Thanks for listening to The Herd podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday from twelve to three eastern, nine to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio an FS one. Find your local station for The Herd at Fox Sports Radio dot com, or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Herd. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Alright, it is a far ride day live in Los Angeles. It's The Herd. Wherever you may be in however you may be listening or watching. Thanks for Megana's part of your day. Jay Mack is joining us. We're gonna have Casey Jacobson. Fox Sports college basketball star at Stanford played in the NBA for a few years. Is Drew Timmy an NBA er? Is Noel Noel Marquise Noel? Is he an NBA or I don't know. I tend to think Timmy, you'll find a way on a bench. You compared him to Kevin McHale. Now McHale, who played at the University or Minnesota was he was six eleven and a half. He was also one of the longest guys I've ever seen in person. Yeah, Timmy is six nine. He's not as long, he's a little bulkier. McHale was also just better. McHale I think was a was a great, great Hall of Fame level player. And it was also a different game back then where you didn't McHale didn't shoot threes, nobody cared. Now everybody's got to shoot at three. So the culture has changed. Even Kevin McHale now coming out would have doubters because he's not a perimeter player. Yeah, and basically now if you're a big guy, they want you shooting threes so you can get to the NBA. Drewe Timmy said, forget that. I think he's made four threes this season, two in the tournament, and his footwork down on the block is impeccable. Well, you can't stop him. Zach Edie Perdue again, no perimeter game, dominant inside presence, Probably deep second round guy. And it's funny the college basketball diehards, they get all they get all worked up and they're like, this is what's wrong with the NBA. No, the NBA's a global game. It's a three point shooting game. It's there are guys that have been very, very good college players, but they don't have the length. I remember watching John Stockton. This is, you know, thirty some years ago, I went to Eastern Washington University. He came in to our basketball arena and dropped forty two points and I watched it. And the first thing that I remember about John Stockton, I remember this was he was really feisty, and he was long, like kind of weirdly long for a six foot guy. And uh it, length matters in the NBA, and and and the NBA has just pivoted now to a three point shooting league, like it or not. That's that doesn't mean you can't be Draymond Green. But he's the best defensive player in the league, the best screener, the best defensive player. He's also an offensive catalyst. So you don't have to shoot at three if you're great at something Draymond Green is. He's one of the leading rebounders in the last decade. He's the best defensive player in the last decade. And he's a big part of their offense in ball movement, in screens. But generally speaking, you gotta give me something from the perimeter. Yeah, it's interesting if you watch the games last night, Colin the three best players, Drew, Timmy Noel and himehak As of UCLA. None of them project as great NBA players. You know who projects is the best NBA player the kid Strauther who hit the three because he's like six eight, super long. Yeah, can play like he's not Paul George, but he's in that mole shotty wise. And it's funny because you just watch those games, You're like, Gosh, Timmy's amazing, and Strather is the guy who's probably gonna go first. And also one of the reasons that Timmy is dominating college basketball is he's a man. He's been in a weight room for four years. So a lot of these guys that don't project to pros are just really smart and savvy and clever. I mean, you're watching no last night. That guy is so clever. He's looking at his coach, the old talk to the coach Ali. I mean, some of this stuff in March Madness is situational brilliance. A lot of high IQ backs like NBA playoffs, a lot of high i Q basketball and those Warriors in Miami teams. You're starting to look at these juniors and seniors that have been around this tournament for three or four years. These dude, these cats are smart. They're winning games on situational excellence. How about this kid, Noel forty three minutes he did it bang up the ankle, nineteen assists, two turnovers, two turnovers against a time his own Musica state. It's a great I didn't watch him enough in the regular season to have a strong opinion, but I just know last night he just took the game over electrifying. It was just so much fun. Casey Jacobs and Fox Sports college basketball analyst, a star at Stanford four years in the NBA. You know, you know it is interesting. I think it's so redeem I love I love Villanova's story. I think Villanova is the West Coast Gonzaga. Villanova would get blue collar, tough kids, and they would demand they play defense. And I mean, like mcale bridges kind of guys. Every coach I've ever talked to in the NBA is like, oh, draft Villanova guys. They're always smart, they played defense. Jay Wright coaches them hard. And I think sometimes college fans resent the fact they're not going to be stars in the NBA. But you were, you were starring college to the pros. How does Drew Timmy to you Casey Project, I mean, what do you see him as