Takes

Coach K blocked Tommy Amaker from the Duke head coaching job to protect Jon Scheyer's career

There's a report coming out a new book that Tommy Amaker was going to be named next head coach of duke... and coach K got on a zoom with them and essentially said, I can't have you taking this job because that would set John shier back in his career. So we want you to take your name out of consideration and out of respect for coach K Tommy Amaker realized that this job search thing was apparently he had been offered the job already until coach K stepped in.

Coach K is a hypocritical fraud for refusing halftime media interviews

Whoa. Are you, are you just realizing now that huge [hypocrite] fraud? Well, no. Jake is just realizing now because it's about halftime interview with the media. He never does halftime because he plays, plays on the roof. That's crazy. Like I understand he's a legend for whatever, but just take the interview.

The Duke basketball season is a failure if Coach K doesn't win the national title

I know we joke around about saying—like if Coach K doesn't lead them to a national championship, then it's an utter failure.

The ACC is a bad basketball conference this year

My hot seat is the ACC... they're the only team [Duke] that's even decent in the ACC... they've lost six buy games.

Coach K is the greatest college basketball coach of all time

This is the greatest coach in the sport, and all you guys do is make jokes and mock him. Most wins of all time. 12 Final Fours. 15 ACC Tournament titles. 97 NCAA Tournament wins. 126 weeks ranked No. 1.

Coach K will do a farewell tour next season

Tate [Frazier] put it in my ear that Coach K is going to do a farewell tour this year... He definitely has sources. He has people that said there's a plan in place. ... All he really wanted to do was outlast Roy [Williams]. Roy retired.

No one in the world was beating Baylor in the National Championship game

No one in the world was beating Baylor on Monday night. And I think that we spent all year talking about how great Gonzaga was, rightfully so, because they were undefeated. But the real debate now is, is Baylor an all-time great team? Because they destroyed everyone in the tournament.

Drew Timmy has no choice but to return to college after his bad championship performance

Here's something nice for Gonzaga fans. Drew Timmy played so bad in the championship game. He has no choice but to come back to college.

Gonzaga vs. UCLA was one of the best tournament games in history

This is sports rule because we have the national championship tonight in the Final Four on Saturday and one of the best basketball games, tournament games, we've watched in the history of the tournament. I'm fine with maybe being a little hyperbolic with that statement, that game fucking ruled.

Baylor will win the National Championship

I'm going against Joel. I'm going with Baylor. I'm going with our guy Jared [Butler].

A Gonzaga-Baylor championship game won't appeal to casual sports fans as much as Blue Bloods

If we can get Gonzaga-Baylor, it would be great for intercollege basketball fans, but the casual sports fan, maybe not. They won't set aside the time if it was Duke versus Kentucky in the championship.

Roy Williams has been a better coach than Coach K since he joined the ACC

I actually do feel like my take about [Roy Williams] being a better coach than Coach K has been vindicated at this point. Since he's been at North Carolina, North Carolina has five Final Four appearances. Duke's only had three. They've won the ACC in the regular season nine times to Coach K's three since he's been there. I think in terms of the ACC, it actually is cut and dry that Roy Williams has been a better coach since he's gotten to the ACC.

Hubert Davis will probably be the next head coach at North Carolina

I think the plan right now, as Big Cat said, is Hubert Davis. Hubert Davis will probably be the next head coach in North Carolina. I love Hubert Davis as a guy. I don't know Hubert Davis as a coach. So we'll see.

Gonzaga is so good that you shouldn't overthink their dominance

Gonzaga had the classic situation tonight where everyone is so sick of how good Gonzaga is that they all said to themselves, USC is the toughest opponent they'll ever meet... And I tweeted, obviously I lost the Michigan bet, but I said, don't overthink it. Gonzaga's that good.

Baylor is going to absolutely crush Houston in the Final Four

So I think that Baylor is going to shit pump Houston. Well, so Houston deserves credit. I'm going to do it. I bashed them... They can't shoot.

The Mike Woodson hire at Indiana probably won't work

They hired Mike Woodson... He's never coached college basketball in his life... That doesn't feel like it's going to work. What do you mean? A guy who has never coached college basketball.

Baylor will 'truck' Villanova in the Sweet 16

Baylor's going to truck Villanova. Put it on a board. Put it on a quote board. And I love Villanova... But yeah, Baylor, I've seen that Baylor team. They're going to truck you.

