Former Gonzaga All-American Adam Morrison breaks down what's at stake for each Gonzaga player in the NBA, who he thinks should start for the Bulldogs in 2023-24 and more on The Perimeter podcast.
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00:00 Adam Morrison here. When it comes to top-tier contracting, my go-to choice is McGillivray
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01:01 There is another podcast that you all should be listening to, and it's called "If Not Now, When?"
01:08 This podcast, which Josh Hassong of HDG Architecture hosts, has a clear mission,
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01:50 Welcome to The Perimeter, season three, episode two, presented by McGillivray Environmental. I'm
02:06 Adam Morrison with Brendan, the producer. Interesting topics today. I know it's early
02:14 before the season starts, so we're going to get into some NBA stuff since the NBA season's starting
02:18 tonight. Talk about Zags and the NBA. Then we're going to go a little bit over the schedule and
02:23 how I think that's going to play out into this early season. I think it's a good schedule. I
02:29 think it's balanced. The Maui Invitational is going to be played in Honolulu. It's going to
02:34 be fantastic. There's that weird game in, was it February, in Lexington. Which is cool too,
02:42 but it's going to be a little bit shorter episode because the season hasn't started yet,
02:46 so there's not much to talk about. We covered a lot on the first episode, which is always good.
02:51 With the NBA season starting, we have 10 active players on rosters from Guns Egg in the NBA
03:03 right now, which is fantastic considering we're not a Power 5 conference. All that stuff,
03:08 obviously we're a Power 5 brand or program, but considering that these guys are sticking around
03:16 making teams, making rosters, it's fantastic. I'm really excited for Chad Holmgren's rookie year. I
03:24 know last year was his first year, but obviously got hurt and had surgery before. Looks like he's
03:29 put on some weight. That's not trying to be funny, but he looks like 15 pounds more. I know that's
03:35 not a lot for Chad's body, but it is. You know what I'm saying? You just look at his face and
03:40 stuff. I know people always give him a hard time about that. I'm not doing that, but it's like,
03:45 "Oh man, he's bulked up." In basketball, you don't have to be bulky in a sense that it's going to
03:53 hurt your performance. You have to be wiry strong. I think he looks wiry strong. Had a fantastic
03:58 preseason game against that Victor Rembeama kid. That kid's going to transform the league,
04:06 but if you looked at Chet's numbers, he had like 20 and 10 or something like that in that game.
04:10 I think he's going to be a great piece on that Oklahoma City team. That's with SGA's
04:17 shoulders. I always mess his name, Gildas Alexander, the point guard. That's fantastic.
04:24 Young player, the Canadian kid. That's going to be a superstar, I think, in the NBA. Then they
04:28 got the Australian wing kid. That's good. I think he's going to be a perfect third option, which I
04:34 think is a fantastic role to jump into as a young player. Kind of learn the ropes. Obviously, we
04:40 know his skill setting, stretch the floor, make shots, but it's just good to see him healthy and
04:45 out there. I think he's going to have a wonderful career, but I think this year is great because
04:51 he's on an ascending team that's trying to win in a smaller market, which I think helps sometimes.
04:58 The pressure of performing is not as bright, even though there is some. Then, like I said,
05:05 he's got a bona fide superstar as a guard and then established wing player, so he doesn't have to be
05:11 like the guy right away. I'm really excited to check out Chet. Julian Strother, obviously,
05:18 the other guy from last year's team with Drew Timmy, but Julian got drafted in the lottery, was
05:24 a great landing spot. Denver, obviously, just won the championship. They lost one of their wings in
05:30 the Bruce Brown kid, so I think there's going to be an opportunity for him to be an off-the-bench
05:36 wing. The injuries happen all the time, but I think he's had a good preseason as well.
05:40 Couldn't have asked for a better spot to land to, Jamal Murray up front, and then Jokic, obviously.
05:47 It's a space-the-floor team, and that's what he does, and he's a good defender. So I think
05:53 Chet and Julian especially, of the recent guys, have landed in the best spots.
06:00 Obviously, Jalen's got to have a big year this year with the Orlando Magics. Kind of
06:07 had some injury issues, had some good games, but you got to do it for a long stretch to get that
06:13 second big contract, so I think this is a big-time year for him. I think he has all the makings to be
06:19 a solidified NBA point guard. He's just got to stay healthy. It's going to be a big year for him
06:25 as well, too, from a contract standpoint and a personal standpoint. Obviously, BC with—I
06:31 think he did his Achilles last year in the playoffs, too. It was terrible. I was watching
06:35 the game, too. I think he's still out. Yeah, he's going to be out. I got to make sure I say this
06:43 the right way, but people come back from Achilles much better than it used to be. It's like ACL.