well? First of all, Colin, thanks for having me on. Came back too. Good to see you. Guys. Look, I'm not so sure if Drew Timmy's going to be a star in the NBA. Con I don't know that. I do know that he's a heck of a basketball player and one of the best back to the basket low post players that I have seen in college in the last ten years at least. Okay, but you know the evolution of the game. You talk about it all the time on your show. Big guys who play back to the basket aren't as valuable now as they were ten, fifteen, twenty years ago. That's just the facts. You mentioned that Drew Timmy doesn't have perimeter skills, and I would agree with you if we're defining perimeter skills as a three point jump shot, although he did hit one for him last night, by the way against the Steelia in the first half. He does have perimeter skills when it comes to ball handling and passing them. Collin, So, like you talk about Draymond Green with the Warriors, and I don't really want to compare Drew Timmy to Draymond Green. There there are two different players, but they do play the same position, and they do they are successful at dribble, handoff screen, yes, rolling to the basket, catching on the run, and being able to handle the ball. So we think about perimeter skills is just three point shooting, it's it's a lot more than that. I do think Drew Timmy on the right system, European style basketball where you're asking your bigs to handle and pass the ball, could absolutely have a place in the NBA. I think that's really smart. I know a lot. You know, I know Draymond pretty well, and when people you know dog on him, I'm like, you're not watching warrior games. He is such a catalyst. At the other night against the Mavericks, he had two huge screens that got Curry laps and that was the difference in the game. So that's a really interesting comparison there. To your point, they're not the same player. But how about the guard from Kansas State. He is tiny. I'm not sure who would he defend. But we made the argument earlier, could you put him at the end of the bench. He's a leader, big game, situational. Do you make it his game? Well? First of all, how fun was he last night? That was about as enjoyable of an experience of watching basketball. Those two games Michigan State verts Kansas State, and you see like Gonzaga calling, those games were back to back. I wish they were all like that. They're not all like that. Just incredible the way he was able to, you know, shake off an injury. You saw him turn his ankle, it was kind of a bad ankle sprand in that second half he comes back and not only does he come back to help his team and run the offense, he was dominant scoring the ball. He was dominant stealing the basketball. And before I get to Marquise Noel's NBA potential calling, there's something that a lot of media members haven't really talked about, and that was the end of the game defense that Marquise Noel. We talked a lot about that, that beautiful alley passed to Keyante Johnson and whether or not that was a called play or an off the cuff play. But go back and watched the last six seconds of that game. Tyson Walker, a Michigan State pleading score, goes up for a three point shot and Michigan State is down three and what does Marquise Nooel do? He reaches in and steals that ball. Calling you know how risky of a defensive play that is. Do you know what kind of cohoness you have to have to even try and make that play. He steals the ball, steals the game. This guy plays with a type of flair and style that I haven't seen in a long time now to his NBA prospects. Look, he's little, he's tiny. Yeah. Have there been players in the NBA that have gotten a chance, Yes, but they lasted very long. Not really. The one that comes to mind to meet Colin that is comparable with Tyler Euless. Yeah, you remember him, Ye for Kentucky and he got a shot, and he played a couple of years with the Phoenix Suns and now he's a college basketball coach. I think with John Calipari and Kentucky, but he did play a couple of years. I consider Marquisnoel in that similar mold as a Tyler. You. Yeah, if I had to receive the whole tournament again, I think Yukon may win. I mean, Arkansas's got dudes and they just hammered them. You know, here's the funny thing. UCLA's coach. I really like this guy, he said yesterday. Listen, the transfer portals just different. And one of the things I like about college basketball that college football doesn't offer is regional balance. I mean, we got a Gonzaga, we got a Creighton who I like tonight. You got Yukon out East. I got a Southern team, and we got a small team in Florida Atlantic. I love all this. Right. You can win with transfers like Kansas State. You can win with three star guys, four star guys like Gonzaga. The UCLA coach said. The other day, he said, listen, man, the dying words of a CEO, R well, we used to do it this way. The transfer portal casey to me and tell me if I'm wrong. I think it's saving college basketball. And I also because you can rebuild quickly. And by the way, players are better when they're happy. Players aren't good at a university where they're not playing. I mean, by the way Austin reeves for the Lakers, the kid was good, he didn't get an opportunity. Now he gets to start and he's really good. So I like the transfer port I also like paying guys because if a guy is great again, he's happier he