Live at KickBack Jacks (2/5/20)

Duke is getting set to face North Carolina for the first time this year.

Saturday inside the Smith Center. We got B-Dot, the unofficial mascot of Tar Heel basketball hanging out with us. I felt like last night's game for Duke was the perfect game that the Blue Devils needed ahead of their first matchup with the Tar Heels. Because they flat out overlooked an ACC team on the road and still found a way to win. It reminds me of something Dabo Sweeny said after they barely snuck past the Tar Heels in football last year. It was their closest regular season game. It was 21-20. Game ends and Dabo's like, man, I believe in learning lessons after you lose.

But I'm an even bigger fan of having lessons to learn. And still winning. And that's what Clemson did. They began to dominate from that point on throughout the season. For Duke, we don't have to speculate that Duke overlooked Boston College. Most times we have to read the details, see if they locked in in specific areas, how they did early on in the game.

No, we don't have to do that with last night. Coach K said it himself. This is from the Duke head coach after the Blue Devils barely snuck by Boston College in Chestnut Hill. A lot of adversity with me because they didn't listen to me. So they're in trouble with me. And that's the main adversity they have because it's stupid not to listen. I've warned them for two days about it. And I knew I've watched their recent games that they were playing great.

Not good. This guy's a good coach, man. These kids play their butts off. And I thought they did that even better than what I've seen in the last three games. Duke, they fell behind six to nothing, fell behind 12 to two, scored 21 points in the first half and were trailing. So it was evident that they weren't where they needed to be from the start of this game.

But they still won. Trey Jones and Joey Baker, they rescued Duke. Trey played 38 minutes. Nobody had more points than Trey's 18. Nobody on Duke had more than 30 minutes played. And again, Trey with 38. Joey Baker, he had the only three for Duke last night, came into the second half.

He had two and ones as well. The reason why I think it's the perfect game for Duke ahead of North Carolina, the next three days, they are going to be about what? How bad North Carolina has been this year. That's what the national narrative is going to be. This is the greatest national college basketball rivalry in the country.

A lot of people are going to watch it. So the national narrative is going to be what's unique. And that is just how much North Carolina has struggled. So Coach K is going to reemphasize what he just said in that press conference. What happened with Boston College. It's good for Duke that they found a way to win. It's better for Duke that they got the slow start out of their way against Boston College and K have the ammunition to tell his guys.

Don't listen to the Josh Grahams of the world and the media, what they have to say. Don't listen to them saying how much better you are than them. If you think that way, you can get beaten because that's Boston College. And on the other side, those are the Tar Heels and this is a national rivalry you've been watching your entire life.

Nothing changes you like experience. And the thing that was good for Duke winning last night from a Tar Heels perspective, at least this is how I feel, I didn't want Boston College to beat Duke. Because I think that would have focused Duke too much. I like them coming, yes. They were going to come in crispy.

Yes, exactly. We're not going to lose back to back. I think they've only lost one other time this season back to back when they lost to Clemson and I think Louisville. So they aren't a team that's just going to lose back to back games.

So to think they would have lost to Boston College and then came to the Dean's Dome and lost there, I don't think that was going to happen. So I like them, one, giving us some good footage to look at. We've got some good material to look at. I think Garrison Brooks can dominate Vernon Carey on the inside. I think he can outplay him, not dominate him, but I think he can outplay him.

I don't even think it's all about Carey. Aside from Vernon, Duke is a team that hasn't consistently rebounded and North Carolina is number one in the country in rebounding. So if you're looking for the angle for North Carolina beating Duke, it's this. Tre Jones, Javon Deloria, Alex O'Connell, they've never won in Chapel Hill. North Carolina has won the last three meetings inside the Smith Center when these teams have played.

I hate stats like that. Duke, they've struggled handling primary ball handlers, dribble penetration. Cole Anthony, he is going to be a lottery pick at point guard and it's not because of how he shares the basketball, it's how he drives. So that Cole-Tre Jones matchup is going to be essential as well. It's that path where you out-rebound Duke, which North Carolina is certainly capable of doing, and you win a matchup. Cole Anthony versus Tre Jones, that's how it happens because you know you're going to get guys trying to contribute all over the place in this game. Guys are going to be up and usually it's the home team that has the ancillary guys off the bench giving you contributions you want to expect going in. So I think North Carolina has a good shot at winning against Duke on Saturday. I won't go as far to say they're going to win, but I believe they have a good shot.

I'm going to give you an opportunity though, B-Dot. You are the unofficial mascot of Tar Heel basketball. Yes I am. All throughout this week we're having former Blue Devils and former Tar Heels on to talk about the big game. We've already had on this week Joe Wolfe, the head coach of the Greensboro Swarm. We had on Eric Montras, a guest on today's show, John Swafford, former Tar Heel AD.

The commissioner of the Atlantic Coast Conference coming up, and also tomorrow we're going to have former Coach K assistant Chris Patola on the show. So we're going to hear every angle of this game, but you are somebody people go to for motivation on the Tar Heel front. So every time you're in here, we give you just a minute or two to try and speak to the Tar Heel fan base and the triad.

