Can the Warriors Make a Deep Playoff Run? (Hour 1)

Live from the play show yet not overly ostentatious Convention Center, it's the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in beautiful San Antonio. This is day number two of Westwood One's coverage of the Final Four on Westwood One's Radio Row. Zach Gelb here with you for the Zach Gelb show on the Infinity Sports Network as we are broadcasting to you live once again from San Antonio across all the great local Infinity Sports Network affiliates, Sirius XM Channel 375, the free Odyssey app and as always streaming live.

on YouTube. We have a jam-packed show for you today. Some awesome guests joining us. Jason Horowitz, who is the voice of the Raiders and also is a part of Westwood One's coverage of the NCAA tournament. He's going to join us coming on in live in 20 minutes from now. Dana Altman, that men's head basketball coach at Oregon.

We'll stop by 40 minutes from now. Jake Deebler, who is the head coach at Ohio State will join us at the top of hour number two. Chris Mack, who's now at the College of Charleston, formerly of Louisville, and Xavier will join us at 3.40 p.m. Central. And then we'll be joined in the final hour of the show by the head basketball coach at Alabama. And that, of course, is Nate Oates. And Nate Oates, by the way, has coached against all four schools that are in the Final Four.

So he knows what it's like to go up against Auburn, Florida, Duke and Houston. And clearly they had another successful season, did not go as far as they wanted to go going to the Final Four a year ago. But this time around, they ended up just getting smacked on that Saturday night by Duke. And that's something that still stuns me because I thought that was going to be the game of the NCAA tournament. But it was quite the opposite of that.

It was a big stinker and it was a big dud. So we'll figure out what the heck happened there. Stewart, I had a good night last night, by the way. If you were wondering, on the road with Stewart Kovacs this week in San Antonio, we got invited to like this media party, but there wasn't a lot of media there. If I'm just being honest, And Stu and I had a few drinks. We had some fajitas. They also had some... What was it?

The bacon? What was it wrapped in? It was chicken that was like bacon wrapped, basically. With some kind of sauce that was really good. I don't know what it was.

It was like a spicy chipotle sauce or something like that. And then they had baked mac and cheese bites, which were absolutely to die for. And then Stu and I, we needed to get some cardio in because we were both sitting around. We're like, oh, we got no steps here. And we did the Riverwalk again. So here's the latest update on the Riverwalk. Yesterday I led the show saying, a little bit overrated.

You know, didn't think it was that good from what everyone tells me. Oh, you gotta go to the Riverwalk. Oh, you gotta go to the Riverwalk. Well, last night, Stu and I got a nice adult beverage. And we had a long walk down the Riverwalk. And it was a little bit better. I'm not gonna sit here and tell you that the Riverwalk is the greatest thing that I've ever encountered.

But it was slightly better than the way that I remembered it when we got on the air yesterday. From our Wednesday night escapade. I also, I am now staying through the weekend, which I was not planning on staying. I was going to be joining Stu on Saturday morning on a plane ride tomorrow. But then I was asked by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. They do a yearly award ceremony and they do a breakfast on Sunday. They said, can you emcee the event? So I said, of course I could emcee the event.

So then the people here that are in charge of booking my travel and my hotels had to scurry behind the scenes to get me more days at the hotel and get me a brand new flight as well. So I appreciate the folks at the National Association of Basketball Coaches for asking me to emcee their luncheon on Sunday morning. And I appreciate them getting me in the building as well for tomorrow's final four games.

The Masters is on top of my list and something that I have never been to. But I have never physically been to a final four game. And I guess that there's a year that you're going to go, even though I do not like watching basketball in football stadiums.

But I guess I got good seats from the NABC. So if there's going to be a year that you go to the final four, when you have four number one seeds, I think you're going to get a sensational game between Auburn and Florida. I don't know how good of a game Duke and Houston is going to be. I do lean Duke. I'll give you a pick against the spread coming up later. And I do think Duke is going to win the game.

