Hour one features former LSU head coach John Brady, who joins the show to discuss the hiring of Will Wade and what he expects in Wade’s second stint in Baton Rouge. The Advocate’s Reed Darcey also joins to break down who LSU women’s basketball could target in the transfer portal in the coming weeks. Brandon Murray, who played for Wade at both LSU and McNeese, rounds out hour one, sharing insight on the Wade hire and what makes him such a strong coach. In hour two, Glen West of Geaux247 joins the show to talk LSU spring football and the challenge ahead for Wade as he begins a full roster rebuild. West also offers predictions on potential additions Wade could pursue. WBRZ-2 Sports Director Michael Cauble closes out the show, discussing key takeaways from spring football practice and the hiring of Will Wade.
Tiger Rag Radio dives into LSU’s biggest week yet.
John Brady breaks down Will Wade’s return, Reed Darcey maps Kim Mulkey’s portal board, Brandon Murray explains what makes Wade tick, Glen West hits the spring football state of the union, and Michael Cauble closes with sharp practice takeaways. A full tour of LSU’s rebuild across basketball and football — all in one episode.
Here is the complete transcript of the show from YouTube. Tiger Rag apologizes for any AI generated mistakes:
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We’re statewide breaking [music] down the latest happenings with LSU athletics. This is up. Hear from the coaches. Our time is now with LSU [music]
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Get ready to talk Tigers [music] with producer Andre Champine and our host Todd Horn, Jeff Polalmo, and Glenn
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Gildo. players that are better people than they are players.
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This is Tiger Rag Radio live from Super Chevy Dealers Studio.
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And good evening everyone. Welcome to another edition of Tiger Rag Radio. Jeff Bermo, news and sports director of Louisiana Radio Network along with the
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1 minute, 15 seconds
editor Gwen Gilbo, executive editor Todd Horn. He is off tonight on assignment and Andre Champine our producer who does
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outstanding work with Tiger Rag and Louisiana Radio Network as well. fully loaded show as there is news coming left and right. A lot to pack in.
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1 minute, 33 seconds
Todd hasn’t entered the portal, has he? No, I don’t think so. I don’t think so.
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1 minute, 36 seconds
But we do have a little bit of uh portal breaking news as we start the show.
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1 minute, 41 seconds
We’ll get to that here in a second. But man, we got a lot to talk about. Lane Keifin spoke again today. The men’s
1:48
1 minute, 48 seconds
basketball transfer portal is open. So is the women’s. LSU baseball, a thrilling series in Tennessee. We got to
1:56
1 minute, 56 seconds
recap that. Look ahead to a big series coming up in Oxford. Um, what else am I missing? Yeah, we’ve done football.
2:04
2 minutes, 4 seconds
Yeah, we we I think we got them all. We got coaching additions that Glenn Gilbo reported on um March 31st, right? Is that what you told me earlier today?
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2 minutes, 13 seconds
The Monday press conference of Will Wade, right? Right before that started.
2:17
2 minutes, 17 seconds
We had Johnny Jones and Rick Stanberry.
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2 minutes, 20 seconds
Rick Stanberry coming to LS. Rick Stanberry has been officially Yeah. um hired by LSU. Johnny Jones is still
2:27
2 minutes, 27 seconds
going through some paperwork and physical finalized. [laughter]
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2 minutes, 31 seconds
I believe I believe he uh released a statement on his social media basically thanking Texas Southern though.
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2 minutes, 37 seconds
Okay. All right. Uh speaking of former coaches, we’ll find out if John Brady is somehow going to be added to the staff,
2:42
2 minutes, 42 seconds
too. Maybe we’ll get he’s going to actually join us here in about uh 10 minutes. I’m joking, of course. Reese Darcy uh who covers LSU women’s basketball, he will uh join us as well.
2:53
2 minutes, 53 seconds
in our number one uh to stay on the Will Way train. Uh Brandon Brandon Murray who played for Will We not only at LSU but
3:01
3 minutes, 1 second
at MCN, he’s now playing overseas in Suh Slovenia. Uh or what is that right? Yeah, Slovenia.
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3 minutes, 8 seconds
Slovenia. Okay. Um God bless you. [laughter] Uh he will join us in hour number one.
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3 minutes, 15 seconds
We’ll talk with Glenn West of 247 coming up in hour number two and Michael Kbble from uh WBRZ TV, the sports director
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3 minutes, 24 seconds
there. We had Jacques on last week, so you got to have equal opportunity when it comes to the it’s political campaign
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3 minutes, 31 seconds
season right now. So, we’ll have Michael Kbble on tonight. I don’t think we’ll get any impersonations from Michael, but uh we’re going to get some good
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3 minutes, 39 seconds
information and some good dialogue as well. Um but um since we’re gonna have coach Brady on here in the next few minutes, let’s talk some basketball.
3:47
3 minutes, 47 seconds
Actually, as I mentioned, some some portal breaking news and we we’ll get Andre in on this since he covers women’s
3:53
3 minutes, 53 seconds
basketball for Tiger Rag. Uh you were speaking with Kim Moy on Saturday when
3:59
3 minutes, 59 seconds
um when um FJ Johnson was given a key to the city and uh it seemed that and correct me if I’m wrong here, Andre. Uh,
4:10
4 minutes, 10 seconds
Coach Monkey did not anticipate anyone from the current roster that still has eligibility left getting into the transfer portal, but apparently that
4:19
4 minutes, 19 seconds
changed this afternoon as freshman guard Bella Hines has announced that she plans to enter the transfer portal. What does
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4 minutes, 26 seconds
this mean for Kim Walkey’s current roster and how big of a surprise is this and how big of a loss is this? Yeah,
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4 minutes, 33 seconds
first of all, this is a huge surprise because uh you know, all year MI has been kind of saying like if this
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4 minutes, 40 seconds
freshman class stays, you know, they they’re they’re going to be national championship bound eventually. Same thing that FJ Johnson was telling all
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4 minutes, 48 seconds
the freshman this year. She was basically trying to get them to stay.
