2/28/25 - The Mo Egger Radio Show w/ Chad Brendel

A Look ahead to a great slate of college hoops this weekend. Plus Chad talks Reds with Clay Snowden and Keegan Nickoson of Bearcat Journal is live at the NFL Combine

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 2 (00:16):
Here we go.

Speaker 3 (00:17):
It is an outstanding Friday in the Queens City, sunny skies,
decent temperatures. Well, Wendy, that's okay, we can live with that.

Speaker 2 (00:32):
I thank you for choosing me.

Speaker 3 (00:37):
Chad Brendle, owner of Bearcat Journal dot Com in for
Moegar Tarren Bland as always on the ones and twos,
It's gonna it's gonna be a great Friday. I can
feel it. Thought we had a great show yesterday, Tarren.
Now we got to go back to back. Is it

(00:59):
are we? Are we dance party Friday in it?

Speaker 4 (01:02):
Oh?

Speaker 5 (01:02):
Yes?

Speaker 2 (01:02):
Feel good Friday today? Okay, I like it. I like it.

Speaker 3 (01:05):
I like feel good Friday. Hopefully some feel good to
talk about with the two biggest things going on in
Cincinnati sports this weekend, and that is Cincinnati and Xavier
looking for the biggest feather remaining in their cap. Cincinnati

(01:30):
travels to Houston.

Speaker 2 (01:31):
It is.

Speaker 3 (01:33):
It is a tall, tall task. Houston has lost four
games this year, all of them in overtime. They've only
lost one game in the entirety of the seventeen Big
Twelve games that they have played. That loss a road
loss in overtime. To top ten. Texas Tech. Tony just

(01:59):
dropped odds on a Cincinnati a fifteen and a half
point underdog. We will have a lot to get to.
I think there are some some things that can lead
to success for Cincinnati. There are also some things that
scare the crap out of me, because Houston is one

(02:22):
of the best teams in the country, number three in
the country for a reason. They lost three games in November.
They have lost one game since December. First, Kelvin Samson
has built a machine. I talked about this yesterday for
my money over the past I mean, you could probably

(02:42):
even extend it out to five years. Even though he
doesn't have a championship. I think Kelvin Samson has been
the best coach in the country over the past three
to five years. What he has built there, what they
are able to do to make sustainable. It's it's remarkable
considering where that program was when he took it over

(03:05):
and what he has built it to. And every year
we go, I don't know, Houston, Houston lost so and so.
Last year was Jamal shed I don't know, Houston lost
so and so. Fortunately for Calvin Samson, Jawan Roberts was
in his first recruiting class, like nine years. Juwan Roberts

(03:26):
has been there for a long time. He's been very good.
He's been the rock over the last four years of
Houston's success. But they're really good, really really really good. Xavier,
on the other hand, they've got a big one as well.
They are hosting Creighton. How about this, Tarran. It feels

(03:50):
like a little bit of a time warp. Four point
thirty Saturday Network TV, CBS Cincinnati, Houston, Fox Xavier Creighton.
Couldn't ask for a better showcase of these two teams.

Speaker 2 (04:16):
Xavier.

Speaker 3 (04:17):
The the common feeling, the common belief on Xavier is
they need to win out. This is the last big
opportunity for them to get that done. They still have
a road game at Butler on Wednesday, and then a
week from tomorrow they host Providence. They should be Butler,
They should be Providence.

Speaker 2 (04:37):
Butler.

Speaker 3 (04:38):
You know, it's it's a it's a home game for
Thad Modest Crew, so that makes it a little bit
more difficult. But Xaviors should win those two games. If
they can get past Creighton, they can put themselves in
an advantageous position. I know they're they're right there and

(04:58):
that you know, depending on who you look at, last
four in, first four out, like right in that grouping
of teams, beating a Creighton team that is in the
NCAA tournament, uh, you know, based on everything that you
look at, like they're they're not at risk. Beating that
team would be a huge plus and it would give

(05:20):
Xavier a chance to do what you know, everybody said
seven games. You know, with seven games left, if Xavier
is going to get in, they're gonna need to win out.
And they've won four and they got three left. We
will discuss Xavier Creighton. We will discuss UC Houston. You know,
obviously the big thing with with Xavier Creighton is what

(05:42):
do you do with Ryan Kulkbrinner Because he has been
very good against the Musketeers, has been very good against
everybody pretty much. Xavier doesn't really have an answer for him,
so can they?

Speaker 2 (05:58):
You know, do you do?

Speaker 3 (05:58):
You let Kolkbrinner get his and you try to slow
down everybody else and sentas magic. I think we'll be
at work on Saturday. I think Xavier has a very
good chance to win that game. I have not seen
a line yet. If you do see a line, hit
me up on Twitter. And let me know when it
comes out. You see, in Houston just came out recently.

(06:21):
Like I said, it was Houston Favorite by fifteen and
a half. I'm guessing Xavior by one and a half
is what the line is going to be for tomorrow
at the Sintas Center. So exciting, exciting Saturday for fans
of you See and Xavier. They both put them in

(06:42):
precarious put themselves in precarious positions a couple of weeks
ago by not getting the job done enough. You know,
you flip a couple of those games that you know,
you look at things Cincinnati should have won at Kansas State,
at Utah, either the West Virginia games. And with Xavier,

(07:05):
some of it is just letting games get away. Had
a chance to take down Saint John's. You know, they've
just not been able to finish enough to put themselves
above the cut line. They have a better chance than
Cincinnati does tomorrow, but both are going to be, you know,

(07:27):
pretty good challenges and the best remaining challenges left the
best opportunity for those two teams to add to their resume.
So we got plenty of that today. If at any
point you want to talk UC Houston. You want to
talk Creighton Xavier, You're going to talk bubble, NCAA tournament,

(07:47):
college basketball in general, give us call five, one, three, seven, four, nine,
fifteen thirty. I will keep lines pretty much open for
any college basketball talk all day. Also going to get
to some Reds who are just now underway in the
top of the first against the I guess it's Sacramento.

(08:09):
Is its Sacramento A's. Is that what we're calling them?

Speaker 6 (08:12):
Tarren?

Speaker 2 (08:13):
Yep, anything but Oakland.

Speaker 3 (08:15):
They're not in Oakland, so that they you know, I
think the people of Oakland would be very upset with you.

Speaker 2 (08:22):
Calling them the Oakland A's.

Speaker 3 (08:24):
At this point, nothing nothing top of the first. The
Reds did get a hit, a single from Santiago Espinal,
but he was caught stealing, so two outs. Nobody on
in the top of the first for the Reds. My
question today with the Reds what for this to be successful?

(08:51):
What does it look like for Elie de la Cruz
and Hunter Green at the end of twenty twenty five.
If I tell you the Reds make the playoffs, what
do those two half guys have to do to help
get them there? And I don't know when you start

(09:12):
looking at uh, looking at the numbers from last year,
I mean both of them were pretty dang good. Ellie
had six hundred and eighteen at bats, one hundred and
sixty hits, twenty five home runs, one hundred and five
runs scores, seventy six RBIs, sixty seven stolen bases ops

(09:32):
of eight ho nine are are? Are you comfortable that
he has to be better than that?

Speaker 6 (09:44):
Like?

Speaker 3 (09:44):
I guess basically, do you think if we were if
he ran back very similar numbers hit two point fifty nine,
on base percentage of three thirty nine, if he ran
back similar numbers, would that be enough for the Reds
to be in the playoffs? I think we all agree

(10:07):
he needs to cut down on the strikeouts, but at
what point? I mean, he had two hundred and eighteen
strikeouts last year, one hundred and sixty games to eighteen.
That is a ton. He led the league in strikeouts,

(10:29):
also led the league in stolen bases and caught stealing.
Do you say the Reds don't have a thirty home
run guy needs to be Elie de la Cruz And
I would potentially agree with you there because I don't

(10:51):
know who else it would be. I don't know who
else is gonna in the middle of that lineup, step
up and consistently hit with power and get themselves to
that Like you know, I think that important thirty home
run mark. He was five away last year, so we'll

(11:13):
see about that. And then Hunter Green nine and five
a year ago. Obviously, pitching wins and losses aren't critically important.
It's the other stuff that matters. He had twenty six
starts through one hundred and fifty innings, struck out one

(11:34):
hundred and sixty nine batters. He did lead the league
and hit by pitch he hit nineteen batters, which I
don't mind. Work them inside, hammer them with that fastball inside,
make them sure they can hit it, get them off
the plate. But an ERA of two point seventy five
last year for a Hunter Green, would that be good enough?

(11:59):
If I old J Hunter Green was gonna throw, He's
gonna start twenty six games, throw one hundred and fifty innings,
one hundred and sixty nine strikeouts, and a two point
seventy five R. Is that enough that get the Reds
into the playoffs? And if not, where's the improvement need

(12:22):
to be. We'll talk to Clay Snowden also coming up
here in about thirteen minutes to get his thoughts on
the Reds as we close in on the end of
week one out in Goodyear, should we call Mo Tarren

(12:43):
like surprise attack Mo while he's at the Reds game.

Speaker 2 (12:47):
That may or may not be a good day.

Speaker 3 (12:50):
It's early in the game, right, like, and it's like
one o'clock out there, right, they're two hours behind us.
I don't think he's that intoxicated yet. Like, if we
wait until five o'clock, maybe maybe we'll try to get
him in that last segment of the first hour, we'll
call out there and see how he's doing. Yeah, but

(13:13):
that's what I want to talk about with the Reds
today because I just look at those two guys. You've
got a potential All Star in both. You have a
potential MVP in La de la Cruz. You have a
potential cy Young winner in Hunter Green. How much better
from really good? They were really good both of them
a year ago. Is there a next step? And do

(13:34):
they have to hit that step for the Reds to
accomplish their goals in twenty twenty five? And then with
the Bengals, what is the limit on Joe Burrow's juice.

(13:54):
He has made a lot of you know, suggestions, strong suggestions.
Would you call them demands, Taran, what would you call them?

Speaker 2 (14:04):
Like?

Speaker 6 (14:04):
Uh?

Speaker 3 (14:06):
You know, strong suggestions on what the front office needs
to do. I don't think they're demands, just suggestions. He's
placed a heavy emphasis on what he would like to
see happen this offseason. The front office has kind of
changed their tune now. It's uh yeah, that's those things

(14:26):
that Joe said that he wants through the Super Bowl
and the Pro Bowl and and all that time, that
that airtime that he got, and he has said he
wants Tea and he wants you know, Jamar, and he
wants Trey, and he wants Gesseki.

Speaker 2 (14:40):
Let's get Burrow and back in Stintcy and get that
constract restructured.

Speaker 6 (14:43):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (14:43):
I think there's still I don't think they need to
do his yet. I don't think it benefits you right now, Tarn,
because if you restructure Joe now, there's going to be
a lot of dead money. I think you can wait
a year or two and restructure Joe and still be
okay right now. But at what point do the Bengals

(15:06):
have to say, Look, Joe, we tried. Is there a
line that you know if Hendrickson wants thirty instead of
twenty five million, or you know if t wants thirty
two instead of twenty eight, Like, at what point do
you have to look at Joe and say, look, but
we did everything we could, but we weren't willing to
go to these numbers on these guys and have it

(15:30):
done without Joe flipping out right, that's what you can't have.
You can't have Joe going all Carson Palmer and retiring
three four years from now. All right, let's take a break.
We'll start digging into some Reds baseball topics. When we returned.

(15:50):
This is The mo Egger Show, Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 2 (16:01):
Yeah, it's not a man of effect. I'm ready.

Speaker 7 (16:07):
I'm ready to stick at you, girl.

Speaker 3 (16:12):
I must. That's how you start a Friday Terrance.

Speaker 2 (16:19):
Yo, Brownie, Bobby Ricky, Mike.

Speaker 3 (16:24):
Little Bell b of Devo for you, Samowagger Show, I'm
Chad Brindle, Moe is in, Sonny.

Speaker 2 (16:33):
I guess, Sonny, I don't know. I'm looking.

Speaker 3 (16:35):
I've got the uh the game Day broadcast up Terran
and on the Game Day Broadcast, which is.

Speaker 2 (16:42):
You know, uh, not real.

Speaker 3 (16:45):
Uh. They have a sunny sky with some light fluffy clouds.
So I'm just going to assume. I'm looking at what
they're telling me. It looks like in Arizona. Do you
think they changed that with the weather forecast?