doesn't, So I'm into this stuff. What is your takeaway though, on all the movement, all the money doesn't worry you. It did worry me a couple of years ago, Colin. But like you say all the time on your show, we're in the interesting business. Does the transfer portal make college basketball more interesting and absolutely better? Now? Does it make it more difficult though, for college coaches to build for the future. It does. It doesn't make it more difficult. If you're a high school player right now being recruited, you kind of have to wait your turn. You don't even know if you're gonna get a scholarship offer. You kind of have to go a different route. You've met. You said that it's saving college basketball. That might be a little bit too much. But I am not afraid of this. I am not afraid of change. I'm not afraid of the ani. Hell, let's try and figure it out. The past, Colin, was archaic. The way we ran college basketball needed a change for over a decade. We're finally seeing it. For an analyst like me, it is really difficult. Every year I got to study these rosters over and over. I don't even know who's playing on the team. Colin. Last year an average of five players per team transfer. That's a third of the roster. I believe it's gonna be more. I believe it's gonna be over six or maybe even seven guys per team or transferring. So it is a merrygo round or a carousel, however you want to describe it. But what you're seeing in the tournament is still holding true, Colin. The older teams are still yes. Florida Florida Atlantic is an old team. Kansas State, Okay, they have a first year head coach in Jerome Tank. This is an old roster full of seniors and fifth year senior. San Diego State. San Diego State has a twenty three year old and a twenty four year old and Adam Say and a Guoka Rope. These are older dudes, and they're winning deep in the tournament because they know how to play and they've been there. By the way, the Big twelve has had a good three or four year run. I know Kansas got bounced, but I'm watching Kansas State last night and I'm like, I don't know, man, that that team is well coached they're dialed in. They can go physical, they can go finesse. They got a star guard. I'm gonna just roll the dice and say, Yukon wins it. If I said to you who's winning it, you could reseat it today. I'm gonna go Yukon, what do you? What say you? So? I've been on the Houston Cougar train from the start of the season, and they've given me very little reason to get off that train. Calling But I totally understand what you're saying. Yukon now is playing at a different level over the last month and a half. But Houston, okay, First of all, calling the final fourth in Houston, Okay, that's got to be a little bit she extra motivation for them to play in front of their home crowd and home fans and all that. Houston is as old as any team we've talked about. That Their backcourt is so good with Marcus Sassa, who did not play in last year's NC Double A tournament, by the way, so he's got a little bit of a chip on his shoulder and wants to prove himself. Jamal shed is a senior point guard Tremont Mark. If you are experienced and old in the backcourt. Colin, I trust you, Okay, you con they're good, But can I at least say that before this tournament started, they didn't have a single player wearing their uniform that had won an NCAA tournament game. Now they're playing amazingly well. But Houston two years ago played in final four, last year played in an Elite eight. I think experience does matter just a little bit. You gotta have the dude, Sure, I get that, But Houston is the most experienced they've given. They've been arguably the most consistent, and it's just a matter of whether or not Marcus Sasser they're best player and shooting guard is healthy or not with that growing injury. All Right, you talked me into Houston, all right, Duke was my first one. That was a bad pick. Okay. Finally that final shot, the winning shot by god Zaga, we can show it again. It was the Villanova play. And I think Villanova Gonzaga are they're kind of the very very similar. They make, you know they one is known for defense, Gonzagas won't known more for offense. As a former player. Is that a good shot or a bad shot? A bad shot that winning. So it is a good shot for Julius Strothor. Always depends calling on who's taking it. If you have followed Gonzaga this whole year, and I know you have a lot of other stuff going on, so you probably haven't watched Gonzaga play every single year. Julius strath Or hit a shot very similar to this against b Yu in Provo Utah. Now that screen or that shot that he hit against BYU was off of a ball screen, but it was about the same distance and length. Go on YouTube and look at it. This is a play that they draw up for him, whether it be a ball screen or on this instance, it was kind of a pitch back play. Like you said, the Villanova jay Wright play, which calling I don't know if you know that, Mark, you talked about it after the game. They call that play that they ran the jay Wright play. I don't know why they called it, right play. They should be calling it the Chris Jenkins play because it was Chris Jenkins who should get the credit. He's the one that hit the shot for Villanova in that NCAA Tournament final game in two thousand and sixteen. But like just just execution a player like Strauther who has deep range like