The Dan Patrick ShowDP reacts to Florida winning the NCAA Men's Basketball National Championship last night. How was Houston unable to get a shot off on the final possession? DP and the Danettes preview the Masters and discuss the legacy of Augusta. and former NCAA D1 basketball HC Steve Lappas breaks down the coaching miscues and mental lapses that doomed Duke and Houston, and cites poor late-game execution and conference softness as key factors.
You are listening to the Dan Patrick Show on Fox Sports Radio.
Florida's sixty five points of the fewest by a winning team and the combined total one twenty eight fewest in a title game since twenty fourteen. Also, this is just the second title game in the last thirty five years decided by two points or less. The Duke Blue Devils beating Butler in twenty ten was also a two point marginow.
Stall of a day, stall of a day, stat of a day, stantata day.
This is the start of the day.
In college sports, we tend to treat conference realignment like it's a business move, and for a lot of universities it is business. But after watching Florida win the national championship, it's more than just about money.
Take Duke.
Duke dominated the accus and if you're not tested during the regular season, you get to steamroll your way to the final four. You rarely play from behind, you rarely feel that pressure. And then the moment demands that and they flinched fourteen point lead, vanished in the final four, and with it their chance for a national championship. And then you look at Florida. The Gators weren't perfect, but They were prepared for this moment. They've fallen behind in four of their tournament games and came back to win, including last night.
But you know, think about this.
They were down ten to Texas Tech, comeback down late to Auburn, another comeback two point win over the defending national champion Yukon Huskies. Last night, they're down by twelve at one point. No panic whatsoever, that's experienced. That's what happens when your battle tested Florida was Duke wasn't, and it made all the difference in the world. I said this a couple of weeks ago during the regular season, if if you win the SEC, it's like winning the national title. And that's exactly what happened. Florida won the SEC. Florida won the national title. They were ready for the moment and look aesthetically, no, it wasn't pretty basketball, but it was pretty close basketball. And you're seeing a team come from behind again. They had margins of at least six points, four second half comebacks down at least six points. That's the most in a tournament game since twenty fifteen. And you know, give Houston a lot of credit because they also showed that same kind of grit determination.
They were prepared for a moment.
They didn't quit against Duke, but that moment last night where you look at the last three, last four possessions and they got nothing.
Out of it.
They had turnover, turnover, turnover, and then couldn't get a shot off, and you start to look at what the play was.
Florida seemed to know what that does. Design was.
Here's Calvin Samson, the Houston head coach, on that design of the final play.
We have a set where it's a stagger gate, and we thought if we could get Emmanuel to shop fake and get downhill. I have to look back at the film and I don't know if the ball slipped out of his hands or they probably should have shot fake that. You know, Clayton made a great play on that. But you know, I say, you got a shot fake and get in the paint.
Yeah. I was surprised.
It felt a little too on the perimeter, and maybe it was starting on the perimeter to then get to the basket because you're down too. And that's what I kept thinking. You at least have to get something towards the hoop. Don't settle for a three pointer to try to win the national championship. And I don't know if that was the play, but Florida knew what the play was going to be because they blew it up right away. So give credit to Florida did a great job with that. Here is how that final play sounded us that on the right hand.
Way and stops with seven seconds because it's a crier. Six seconds to go, five seconds to shark top of the key, lost the dribbles, He's got to pick it up. Its scripped up by content content secures, Like I'm drawing a found away from twelve down to the school's third national championship in men's basketball.
Yeah, that was courtesy a Westwood one. But that's embarrassing. The turnover, turnover, turnover, can't get a shot off and you could have pumped fake. Give Clayton, who's not a great defender, he made a great decision to go out there because you can maybe draw contact in a situation like that. But I think he was flying to the ball at an angle that he was not going to, you know, affect the shooter or at least be drawn into getting three free throws there.
I was just surprised.
It felt like it was going slow, slow, and then you do a pick and then somebody slides by, somebody's ready to set another pick, nobody's there to set a pick, and then all of a sudden you're reversing it, and then all of a sudden you're in trouble, and then all of a sudden.