Sawyer, fire up the theme music. Fire up the fight song. Tar Heel nation, hey, stand up baby. We got a big game Saturday and we're going to be, hey listen, we're going to come in there focused. We're going to have B-Rob shooting the lights out. You see what Keelan did? Did you see the confidence that Keelan got? I think it's starting to click, ladies and gentlemen, like a key in the door.

Click, click, click. I think it's starting to click. And then we got Garrison. We got Cole. I really think he's going to drop 20, 25 plus. Will we have an answer for Cassius? Maybe. I hope so. Did you see his head above the rim last night?

My God, this guy's amazing. But I do think we will dominate on Saturday, guys. And I'm just like you. I'm the Tar Heel fan that sits there and watches all of it. We're normally about to lose at the end of the game and sit there and still can't help but watch it. I've been up and down this whole season just like you, but right now we're riding high. Right to the ACC tournament, which will be right here in Greensboro, and we're going to do exactly what you said, Josh. We're going to run the table, baby. Go to the NCAA tournament and maybe lose early in the weekend, but we made it though. We made it to the mountaintop. That is the saddest message I've ever heard to the Tar Heel nation from B Dot, from the 3 Live crew, from Wild N Out.

What's that say? He's going to be on the Swarm game tonight. He's going to be running the joint. And thanks to Doug Beamer, we're going to be there as well as Robert Walsh and Sawyer Dillon go head to head in a tricycle race later on tonight. So that's one of the things going on in the periphery of this show. We're broadcasting live from Kickback Jacks, the new Garden Road location in Greensboro.

Pretty good crowd of people showing up to say hello. Hey, a lady just pulled up and I think she wants to kiss Rob. No, don't say that. Is that something that wants to happen? I think so, man.

She's an attractive lady. See if you could check with Aaron if that's the case. See if you could check if that's somebody who wants to kiss Robert Walsh.

That's something we need to figure out. She's not here to kiss Robert. Dang. But there are two dudes that want to kiss Robert in order to get kiss tickets for this weekend. So how are we going to do this, Robert? Look, how about I trade mics with B Dot? Okay. Whoa. Yeah, because Robert, he doesn't know how headsets work versus handheld mics where he tries to interview people. Even though he has a headset, he's using the handset mic to talk into. It's very confusing, I know. So here we go.

We have Robert walking up to a couple of people here at the Kickback Jacks. How old is this person? I am terrified by this. How old is this person? You should be terrified. That's probably the first question to ask.

I'm not worried about how old it is. Get closer to the microphone. I can't get this as close as I can get. Is this as good as you want it?

That's what I want. How old is this person? First, what's your name, big dog? I'm Colby Lee Sumner. I am the best Chargers fan in the world. The best Chargers fan in the world. There's only two of them, so it's fine.

He's one of the two. And you're trying to get kiss tickets. I feel like you have to get prepped for that. What is another concert you've been to that would prepare you for this kiss concert?

These are awful interviews. I've been to a WIDOW concert. I've also been to Queen, but WIDOW's number one. Queen is a pretty good concert. Where are you pulling these questions from? And that wasn't even a question.

Queen's a really good concert. Point the microphone. Am I supposed to do this interview, or is Josh going to talk the entire time? I am sorry. And look, I've got another guy here.

We've got three, four pair of tickets left. So my other buddy, what's your name, big dog? Brad Green. Brad Green is here. Brad is a man's man, too.

You hear what I'm saying to y'all? He's a man's man. I'm talking about like, Brad Green. Why are you saying a man's man?

Is it because he has a backwards cap on? Yeah, just the way he's been talking, his posture. Like, I can tell he's a freaking man's man. He does have a deep voice.

Yeah, he can change oil and change tires and stuff. I can tell. And my man Brad is trying to get some kiss tickets. Why do you want some kiss tickets? Well, to be honest with you, I'm not that big of a fan. But this girl that I'm courting is a huge fan, so I'm hoping it kind of gets me in there. Courting's a word that we don't use as much.

I don't know any problem with that either, but there is a catch. You guys have to kiss me to get these tickets. Brad is chugging his beer right now.

He's a man! Am I that unattractive you have to chug your beer before you kiss me? Gosh, this is terrible. I've done worse. Okay, we're going to get this over with. You two guys, go ahead and peck one right on the cheek. Go ahead. Oh my God.

Wow! It happened, guys. Brad held me. Brad gets the better seats. There is still, he needs to. Brad gets the better seats with that one.

Let's monitor to see who gets the better seats here. Because there is a little... Jesus Christ. We still don't know how old he is, Josh. He does look like a child. I don't know how old he is. How old are you?

I have to know. I'm only seven. He's seven years old. He's older than seven. Don't believe him. Don't believe him. Alright.

Yes. And we have a ton of fans of the show here. Including Beth, who's hanging out.

From Greensboro. So, that was about as awkward as it can get. Man, that was ridiculous.