The Pac-12 is officially back now that Larry Scott is gone

No, Larry Scott was the reason why, and he's gone, so the Pac-12 is officially back. Pac-12 is back big time.

I'm a Must-Bust believer

I'm a Must-Bust believer. The runs that they [Arkansas] go on, when they decide to step on the gas pedal, the Must-Bust, and they turn it on against Texas Tech, it was like, there's no going back.

The NCAA will include a random VCU highlight in One Shining Moment to acknowledge their COVID-forced exit

This is my long shot. They are going to put a random VCU highlight from the regular season to give them their shine. Or the conference championship, maybe them coming down the nets. They can't get robbed in One Shining Moment. They made the tournament.

Tom Izzo will choke away the play-in game against Mick Cronin and UCLA

Izzo choked it away... This is the game where Izzo chokes it away at the end. He mismanages something. He might even get ejected in the second half. And our guy Mick Cronin demolishes him.

The Syracuse zone will be a nightmare for opponents due to the lack of non-conference play

Syracuse is a team, especially in a year like this, where nobody really played out of conference games, that zone can be an [motherfucker] to you... I think they have athleticism... Them and matching up with West Virginia in the second round is a really, really interesting game.

Baylor will beat Gonzaga for the National Championship

I have Baylor beating Gonzaga [in the final]. I actually had a bet on Baylor. I think they were getting four against Gonzaga... I think when you watch Baylor, they just have it all to me... They could guard every position. I love their guards.

This Gonzaga team is significantly better than the 2017 team that reached the title game

If you think Gonzaga is just like every other Gonzaga team in your mind, you're a moron. This team would beat the 2017 team, that was two minutes away from a national title, by like 10 or 15 probably. They have four guys that were finalists for their position awards in the entire country.

Wisconsin will make a tournament run because Roy Williams is no longer a good coach

I have talked myself into Wisconsin making a run. I said to myself, you know what? Roy Williams, he's not a good coach. [North Carolina] are going to turn the ball over. Wisconsin is going to win and hit their jump shots.

Georgetown is not 'back' just because they won four games in the Big East tournament

The love affair with Patrick Ewing was disgusting this weekend. He got hot against a really bad Marquette team, a Nova team that basically is all injured... this idea that he's building something and this is the culmination. They had a good week. They had a good four games... I'm going to bet against Georgetown in the world.

Oregon is the most under-seeded team in the 2021 NCAA tournament

The most under-seeded team in the 2021 NCAA tournament is Oregon... Dana Altman, the master of the Rubik's Cube... This team is more talented than its seed. I think they're a very difficult matchup for Iowa. I have a big Pac-12 breakthrough... I've got Oregon going to the second weekend.

Syracuse has a 50-50 shot to make the NCAA tournament, but they will ultimately get in

I think it depends on how the bubble teams around them do... but gut says yes [they get in].

The March version of the 2021 Arkansas Razorbacks would beat the November version by 15 to 18 points.

This current Razorback team playing in March would probably beat our November Razorback team by about 15 to 18 is what I would roughly guess. We're more confident.

A basketball team that makes over 200 passes in a game is unlikely to lose.

We found if we move the ball 200 plus passes, we're not going to lose many games. And then the games that we play really poorly offensively are usually our lowest passing games.

Missing the tournament is better for Duke than losing in the first round

I actually agree with that. I think that not making the tournament is actually way better for Duke than making the tournament and getting skunked in the first round. Just getting, like, blown out.

Coach K’s empire at Duke is officially crumbling

We're totally sidetracking that Duke is—the whole entire empire is crumbling, Hank. Coach K has nothing. He has nothing left.

Jalen Johnson is a quitter for opting out of the Duke season

[Jalen Johnson] is a quitter. However, as a Dookie, a diehard Cameron Crazy runs in my blood... If they had a shot, even a chance—they're clearly not going to make the tournament. They're terrible this year. If it was like they were even a bubble team or close to a bubble team and he quit now, it'd be like, alright, fuck this guy forever.

Loyola Chicago is in great shape to make the NCAA tournament

They're in great shape to make the tournament... If they make the tournament, everyone's going to talk about [Sister Jean].