You're tick tick tick tick tick tick tick, and then it's over.
But give credit to Florida because that's a battle tested team. And when you have those players who've been in moments like this, and granted it's the sec that you're in, not the NCAA tournament with these moments, but it does translate. And you saw that because Duke didn't handle the pressure well. And when you have three freshmen out there, there's there's a little bit of doubt, there's reasonable doubt of what you're going to do with the game on the line when you're.
Not used to those situations.
But Florida wins the national championship and winning sixty five sixty three. See let's pull question today, Well, we might as well start with a little bit of a downer. Worst way to lose a game.
Is this a Todd Fritz, This is not a Todd negativity pole, the classic Paul Paps Negativity poll. That might negativity index. We might be starting the PPN I Paul Paps Negativity Index. I'm gonna spend all day working on them. Sticky anyway, the worst way to end a game not getting a shot off called third strike or a quarterback sack. Both of them are great called third strike. To lose a game is to swing the bat, lad get gone, get the mouth of shoulder, Come on, yeah pull?
What really hurts beyond the loss obviously, if you're a Houston fan, is not even the hope of a shot going up, not even because that wins it. If it hits, it wins it at the buzzer, not even getting a shot off, or like a Bengals fan, you you had a chance to win a super Bowl and a sack your quarterback doesn't even get downfield with a throw, which is more painful.
Well, there's no guarantee that granted with Joe Burrow, would he have hit Jamar Chase, they would have won the Super Bowl. Yes, that appears to be according to with the film shows. But I don't know if we have a called third strike that we can reference there. I think not getting a shot off, because you can at least tie the game if you get a good shot and all you want is hope you got the ball and you got to get two. If you happen to get three, you win the National Championship.
A sack.
Matt Ryan against the Patriots getting sacked. Yeah, I would say last night that you don't even get a shot off. At least you took the ball, and I know, you know called third strike. You don't get the bat off your shoulder the sack. At least you have the ball in your hands, and you know you have that opportunity to get rid of the ball. They didn't get a chance to even get a shot off. Yep, yes they've you know too with a called third strike.
Sometimes a pitch has the ability to just freeze you and you don't really know why, but you're like, dang, that was a hell of a pitch where you see it and you just can't you're just frozen and it just gets you, you know.
Yes, Marva Carlos Beltran, didn't he have a called called third strike in NLCS. The bat did not come off of your shoulder?
Okay, all right, yeah, yeah, I think not getting a shot off and maybe it's recency bias where you're just going who drew up this play? Like what was the play? And the fact if you have a play and you've run that play, that's great scouting by Florida if they know what your go to play is, because every team, certainly when you get to that moment, knows if there is a go to play, what's it going to be? And you know it's going to be a close game. Because Florida was favored by one, you know it's going to be a tight game. Houston plays tight games when it comes down to a one play what are you running? And I can guarantee you Florida's coaching staff scouted that and knew what that play was going to be because they were there and they blew it up in real time. What else do we have today? Seaton for the first hour.
Well, let's see, I'm just posting that one right now. Paul just sent over another one too. That's kind of interesting, believe it or not.
Wow. Wow.
Should the NCAA tournament also give out an award for the finals.
MVP instead of the most Outstanding Player?
Well, they give out the most Outstanding Player, and maybe you do that, but then Should there also be a final MVP?
Yeah sure, I don't care. Yeah, enthusiastically forget that. Would Walter Clayton Junior the third one have?
He wouldn't have won the Most Valuable Player last night, but he was the most outstanding player.
Yes, Todd a second half team get Floord even another trophy because they were.
The best second team blood Paul Walter Clayton got the MOP, but Will Richard from Florida would have got MVP of the final, which would be kind of a cool award to have because it's kind of overlooked.
His night just stepped up earlier, had a whole bunch of other games in the tournament.
Should But if you're most Outstanding Player, then you've been the most outstanding player over the entire tournament.