Speaker 2 (16:57):
Maybe? Really that would be pretty cool. That'd be a
nice touch.

Speaker 8 (17:05):
And I'm also I'm monitoring the most Twitter because I'm
looking for that confirmation of film at the game.

Speaker 3 (17:10):
Yeah, we need to know for sure. I don't want
to call him if he's not at the game. Usually
he'll post a picture of like himself with a ice
cold beverage.

Speaker 2 (17:21):
Correct, and we have not seen that yet.

Speaker 3 (17:26):
Reds and A's are in the top of the second
nothing nothing Hunter Green with a scoreless first one strikeout,
got a ground out, a strikeout and a ground out,
So there you go the Reds. If you're wondering today,
Friedel at a designated hitter, Espinol at short, looks at second,

(17:49):
Stevenson behind the dish, Frailien right, Candelario at third, Incarnacio
and Strand at first, Benson in center, and Done in left.
So no today, at least as of yet. Usually those
are scheduled if he if you don't see him in
the starting lineup, You're probably not gonna see him show
up pinch hitting in the seventh inning of the UH

(18:13):
what sixth spring training game or three and two?

Speaker 2 (18:16):
So yeah, six.

Speaker 3 (18:19):
That brings us to the topic of the day that
I'm going to get to UH with Klay Snoden from
Just Baseball here momentarily, and that is what do you
need to see from Ellie? What do you need to
see from Hunter? I don't think there's any argument that
those are the two the Reds two most prized possessions
on the roster. One a candidate for the cy young

(18:42):
one a candidate to be MVV. They both had very
good seasons a year ago. Where does it need to
improve with Ellie? And some of this with Eli depends
on where he hits. If he hits third, which is possible,

(19:03):
I think I would like to see some more RBI production.
Now obviously that depends on the guys in front of him,
but with his bat, his gap to gap power, I
think he can be a pretty you know, pretty easy
one hundred RBI guy seventy six a year ago. And

(19:27):
I think with La you need to see the strikeouts
come down He's never going to be a low strikeout guy,
but maybe not the biggest strikeout guy in the league.
Like you're one of the fastest guys in the sport.
Let's maybe steal first a couple times, because you know,
if he's on first, there's a pretty good chance you

(19:48):
get a triple out of it. So those are the
two things I'd like to see from Ellie. From Hunter Green,
I need to see that pitchcount continue to improve. I
thought it took a significant step last year where he
you know, he pitched one hundred and fifty innings in

(20:11):
twenty six starts, so that's good. I'd like to see
if in that there's twenty six, twenty six to twenty
eight starts up to around one hundred and seventy one
hundred and seventy five innings. I think that would would

(20:32):
would greatly benefit Hunter Green, and then the two seventy
five era I can.

Speaker 2 (20:38):
I can live with that.

Speaker 3 (20:40):
If he's under three, I think the leader of this
pitching staff is going to be having a very good season.

Speaker 2 (20:50):
Let's take a break.

Speaker 3 (20:51):
Clay Snoe and Just Baseball joins us next right here
in Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen.

Speaker 9 (20:56):
Thirty Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 7 (21:08):
Back in the days on the BA and I used to
kick routines and the presence was fitting.

Speaker 2 (21:13):
It was the abstract. I kicked the mask now, so
step off the frank foot.

Speaker 3 (21:18):
I was waiting for you to like to do the
fight part.

Speaker 10 (21:23):
I'm just enjoying it.

Speaker 11 (21:24):
Man, that's such a good song.

Speaker 6 (21:27):
What an awesome group all the time?

Speaker 3 (21:29):
Tip no lie I crib I cried for three days
when five three days, Clay.

Speaker 4 (21:36):
I mean, I can't blame you. It's Leman. Theory is
the greatest musical thing ever. I'll put it out there.
I don't care.

Speaker 11 (21:43):
It's it's the best.

Speaker 6 (21:44):
I mean, it's incredible to come out from music.

Speaker 3 (21:46):
It's incredible. There's there's no doubt there. I'm glad we're
off to a good start here. You know what I
I You might not know this. I so I love
Pandora because I've cultivated my playlist on Pandora over like
fifty teen years. But every once in a while something
will pop up that they haven't hit me with. It's
like they got a new guy that's like doing the

(22:07):
the playlist that I'm on, and today they hit me
with scarface Pope Hemp, and I hadn't heard that song
in like thirty five years, and had I had the
music up in the windows down. I was in a
very good mood.

Speaker 4 (22:21):
Clay, Yeah, I just I see I listen on a
record player, So I just listen to Bizarre Ride to
the Far Side front to back before you called.

Speaker 3 (22:33):
Yeah, well, I haven't figured out how to get the
record player to work in the car.

Speaker 4 (22:38):
Well, it's too dame expensive to get into it again, so.

Speaker 6 (22:41):
Don't do it.

Speaker 3 (22:43):
Let's get to the Reds, Clay. We are today marks
day seven of games. The Reds have played five games.
Their sixth game is underway. They are leading one to
nothing right now on a will be two out triple
and then Blake Dunn singled him home. So the Reds

(23:06):
lead the A's one to nothing. General takeaways, Clay, what
are you seeing? And I know it's one week and
I know that you can't take a ton from it,
but anything catching your eye in week one?

Speaker 4 (23:19):
Yeah, I think what you take away is not necessarily stacks,
but kind of like threshold. So we saw Christian and Carnassio.
I'm Straan hit a home run. That was something I
needed to see coming off of injury to be able
to see that he still has that ability. Like I know,
it's spring training. I don't know who is off of whatever,

(23:40):
who cares. Just knowing that he's healthy enough to get
juice on the ball like that is one thing you can,
you know, put a check next to, because that's the
type of player who could completely change the roster if
the power clicks and you know, everything goes as playing
for him, there's a non zero change that he could
campletely changed with this roster. Looks like seeing Matt McClain

(24:03):
out there healthy, huge, huge, huge positive. And Edwin Arroyo
as well, here's a prospect shortstopped and you know, one
of the few remaining pieces that's still a prospect from
the Luis Castillo trade. Seeing him back after missing all
year with injury is awesome.

Speaker 3 (24:22):
How worried should we be about Spencer Steer's shoulder and
a follow up to that before you answer, how in
the world do guys get keep getting hurt at the
end of the season and then showing up to the
spring training with the same injury.

Speaker 2 (24:36):
Make it make sense?

Speaker 4 (24:38):
I don't understand it either. Shoulder injuries always scare me.
We all remember when Gino had the shoulder injury and
was not the same player and they traded him off
to Seattle, And shoulder injuries are just so tough because
you need your shoulder for every aspect of baseball. And
even if he comes back and he's quote unquote healthy,

(25:00):
like he may be playing, but we may see a
different look from him. It's just really tough to battle
back from a shoulder injury. And when you look around
the league at other players that I've had shoulder injuries,
it's not uncommon for it to affect them for an
entire year.

Speaker 3 (25:18):
And it's it's magnified by the fact that I think
one of the big keys to success. Look, we're talking
about Hunter and Ellie today and what they need to
what you need to see from them. If I'm gonna
tell you this Reds team is a playoff team. What
do you need to see from Hunter and Ellie? But
Spencer Steer and Matt McClain are a critical part of

(25:42):
this because those are supposed to be like those professional hitters,
like those guys that just keep the lineup moving and deliver,
whether it be a home run or a double or
a key single, like those are supposed to be the
guys for me, at least that like the care carry
this lineup day to day with their ability to consistently hit.

(26:05):
And now one just is returning from a shoulder injury
and the other is dealing with one. I'm worried about that. Clay.

Speaker 4 (26:13):
Yeah, and Steer helped the outfield, which is a group
that is mostly underwhelming. Right, we had expectations for a
bigger splash in the outfield, but hey, at least you
got Spencer Steer. And what I've been pounding the table for,
which is ironic now, was hey, Spencer Steer, like everyone's
kind of oh, we had a down year. He's twenty

(26:34):
home runs, twenty stolen bases, But the main thing is
he shows up and plays every single day. Yeah, one
hundred and fifty eight games back to back seasons, and
with a team that's had so many injuries, having a stable,
solid player carries a lot of value. And after pounding
the table saying that for the past you know, four months,
I now realized I'm an idiot because here he is injured.

Speaker 2 (26:59):
What do you think Ellie needs to do?

Speaker 3 (27:02):
I mean, if you look, the numbers were really good
last year and he had, you know, two sixty ish
twenty five home runs almost eighty RBIs one hundred runs scored.
The strikeouts jump off the page because he led the
league in strikeouts, But what does a Reds made the
playoff season look like?

Speaker 2 (27:22):
From Ellie de la Cruz.

Speaker 4 (27:26):
I don't think he needs to change anything at all
from last year. I know people are going to complain
about his strikeouts, and honestly, I don't care. I'm not
the type of person that wants to try to get
Ellie de la Cruz to change this or change that,
because what else he brings is so so valuable. And
we did see a slight improvement on his k rate

(27:48):
from the rookie year too. He dropped about two percent
from his rookie year, which is a trend in the
right direction. Keep in mind, twenty two years old last year,
and we all know, we've all the stats about how
many cold three strikes are actually balls against me led
the league. So to me, just keep doing what you're doing.

(28:08):
Just keep hitting home runs, keep stealing bases, keep bringing
fans out to the to the field. And I think
you know last year he was over a six war
player like that, that's when you start talking about like
closer to the superstar status when you start reaching at
seven war and above area that only a few players

(28:31):
kind of live in. And I don't see any reason
why he can't reach that this year.

Speaker 3 (28:37):
How about the get up to thirty home runs for me?
Because I don't think this team has a thirty home
run guy.

Speaker 2 (28:46):
I know you.

Speaker 3 (28:46):
You said on the air last week, you've got Austin Hayes.
I wrote it down, Austin Hayes, thirty home runs. You
said twenty eight, I think, and I just I round
it up, and you said he could he could, if
everything goes well, hit twenty eight home runs. And I said, well,
Clay Clay says, thirty home runs for Austin Hayes.

Speaker 11 (29:09):
I'd like Scott Schevler did it.

Speaker 6 (29:11):
Who cares, right?

Speaker 3 (29:12):
I'd like to see him get to thirty. And I'd
like to see the strikeouts drop below two hundred? Is
that too much to ask?

Speaker 4 (29:19):
That's fair?

Speaker 2 (29:20):
Okay?

Speaker 4 (29:20):
And he had twenty five home runs last year, And
I think you know the way it works. Just you know,
do you?

Speaker 2 (29:27):
If you have X.

Speaker 4 (29:28):
Amount of at bats a year, think about it. Strikeouts
go down. Something else has to happen with those at bats.
So if the strikeouts go down, that means probably more contact.
More contact from Elie de la Cruz. Even if it's
like a reasonable thing, would say, hey, what if he
makes contact twenty more times across the entire season? What

(29:50):
would that look like? Could five of those be home runs? Boom?
There you are thirty home runs. By making contact twenty
twenty five thirty more times across the entirety of the season,
you could jump from twenty five to thirty on runs.

Speaker 3 (30:02):
We're on the same page. I love it, Clay, I
love when this happens. How about Hunter Green two seventy
five e er I think is great. I think we
saw less and less as the season went on of
him being at eighty nine pitches in the middle of
the fourth inning, like it much more pitch efficient. I
don't know that there's anything that I'd look at what

(30:24):
he did last year that jumps out at me and
goes if he can improve that, like he takes another step.

Speaker 6 (30:30):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (30:31):
I think that he was a really solid pitcher last
year and a little bit of a And I love
Hunter Green. I think he's d Red's a's and I
think he can be a front line as the two
seven five eras a little bit of an asterisk to me.
I mean that's a three four seven fifth fielding independent pitching,

(30:53):
which is a little bit better indicator of kind of,
if you will, like what should have happened. Maybe, But
either way, I'm not here to complain about him. The
Reds need somebody like him. And now now the next
step for me is how many nies can he pitch?
Is he a he pitched one hundred and fifty last
year career high? Can he get to one seventy five
one eight?

Speaker 2 (31:13):
Like?

Speaker 4 (31:14):
To me, the ace of the staff has to be
closer to one seventy five to two hundred.