I just don't know how close the game's going to be. But Calvin Sampson has been unbelievable. He has been tremendous at what he's been able to do at Houston. You know, I wouldn't call it a dynasty. Because I don't think it's safe to say in what we do, if you don't win a national championship, you don't have multiple national championships. It's tough to say that that is a dynasty. But with what he's done at Houston, whether it's the American Athletic Conference, or it's the Big 12, to be able to have this consistency and be able to continuously go far in the NCAA tournament and take Houston to new heights in this new era of name, image and likeness and the transfer portal. Hats off to Calvin Sampson, what he's been able to do. But I just think as Alabama got a rude awakening, that Duke is just a different juggernaut. And Duke is just at a different level right now. So that's kind of the lay of the land from here at the Final Four.

Two other storylines. So Stu and I last night, we actually were walking back to the hotel. We got off the Riverwalk. And I said to Stu, you know, this hotel that I pointed out is where all the coaches are saying.

So I'm like, let's just walk in and see if anyone stops us. And we'll sit down at the bar and we'll have another drink. If you can't tell, Stu and I have been doing a lot of drinking on this trip. Right, Stu? You need some more water. Stu is like slouched over here at Radio Row.

He's like SpongeBob and Sandy. I need water! Water!

So someone gets Stu some high quality H2O. So Stu and I sat down. We had a drink last night, which was another drink last night at the hotel. It was like a who's who's of college basketball coaches.

So pretty fun. And Stu's Lakers were on last night. And that's where the fun stopped for Stuart Kovacs.

Because what the heck? Your Lakers going up against Golden State, not that NBA regular season is a big deal. But it is a nice litmus test kind of for where the Lakers are at. And you look at what the Warriors did. I think this speaks more to saying that the Lakers have limitations where when you look at the Golden State Warriors, Stu. I believe this Golden State team, if you get Steph Curry playing the way that Steph Curry has played in the last two games, 52 up against the Memphis Grizzlies, 37 up against the Lakers, plus the defense, even though I can't stand the guy of Draymond Green. That team, I think, is more equipped to go on a deeper run this year if you were to just pin up the Lakers up against the Golden State Warriors. Or I'm saying the Golden State Warriors are more equipped to go on the longer run.

Yeah. And when they made that trade for Jimmy Butler before they were rumored to get Jimmy Butler, I was kind of like, ah, doesn't really do anything for me. I don't think they're a contender. I don't think it really puts them over the top, puts them in the finals conversation.

But I've been wrong. They seem to be a totally different team since that trade. And yeah, they're right there. They have a chance to make it pretty far, I think. I look at the Western Conference, and if I just gave you a few thoughts on the teams that are in contention. Oklahoma City, there should be no reason to doubt them, especially when now at the end of the season, they're on an 11-game win streak. They've been the best team in the league all year long. They're 64-12.

But there is a yeah, but with Oklahoma City. They have been phenomenal this year, but can they put it together in the postseason and not just win a round or two? Can they win three to get to the NBA Finals? I think they can. And I'm not going to sit here, and I'm not going to doubt them. There's a reason why they have 64 wins, and it's not like they're falling off at the end of the season.

They're now soaring, where it's okay. You're at 64 wins, and you're still a part of an 11-game win streak right now. So Oklahoma City, to me, is the preeminent team in the Western Conference. Now, after that, Houston, I think, is the team that you have some skepticism about. Where you know Imea Doka is a phenomenal coach, I just don't think Houston is ready yet. Denver is the second best team in my estimation in the Western Conference, and they get the benefit of the doubt because you have Nicole Jokic.

As long as Jamal Murray is healthy, you have Jamal Murray. We know that one-two punch together has won a championship. And just as long as Russell Westbrook doesn't want to mess up a game at the end of the game, that's a team that if it's not Oklahoma City, I'm going to then put my money on the Denver Nuggets. But after that, since I'm not putting Houston as that second team, you look at a team like the Lakers, I do think that the farthest the Lakers could go is to the Conference Finals, and it depends on the draw.

And I do believe you could see something that happened a few years ago where they surprisingly find themselves in a place that they shouldn't be in. And then you see that their limitation, and they hit an apex like what they did two years ago, I believe it was, up against the Denver Nuggets, where some of those games were great, but they ended up getting swept in the Western Conference Finals. The Grizzlies, I will not root for them, I will not believe in them, and I think they are trending in the wrong direction, three and seven in their last ten. And they also fired Taylor Jenkins, who, they've been a top three team in the Western Conference for most of the year, and now they're starting to fall. And I think that's a team that that move shows that there are bigger issues there, and their season's not going to go where maybe they thought it could go earlier in the year.