But then you have a bad game or off night and someone else gets this the other award.
Yeah, but you had to lead them.
Without you, they don't get to there, right, So you're the most outstanding player?
Yeah? Sure, if you want to have another award.
Sure, I think that they're probably satisfied with winning the national championship. I don't know if Will Richard is going. You know, I should have been MVP. I think he's okay. I think he's okay, all right, eight seven to seven to three DP show email address DP at Danpatrick dot com, Twitter handle a DP show. It was one of those Julio Jones retires and you go, okay, Wow, that's right.
Hasn't really done much the last few years.
Hall of Famer as soon as you hear the name Julio Jones, or the fact that we haven't heard his name in a couple of years, maybe not Hall of Famer at least right away. He had a five or six year window. How many times do we say that though about receivers? Man, he had a five or six year window, because that's usually all you get, a five or six year window. And he had a lot of yards. I think he only had like sixty six touchdowns. I say only because I think he had like thirteen thousand receiving yards. But we'll play the Julio Jones Hall of Fame game coming up.
Yes, Todd, Yeah, I have a negative recency bias when it comes to Julio Jones. But we can save that from a whole discussion. I usually ruin it all and I just say things way ahead of time. If we're going to make a little segment out of it.
But don't I always tell you say it like I always tell you you and Paulie.
Always tell me that, and I always ruined surprises and birthday gifts for your wife.
No, but when we do our pre show meeting and then you'll go on a rant, I'll go save it, and then you continue the rant, and then I'll go, Ton, save it.
I think it's less disobeying you more my own neurotical like I'm gonna forget what I'm gonna say.
You write it down.
I could do that. Yeah, this writing implements his laptops, his ways to jot down your thoughts these days.
Save it, Ton, Okay, I'm behaving this.
Todd does have a tick though, where if he's gonna if he needs to get it out of his brain, he is going to say it. There's nothing that you could that is true. It doesn't matter. If it's in his head and he has to get it out, he will get it out. It doesn't matter what else is going on around.
You know that Golfer and the corn Faery tour, he put tape over his mouth.
I could relate to that guy.
Yeah, he was trying to play better golf and not be yelling and screaming.
Maybe you do that in the morning meeting. Just put tape over your mouth.
It is, really that's what I gonna come to.
I don't want it to you're you're gonna force me to maybe suggest that to you.
If I can't control myself, maybe we have to look at tape.
But you do. And Seaton's right, I can tell when you blow right through the stop sign when I'll go Todd save it, boom, Todd say boom, and then I go, okay, great again.
I don't mean to be rude. I know you guys take it that way, and I'm like giving a proverbial finger. I'm going to say what I have to say. I don't care what any of you guys think. It's not really meant that way. It's really harmless, and it's my own little insecurity or psychosis of some sort.
But we all remember what we're going to say for the show, because the show is the important part of this, Like that's the content part.
Yes, but I have a very short term memory. And just like when Poy said, how about not putting twenty words in the subject line and part of it is being disobeying, and the other part of it is like, oh yeah, that's right, he did tell me a hundred times not to do that.
Thank you, Todd.
Well, way, take a break here, well settle on our poll question and get to phone calls as well. We're back after this and the Dan Patrick Show.
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our shows at Fox Sports Radio dot com and within the iHeartRadio app search FSR to listen live.
Hey, Steve Covino and I'm Rich David and together We're Covino and Rich on Fox Sports Radio.
You could catch us.
Weekdays from five to seven pm Eastern two to four Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and of course the iHeartRadio app. Why should you listen to Covino and Rich. We talk about everything life, sports, relationships, what's going on in the world. We have a lot of fun talking about the stories behind the stories in the world of sports and pop culture, stories that well, other shows don't seem to have the time to discuss. And the fact that we've been friends for the last twenty years and still work together. I mean that says something, right, So check us out. We like to get you involved too, take your phone calls, chop it up. As they say, I'd say the most interactive show on Fox Sports Radio, maybe the most interactive show on planetar. Be sure to check out Covino and Rich live on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app from five to seven pm Eastern two to four Pacific. And if you miss any of the live show, just search Covino and Rich wherever you get your podcasts, and of course on social media that's Cavino and Rich.