Congratulations to those guys. Robert, he's just trying to push his agenda with the show. He's trying to get kisses. Trying to get kisses from people.

Like, that could be your... What you're trying to shoot for. I don't know. What agenda is he trying to push, though? When you say he's trying to push an agenda, what is...

The agenda he's pushing is the Robert Walsh one. Where he's getting kisses, always wanting gear. Like, he got jealous when the Houston Roughnecks of the XFL sent us gear.

I wasn't jealous. They didn't send him anything? No, they sent me an Aaron stuff. What's that all about?

Yeah, that's what I'm saying. Like, I'm some chopped liver over here. Yeah, get my man Rob suited up, man.

Listen, you know how I roll, Josh. I love getting free. I love getting stuff.

This jacket, this jersey, everything. If it's free, it's me. You're doing work with the Hornets and the Swarm. But if they're sending my guys stuff and we're all together, hey, toss me a shirt or a cap.

The drive, obviously, today is not being broadcast live in the Law Office's activity, Wellborn Studios. But still, you can learn about all the great ways Tim Wellborn can help you online. At TimWellborn.com, you'll know when you need us. We're going to be joined. We're going to clean up this joint a little bit.

Class it up, I should say. John Swafford, the commissioner of the Atlantic Coast Conference, going to join us in a little over 15 minutes. Is he going to kiss me?

Eric Montras, a guest on the show. We can ask him. I'll give him a smooch. I want to know why I'm being disrespected so much today. I asked you to kiss me. What do you mean, disrespected? Not from you, Rob.

I mean from Josh. First of all, we're going to class up the place like I'm just chopped liver over here. We have listeners kissing Robert. It has nothing to do with you. Then he tells me I give the saddest speech to my Tar Heel Nation he's ever heard.

What is this? If you heard the speech you just gave at the beginning of this season, you would want to punch you February the 6th, February 5th, whatever today is, 5th, B dot in the face. That's what you would want to do. I'm just calling a spade a spade. That's what we do on the drive. You don't even know how to play spades. I would love to play spades against Josh Graham.

Josh can't play spades. So many of you guys are checked out because we're at a restaurant. Sorry. Aaron Gabriel, he's supposed to be on the show Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and he's been sitting at the stall next to us not doing anything but eating. What do you have on your plate?

Stick a microphone in his plate, in his face. What are you eating? I have some wings. I'm having a beer. I'm having a grand time. Life is good.

I can tell. You're sitting five feet in front of me. You're supposed to be helping with the show because you're drinking and eating. I'm going to get paid, too. Yes, you are.

It's fantastic. Getting paid to eat and drink. And his boss is here. He's sitting right next to her. They're all just staring at me. Go to college, kids.

You tell them, A. All right. Let's get to go to college, kids. In about a month, Tournament Town is going to live up to its name as Greensboro hosts the ACC Women's Basketball Tournament, the Men's Basketball Tournament, and the NCAA Tournament first and second round in three consecutive weeks. And here to talk about that, John Swofford, ACC Commissioner, invited up to spend some time with us here in the Triad. When I was catching up with Wes Durham last week, he just said the Greensboro ACC Tournament is just different. When you consider the history of the league and how many great games were played in that venue, to you as the Commissioner, how is the Greensboro Tournament different than the other sites? Well, I think it starts with that history and tradition, Josh, and the fact that this will be the 27th Men's Basketball Tournament that has been held in Greensboro. So it's been in Greensboro more than any other city or venue.

And over the years, gosh, I can remember when the tournament first moved to Greensboro from Raleigh. And the Coliseum seated about a little over 8,000 people. And then it was decked and went to 16,000. And then it was expanded again and went to around 23,000. And then they took out the seats and put more comfortable seats in it.

And now it's around 21 or so. It's still the largest arena that we've played the tournament in in the current rotation. We did go to Atlanta and the Dome in Atlanta twice over the years. But I think it's because Greensboro is special and has a different feel because it's an arena that's been around a long time. But the people here in Greensboro have kept it modernized and it's still a superb facility, a little different than the brand-new ones that are built across the country with a lot of private boxes and so forth.

But that's part of its appeal. And the great players and coaches that have come through it. It's hosted some remarkable games and some remarkable tournaments. Since the tournament left Raleigh, as you mentioned, I think back in the 1960s, the only buffer period between Greensboro ACC tournament appearances longer than five years, like the one we just saw, was the seven-year gap between 1988 and 1995.

There was another five-year gap about 20 years ago. Is it your expectation, since the latest site that's been announced is 2022, with us getting set to go to D.C. again and the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, is it your expectation the five-year wait will become the norm? Well, it'll probably be something similar to that, Josh, in the sense that we're obviously a very different league now than we were when we were eight teams or nine teams, and so many tournaments were played with our membership being in eight or nine teams. We're now 15 and have a huge geographic span up and down the East Coast, and therefore you have more institutions that are spread out and more institutions voting on where the tournament lands, and I think there's a belief within the league that the tournament needs to move around and to have other geographic parts of the footprint experience what is obviously a fantastic event and a showcase event for the Atlantic Coast Conference. I think in the future, while it's really up to the institutions ultimately to vote on where the tournament lands, personally I really like the rotation that we're in right now and just came out of where we're in Charlotte, in Greensboro, in Washington, and in Brooklyn. We have gone south several times to Atlanta and once to Tampa. I don't know whether that will come back into play or not, but certainly there's a different look in terms of having that type of rotation and the importance of having that type of rotation, and I think overall in the long term that is the best route in today's world, but with that being said, I hope there will always be an appropriate respect for the history and tradition here in Greensboro and in Charlotte as well.