4:51
4 minutes, 51 seconds
Uh, and and I I firmly believe that they would have been very good if they all would have stayed. And Bella Hines is was supposed to be a huge piece to that
5:00
5 minutes
multi team next year, especially uh defensively. She’s one of the Tigers’s best defenders. She averaged only 4.2
5:08
5 minutes, 8 seconds
points per game this season, but she really caught fire towards the end of the season where she kind of found herself as um, you know, the not the
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5 minutes, 16 seconds
sixth woman off the bench, but more so the seventh. Uh and she was she’s going to be a big loss. Uh and it’s surprising
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5 minutes, 23 seconds
because Jock Ducey had talked to Mali uh about a week ago saying and she said I had exit interviews and they are all
5:31
5 minutes, 31 seconds
coming back except Divine Burge. So that that is a a big big loss for LSU. But I
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5 minutes, 38 seconds
I I anticipate that this is is not really um you know it’s a surprise and I don’t think I think Josh Hines which is
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5 minutes, 45 seconds
Bella’s dad said on a Twitter spaces today he said that they didn’t know that this was going to happen until about yesterday. So [snorts]
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5 minutes, 53 seconds
and they also lost Kayn Gilbert who was who was good season before last right she sat out most of this season with some personal issues but she also entered the portal.
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But just wrapping up, I I think this could be an NIL move possibly. I think that also she might want opportunity to
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6 minutes, 11 seconds
start somewhere else. Um, you know, it’s also possible that she could uh, you know, join Gary Reus who recruited her heavy to LSU back at Ruggers. So, you
6:20
6 minutes, 20 seconds
know, there’s a there’s a few possibilities here that that Hans could could want to leave, but it’s definitely a surprising one because she literally
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6 minutes, 28 seconds
said at uh you know, the the crawfish ball that they have every year in Pla before the postseason starts that she was start that she was staying. You know, she wasn’t going anywhere. But,
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6 minutes, 38 seconds
you know, this is college athletics now. So,
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6 minutes, 41 seconds
all it takes is uh one phone call and things change quickly. Those agents those agents, yo.
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Yeah. So, uh No. And how many do we anticipate? How many players do we anticipate Kim potentially adding
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6 minutes, 56 seconds
through the transfer portal? Now, I would imagine that might change is obviously they need someone down low. Yeah, I would say at least four now. Four.
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Two bigs and two guards is where I expect them to probably go. And then they have Lola Lampley coming in, which is just one freshman. Um, and she’ll
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7 minutes, 11 seconds
probably get significant time just like the other freshman did. But if everything holds, I say four, max five.
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7 minutes, 19 seconds
Okay. And then on the men’s basketball side, there’s just two players left, right? Jaylen Reese and Robert Miller,
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7 minutes, 27 seconds
right? And and Robert Miller was a sophomore last year. Had had some moments. Big 610 forward. And Jaylen Ree
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7 minutes, 35 seconds
was a true freshman who started to blossom late in the season. He had been playing for Dean Thomas Jr., you’re the great point guard who entered the portal
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7 minutes, 43 seconds
just as Will Wade was coming to town really. And um I would hope Will Wade,
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7 minutes, 49 seconds
you know, went after him. May maybe it was Yeah, maybe he was just leaving from the beginning. Uh but all the other players, you know,
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7 minutes, 56 seconds
there was six seniors on the team. Uh,
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and then there was six players who could have come back who seven players who could have come back that all transferred included Mike Noco today,
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8 minutes, 8 seconds
the center who who had some pretty good uh stats. He also fouled out a lot or almost fouled out a lot. [laughter] That
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8 minutes, 15 seconds
was that was a constant problem. But um and you know Jaylen Reed entered entered the portal um the the the veteran who’d
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8 minutes, 23 seconds
missed the last two seasons with with injuries. But, um, you know, hopefully he he brings those two back. I mean, you can you can build with those two guys,
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8 minutes, 32 seconds
uh, I would think. Um, but, uh, he’s,
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8 minutes, 34 seconds
uh, Will Wade is also looking at two players from, uh, North Carolina State,
8:40
8 minutes, 40 seconds
possibly transferring a very good shooting guard named Abel. Uh, and then that he’s got six other players uh, from
8:47
8 minutes, 47 seconds
around the country that he’s looking at that are uh, in a Tiger Rag story right now.
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8 minutes, 51 seconds
Yeah. Go to tiger.com. There’s a half a dozen players as Glenn just mentioned that could uh that Will Wade might be
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8 minutes, 59 seconds
eyeing. I you know today was the opening day. I have not seen really any major moves around college basketball
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9 minutes, 8 seconds
uh as it is as far as players um immediately committing or signing with another program. Remember in football it
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9 minutes, 16 seconds
got off to it was a little bit of a slow start, right? The first couple days Yeah. there wasn’t much activity and then once it picked up it it never seemed to end. [laughter]
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9 minutes, 26 seconds
Yeah. Yeah. It was really um it’s like about four days before they started coming in. But Matt Ael is a 6’6 uh
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9 minutes, 34 seconds
shooting guard at North Carolina State last year. He’s the number four ranked shooting guard in the portal. Uh Terrence Arseno is uh
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9 minutes, 42 seconds
the number 25 small forward in the in the uh portal. He’s also from uh North Carolina State. And then they’re looking at a combination guard from Georgia,
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9 minutes, 53 seconds
Jeremiah Wilkinson, who scored 17 points a game last season. Uh number four center in the portal, Nai Harris, 610.
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He’s from Satan Hall. And then Devin Vantpool, the number 11 shooting guard from Florida Atlantic. So very highly
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ranked players uh that that Wade’s going after. And uh you know, he’s probably going to bring in about 10 of them.