It's Masters week, boy. I love that it's right after March Madness, boom right into the Masters. I do have the odds to win the Masters with the live golfers because I am excited to see John Rahm and Bryson de Shambeau Brooks Kopka, and John Rahm is the leading candidate from the live tour to win another green jacket. Then it's Bryson to Shambeau, Brooks Kopka, Joaquin Neeman. Let me see where Phil Mickelson is. Ram is plus thirteen hundred. Phil Micholson is plus eleven thousand. But I do love watching Phil at Augusta because he plays it differently, not afraid to take chances there, but Patrick Reid and Sergio Garcia. Cameron Smith. There was a time when Cameron Smith was a He was a moment it was like, Wow, that guy is maybe the best putter in the world. Then he took the money and disappeared. But they're back on the big stage, to the main stage, and they'll be at Augusta whether at least the preliminary outlook is pretty good.
Age seven to seven to three.
DP Show email address Dpatdanpatrick dot com, Twitter handle DP show.
Good morning.
If you're watching on peacock, thank you for downloading the app. We'll get phone calls coming up and poll question Seaton for hour two is going to be.
What Yeah, we got two of them up there right now. One of them has been called the most difficult question we've ever asked on this show.
Well, who came up with the questions? Oh so, Pauli's this is the's on fire today.
This is the toughest question, most difficult question we've ever asked.
Yes, it's based on conversations and topics we've been discussing here on the show. Okay, Paul melded them into one melody impossible question to make melded. Okay, let me start with the easy one worst way to end a game, not getting a shot off, call third strike, quarterback sack.
Right.
Now, this might be recency biased, but forty nine percent of not getting a shot off yeah, followed closely by called third strike. You can't take a called third You just can't.
Yep.
I mean that one's horrible and this has happened, though it happened a couple of times recently, called third Yeah, Paul.
You're gonna like this because you like umpires. Hey, there is nothing that gives an umpire a bigger stage than a called third strike to end a playoff game. They get to go the full rip.
It didn't Babe Ruth take a called third to end the World Series? Or did he swing and miss in a World Series? I'm getting off topic here, I think. But okay, what is the toughest question that we've ever asked on this program?
Which are you better at golf or dancing?
Todd, I'm no Patrick Swayze or John Travolta, but you've all seen me on the golf course. I'm thinking I'm a better dancer than golfer.
All right, Satan oh Man uh I mean, it's I'm a horrible I'm horrible at golf, terrible, and I'm infinitely better at that than I am at dancing, So I get I think I have to say golf.
You're the reluctant dancer. Who you like?
You reluctant in that I have hoped to never ever do it. I'm even like watching other people dance, I just never want to even. Yeah, and I'm so envious of people that can actually dance, like people that dance really well.
God, how did you do that? Marvin?
Golf dancing terrible golfer, so better at dancing.
Okay, Paul, golf is not good, can't hit it deep dancing, I can compete. I can go out and not embarrass myself. Dancing I got to do some like musicals and plays with just enough I would embarrass myself.
Golf I would embarrass myself.
I'm okay at golf.
I think it depends on how much I've had to drink as far as dancing, But.
Yeah, I would say golf. Yeah, Marvin.
During weddings, what do you guys like to do? Are you guys forced to come out there? Somebody you know gives you the finger point come on out here.
That's oka the worst thing you can possibly do to a human being.
Yes, but that's why I always sit with my back to the dance floor because then I can't get you know, Aunt Gertie going come.
Here, and you're going no, no, no. I wanted to be out there. I would be.
There's a reason I'm sitting here ignoring everybody.
But I like it when there's a whole group.
Therefore your movements aren't nobody sees them, and you could kind of just stay in your little vacuum.
There, go to the middle of the crowd and no.
