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[Music]
welcome back to the Speak Easy Sports
show he is John I am Daniel and we are
here we have made it to the end of
college basketball season the madness is
dying down and John the people got the
matchup that the people wanted that we
all
deserved the the perfect way to cap off
an incredible ible college basketball
season is here we got Purdue we got
Yukon how are you
feeling I mean we went through all of
that to get Purdue and Yukon you know it
feels like and I please I enjoyed the
ride I absolutely enjoyed every minute
of it uh I thought this was one of the
better tournaments in recent memory for
a number of reasons uh the the least of
which is
not that we have Purdue Yukon I think
that’s probably one of the reasons I
enjoyed I have enjoyed this tournament
the most is that we are finally going to
see the matchup that we’ve been waiting
to see and not only that but you also
have um you know I mean Danny Hurley the
chip on his shoulder right now you got
Matt Painter and Zach Edy the pressure
that they have to be feeling right now
it’s just all the story lines I’m so
excited to see what happens uh when they
get after it yeah it’s going to be it’s
going to be fantastic we’re excited
about it we’re going to give you a quick
break down town give you our thoughts on
the game um give you the big stories
that we’re watching for if you’ve been
with us all college basketball season um
this is the Speak Easy Sports show
college sports and High Spirits we would
love it if you would subscribe we’ll
have college basketball talk continuing
on throughout the off season um we’ll be
tracking John calip Perry’s planes just
like everybody else and so we’ll let you
know what all is going on also college
football season about to get ramped up
through the summer so we’ve got lots to
cover there and then um a bunch of
bourbon stuff a bunch of whiskey stuff
that we’ve got lined up and so excited
about all that so subscribe to the
channel if you haven’t
already and um let me just say this John
I think when we saw the
bracket this was the game that you
wanted from day one this was the game
that you wanted for the national
championship game but let me stop short
of what everybody’s saying right now
which is that this is the two best teams
all season long because that’s a
ridiculous recency bias to say like
Houston has been the best team in
college basketball maybe the entire
season and so it’s not true that these
have been the two best teams all season
but it is true I think that when you
first saw 64 teams lined up in this
bracket these are the two that you
thought oh it’ be really fun if these
two met for the national championship
um and so I’m excited about the matchup
I do want to say before the game even
starts and this is not I know they want
to win it and I’ll get to my picks and
predictions in a second but you
mentioned the pressure that Zack Ed and
Matt payner have been under obviously
with you know Matt payner’s history this
is not all Zack Ed but Matt painter’s
history losing to double digit sees
three tournaments in a row in the first
round including a 16 see last year that
team did include Zack EDI as a
centerpiece of it and so they all come
back culminates in this year they’ve got
the number one team in the country
preseason they are um almost wire to
wire a number one seed in this
tournament and then they run through the
field I think Purdue already won like I
think they’ve already done it to make
the final four to win uh the way that
they did to make it back to make it to
the national championship game I know
they want to win this game but even if
they lose this game I don’t think it
takes anything away from what Zach Edy
and Matt Painter have done I think they
have
already um proven a lot of people
wrong specifically Matt payter has
proven a lot of people wrong who said
his style just does not translate to the
tournament he can’t get it done I this
has been a win for Purdue no matter how
this game goes I couldn’t be happier for
them and for their fan base because they
are hungry and have been wanting it for
a long time um but kudos to Purdue I
think for for already getting this
monkey off their backs whether they win
or lose on Monday
night yeah no I I I couldn’t agree more
and I think you know I think also um
when you when you think about this you
know I did mention the pressure because
I I do think it’s I do think it’s there
it’s national champ ship game the
pressure is going to be there how many
opportunities do you get to to do this
you know there’s not another player like
Zach Edy I think all of those things uh
they’re going to be feeling but I do but
I do agree with you that um you know
it’s kind of like the hard part now now
now it’s just a basketball game now you
got to go win one game and there’s not
that looking down the bracket looking
down the pike at all of the things that
you got to overcome to actually get to
this game now it’s just like all right
you got to go out and play basketball
see what happens um so I agree there
probably is less pressure in that regard
all right John give me a matchup a
storyline one thing that you are most
looking forward to you could give me
something you think is going to decide