06:48 It used to be like almost a death sentence, quote-unquote. Once you had that injury, you were
06:53 like, "Ugh." The only thing I worry about with BC, his game is so much predicated on his ability to
06:58 jump. I hope he comes back and is right because he was lining himself up to be a 15-year-type
07:06 NBA guy, pick-and-dive guy. He's had great seasons with Memphis. It's a perfect spot for him, too,
07:12 with John Morant where he can just pick and dive. He was in the doghouse, I think, last year, too.
07:17 There was a stretch where he wasn't playing at all, like in DNPs, and then he got another
07:22 opportunity and made the most of it. That injury was terrible, but he's had a great
07:26 NBA career so far. Fingers crossed that he's going to continue. Obviously, Z-Bo, Zach Collins,
07:32 I think he just re-signed with the Spurs. I think it just popped up on my newsfeed. I think it was
07:37 two days ago. Congrats to him. Another great organization. It's going to be great for him to
07:41 play with Wimbiama. Obviously, Greg Popovich is a great coach, great organization, great landing
07:48 spot. Rui with the Lakers, that was a blessing in disguise for him to get out of Washington.
07:54 Not that he wasn't playing well, not that it's a bad organization, but I think
07:58 getting into that market, and I'm talking dollars and cents, getting into that market as a Japanese
08:05 player is unbelievable. I mean, just the Asian market in LA. Obviously, he's a good player,
08:13 but that just is like, holy smokes, the money you can make off the floor and then the value you
08:17 bring to them, bringing in another market. You know that you're already the Lakers. It's a
08:22 massive brand, but any more you can bring to them is obviously a positive. Played fantastic in the
08:27 playoffs, earned another contract, so I think that was a great landing spot. I think he's perfect on
08:31 a team like that where he can be like the third, fourth, fifth option and still be valuable,
08:37 but he doesn't have to be the guy. So I was happy for him. Corey's played well in Washington. This
08:43 is a big year for him. I think it's third year, right? Third year, yeah. Yes, third year. So he's
08:49 played well so far. I've watched him a handful of times, fits in, can shoot at space to floor.
08:54 It'll be interesting to see how good Washington is losing Bradley Bill this year to the Suns.
09:00 It feels like a rebuild, so those issues are tough to play on those type of teams sometimes
09:06 because it's every man for himself. It can get into selfish basketball more so than the NBA
09:14 already is. You know, then you got Andrew Nembhardt, who's fantastic with the Spurs,
09:19 or excuse me, the Pacers last year. What was the thing that he had? The largest
09:24 guaranteed contract for a second round pick. Yeah, that's what I was... Which is fantastic,
09:30 and obviously hearing that, and they liked him so much. And obviously we got his brother,
09:35 Ryan, this year. So it's going to be cool to watch Nembhardt again because I loved Andrew's game,
09:42 and he really grew on me as a player for the two years that I was here. He's just so solid.
09:47 Had a good season last year, and hopefully he can have another good one. But like I said,
09:54 it's a pretty cool thing that he got the largest guaranteed contract in a second round pick.
10:00 Usually that obviously never happens. Yeah, I think it came off like a really good
10:03 summer camp, and then they just... They paid him. They wanted to keep him on the roster.
10:11 Well, he's a perfect... And this is not a knock, but he's like a perfect backup point guard,
10:19 and then if you get in a bind, he can start a stretch of games for you, and you can still win.
10:24 So he's smart. He's big enough to defend multiple positions on the perimeter.
10:30 Shoots it good enough, obviously. Super solid in the pick and roll game.
10:35 He's still effective if he's not... It's not just predicated on making shots, and that's what you
10:41 want your point guard, and especially your backup point guard. If you have a good bench to come in
10:45 and run your second unit, and then give your main guy a break, but you still have thrust towards
10:50 the basket and still have a scoring punch, that's like Andrew's perfect. So I think...