No, no, because then they're always there's the circle, and then there's gonna be like it, and then they somebody jumps in the middle and dances, and then somebody comes out and then you're like somebody pushes you and you're like no, no, no, we're not doing that worse no or not no, yes Tom.
But even with your back to the dance world, there's always that aggressive aunt or cousin what's going to come up to you and tap you and pull you in anyway. There's no way to hide unless you go in another room or hide in the bathroom for the whole thing's over.
Like your sister wanting to dance with me at the bar Mitzvah and I'm like no, no, no, giving me the come here, and like no, I just.
Got to give in. It's just one dance. There's a couple of minutes of your time. No it.
Now, if your mom had asked me to dance at the bar Mitzvah, I would have. I would have done that because your mom's adorable and I can't say no to her. No matter what she asked, I can't say no to him.
One thing I'd like to say is she'd give you the show up her back. Thank you. Never done that in public care, Yes.
I think the toughest situation at weddings when you're dancing with your wife or girlfriend during a slow song and then they transition quickly like cool in the gang celebration and you have to get off the floor fast. Yes, you gotta make that move and go to the rights the bar.
Yeah, it's like and then you're like damn it.
And then you got to kind of you you dance off the stage yes, and you're like okay, yeah man, yes Marvel.
This is the song when they introduce the wedding party. Oh, give it her for the parents of the bride. Dad has no interest in dancing at all.
Oh, I know, although wedding parties when they're introduced and then they'll be you know, the bride, bride'smaid and the groomsman.
And then we're gonna, hey, you know what we're gonna do.
We're gonna go We're gonna this where like synchronized, and then you're like, okay, hey, we're gonna have our own dance.
Nah. That's not good either, not good. Yeah, play the music there.
And please welcome the parents of the bride, Sally and Jimmy Lepper.
Yeah, yes to.
The best part is when they say, we invite you to take your seats. Dinner is served and you can just get off the dance floor and not to feel bad about it. Everyone's got to stop dancing and they're bringing up the salad.
Thank you, Tod. As long as that DJ.
We all invite you to take your seats as they're bringing out the third course. Oh yeah, he sat down for some ZD You.
Well, you did give us one dining moment last hour, so I think it's appropriate you speaking food here.
All right.
Let me see a couple of phone calls in here Kevin in Texas, I, Kevin, what do you have for me?
Leading off.
There comes to ZD that that's an incredible line, Toddler. I was gonna skew negative because that's, you know, an honor of Paul PABs. I really can't stand them playing in these basketball stadiums. It feels like they can't shoot for the first half of the game. But anyways, most importantly, I would like to hear all five of you decide which is better one shining moment or let's get quizzical.
One dining moment, or let's get quizzical both. From Todd, I'm going to say let's get quizzical because it was right after Olivia Newton John died and Todd thought that he was paying tribute to her, and it was.
Painful honor the life and times of one of them. John.
Yes, it was painful, yes, Paul.
Yeah, it was meant as a serious tribute to a great actress that he admired, and he was not making a joke in any way.
Or a great musician or a great artist. Olivia Newton John not a great actress, Oh no, she's great. She was known for a music. I had a couple of moments there Greece.
Absolutely, I thought she was gonna win something for Xanader crush inbe you know.
I did go see Zana do by myself. Kind of painful coming out of that where you know you got couples.
Oh my god.
Look, it makes good sports radio conversation.
You gotta answer Rich.
Just right, you know what I mean, don't google. Let's just try to think it out, telling yourself mentally, make sure.
You know what talking about, or get embarrassed on.
Let's get quizical quizicol.
I wanted the quisitim quiz?
So nobody asked for that and Todd. Todd thought that that was a tribute to Oliving. Yes, yes, a couple of phone calls in here, uh Jim, and I was very.
Proud of that. By the way, I thought I was gonna get discovered by America's got out. I was gonna start getting emails and calls and that didn't happen.
That's what surprised me more than anything that you thought it was good.
I thought it was to be discovered. After that, I.
Thought that it was creative. But your timing is off. It's not a tribute to her.