Speaker 3 (31:22):
I said one seventy one seventy to one seventy five
was where I'd like to see him.

Speaker 4 (31:27):
So turn me up.

Speaker 2 (31:28):
We're again in alignment, Clay.

Speaker 4 (31:31):
Here we go.

Speaker 3 (31:32):
I mean, we're just in lockstep in spring like we're
already in mid season form, Clay, already in mid season.

Speaker 4 (31:40):
We can talk about Bearcats football. I know nothing about
them at all, but I'll just disagree with you.

Speaker 3 (31:47):
Uh, Is there anybody that has caught your eye over
the first week, anybody that maybe you're like, hmm, that
that guy might might might be able to battle for
a roster spot, or that might be a guy that
we see come or July, when you know things start
happening and they might need somebody.

Speaker 4 (32:07):
It's still so early to me. It may be kind
of the catcher eye in a different way. And that's
Graham Ashcraft, who we all know very well. But he's
had four strikeouts so far across for and he's this
is a guy who couldn't even strike out. He was
like closer to half of a strikeout per inning compared
to whether he is so far. So for me, that's

(32:30):
kind of what I'm watching. And thatch your eye this
early is hard to do. But watching Graham Ashcraft, like
if he a starter, is he a bullpen guy? Is
he depth in the minors? Is something completely different? And
now he's striking people out. He's had a new pitch.
Now we're talking about a totally different pitcher than what

(32:51):
we're used to. So he's kind of one that I'm
at least watching. Of course, Will Benson, who you mentioned
earlier having a triple today is another guy, especially of
Steers injured and having to miss time like you need
now field an outfielder from somewhere, so keep an eye
on Will Benson and kind of to me, it's a
I'm about to write an article kind of a make

(33:12):
or break year for Will Benson.

Speaker 3 (33:14):
He's hitting one sixty seven so far the spring. Yep
ye sounds Hunter Green has what he got to two
outs in the top of the or the bottom of
the second, and then walk to guys including uh, Johnny
Paradia and now the bases are loaded with two outs

(33:34):
in the bottom of the second. He I mentioned pitch
efficiency and it went right out the door.

Speaker 4 (33:42):
Yeah, well, you know, it's still early. That's the beauty
of spring training. Someone plays well, you can talk about
how great they are, or someone plays poorly, you talk
about how early it is.

Speaker 3 (33:51):
And look, you know this A's team is four and
one in the spring. They're one of the hottest teams
in Arizona.

Speaker 4 (33:59):
Luckily, we do have stats to say, uh, spring training
records do not correlate with the regular.

Speaker 2 (34:05):
Anyway, are you sure?

Speaker 4 (34:07):
Unfortunately?

Speaker 3 (34:08):
Yes, all right, fine, Uh, how long before we start
getting a feel for the bullpen because a lot of
these guys that are pitching right now, you don't think
we'll see uh, really all that much in the regular season,
when what week, like week two, week three, do you

(34:28):
think we start seeing them, like like whittle down to
these are going to be our bullpen guys.

Speaker 12 (34:34):
I don't know.

Speaker 4 (34:35):
It's hard to say with a new manager as well,
Like I would imagine the plan as individual for each player.
So what I mean by that is maybe player like
Alexis Diaz for example, like maybe we don't see much
of him at all, but he's getting his work in
on a different schedule on a backfield or in bullpen sessions.

(34:58):
I think more of it has to do with com
petition in games. So you know, we've seen Brian Shall
I believe in two games so far, like he's kind
of competing for a spot. So we may not be
able to read too much into usage, but usually near
the end of spring training we can kind of get
a better idea for how it's going just because you've

(35:19):
probably eliminated some of the competition. But not seeing players
does not mean that they are not going to be
in the bullpen, if that makes sense.

Speaker 3 (35:28):
I'm going to ask you this every time we talk
between now and the start of the season, are we
really going to are really going to see freedom at
lead off? I think he's a nine hitter. I think
he's a nine hitter, Clay, I don't dislike it.

Speaker 4 (35:40):
So the thing about him is kind of just the
profile of the player he is. It's oftentimes going to
be pretty dependent on luck in my opinion, Like how
many of these hits fall for singles and how many don't.
And I know he's kind of tapped into some power
and it's really just his ability to hit well at

(36:02):
Great American Ballpark that kind of inflates those numbers. But
I do think he is a better nine hole hitter.
I still think he has stuff to prove. And I
said it after his great season two years ago. Was
hold up now, like, this is a guy who had
one really good season. We need to see him repeat it.
But mostly we need to see him repeat a healthy season,

(36:24):
because that's where he's fallen is so many injuries throughout
his career.

Speaker 2 (36:28):
Things have gone horribly wrong.

Speaker 3 (36:29):
In Arizona, Clay yeah five to one A's Jacob Wilson
with a two run single followed up by Lawrence Butler.
The Butler did it a three run home run to
center and the Red's now trail five to.

Speaker 4 (36:50):
One jasof Wilson by the Way is the son of
Jack Wilson. If you all remember that name, short stuff
for the Pirates for a long time.

Speaker 2 (37:00):
I do remember him.

Speaker 4 (37:01):
That's if you're an old school player or an old
school fan, you'll love Jacob Wilson. This guy will hit
three twenty with not much power.

Speaker 3 (37:11):
This, though, is what we just talked about with Hunter Green.
He had two outs one on, he walked two batters,
and it comes back and costs him five runs. That's
the stuff with Hunter Green. He's got to get out
of his system. That cannot be something that happens with
any regularity.

Speaker 6 (37:30):
Yeah, I agree, beautiful insight.

Speaker 3 (37:34):
I asked a question yesterday, Hey, hey.

Speaker 4 (37:40):
We want to talk more about a Hunter Green.

Speaker 2 (37:41):
We can I find.

Speaker 3 (37:44):
Topics I do have. I do have one other thing
to get to. Who is the clubhouse leader on this team?
Because the the experiment with just anointing India the leader failed.

Speaker 2 (38:00):
I don't know if you've heard.

Speaker 3 (38:01):
Richard Skinner mentioned this yesterday that last year Luke Mayley
tried to like become the leader and it didn't exactly
work in the clubhouse. He might even have been the
guy that eighty six the Viking helmet, which doesn't seem
like a good way to get guys to be in

(38:21):
your corner. Who do you think is the guy that's
going to step up and be the leader of this team?
My thought yesterday was Tyler Stevenson makes the most sense.

Speaker 4 (38:34):
Yeah, that's one that does make a lot of sense,
just because he's been here for a while and it's
kind of natural progression for him. Jose Travino, everything I've
heard is just how awesome of a person he is
and how much people just kind of gravitate towards him.
And we know the type of typical backup catcher is

(38:55):
somebody who manages the saf well, knows the game well,
so they're usually respected in a manner, so don't be
surprised if he's an option as well. Other than that,
it's just kind of a wait and see. I think
there's just not really that established star unless it comes
from the pitching staff. I mean, Hunter Green, I've always
thought is extremely well spoken.

Speaker 6 (39:17):
I don't know what type of.

Speaker 4 (39:18):
The leadership role he will take or can kind of
develop into and whatnot, but that's another name that I
would be interested in kind of taking a step in
that leadership role.

Speaker 3 (39:32):
All Right, Well, I appreciate it. Man, you have a
wonderful weekend. I'm back here on Monday and Tuesday, so
maybe we'll get together again and just keep the spring
training reports going.

Speaker 4 (39:43):
Well, let's make it happen.

Speaker 2 (39:44):
Place Snoden, where can they find you?

Speaker 4 (39:47):
Just baseball dot Com on Twitter at Clay underscore Snow.

Speaker 12 (39:52):
That's s no.

Speaker 2 (39:53):
All right, you're the man. Thanks Clay. Have a good weekend.

Speaker 4 (39:55):
I appreciate it.

Speaker 3 (39:57):
There you go, play Snoden. Going to wrap up our
number one. We'll be back with our number two. Lady
here in Cincinnati, ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 9 (40:06):
Cincinnati teen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.

Speaker 3 (40:21):
There we go our number two, Cincinnati ESPN fifteen thirty.
It's the Molagger Show. I am Chad Brindle. I was
in yesterday, I'm in today. You will hear me also
here Monday and Tuesday. How exciting. Thank you for choosing me.

(40:47):
We are rolling right along, Taran. If you hit two
holes in one in one round, you gotta quit golf,
right you should, yeah, quick quick, while you're hit that's it.
You're not You're never gonna do better than that. That's
the end of that's the end of it. You have
peaked you have to know, like the guy that wins

(41:07):
the Super Bowl and like retires, like you know the
next day. I don't even think you show up for
the weekend of this tournament. Now that's it. Maybe to
get paid, I guess you do have to go to Sunday.
But then on Monday, like, yeah, I think my golf

(41:28):
career is over. Yeah, time to do something else. Big
weekend in Cincinnati sports as we've got two major college
basketball games with nc Double A Tournament implications. I know,
going into this season, you see Xavier were planning, built

(41:53):
their rosters and felt like they had teams that would
be comfortably in the NCUBA Tournament. At this point, that
is not the case most bracketologists have. You see, and
Xavier right there somewhere from last four in to next
four out. They both have massive opportunities, the biggest opportunities

(42:17):
remaining on their regular season schedule. Both games at four thirty,
Both games on Network TV, spotlight games, games that you're
not going to have to wait until halftime to see
because there's another game on that's the worst on the weekends, Taran,

(42:39):
if you don't get that noon game on the weekends,
you know you're not going to see the start of
your game. Annoying, annoying, but not going to be a problem.
Tomorrow four thirty, you see travels to the Fertida Center
to take on Houston and then Xavier. You're hosting Creighton.

(43:03):
Resume boosting opportunities for both teams. If you see a
line on Xavier Creighton, let me know, tarn the U
see Houston line is out. Houston is favored by fifteen
and a half. Houston number three in the country. They
have lost once since November thirtieth, all four of their

(43:27):
losses this year in overtime. Incredible what Calvin Sampson has
done with that program. FC Cincinnati back in MLS action
tomorrow night in Philadelphia. Right, that's in Philadelphia. They mess
me up every time because every other sport, when you

(43:48):
pull it up, the home team is on the bottom,
but for some reason MLS the home team is on top.
So that game is in Philadelphia tomorrow seven thirty, So
great opportunity. You know you can you can watch, you
see Xavier. Those games will be over by six thirty
seven o'clock and settle in for FC Cincinnati as they

(44:10):
take on Philadelphia at seven thirty. Let's get to some
Bengals talk. We are guest free this hour. Phone lines
are open. Mike, I know you're there. I will I
will get to you in the next segment. Joe Burrow
has gone gone out of his way. I don't want

(44:31):
it to sound bad, but Joe Burrow has made his
desires well known on the interview circuit. From the Pro
Bowl to the Super Bowl. He was, you know, on
on pretty much every major outlet talking about what he
wants from this franchise going into the twenty twenty five season.

(44:54):
He wants Jamar Chase locked up, not he wants his
contract extended. You gotta be careful with the Bengals tearing
you say that, that could mean something entirely different. He
wants Jamar Chase to get his deal done, making him,
as Duke Tobin said earlier in the week, the highest

(45:15):
non paid quarterback in the NFL. He wants t Higgins back,
he wants Trey Hendrickson back, he wants Mike Kiseki back.
And for Joe, I think it's important for him to

(45:36):
feel like the organization is in lockstep. And they said
as much from the podium. Duke Tobin, Zach Taylor pretty
much everybody that was spoken to at the combine that
their vision is in lockstep with Joe's vision, But that

(45:57):
doesn't necessarily mean that it's guaranteed to play out that way.
As we know, the Bengals have been pretty rigid in
the way that they handle contracts. They are going to
have a number, they are generally not going to go

(46:18):
over that number. They are going to have a way
that the deal is structured. Other than Joe Burrow, they
have not come off of one year guarantees when they
do contracts. They have a reputation, in a well earned

(46:45):
reputation for the way that they handle these type of things.
But my guess is it's not going to be as
simple as the Bengals say. It's not my guess. I mean,
how negotiations work. Here is what we're willing to do,

(47:06):
and then there's gonna be some back and forth. There's
gonna be some negotiations. It is a contract negotiation. I'm
not setting the world on fire here. What happens if
Trey Hendrickson the Bengals say twenty three million dollars a year,

(47:28):
and Trey Hendrickson says, I see my value at twenty
seven twenty eight. What happens if they say to T Higgins,
we see you at twenty eight to thirty. T Higgins says,
I see myself at thirty to thirty two. And they
can't get all of these things done. Where are you

(47:53):
gonna land with Joe Burrow if that happens, because that
relationship cannot go south the way the Carson Palmer relationship
did here in Cincinnati. They cannot stare down the barrel

(48:16):
of a successful number one pick at quarterback and put
that at risk. But there has to also be an
understanding that just because Joe wants it, that doesn't mean
it's what's best for the franchise short and or long term.