That's the second most tournament that we've had is in Charlotte. So hopefully we'll see. That remains to be seen.

As you said, we go two years out right now. We'll be adding to that within the next year, I'm sure. So we'll see what happens, and we're fortunate because it's a great event with tremendous history and tradition that is successful anywhere we've ever taken it. So we're very fortunate in that regard.

Some people prefer it one place over another. You get a lot of different answers for that, but certainly here in North Carolina people love to come to Greensboro for the tournament. ACC Commissioner John Swafford with us here on Sports Hub Triad. The man that you succeeded, Gene Corrigan, passed a couple of weeks ago, and we've spent time trying to capture what exactly his legacy was, and with the tournament going back to Greensboro, I'm just curious, what plans are there, if any, to recognize the man that meant so much to this league, Gene Corrigan?

Well, we'll see. We haven't really talked through that yet, and obviously Gene in his ten years as commissioner and a number of years as athletic director at Virginia had a great impact on the Atlantic Coast Conference as well as college athletics. A special man, he gave me my first job in intercollegiate athletics, and so the irony of following him as commissioner of this league was not lost on me, and I've always considered myself very fortunate to begin my career working for someone of his capabilities and his humaneness.

He's just a tremendous person and always had a good time and always did a great job, and that's a good combination. All week long, we've been having former coaches and players involved with the North Carolina-Duke rivalry join us to talk about what their experiences were like ahead now of the first meeting this year between North Carolina and Duke on Saturday. You were the former North Carolina director of athletics, of course. I love hearing about the rivalry, whether it's fans, whether it's the players, whether it's the coaches. What personal experiences you've had best captures what the rivalry means to you. Well, first of all, in general, I think that's a rivalry of great respect in terms and I mean the athletic programs and specifically the basketball programs as well as institutionally, and I think that's the best kind of rivalry when it's truly a respect rivalry. There are other rivalries you could put in the kind of a strong word, but you could always put in the hate category. I've always felt like the Duke-Carolina rivalry was one of tremendous respect, and over the years, I think that has shown it's a rivalry that transcends sports. Certainly, it's at its peak with basketball because of the consistent national quality of the two programs, but anytime those two schools play in any sport, it's special if you're at one of those institutions or you're a fan of one of those two institutions. Personally, I grew up with it from a young age because my brother, Jim, played football at Duke. That was when I was 8, 9, 10, 11 years old, and so I understood the Duke-Carolina rivalry at that time from the other end of when I went to school and then was AD there at Carolina. So it's special.

There's no question about that. From a personal standpoint, the one that, interestingly enough, that I remember the most was when the first game in the Dean Smith Center was a Duke-Carolina game. To tell you a quick story, it was not intended that way because we built the Smith Center when I was the AD there in the 80s, and we were to move into it to begin the 1985-86 season, but the building, unfortunately, was not ready, and we had scheduled UCLA as the opening game, and we literally sent out season tickets to the Smith Center, which wasn't finished, and we didn't know exactly when it was going to be finished, and the Carmichael Auditorium. So our ticket office people were pretty busy at that point in time, and obviously a lot more people had tickets for the Smith Center than they did Carmichael. But we ended up playing UCLA in Carmichael, then played a number of other games, and as it worked out, I think it worked out for the best because the last game in Carmichael was an NC State-Carolina game that Carolina won. And I'll never forget Jim Valvano, after the game, actually went to the dressing room, then quickly came back out and got a basketball and shot a layup, and then told everybody, I wanted to have the last basket made in Carmichael, so that was typical Jim, and he handled that loss with tremendous grace. And then the opening game later in the week on Saturday was against Duke in the Smith Center, and both teams, if I remember correctly, one was, I think Carolina was number one, Duke was number three, and Carolina won that game, fortunately for my chair at the time. And that was pretty special to be playing Duke in the opening game of the Smith Center and to see that building completed and open and the rest of that building obviously is history. So when you get down to the games, I mean, there have been so many great games and great players and tremendous coaches that it's hard to argue with ESPN when they call it the greatest rivalry in college sports. John Swafford with us here, ACC commissioner. You've had to make a lot of big decisions over the years, whether it's expansion or making a decision on, say, the ACC network which launched last year, but I wonder where does the stress of preparing for a new building to open with UCLA coming in and that building not being ready until the following year for that Duke game, where does that stress rank among some of the things you've had to deal with over the decades? Well, it would be up there with the several expansions that we've had here, with the work that went into the ACC network. That would probably be in the top three, I would guess, because people forget that, fortunately, over time you forget those things and you remember the highlights, and as I said earlier, we were fortunate really that things turned out the way they turned out because playing North Carolina State in the last game in Carmichael and Duke in the first game in the Smith Center in the same week, it doesn't get any better than that in college basketball, so fortunately it all worked out for the good.