that. To me, it was a good shot for him, but for ninety nine percent of the other players in college basketball, that would have been a terrible shot. Casey Jacobson, how good is he? Stanford NBA follow him on shows throughout our net. We're good seeing you, ma man, You're so well prepared, so buttoned up. I appreciate it. Colin, thanks for having me. J MC you're good. Casey Jacobson, who's been at the company for a while and during the regular season. We've said this before, college basketball can feel like a bracket and a four weeks sport. But that's what the World Cup is like it is. This thing is magical. It just reels you in listen. I mean there's the when you talk about tournaments, I mean there's five or six or seven like World Cup's big. The Epics is kind of a tournament. March Madness is the European champions Ships and soccer are the second biggest thing in the World Cup. There's a handful of tournaments. The College World Series, by the way, we don't watch college baseball, and then the College World Series in Omaha sucks. In Little League Worlds, I've sat and watched an hour of Little League World Series twenty straight years. A team, you know, some team from Hartford, Connecticut or you know, Middle and Texas shows up and they're playing you know, a Korean team. It's sucks in. Yeah, it's just I find this stuff fascinating. Do you want me to drop my little nugget on Gonzaga Yukon? Now? Okay? So it's I think Yukon. The way they've dismantled teams is really impressive. Okay, So that's it. That's it right there, dismantled teams. So I looked at the three opponents that they beat. None of them are top forty offensive teams in the country efficiency wise according to Kenpom. Do you know where Gonzaga ranks offensively? Two one? They're number one in the country offensively. So I looked have they faced Has Yukon faced any other top ten offenses this year? Uh? They faced Xavier twice. They lost both games. Top ten you're saying, you're saying Yukon did, Yeah, you kind of struggled against top ten offense. Okay, they went oh and two against Xavier. Okay, top ten offense and they went one and two against Marquette, a top ten offense. Gonzaga is the best offense they will have faced this season, and they've struggled against elite offenses. I think there's some value in Gonzaga. Everybody is with you saying Yukon's probably number one. I think everybody at the other network Yukon Yukon, I get that they're awesome. That the others base there. I think that's a good point. I think the value here is on Gonzaga. Value is the key to betting. Let's see if anybody else agrees. I thought people will chime in on I thought Ucla the effort. They lost their best defensive player a month ago, they didn't have a big last night. I thought their effort. I thought they were gassed with about ten minutes to go in the second half, I thought they were gassed. The other thing with Gonzaga the free throw shooting concern, and they turned. They were mad in the first half, nine out of seventeen against UCLA, and they're two hundred and fifty ninth in the country shooting free throws. So like late in the game, hacka Timmy, that could be a thing for Yukon. I hate backing bad free throw shooting teams. I'm a money free throw myself, but I don't like the audience really deeply care I will say this, I didn't think Gonzaga played well at all. I thought defensively in the first half they weren't even alert. They were getting beat every way, and then they couldn't hit free throws. They were a turnover plagued mass and just ran out of gas. Basically, Yeah, that first half, forty six points, they were unstoppable. Now it was I thought Gonzaga did not play well and won. Now UCLA fan could say we didn't score for eleven minutes and we almost won, that's a totally I thought it was just a I mean, you we said this yesterday on the show. This gonna be the best game in the tournament. They've played three or four times. They recruit against. You know, they battled for some of the same players out West Arizona, Ucla, Gonzaga. You know they're battling for some players, and the recruiting, you know, they're all battling for top guys. So it's a it's a really cool rivalry. A lot of UCLA fans want to blame the coach for slowing down the offense in the second half. First half, they're up and down the court forty six points. But he didn't really have a choice. Did he only get a short bench? Right this guys were wearing downs. Gonzag is pace, they lead the nation and scoring. Yeah, they're a machine dude, yea. And also Gonzag is deep. So they had a guy come off the bench who was I think Malachi Smith's second leading scorer when it Terrell owns his buddy. So again, if if UCLA would have had their big and their best defensive player, they probably don't slow it down. I say this all the time whenever I hear NFL fans criticizing play calling. You have no idea what the film said all week. You have no idea who's available. There's sometimes I mean, if you watch the forty nine ers when they have use Check is healthy and he's not, you can tell they get more physical when he's available. They run different stuff. So you know UCLA has a short bench. They're facing a great offense. You know, maybe he said we had a great first half, let's pull it back. We do not. You don't want to get into a track meet with Gonzagan like that just doesn't work out well. So they get a