Minnesota, Minnesota the chemistry has been lacking this year. They were a phenomenal story, they made a big move this year, they got rid of Towns, you bring in Julius Randle, you bring in Dante DiVincenzo, and they've been fine. They've been good, but it hasn't clicked to the level that we thought it would with the Minnesota Timberwolves, and then after that all these other teams to me are relevant, I'm not putting any stock in the Los Angeles Clippers, the Sacramento Kings, or the Dallas Mavericks. The way I look at it in the Western Conference, if you say Zach, you get three guesses right now on the fourth day of April in the year of 2025, ten minutes past two o'clock here in the Central Time Zone in San Antonio, if you get three guesses on who's going to go to the NBA Finals out of the Western Conference, I think it's OKC number one, then I would say the Denver Nuggets two, and then I would actually go with the Golden State Warriors at three to like Stu's point, and what Stu said, that move of getting Jimmy Butler just gave that team hope again. We knew they were good, but we knew they had limitations, and you thought they were wasting Steph Curry, you know Draymond could be a ticking time bomb even though he's a tremendous player, having Jimmy Butler there, I guess you could say made them find the fountain of youth a little bit. Now I don't know how long it's going to last, I do not know how long this group together as a core is going to be able to be a team that we can look at and say, oh maybe they're going to an NBA Finals, but I think they're more than capable of it this year, so OKC to me is the best team in the West, then it's the Denver Nuggets, and then it's followed up by the Golden State Warriors, those are the three teams I would say have the best chance to get to the NBA Finals out of the Western Conference. Now, let's move it forward and get to Colorado who their pro day is wrapping on up, before we do that, Werner is the official ladder of the NCAA March Madness and the official ladder of construction professionals everywhere.

Conquer New Heights with Werner available nationally at the Home Depot. So, let's hear a little bit from Coach Prime as he did meet with the media earlier today before you had Shadore Sanders and Travis Hunter with the Colorado Pro Day, a lot of NFL personnel in Boulder, Colorado to go talk to Shadore Sanders, to go talk to Travis Hunter as well, this is Coach Prime on his meeting with the Cleveland Browns owner in Jimmy Haslam. It was pleasant, it was charming, it was engaging, and it was cool, it was alright, he's a good guy, and I like him, I like him. I think one of those guys is going to be there. I love the way that he said that, it would be like, Stu, what would you kind of think about Coach Prime, what would you kind of think about just the idea of Stuart Kovacs, like if I got a chance to meet him, and if I just said, yeah he's fine, he's a cool cat, he's good, it's not really convincing Stu, is what I'm saying. It's almost like Coach Prime is like, I don't need to like Jimmy Haslam, I don't need to think he is phenomenal, but what he said at the end is the truthful part, that in all likelihood, probably Travis Hunter or Shadore Sanders are going to wind up in Cleveland. And that's the question to me, who is more likely to wind up in Cleveland, could it be Abdul Carter? Yes, I guess there is a chance that it could be Abdul Carter, but I do really believe that the number one pick of the draft is going to be Cam Ward. And then when it comes to the second overall pick of the draft, I'm going to sit here today Stu, and I'm going to say it's Travis Hunter still. I think they should take Shadore, I don't think they will right now. You can make the case for Abdul Carter, I know we've talked about this non-stop, but for you, when you look at the Browns at two, where are you at on this never-ending on what you think is going to happen with Cleveland? So I don't think it will be Shadore, I think it is between Carter and Hunter, I'm kind of with you, I think it's going to be Hunter at this point, I don't think it's going to be Carter, I probably would go Carter, just have that double edge rush with him and Garrett, but I think Hunter is the most likely option there.

Okay, and I think that's the way that Coach Prime kind of thinking about it too, because one of those two guys are going to wind up, in my opinion, in Cleveland, and that's why I'm leaning right now with it being Travis Hunter, because I don't think they're going quarterback. Here is Coach Prime and the potential of Shadore Sanders actually to the Saints, remember this has been kind of speculated, I think it was Field Yates who had Shadore Sanders fall in a bit. Coach, could you speak to the possibility of Shadore being coached by Kellen Moore, who is Coach Dak Prescott, Justin Herbert and recently. Say it again. Speak to the possibility of Shadore being coached.