10:55 How do I say this the right way? But guys like that can last 12, 15 years because they don't
11:02 wear and tear on their body, and then they're always valuable to every type of system. Every
11:08 team's like, "Oh, you can come off pick and roll, make the right decision, and then you're really
11:12 good defensively. You can make an open jump shot, and you'll play 15, 25 minutes a night. That's
11:18 pretty good. We'll pay you $4 million a year, $10 million." Then he obviously goes up, but that's a
11:23 job you can have for 15 years. So I'm curious to see how well he has a second year because he had
11:32 a good first year, obviously, with the Pacers. Kelly's still in the league. Kelly's fantastic.
11:37 It's weird that he's the old man in the league.
11:39 I know. It's crazy. But he's another guy that has a skill set that will always stick.
11:47 Space the floor, can make jump shots, big, smart, can score in bunches.
11:50 Yeah, he's had a great career. I mean, he's going to sneak in on another contract, too,
11:56 which is awesome for him. He's going to have three big ones. So he's on the Jazz now, right?
12:03 Jazz, yeah.
12:04 Yeah, he had a good year last year. From the few games I watched, they actually were better. I
12:08 think everybody thought they were trying to tank, and then for a while they were around 500,
12:13 which was a pretty good season. He had a good year. Domas, obviously, the Kings,
12:17 fantastic year last year. That playoff run, he was my favorite player. I've said that on many
12:24 episodes to cover. I just love his game. It's a little bit unorthodox, can score it left-handed.
12:31 I just love his toughness, smart, and then he's such a nice, just chill dude.
12:39 It's cool to see him succeed in the league. Was he an all-star last year, or was he—
12:43 Yeah, he was an all-star last year. He's had a fantastic career, and one of the better ones
12:48 for NBA players from Gonzaga. Obviously, John's going to have the all-timer, but the modern one.
12:56 So really happy for him to be successful. He was just such a fun kid to cover, because he just
13:03 wanted to kick people's ass, but then off the court he was so quiet, hardly talked. He was a
13:11 restaurant foodie, so he'd always go to Milford's. The story was he'd always go to Milford's, and
13:16 they would serve him wine when he wasn't 21, but he was like—
13:22 European.
13:23 Yeah, exactly. European, like, "Oh, we've had this since I was 16," and it wasn't a binge-drinking
13:30 situation. It was just like, "Oh, I want to pair it with my red wine with my steak," or whatever.
13:35 Absolutely, yeah.
13:36 You know what I'm saying? So that was always curious to me, because I'm like, "Man, you're
13:39 such a different guy off the court," but I've played with guys like that, too. But yeah, I
13:45 really like him on the Kings. I think that was a good move to getting out of Indiana. I think it
13:50 was getting sour, but I think the Kings are that up-and-coming team in the West. Last year they
13:58 gave the Warriors a lot of problems. They took Steph—he had like 50 in that Game 7 or whatever
14:04 to win, but I think it's perfect. He's got Darren Fox on that, and then they got a bunch of good
14:08 pieces around him. Mike Brown's a great head coach, so I think it's a perfect landing spot.
14:13 We've got to mention Drew getting cut by Milwaukee. That didn't surprise me. That was a
14:19 tough roster to make. I think he's going to get another two or three cracks at it, so he'll
14:25 probably play in the G League, I'm just assuming. He signed a two-way contract, so I would assume
14:31 he would. Yeah, he'd just go play in the G League, and there's nothing wrong with that.
14:35 Show that you can play in the league, you know what I mean? So he'll get, I think, two or three
14:43 more legitimate cracks at it, whether it be this year, next year going to a camp, summer league,
14:48 all those things. I think this is the biggest thing for him, and this is not hot take. The
14:54 people that follow, he's got to be able to prove that he can shoot a stretch jump shot,
15:00 and then rim protection is a big thing in the NBA on your backside of your defense. But
15:05 obviously a wonderful career, and it's not the end of the world. It's just the beginning for him.
15:09 So hopefully he can, like I said, have a good G League season, maybe get a call-up, but he's
15:14 going to get two or three more cracks at it where somebody's going to bring him into camp, be like,
15:19 "Hey, you can make our third big spot," or something like that, "Make our third power
15:24 forward." That's a real thing, you know what I'm saying? So it's not the end for him, and
15:28 guys get cut all the time. It's just how it works.
15:32 The Perimeter will be right back after a word from our sponsor.
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16:05 A question about all these former Gonzaga players in the NBA. What does that speak to that
16:10 Gonzaga is having all these players find success in the NBA? Is it a good recruiting tool,
16:18 or is it to speak for how well the programs ran?