lead, they're playing well, they bring it down a little bit because he knows, I got no bench here, We're gonna run out of gas. And they looked like they did and still got back into it. Yeah. One more Herd. The Herd streams twenty four hours a day, seven days a week within the iHeartRadio app Search Herd to listen live or on demand whenever you like. Better help dot Com Slash Heard ten percent off Journey of Self Discovery online convenient affordable therapy. Betterhelp dot Com Slash Herd. Who was the player you were bringing up that was small in the NBA that succeeded, Well, there's a bunch of them that have been like right around six feet Fred van Vleet right, six one with sneakers. Okay, but six piece Noel is five eight. That's a big gap. I mean Kyler, Bryce Young is you know, five eleven. If Ryce Young is six two, he's an a prospect. Now you say, well, you know, football is basketball. Look how many of the stars are hurt? Like your body gets taken, you get beat up in all these pro leagues. I don't care what sport it is you got guys out for the year at the World Baseball Classic. When you're competing against I don't care if it's hockey, baseball, basketball, football, You're size matters. You generally last longer. Stockton was probably about six one Isaiah Thomas, but again that's a different era. Isaiah Thomas an unbelievable player. Um yeah, I don't know. I five eight is kind of small to be in the NBA. You know, well, it's a the NFL is a big man's league. The NBA's a tallman's league. I mean, that's that's the reality of man J Mack with the news. No, no turn on the news. This is the herd Line News, all right. So let's go back to the tournament. Two plays really stole the night, Colin this one Marquise Noel to um Keyante Johnson, the Florida transfer. I just love this talk with the coach. If you see the full screen of it. The Michigan State defender's kind of frozen, has his eye on the point guard and the kid just goes back door. And of course the Julian Strather three two beat Ucla. It's crazy. Ucla was down ten with two minutes left, and the next thing you know, they're up with you know, ten seconds left in that play was incredible. Colin, do you think mccronin should, like, should they have picked up full court there? Like they just let him walk into a twenty eight foot three player. If you would have told me they're gonna take a twenty eight three pointer, Miccronin would be be my guest if that's what you I mean. Don't get me wrong, but Mick Cronin would have taken that shot every day of the week. Well, Stan Van Gundy, who's coach in the NBA with the announcer and he all he's talking about during the dead ball before this is do you double drew Timmy? It's going to Timmy? You know it's going to him and I u CLA almost looked like they were playing back getting ready to prow the ball to go into Timmy. Yes, So listen, that's great coaching. Buy bark Field, that is tremendous, Like knowing everybody is expecting this, I'm gonna go this way, and I mean the guy got a clean look splash and he said. Mark Fu said he listened to his player. The player came in and said, came to Few and said, let's run that play? Yeah and so and pretty said he. You know, he was pretty profane and vocal about it. So Mark listened to his players. I'm just curious. What was Cowhard's reaction at his house last night? Were you watching with the family solo? Well, I are you freaking out when that kind of shot goes in? Well? I I went to college next to Gonzaga, so Mark marks my friend and I text Mark. But UCLA is five minutes away, and everybody in my neighborhood, you know, likes Ucla. So you know, people think I'm a usc guy. I root for local teams to do well. It's better for our economy, it's better for the vibe. So I mean it was like, you know, I have a soft spot for Mark Few, but it was like Ucla I thought, played its butt off without two of its best players. Yeah, I had Gonzaga and my brackets foot up. I had Gonzaga losing the Duke in the final. That's your life. I just those are my two favorite programs with Villanova. So I'm a I'm a homer Villanova Gonzaga Dukes. Who I rote for? I know you care. I'm first in a bracket and second, but uh yeah, everybody does. I think let's keep updating and your girls, your daughter's team. That's fourth great team. Yeah, listen, it's gonna be a tough one. We don't have our best players Saturday. But coaching matters. If Mark fu can call that great play, why can't I dial up something? Interest I totally some inbounds plays, steal some point. You want to come to the game, No, not at all. Next up, Indianapolis colts your quarterback with the fourth pick in the draft. Um, obviously they're gonna get one, But the question is who's it gonna be? Anthony Richardson? Will Levis by the way, seeing a lot of videos about him on Instagram lately throwing darts. Um, I don't know, Colin. The more I think about it, like Lamar Jackson makes all the sense in the world there. I don't know what Jim Ursay's waiting for, Like, what are you gonna do with Levis or Richardson? And four you're not going anywhere and then you're gonna be backdrafting at the top. Why not just make a play for Lamar Jackson. I don't know, understand. It's expensive and hurt. That's why he was an MVP of the elite. He what, he's healthy. The Ravens are at the top of the division. Well, what's interesting. It's the Mahomes factor and the Borough