the game something that’s going to be
interesting to watch something that you
are just excited to see give me one
matchup one storyline one thing uh that
you you’re going to be watching for on
Monday night who who can make
adjustments that’s going to be my one
thing so Yukon they played Alabama
Alabama hit eight threes in the first
half Yukon made adjustments at halftime
held Alabama to three three-pointers in
the second half just really kind of
choked out um the life blood of their
offense just really absolutely
absolutely and um you know and and a
similar thing with with Purdue in terms
of just the way that that their guard
play you know DJ horn got his but the
way that their guard play really stepped
up I mean really the entire game but
especially in the second half um when
you know Zach Edy I think he I think he
had three field goals in the second half
or something and so um NC State you know
obviously Zack Ed was killing them in
the first half they they made some
adjustments and then the guards for
Purdue stepped up and um and uh you had
you know some guys actually making some
plays so I’m curious to see because I do
think that this game I don’t think
either one of these teams going to come
out of the gate and run away with this
game I just don’t I think it’s going to
be um I think there’s you know I think
it’s going to be a physical game um I
think Purdue is GNA try to muck it up
and uh and see what happens and and I
think whoever makes the adjustments at
halftime executes on those uh best is
going to win the win the ball game so
that’s my storyline is both of these
teams that’s how they’ve won um Yukon
especially you know in that in that
close game with Alabama it was just it
was just amazing to see that’s what
that’s what they’ve been doing all year
so I’m excited to see you know who can
do that the best this game
um to me the question going into this
game
is how many
minutes can Donovan kingan play in this
basketball
game when Donovan kingan was in the game
against Alabama Al Yukon was dominant
was a dominant basketball team when he
was not in the game against Alabama they
were not a dominant basketball team
Zaki Donovan kingan is a tough matchup
for Zak Ed like he is big he is strong
he is physical and he is very
athletic but Zack Ed plays 40 minutes a
game Zack’s playing 40 minutes in this
one he played 40 last uh against NC
State he played 39 minutes in the Elite
8 Zach is going 40 minutes if this game
goes to overtime Zach is playing 45
minutes if it goes to double overtime
Zach’s playing 50
minutes how many minutes because of foul
trouble and rest and just general
rotation is Dan Hurley gonna let Donovan
cling in play because I will say
this Samson Johnson does not have a
prayer to guard Zack Ed like he it’s not
it’s not gonna go great it’s just not
like I love the guy and he is a force
athletically he is very gifted
athletically but he does not have the
body and the bulk to stand in there and
try to match Zach
EDI
so I actually think NC State played so
well against Ed in the second half not
because you know they had a one-on-one
Defender which Yukon will have but
because they did such a good job of
digging on the basketball and you you
know forcing it out of his hands
creating turnovers Ben Middlebrooks I
thought played as good a defenses
against Zack Ed as anybody has all year
long and he’s 69 and was given up a 100
pounds to the guy and
so will they go one-on-one with kingan
and that will give them obviously a huge
advantage against those
Shooters but then when kingan’s out of
the game because kingan’s going to play
at least 10 minutes less than Zach Ed in
this game and so when klling ins out of
the game are is produ or is Yukon going
to be able to help and
recover because that’s where Purdue will
absolutely murder you is in you know in
The Help game the guards for Purdue have
been shooting the ball really well um
Yukon in the first half particularly
continued their struggles from three in
this you know in the game against
Alabama and
so that will be the matchup to watch I
think Donovan kingan needs to play 33-
35 minutes in this game for Yukon and
that if you look at his minutes in this
tournament that is not how Yukon does it
but I think they’re gonna you look if
you look at his minutes all year Daniel
they Yukon has played 39 games how many
games do you think uh Donovan Clingan
has played more than 30 minutes zero bet
it’s zero he’s played he’s he has played
three but all three of the three games
there was 13 1 minute 130 minute 132
minute so he is so even like like when I
say over 30 minutes it is like 30 is the
high Watermark um yeah so you’re you’re
exactly right when you look at 39 games
and this guy has played three games
where he’s reached and of course he has
because Samson Johnson is an incredible
fivan and he’s the backup for Yukon it’s
a it’s a obviously a treasure Trove of
riches that Dan Hurley has on that
roster so of course you’re going to get
him minutes in this in the game but in
this particular matchup when you’re
going to have you’re going to have the
giant that is Zack EDI on the floor
every single minute of this basketball
game I just don’t know how you can
afford to leave Samson Johnson in the
