Duke Blue Devils Legend, Christian Laettner

Old Man Winter here. If I had it my way, it would stay winter all year long. Short days, wind chill, black ice, and a good polar vortex.

Heaven! Wait, is it getting warm in here? Your cold snap is over, Old Man Winter. Spring has arrived.

Spring. Spring is here, which means it's the perfect time to get away in the Hyundai you've always wanted. Visit the Hyundai Getaway Sales Event, where you can get great deals on all of our award-winning Hyundai models.

Like the tech-filled Tucson and Kona, as well as the spacious Palisade. Enjoy wherever you go with the peace of mind that comes with America's Best Warranty and 3 years or 36,000 miles of complimentary maintenance. But hurry in, these deals won't last. Add more joy to your journey at the Hyundai Getaway Sales Event. Now get 0% APR or up to 1,500 bonus cash on the Hyundai Tucson, now during the Hyundai Getaway Sales Event. Offers end soon.

Call 562-314-4603 for details. If you're the cooking queen in your house like I am, let me drop a kitchen hack that's been a total game changer for me. Primal Kitchen. I'm always on the go juggling a million things like work deadlines and school pickups, so finding time to eat right is tough. Primal Kitchen makes it super easy to whip up meals that check all the right boxes like honest ingredients I trust and delicious flavor. They have everything from unsweetened ketchup to barbecue sauce, avocado oil mayo you'll want to eat by the spoonful, and dressings that double as marinades. Genius, right? If you want to make quick, simple meals you can feel good feeding yourself and your family, trust me, Primal Kitchen has you covered.

You can find Primal Kitchen at Target, Walmart, or any of your local grocery stores, or you can save 20% off your entire online order with code PODCAST at checkout on primalkitchen.com. Alrighty, rocking and rolling, it is the Zach Gelb Show Coast to Coast on CBS Sports Radio this time of the year, you always see this guy's legendary shot, I think they'll never stop playing it, of course he is Christian Laitner, and he's brought to us today on behalf of DraftKings, and he's here to talk about the NCAA tournament, Christian, appreciate the time, thanks so much, and how are you? My pleasure, Zach, I'm doing great, I'm just getting over a cold, but doing great here in Florida. Well, we actually had Jamal Mashburn in studio last week, and we were talking about the whole moment up against Kentucky, the shot, Duke and Kentucky, and obviously a play that will live forever, all these years later, and you still see it replayed this time of the year over and over again, what's the memory for that iconic moment for you? The memory is, thank God Mashburn wasn't out there, he fouled out, and I know he regrets it, and he wished he could have, you know, maybe not fouled one or two times so he could be out there, but what a player he was, I think he was just a sophomore, you know, that year during that game, and he went on, and I played against him so many times in the NBA, just an unbelievable offensive player. Really hard to stop, and I loved every time I played against him. You know, the memories are just too many to mention, and the fact that it's on ESPN every March, and you know, the 30 for 30, I hate Christian later, and they talk about it in such depth, it just brings back great memories, I get goosebumps every time talking about it, thinking about it. I have to force myself not to watch the show, because I love the show so much.

You know, it's so weird, all these years later, this is something that everyone brings up to you, and you wonder if there's any new components or any untold stories. I saw Rich Pitino, Rick Pitino was on with part of my take, and Coach Pitino was basically saying the one regret he still has to this day is that right before his team went out onto the court, they said whatever you do, don't foul Leitner. How about them, because everyone talks about not having a guy on the ball, but them not really contesting the catch on that pass that was thrown to you. Well, that's just what a coach has to say that every coach if you put them in that scenario 1000 times. Every coach is going to say, don't follow the shot.

Because we don't want to lose with no time on the clock, and the kid can make free throws to win the game. So, he did not make a mistake in that regard. He might have made a little mistake by not having someone on Grant Hill to contest contest the past a little bit. And yes, the biggest mistake is like you said not contesting the catch.

If they would have had someone flying at the ball right before I caught it behind me in front of me, trying to distract me during the catch. You know that might have made a big difference but you can't blame them for saying, don't follow Leitner because you should say that any coach that's a decent coach has to say that in that scenario. Yeah, and he kind of thought because when he said that even though it's the right thing to say it made his players get a little timid in the moment and kind of get afraid to even be within like five feet of you or something like that.