factor and the Josh Allen factor. So when you're looking at quarterbacks, you're gonna have to get through Mahomes, Burrow and Allen and and maybe Trevor Lawrence. So does it does it? Do you look at that and go he Lamar Jackson's not as good as those guys, so why not go to the draft? He's not. He's not at this point, I don't think because of his injuries and his cookiness and all this noise. He's not ascending like they are. So when you when you're in the AFC, it does make you go, like when Peyton Manning or Brady in your division you have the draft pass rushers Mark Sanchez be Peyton Manning in a playoff game, Okay, in Indie like this stuff happens. I wouldn't say Lamar's that far behind those elite quarterbacks. For me, he's in the second tier. Yes, the second tier for you, I think, Yes, there's there's the top five. I've said there's only five guys in the NFL as a general manager, I would not pick up the phone. I don't even want to talk Mahomes, Burrow, Allan, Trevor Lawrence, and Herbert Well. I'm not going to pick the phone up. Everybody else in the league, I would pick the phone up and listen to your offer. I then think there's four or five other players that are very dynamic, Kyler Murray, Aaron Rodgers, Lamar Jackson. I would, for various reasons pick up the phone, but they're obviously Hall of Fame level talent. So it's like there's the five don't pick up the phone. Then there's another four to five that are really really unique. And then you get into a group of Derek Card Dak Kirk cousins thinking Dared Goff can win games. I don't think they're special, but they're adults. They move the chains golf, got in to a super Bowl. You can win a division with them. But I'm absolutely listening to offers. It's interesting because you know Lawrence went one in that group, Mahomes was I think what ten somewhere around there? Herbert was. Was he the third quarterback taken in that draft after Burrow and twa. Yep, so Colts at four probably gonna get the third quarterback. I mean Josh Allen was definitely not the first. I think Baker and Sam Darnold went before Josh Allen. So sometimes when the guy falls, Lamar went late in the first Lamar, Yeah, so culture gonna be fascinating to watch. I don't know how about the kid at Tennessee to Hendon Hooker. I had Daniel Jeraldmiah my podcast. He sees Hendon Hooker going to Minnesota and this gonna be Kirk Cousins last year. So I went to look at Kirk Cousins contract. I watched Hendon Hooker against Alabama, Holy Moley. Now against Georgia. Don't look at the tape. Well, George is also the best team in the country. You ever, right, it was the game on the road in Georgia, in Georgia rain, but it was George has a ton of NFL players. He couldn't read the defense like Hooker struggled. I like Cooker, But the idea that Kirk Cousins could become available next year, you look at his contract like Vikings probably gonna move off at him. Yeah after this year. Yeah, Handon Hooker's big, twenty five years old, really good arm. It's an interesting interest. Some people are like, well, he's old. Jimmy Garoppolo, What don't Jimmy Garoppolo old? Yeah, I mean there's it's not the way nobody you know. I mean, I go back to the NFL. Not everything's a four oh one game plan. You could be a day trader. If you told me Bryce Young right now is gonna be really good for three and a half years at Houston, I think I'd still take him. I got three and a half years of being relevant in the fifth biggest city in the country in a wonky division. I mean again, if not everybody's a twenty five year player. Yeah, by the way, the coach in the gym, if if he comes in and he hits, but that third year, you're probably renegotiating getting an extension. Like if you just told me three and a half four years with Bryce Young he's gonna be a B plus quarterback, I'd still take him. How about this Colts at four trade down and grab Hendon Hooker trade down later first round getting Aix or Levis or Richardson for I don't there some value I don't know if there's a bunch of separation there. I think there's a separation with Bryce Young. I think Bryce Young's really polished. I think he's I just don't know. I would take to me Bryce Young first, knowing that he's undersized. That's where I put would pushback on Sean Payton, who says, never take an undersized guy in the top fifteen. I think you can make that argument. But I do think the NFL is such a big business now that gms and coaches get fired. Literally, we're firing coaches after a year. Now after a year a coach gets fired, Teams now are literally drafting a quarterback. Next year they'll draft another one in the first round. So because of the urgency of the business, I think you have to sometimes say what's good for four years? I mean, like we talked about it yesterday. The running back from Texas be Jean Robinson. You say to yourself, well, you're probably only gonna get him for four But if I'm a football team that's got a young quarterback, I'm Carolina. Someone whoever has a young quarterback and he's in the process of growing, you're gonna tell me for four years, I give him a star running back. Don't you think Zeke helped elevate Dak and the team. I think Amari Cooper did more than Zeke, right, remember, I think, but they're both valuable. Yeah, So my point is not every guy you take, even in the first round, has to be a four oh one K plan back Jones quarterback. Well, they