16:21 I think it's a combination of everything you said. It's a great recruiting tool because it's a
16:28 fight against, "Well, you're not a big university, and you're not a football school,
16:32 so you're playing in the West Coast College." That's a real thing that some recruits will say,
16:37 and it's a legitimate knock. Not a knock, but it's just a concern. If you're going to get a
16:44 Chet Holmgren or a Jalen Suggs, and there was no NBA success before that for guys making it to the
16:50 league at their position, they wouldn't have came here. You know what I'm saying? So it definitely
16:55 helps that. It also is a testament to the program in how they run, offensively how they play. So
17:06 guys can fit into an NBA system right away. They play space to the floor. I call it wave action.
17:13 That's what a lot of people call it, dribble drive, handoff, high ball screen. A lot of people
17:17 run that in the league. So when a guy gets the NBA, it's easier to assimilate quickly and make
17:24 a roster. And then I think it's just a testament to the type of kids we recruit. NBA teams know if
17:32 you have a chance, most of the time, to be a leaguer when you're probably in high school.
17:39 If you're on the big AU circuits, and then, oh, I guarantee a lot of somebody saw Chet Holmgren
17:47 at 16 from whatever team's like, "All right, this kid's probably going to be in the NBA in about
17:52 three years." You know what I'm saying? So we're getting those type of kids that are like,
17:58 all right, you have a legitimate chance to be an NBA player. You have that athletic body.
18:02 You have the genetic tools. Now let's see if you can make it. And then obviously,
18:07 where you go to college helps, like if the system and you have a good year and all that stuff. So
18:13 I think it's obviously a great testament to how good the university and the
18:20 and the program has grown. But it's also those guys that put in a lot of the work.
18:26 -Totally, yeah.
18:26 -You know what I'm saying? I mean, look at a guy like Brandon Clark. It's crazy. He was at
18:31 San Jose State. Nobody recruited him. And then he gets a transfer to Gonzaga. And then all of a
18:36 sudden, it's like, boom, he's a lottery pick. You know what I'm saying? And a lot of times,
18:41 that has to do with where he landed, too, though. Style of play. I think they were playing him on
18:46 the perimeter, like a 3-4 at San Jose State. He's like, no, he's like a pick and dive guy.
18:50 And then throw it to him on the block and just let him jump as high as he can and put it off
18:53 the glass. That's all he does. And that's not a knock, but that's what he does. He's obviously
18:58 more skilled than that, but it's kind of the essence of his game. Set a screen, dive your ass
19:04 off every time, catch it, and jump as high as you can and make a jump hook. And nobody can stop it.
19:08 But he's just athletically gifted like that.
19:11 -It was funny when I was putting this list together, he came up and I was like, oh my gosh,
19:16 I totally forgot about Brandon Clark.
19:18 -He was fun to cover, too, because he just, he obviously played really hard, but his
19:23 backside defensive stuff was just so crazy because he could switch everything and then
19:28 the jumping and not fouling and chesting guys. And you look at him, you're like, man,
19:33 he's only like 6'5". Guys are like, I can jump over this guy and then whack. I think, oh crap.
19:39 But yeah, so those are the guys in the league and we're going to be rooting for them and watching
19:45 them. It's a couple, like I said, there's a couple guys that are going to have to have big years if
19:49 they want to get that second contract and that's just the way the league works. And most of them,
19:54 I think, are going to get a fair opportunity for that. And that's the first battle that you have
19:58 to fight is a chance to log significant minutes and play stretches and be on winning teams and
20:05 winning cultures. That helps. And I think most of those guys have that opportunity. So I'm excited
20:11 to watch. And like I said, normally it's all about Zags and this is about Zags, but we're
20:16 talking a little bit NBA because our first game's what, November 3rd? Yeah, November 3rd.
20:22 It's the Mighty Lewis and Clark. What's their... I have no idea. I know one of the kids plays for
20:29 them. I know him, Sam Stockton. So that'll be fun. John's son. So that'll be fun to watch him.
20:34 Oh, fun. Yeah.
20:35 Yeah, watch him play. But then we get started with Yale on November 10th and I think that's
20:39 going to be kind of a weird opener because Yale was, I think, 22 and 10 last year, a good team.
20:46 They were good. They got bounced out in their Ivy League...
20:48 Conference tournament.
20:49 Conference tournament. And they only lost by six points, I think. So they could have been easily
20:54 in the tournament. But yeah, it is an interesting start. We don't have that one game. We usually
21:00 have that one game. Last year it was Michigan State, obviously.