But those months from July to January when the building opened, they were pretty stressful. Commissioner Swafford, thank you for the time today. It's appreciated. Josh, great to be with you. That is ACC Commissioner John Swafford spending some time with us here in the Triad.

A lot to dissect there. We'll get to more ACC basketball and a lot more next on the drive. We're at the Kickback Jacks in Greensboro, specifically the one off New Garden Road.

There's somebody here, a listener, that wants to kiss Robert for kiss tickets. Eric Montross, North Carolina Hall of Famer with the Tar Heels Sports Network will be here in 15 minutes. Zion Williamson, I think, had his worst game as a professional last night against the Milwaukee Bucks. This is an example of the stats not telling you everything you need to know. The stats don't always tell the story and they didn't for Zion's matchup with the Milwaukee Bucks. Giannis Antetokounmpo had 37.7 rebounds, 6 assists. His stats, they are never empty because Milwaukee, they win and they are a contender and probably the favorite to win in the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, Zion, this was his seventh career game, so I'm by no means knocking him. There hasn't been a player of his talent enter the NBA at his age since LeBron James in 2003. His stat line, 20.7 rebounds. So all I'm seeing today are analysts saying, oh my gosh, Zion, he's going to be the next Giannis. This guy is going to have the Pelicans as a contender in the Western Conference. He was tremendous again.

And just let me think, are they watching the same basketball game? I watch back after going to the movies last night because Zion, he did have the 20.7. His effort is always there. That's the thing I loved the most covering him at Duke last year.

Every game it didn't matter who they were playing. His effort was always going to be present and it was a spectacle just to see how hard he played at his 6.7, 285 and the other God-given traits he's been blessed with. With that effort, he gives and gave in college a dozen to the NBA. He's always going to fill out a stat sheet, 20.7 in last night's case. But the reason I thought this was his worst game as a pro, they were empty stats. They lost by 12.

His plus minus was minus 11. He had four turnovers, which breaks a run of three consecutive games of him not turning it over any more than three times. On top of that, he had four missed free throws, he was 0 for 3 from 3, just going through the stat sheet. This is what he did and the stat of 5 for 19 at the line, or excuse me, just from the field altogether, that's significant because it was the first time he shot under 50% in his NBA career. Not to mention, Zion was on the fast break.

It looked like he was going to dunk and Giannis stood there and he swatted away his shot. So he still has a long way to go, but if the base, if a bad game resembles 20 and 7 on a team that already has Brandon Ingram, who went over 30 points last night, it's a very bright future and I'm very excited about Zion. Robert Walsh is the producer of this show. He's also somebody who uses this radio to further his own agenda and try and get things, whether it be tickets. Tonight he's going to go to the Greensboro Swarm game, Doug Beamer in the house for Beamer Tire and Auto. He has this challenge that involves massive adult tricycles where you and Sawyer Dillon are going to go head to head riding tricycles at the Greensboro Swarm game later on tonight. You seem to be excited about that. I'm very excited.

I want to get out there and test the track and see how the slick is, how the tires work on the court, because I am not losing to Sawyer. Robert was mad he didn't get a Houston Roughnecks hat. The XFL's Houston Roughnecks sent us gear because they heard us pubbing them a little bit and now he's been trying to use the platform to just get more gear and get more stuff.

We're a renegade station, baby! Nah, we're all about the Roughnecks around here, the XFL starting this weekend. So I bring all that up to bring you to yesterday, where we're thinking of ideas to give away Kiss tickets. And we have about four or five pairs here, and Robert thought since it's Kiss, how about somebody come to kick back Jax and kiss Robert? I didn't think anybody would want to do this, but we have a gentleman in a Cubs hat right in front of us here who wants to kiss Robert Walsh. So I think we should just let this happen and give this guy a pair of Kiss tickets if he wants to.

But I want to know this person first. Robert, get this guy a microphone and let's work this thing out. So this guy is going to kiss Robert to get a pair of Kiss tickets, and then we're going to chat with Eric Montross from the North Carolina Sports Network. It's our run of talking to former Blue Devils and former Tar Heels leading up to Duke, North Carolina on Saturday.

Robert, you take it away from here. What's going on, man? It's good to see you here. What's your name?

Good to see you. I'm Len. Len, and you called in the other day and told us that you have actually partied with Kiss. But before I let you kiss me, I need to know a little bit about you. I don't just go around kissing everywhere, contrary to popular belief. So you partied with Kiss.

Who else? You got to give me some more party stories, because I know that's not it. Well, once I was kicked out of a Doobie Brothers concert, and then after the show, I was invited to their hotel room, and there was probably about 30 people, like sardines, in their hotel room, and I said a couple things, and I got kicked out of that. But you didn't kiss them. You didn't kiss the Doobie Brothers, right? I did not kiss the Doobie Brothers. Robert, you have a microphone.