Yes, and I, you know, it's, it's been 30 years and I, I coach nowadays, I've been coaching for the last 10 years and if I find my team or my players in that situation. The last thing I say to him is don't fall. But right before then I say, fly at the catch fly at the ball, try to distract the kid a little bit. If you can deflect it tip the pass.

It might have made the kids a little timid play, play the play a little softer than they should have, you know, but hindsight is 2020. And they think good they did get a little timid in that regard, worked out a okay for you guys in the Duke program Christian Leitner here with us. What are the iconic buzzer beaters that you really love, since you have such an iconic one you know I remember the Chris Jenkins shot for Villanova, a few years ago to take down UNC Jalen Suggs even though they didn't win it to put them in the national championship game, what are the moments for you that have really impressed you since a lot of people argue your buzzer beater and that moments number one on the list. Well the Jenkins one is incredible because that was for the national championship game right, if I remember correct. Yeah.

I mean that's got to be the biggest one. And when that happened I went on Twitter or x and immediately said something like I'm passing the crown to you and, and that got a little, a lot of feedback but since then I'm not on Twitter or x and all my try to stay away from that social media stuff and, you know, I think, NC State and Lorenzo Charles because that's like one of the first ones I remember when I was young so, but they're all incredible the kid from Valparaiso I don't remember his name but every one of them that you see is just incredible and that's what makes March Madness. So great. And that's why it's just going to be crazy starting today aren't the playing games today.

Yep. Later today, everything moves so fast starting today so I don't watch college basketball religiously, you know, nowadays, but from today moving forward I'm watching every day because the round of 32 and the round of 16 happens really quick. Christian Leitner here with us you know what it's like to win back to back championships, UConn, Jessica you guys did is trying to do that, and they have a better team here the second go around so I don't think anything phases them How about the pressure of trying to win back to back tournaments. Well, it is hard, I'll tell you that because everyone's gunning for you, you know, they're, they're going to give you their best game but I'm impressed with UConn and Danny Hurley, the fact that he gets some of his kids to stay, and he has some juniors and seniors on their team. In today's game where the transfer portal and NIL and people can leave and people can transfer and go to the NBA.

I'm impressed with the job that he does in terms of getting some of his kids to say to stay. Now the thing I like the best about UConn and the thing that I'm impressed the most with Danny Hurley and the job that he's doing there is how slow his team plays, and how simple and easy they make the game, they pass ahead. Everything is not just dribbling the ball, a million miles an hour. They simply pass the ball ahead they pass it down the court.

They slow down at the right times, they catch in face. I love the speed of their play, they're fast when they should be, and they slow down when they should be. I love the way they play, I love the way they play the game. I think right now, because you know this with how it is with one and done and the transfer portal and NIL, it's tough for players now to be the face of the sport. So forever in college basketball or at least the last 15-20 years it felt like Coach K was the coach of the sport. And now with him in retirement, it seems like Danny Hurley has taken over the sport getting that championship last year, and now being that polarizing person where, like you, 50% of the people love you and then 50% of the people hate you. Yeah, he's definitely become in the face of college basketball and that's what happens when you have so much success.

And not in my eyes, I love Tom Brady and I always wanted Tom Brady to win, and if Danny Hurley keeps doing good I'm going to want him to continue to win. Sometimes I pull for the winner, sometimes I pull for the underdog, but I'm just impressed with how he gets his team to play. I love watching them play. That Hurley family, they know some good basketball and it all starts with their dad, Bob Sr. And we know Bobby Jr. can play the game and coach the game, and it's good to see them continue to have success. One of some of my favorite memories, when I was at Temple and you had Bobby and Danny on the same staff I think for one season at URI, and I think URI and Temple was in the same conference, there was like no one at this Temple basketball game.

I love hearing those two guys on the sidelines. I say this in a respectful way too because I love this from coaches, man maniacs just yellers, and absolutely awesome to see both of those guys on the same staff all those years ago. You know basketball is a beautiful game when it's played the right way and coach the right way and sometimes I get worried about the fact that coaches don't stay somewhere for like five, 10 years so they can get their system established. And then we know the players don't stay anymore the players transfer or the players go to the NBA.