(48:40):
And that is a fine line to walk, because you're
not going to tell Joe Burrow at tout, sorry, man,
didn't get it done. I think Jamar is to me,
Jamar is a formality. They will get Jamar Chase locked
up under contract with a big, big salary.

Speaker 2 (49:03):
This offseason.

Speaker 3 (49:05):
They understand how good that guy is, how much of
a game changer that guy is. I think there's a
good chance they get t Higginstone. I do wonder about
Trey Hendrickson because, like I said, yesterday fifty forty thirty

(49:27):
twenty five one hundred and forty five million. That's more
than the two hundred That's more than half of the
two hundred and eighty million the Bengals will have for
the salary cap, which might not be a problem if
the roster was in good shape. The roster is not
in good shape. They need help on the interior or

(49:51):
the offensive line. They're probably going to go more of
a different direction at linebacker. They need help in the secondary.
They need especially if Trey is not here. But even
with Trey hendrickson here, they need better from their defensive

(50:11):
line than they got this year. There were some flashes
from the young guys at the end of the season
that give you a little bit of hope, but it's
not a you know, they these guys, these young guys
have not put enough on tape. I don't think where
you can just feel confident that, Okay, they had a
couple of good games towards the end of the season

(50:32):
against teams you know, more towards the bottom half, bottom
third of the NFL that you just say, okay, like
we're gonna we're gonna run it back, just the you know,
with these guys. What we saw was enough and we
don't feel like we need to get them any more help.

(50:56):
If you can't get Kiseki done, you're again gonna need
help at time. They're not in a perfect place at
wide receiver, even with Jamar and t still haven't found
that starting slot receiver. Don't have a lot of faith
in Jermaine Burton, even though they kind of are. It

(51:20):
sounds like they are trending towards giving him a second year.

Speaker 2 (51:26):
To grow up. So there's a lot of holes.

Speaker 3 (51:30):
There's a lot of things when you look up and
down this roster that you don't feel great about. And
if you deplete yourself in terms of your resources on
the top four guys, what is that impact that trickle
down effect? Because what does everybody talk about in the NFL?

(51:54):
The key to success in the NFL is getting that
quarterback on a rookie contract. Maybe if Joe's on a
rookie contract, they can make Tea and Jamar and Tray work.
But Joe's not on a rookie contract. Joe is on
one of the highest paid contracts in the history of
the NFL. So where do you go? Because Joe's made

(52:19):
it clear, this is what I need to be happy.
But Joe is not the one balancing the salary cap,
building the roster. Joe is speaking for himself. This is
what I think I need to succeed, as he should.

(52:41):
But what if it's too much? And what do you
have to do to make sure you don't strain that relationship,
that you don't put that relationship in jeopardy long term?
They say they're in lockstep. They say they are meeting
and discussing and and doing the things necessary to make

(53:03):
sure that Joe Burrow is happy. But what does that
conversation look like if t wants more than what they've
got written down on that piece of paper, If Trey
Hendrickson wants more than what they've got written down on
that piece of paper, and they are all of a
sudden in a position that they don't like to be in,

(53:25):
which is to overpay, which is to go extend farther
than you'd like to extend, with the entire team as
the backdrop, I think it's fascinating. I think it's fascinating
because I think Joe is a reasonable guy. I think

(53:46):
I don't think Joe is going to flip out if
they get you know, most of it, most of it done.
But he has made it clear these are the things
that I deem necessary from my football front office. These

(54:07):
are the things I think we need to be a
contender for the super Bowl. And in a lot of
ways I agree. I've talked about for years the article
of that. Paul Dayner Junior wrote Friend of the Show
after Joe Burrow's first year that said, how many guys
are in the top ten at their position in the NFL. Well,

(54:32):
right now you've got four guys that fit that description
and even higher. Joe Burrow is the top three quarterback
in the NFL. Jamar Chase is a top two receiver
in the NFL. Trey Hendrickson, while you may not think
he's Miles Garrett, he's been incredibly productive. He led the

(54:54):
NFL in sacks. He is a top five pass rushing
defensive end. And the team that had the teams that
have those type of players at the top of their
roster are the teams more likely to win. They've got
the best players. I'm just fascinated by it. I'm fascinated

(55:19):
to see what happens if they only make some of
it happen. I'm fascinated to hear when Joe gets a
microphone in front of his face when all this is
said and done, and lets us know how he feels
about what they were able to accomplish and what they
didn't get done that was on Joe's list? Is it

(55:41):
enough enough to keep him happy? Maybe it's enough to
keep him happy for a while. But let's say they
let t go or they let Trey Hendrickson go, and
the defense struggles again, and maybe struggles even more because
they don't have a great pass rusher that defenses have
to scheme for. At this point, a very fine line,

(56:07):
a very fine line for this Bengals front office to
walk to get the roster where they want it and
keep their star quarterback happy. Just take a break. Phone
lines are open. What do you think gotta get it
all done? Can get some of it done and Joe
will be reasonable. Does Joe get ticked off if not

(56:28):
enough of it gets done? Phone lines are open five, three, seven, nine,
fifteen thirty. We'll be back right after this. Cincinnati's ESPN
fifteen thirty.

Speaker 9 (56:37):
Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 13 (56:41):
Traffic from the UC Health Traffic Center around forty percent
of cancers are preventable. Lifestyle changes and screenings can make
a difference. Call five one three five eighty five UCCC
keeping an eye out for a couple of separate police situations.
The first one southbound seventy one seventy one five after
about Zion Road that has been moved on to the

(57:03):
left shoulder from the left to laid and avoid the
area of Madison Avenue north of Seventh Street due to
police activity. I met Exelik with traffic.

Speaker 2 (57:12):
This report is sponsible. Might familiar with the group chat,
I don't think so. It doesn't sound familiar. This was
one of our callers.

Speaker 8 (57:31):
He had aus this is one of his favorite groups
growing up radio and Jill Cooley Compton.

Speaker 2 (57:37):
But what what time frame?

Speaker 8 (57:39):
This is a late eighties early nineties.

Speaker 3 (57:42):
Yeah, I was just gonna say it sounds like right
West Coast before the dre influence, really like consumed West
Coast hip hop.

Speaker 8 (57:52):
Yeah, I'm just surprised I found that just makes a
small sense. Whyle Kendrick copped on the song. Yeah, because
this was like that simple if.

Speaker 3 (57:59):
Future some people can't take it, you know what. The
beat almost sounds like the Fat Boys, Remember the Fat Boys?
Doesn't have like a fat boys feel to it. Yep, okay, yeah, uh, Taran,
it's not going well for the Reds.

Speaker 6 (58:17):
Yeah.

Speaker 8 (58:18):
When I ran in at a couple of roustin I
looked at that score, I was like, that's not good.

Speaker 3 (58:21):
The A's are leading ten to one in the top
of the fifth. Hunter Green's official line two innings, three hits,
five runs, all of them are earned, two walks, two strikeouts,
allowed a home run. His spring training e RA is
up to fifteen point seventy five and two starts.

Speaker 2 (58:39):
Are you going to having that conversation about Hunter Green already?
Not yet?

Speaker 3 (58:42):
Austin and I were talking about that walking in the hallway.
How many how many starts in spring training before you
start getting your your concerned face? I said, four for
a starter. Give me, let me see what that fourth
start looks like where you're starting to get stretched out.

(59:02):
You're not just you know, working on things, you're you're
supposedly like in sync and starting to aim towards the
start of the season. Through two starts hasn't been great.
Let's go out to our phones. Mike in uh Cincinnati.

(59:23):
He's not in LA, He's in Cincinnati. So Mike and Cincinnati.
What's going on? Not for long, but for right now.
You are not Mike in La. You're You're Mike in Cincinnati.

Speaker 6 (59:35):
Effect.

Speaker 12 (59:36):
I appreciate that, and we have a nice day here.
I'm thankful for that sixty degrees. I'll take it.

Speaker 2 (59:44):
Did you already do lunch?

Speaker 1 (59:47):
Say?

Speaker 2 (59:47):
What did you already do lunch?

Speaker 6 (59:50):
Yeah?

Speaker 12 (59:50):
Whatever they give me here, dunk. You know they put
me in I have to break. It's like being in jail.
You got to break out to get When I get
out of here, my doctor would just probably kick me
to the curb because I'm going to nail some stuff
before I leave the Naughty After I'm going down there
on and get that gumbo on the fries down Pine.

Speaker 2 (01:00:14):
Naughty Pine, gumbo fries. Mike, Why did you have to
do that to me?

Speaker 3 (01:00:19):
Now? All I'm going to be able to think about
for days are the gumbo fries at Naughty Pine.

Speaker 12 (01:00:25):
Oh yeah, I mean you turned me onto that man,
and that that was the bomb. I'll tell you though.
A close second is I've had duck fries out out
on a couple of times. French fries.

Speaker 14 (01:00:38):
Yeah, Oh my god, said we talked about rich takes
it to another level.

Speaker 3 (01:00:44):
You know what I've you know what I've been big on.
Uh huh, I've been big on buttered chicken lately. Hello
little Indians.

Speaker 12 (01:00:54):
Oh yeah, butter Indians. There's just a whole realm in
and up. It's to itself, just like Chinese. It's just
like people or people in America just aren't as familiar
with it as they are the Chinese. But the Indian
scope is incredible.

Speaker 3 (01:01:08):
The menu, the flavors are just so like so full.
Like if you get a really good Indian spot, the
the the the the array of flavors you get, you
get some tandory, or you get some some curry, or
you get some buttered chicken, and you're just like, this
doesn't taste like anything else.

Speaker 2 (01:01:27):
It's so good.

Speaker 12 (01:01:27):
No, it truly doesn't. I've found a little place over
there in Newport Plaza. I don't know if that's Corruthers.

Speaker 2 (01:01:36):
Yeah, it's from am All, India. Maybe.

Speaker 12 (01:01:40):
No, it's up there by that gambling joint. Yeah, I
can't think of the name of it. Toroy that's kind
of on the corner. Well it doesn't matter, I guess,
but it is going to drive me crazy to check
it out. But a lot of times I'll talk to
my friends, not so much my age, the newer generation.

Speaker 6 (01:02:05):
They're way more.

Speaker 12 (01:02:06):
Hip to try and stuff than guys, say my age
that are still like you got ain't pot roast? And
I love a good pot road to I love meat loave.
But dude, the world is big when it comes to food.

Speaker 3 (01:02:19):
Well, and you know what pot roast is best? Like
you know the best application for pot roast? Right, No,
hit me the pot roast sandwich the day after you've
had the pot roast. White bread, just plain white bread,
a little mayonnaise maybe, uh maybe a slice of pepper jack.

(01:02:40):
And then what I'll do is I'll I'll get the
skillet a little warm, and I'll put the pot roast
on the skillet and get a little crispy on each side.

Speaker 12 (01:02:47):
Oh lord, have mercy, you know what? Oh my god, Shaid.
I can remember times coming home when I was young,
coming home.

Speaker 2 (01:02:57):
Half cropped, and uh, why didn't you get.

Speaker 12 (01:03:04):
That's a good fighter day to drive on there? And
by that time I was just hired and hunger, you know,
the buzz were off. I think I was still staying with.

Speaker 14 (01:03:14):
My mom and dad before I went and off, and I.

Speaker 12 (01:03:17):
Knew my mom had been hot where it's like two
days before, and I thought, Oh, it's gonna it's.

Speaker 6 (01:03:21):
Always a better A couple of days later.

Speaker 12 (01:03:24):
Oh, anyway, I'm sorry on it. I got some baseball
and some and some football. I guess I should stick
with the football first. I talked to you about the
ghat Campbell thing. I heard he had an incredible showing
at the combine yesterday that they were wowing people.