Where is that? The what? The Saints? Yes sir. I like the colors.

I like the colors, I like the city, I like the food, I like the people, I like the possibility. I kind of wish he would have said Shadore wouldn't be available then. Now, those answers, Stu, where he's like, oh I like the colors, and I like the people, and I like the city, I think that was Coach Prime's way of nicely saying, you know, fun spot, good spot, but if Shadore is still there at 9, something really happened wrong in this process.

Yeah, it wasn't the most ringing endorsement, and it might be like what you said, just the idea that he probably doesn't want him to be available to the Saints unless they trade up, which I don't know if that's a possibility or not, but yeah, when you start talking about the colors of the team and the food, that's eh. So we're in agreement here, Cam Ward won to Tennessee, right? Yes, definitely.

Then with the second overall pick of the draft, we're both said that it's going to be Travis Hunter, 2 to the Cleveland Browns. Yes. Giants on the clock at 3, is it Shadore? I think it's Shadore. You still do?

I do, yes. Even with all the stuff the other day, because we put so much stock in Schefter, at first saying, hey, the Cleveland Browns are going to take a quarterback with their first round selection. Then he walked it back. Now Shefty the other day coming out and saying it's starting to feel like the Cleveland Browns are going to pass on a quarterback, it's starting to feel like the New York Giants are going to pass on a quarterback. That doesn't change your mind process and your thought process on this at all.

Not right now, no. And I think the signing of the two veterans, I don't think that really impacts it as much. I still think, assuming the Browns don't take him, he's there at 3, I think the Giants take him.

I'm with you. I think that's what the first three picks of the draft are going to be. I think it's Cam Ward 1, then either Travis Hunter or Abdul Carter 2. I do think the Browns are going to go with the dual threat star in Travis Hunter at 2. And then it's going to be the New York Giants with Shadore Sanders at 3. And that's the other thing. I just don't understand people that are saying, Russell Wilson is getting 20 plus million and Jameis Winston got a very small contract so now we can't sit here and the Giants can't go take Shadore Sanders at 3. That just doesn't make sense to me.

What so ever. So we have the Colorado Pro Day wrap up, that's where I'm at currently. I think it's a cool storyline. I think it would be fun to see Travis Hunter and Shadore Sanders follow one another. The way I look back at it, Shadore Sanders was the MVP of the Colorado football program this past year and then Travis Hunter was their best player and we know he ended up winning the Heisman Trophy. And with what happened with both of them at Jackson State and then Colorado, I think they're going to follow each other in the order of the NFL Draft and it's a fun storyline with the Cleveland Browns with the second overall pick in the draft taking Travis Hunter.

And then with the third overall pick, it is going to be Shadore Sanders. Alright we'll take a timeout live from Radio Row in San Antonio for Westwood One's Radio Row. Coverage of the final four as the road does end here in San Antonio. We'll take a break and we'll come on back after these short messages. You're listening to the Zach Gelb Show. Alrighty, welcome back in. This is Zach Gelb Show from Westwood One's Radio Row, San Antonio for the final four. Now joining us, just retired from Florida State after a legendary run.

He of course is Leonard Hamilton here with us. Coach, first and foremost, congratulations and thanks for stopping on by. Well thanks Zach.

Thank you guys for having me. So now that you're away from the game, what has it been like just the last few weeks processing how this has finally come to a close? Well I haven't quite gotten away from the game yet. It's still a little early.

We're still doing some cleanup. Obviously when you have youngsters that you've dealt with over the years, not only ones that you presently deal with, but the ones back before, they all need guidance. You've got those relationships where they're trying to make changes in their life and they all want to talk to you about the decisions that they make. So I'm not really sure how I'll ever get away from the game that much, but maybe I'll be able to spend a little more time at home and a little more time relaxing. Well here's the bottom line. You're going to coach until you're no longer on the earth. You may not be looking at the scoreboard and seeing the time tick away and things like that because the relationships you develop in this game, they literally last forever.