21:05 Well, I think the balance of when you're going to a Maui, which we are, I think FUE kind of likes to
21:12 get your guys rolling before. And we did that too. And that's not a new thing. When we went to Maui,
21:18 played Idaho and then somebody else. And no disrespect to Idaho, but they weren't very good.
21:24 And we barely... I think we only wanted to be like...
21:26 You want to probably have good warm-up games to that tournament, right?
21:28 Yeah. Because you're going to go through a gauntlet. You're going to play, hopefully,
21:31 three high-level games in a row, right? And ours is Purdue, Syracuse, Tennessee on the back side.
21:38 And then if we win, we're probably going to play Kansas or UCLA.
21:41 Yeah.
21:42 And you know what I'm saying? It's like, holy smokes. We're on the opposite side of the Chaminade,
21:48 which I like. Nothing against them. But if you're going to go all the way over there,
21:52 I don't want to play that game. I want to play a Division One opponent and
21:57 things that help you out for seeding and stuff. So yeah, I think the schedule early is fair.
22:03 But it's going to be interesting to see just because, like I talked about in Episode 1,
22:10 there's so many new faces and we have so many, not unproven guys, but unproven in our system.
22:18 You know what I'm saying? I mean, like Graham Ekay is fantastic at one. We haven't played in a year.
22:24 And then Ryan Nemhard was fantastic at Creighton, but that's Creighton. It's not Gonzaga. Creighton
22:29 is great, but it's just a different system. And then Steele, what's his last name?
22:35 Venters.
22:36 Venters, yeah. Steele Venters, fantastic at Eastern, had a great career, Big Sky Player of the
22:40 Year. It's not Eastern. It's not the Big Sky. Nothing against that. You're going to play a
22:45 high level, a better level of competition and the pressure is going to be a little bit brighter. And
22:50 there's more expectations to make NCAA tournament runs. So things like that are going to be—and
22:57 then Dusty Stromer is obviously a freshman, and then we got the two Eastern European kids. What
23:02 are they going to give us? What's the Korean kid going to give us? I think Anton's going to have
23:06 a great season. I hope he does. He has a chance to be an NBA player. We just talked about a bunch of
23:10 NBA players. I think he fits that mold where he can play multiple positions and kind of just be
23:16 your off-the-bench, wing, perimeter, guard-every-guy spot if he can make an Open 3 and things like
23:23 that. But he's got to obviously have a good season. I think he'll be great, but it's curious.
23:30 It really is.
23:31 Looking at the roster, doing research, I've seen a ton of like, "Starting 5, who's a Starting 5?"
23:38 And I feel like it's really not a—it's a hard conversation to have right now, and I think it's
23:43 kind of pointless because I think there's a couple of guys that we know are going to be starting,
23:46 but I think it's like—
23:47 Well, do you want me to give you my—
23:49 Yeah, I would love to hear your starting 5.
23:52 Ryan Nemhard, Nolan Hickman for sure.
23:55 I think Graham Ekay, I think, on the back side. But Braden Huff has had such a good
24:08 camp, and he looks good in the craziness in the kennel. I've heard good things,
24:12 and he's a lefty, and he's big, and he can shoot. The biggest one for me, obviously Anton's a
24:19 guaranteed starter, is the wing spot, like I said, is Dusty Schroemer, steel venters.
24:23 I think you give it to steel just because he's a veteran, but Dusty's a high-level recruit and
24:31 high-level player, so I think that's the spot that's going to be most fluid if one's not
24:36 playing great or not. Or you could play small and try one of the European kids, the Khrinovich kid,
24:47 Khrinovich, I think is how you say it, Luka Khrinovich, I think.
24:51 Sounds right.
24:53 I know, and I don't want to butcher, and it's not me trying to be a jerk about it, but some of them
24:59 are hard to get the pronunciation. But my point is, he's a wing player. You could play really
25:05 super small with Nolan Hickman and Ryan Nemhard and him in the backcourt, or Dusty fits that as
25:13 well, where you're kind of like a, he's more of like a 2-3, but he can play the 1 a little bit,
25:19 I think. So yeah, I don't know, man. It's interesting. It's really curious, because
25:27 the last four years we had the number one, three for sure, four freshman year, was just his freshman
25:34 year. But Drew Timmy's the all-time leading scorer, that's gone away. And he was a throw it to him,
25:39 back down, back down, back down, and to go score it. But it's totally different now.