Hard to get that pitch of the Olivia Hut and John, it's hard to get tick the high notes like that.
You mean to be on key, to be on key, that's another way. Yeah, Jim in Michigan, Hi Jim, what's on your mind?
A couple of times for you, Dan, you talked about the live tour. Maybe I'm the only one that gets frustrated when I surf on TV and I see the graphics, the score of the scoring. I can't read what the hell they're promoting.
There's a lot going on there, Jim. There's a whole lot. I was watching this weekend. I'm like, god, Lee, there's like five things here.
And the other comment. I did go to the Masters in twenty fifteen, won the right to buy tickets. Brought my lovely wife, who was not enamor with golf, and she had an absolute ball, as did I. As you commented, the food was cheap, She got blisters on her feet from walking the course twice, and they at a first aage station. They took care of her. The greatest experience of my life, and I doubt if land in my lap again.
But it was just a wonderful time.
All right, well, thank you, Jim.
Yeah, I encourage people if you get the opportunity. It does live up to the hype. When you go to Amen Corner, when you walk on the grass, it's far hillier than what you think. And you go to twelve thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, and.
Then even eighteen.
I mean that is a climb up eighteen and that little narrow shoot when you come out of that tea box.
And when I.
Played, we played it all the way back as far back as you could play, and it felt like the trees were growing as I'm getting ready to tee up my ball, like the leaves and the branches are getting tighter and tighter and tighter, and you're just trying to get it through that shoot. But you watch, and that's why it's even more remarkable. Those greens. No green is flat there, undulating as they like to say.
But if you get a.
Chance, go Andrew in Oklahoma. We'll try it again. Hi Andrew.
Hey, guys, love the show. First time, technical, second time, Okay, love the show. I'm definitely a better golfer than an answer, and I'm looking for the out for the dinner to come out. But there is enough called today, let's just find out, you know, when and how do we solve slow play on the PGA Tour because watching Brian Harmon and PC play are just absolutely brutal. Anyways, eyeing up and take the ns off the show.
Well, remember Sergio, Sergio grip regrip, grip, regrip, but baseball had this, guys were taken forever, no more. He's the poster child for just get in the box. I gotta do this. And you know, I wonder if somebody's gonna have a note from their doctor where they bring it to the game and show the umpire to say, hey, I have this O C D this tick that I I mean. But Sergio it was forever. And Brian Harmon like he's gonna grip it and then look and grip, look, look, look, there's a couple of guys that just usually you get guys who are from Ireland for some reason because they just know you're going out there to play.
Let's get the round done. You grow up playing that way.
A lot of these golf courses in Ireland Scotland don't have driving ranges like you go, you go to play and then that's it. You know, a lot of them don't have condos or anything around it. It's you're going to the golf course and then maybe you have a pint and then you go home. That's it, you know. Now they have amenities really that for Americans it feels like. But when you're over there, there's places where you go, can I hit some balls?
They're like on the.
Course and I'll be like, oh, okay, you go there ready to play. And I love when you see some of these golfers. It's just like Shane Lowry, here you go, put the vall. I'm going. John Daly's as fast as anybody I ever played with. John doesn't wait for you. Yeah, he's swinging. You're lining up your shot and John go, I'll hit mine. He's not waiting at all. That's fun to be around, and that's the way golf should be played. Take your time. I understand that. But after a while, are we just trying to get your logo on TV or something airtime? We'll take a break. Steve Lapis, the former coach, done a great job with CBS. We'll talk to him about that final play, what he thought was being drawn up, and did Florida know exactly what was going to be called and we'll talk to him about some of the other items going on with college basketball.
Be sure to catch the live edition of The Dan Patrick Show weekdays at nine am Eastern six am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio WAP.
Steve lapis CBS Sports college basketball color commentator. He was on site for the national title game in San Antonio last night. He joined us on the program, Good to see you again, Coach. Let me start at the end of the game, then maybe work our way back the play that was called and Florida, knowing what that play was going to be, did that kind of was that the collision that we had, Yeah, and.