And I mean, even do they're just so young. I think back to how much better I was my junior and senior year compared to my freshman year, it takes time to get a system under your belt and to play the right way and it takes coaches staying in one institution for years and years and years, and the players got to stay also. And there's really no patience anymore, like I don't think john Shire is in any danger of losing his job, but you do have some that are like okay where's do basketball now going what are your thoughts on what john has been able to do the last two years since replacing coach guy. Well it's just the sign of the times and you know with everything being so quick and immediate on your phone and social media and people want results right away and, and if john Shire and Duke isn't doing great every game, you know people lose their patience I'm here to tell everyone to tell the world that it takes a while for your principles your philosophy the way you expect the game to be played offensively defensively.

It takes a while for it to get established, and that's why I don't love the transfer portal. I don't love when coaches leave and, and go to a different school and the kids transfer and go to the NBA too early and I wish people would would be a little more patient stick around and give the system a chance to work. So I don't fault the players for making money, right. But you always wonder when you're trying to make money and you're chasing that bag if you're chasing it for the right reasons to.

Well, the pros is for the, you're supposed to work hard and practice on the court more than anyone else, and put your blood sweat and tears on it so at the end of all that work you can get paid and make some money. So the NIL thing, man, it just changes everything, and the horses out of the barn a little bit and. And I don't know if they can walk it back and change things a little bit but the NIL is something that has to be handled the right way. And, I mean, even I would be pursuing different things.

If, if I was in college now and millions of dollars are coming in through NIL, I mean it just changes the whole picture. Wrapping up with Christian Laitner who joins us today on behalf of DraftKings and he's here to talk about the NCAA tournament. How about Kyle Filipowski what have been your impressions of Duke's big man.

He's a player he's another kid that I hope he stays at Duke another year I don't know if that's going to happen. You know, I just filled out my bracket and I'm sorry to say I don't have to go to the final four. I was just on another show and the and the guy, you know pointed out that Christian you picked all number one seed so I have you can Houston Carolina and Purdue going to the final for Duke's gonna run across Houston and I think Houston's gonna be playing with a vengeance because they got beat in their conference this past weekend. Houston also got out of the tournament last year a little early so I really like Houston they play hard they're very well coached they're great on the defensive end. And I'm picking Houston to win it all. And the reason is because when I was a junior I lost in my conference championship against Carolina we lost by 20 points. But then we went on and won six games in a row and we're able to get our first championship my junior year. So I'm taking Houston to win it all this year. Last two things I'll ask you we started off with the shot and how everyone keeps on talking about that are you surprised still all these years later, how many people talk about Isaiah Thomas, not getting on the dream team because that pops up at least a few times every year and a lot of times it's coming from Isaiah. No, I'm not surprised about it but that's because there's a lot of forums and a lot of platforms where people have to have stuff to talk about.

Everyone has a podcast that everyone has a show and they got to talk about something and there's just so many subjects, and it's not a bad subject to talk about. I was only lucky and blessed enough to be on that dream team because they chose to have one college player on the team. If it was reversed and they would have had a 12th NBA player, I'm sure Isaiah would have been on that team, or someone else. Well Christian hey we appreciate the time thanks so much for doing this once again Christian later is here today on behalf of draft kings Christian thanks a bunch. Thanks a lot I appreciate it. We'll see you next time.

celebrate and save at Ashley's anniversary sale with hot buys your choice of colors starting at just 399 Ashley sleep mattresses starting at 250 plus receive a free adjustable base with select mattress purchases and shop top mattress brands like Stearns and Foster Tempur-Pedic purple and Beautyrest black with 60 months special financing only at Ashley subject to credit approval no minimum purchase required minimum monthly payment down payment tax and delivery may be required see store for details. For the past 20 years you've enjoyed the refreshing tropical lime flavor of Mountain Dew Baja Blast. So in celebration of this milestone, we're bringing Baja Blast in stores nationwide and for a limited time with every purchase of Baja Blast, you can collect coins for a chance to get Baja Gear or a Taco Bell deal. 2024 is the year of Baja Blast in stores now no purchase necessary open to US residents 18 plus subject to official rules at Baja Blast.com and 61524 void where prohibited.