Getting COVID is karma that ensures March Madness will happen this year

If you remember, around this time last year... I said that if they don't play March Madness, I will inject myself with coronavirus. Well, they didn't play March Madness, and I didn't inject myself with coronavirus. So I think that getting it is finally karma, and on top of that, it means that we officially will have a March Madness tournament this year.

It is time for Coach K to think about stepping down

Listen, maybe it's time for Coach K to think about stepping down.

Iowa will have the best offense and worst defense of the elite college basketball teams

Iowa is going to be the most fun team in the Big Ten... Iowa is going to try to score 100 points every single time they get on the floor. They're going to give up 93 probably every single game... They might have the best offense in the country, but of all the good teams, they might have the worst defense.

It is inevitable that Power 5 football and basketball players will be financially compensated

It's inevitable now, it's inevitable that power 5 football and basketball players are going to be compensated in some form. It's inevitable, right? It's going to happen and... not a not just saying from the like this obviously, you know, the the NCAA I think is going to allow players to use their likeness starting after next season.

A good portion of high-level winning college basketball programs are cheating

I think that if you let's say it's 300 schools. I don't know how many is division one... a good portion of the schools that are are winning at a high level are doing something and it doesn't necessarily mean that they're dropping bags off at someone's house. But you've got to get creative man. Like this is It's a blood sport to get talent.

Coach K is entering the Twilight phase of his career where he has no filter and is mad at everyone

I think we're going to get into very soon, if we're not there already like the ornery like super angry at the media, just mad all the time coach Casey Nile... I think I'm going to enjoy the Twilight phase of Coach K having no filter and finally saying shit that he really has wanted to say for a very long time.

Mark Titus had a better college basketball career than LeBron James

Last I checked our friend Mark Titus is a better college basketball player than LeBron James. He's played more minutes. He's got more rebounds. He went to a final four. Mark Titus is a better college basketball player than LeBron James.

Roy Williams has been a better coach than Coach K since arriving at North Carolina

Roy Williams has won more since he's been at UNC over Coach K. So I don't know what they [Duke] do.

I cucked Coach Cal, Coach K, and Bill Self by signing RJ Hampton to the New Zealand Breakers

I think it's safe to say that we cucked the shit out of Coach Cal, Coach K, and Bill Self all in one fell swoop. We made a damn strong offer, Big Cat. A damn strong offer.

If I had chosen to go to college, I would have picked Kansas

No, if I'm being serious, I would have went to the University of Kansas.

Virginia's national title run is one of the coolest stories in sports history

UVA now becomes one of the coolest stories in all of sports going from the loss to UMBC last year as a one seed to a 16 seed never happened before to then get all the way back and go to the national title and win the national championship. It's all like one story. And it all kind of erases. I feel like if they don't have that low, they don't get to this high.

Tony Bennett has revolutionized Virginia's style of play using Wisconsin's influence

I mean, Dick Bennett, you know. Indirectly a little bit. I mean, you guys, you know, kind of revolutionized our style of play, right?

Texas Tech will beat Michigan State because Tom Izzo is overrated

I am going to go with Texas Tech... Based on Tom Izzo being overrated. So I'm taking Texas Tech. Also, their defense is really, really good. Admittedly, I've watched one of their conference tournament games, and then I've watched them every game in the NCAA tournament, and their defense is fucking awesome.

Duke is going to lose and Hank will have to get a cat

I really do think Duke is going to lose... As of midnight on Friday night. Henry Lockwood is going to be an owner of a cat. He will have to get the cat afterwards because he's on vacation, obviously. But Duke's going to lose.

UCF would have beaten Duke if Taco Fall hadn't gotten into foul trouble

If Taco Fall didn't get foul trouble, which I think is impossible for Taco Fall to not get foul trouble because he basically just stands under the hoop and guys just jump into him, UCF wins that game.

The 2019 NCAA champion will come from a group of seven teams: Virginia, Duke, Michigan State, UNC, Gonzaga, Michigan, or Kentucky

There has been no team that has ever won the tournament that hasn't finished in the top 20 in adjusted offense and adjusted defense. I'm going to give you the teams right now. So if you're waiting to fill out your bracket, here are the teams that you should pick from. Virginia, Duke, Michigan State, North Carolina, Gonzaga, Michigan, Kentucky.