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10 minutes, 18 seconds
Yeah, you know, I would I would think why don’t we go ahead and take our first break since we’re going to have John Brady on early here before we end up
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10 minutes, 25 seconds
getting uh before we end up having Reed Darcy on uh from the advocate. So, let’s take our first break. Uh this is Tiger
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10 minutes, 33 seconds
Rag Radio. Coach John Brady will join us when we come back as we got a lot to get to here over the next couple hours. Glad you’re with us. And in case uh you’re
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10 minutes, 42 seconds
not able to catch the show live on the radio, you can catch us anywhere you get your podcast. The show is also uploaded to YouTube as well about 30 40 minutes
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10 minutes, 50 seconds
after the show is done with on Tuesday night. So you can catch us there as well. But let’s take our first break.
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10 minutes, 56 seconds
More of Tiger Rag Radio when we come back from the Super Chevy Dealer Studio.
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11 minutes
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11 minutes, 7 seconds
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story times at various library locations and business focused [music] workshops.
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For a more detailed look at what your library is offering this month, go to eprpl.com.
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11 minutes, 25 seconds
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11 minutes, 31 seconds
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11 minutes, 47 seconds
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11 minutes, 51 seconds
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12:00
12 minutes
I’m Richard Fontner, president of the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation. My brother and I grow rice, soybeans, and raised crawfish on our farm in Evangeline Parish. For a fourth
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12 minutes, 9 seconds
generation farmer like myself, Louisiana Farm Bureau is as much a part of my life as checking traps or harvesting rice.
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12 minutes, 15 seconds
Our organization is more than 145,000 members strong, and we’ve been around for more than 100 years. The Louisiana Farm Bureau [music] spans generations,
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12 minutes, 23 seconds
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12 minutes, 25 seconds
Visit lafarmbureau.org. The Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation, the voice of Louisiana agriculture.
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12 minutes, 31 seconds
Now, more Tiger Rag Radio live from Super Chevy Dealer Studio.
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12 minutes, 38 seconds
Back here on Tiger Rag Radio, Jeff Balmo, along with the editor for Tiger Rag magazine, Glenn Gilbo. Let’s get to our first guest of the night. That is
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former LSU coach and current analyst on the LSU Sports Radio Network, John Brady. Coach Brady, how you doing tonight?
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12 minutes, 53 seconds
I’m doing really good, thank y’all.
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[laughter]
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12 minutes, 56 seconds
Are you glad you’re not having to uh maneuver through the transfer portal like uh like obviously Will Wade and everybody else is going to have to be
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13 minutes, 4 seconds
doing here over the next uh couple weeks?
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13 minutes, 6 seconds
Well, I’m I’m I’m sure uh a lot of schools um are are way ahead of the game with that. You know, I think most of
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13 minutes, 14 seconds
these players uh that have that kind of u uh reputation of of being in the transfer portal and being wanted by
13:22
13 minutes, 22 seconds
other schools, uh I’m sure they all have agents and I’m sure there’s been some contact already been made. Even though
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13 minutes, 30 seconds
the transport portal opened the other day or yesterday or day or whenever it was, I’m sure a lot of these schools
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13 minutes, 37 seconds
know who’s going where in order to have an opportunity to sign them for their particular school.
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13 minutes, 44 seconds
Hey John, this is Glenn. Um, thanks for joining us. Uh, do you do you think um when DJ Deon Thomas um entered the
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13 minutes, 54 seconds
portal, you know, you can you can come out of the portal and stay at at the school. Do you do you think Wade has a chance for him at all or is or is he pretty much out of here?
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14 minutes, 3 seconds
Well, only only if the head coach wants him to return once he puts his name in the portal. Uh it’s up to the head coach
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14 minutes, 11 seconds
whether or not he wants to bring him back. So that’s the risk the young man takes when he puts himself in the portal. A lot of times, Glenn, I think a
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14 minutes, 20 seconds
a a highlevel guy, and I don’t I don’t know if our point guard is that one or not, but a lot of these guys when they
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14 minutes, 27 seconds
put their name in the portal, they already have the school they’re going to. They already know where they’re headed. So, uh I I 90%
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14 minutes, 39 seconds
uh of what happens when they go in that portal, they already have an idea of where they’re going, who they’re going to, and what the number is they’re
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14 minutes, 46 seconds
leaving for. So, uh, but if a young man does put his name in the portal, uh, the head coach can can choose not to bring him back if he wants to do that.
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14 minutes, 56 seconds
Right. Right. Well, Jaylen Ree and Robert Miller the third are not in the portal. And Will did say he talked to a few of the players. So, I guess that’s two of the guys he’ll he’ll consider.
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15 minutes, 8 seconds
But, what what caliber players do you see Will bringing in? And how many? You think it’s probably be double doubled figures? 10 or so? Well, I I I don’t
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15 minutes, 17 seconds
know. Depends on how many of the present players that are there that he wants to bring back or could bring back if he chose to do it. Uh what the number is,
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15 minutes, 26 seconds
what he wants to spend on particular guys. I’m sure he’s got all that figured out on the front end. Uh so it depends
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15 minutes, 34 seconds
on the number that returns. If there’s only two returning, you got you got and I don’t know about the freshman that that Matt had signed. uh you know, a
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15 minutes, 42 seconds
couple of those guys are or are two or three may have gone in the portal as well or are looking to go somewhere else. So, I I imagine you’re looking a
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15 minutes, 49 seconds
number between anywhere from 8 to 12 uh players uh new players on the roster depending on what Will decides to do.
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15 minutes, 57 seconds
But let let me say this about Will Wade.