No doubt about that. People always tell parents, you think it's a four year decision that you're making, but it's really a 40 and 50 year decision. Some of my fondest memories is when they call you on Christmas and when I'm with you, Merry Christmas. They call you on Father's Day, your birthday. They want you to meet their fiancés. They want you to be there for those special occasions.

They want you to meet their kids. In my last game, Solomon Ollibee brought his whole family from Seattle. Sam Bowie came back from Kentucky, him and Dirk Minnifield. I had a group, about nine of the players that I played with at University of Tennessee at Martin, and I was the first black player there.

That was 1968 when I went there and I had a whole team of guys standing there on the baseline with me enjoying my last game. This shows a little bit about the relationships and how meaningful they are when you go through college sports like basketball. What is it like for some people that worked under you and you've been able to mentor and now see them go on and have success in the college basketball world? Well, it's so gratifying when you see Dennis Gates, you see Andy Enfield, Bill Self, guys who are hard when they were really young. And to see how well they've done in the business and how successful they are mentoring kids and winning games and having successful careers, it really warms your heart when you see that. Leonard Hamilton here with us.

I would refer to you as a basketball lifer. We've seen a lot of legendary coaches the last few years hang them up, whether it's Coach K, Roy Williams. I thought it was a little early for Jay Wright, but the NIL and the Trance Report and all that stuff plays a factor into it. We just saw what happened with Tony Bennett as well.

What has the last few years been like in this new era and this new wave just adjusting to what has become NIL and the Trance Report? Well, there's no doubt that it's different. I've always tried to be careful not to voice my opinion because that's a little controversial. And some people misuse your words and misinterpret what you mean. And it comes across like, I'm not interested in kids getting compensated. That's not the case.

I have more questions than I have answers. I would like to know, now that we came up with these rules and regulations to govern this new era we're in, what were the plans of how we're supposed to deal with this? I'm sure that the framers of the situation had experts, psychologists to understand the effect that this scenario would have on kids.

I'm sure they had statistical analysis to be able to predict what would be going on as a result of these changes. Why we didn't need more rules and guidelines to govern how to manage ourselves doing this and not just in the present state we are now. For instance, in our society, we have an organized society. We have rules and regulations that govern how we live. There's no rules in this system, I'll tell you that. In other words, you can't work for your radio station today in the Crosstown rivalry tomorrow.

You can't play for the Lakers on Monday and the Clippers on Tuesday. You can't be the president of NYU and then the next day be the president of Columbia. But in college sports, you know, you can go to school, take your NIL money, find out that the kid that you thought, the kid that you didn't know was better than you, register and transfer in January and be somewhere else, receiving someone else's NIL. In other words, the way this thing is set up now in the portal that you have so many kids making decisions, emotional decisions.

For instance, if I'm going to die, it doesn't do me any good if you've got chocolate cake in front of me every day. Now, look at this. If 3,000 basketball players put their name in the portal, the statistics, I believe, are somewhere close to 40%. 40% of them will not even get an offer.

Okay. Of that 40%, which is probably if it's 3,000, probably be like 1.2, a million and two kids. I mean, a thousand and two kids that didn't pick up a scholarship. Multiple at a time, five, that's about 6,000 kids, of which 85% of them are black. So you're going to have that number of kids without a scholarship, without an education, and then you fast forward 10 years from now, then what are those guys doing with their lives?

Because they went after the pie in the sky. Realistically, there has to be some type of organization that don't put guys in those situations, to put themselves in a negative situation. And a few years ago, we didn't even let people play in the NCAA tournament who didn't graduate their players.

Now, you haven't heard anybody say anything about graduating lately. Because it's all about money. And this is what I struggle with.

So I'm for transfer portal, I'm for named image and likeness, but there's no rules really in it. And it is the Wild Wild West, and I kind of look at it as you're going to have kids that are going to make decisions, right? Like any kid that goes to college, and that decision could be a decision based off money, it could be a decision based off playing time, or maybe just a school isn't a fit.

I don't know if kids are making the right decision when they move anymore, and that's the part where I think they get burned. See, that's your opinion. I'm dealing with facts. The facts say that close to 40% of those kids will not get scholarship. See, that way it takes me out of me disagreeing with you on my opinion, vice versa. See, and I think what happens is we all have opinions, but we got to back them up.