That also and really Houston's execution on the play. I just watched it again for the third time. They didn't screen anybody on that play. It was just and normally, let's face, Kelvin Sampson's tremendous coach. They execute very well. But on that last play, they didn't execute anything. And that's why you know, Florida was able to come out and get to manual sharp. But if he shot fakes there, there's a good chance Clayton runs by him and he gets a shot off. Instead, he tried to shoot it right away. You know, kid makes a mistake in that situation, it happens. But you know, the big thing Dan was they had five turnovers in the first thirty eight minutes and forty seconds of that game, and the last one to twenty they had four turnovers. So the execution in the last two minutes was.
Back as a former coach, and I brought this up, and maybe I'm thinking that this is what happens. But if I'm going to face you and it's a big game, I have to know what do you do? What's your go to play with a game on the line, Like I have to figure out what do you love to do? And every team has a play that they love to go to. And I'm wondering, did Houston have a stock play that they loved to go to and Florida did their research scouting and knew what it was going to be.
I think Houston has a couple. You know, they ran that one for Emmanuel Sharp. They have a couple for LJ. Cryer. Those are the guys that he considers they're two closers. They also have a play where they can go inside to Juwan Roberts. So again I think on that last play, because you know the other thing about this day, and it's a one day prep, so there's only so much you can give those kids in one day to get ready for that game. I think that was Obviously Florida did a great job. I would say it was more a lack of execution on Houston's part than great defense on Florida's part. Obviously they played good defense on it, but I think Houston really just messed it up.
Yeah, that's a great point.
I also brought up this was during the regular season, maybe it was the SEC tournament, and I said that if you win the SEC, it's like winning the national championship. And Florida was ready for this because and Duke wasn't. But I think that's because of the conference that you play in that every single night, Florida knew that they were in for a battle. Four of those games that they won in the tournament, they trailed by at least six points in the second half.
Duke wasn't in that.
And maybe this is a leap that I'm making, but it did feel like the battle tested team in a great conference, and that was the difference for Florida.
That's not a leap at all, Dan, You're one hundred percent right. I mean, Duke's average margin of victory this year was twenty one points a game. They were in very few close games that came down to the wire. These kids, they were a young team now goad to the two freshmen Canipple and Flag. They played well, but in the last couple of minutes they didn't have the same legs as they had throughout the game. Coming up against a team that's so tough and so physical like Houston was, so I couldn't agree with you more. Them not being the pressure cooker of the league that the other at the Big twelve and the SEC were definitely made a difference to Duke in that game. Without question.
We had Gino Oriema on yesterday. We had Dan Hurley on yesterday. Now they're both facing the transfer portal in different ways because Gino doesn't really have to worry about this, whereas Dan Hurley goes this is crazy. But then Gino said, imagine if you had free agency during Super Bowl week. You know that that's what you have with the free agency in college basketball, what would be your remedy for this moving forward?
You know, first of all, you got it at least started after the tournament, because you know, you have it started two weeks ago. You know, the transferport was open, so if to have it opened when some people are still playing is ridiculous. And you know, I don't know long term of where we're going with this, whether you know, kids have to be committed for two years, whether there's gonna be some kind of a salary caps. This is like nuts. And you know, as you know and pro leagues, there's excuse me, salary caps contracts. Here is free agency every year. I'm glad I'm not in it right now, to be honest with you, and you know, to be faced with this as a coach, to be worried about whether the guys you have are coming back, you know that would have to drive you nuts. So I'm you know, something's got to give. This is not sustainable.
I don't think Geno Oriama also brought up. He says, yes, I have twelve national titles, but if I was coaching in the men's you know, or we had to abide by the men's rules. You know, Diana Trossi's won and done, Branna Stewart would be one and done.
Maya Moore would be one and done.
So if you were going to look at the model that women's basketball has and you put that with the men, you know, John Wooden had all those players who stayed. Coach k for a long period of time, had guys who stayed. Who do you think could have benefited the most with the talent they had if they had to stay or everybody was staying at least three years, maybe four years.