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15 minutes, 59 seconds
I I don’t have any problem with his evaluation talent and and and and one strength of Rick Stanberry that I do
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16 minutes, 7 seconds
know because I played against him a bunch and I recruited against him a bunch. Rick Span Rick Stanberry can identify what a player is too. He he knows uh who can play and who can’t. So,
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16 minutes, 19 seconds
uh, I between those two guys, uh, in my mind, uh, they’ll they’ll they’ll construct a roster that has an
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16 minutes, 28 seconds
opportunity, uh, to improve the quality of the LSU team. And and I’ve said this before,
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16 minutes, 34 seconds
uh not not to put any pressure on anybody and and I wouldn’t ever do that,
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16 minutes, 39 seconds
but it wouldn’t surprise me that if Will the team that he puts together that they have an opportunity to go to NCA
16:46
16 minutes, 46 seconds
tournament next year because let’s let’s be honest, you all you have to do is finish 10th, maybe 11th, go eight and 10 in the league and have a losing record
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16 minutes, 55 seconds
and they’ll still take you in NCA tournament. So, it’s not like you’ve got to go from where we were at 14th to to
17:02
17 minutes, 2 seconds
fourth. You just have to go from 14th to 10th or 11th and you’ve got a chance to go to NCA tournament. And it wouldn’t
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17 minutes, 9 seconds
surprise me if Will and and the staff that he’s putting together and particularly Rick Stansbury and Johnny Jones will be there to assist in all of
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17 minutes, 17 seconds
that as well. Uh, you know, it wouldn’t surprise me if if if they have a chance to go to the tournament uh in his first year. Coach [clears throat] Brady, what
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17 minutes, 26 seconds
do you make out of the fact that Will is bringing in two former head coaches to be a part of this initial staff uh in his return to LSU?
17:34
17 minutes, 34 seconds
Well, I I I I don’t know. I think he wants some experience there with him. He has gone with some younger guys in the past and
17:42
17 minutes, 42 seconds
maybe feels comfortable with this. I think Johnny gives him a good liaison between former players and and and and
17:49
17 minutes, 49 seconds
and other people involved with the program. Uh, I think Johnny’s a good representative of that. He knows his way
17:56
17 minutes, 56 seconds
around LSU. Uh, certainly Rick Stanberry is an experienced guy. You know, what I’ve been told is Rick Stanberry has
18:05
18 minutes, 5 seconds
been in Europe and got his hands on a couple of players and uh, you know, I I wouldn’t fault any
18:13
18 minutes, 13 seconds
their roster by doing some of that. and and with the the the way college basketball is today, you know, if Rick
18:20
18 minutes, 20 seconds
Stansbury can bring someertise and his experience, you know, that’s a double whammy. That’s a good one. So, uh
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18 minutes, 28 seconds
I I think I think that’s why he’s doing that. You know, you’d have to ask Will that. I’m sure he’ll express himself and why he’s hiring guy with that type of
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18 minutes, 36 seconds
experience uh in the SEC, but but I’m sure he has his reasons that are valid uh and that are solid. talking to John Brady here on Tiger Rag Radio.
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18 minutes, 47 seconds
Stanberry, you you went against some pretty good players when he was at at Mississippi State. He’s he’s pretty good recruiter like as you were saying, isn’t he?
18:55
18 minutes, 55 seconds
Yeah, he can evaluate. He He knows who can play in this league and who can’t.
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18 minutes, 59 seconds
And And if there’s one thing about Rick that I do know, uh he can he can put together a team uh like Will Wade can
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19 minutes, 6 seconds
put together a team. and when we played Mississippi State in the years that I was at LSU against some of Rick’s teams,
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19 minutes, 16 seconds
we’ll continue uh with Will and and and Rick on the staff together.
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19 minutes, 22 seconds
Few more minutes here with uh coach John Brady. And coach, what what did you think uh I’m sure during this the course
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19 minutes, 30 seconds
of this season you were hearing the speculation of Will Wade potentially coming back. I mean, now that it’s it’s finally official and and you talked
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19 minutes, 37 seconds
about it, you you know, you started your broadcast endeavor with LSU when Will Wade started as as the head coach here.
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19 minutes, 45 seconds
How do you think he is going to be different this time around?
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19 minutes, 50 seconds
Well, I think he’ll do a lot of the same things. But I I think he’ll he’ll he’ll he’ll put together a good team. He’ll put together quality players. uh
19:59
19 minutes, 59 seconds
certainly with with uh the way college basketball has gone since he’s left uh I’m sure that will enhance uh what he
20:08
20 minutes, 8 seconds
wants to do as well. And it seems to me from what I hear that LSU is going to have their NIL monies uh you know equal
20:16
20 minutes, 16 seconds
to uh to top four or five teams in the league and that will give them a chance as well uh to construct a nice roster.
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20 minutes, 26 seconds
But let let me say this on the front end of this, you know, on the tail end of this interview. You know, there’s Will
20:33
20 minutes, 33 seconds
Wade is the perfect guy LSU could have hired to ignite the fan base, excite the fan base, bring it together. Uh he’s the
20:42
20 minutes, 42 seconds
only guy I know that can hit the ground running and have an opportunity to raise more NIL dollars because of his
20:49
20 minutes, 49 seconds
reputation and how well the fans think of him. Now, what LSU probably should have done, and I was on record of saying
20:57
20 minutes, 57 seconds
this three or four years ago, they should have stood by Will just like some other schools did at that particular time. I don’t know, sign him or
21:06
21 minutes, 6 seconds
something or suspending for five or six games or 10 games of next year, whatever the case may be. But, but now, uh, it
21:13
21 minutes, 13 seconds
it’s come back around. Will Wade liked it here. He’s comfortable here. He’s got some good friends here. Uh, and I think
21:21
21 minutes, 21 seconds
this year, I mean, this year and and years to come, I do think LSU will be very successful uh in college
21:28
21 minutes, 28 seconds
basketball, be reing again, and uh it’ll certainly improve uh our broadcasting abilities [laughter] if that happens.
21:35
21 minutes, 35 seconds
You might be your season’s uh might be a little bit longer, uh, Coach Brady. You might end up uh who knows like in Richmond or somewhere like that in March
21:44
21 minutes, 44 seconds
or, you know, somewhere out west. But I know that’s what you’re hoping for. It should be fun. He’s going to make it interesting. Uh he’s going to put a good
21:52
21 minutes, 52 seconds
He’s going to put a good team on the floor. Uh and this is going to be fascinating over the next week to see how he puts this roster together. We appreciate your time tonight, coach.