25:44 So I'm just really curious to see how it all plays out.
25:48 You think Ben Gregg is the six-man-off-the-bench kind of wing?
25:52 Good question. Yeah, I think he earned a great role last year with how he played in his spirit
25:59 off the bench. I remember early, I think there was that Purdue game when we were getting killed,
26:04 they went to him instead of Efton, and he kind of gave us a little bit of spark,
26:07 and then it kind of grew from there. And he earned that. So yeah, I think he is Anton's
26:13 backup, and there's nothing wrong with that. And I think sixth man at Gonzaga, you end up playing
26:19 22 to 30 minutes, you know, consistently. So it's not a bad role. You know what I'm saying?
26:24 It's not a bad role to have. So yeah, I'm just, it's the scoring aspect of who's going to put the
26:33 ball in the basket for me. Obviously, we've been top five in efficiency in the last decade.
26:38 When I say that, I'm not saying as a style, it's just who. Somebody's going to do it. It's just
26:45 who's going to be the leading scorer, who's going to be the second leading scorer,
26:48 how many points is the leading scorer going to score? You know, that sounds funny, but like,
26:54 is it 16 and there's a bunch of guys averaging 9 to 12? Or is it going to be somebody's going to
26:59 have a great year and average 18 and then 16 and then one other guy? You know what I'm saying?
27:04 Like, that's a real thing to ponder and think about. But we are definitely really deep.
27:09 Yeah, I mean, when you look at this roster, like, multiple, all these guys are not going to get
27:17 much playing time. No, you can't. It's impossible. Somebody's going to get left out in the cold,
27:22 man. And sometimes it's not even like a talent thing. It's just a numbers game.
27:26 And that's the truth. That happens in a lot of sports. That happens at the NBA level a lot,
27:30 where guys are good and they just get in either the wrong spot or it's just literally a numbers
27:36 thing, man. It's like, I can't split the time up between three guys. I'm just going to give it to
27:40 two because then I could make, you know, you feel like you can get in a rhythm and all those things.
27:45 So, a lot of interesting questions. The rankings came out. So, we were in the AP, we're 11th,
27:54 in the coaches poll, we're 12th. I put a little bit of stock into preseason rankings. I mean,
28:01 they are necessary. You know, it's good for like the buildup of games and hype.
28:08 I think it's good to, you know, for your tournament resume, I guess, if you can say,
28:14 well, we beat six ranked teams this year or whatever, you know what I'm saying? I think
28:17 that stuff kind of matters if you're, especially if you're, you know, a bubble team or whatever,
28:22 or you're fighting for one seed, you know, if you got similar numbers to somebody.
28:27 But I'm a little bit surprised that it's this high. I know it's kind of, some of these
28:35 go off of, you know, success from the years before. And I think we got a little bit of kiss
28:41 on that. Doesn't mean I don't think we're great, but it's just so many new players. I'm like,
28:45 are we the 12th ranked to 11th team? You know what I'm saying? We don't even know.
28:49 - No, we don't know. Yeah.
28:50 - So, that part was a little bit of a head scratcher, but again, it's kind of a
28:55 formality that you kind of have to go through. And then it's, you know, thankfully it's not like
28:59 college football where like, if you don't start starting like the top eight, it's going to be a
29:03 tough road to get there. You know what I mean? With their playoff system. So.
29:07 - We have a great opportunity to, I mean, to face the number three team and the number one team in
29:13 the Maui Invitational. So like, I mean. - It's a great field.
29:16 - It really is. And like, I think if we can get through that, I mean, one of those games,
29:22 and I mean, I think that will help our rankings, but it's, it is when you say like, you don't know
29:27 where that scoring's come from, it's going to be very, very, very interesting. It's these first,
29:31 those first three games where we're playing, you know, Yale and Eastern Oregon and Lewis and Clark.
29:37 Like, it's going to be, to go in and play Purdue is going to be.
29:42 - Yeah. I'm really curious to see how we, stylistically, how we defend them this year.