In fact, the fact is that academically, it's compromising our principles. Now, I was in Miami for 10 years, I had three kids not graduate. I'm in Florida State for 23 years, I had five kids.

So in 33 years, I've only had five kids not graduate who stayed with me for four years. So getting your education means a lot to me. I think that's what our job is supposed to be. But right now, it's like raising your kids in the open refrigerator, they see Snickers and almond jars and candies and cakes and ice cream, and you tell them don't touch the open refrigerator. And we're putting these things in front of these guys for them to be tempted to make these decisions. And I'm just confused as to how are we supposed to navigate through this when statistically, forget my opinion, the statistics say it's something flawed, but we won't have that discussion.

So let me ask you this. If you could make one change to the system, Lando Hamilton, what would that change be? What would you, if they say you could do one thing to this system that we have going on right now, what would be the first thing that you said? The first thing I would do is bring everybody to the table, the guys who are in the trenches, so we can have a discussion with people who live it, walk it and feel it. I don't know who has been a part of these decisions. I would be curious to find out how many coaches, how many psychologists was in the room, what statistical analysis did they do on making these decisions? I mean, how did we come to this conclusion? I mean, who advised them and who were in the room? Were they guys who work in this era every day or somebody who you put on the committee who showed up and went into the room and thought things through and they balance some things around and came up with, I don't know how these decisions were made. I like to come up with a more transparent way of how we make these decisions because when you look back at the history of college sports, there's always been rules put in and then after three or four years, sometimes they change them back. So what I'm saying to you, we have some history with that.

So I think the decision-making process needs a little more work. Last thing I'll ask you, Leonard Hamilton, longtime coach at Florida State, now off into this next chapter where we know he's really not going to be leaving the game. When you look at the games coming up on Saturday, what stands out to you when you look at Auburn and Florida and then Duke and Houston?

What I've seen with these guys, the kids play with a lot of passion. They're well coached and they play in the games the right way. Duke plays defense and they share the ball.

So does Auburn. It's not one man gets the ball and Iso take nine dribbles and make a tough shot. These teams are really playing good basketball and I think it's going to be fun to watch because they're going to play hard, they play with passion, they move the ball, they make the extra pass, they create for each other. And I'm looking forward to it because as I watch the game as a coach, you're analyzing and these guys play basketball the way it's supposed to be played.

Mr. Naismith will be very proud to watch this final four. You could be the commissioner of college basketball for being honest. That could be the next chapter for you. You'd be good. Be a good, authoritative voice on all this stuff with all these manners.

I got a lot of things I'm thinking about. I want to do some ministry. I think I want to do some educational pieces.

I want to do some affordable housing. I want to do something to give back because I had so many people help me along the way and I wouldn't be where I am without somebody doing something to help me so I'm all in. He's Coach Leonard Hamilton. Coach, we always appreciate it. Let's send it back to our New York City headquarters and say goodbye with the latest Sports Flash. Here he is, Marco Belletti. You're listening to the Zach Gelb Show.

The 2027 X-15 engine from Cummins featuring better fuel efficiency, immense power, and backed by 25 plus years of experience, the 2027 X-15 is built to rise above the challenges of tomorrow, the X-15 forever rising. Also, the Zach Gelb Show on Westwood One's Radio Row for the Final Four is brought to you by Werner, the official ladder of NCAA March Madness and the official ladder of construction professionals everywhere. Conquer New Heights with Werner available nationally at Lowe's and now joining us on the Zach Gelb Show on the Infinity Sports Network live in San Antonio is the head basketball coach at Oregon and that, of course, is Dana Altman. Coach, appreciate the time. Thanks for doing this.

No problem. It's great to be in San Antonio. It's great to have you on set live with us. So, going into the Big Ten, right, that's been a big topic of conversation with all the conference changes and it doesn't make sense from a geography standpoint, but we know it's money driven and I get it. Football drives the train and I love Dan Lanning, I love the Oregon program for football, but for you guys, how did you think it was the adjustment going through it now for a year? You know, it was exciting.