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22 minutes
Anytime, guys. Thanks for having me, man. All right. Thanks, John. Thanks. All right, brother.
22:06
22 minutes, 6 seconds
All right. Coach John Brady joining us here on Tiger Rag Radio. We’re going to take a break. We’re going to switch it over to women’s basketball. When we come
22:13
22 minutes, 13 seconds
back, Reed Darcy will join us. will get his thoughts on uh coach Kim Moy’s newest assistant coach. Of course, a a
22:22
22 minutes, 22 seconds
big commitment on Monday night, one of the state’s top high school players and Caroline Bradley out of Oak Grove High
22:29
22 minutes, 29 seconds
School, a five-star prospect rated as the number two center in the country who has one more year left at Oakrove. Um
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22 minutes, 37 seconds
she committed to LSU. We’ll get Reed’s thoughts on that and just more about uh where the Lady Tigers are at as the transfer portal is open in women’s
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college basketball. That and much more here on Tiger Rag Radio from the Super Chevy dealers studio.
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22 minutes, 52 seconds
Tiger Rag Radio is back live from Super Chevy Dealer Studio.
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22 minutes, 58 seconds
We’ll get back to some men’s basketball talk here shortly. Brandon Murray will join us from Svenia coming up in about 10 minutes. Look forward to that
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interview. If Brandon Murray, if you’re if you’re an LSU fan, you’re you’re probably saying, “But who’s Brandon Murray? Who’s Brandon?” Well, he played for Coach Will we Wade, not only at LSU,
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23 minutes, 13 seconds
but at McNe. So, uh, he’s got an outstanding perspective of Coach Wade,
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23 minutes, 17 seconds
and I’m sure we’ll have nothing but great things to say about him. So, if you’re a huge Will Wade fan and you’re pumped about Coach Wade coming back to LSU,
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23 minutes, 27 seconds
um, you want to stick around for that interview for sure. If you’re a Lady Tigers basketball fan, well, you want to be you’re at the right place at the
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23 minutes, 35 seconds
right time. Reed Darcy, who covers LSU women’s hoops for the Avocad and Nola.com, joins us on Tiger Radio from the Super Chevy dealer studio. Reed, how you doing? How’s your off season so far?
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It’s not feeling like much of an offse yet. [laughter]
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No, I think we got Will do that to you. Good, guys.
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Well, then not too bad. And then you get, you know, you get these uh surprise announcements, if you want to call this a surprise announcement. Uh, I’ll get
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24 minutes, 2 seconds
your I’ll let you describe how you you feel about it. Bella Hines, who had a a nice freshman season, averaged four
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points a game, and was expected to be a a major rotational piece next year, has decided to enter the transfer portal.
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Does this come out of nowhere, Reed? And is it possible that even though Kim Moi had told Jacques Duceay from WFB that
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she expected all her eligible players to come back, could others potentially follow Bella to the transfer portal as well?
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Yeah, it it did come as a surprise. I was certainly caught off guard by it. I think a lot of folks were. You know, the thing to point out here is that Kim Wilki went through all of her exit
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meetings, you know, that she does every year with all of her players last week.
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24 minutes, 49 seconds
And and she left that um series of interviews with the impression that only Divine Burge would would be the one um
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hitting the transfer portal. That’s the only possible returner that uh she really thought would would leave the program. But but now obviously a few
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25 minutes, 4 seconds
days later, Bella Hines is going into the portal now. So that something obviously changed between now and then.
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25 minutes, 10 seconds
Um, I don’t know what it is, but I do know that it is a big loss for LSU because Bella Hines really got better as her freshman year rolled along. Uh,
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towards the end of the year year end of the year, end of the year there, she was uh really a mainstay in Mul’s rotation.
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She was playing good minutes off the bench. She was playing good defense. Um,
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she was shooting at a good percentage from three. And I think next year going into it, she was probably going to be a pretty significant part of her rotation.
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you know, it’s that kind of skill set is um it’s not easy to find, you know, the type of defender who can come in and and just space the floor and hit some
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25 minutes, 43 seconds
threes. It’s pretty valuable. So, that’s probably why she’s uh going to be a hot commodity in the transfer portal market this year. How much do you think this
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25 minutes, 50 seconds
was tampering Reed that um Bella may have gotten word that hey another school could potentially offer more in NIL or
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even revenue sharing and and it it’s not a surprise if that’s the case because it happens all the time in college athletics now.
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Yeah. Well, we would be speculating to assume that, of course, but um I I think that, you know, you can you can look at all these rules and the NCAA and and the
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new college sports commission, they can have all these rules in place about enforcement and about trying to keep
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26 minutes, 23 seconds
coaches and agents and and players from uh talking to their schools when they’re not technically supposed to be talking.
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But at the end of the day, there’s no real enforcement mechanism for any of these rules that they’re trying to put in, you know. Um, a lot of coaches have
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said that, you know, the transfer portal technically opened on Monday and it’ll close two weeks from now. But the portal never really closes. You know, it’s
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26 minutes, 47 seconds
always open. People are always having these conversations uh through back channels trying to figure out what’s the best fit for them if if anyone else is
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trying to go after them. So, no one should be surprised, you know, if anybody hits the portal, you know,
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27 minutes
because these things happen and they can change quickly. I think the Bellahheines news is an example of that. Um, but you
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27 minutes, 7 seconds
know, until somebody actually has any kind of punishment here for breaking these rules, I think back to the Clemson and Old Miss football situation, until
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27 minutes, 15 seconds
something actually comes of that, it’s just going to be, you know, um, a free-for-all. Every man for himself, um,
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as as this thing rolls along as college sports nowadays.