29:48 And we'll, we'll talk about it when the game gets closer, but we got absolutely manhandled by Zach
29:53 Eaddy last year. And I don't think it was not a lack of effort or, or the scheme was wrong. It was
29:58 just, he was so big and so tall. And I think once you've seen it one time, it's probably easier to
30:04 prepare for. I think it was like, you don't, unless you see it, you don't really know how bad it is or
30:10 whatever and how difficult it is. So I'm really looking forward to that game. And that's a pivotal
30:16 game, but you know, even on the backside of win or lose, we play Syracuse, Tennessee, Tennessee's
30:21 10th and 9th and respectively in the polls. So like, and Syracuse is always a good team. So like,
30:27 at least you have that in your back pocket, you know what I'm saying? If that game doesn't work
30:32 out, but yeah, it's going to be an interesting year, obviously, you know, I think, like I said,
30:41 the schedule's great and, but it's just a lot of questions on the offensive end, who's going to put
30:45 the ball in the basket. Yeah. - I was going to ask, well, I was going to mention about the poll.
30:51 It's, it's very cute that Gunzaga and Arizona are ranked 11 and 12. - I saw that. 12 and 11.
30:57 - 12 and 11. - Tommy Lloyd's got them rolling down there. They got to have a big year too.
31:02 Had a good season last year. We got an early exit bounce. So I think, you know, they're going to
31:07 have to put it together and make, try to make an NCAA tournament run because that's kind of what
31:13 they are known for at that university is basketball and they really care about it and they support it
31:17 big time. But you got to try to get the final fours, you know, so it'd be a big year for Tommy.
31:22 I haven't even looked at their schedule or their roster, who he got and, you know, and the transfer
31:28 portal and stuff, but I'm sure he did a fantastic job of, that's an easy place to recruit. - Yeah.
31:33 - Tucson's awesome, like, and that university is like really nice. So I, he'll get it rolling,
31:39 but it's a big year for Arizona as far as like NCAA tournament. Like they got to make a deep run
31:44 and if Tommy can get them to where they want to be, like it'll establish his own personal deal
31:53 too down there. You know what I'm saying? So root for him. - The Perimeter will be right back
31:59 after a word from our sponsor. - Our family is all over the place sometimes, but ICCU helps us
32:08 keep up with them. We use card control to turn on Olive's debit card when she needs to pay for
32:12 activities. - And turn it off when she's shopping online. - We make sure Forrest is depositing his
32:17 lawn mowing checks into his college fund. And we definitely make sure to ask Grandma Ivy where all
32:21 those Zelle transfers come from. Phew, that was a lot of keeping up. You ready for a break?
32:27 - And yeah, there's no new, no new news on Gonzaga joining the Big 12. It's still floated out there.
32:37 - Oh, wow. - That came across my deal about a week ago. So I think it'll, it might happen.
32:44 Obviously as a non-football joiner and what was curious in the article, they said that the
32:50 women's side would stay in the WCC, which I think is a good thing. - Yeah. - Just because, you know,
32:58 they kind of dominate that conference and Lisa and Craig Fortier have a good thing going down there.
33:03 They, you know, great program. I think switching to the Big 12 would be different. But it was just
33:09 curious because usually all sports follow. That's why I mentioned it was like, well, the women would
33:13 stay on the WCC side. So I don't know. If it happens, that'll be a whole show I could talk
33:20 about if they go to the Big 12. - Yeah. I mean, to go to the Big 12, that just makes it seem even more
33:26 like NCAA is becoming professional sports. - Yeah. - To like, because now you're traveling,
33:32 you're going to be traveling like a professional athlete. - Yeah. It's crazy. I mean, we went to
33:37 Texas last year and played a mat Texas in that brand new arena that they built. - Yeah. - I mean,
33:43 the facilities there are insane. The amount of money at that university is insane. I mean,
33:50 but that's like most of the Big 12. - Yeah. - Like all those schools are like
33:54 Midwestern, big time money. We care about our sports. There's no pro teams. Go get them. You
34:01 know, that's obviously football driven, but you know, Big 12 basketballs, I think it was the best
34:05 conference last year. - Absolutely. Yeah. - And what is even close. So I'm really curious if it
34:11 comes to fruition or it gets closer, I'll do a full episode on why I think it's good, why I think
34:18 it's bad, pros and cons behind the scenes on why you would move. Cause I know there's some weird
34:28 theories and some people, you know, I've talked to me about it or you just read on online and stuff.
34:34 And it's like, dude, you're way off. And it's not even, it's not a knock. It's like, you just,
34:39 the dollars and cents aspect of it, you don't understand. It's not a greed thing either.