game because
offensively I don’t think the rooll lob
game is going to be there for him and
that’s what Johnson brings
offensively and defensively I think he’s
absolutely going to get worked in the
post and so so I think kingan is going
to have to and so again can he play 35
minutes going up against Edie and that’s
that will be fatigue and it will be foul
trouble because kingan is not immune
from foul trouble and Zach zachi will
put anybody anybody in foul trouble yeah
for sure yeah AB absolutely yeah those
those are all great points um I think
the other thing as well is is not is not
just the the time and obviously you know
of Zack Edy like big body Samson Johnson
you know all those things but but what
you mentioned it the the roll and lob
kind of game but what what Zach Edy does
like just the space that he takes up is
like it’s just so difficult he can make
it so difficult for a team like P or for
a team like Yukon to do what they do so
well right like that Twan game with a
big guy is like that’s that’s what they
do so well and and Ed just takes up so
much space that you it’s not even just a
matter of like being able to execute it
it’s literally a matter of like where
where your Cuts where are your angles
like how are you actually running this
thing because you got this monstrosity
like in the middle of your of your lane
um which is just interesting so all
right John give the people a pick tell
us who you like in this game and why how
do you feel like it’s it’s all going to
play out uh listen I think there’s a
number of ways that this game could go
um I think you know obviously and and I
think you have we have the game that
we’ve all wanted I think we you know at
the end of the day we have uh Yukon is a
six and a half Point favorite we have
just you know all all of these things
that leading up in this game all the
story lines everything we talked about
Daniel I don’t think it’s going to
matter I think Dan Hurley and Yukon are
on a mission and I think that when you
see what they’ve done and we’ve talked
about it the teams that they played the
good offenses that they’ve choked out
their their ability to make adjustments
the way that they use their players I
understand Donovan kingan is going to
have to play more minutes and I think he
will I think Dan hurly like whatever it
takes to get it done I think Dan hurle
and Yukon are going to do whatever it
takes to get it done because this team
is the best team in college basketball
and um and Dan Hurley right now is the
best coach in college basketball and not
only that but one of the things that he
has perue
I love you congratulations on your
success Dan Hurley is an absolute killer
his mentality is he is coming out and
his team is out for blood they are out
to beat you and beat you bad and uh and
I don’t see that same mentality from
Matt Painter on the other side and so
the challenge is like you got a guy
who’s been there you got a guy who’s W
it you got a guy who has that mentality
all that momentum he said four years ago
you better get us now he came into Yukon
with like we are going to win
championships um and then you have you
know on the other side you got Matt
Painter and it’s like great story you
know fabulous run um but for me for my
money when I look at that in this game I
think the experience of Dan Hurley and
Yukon winning it last year that killer
mentality I think is just going to it’s
just going to be too much and I think
that he’s just going to do whatever it
takes uh to win the game so that’s my
pick I do think it’ll be a close game I
don’t I don’t think yukon’s going to
beat uh Purdue by 15 or 14 where they
beat Alabama um but I but I do think uh
but I do think yukon’s going to
win if Yukon is
hot from from the outside they are as
much of an unbeatable team as we’ve seen
in college basketball in in a long long
time like
Untouchable um if they’re hot from the
outside they have not been hot from the
outside this this tournament it’s not
like it’s just recently I’m talking
about like this tournament in reality
they’ve been dominating teams they’ve
been beating teams by a lot of
points they’ve not been they’ve not been
RedHot from the
outside yukon’s greatest
strength is that anyone on that
roster can beat you and that’s what Nate
oats you know which credit to Nat oats
in Alabama making the Final Four NATO
just analytic himself into thinking that
we don’t have to guard Castle The
Freshman like we just won’t guard him
that’ll be fun we just W garden and Dan
Hurley in the postgame press conference
literally came out and said nates
decided to switch their their front
Court guy onto castle and um he made him
pay he said that with a little smirk on
his face just knowing that NATO just got
in his own way and decided that like oh
this is our strategy for beating the the
beauty of Yukon is that anyone on that
team can beat you and that we’ve seen
that we’ve seen it obviously we’ve seen
it from kingan we’ve seen it from Newton
you know we’ve seen it from Castle even
diara you know can beat you at times cam
Spencer certainly can beat you at times
we’ve seen it from so many guys on that
roster but John
but you win these
games off not always but often you win
these games not because you’ve got a