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Reed, how big of a splash will Kim Moi make in the transfer portal when it comes to additions and their biggest need? I have a feeling what you’ll say
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as far as their biggest need, but I want to hear it from you. Their biggest need is size for sure. Front court players. I think that kind of exposed some things
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27 minutes, 40 seconds
in the Duke loss. They need to make sure that they can rebound the ball. Um because that’s really why they didn’t get a chance to play for the final four.
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They struggled to rebound so much. Um they they do presumably they’re going to bring back Grace Knox and co Kate Koval and that should be a pretty good pairing for them in the front court, but they
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27 minutes, 54 seconds
could really use um some extra size behind them. Now, I don’t know exactly who they will pursue if they’re going to go after maybe one high-profile target
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or maybe a couple more behind there, but that’s that’s number one on on the needs list for sure. Now, uh now because Bella is leaving, you probably also need to
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add maybe one or two guards, maybe another ball handler, another shooter who can come in and play minutes off the bench. I think your starters, again,
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28 minutes, 17 seconds
assuming that they come back, your starters are probably side with Jada Reard, my lead, Michaela Williams in the back court. Uh, but again, BellaSims was
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28 minutes, 24 seconds
supposed to come off the bench behind them, but but now she’s gone, so you’re going to hit another piece there.
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Hey Reed, this is Andre. I guess in your eyes, how important was it that Kim Moy hired Fitz Roy Anthony as soon as the as
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soon as the portal opened up just so that they could have somebody on staff or when they do recruit? I I know they have Kayn Rice already, but how big is
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that that hiring and and I guess at the time that it that that it happened?
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Yeah, it was very important. I think that was evidenced by the fact by, you know, how quickly Kim Wilki moved um through through that process. If you
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remember, she she hired the former Tennessee assistant Gabe Blazo um last week and then she finds out Saturday that he’s um accepting UCF’s head
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29 minutes, 7 seconds
coaching job and then, you know, not even 12 hours later, according to his term sheet, um Pitzroy Anthony agreed,
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signed the dotted line to be um her her nearest new assistant coach. So, um, she wanted to get someone in place by the time the portal opened on Monday just
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because she wanted to have as much of a recruiting operation in place. You know,
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she still had Kayn Rice and Bob Starky and Simone Augustus, but um, really Gary Reus and Daffy Mitchell, the two coaches
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who are at Rutgers now, really um, were responsible for a pretty significant chunk of her recruiting operation. So, she needed to have new faces in there,
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new new people in charge just so that she could have as much um you know,
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boots on the ground as possible for when the the portal opened up because you know, it’s really important to have these coaches who are connected and they have relationships and and they’ve been
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recruiting the portal for all this time like Rita said. Mitchell did. Um Fitz Roy Anthony certainly did in his time at Miami. I think he did pretty well. Reed,
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30 minutes
uh, just looking back at the 202526 season, do you look at it as a success,
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uh, getting to the Sweet 16? Um, or was this is this a big disappointment that this group with FJ Johnson as a senior could not get back to the Final Four?
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Yeah, I think we can say they underachieved for sure. You know, I think they definitely deserve to to have a shot at at playing for the final four.
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you know, getting to the Elite 8, I think was probably um I don’t want to say their ceiling, but it was certainly definitely, you know, in the range of outcomes for this team just because, you
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know, the numbers bear it out and I came to this conclusion, I think, at some point before the tournament that I think this that that team was the best team
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30 minutes, 39 seconds
that Tim Wilki has had at LSU so far just based on its depth and talent and versatility and the way it played on on both offense and defense, you know,
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30 minutes, 48 seconds
against a really tough schedule. I think we we figured that out and then they went out and and they dominated the first two tournament games and you saw
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30 minutes, 56 seconds
what the best version of that team looked like. But um you know the reason why they fell short was that they just couldn’t get enough um rebounds. They
31:04
31 minutes, 4 seconds
just couldn’t grab misses, couldn’t get out in transition and run that offense.
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31 minutes, 8 seconds
I think that’s um one of the reasons why they kind of fell short. And we can say that they underachieved. you know, it’s not something that I really saw coming
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31 minutes, 16 seconds
because they were such a good rebounding team um ever since they lost to Vanderbilt in early January. Um so, you know, I think that’s probably the number
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31 minutes, 24 seconds
one um concern coming out of that game is is how to make sure that um those rebounding issues don’t resurface again because it’s probably what uh kept this team from hitting it ceiling.
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31 minutes, 34 seconds
Reed, I have a feeling we might have you back on next week. We’ll see if LSU signs a few players and uh hopefully nobody else from the core uh bolts for
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the transfer portal. Thanks a lot for your time tonight, man. We appreciate it. Sure thing, guys. Anytime.
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31 minutes, 47 seconds
All right. Reed Darcy covering LSU women’s hoops for the advocate.com. We’ll take a break when we come back.
31:52
31 minutes, 52 seconds
Brandon Murray, former LSU Tiger and MCNE Cowboy and someone who is ecstatic that Will Wade is back in Louisiana and
32:00
32 minutes
coaching for the Fighting Tigers. We’ll get to that interview when we come back on Tiger Rag Radio from the Super Chevy dealer studio.
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32 minutes, 7 seconds
Tiger Rag Radio is back on the air live from Super Chevy Dealer Studio.
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Back on Tiger Rag Radio, Jeff Polmo,
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32 minutes, 18 seconds
news and sports director, Louisiana Radio Network, along with Andre Shampine, who is our producer tonight.
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32 minutes, 24 seconds
And joining us from overseas, a former player for coach Will Way, not only at LSU, but at McNe State as well. That’s
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32 minutes, 31 seconds
Brandon Murray. He joins us on Tiger Rag Radio. Brandon, how you doing tonight?
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32 minutes, 37 seconds
I’m doing pretty well. What’s up, soccer nation? [laughter] Brandon is now playing in Slovenia. So,
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that’s where he joins us for tonight’s show. And Brandon, how fired up are you to see Will Wade back in Louisiana uh
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since you’ve uh obviously gotten to know him quite well during your two stops at LSU and at MCN?