Speaker 14 (01:03:45):
He was wowing people a big time. So he may
not be around at seventeen. I hope he is, and
I hope the Bengals are looking at him. But if
the edge rusher is important, and I know it is,
these four guys.

Speaker 12 (01:03:57):
There's about five guys.

Speaker 11 (01:03:59):
And I'm sure you know who they are. This Jamar
Stewart out of A and M. It's supposedly wow, forty
inch partipole six five or whatever. And then there's a
Peers kid for Tennessee. There's the Mazar what's.

Speaker 12 (01:04:17):
His name, the Sorrow and the Sorrow from Keep from
Boston College. People are flipping on him. I think he
had seventeen sacks last year. And then the two edge
rushers from Georgia and who's the other cat, it will
come to me. So if you've got anybody in mind,
do you, first of all, do you think the Bengals
should take an edge rusher with the first pick?

Speaker 3 (01:04:41):
Do I think they should? I mean, I guess a
lot of it's going to depend on Trey, but you
would like to get that guy in behind him. My
problem with that, Mike, is they haven't shown that they
can draft an edge rusher in the first round, and
they just have not been good at evaluating the position early.
So I'm afraid if it's an edge rusher that it

(01:05:04):
might be a waste of a pick like that. That's
my frustration with with where this is. Like I haven't
even dug into the draft yet that much because I
just don't have a lot of trust that they're going
to get it right. Like that's a lot of I
don't have a ton of time to really be knowledgeable
about the draft. It takes a ton of time to
really dig in and feel like you know what you're

(01:05:25):
talking about. And they've gotten be to the point where
I don't. I don't believe that they're going to be effective.
I don't believe that they're going to make the right
draft pick and and and find a guy. You know,
that's that's.

Speaker 2 (01:05:41):
What you know.

Speaker 3 (01:05:42):
I just spent that entire last segment talking about making
Joe happy. You know what make Joe happy is if
they had a bunch of guys on rookie deals that
were that were ascending into guys that were going to
be top of the league players.

Speaker 2 (01:05:55):
And maybe you have that in Mims, But who else?

Speaker 3 (01:05:58):
Who else is a young guy on this roster that
you look at and go, man, that guy is going
to be really good in the NFL for a long time.

Speaker 12 (01:06:05):
Zero, right, absolute, zero, emphatically zero. I don't want to
hear about Dax Hill. I don't want to hear about
the kid from Nebraska.

Speaker 11 (01:06:14):
I don't want uh.

Speaker 12 (01:06:15):
I'm sorry, And praps gotta be gone, right, praps gotta go.

Speaker 2 (01:06:19):
I would have to.

Speaker 3 (01:06:20):
It doesn't sound like if you listen to Al Golden
doesn't sound like he is in the plans. They made
it very clear Logan Wilson is in their long term plans.
It didn't sound like Pratt was in those in those plans,
and for some of that, Golden talked about very specifically
his team's being high level tacklers, and I think Pratt

(01:06:42):
was had missed the most tackles in the NFL last year,
had the most mistackles in the in the league.

Speaker 12 (01:06:49):
And that's what I hear Todd Mooles talking about when
I listened to Tampa or Suck once long. Sure all
he all he's looking for are people to turn the
ball over, just intercept fumbles, Guys that make stuff happen
on the defense, just by being ultra aggressive in marshal while,
you'll probably get killed on it. But but I like

(01:07:11):
that idea. I think that's what the Bengals need. They
need some headhunters and some bad asses or something like
the Raiders used to be there in a day, something
like that, and not.

Speaker 11 (01:07:22):
Worried about the character.

Speaker 12 (01:07:23):
I'm so tired of hearing about the character day. Well,
nobody wanted Jalen Carter or all he's got problem? Oh well,
he only goes up to Philly and just kicks everybody's butt.

Speaker 3 (01:07:34):
Did you imagine the smile on Howie Roseman's face when
Jalen Carter fell to him? Uh huh?

Speaker 6 (01:07:43):
Character?

Speaker 12 (01:07:43):
Who cares? Can he play? Because he goes to jail?
That's this problem. As long as you're not selling dope
in a clubhouse or something. So I don't get it.
And there's there's this guy out of Marshall this year.
He's supposed to be the top addressers and Mike Glenn
I want to say that. They said he's got some

(01:08:04):
character issues. Good, that's the guy I want. That's exactly
the guy I want. We are Marshall because they well,
the claint the only really famous guy. Well wait a minute, now,
there was Randy but the quarterback that played for.

Speaker 2 (01:08:20):
The Jets, Chad Penn.

Speaker 12 (01:08:22):
Yeah, Chad was. I always thought he was a good
little quarterback. I always liked him a lott Mike.

Speaker 3 (01:08:27):
When when I was there, they were their last year
in one Double A before they moved up. They had
nine NFL draft picks on that one double A roster.

Speaker 12 (01:08:36):
Oh my lord, have nine nine. God that sounds like
USC or Notre Dan Bama or Georgia or something. That's incredible.

Speaker 3 (01:08:47):
Randy Moss against Division one Double A defensive backs was
the most unfair thing I've ever seen in sports.

Speaker 12 (01:08:54):
Yeah, it was. It was couldn't have nothing else. You
just jump over the top of them.

Speaker 2 (01:08:58):
They were five seven hundre pounds. They had no shot, No,
they had no shot.

Speaker 12 (01:09:06):
Yeah on those staves and so yeah, no, no, no way, listen,
you gotta hear. I gotta hit you with this before
I go. Well, first of all, the Bucks just cut, uh,
just cut Jerome Whitehead, and they were real big on
him as a corner. But he couldn't stay healthy the
last few years and only had maybe one interception or two.

(01:09:27):
I wonder if the Bengals would want to take a
look at him, if they could get a clean bill
of health on him. Jerome Whitehead, keep that name in mind.

Speaker 2 (01:09:34):
Okay, let's let's pick it up. Mike. We're going long,
long on this one.

Speaker 12 (01:09:38):
Yeah, I'm sorry. Thought oh Austin. Austin today had never heard.

Speaker 6 (01:09:43):
Of fond Due.

Speaker 12 (01:09:44):
I said, Austin, he gotta be.

Speaker 6 (01:09:45):
Kid, you never heard of fondue.

Speaker 12 (01:09:47):
Kids, Okay, kids, here here's my here Tonight on the TV,
Folks three baseball fans, sho hey, Hotani will make his
debut on the Mound versus the Angel. So I'm very
anxious to see how he throws. And I appreciate your time,
and you're the.

Speaker 2 (01:10:01):
Man, Mike.

Speaker 3 (01:10:02):
You have a great weekend. I will be here Monday
and Tuesday, so I'll talk to you.

Speaker 12 (01:10:06):
That awesome, awesome, all right, Yeah, take.

Speaker 3 (01:10:08):
A break Sincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 9 (01:10:11):
Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty traffic from.

Speaker 13 (01:10:16):
The UC Health Traffic Center. Around forty percent of cancers
are preventable. Lifestyle changes and screenings can make a difference.
Call five one three five eight five UCCC keeping an
eye out for a couple of separate police situations. The
first one southbound seventy one seventy five after Mount Zion
Road that has been moved on to the left shoulder

(01:10:38):
from the left to lane and avoid the area of
Madison Avenue north of Seventh Street due to police activity.
I'm at Ezelek with traffic.

Speaker 2 (01:11:00):
Thanks, you got you got big plans, and I t
I'm sure, what's what's my store?

Speaker 3 (01:11:11):
From me?

Speaker 6 (01:11:11):
Yet?

Speaker 2 (01:11:13):
Play it by ear? Yeah?

Speaker 3 (01:11:18):
Second shot to count let's go.

Speaker 2 (01:11:28):
Rest in peace to true boy the guy.

Speaker 3 (01:11:33):
I wish that it could be a little bit more
up front.

Speaker 2 (01:11:37):
Wait, you want do you like Indian food?

Speaker 6 (01:11:41):
Tearn?

Speaker 3 (01:11:41):
We've never done Indian food here me and you.

Speaker 2 (01:11:44):
I can't say that I've ever had it.

Speaker 3 (01:11:46):
Really, Huh. That might be something we gotta do. Buttered
chicken is amazing and it's it's it's exactly like what
it sounds. It's it's chicken cooked in a butter and
tomato sauce with just a bunch of Indian spices and
then it comes with rice.

Speaker 2 (01:12:07):
And you can pick.

Speaker 3 (01:12:08):
That's the the beauty of Indian food is you get
to tell them how hot you want it, how spicy
you want it, and it gets.

Speaker 14 (01:12:19):
You.

Speaker 3 (01:12:19):
If you go one number over tearing what your comfort
level is, you're in trouble.

Speaker 2 (01:12:26):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:12:27):
So you also have to be careful because some of
them go to five and some of them go to ten. Right,
So if you're going to ten and you order you
you think you're ordering a three on a scale of ten,
but you order a three on a scale of five,
you could have a bad night. Maybe Monday or Tuesday
next week. I look into uh to doing some Indian food.

(01:12:50):
I think you'd like it. Plus, they have maybe the
best bread ever. Have you ever had a non bread?

Speaker 6 (01:12:58):
No?

Speaker 3 (01:13:00):
So they like When one of the dishes they make
is like tandory chicken, they do it in like a
clay pot and they'll make the dough and then they'll
stick the dough to the side of the clay pot
and that makes the bread that you use to like
to eat the food with, and it's got like the

(01:13:20):
little char marks on it. It's it's it's awesome. I'd
have to see it or Yeah, I mean I think
you would like it. I think I think, you know,
as long as we didn't go crazy and get something wild,
I think you would like it. We'll do that next
week and then we'll talk. We'll discuss whether you whether

(01:13:41):
you love Indian food or not.

Speaker 8 (01:13:42):
Yeah, because depend on how the bear cast please, you
might want to talk more about that than their performance.

Speaker 3 (01:13:47):
Yeah, that's I'm I'm finding things to talk about Monday.
Let's take a break. We will talk. You see in
Houston right after this. Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 9 (01:13:57):
Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty traffic from.

Speaker 13 (01:14:01):
The UC Health Traffic Center. Around forty percent of cancers
are preventable. Lifestyle changes in screenings can make a difference.
Call five one three five A five UCCC. It is
an accident on McMillan at Auburn Avenue, Colraine. Another accident
at Pool Road and Madison Avenue. Police activity north of

(01:14:22):
Seventh Street avoid the area. Traffic is slow northbound seventy
one between Ridge and Ronald Reagan Highway at ten minute
delay on that EZLIC with traffic.

Speaker 2 (01:14:32):
This report is sponsored by BA.

Speaker 7 (01:15:00):
Let's say so good leave, let's keep it rolling.

Speaker 3 (01:15:17):
Let's uh, I'm gonna call an audible here because I
read my paper wrong. We're gonna do Xavier Creighton here.
Then we'll talk to Kegan Nickerson at the top of
the hour. He is in Indy for the combine. Talk
to Corey Kiner this morning. He'll talk to UH John Williams,
the left tackle and Luke Candra the right guard tomorrow

(01:15:39):
and uh we'll get to Houston and UH Cincinnati as well.
So let's talk Xavier and Creighton right now.

Speaker 6 (01:15:47):
Uh.

Speaker 3 (01:15:49):
Xavier looking to avenge an eighty six seventy seven loss
at Creighton a couple of weeks back. That game, Xavier
got twenty from Ryan Conwell, sixteen from Zach fremannle eleven
from Dalen Swain, but it wasn't enough because Creighton got

(01:16:10):
twenty nine from Ryan Kalkbrenner. He was twelve of seventeen
from the floor, two of two from three, made three
of his four free throw attempts. He had nine rebounds,
He had a block, had three assists, he was dominant
in his thirty two minutes. Jamia Neil had sixteen, Steven
Ashworth had fifteen. This is a it must get for Xavier,

(01:16:36):
Like I do, I think it absolutely means, much like
with Cincinnati, that we'll get to do. I think a
loss here means their tournament hopes are dead. No, because
you never know what's gonna happen on the bubble, but
this is the last real chance for Xavier to bolster,
to really give a shot in the arm to that resume,

(01:17:01):
and there are not a lot of those opportunities in
the Big East this year. Saint John's is really the
only team that you know they're probably gonna win. I
think they've clinched a share of the title. They're probably
gonna win the title outright this weekend. They have been
very good, but Marquette has kind of fallen off from

(01:17:25):
a great start early.