got they have running backs they like. But I just I think there's sometimes in the league. Now, you get fired after a year as a GM. If you'd give me b Jean Robinson, it's like he'll be a star for four years. What's wrong with that? All Right, we'll wrap up with Nicola Yokich in the mix for his third straight MVP and Beat is closing fast and your your buddy Janis is also doing that. But Denver coach Michael Malone spoke about this year's MVP debate. I think you'll like this. Unfortunately, is just taking a really ugly, nasty turn in the MVP conversation, and I think it's really turned a lot of people off, including him. And what's happening now is there's so many guys that could win the MVP this year. Great candidates Joel and Beat is a great candidate. Luca nanche is a great candidate, Jason Tatum, whoever you want to put in that mix, Like those are all deserving. But what happens in today's society is that everybody It's like when I was a college coach, all the negative recruiting. It's not promoting my guy, it's ripping down every other guy. And that's just ridiculous. Yeah, I know, I mean it's it's I think what Yokich is. He's such a unicorn. He's like a he's a point center and it's not a flag. I mean, remember the All Star Game. He did not want to be there, like it just he plays. He didn't even fit the All Star Game, and so I covered r vtus a bonus. And people just don't understand how great are beat as Sabonis was, he didn't want to beat. He wasn't a flashy guy. He was very much you know, he comes in from another country, so they all feel like visitors. You ever noticed this that often international players are more loyal. They don't want to bounce around the league. They want to be loyal to the American team that signment. Jannis doesn't want to leave. He wants to be loyal he's an international player. Domestic kids grow up and it's like, Hey, I'm gonna bounce around and make the most money Lebron Jay And I don't blame them at all, but I think sometimes with international guys, their games are fundamental. They're not flashy because they go to these academies. They're so good by fourteen. And it's American culture basketball. We love we love Ja Morant because he's high flying. Yokich wins you more games than Jah Moran. Every time Jah Morant's gone, the Grizzlies win, Go look at their record when Yokich doesn't play. So in our American culture we're a little outdated. Is that we don't appreciate like Draymond Green gets so much crap and I'm always like, do you watch Draymond Green play? You don't even understand basketball. His screening is spacing, like you don't even get basketball. So our American basketball culture is still fascinated with flashy and I feel bad sometimes for international players who do everything right, but they're not a dunk machine. So we're turned off by the big problem with the MVP award is it's a regular season award and then they give it out after the playoffs. Well, guess what if if the MVB Yokich gets dusted in the second round, it looks like how could he be the MVP of the league. So it's like a no win situation for Yokich, who, by the way, is no longer averaging a triple double. It's down to nine point nine assists per game. But guess who leads the league in triple doubles Yoki with twenty eight A center. I think it's it's okay to say the best player in the regular season has been Yokich in the NBA. He plays a lot of games, he tries his butt off. He's doing the triple doubles. That's one statement. The next one is I don't know if he's gonna deliver for Denver. Think about the history of the NBA esthetics matter. Of all the great players, of all the great scores of all time, name the three that we talk about the least. Kareem Duncan. Why would that be Karl Malone. They weren't flashy. I mean, we talked Kobe, Michael Magic, Lebron Curry, MJ. Curry. We never we talk Shack. We don't talk Duncan. We don't talk Malone. I mean that's the basketball culture. I mean, Westbrook's beloved. He's got bad hands and can't shoot his a guard, but he's flashy and spectacular. So the American basketball culture is is biased against fundamentally strong, sound do a lot of things. Well, guy, that's not spectacular. It's been like this my whole life. Kareem abdul Jabbard, there's an argument that he's easily the best player of all time, by the way, significantly greater longer than Michael Jordan. Michael Jordan's wasn't unstoppable. Kareem literally created the most unstoppable shot in league history. Defensive team, first team. So it's just there's a bias against in basketball, aesthetics matter. They don't in football. Nobody cares about flashy guys in the NFL. Do you win me? Money on my bed? Do you win? John Moran is a Lamborghini. Kareem abdul Jabbar is a Honda a court who's gonna go forever. You know. Yokis is a Toyota Corolla, durable, gonna show up every day, no problems. John Morant is a Lamba and he's gonna be in the shop all the time. You can't drive it on certain roads, but man, it looks awesome and I do the ladies love it. And for the record, I have no problem with all my sports being different. Aesthetics and culture and style matters in pro basketball and that's okay, and I think it punishes less flashy players. Jamack with the news. Well, that's the news, and thanks for stopping by The Herd. Lie all right, I'm Lake and La. It's the Herd back. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays and noon Easter nine an emphasis on Fox Sports Radio FS one and the iHeartRadio app. Two NBA Insiders podcasting twice a week to plug you right into the NBA Grade five all happening in only one place. This League Uncut, the new NBA podcast with me Chris Haynes and me Mark Stein join us as we team up to expound on everything we're covering, hearing, and chasing. Listen to This League Uncut with Chris Haynes and Mark Stein on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. In just three weeks, Real Football for Real Fans is back to twenty twenty three USFL season opening kickoff weekend. Start the new season on April fifteenth and sixteenth on Fox, NBC, and FS one. So in the NFL, you invest in positions of scarcity. Everything else just keep drafting players, stay cheap. So yesterday Lane Johnson, one of the best right tackles in the NFL in a decade, resigned an extension. There was concerns he could retire. He's coming back. He's going to play for another three years. They also had Jason Kelsey come back. And this is a really smart move because Philadelphia had to make some choices their GM, Howie Roseman, I thought after they won the last Super Bowl, they brought too many guys back. I thought the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when they won a Super Bowl brought too many guys in positions that don't matter. Back. I thought the Rams after they won their Super Bowl had too many expensive guys on defense. So what did the Philadelphia Eagles do? I think it's very smart. They lost a really good defensive lineman to the Niners. It hurts a little. They lost a good safety to Detroit, it hurts a little. And they let a couple of linebackers go in Arizona and Chicago, bad teams I think, probably overpaid four linebackers. But the guys who protect Jalen Hurts, they brought him back. The guys that Jalen Hurts throws too. They're gonna have those guys back. Running back. They lost one, they gained one. So linebacker, safety, running backs, buy and large. Keep drafting them. Kansas City, young and cheap on defense, one star defensive tackle. That's what the Rams are doing. By the way, if you've paid attention Aaron Donald and they're gonna surround him with young, inexpensive defenders, Philadelphia is smart. To me. There's five things in football you gotta get right. Offensive coach, quarterback, offensive tackle, weapons, and an edge rusher. If you get those right, everything else just keep drafting, keep going cheap. About the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Everybody bragged about they brought everybody back. They shouldn't have. They should have brought the most valuable offensive guys back and let some of those linebackers go. The Rams too expensive on defense, and what happened last year the offensive line fell apart and they had no depth. You know, Philadelphia, last time they want a Super Bowl. Be very careful about bringing everybody back. This league now is really clear invest in positions of scarcity. There is on average one great quarterback per draft, on average, two really high end edge rushers per draft, three maybe two great offensive tackles per draft. Now, you can get wide receivers anywhere, but you can't get great wide receivers anywhere. You got those A J. Brown, DeVante Smith. Make sure you got them locked up. So the Eagles, it's not they let linebackers go. Good defensive tackle go, good safety go. Those are good players, four really good players. Made sure the center's back, the tackles back, make sure the receivers stay put. Running back lose Miles Sanders, bringing Rashad Penny totally replaceable. So it's not just bringing guys back. Who are you bringing back? Philadelphia has figured it out. Don't bring everybody back when you go to a super Bowl. Kansas City is a great example. They let go, They let go a honey Badger, they let go of a great corner to San Francisco. They've had to move and get different safeties. They've moved d four, they've moved up. They got Chris Jones, and they're really young and the Rams right now, look like that's what they're doing. We're gonna keep Aaron Donald get very young, very cheap, very athletic on defense. We're gonna move the money to the offensive side of the football. All right, good stuff, Casey Jacobson was fantastic. Hit it out of the part. Today. Intelligence runs in the family, so does innovation and extraordinary. Mercedes Benz has eight new SUV models, seven seeders, third row, all beautiful. Go to a local dealer test drive them, or go to MBUSA dot com. That's MBUSA dot com Fridays or good So tonight. I don't know if we'll have a UCLA Gonzaga tonight in a Kansas State, Michigan. I don't know. I don't know. But a lot of people think Houston may be the best team. So if you think if you want to get on Houston, keep your eyes open. A lot of people think that's the best team. I did take San Diego State, the Aztecs and the points against Bama. Remember Casey Jacobson talking about twenty one, twenty two year old, twenty three year old guys. San Diego State a lot of veterans. Alabama has some young Kids could be a tough one for the Tide. I think they prevail. I'm taking I'm taking Creton as a favorite and Houston in the first half. I like that Creton team. They're good headlines. Next Hour, Creton may be featured. Well tease, Really, you're really starting to get the business. Hour three Next