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32 minutes, 59 seconds
Well, I’m completely fired up about this. It’s great to see him be back in his element, be back home. I mean, you
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know, he can’t leave Louisiana. He was at MCN and then going back to LSU and everything after NC State, of course,
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33 minutes, 12 seconds
but it’s just great for him to be back home and be with the great fans and just be where he’s used to being. Like that’s
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33 minutes, 20 seconds
it’s great for the school. It’s great for athletics. Like Will White is the guy. So yeah. And Brandon, you you got the chance to not only play for weight at
33:29
33 minutes, 29 seconds
LSU, but like like Jeff said, also at MCNE. So, talk about your relationship with Coach Wade and uh what that was like because you left a really solid old
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miss program to come back and play for him uh for your senior year.
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Well, with me and coach way is it’s more than just basketball. Um I think with me we have a different type of connection.
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Um I can call him whenever I need something or call him just to talk. Um just he talk he’s taught me different things about being underneath with being
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33 minutes, 55 seconds
underneath him for multiple years and everything. It’s nobody else in the country like Coach Wade. Um, we still
34:02
34 minutes, 2 seconds
talk. We [snorts] He’s going to send me something almost every Sunday, which he does to a lot of his players and everything. So, I mean, it just it goes far beyond basketball.
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34 minutes, 13 seconds
Yeah. And and bouncing off of that, just what makes Coach Wade such a great not only recruiter, uh, but what makes him such a great coach? I know you said he’s
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34 minutes, 21 seconds
very personable, so just just kind of extend, uh, into that right right quick. Well, with him, I would say it’s not,
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34 minutes, 29 seconds
like I said already, like it’s not about basketball. It’s about him just teaching you just regular life lessons. Um,
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34 minutes, 34 seconds
teaching you how what to do without the basketball cuz like I said, like I know like the bounce the basketball’s going to stop bouncing one day. And just with
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34 minutes, 41 seconds
him, he just has a connection with you and your family and everything. Like it’s just being underneath a coach like that, just having standards for yourself
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34 minutes, 50 seconds
and standards for just a program and just it’s just it’s just great. like I can’t I it’s it’s it’s just crazy to be
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34 minutes, 58 seconds
it’s crazy to me. It’s crazy for him to be back at LSU. It’s crazy for just the relationship with all the guys and I just know everybody’s just happy. So,
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coach Will Wade is known as uh someone that he’s he’s a humorous guy. He he cracked a lot of great oneliners during his uh reintroduction last week, but I
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35 minutes, 15 seconds
would imagine he’s also he demands a lot out of his players. talk about how he’s able to juggle, I guess, both sides of it. One,
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35 minutes, 27 seconds
as you’ve mentioned, he’s kind of a father figure, brotherlike person, friend, whatever it may be. But also,
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35 minutes, 33 seconds
he’s also demanding. He he expects a lot out of his players. Yeah, he he he expects, like you said, he expects a lot out of his players.
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35 minutes, 40 seconds
He’s just the type of person where I think just because of the connection that you have with him. I think this
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35 minutes, 47 seconds
just like you just want to run through a wall for coach way. Like he it’s not a lot of people that can balance both.
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35 minutes, 53 seconds
Like of course like you just said like he definitely has a lot of oneline hitters and everything but he’s he’s a funny person but it’s just
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36 minutes
[clears throat]
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36 minutes, 2 seconds
like I said like just beyond that basketball court um just a everyday talk and everything is just like he’s just like a role he’s a role model. He’s uh
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36 minutes, 10 seconds
like you said a father figure. He’s just a person that you would do anything for.
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36 minutes, 15 seconds
And Brandon for what you since you played for coach I guess three years apart. I mean what were some of the differences if any in coach way that you saw from from LSU and and then from MC?
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I know he kind of referred to last week he he kind of changed within those few years. He kind of said he he grew up in some ways. Uh he he got a little wiser.
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So, so I guess what what differences did you kind of see in coach uh from from McNe to LSU?
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It’s just he just got a little bit older.
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Honestly, he just got a little bit older. So, he just he’s still intense,
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36 minutes, 50 seconds
but he just wasn’t as intense as he was when he was first at LSU. But um I would say just the approach of knowing his
36:58
36 minutes, 58 seconds
players. I would say he just is able to connect with everyone else a little bit
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37 minutes, 7 seconds
differently. Like every player has a different mindset and every player is a different person. So he is able to connect with them in the ways he knows
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37 minutes, 14 seconds
how. And I would say he was just at first it was I’m not going to say his way or no way but it was just like you
37:23
37 minutes, 23 seconds
got to get with the program but it’s just like he has changed the program I would say and all within the same thing but he has changed the program with all
37:32
37 minutes, 32 seconds
of his players and everything like that but yeah I think it’s just he just got a little bit older but for sure. Yeah. And I guess just wrapping up here, what in
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37 minutes, 41 seconds
your eyes, Brandon, like how do you think he’s going to do in this second go round at LSU? I think he’s going to do amazing things. I expect nothing less from Coach Wade.
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37 minutes, 50 seconds
Um you know how good of a coach he is,
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37 minutes, 51 seconds
how good of a leader he is. So LSU just is going to be I think it’s going to be even better. Brandon, thanks a lot for your time,
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37 minutes, 59 seconds
man. Good luck over in Svenia. I understand you guys are uh in a battle there in the conference standings trying to get into the top two. We appreciate
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38 minutes, 7 seconds
your time. Uh, best of luck to you and we’ll hopefully we’ll cross paths again and we’ll have you back on Tiger Rag Radio.
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38 minutes, 15 seconds
Oh yes sir. You know the next boot up.