Speaker 2 (01:17:28):
Creighton has not been as good as expected.

Speaker 3 (01:17:30):
Some of that was was injury related, and they've been solid,
but I think I saw their projected this about an
eight seed, and then Yukon has not been Yukon this year,
so there's not a ton of chances in the Big East.
You know, those four teams are gonna get in. Xavier

(01:17:52):
is really the only other one that is battling on
the bubble, and then you've got six teams that just
that haven't haven't met the challenge of stepping up and
contending for a spot in the tournament. So the game
at Butler is gonna be hard to win, but it's
not going to give you a huge resume boost. And

(01:18:14):
then Providence at home to close out the season kind
of the same deal. So this one is big time
for Xavior, and they've got a matchup that is challenging
just because they really don't have anybody to match up
with Kolkbriner. And look, he had a you know, you

(01:18:39):
don't see him two for two from three a whole lot,
Like that's not really part of his game. He can
shoot it, but you know, it's not a big part
of his game. They want to get him the lob
and then he's developed a nice little, you know, short
game playing over his left shoulder and getting baskets. He

(01:19:01):
presents a challenge that is very difficult for Xavier's front court.
But I think the key here is let him get
his He's going to get his nine times out of ten,
like that that guy is one of the best bigs
in the country. He's going to get his, but you

(01:19:23):
can't let two other guys combine for thirty one on
top of his twenty nine. That's where I think Xavier
got in trouble the first time against Creighton Jamia Neil,
and they know Neil did it efficiently five of eleven,
three of six from three, three of five from the
free throw line. They made life pretty tough for Steven Ashworth,

(01:19:46):
but because he got to the line six times and
made all six, he got fifteen and those three guys
combined for eight threes. I think Xavier has been playing
better defense since that first match up with Creighton, so
it's going to be important for them to figure out

(01:20:12):
a way to slow down everybody not named Kulkbrinner.

Speaker 2 (01:20:20):
We have a line, by the way, okay, what is it?
One and a half? One and a half?

Speaker 3 (01:20:25):
Ye, I mean, let me tearing. I don't gamble. I
just take a lot of pride in guessing lines.

Speaker 2 (01:20:33):
Right.

Speaker 3 (01:20:37):
It's kind of that, like, you know, I could know
what I'm talking about, but I just that's not a
world that I want to get into. I don't think
I could. I don't think I could behave if I
got into gambling, so I just stay away from it.
For Xavier, you want to kind of figure out a

(01:21:04):
way to get as many people as possible involved. This
was a game that it has been a struggle for
John Hugley this season. This was the game that Xavier
fans thought maybe this was going to be the breakout
for John Hugly thirteen points. He was five to seven
from the floor. He hit a couple of threes, had
six rebounds, only played nineteen minutes, but was wildly effective

(01:21:30):
in those nineteen minutes. Dylan Swain had eleven but four
of thirteen from the floor and zero of two from three.
He did it three free throws. He has been super
efficient this year, and that was a game where he
struggled a little bit. So I'm interested to see if

(01:21:53):
he can get back on the right track. Dante Maddox
didn't do a whole lot. One of seven from the floor,
one of four from the three. He only finished with
five points. I think you need him to step up tomorrow.
Foster only had two. You kind of feel comfortable at
this point you're gonna get roughly, you know, if not more.

(01:22:17):
But Zach Fremantle had sixteen and six six to twelve
from the floor, two of five from three. He made
both of his free throws. That's what you basically expect
from Zach fremannle Bran Conwell had twenty hit four threes.

(01:22:37):
You'd like to see him repeat that Creighton is not
a great defensive team. I think Xavier wins this game
at home. I think they've got enough balance. I think
They've got enough pop to keep up with Creighton's offense.

(01:23:00):
I also think Xavier's play I said, playing better team
defense now than they were when this game was first played.
And I'm looking for the date, But okay, whatever, I'm
taking Xavier Darren. I'm laying the points. I'm taking Xavier.
I think they cover, and I think they get that
big win that they need as they're getting to the

(01:23:24):
finish line.

Speaker 2 (01:23:24):
Just take a break.

Speaker 3 (01:23:26):
Our three on deck Keegan nickoson from the Combine right
here in Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen.

Speaker 5 (01:23:32):
Thirty Sinnati's sports station, ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 3 (01:23:49):
Here we go, last go round of the week, our
number three taking you into the weekends, a big weekend
in the basketball scene in Cincinnati.

Speaker 2 (01:24:01):
I hope you're excited. You get the mid major conference tournament,
throw it next week.

Speaker 3 (01:24:12):
Yeah, mid major conference tournaments getting ready to roll. And
then the final week of the regular season for the
power conferences, we'll see how many teams seven games below
five hundred in the conference and the SEC can make
it into the NCAA tournament.

Speaker 2 (01:24:26):
That should be riveting.

Speaker 8 (01:24:30):
So for UC's vessels that they need, like all the
favors and the mid majors to win, right.

Speaker 3 (01:24:34):
Yeah, I mean you don't want a whole you don't
you don't want many bubbles. I mean the thing that
helps them out right now is there's not a lot
of whole There's not a whole lot of mid majors
that are going to get in as an at large.
It hasn't been a great mid major season. There are
a couple that could throw a monkey wrench in things,

(01:24:55):
But yeah, you would like for as many of the
mid major you're, you know, top fifty type teams to
win their conference tournament and just erase any paranoia as
you go into selection Sunday. But basketball not the only
thing that's happening at the University of Cincinnati right now.

(01:25:17):
We are, i don't know, nine ten days away from
the start of spring football, but even before that, the
NFL Combine is going on and a couple Bearcats are
in Indie. That means Kegan Nicholson from Bearcat Journal dot Com.
I've heard good things about that place is in India
as well, Hi, Keegan. I've never been better, Like, not

(01:25:42):
once ever in my life have I been better.

Speaker 10 (01:25:45):
If you were any better, you'd have to be twins.

Speaker 3 (01:25:48):
Was any better, I'd be twins? Yeah. I said that
today at the guy at the gas station and it
always usually gets it always usually gets a laugh. You
spoke to Corey Kyner this morning. How is how is
Corey handling things? And what is his combine experience been

(01:26:09):
like so far?

Speaker 10 (01:26:11):
Yeah, he seemed very confident and very kind of laid back.
There weren't many anxious nerves or any anxious moments in
his press conference, and he had a decent amount of
people around them, especially given the fact that he was
talking at the same time as Caleb Johnson and Ashton
gent so he enjoyed it. He seemed very confident, very

(01:26:31):
excited to be where he's at, And I think that's
the thing that he's leaning on the most is just
knowing that he's put in the work, and he's had
a very very long journey with four head coaches and
four seasons to be able to get to this point
where he's at the combine, putting himself in a position
to get drafted or sign an undrafted free agent deal.

(01:26:52):
I think my favorite part of his presser he was
asked about, you know, you weren't very active and the
receiving game. It doesn't really like you see his offense
doesn't really provide for that for a running back, and
he says, I was throwing sixteen passes, I caught sixteen balls.
I don't drop the ball, and it's just as firm

(01:27:12):
as a you know, if you have doubts, just look
at the stats.

Speaker 6 (01:27:15):
Yeah. So it was a lot of fun to talk
to him.

Speaker 10 (01:27:18):
He's one of my favorite guys I talked to and
I'm really wishing I'm a bunch of success at the
next level.

Speaker 3 (01:27:25):
Did did you learn anything about his process? How many
teams he's talked to? What the uh, what the the
experience outside of just you know, putting on a pair
of boxers and running the forty.

Speaker 10 (01:27:38):
Yeah, he said that he's talked to every team. I
don't know if he was just talking about at the
combine specifically, or if that was.

Speaker 3 (01:27:46):
They have like a car wash, they have like a
car wash thing. Yeah, go sit and talk to everybody,
So I would guess that's.

Speaker 2 (01:27:52):
What he meant.

Speaker 10 (01:27:54):
Got so he mentioned he talked to the Bengals, and
you know, he is very clear that an opportunity to
play for any team would be awesome. But he did say,
you know, that's my hometown team, Cincinnati's home and to
be able to play for the Bengals would be a
great opportunity. And the thing is is they have a
need for a back like him. You know, Chase Brown

(01:28:16):
is that receiving back who's going to make a big
difference in that part of the game. They need that
downhill bruiser kind of guy. And there might not be
a better one in this draft than Corey Kiner. Contact balance,
like you saw it. We both watched it all season.
How many times can you remember where he just got
tackled at first contact like.

Speaker 6 (01:28:35):
It was so very rare.

Speaker 10 (01:28:38):
So I think he's going to provide a lot. And
another thing he said is, you know, I'm mature. Coaches
don't have to worry about me doing stupid stuff. Because
I don't do stupid stuff. So that's also a plus
for gms to look at when when going after a
guy like Corey Kiner's.

Speaker 3 (01:28:53):
I'm glad I never got to asked that question when
I was that age, because my answer would have been,
I do some stupid stuff, like I am a character
concerns Sarah, like.

Speaker 2 (01:29:01):
I tried it.

Speaker 3 (01:29:03):
I try to be good, but I'm gonna do some
stupid stuff here and there.

Speaker 6 (01:29:08):
Yeah, it doesn't surprise me at all.

Speaker 3 (01:29:10):
You know, thank god they didn't have phones with cameras
on them when I was a kid. Might not be
here today, Egan might not be here to die. It
might be wearing orange, but it wouldn't be Bengals orange basketball. Well, first,
tomorrow you get to talk with John Williams and Luke Candra.

Speaker 2 (01:29:34):
What do you have any feel for that.

Speaker 3 (01:29:35):
Have you been able to talk to anybody boots on
the ground and get a sense for those anything on
those two guys yet?

Speaker 6 (01:29:42):
No, not really.

Speaker 10 (01:29:43):
I think the biggest thing about John Williams is it's
really interesting just his kind of trajectory because he was
never like thought of as the best offensive lineman on
any Cincinnati team, and he kind of just very quietly
had a very very good season left tackle for U SEE.

Speaker 2 (01:30:02):
And.

Speaker 10 (01:30:04):
I was kind of surprised, honestly when he got the
Combine invite, but then you look at his PFF grades,
you look at his performance, and he had a hell
of a season. So I'm looking forward to talking to
him about that kind of going under the radar. And
then I think the biggest thing for Candra is his
measurements on his wingspan. I know he's kind of has
a little bit shorter arms and what NFL guards are wanting,

(01:30:25):
but he's obviously he's a leader, a veteran college guy
who knows the zone run scheme in and out. So
and I think that's another thing that Corey said that
both of these guys will probably reiterate is that Cincinnati's
offensive scheme really really prepares them well for the next level.
Because Corey said, I was in these meetings drawn up
pass protection schemes and it was like so easy, and

(01:30:46):
coach Sadiford really prepared me really well for it. So
I'm looking forward to talking to them about basically all
that stuff. But I'm also looking forward to seeing how
much Luke Candra convinced because I know him and Dante
were having some competitions at UC during the offseason.

Speaker 3 (01:31:02):
Let's move to basketball four point thirty tomorrow in the
the Baked Egg Center for Titta Center, h Cincinnati takes
on maybe the most consistent team in the country year
over year for many many years now. They've lost one

(01:31:24):
game since November thirtieth. They are super efficient on offense,
super efficient on defense. They rebound the ball, they shoot
the three, they convert at the rim, they do everything
you want in a basketball team at this level. Does
Cincinnati have a shot to pull off this upset?

Speaker 2 (01:31:44):
And if so, what do they need to do?

Speaker 6 (01:31:49):
That is a loaded question, I know, right, That's why.

Speaker 12 (01:31:52):
I asked it.

Speaker 10 (01:31:54):
I think you mentioned they're really efficient offensively and defensively.
When you have guy who's making forty three percent of
his threes and also leading the team and steels on
one of the best defensive teams in the country, that's
very impressive. And that's a Manuel Sharp for Houston, who
isn't one of them. They're more well known guys. He's

(01:32:14):
kind of had a slow year last year, but now
he's really turned it on and having a difference on
both sides of the ball. And I think for what
you see needs to do, I think he kind of
haves to just model the Iowa State game and then
hope that you get kind of a friendly whistle, which

(01:32:34):
I don't really expect to happen. I think you have
to be really physical on the boards. You can't let
them play to their identity because they're just going to
run you out of the gym. Basically, let JOSEL. James
lead you. And then also, and I always say this
because I think this is what puts you see over
the top.