Changes is good at 14 years that we spent as coaches in the old Pac-10, Pac-12. Moving to the Big Ten, you know, provided some challenges, but it was exciting for our fans. I think our players enjoyed it.

We had some long trips, but fortunately the school was very supportive in our travel and so the trips didn't seem that bad. We were playing in a lot of new environments, which was fun for our players. So, the move was good. The move was good and I think our players enjoyed it. Our fans enjoyed, you know, new teams coming into Eugene, Oregon to play.

So, the move overall I think was very good. Dana Altman here with us. You look back at your season, right, you guys were right in at the end up against Arizona. I know I probably shouldn't tell you this, I had you guys in the betting world, so I was hoping you guys would pull it out there at the end. But you guys beat Liberty and then it just doesn't go down for you guys late up against Arizona. How do you look at that two game run in the NCAA tournament?

Well, I'm really disappointed. We shot free throws great all year. We went 12 for 22 and if you had money on the game, you're probably one of those ones that was screaming at the TV. Just a little bit.

Besides me. Again, we had shot free throws well all year. Best free throw shooting team we had in 11 years. For whatever reason, we didn't shoot them well that night.

It cost us. Arizona shot them well. Love had a good game. But we needed those free throws and 12 for 22 at that time of year is not going to get it done. You know, it's weird because we knew about the conference changes, but then when you see Arizona play Oregon, you go, oh, it's a Pac-12 match, and you're like, oh, well, the Pac-12 is really no longer. Those adjustments, was there still some familiarity with Arizona just because of all those years in the Pac-12 or did it look totally different?

No, it was familiar. We had played them 27 times in the 14 years we were together in the Pac-12. We were 15 and 12 against them, so our guys went into the game.

In the last game we had last year in the Pac-12 tournament, we beat them. So our guys went in pretty confident. We knew their guards. Bradley was back. KJ Lewis was back.

Love was back. So we knew their players. We were fairly confident going into the game and started off great. But, again, the free throws from defensive transition that we just gave them baskets on really hurt us. But it felt like a Pac-12 game. We were playing them in Seattle, so it felt like a Pac-12 game. Are there still rivalries, in your opinion, with all the changes in college basketball?

Because you mentioned Arizona. It's like, oh, that felt like a rivalry game still for you guys. Well, when we went to Oregon 15 years ago, Arizona and UCLA were at the top of the league, so obviously we picked them as the team we got to go get. UCLA is still in the league, so we feel like we've got a rivalry with them. Arizona was a team that we look forward to playing every year. Their crowds are great. They've got a lot of tradition.

Luke Olson built that thing, and Sean did a great job. So we always felt like we had a rivalry with them. Washington is kind of a rival, but they're still in the Big Ten. So I think we've been able to maintain those rivalries. It'll be a little different trying to establish some rivalries with the schools out east because their fans won't feel the same because they're not going to be able to come to our venue. Our fans can't go to Ohio State on a Wednesday night to see a game, so you won't have the same types.

I think in football they might because you've got Saturday games, you're traveling one or two games, so you can go see some different venues. But in basketball, it's different when you're playing ten road games in a conference season. I went back, as Dana Altman is here with us, the head men's basketball coach with the Ducks of Oregon, and I looked back at your Elite Eight game in 2017, and I saw the interview you gave when you guys punched that ticket to the Final Four. And you were very calm. That's such a big moment.

I know you're excited. Jay Wright, we've seen him win a national championship at the buzzer, and it was almost just a state of shock that overtook his body. What do you remember from that night punching the ticket to the Final Four? Well, I haven't seen the interview, but if I was calm, it was... You looked relaxed.

No, I wasn't. We had to play Kansas in Kansas City. That's what you strive for as a coach. You want to go to the Final Four. You want to win a national title, but to do that you've got to get to the Final Four.

That's a goal, I think, of anybody who enters college basketball, and ever since you've tried to get back. We've been to a couple other Sweet 16s since then, but if we're going to get back to the Final Four, you've got to get to that Sweet 16 and hope for some good things. We beat Michigan by one, and then we had to play Kansas in Kansas City, and we shot the heck out of it that night.

Tyler Dorsey hit like five threes, and so we were able to advance, and then lose a heartbreaker to North Carolina by one. So, it's what every coach, I think, when you get into college coaching or Division One, you're like Final Four is always a goal, and I was really excited. My family was excited. It was a great night, and to do it...