Why do you keep talking into a handheld microphone when you have a headset on? I'm trying to get to know Lee right here, man. It's Len!

I'm trying to get to know Len. Lee is my wife. Okay, Lee is your wife. Okay, but you didn't kiss any of the Doobie Brothers.

I don't know if they're cousins, but they Doobie Brothers. How do you know his wife's name? How do you know my wife's name? When's the last time you kissed somebody?

I need to know that. This morning. This morning you kissed your wife. I did.

Have you brushed your teeth before that? No. So by proxy, if I kiss you, I'm kissing your wife. Oh my gosh.

Yes! This is getting really graphic. Okay, look, I'm just going to get out of it. Look, we don't have to kiss on the lips. You've just got to be a little peck on the cheek, and then we're going to give you some kiss tickets. Well, it doesn't have to be a peck on the cheek. It doesn't have to, but that's... Well, listen, as you can tell, I'm old school, and I'm a former Sunday school teacher.

I'm a former chairman of the deacons of my church. Oh my gosh, nice. So there's one thing I did learn. In 1 Thessalonians, it does say, kiss your brother.

Yeah. You can greet your brothers with a kiss. And you're my brother, man.

You're my brother, man. All right, go ahead. I love you. Oh! Okay. Hey, this guy kissed me in the mouth.

I had nothing to do with it. All right, Robert just turned to kiss the guy on the mouth. Give him a pair of kiss tickets. His microphone's off. Get him out of here.

Thank you so much. That is Lin. Our apologies to Lee. That was about as disjointed as I imagined it would be. I'm glad I didn't brush my teeth. All right, there you go.

And on top of that, he's wielding a beer. How did that taste, Robert? Like regret. A lot of regret. Not the worst kisser, though. Honestly, I've kissed worse. Sawyer, did we lose Joey in Thomasville?

I always forget about the phones, and we have that sitting there as well. We did. All right, our apologies. 336-777-1600. If you want to chime in via the phone lines on Twitter, at Sports Hub Triad, we'll have more kiss tickets to give away a little bit later on in the show.

But as we mentioned, it's going to be Jon Swofford, it's going to be Eric Montras, B. Dot on today's show as well. Feel free to drop by at the new Garden Road Kickback Jacks, as we're going to be here until 7 o'clock. And in addition to that, we're going to be at the Greensboro Swarm game later on tonight as the Swarm faces Raptors 905. Bringing it all back to ACC circles. You've got Duke winning last night against Boston College. North Carolina missing an opportunity against Florida today. They lose by six. They missed six free throws in the game.

Missed three dunks in the first half. Not a really efficient three-point shooting team, but they caught Florida State napping at the beginning of that game. So the Tar Heels are coming off a loss going into Saturday in the Smith Center. Duke coming off the win on the road at Chestnut Hill against Boston College.

Tonight, Wake Forest will be in action facing number five ranked Louisville inside the KFC Yum Center. I believe that to be the best team in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The only team I feel like that's better than Louisville at this point across the country.

Probably those Baylor Bears coached by Scott Drew, where you just have a lot of depth. You have a team that plays strong defense. I heard somebody say earlier today, that team looks like it has a bunch of adults. And there aren't many teams in college basketball you could say that about.

Everybody's young. In most years, you have a loaded draft class. A lot of freshmen who are going to jump to the league and mimic adult bodies. But not many teams in college basketball this year have the build of, say, Duke a year ago. And like Texas Tech, which went to the championship game, losing to Virginia. Baylor reminds me a lot of that. So I'm really excited to see what they end up doing in the Big 12, one of the two best basketball conferences.

And what they end up doing down the stretch of the season. The top four I find interesting in the AP poll. Baylor is the number one team. Gonzaga is number two. Number three is Kansas, same conference as Baylor.

Number four is San Diego State, the only unbeaten team in all of Division I. If that held up today, that would be absolute lunacy for the number one seeds in college basketball. Where you would have two teams from the same conference. And two mid-major conference champions playing as number one seeds in the tournament on the West Coast nonetheless.

I don't think we've ever seen anything like that. And at least the last 20 years, I don't think we've seen a season like this from the ACC and in all of college basketball. Remember, there are only three teams Joe Leonardi has at this moment making the NCAA tournament from the ACC. The last time that happened, three teams got in from this league. Only three.

Two thousand. That's significant because expansion for the ACC didn't happen until just a few years. So it was still a third of the conference getting in, three of the nine.

Now there's 15 teams and only three right now are good enough in Joe Leonardi's eyes to make the field a 64. Tar Heel legend and analyst Eric Montras joins the show next on the drive. We're going to be at the Smith Center on Saturday when Duke faces North Carolina for the first time this year. And we're now visiting with Tar Heel great from the Tar Heel Sports Network, Eric Montras. Eric, we are broadcasting right now inside a Greensboro restaurant, Kickback Jacks, New Garden Road location. And I'll tell you this, all throughout the week we're having former Tar Heels and Blue Devils on. We have former Tar Heel AD, now the ACC Commissioner John Swafford today. Chris Spitola going to be with us, former Duke assistant on tomorrow's show. And I got to know, as somebody who grew up in Indiana, is there a specific moment you first realized just how big the Duke-Carolina rivalry was?