Speaker 6 (01:32:52):
A lot of times.

Speaker 10 (01:32:53):
Is you know siemas lucosis and how is he shooting
from three? How is he playing offensively? He played seventeen
minutes against Baylor after missing the prior to games, so
it'd be interesting to see if he's kind of full
one hundred percent, maybe even squeaks back into the starting lineup.
But I just think you have to kind of set
the pace and you can't let them play exactly the

(01:33:14):
game they want.

Speaker 3 (01:33:15):
To play, or it's not going to be pretty as
good as Houston is. Do they have an answer for
Josh Reed?

Speaker 4 (01:33:21):
No?

Speaker 2 (01:33:21):
Okay, good, good answer? Moving on?

Speaker 10 (01:33:28):
That would him going to like twenty three in a
win would be the perfect chef's kiss to the season
of just complete, just shocking, and you never know what's
going to happen, So that would be pretty awesome. I'm
rooting for that one.

Speaker 3 (01:33:43):
Yeah, everybody knows I'm a big Josh Reed guy. We
have seven hundred and eighty one or seven hundred and
seventy nine points to go for Josh Reed to hit
a thousand. Very excited. Maybe he can, Maybe he can
do it till possible, can do it tomorrow. The thing

(01:34:03):
about Houston is they make you shoot over the top,
and what that means is you're gonna if you're gonna
get it two, there's gonna be a hand in your face,
especially if you're anywhere near the rim. They block shots,
they steal it from you, they double team your bigs.
They make life hell. But they do allow teams to

(01:34:26):
shoot a pretty good number of threes. Not a great percentage,
but if you're looking for a weakness that might be it.
Is this a game where if Cincinnati's got a shot,
they're gonna have to hit seven, eight, nine threes something
in that range, maybe more.

Speaker 10 (01:34:42):
Yeah, because you just have to kill their momentum somehow
and that's probably the best way to do it. And
it is funny that you say it's a weakness because
it is a weakness in comparison to everything else they do.
But there's there's still a top sixty in the country
and three point defense that's just thirty one point four,
So like they're just so good that that's the one

(01:35:03):
thing you can look at as a possibility of being
able to neutralize them.

Speaker 6 (01:35:07):
So I think that they're going to have to.

Speaker 10 (01:35:10):
You're not going to be able to have a bad
nice and three and beat this Houston team unless they
are just atrocious offensively. But we've seen a West Miller
lead team have a chance late in the game, and
you know, this is a talented enough team to beat Houston.
It's not like they're a bad team going in there
against this really good Houston team and they just have
no chance. This team can't absolutely beat Houston. But I

(01:35:33):
think the Cougars they have an outright title in there
in the windshield. That's what they're looking for. They're also
looking to be the first Big twelve team since Baylor
in twenty one to only have one conference loss in
the season, So I think they got some goals and
UC is kind of standing in front of it. But
they do have Kansas and Baylor after this, so maybe

(01:35:56):
it's kind of a trap game saying that end the season,
maybe they go on a little bit of the slide
and the seat slides a little bit, but you know,
it's just gonna be very, very difficult if.

Speaker 3 (01:36:05):
By Seeds slides a little bit, you mean, from one
to one. The only thing, you know, what scares me
the most when looking at this game, when digging into
the numbers and really trying to like find some things, well,
it's that Texas Tech had seventeen offensive rebounds against Houston

(01:36:27):
on Monday, which which is not a good news for
the Bear Cuts.

Speaker 6 (01:36:33):
Yeah.

Speaker 10 (01:36:34):
Yeah, that's never especially in a loss. So I just
think it's gonna have to be something special is going
to have to happen at the end of the day,
and you're gonna have to get a thease and Dylan
Mitchell continually playing physical as they did against Baylor, and
then kind of just have everyone fill in. Maybe Dylan

(01:36:56):
Mitchell goes for fifteen, sixteen points and gets a double
double because he's kind of been flashing the offensive ability
that he has. But you know, this whole season can
turn with a win in Houston, and the rest of
the year can turn too. Kind of how you go
into the Kansas State and Oklahoma State games and then
the Big Twelve tournament. So there's opportunity here. I do

(01:37:16):
like that Wes is kind of like, you know, I'm
not going to say we've had success against them because
we've never won, but we have been in some games.
So he's kind of instilling confidence in his guys that
this isn't a David and Goliath, but also being very
clear if this team has kind of run us for
the better part of four years, it's.

Speaker 3 (01:37:35):
Not David and Goliath. But that's that guy over there.
His name's David and my name's Goliath. So all right, brother,
enjoy the combine. Where can people follow along for your
coverage from Indy?

Speaker 10 (01:37:50):
Yeah, follow at k nickoson forty two and then make
sure you're subscribe to Bearcat Journal. I'll have more stories
up tomorrow on both of the offensive Lineman. Go and
read my story on Corey Kiner from today.

Speaker 3 (01:38:01):
It was a good one, and a story on Houston
falling to the Cincinnati Bearcuts something like that. We'll see
you said me. Yeah, I said, we'll see, you know,
just hypothetically. Hypothetically. All right, man, appreciate it. Keep up
the good work and be safe up there. Have a
safe trip home tomorrow.

Speaker 6 (01:38:22):
Yep, thanks Shadows, see it there you go.

Speaker 3 (01:38:24):
Keegan nickoson my guy. That's my guy, live from Indy
at the scouting Combine. Just take a break. I'll talk
more about UC in Houston after this. If you want
to talk about UC in Houston, you want to talk
about Creighton and Xavier, the Reds trailing thirteen to one
in the ninth inning, and pretty much anything else. The

(01:38:47):
phone lines are open, the rest of the way, open
the rest of the way. Let's talk at Cincinnati's ESPN
fifteen thirty.

Speaker 9 (01:38:56):
Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty traffic from the UC.

Speaker 13 (01:39:02):
Health Traffic Center. Around forty percent of cancers are preventable.
Lifestyle changes in screenings can make a difference. Call five
one three five eighty five UCC see northbound seventy one.
It is an accident on the exit ramp to Smith Edwards.
Another accident on Beakman Street over at Cummon Street, Madison Avenue.

(01:39:22):
Police activity north of seventh Street. Avoid the area and
northbound seventy five traffic slow from Mitchell to Paddock on
that Ezalic with traffic.

Speaker 2 (01:39:31):
This report is sponsored. He left a couple hours ago.
We are not initiating Tony.

Speaker 3 (01:39:54):
Left then that would be Tony Tony, Tony Tony. That
just doesn't have the same ring to it. That's too white.

Speaker 10 (01:40:12):
Moment.

Speaker 3 (01:40:14):
Thanks to Kegan Nicholson getting us ready for you see
in Houston, as well as the details of the day.
As Corey Kiner spoke to the media today, he'll I
believe he tests tomorrow and then the offensive lineman will
speak tomorrow. So good job by Keegan getting up there

(01:40:35):
and taking care of business. Let's get to some more
on Cincinnati and Houston. Tarin, are you are you? Are
you laying fifteen and a.

Speaker 2 (01:40:52):
Half staying away from that number?

Speaker 3 (01:40:56):
You don't feel confident that Cincinnati will will lose by
less than fifteen and a half.

Speaker 8 (01:41:01):
That's the game. That game, I feel that game can
go either way. Yeah, I'll feel much better live betting.
Let me get a feel for it. Yeah, a live bet.

Speaker 3 (01:41:10):
The problem with Houston is, and they've done this a
couple of times, like they kind of just like pall
with teams like a like a like a cat like
they just smack around the ball of yarn, and then
they get to like five minutes left in the game,
and then they then they become an anaconda and they
just squeeze you to death. Listen to some of these metrics.

(01:41:33):
Houston is number eight in offensive efficiency, number three in
defensive efficiency. They're number thirty three in the country. And
turnover percentage on offense, they're number fifteen in the country.
In turnover percentage that they force on defense the number

(01:41:55):
two in the country, and three point percentage made. They're
number three in the country in two point defense. So
they shoot threes as well as anybody in the country,
and they keep you from getting twos as well as
anybody in the country. They block a ton of shots.

(01:42:20):
They're number five in the country in block shots. They
also don't get their shot blocked, the number seven in
the country. And not getting their shot blocked, they steal
the ball at a very high clip and they grind
you out. There are three hundred and sixty four teams

(01:42:43):
in the country terearn. They are three hundred and sixty
first in tempo. They are slow on offense, three hundred
and forty fifth in the country. On offense, they are
three hundred and fifty eighth in the cory and average
possession length. On defense, they have dudes everywhere.

Speaker 6 (01:43:11):
LJ.

Speaker 3 (01:43:12):
Crier and Juwan Roberts are kind of the headliners, but
Milo's Uzon has been great lately. Joseph Tugler is very good,
Emmanuel Sharpe is very good. Terrence Archaneau is very good.
Like everything about that program right now is a machine.

(01:43:34):
And when I look at this, I try to find ways.
I try to find ways. What does Cincinnati gotta do?
And I don't know the answer. I just don't know
the answer because it's already a team that's not a

(01:43:56):
great two point shooting team.

Speaker 2 (01:44:03):
They are.

Speaker 3 (01:44:05):
One hundred and eighth in the country at fifty five
point one percent, but a lot of that is because
for a long time, I don't know if they still do,
but for a long time they led the nation in dunks.
You're not gonna get eight ten dunks against Houston.

Speaker 2 (01:44:24):
What is your.

Speaker 3 (01:44:27):
Defense or what is your your offense look like trying
to score over Houston from two? Because Cincinnati's not a
great three point shooting team. Two hundred and seventh in
the country at thirty three percent from three now. They
have been better of late, but you're gonna have to
make shots over the top of this Houston defense. They

(01:44:49):
are gonna make everything difficult. They're gonna challenge every passing lane.
They're gonna try to punk you every opportunity that they
can get. Cincinnati has lost eleven in a row to Houston,

(01:45:10):
and I just can't find a path other than a
couple guys play out of their mind, other than you know,
maybe a guy or two that has been struggling through
most of conference play get back on track and make
an impact, because it's got to be all hands on

(01:45:33):
deck for Cincinnati to win this game against a Houston
team that, as Keegan said, is looking to clinch the
Big Twelve regular season championship a win tomorrow. And Houston
has come into this league and won the conference outright twice.

(01:45:59):
That's a credible testament to what Kelvin Samson has done
in building that roster and building that culture, and in
putting them in a position to dominate season overseason overseason.
I don't feel great about it. I wish there was a,

(01:46:21):
you know, a stat here or a number there where
I really could tell you man, I feel good. I
feel good. I do think Cincinnati, if they play their
normal standard three point defense and they do a good
job running Houston off the line, that will hurt some

(01:46:45):
because Houston doesn't take a lot of threes, but they
take really good threes. They take open rhythm threes. If
you can get a little up under them and you
can get that that shooting percentage, even just down to

(01:47:07):
thirty thirty two, you don't it doesn't have to be
fifteen percent. It doesn't have they they don't have to
go two for eighteen or whatever. But if you can
keep them around thirty percent and not let them get
up over forty, you could have a shot.

Speaker 2 (01:47:26):
If not.

Speaker 3 (01:47:28):
Fifteen and a half's a big number. It's a big number,
t But it doesn't seem unreasonable, does it. No, seems large.
Just doesn't seem like what's Vegas thinking. It seems like, eh,
get a back door cover. Yeah, yeah, one of those

(01:47:49):
you know, Dan Skillings hits two threes in the final
eight seconds, something along those lines.

Speaker 2 (01:47:56):
Let's take a break.

Speaker 3 (01:47:57):
When we come back, Taren and I will look at
the rest of the day in college basketball tomorrow.

Speaker 2 (01:48:04):
A lot of good stuff since that He's ESPN fifteen.

Speaker 1 (01:48:07):
Thirty, Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 13 (01:48:13):
Traffic from the UC Health Traffic Center. Around forty percent
of cancers are preventable. Lifestyle changes and screenings can make
a difference. Call five one three five eight five UCCC
northbound seventy one. It is an accident on the ramp
to Smith Edwards Alexandria Pike. Another accident over at Washington

(01:48:33):
Street on Madison Avenue. Police activity north of Seventh Street
at southbound seventy one. Slow traffic from two to seventy
five to Montgomery Road. I'm that EAZELK with traffic.