I spent seven years at Kansas State, so to get Kansas was a little extra special. For you, is coaching with NIL and the transfer portal, and I get it, Oregon has money, but is it still fun? Do you still go to work every day and you're having fun?

You can see yourself keep on doing this? Well, the one thing that hasn't changed is I love practice. I love starting in September, October, and building a team, and see what we can put together. Going to practice throughout the year and spending time with the fellows, it keeps you young. It keeps you energized. That hasn't changed. The games are tough.

They're no fun. And some of the stuff has changed our job a little bit, but my hobby is my job. If I wasn't coaching basketball... What would you be doing? I was in college basketball every night anyway. Now I can pretend it's my job, but I'd have probably got into business. I went and got a Master's in Business Administration, an MBA.

But it wasn't the same. I started my career coaching junior college ball, so I didn't get into it to go into Division I. I wanted to coach JUCO ball, and that's where I played. I played Division II, and I wasn't right on the bench. I was at a Division II school, so my thoughts were never about getting into Division I or anything like that. I just wanted to coach, and I got some good players that set my career a different direction. But no, I don't think anybody gets into coaching thinking, I'm going to do this or that. I love going to the gym at 3 o'clock, and it's what I wanted to keep doing. So when you see a Roy Williams or a Coach K walk away, Jim Boeheim, it's time.

I get it. But when a Jay Wright walks away or a Tony Bennett walks away, I go, ooh, that's a little bit early. For you, how much longer do you think you could see yourself continuing to coach?

I don't know. I'm turning 67 here quickly. I don't know how much longer Oregon wants me to coach, but that'll be part of it.

As long as my health and my family's health, all my kids moved out to Eugene, so we got our whole family there in Oregon. That helps. But I want to coach. I got a lot of years left on my contract. So until the university tells me it's time or my health or the fellows on the team just say, Coach, we want somebody new. I want to coach.

I love going to work. Is Oregon definitely the last stop for you? Absolutely. No, no. Mr. Knight, Mr. Kilkenny, the two guys that basically hired me, I told them a long time ago, as long as you want me to coach, I'll be here, but I'm not going anywhere else. Oregon's been great to me and my family. I have no thoughts of ever going anywhere else. I love it out there. I think we have a chance to win a national title.

So I definitely wouldn't even entertain the thought of going anywhere else. Last one for Dana Altman. You look at the games coming up on Saturday. You got four number one seeds. You got Auburn and Florida. I think that's going to be just a slugfest. And then you got two really good coaches with Kelvin Sampson leading the way for Houston, going up against John Shire.

What stands out to you on Saturday? Well, personally, I'm kind of pulling for the old guys. I've known Kelvin for a lot of years. It's their time.

And Bruce for a lot of years. I don't know the young guys nearly as well. So I'm kind of pulling for the old guys. But Kelvin and Houston, that's a tough game. Duke's got great positional size.

They're big at every position. But Houston is really tough. That's going to be a great game. And then you got two Southeast Conference teams playing each other again. So Auburn and Florida will be a great game. It's four number one seeds. It's going to be a great tournament.

But personally, I'm pulling for the old guys. I hope they do well. Well, Coach, we appreciate you coming on. Thanks so much. You bet.

Thank you. There he is, Dana Altman, the head men's basketball coach at Oregon, kind enough to join us for a few minutes on Radio Road. Good chat there about his future and also all the things going on with the conference changes and also name, image, and likeness and the transfer portal. You know, every time you come here to a Final Four now in this new era, and I wonder when that goes away, because like, you know, the storylines with Auburn and Florida and Duke and Houston, and there's always a bigger picture storyline that's away from these games. Sometimes it's in the coaching world with a big move and a big domino that does fall. But really the last two to three years, it's been conference changes and also name, image, and likeness. And you start to wonder when that will potentially fade away and when we will get back to just talking about this is the system in college basketball.

Take a break. Jason Horowitz is going to join us on the other side. We'll talk some Raiders. We'll talk some Final Four with the man that does a great job as the play-by-play voice of the Raiders and also does a great job broadcasting for Westwood One. Coming on back.