Probably John caliperia Kentucky. I mean, who recruited better freshmen that were NBA players than him? If he had those guys. If you think about the team that wonted in two thousand and twelve or fourteen, I forget that team was you know they if those guys come back, He's probably go win two or three more with those guys. So I think that and that's one of the great somebody I'm good friends with you, you know. So somebody asked me, is Gino going to retire? I said, why should he retire? He's got the best job in the world. He gets the best class and he knows they're going to be there for four years. Like you know, if that's why you feel for John Shire, I'm not saying he's not gonna get a great class next year. He already has, but he had this generational talent. He's up six points with thirty seconds to go.
And didn't didn't win it.
That's and I and I have some games and I'm taking to my grave. That's one that John Shire is going to take.
To his We always go who won it? Did somebody win it? Does somebody lose it? Like in that situation. And I know you're in the coaching fraternity there, but Duke collapsed. Duke lost that game. Houston took advantage, but you I can only take advantage if you allow me to take advantage.
No question, Dan, I mean, that's how you have to look at. First of all, they couldn't get the ball in balance. They had the same guy taking one guy I forget who was taking it out. Sion James was taking it out and he was having trouble getting it in. They call time out. He's still the guy who's gonna break get it in bounds. They changed their formation. They put a formation where they had four guys within like fifteen feet of each other with four defenders. Yeah, I think that they they definitely gave it away. Yes, Shuston took advantage. Houston made the plays, they got the offensive rebound dunk, yes, yes, but Dupe definitely and and John Shire knows that. And that's why it's gonna eat him up, just like it's gonna eat up Kelvin Sampson that on those last two possessions, they don't get a shot. You know, if you all right, we get a shot, we miss, we run something good, we get and we missed, we miss. Okay, fine, but to not get a shot, that's the thing that he shot.
What's the worst way to lose.
I mean, the worst way to lose is is That's why I felt bad for both Kelvin Sampson and John Shire. Those are two really bad ways to lose because you felt like it was on you. You had this game won both those teams. It's one of you know, I had games in my career where with the game ended, I said how did we lose that? And I was that games where I said how did we win that?
You know?
So, I mean it does work both ways. And you look, I think both those games Govenzans has to say how did we lose? And shosh Shire has to say how did we lose? So when you don't execute, don't get a chance, and you give things away, you don't get beat. Like you said, Duke, they gave it away. They didn't get beat. They got beat, but they gave it away. They gave the opportunities. It wasn't back and forth. They made one more shot than us, we lost.
That's it, okay.
But if you're Houston, you don't get a shot off, or you're Houston and you don't box out Lorenzo Charles against NC State, Which which way is more painful for you if you're coaching.
I think it's more. I think Lorenzo Charles thing was a little bit of luck because it's an airball, and it's not the easiest thing the box out on an air ball. Don't get me wrong, it should have been. There should have been a body on him, But that was like a fluke. That's one there that you say it couldn't hit the rim. If the shot hit the rim, that doesn't happen, So you know, you say things like that. I think it's worse when you just give it away like these guys did.
Playing in a dome.
I remember the first time I shot hoops and a dome and man was hit an optical illusion, like it took a while with the depth perception there, and I know that that's here to stay because the NCAA wants to get sixty seventy thousand in there to make money. But that adjustment period, does that still go on for these you know, major university players.
You know, it's not as talked about as much now that we've been playing domes for so long, but certainly when it first started whatever it was twelve thirteen years ago, it was a factor and it gets talked about a little bit. I know we talked about it with Kelvin Sans. We were at the Indianapolis Regional with him, and you know, he just felt like, we got to get these guys in here. They're gonna shoot as many as they can. But both teams are in the same situation, so you try not to talk about it.
Great to talk to your coach, and we look forward to next year so we can have you back on to talk college basketball.
I love being on with you, Dan, Thank you very much.
That's Steve Lapis
