they needed more minutes, because they're playing in front

10:31

of guys. Why do you think that is why don't guys transient, especially

10:35

in this era, Why don't guys leave Danny Sprinkle programs? Yeah, well,

10:37

I think when you're winning and you're doing it the right way and you're

10:41

treating the players the right way, they know you care about them, you

10:43

know, off the court more like everybody. Not everybody can play, you

10:48

know, I can't play thirteen guys, you know, and so you know,

10:52

but when they know, when you really care about them and you care about them as a person, yep, that's when they're not gonna leave.

10:56

And there is kids like you said that that want more playing time. I'm

11:01

all for that, you know, Like if you're stuck behind, hopefully we

11:03

have a conference MVP and you want to go play, Yeah, I want

11:07

to help you get somewhere, and that relationship doesn't change. I still talk

11:09

to every player that transferred. They I talk to them almost every week,

11:15

yep. You know, like I don't care if they transfer two years ago.

11:18

Uh. I can't mention it because a couple of them still have some

11:20

eligibility. It's like, it's not like I'm recruiting, but like, those

11:26

are my guys. You tell them when I recruit him, Like once once

11:28

you're here with me. Man, it's family and it's for life. You

11:31

know. I don't whether you had a good experience or not playing on the

11:35

court, Like forty years from now, I'm going to be there, you

11:37

know, for you, and so twenty years ago hopefully I'm in your in

11:41

your wedding or with your kids coming to you know, heck ed and getting

11:43

shots up. You know, like that's that's what it's about for me.

11:46

I love it. Well, Uh, I'm a pretty simple guy. I

11:48

got one philosophy. It's like Al Davis, just win based all right,

11:52

just Win. Welcome to Seattle, Walker Mottlake Man, and we'll talk down

11:54

the road. Coach. I want to I want to apologize for the comment

11:58

the other dad, because I'll tell you hurtful. You're in pretty good.

12:01

I don't know who gave you that nickname. Well I used to wait two seventy that's where that came from. I appreciate that thought. Man, Hey,

12:07

best of luck. We'll talks too, all right, I got it, all right, Danny Sprinkle go dogs with us on the radio show.

12:11

We're gonna bring in Tony caster Comb for a quick minute here because I gotta

12:15

tell you, man, there is some new energy, for sure, new

12:18

energy for sure. No, come on over, now, come here's there's some new energy in this arena and in this program that we have not heard

12:24

or seen in a long long time. I know that our friend Tony cast

12:28

Comb was up there at the press conference. You heard it. You felt

12:31

that there's a buzz around this program right now? Yeah, there really is.

12:33

And I felt like, you know, I look softy. I know

12:37

everybody's different, right, and different things kind of appeal to different people.

12:41

But when when I'm listening to a guy get emotional about the opportunity that's before

12:48

him, that means something to me because I can relate to that, yep,

12:52

right. And I and again not to make it about me, but

12:56

I think there's a lot of people in the world out there that can relate

13:00

to somebody that goes on that long, hard, slow climb, right.

13:05

I mean, this is not somebody that that kind of just started as a

13:07

ga at duke and then just kind of rolled into this basketball career, had

13:11

their ups and downs and just whatever. Like this is a guy that has

13:16

earned every opportunity all the way along, right, And he's forty eight in

13:20

October. He's not old but he's not a thirty five year old. We've

13:22

had young guys. Steve Sarkji and Rick Neuheisel were young guys when they got

13:26

jobs. This guy's almost fifty years old and he's That's why call me a

13:31

sucker. I feel like when he says this is my dream job, I believe the guy. I believe him. I believe him. And also,

13:39

you know, I mean he's been to three straight NCAA tournaments. Yeah,

13:41

and he's done that out of conferences that are only one bid leagues. It's

13:46

hard to do. Now. I understand the Mountain West had a really good

13:50

year this year, but the point remains, these are not places that are

13:54

just like cranking out five, six, seven eight teams on an annual basis.

13:58

He had to really earn those trips to the dance and I just I'm

14:01

so excited to kind of see that genuine spirit, that enthusiasm hit the recruiting

14:07

trail, build the relationships with the donors. Look, we know how important

14:11

nil is, and then just the basketball acumen and and re engaging the community

14:16

to get this place full and to have these games happen, because look,

14:20

guys, when when Alaska Airlines arena is sold out, and it's the final

14:26

minute of a game and it's a one possession game. There's nowhere better.

14:31

I mean, this is the Cameron Indoor of the West Coast, and this is as good of an environment as it gets in college basketball. There's no

14:37

question about it. The thing that excites me. And and you know,

14:39

we all have we all have issues with the transfer portal, right, and

14:43

it's it's not a perfect system, but I'll tell you what it does do.

14:46

It allows a guy like that to win tomorrow. And so we don't

14:52

have to wait four years for him to build a program like you used to.

14:56

So and what do you and envision this program looking like next year as

15:03

far as a mix of old a mix of what he's brought in, a

15:07

mix of you know, the commits that he has that he hasn't seen yet.

15:11

I think it's fascinating what this roster is gonna look like three much.

15:15

We really don't know. And and I mean I'm not the person to forecast

15:18

it because I just can't. I can't know that. But that being said,

15:22

you know, I thought it was really interesting that Ray Kwan Battle and

15:26

Wesley Yates and Frank Keepnong were all at the press conference. I mean,

15:30

I see that. Yeah, that's a good sign, Hue. And to

15:33

hear him name drop Quincy Pondexter and Will Conroy as part of the press conference,

15:39

you know that those guys are going to be Dogs for life wherever they

15:43

are professionally, whether professionally working with this program or somewhere else wherever that opportunity

15:48

at the moment may be. They're also going to be Huskies for life.

15:50

And so just to you know, I I got some kalon borvibes coming in

15:58

and I you know, and I know that that name still makes people possibly

16:00

a little skittish. It doesn't mean are you saying he's the next coach at

16:04

Alabama basketball. Has worked his way all the way up from the ground up.

16:12

He built this career and and he's all about re engaging the community and

16:18

look that led to great things. Well, I'll tell you what we've we've

16:21

said that before that you know when when Hop got let go, that we're looking for the cavend Bor of basketball, right meeting a guy who's won everywhere

16:26

he's gone but still has not had that one big shot at a big time

16:30

program. And this is now his shot at potentially, I think it can

16:34

be again a big time program. All right, listen, great stuff,

16:37

man, appreciate this. Go dogs, we're talking to Sony Caster. Come

16:41

with us, we're gonna break. Petros Papadokus is gonna join us for his weekly next on ninety three to three kJ r f M