34:43 - Right. - It's, you got to float other
34:46 programs, you know, and if you don't have football and you have another revenue generating entity,
34:52 those pay for the other ones. So that's just a little teaser, but I think some people don't
34:58 understand that. It's like, well, you got to stay in the WCC. I'm like, I love the WCC. It's
35:04 fantastic. But the Big 12 makes a lot of money. - Yeah. No, it would. - It's just, what do you,
35:10 I mean, I don't know what to tell you, man. Welcome to the capitalism. I don't know what to
35:14 say or whatever. - Yeah. I mean, it's the way NCAA sports are going. It's all becoming money-based
35:20 and money-driven and that. - Well, you have to though. - Yeah, for sure. - Well, here's the
35:23 biggest thing for me. I'll just touch on this point and be done with the topic is when USC and UCLA
35:30 made the move to the Big 10 and it was announced, I think it was last summer, the summer before last.
35:36 And we just, you know what I'm saying? Like two years ago or whatever.
35:42 In the article I read and don't quote me on this, but I'm pretty sure I'm right.
35:46 UCLA said that they were $90 million in debt in the athletic department. - Oh God. - Okay. - Yeah.
35:53 - And that's not like a mismanagement, maybe some mismanagement, probably not. Okay. This is like
35:58 one of the greatest, you know, academic schools on the West Coast, like hardest to get into,
36:03 whatever, blah, blah, blah. Like UCLA is like one of those schools. - Right. -
36:10 They're in the second biggest, right? LA is the second biggest media market in the US,
36:15 probably on the planet next to New York. - Yeah. - Right. And they're $90 million in debt because
36:20 of the conference they were in. - Yeah. - Now they go to the Big 10, I think they get a check for
36:25 whatever the TV deal is, probably $20 million a year. And it probably goes up after that once
36:30 they establish five years after. No brainer. - No brainer, yeah. - Okay, but the point is like
36:37 a place like UCLA was $90 million in debt. Who do you think pays for field hockey and swimming and
36:45 men's golf and women's volleyball? You know what I'm saying? - Yeah. - Nothing against those sports.
36:50 Somebody's got to pay for them. - Mm-hmm. - And it can't always be donors. So that's just my
36:57 teaser topic on when people are talking about conference realignments, like are against it,
37:02 or think it's just about greed. It's like, no dude, you got to pay for these other sports, man.
37:06 And like-- - If they don't make money, then there are no other sports. That's why Title IX-- - 100%,
37:12 and Title IX was fantastic and should be around. There should be opportunities,
37:17 but somebody's got to pay for them. - Yeah. - So-- - I mean, Gonzaga's a great example. Like
37:22 if Gonzaga basketball didn't exist the way it is, the other sports wouldn't exist either. - Yeah.
37:28 We might be, and be honest, I'm pretty sure I'm right on this, is I think there was talk in maybe
37:35 the late '80s, early '90s that switched into D3 and just being like Whitworth. - Oh, wow. - And
37:41 nothing wrong with that. Whitworth's a fantastic university, but it's just a D3. - Yeah. - It's the
37:46 same demographics, probably costs about the same, academics are great. - Yeah. - Let's just play
37:52 Eastern Oregon and drive a bus instead of flying. You know what I'm saying? - Well, at the time in
37:56 the '80s, I imagine Gonzaga and Whitworth were probably pretty similar in size. - Size, yeah.
38:02 - Yeah, 'cause like Gonzaga's just kind of, they just keep on building over there. - Yeah, yeah,
38:06 yeah. Well, that was partly because not all of it, and I don't want the academics to get pissed
38:11 off, but I mean, the growth of the basketball team and the exposure has helped. It's free advertising,
38:17 you know what I'm saying? What's the term they always say? The sports is your front porch of
38:22 the university, your sports program. - Yeah. - Makes perfect sense. - Makes total sense, yeah.
38:26 - So yeah, thank you again to our sponsors, McGilvary Environmental, HDG Architecture,
38:32 Idaho Central Credit Union for sponsoring the show. Like I said,
38:37 we'll be a little more in depth when the season starts. I want to talk about the NBA guys,
38:43 get those guys on your radar, people listening, watch them, support them. If you go to games,
38:48 wear your Gonzaga stuff. I used to always like that when I was playing, people wearing my jersey,
38:53 you know what I'm saying? - Yeah, for sure. - My Gonzaga jersey and stuff, it's pretty cool. - That's cool.
38:56 - If you give them a Gonzaga, they're going to give you one back. - Absolutely.
38:59 - But yeah, thanks for listening and again, thanks for our sponsors.
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