You know, not growing up, Josh. Growing up, there really was, I grew up in Big Ten country, you know. So it was something that until you get down here, I don't think that there was any way to really understand it. And, of course, that was in a time where everything wasn't instantly accessible on your phone. So it was just a different day and age.

But once you get down here, it took no time at all to get bitten by this one. How has the rivalry evolved in your mind? Because we hear that things have softened over the years when the players stick around for a smaller period of time. Of course, you had Dean yelling at K in the late 1980s.

I think it was in Charlotte in 1989 that happened. And then when Dean passes away five years ago, it's a moment that sticks with me five years ago, where you had Coach K locking arms with Roy Williams, the team around the center jump circle, to pay homage to the former Tar Heel coach. It seems now the game's just a measuring stick.

They're kind of their own spotters, I've heard it referred to as before. Do you think the rivalry has changed or evolved in the last 30 years? Well, I think like a lot of things, no matter what it is, the answer is yes, it does. And I think that that's because the personnel changes. I think that if you ask folks about the rivalry, both if you're from the Blue Devil perspective or the Tar Heel perspective, the first thing we would say is thank goodness we've had consistency in our head coaching, both from the transition even between Coach Smith to Coach Guthridge, Coach Doherty to Coach Williams, and obviously not having a transition on the Blue Devil side. But when you look at just the duration, if you didn't have Hall of Fame coaches in that capacity, would it be the same? Probably not because you're probably not getting the same caliber of players. It's probably not being moved to make sure that the West Coast viewership sees it at a decent time. It drives all of us nuts here because we start at 9.15 or what have you in the evening most years. But I think that it does change, and I think that that's part of the fun of this, is that it changes and yet it still endures and keeps you at a peak level where you enjoy it and where the fans are the ones that really love it.

And the students, they continue that tradition, but certainly it changes and morphs over the years. Eric Montross with us, Tar Heel great from the Tar Heel Sports Network. What growing pains have you noticed as a former big man with Cole Anthony trying to get the big guys involved? We heard Roy Williams' comments about saying, there's just not as much movement as he likes to see in the last two games, which both Tar Heel losses. What have you seen from Cole trying to get re-acclimated with the bigs, but also the rest of his teammates? Well, obviously there's no question that Cole is a very talented player.

I still think that he's a young player and he's a player that has been at the center of the offense at minimum the last four years and probably before that. But I think that the thing that is important at this level, especially we saw it against Florida State, it's just a couple games back for Cole. So typically when players, no matter how good they are, and he's one of the really good ones, it's going to take a little while to get re-acclimated. And all of a sudden when he went out, we were just at the very beginning of the ACC conference schedule. All of a sudden you lose, you come in and you kind of miss that easing into it. Not that Carolina's preseason schedule was pretty tough, but it was in doses.

And so there was no easing into it. Florida State, you go down there and you get hit right in the mouth. I mean, this is a team that they have a tremendous backcourt. They're very defensive-minded. They have good offensive skills.

They're extremely long. They're athletic. And so it's a tough, you add that to anybody and I think it affects your team. What translated to us offensively was that we became quite stagnant. And I think that's not a one-player responsibility. That's something that the four players on the court with Cole need to do a better job of not thinking, Cole's going to create some offense. And Cole needs to do a better job of watching and engaging and making sure that he's encouraging that movement so that the team is better.

That all will come. It just hasn't shown up with the kind of prevalence that you want to see in the last two games. There's no question that there are a lot of problems when you have an under-500 record.

It's been a long time since we've talked about a Tar Heel team with a record like this. However, in Cole Anthony's absence, are there positives you see being drawn that could pay dividends down the stretch, specifically when you talk about Garrison Brooks and B-Rob being asked to take a step in their offensive game, maybe be more of the dominant scorers that they haven't been asked to be at any other juncture of their careers? I think you just do that on any team. When you lose a player of substance, or really of any player, but particularly when there's one that has a significant scoring capacity, you have to make up for the scoring.

And so players, regardless of what team, are asked to add a little bit more and to dig deep and to see what else you can do to help your team. I think Garrison has done a tremendous job of translating that and becoming a real force. He's now one of the best front-court players in the ACC. And to see him quieted in the last couple of games tells you just how hard it is for this team to reacclimate right now. I think that as far as Brandon Robinson goes, Brandon has done a much better job of growing into a more prominent role offensively. He's done a better job defensively. He used to be very prone to picking up defensive hand-check calls.

Those have been moderated a bit. But he's been fighting injury, and so finding consistency to get him back onto the court within a duration has been tough. But those two players, it's what you'd expect.