Speaker 2 (01:48:45):
This report is sponsored by Dwyer XP.

Speaker 12 (01:48:48):
Come come on, come on.

Speaker 3 (01:49:01):
Did you know you know our good friend Aljo Lopez
was with the A's.

Speaker 2 (01:49:06):
No, I didn't need it.

Speaker 3 (01:49:11):
He uh he assisted on the final out of the game,
Red's fall thirteen to one.

Speaker 2 (01:49:19):
Thank god that's over. Sing mos having fun at the game.
Did he have beer?

Speaker 6 (01:49:25):
He did? Then?

Speaker 2 (01:49:26):
Yeah, I think you're just having fun.

Speaker 3 (01:49:31):
Uh to off or no tomorrow the Padres I think
are in good year. Singer on the Mountdin for the
Reds that starts at three oh five and then Sunday
Reds Cubs with the Carson Spires on the now. A

(01:49:52):
lot of good college basketball this weekend, Taren, Let's let's
take a trip around. You know what you got tonight?
A good one tonight t a sleeper Ucla at Purdue.
Those two teams tied for fourth place in the Big Ten.
I gotta you know, I'm still still good friends with

(01:50:14):
with a bunch of guys on that UCLA staff. I
got a call from somebody earlier in the week wanted
to know what the weather was like here in the
Midwest because they were getting ready to fly back for
the Purdue Northwestern double dip. My answer was, not as
nice as where you're at. Whatever it is here, it's

(01:50:36):
not as nice as it is there. That's a great answer, Jerke.
I think he just called to rub it in. Oh hey,
we're coming back to the Midwest. Is it cold there? Yeah, coach,
it's cold, bleeping cold.

Speaker 6 (01:50:50):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:50:51):
You got any other ones you got an eye on tonight? No,
not to night, OK, I'm just looking forward to tomorrow.

Speaker 3 (01:50:56):
Honestly, Tomorrow at noon on ESPN T two, Clemson at
Virginia get a chance to see former bear Cat big
Vic Lockin try to get a Clemson fifteen and two
in the ACC there number thirteen in the country. Clemson
a six and a half point favorite. I think that's
gonna be blowout. Yeah, Maryland Penn State. Maryland's gonna be

(01:51:19):
stinging a little bit after that buzzer beater that got
them earlier in the week.

Speaker 2 (01:51:26):
Is Owen march Man. Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:51:29):
January February is o Maryland a four and a half
point favorite. Auburn Kentucky. Boy, this is gonna be a
good one one o'clock on ABC.

Speaker 8 (01:51:42):
I think Auburn goes in and gast Kentucky if it was.
I just feel like if it was a night night game,
I think Kentucky ghettle but the one o'clock two.

Speaker 3 (01:51:52):
It would be one of the biggest wins in the
country if Kentucky can get it. Auburn fourteen and one
in the SEC, twenty six and two overall, I think,
I mean, I think Duke probably has a better roster,
but Auburn has played better than anybody in the country
all season. Well they should, they're old, they are, But

(01:52:13):
I mean twenty four and two in today's world of
college basketball is pretty big. Or twenty six and two, uh,
Texas Tech at Kansas. That one Kansas is not playing well.

Speaker 2 (01:52:25):
I'm trying to figure out this, like how good I mean,
I keep I keep having.

Speaker 3 (01:52:32):
Hope for Kansas, but I keep I mean, if you
have heard me say this for two years, Hunter Dickinson's
not a winner. Is he a good basketball player?

Speaker 2 (01:52:41):
Yes? Is he a winner?

Speaker 1 (01:52:42):
No?

Speaker 3 (01:52:44):
Those teams he was on at Michigan before he transferred
to Kansas had multiple NBA guys. They couldn't get in
the NCAA tournament. And this is two years in a row,
and now at Kansas that those those his teams are
fading as we get closer and closer to March. And
he's a good player, I don't think he's a winner.
I think Texas Tech wins tomorrow. I'll take the money line.

(01:53:09):
I don't even need the three and a half. Kansas
favored by three and a half, I'll take the money line.
Saint John's looks to with a win over Seaton Haul,
they will clench the outright Big East Championship. I don't
have a line on that one. Oddly enough, whatever it.

Speaker 2 (01:53:28):
Is, gim me Saint John's.

Speaker 3 (01:53:29):
Yeah, if you watched them, their defense is so fun
to watch, so fun to watch.

Speaker 8 (01:53:35):
I don't even know if they would be considered a
sleeper team, but I think that's a team that can
make a Final four.

Speaker 3 (01:53:39):
Yeah. The concern is they can't shoot. They can't shoot,
but well you can defend. Yeah. Mississippi State hosting LSU
another really fun one. Two top ten teams. Number six
Alabama goes into number five Tennessee. Tennessee favored by three
and a half. I love Nato, It's gimme Bama.

Speaker 2 (01:54:00):
Wanting to see them more of balls at home.

Speaker 3 (01:54:03):
Bama scores like one hundred and ten points a game,
tarn I know they do. Cincinnati, Houston.

Speaker 6 (01:54:14):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:54:14):
Next Missouri Vandy. That's an interesting one. Missouri is favored
by two and a half. Vandy is probably going to
be in the tournaments, and they deserve to be in
that position. Missouri's playing great, especially coming off a season
where they didn't win a game in the SEC last year.
Dennis Gates has done a phenomenal job with that Missouri team.

(01:54:39):
But I love Vandy at home. That place is just
so weird that, like, you know, the coaches, have you
seen the setup Vandy?

Speaker 2 (01:54:48):
Of course? Yeah, yeah, on the baseline.

Speaker 3 (01:54:50):
Yeah, it's just so I think it discombobulates teams. You
look over to your sideline, you get a play call
from your coach, and there ain't nobody there.

Speaker 2 (01:55:00):
Say with a kid Hogard who transferre from Michigan State,
He's law, I love a Hoguard. I've loved him.

Speaker 3 (01:55:05):
He was, he's he's gotten in better shape now when
he was in AAU. Is kind of a little thick
a couple of seas. He's not exactly skinny now, but
like you know, he was just like this kid's pretty thick.
I loved him in AAU and I kind of surprised
that he got away from Michigan State.

Speaker 2 (01:55:26):
Honestly. Yeah. Uh.

Speaker 3 (01:55:29):
Down the road Louisville eleven and a half point favorite
over Pitt. Pitt is spiraling. Mike Jeff Caple might lose
his job. I don't know. They have just not gotten
the job done under him. They they've had a couple
of good teams and haven't turned the corner. Give me Louisville, Duke,

(01:55:53):
Florida State, Come on now, Marquette, Georgetown, Thomas Sorber's out
or I would be did to take Georgetown here because
Marquette is fading. But I'll take Marquette. What is it
with the Big East games not having lines?

Speaker 2 (01:56:09):
Weird?

Speaker 8 (01:56:10):
Yeah, only saying only uh Creighton and the Yeah, from
what I see has a line one and a half.

Speaker 2 (01:56:19):
With another than that one.

Speaker 3 (01:56:21):
Yeah, another big one in the SEC. The league is
just so stupid this year Florida Texas A and m
Florida at home eight and a half point favorite.

Speaker 2 (01:56:35):
Yeah. I like that, and it was been struggling as elite.

Speaker 6 (01:56:39):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:56:40):
You want to know the other crazy thing about the
UC Houston one, Taran, The line is fifteen and a half,
the over under is only one twenty four point five eke.

Speaker 2 (01:56:52):
They're counting on Houston to put a I.

Speaker 3 (01:56:54):
Mean you're talking like seventy to fifty five is what
they're counting on.

Speaker 6 (01:56:57):
Yeah. Uh.

Speaker 3 (01:56:59):
Back in the twelve, Arizona at Iowa State. This one
is this one at nine o'clock on ESPN. I am
excited to uh settle in after our post game show
and watch this one. Arizona can can pretty much solidify
second place undeterred if they win this one.

Speaker 2 (01:57:22):
What wasn't Arizona get much love at the beginning of
the year. They have a down year.

Speaker 3 (01:57:26):
They lost a couple games early, they also lost their
best player who got hurt and was lost for the
season in the non conference, and I think people just
kind of didn't have a whole lot of faith in
them because they lost a you know, a first round
pick type guy. And I think everybody knows, like the

(01:57:46):
Caleb Love experience is a wild one, so they you know,
they're a little skeptical. But I think they beat Iowa
State at home. Iowa State is not playing well right now.
They're they're banged up. Don't know if Keyshon Gilbert is
going to be but I was State favored by four
and a half. Like, I think Arizona wins outright in
this game, and I love Iowa State.

Speaker 2 (01:58:06):
Yeah, I will say it's limp into the Yeah Big
Twelve Tournament.

Speaker 3 (01:58:09):
Oregon State and Saint Mary's and then finally ten o'clock
ESPN two Big Twelve after dark, West Virginia at BYU.

Speaker 2 (01:58:20):
Gimme BYU all day every day.

Speaker 8 (01:58:24):
We skipped one that I wanted to talk about. Ear Okay,
I mean it's not a good game. But Yukon, what
do you think of Yukon? Like, do you should we
believe what we've seen from Yukon?

Speaker 2 (01:58:34):
Uh?

Speaker 3 (01:58:34):
Yeah, they're they're average. Like, it's not a great roster
constructed by Danny right now.

Speaker 2 (01:58:39):
I think, lookay it.

Speaker 3 (01:58:43):
I don't think people understood like those two teams last
year at the top Purdue in Yukon, they had seven
foot four freaks of nature that just stood in the
middle of the floor and changed everything.

Speaker 2 (01:58:56):
They don't have that.

Speaker 3 (01:58:57):
They're not as great of a three point shooting team
as they have been. I just think it's you know,
guess what, it's really hard to win three in a row.
It's really hard to have a roster that is good
enough to get you to that third. I think they're good,
but I just I think they're they're They're nowhere close

(01:59:20):
to the teams that I've seen at the top of
the country.

Speaker 2 (01:59:27):
And I hate that because I love Danny.

Speaker 8 (01:59:30):
I agree, they're like Kansas and Me. I've been waiting
for them to, yeah, to turn that corner. It's like nah, and.

Speaker 2 (01:59:38):
Then Sunday Wisconsin, Michigan State.

Speaker 3 (01:59:41):
UH in March Owen March and then UH after that
on CBS Illinois Michigan and then UH four o'clock on
ESPN Memphis U A B that's gonna do a tea
But guess what. I'll be back here Monday and two day.

(02:00:03):
Maybe some Indian foods. Maybe some Indian food. Thanks to
everybody for tuning in. We'll see you next time. This
is the Moegger Show on Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty the radio.

Speaker 2 (02:00:16):
I'm listening to a sad girl sing, singing about us.

Speaker 3 (02:00:19):
He got a cord thro to.

Speaker 2 (02:00:24):
I just want me something to ma. Youro when you
only gets body.

Speaker 8 (02:00:30):
Don't act listen if you did talk, No, let me
play with her.

Speaker 2 (02:00:36):
I'm working late, I said, I'll soon be home. All
about the girl was home. Let me tell you what
she cried for?

Speaker 4 (02:00:45):
Why?

Speaker 3 (02:00:45):
Because I'm flying, super flying.

Speaker 10 (02:00:49):
Nay, I'm flying.

Speaker 8 (02:00:53):
You know, he's super fly with me, I'm superuper and
I'm super duper flying fly.

Speaker 9 (02:00:58):
Cincinnati's esp N fifteen thirty Traffic from.

Speaker 13 (02:01:03):
The UC Health Traffic Center. Around forty percent of cancers
are preventable. Lifestyle changes in screenings can make a difference.
Call five one, three, five eight five UCCC northbound is
seventy one. It is an accident on the ramp to
Smith Edwards southbound seventy five. Another accident on the ramp,
this one to eastbound two seventy five on Fifth Street.

(02:01:25):
It is an accident at Sycamore Street southbound seventy one.
Traffic slow from two seventy five to Montgomery Road. On
that ezalic with traffic.

Speaker 1 (02:01:34):
This report is