bunch of guys that On Any Given night
can step up you mentioned it earlier
this ain’t any given night this is one
night one game for for the whole thing
for the whole it’s not best out of seven
it’s one game for the whole thing you
don’t need any number of guys what you
need is one guy and there’s no team in
college basketball who has one guy the
way Purdue has it like nobody You could
argue in the last 20 years of college
basketball has had one
player who was as dominant as produ one
player and this year they figured out
how to surround him with pieces that
work and how to coach and let him play
his game like there’s never been a
player that’s been
more focused on by the other team’s
defensive game plan and still gone out
and dropped 40 in an NCAA Tournament
game like Zach EDI is on a different
level
and on a night like Monday night I think
there’s a legitimate chance that Zach
EDI could just put the team on his back
he’s going to need help obviously from
Bradon Smith and from lawyer and from
you know some of these other guy he’s
going to need help but I think there’s a
chance that he just puts the team on his
back kicks out for wideopen
threes and then just carries Purdue to a
national championship I really do think
Yukon is a beatable
team unless they are just RedHot from
the outside um and we just haven’t seen
it yet in the tournament and so I think
yukon’s been playing with a little bit
of fire and I think on Monday night they
might just get burned by it they might
get cold at the wrong time and have a
team that that can really make them pay
and so I’m going to go
Purdue in um you know what will maybe be
a little bit of an upset I don’t know
maybe I’m crazy John this game has so
much of the
feel of 2020 Gonzaga Baylor doesn’t it
to you like I know these team AR feated
I know it’s just like we’re not dealing
with like 2021 sorry not there was no
tournament 2020 2021 Gonzaga Baylor like
I know these teams are not on that level
but it’s like this Collision Course
these two teams and what did everybody
think going into that game it was like
oh Gonzaga is inevitable Gonzaga is an
inevitable team that very much is how
Yukon feels in this game they are the
Thanos of college basketball like
they’re eventually they’re just going to
snap their fingers and what happened to
Alabama is going to happen to Illinois
is going to happen to everybody you’re
just going to go away when they
do that was who Gonzaga was that year
under Mark Fu and we know what happened
in that game Baylor didn’t just come out
there and beat him Baylor come out there
and embarrass them on that court I don’t
think yukon’s getting embarrassed by
Purdue but I
think if there are people out there that
think Yukon is inevitable going into
this matchup I would just say not no no
way like Purdue is a really good
basketball team and they got a chance to
come out there and and not just squeak
one out get lucky but but win this game
like decidedly win this game so it’ll be
interesting to watch yeah yeah it’ll be
it’ll definitely be interesting to watch
I I agree with your assessment um and
listen I think at the end of the day
what what I love is that we have a
basketball game finally no disrespect to
Alabama no disrespect to Illinois we
have a basketball game finally where you
see you look across the other side and
you’re like okay that that’s a team that
can beat Yukon that’s a team you know
and again like no disrespect to these
other teams but like none of them had
Zach EDI none of them when you look at
it you’re like okay how are they going
to beat Yukon and either tan Shannon is
gonna score 100 points which he didn’t
or you know or alab Alabama’s just
goingon to make it rain from three which
they they did kind of in the first half
and then and then Yukon just made
adjustments well they sh 75% from three
and then they were losing at halftime
like they shot 75% and we’re down we
down yes and so uh so so I agree but
yeah you look across and that’s that’s
what I love that’s why we got the game
we want so we’ll see how it plays out um
but boy man either way I think
listen Zach Edy or Dan Hurley are
goingon to have a microphone shoved in
their face at the end of this game we
will get sound bite for the give me
somebody somebody please give me
a a prop bet on if an F bomb gets gets
out in the in the post game when a
microphone gets put in Dan Hurley or
Zack Ed’s face cuz I will take that BET
right now I’m so exit if you work for
CBS or TBS or whatever the heck Channel
this game’s going to be on you better
you better have your finger on the
trigger of that the dump button yeah you
need you need to be ready it’s going to
be great um listen he’s John I’m Dan
uh this has been the Speak Easy Sports
show so happy to have you along for the
ride again subscribe to the show we got
lots more coming up and we cover all
sorts of college sports and High Spirits
um and so would love to have you along
for the ride good luck to both teams if
your team’s in the national championship
game and um I’m sure we’ll be back next
week uh or later in the week recapping
all the action and talking about what
happened um and we’ll see you guys
[Music]
that
1 Comment
Sampson gonna dunk all over Edey tonight and make you eat your words now