They're veterans. And I think with Garrison in his junior year and Brandon in his senior year, that's the time when you are able to lean on players, ask them to give more in productivity, yet within the team game, both those players have done it. Before we let you go, Eric, most people associate you with the Duke-North Carolina rivalry with the blood on your face, down the stretch of the game against the Blue Devils. That's the moment that's most associated with you. What moment sticks out to you within the rivalry when you think about what Duke-North Carolina means to you ahead of meeting number one Saturday? Well, I think for me it's, of course, the venues that you play in. It's the Smith Center.

It's Cameron. It's the students. It's the lines of the students that are waiting outside at both universities to get in to be in the front row of the student section, to be the ones to put on the body paint, to wear the stripes, to act crazy. And I think that that's what I recall so much about it. I think that the other thing is that, to me, the spirit of these two schools clash every time. And that's where, as players, we're a conduit for these kids who are now students at these universities. And they love it.

And it's something that they can get behind and we can get behind. So for me to pick one, I don't have one. If I did pick one, it would certainly be a Tar Heel victory.

But I think, for me, the experience is such a rich one that it's hard to pick out. I think that would actually be a disservice to the rivalry to try and pin it down on one memory in particular. Fair enough. I was sitting courtside last week at Cameron when Coach K had issue with what the Crazies said, pointed to them, and chastised the Crazies a little bit. And that was him having an issue with what the Crazies chanted at a former Duke player, who was, of course, Pittsburgh head coach, Jeff Caple. Is there anything that sticks out to you about what the Crazies may or may not have said to Eric Montras way back when, 25-plus years ago?

This is all, to me, I always think that it's great fun. I think that that rivalry is part of college sports, and it's a joy to be a part of it. I remember distinctly after the 92 game in Chapel Hill, we had won.

That was the game that I had been cut in a couple different places. And the next game at Cameron, there was a Blue Devil student that was dressed up in my jersey, and he was walking around, he was painted green, had a flattop, had bolts on the side of his head, and he was dressed up as Frankenstein, blood on his face, the whole deal. He was walking around with his arms out in front of him, and he's walking, kind of parading up and down the baseline in front of the basket where we're warming up.

Of course, everybody's having a big time with that, and I thought it was great. But then after the game, he came down towards the locker room area, and my dad was outside the locker room, and my dad's 6'8", 240. My dad was not thrilled with the fact this guy was making fun of his, quote, little boy. And so my dad bristled and was kind of saying, what do you want? And this guy just goes, just as quickly and as easily, he says, oh, but sir, I just want his autograph.

At which point, my dad says, come here, son, we can take care of that, and he brings him over to get an autograph. So I signed the guy's shirt after that all day, but it was, you know, I think that it's just, it's kind of the lifeblood of this rivalry. It brings out a wonderful spirit of college sports. We have been so, so, so lucky to have the caliber of teams, and even in years when it's not number one versus number two. And like you said, it's been a long time since Carolina has not been in a position where they've at least been ranked in this game, and vice versa. But for this year, for Carolina, I think a lot of players, a lot of people think, you know, what's going to happen in this game? And I have to tell you, as much as I could say, you could easily justify the fact that it would be, that the Blue Devils could come in and have their way in some cases. I think what we will see is, again, one of the great competitions in the country taking place, because this rivalry endures, and it gets through any kind of scenarios that you can throw at it.

It's just, it's bigger than the individual, it's bigger than the team, it is a ton of fun to be a part of, and we're really looking forward to it on Saturday. Eric, thank you for the insight, for the stories, and we look forward to seeing you on Saturday. Thanks for doing this. Yes, sir, you bet. Always enjoy being on your show. Thanks for having me.

You got it. That's Eric Montras. Fantastic stuff from him. The Tar Heel Great from the Tar Heel Sports Network.

A terrifically painted story. See, the crazies, they get pegged as being mean, but there's a fine line between being mean and being creative. Now, I'm sure NC State fans would immediately point to what happened with the player a few years ago, Tyler Lewis, with his grandmother, what did they know, what didn't they know, was it an entire crowd, was it just one person being an idiot, but what I love about the crazies, it seems the visiting team enjoys them as much as the crazies enjoy being a part of having one of the best environments of college basketball, and I think there's a fine line between being mean and being, I think, fun to play in front of. I always enjoy playing on the road versus playing home games, even in high school. Do you have any, especially the interactions that those guys have, do you have any favorite interactions between the crazies and certain players, or maybe teams?

Actually, it's not the teams, it's not the players. My favorite reactions or interactions are between the crazies and the referees. I love that.

The referees will come out, and I remember the last time, it was actually Mike Eads who was holding K back before he ended up walking over to the crazies at halftime last week. Before the game, one fan knew his name, he's like, hey Mike, hey Mike, hey Mike, and eventually he turned around and said, you guys are going to be nice to me today, right? And they start talking, and he lets one of the crazies hold the basketball before the timeout begins, and I remember Ted Valentine walking over, and somebody yelled at Ted, what's your name? And Ted turned around and said, don't Google me. So I thought that was fantastic. You are listening to WSJS Winston-Salem.