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38 minutes, 17 seconds
[laughter]
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38 minutes, 18 seconds
There you go. Brandon Murray, former LSU Tiger and MC Cowboy played for coach Will Wade at both schools. We’ll take
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38 minutes, 25 seconds
another break. More of Tiger Rag Radio from the Super Chevy dealer studio when we come back.
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38 minutes, 32 seconds
Live from Super Chevy Dealer Studio.
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38 minutes, 35 seconds
We’re back to Tiger Rag Radio wrapping up hour number one. Glenn West from 247 Sports will join us in hour
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38 minutes, 42 seconds
number two. Michael Kbble, WBRZTV sports director, also will join us in hour number two. But it’s been a good first hour. A lot of hoops talk here. We’ll
38:51
38 minutes, 51 seconds
get into some baseball and football talk, especially with Glenn and Michael.
38:55
38 minutes, 55 seconds
but uh kind of wrap up uh some of the hoops and we’ll get into some uh hoops talk with Glenn as well about who Will
39:03
39 minutes, 3 seconds
Wade could potentially add in the transfer portal. And there’s also an article at tiger.com. Glenn’s got six
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39 minutes, 10 seconds
players there that he believes that coach Will Wade and his staff that uh now includes Rick Stanbury and soon to
39:18
39 minutes, 18 seconds
be Johnny Jones and others here eventually uh who they might be targeting. But in the interview with
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39 minutes, 26 seconds
coach John Brady, I I I found it very interesting there towards the end of uh coach Brady and again when when Brady
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39 minutes, 35 seconds
returned to LSU in the in the capacity that he is in now was also the first season that Will Wade was the head coach
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39 minutes, 43 seconds
because uh John actually I think had an opportunity when Johnny Jones was still the head coach here to be the color
39:51
39 minutes, 51 seconds
analyst if I remember that. and Chris Blair had just become the play-by-play guy and they were actually going through
39:57
39 minutes, 57 seconds
like a a rotation of color analysts uh after um and Michael Kbble was like a
40:05
40 minutes, 5 seconds
color analyst there. They were they were looking for somebody and um because Ricky Bland had left that post uh to
40:13
40 minutes, 13 seconds
spend more time with his family and whatnot. But uh to get to it, uh John Brady, his first year as the color analyst on the LSU Sports Radio Network
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40 minutes, 22 seconds
was Will Wade’s first season. So he was there for, you know, all of Will’s successes, all of the all the uh
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40 minutes, 29 seconds
different obstacles that he had to face uh on and off the court as the head coach. And it was interesting to hear
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40 minutes, 37 seconds
Coach Brady say that they should have never really they should have never gotten rid of Will to begin with. They should have stood by him. Uh but there’s
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40 minutes, 47 seconds
reasons on why the administration made the decision that they decided to make.
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40 minutes, 51 seconds
Well, you know what’s interesting? He was fired in March of 2022, correct? Yes.
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40 minutes, 58 seconds
Okay. Well, well, NIL had already started. NIL had started in the summer of 21. Mhm.
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41 minutes, 4 seconds
You know, so that’s funny. I mean, do you remember Wade recruiting in 2122 with the with the NIL or was it was it just very hard?
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41 minutes, 14 seconds
Well, and then we really weren’t sure. I I really feel like the NIL stuff really
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41 minutes, 21 seconds
started to explode the summer of 2022 because Okay. Because it actually started in 21,
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41 minutes, 29 seconds
but but there wasn’t as much activity.
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41 minutes, 31 seconds
There wasn’t as because remember a lot of the re for for instance football recruiting classes were in the bed, you know, they Yeah. You’re right. for that
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41 minutes, 40 seconds
22 season everything was it that you weren’t adding players but I if if I if my memory serves me right like the first
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41 minutes, 49 seconds
time you really started hearing about NIL uh other than you know Olivia Dunn and and this and that but the the payforplay
41:58
41 minutes, 58 seconds
part of NIL really started in my mind as I’m thinking about it now with Texas A&M football and them going out and
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42 minutes, 5 seconds
basically buying the best recruiting class they possibly could and that would have been in the following that would
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42 minutes, 12 seconds
have been going into the 2023 season at right. Okay. So my my point is so so
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42 minutes, 19 seconds
they only had to keep Wade another year and and he could have been coaching with the Polar because yeah it was really the next year
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42 minutes, 25 seconds
when it kicked in. So, so, uh, yeah, it would have behooved LSU to keep him, I think. But, but but, but Wade wouldn’t
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42 minutes, 33 seconds
even talk to LSU after he got suspended from the original story by, uh, Yahoo who sports.
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42 minutes, 39 seconds
I remember he was very evasive with Joe Oliva. He was not going to tell him anything. Heck, and and in a way, Will’s
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42 minutes, 46 seconds
a young coach. You’re on an FBI wire tap. You don’t know what is going to happen with this federal investigation. I don’t blame him for keeping quiet.
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42 minutes, 56 seconds
Well, I I think his big mistake was he went and got like a criminal lawyer from New York City to represent him who knew nothing of NCA rules because because
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43 minutes, 4 seconds
there’s a whole cottage industry of attorneys who just work with the NCAA and LSU has good ones and he wouldn’t
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43 minutes, 12 seconds
even speak to the LSU lawyers and they could have they could have helped him and if he’d have cooperated and and come clean with LSU, not necessarily the NCAA,
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43 minutes, 21 seconds
then maybe they would have kept him, you know, and then he could have stayed and then just started ed recruiting like everybody else with the portal and you would have had a
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43 minutes, 29 seconds
lot smoother transition. Um but uh he you know I I think he likes LSU now more because a lot of people are gone. [laughter]
43:38
43 minutes, 38 seconds
Hour number two of Tiger Rag Radio when we come back. Y’all ready? Y’all ready? Let’s go. Come on. Tiger Rag Radio is on the air.
43:46
43 minutes, 46 seconds
Let’s crank this thing up.
43:47
43 minutes, 47 seconds
We’re statewide breaking [music] down the latest happenings with LSU athletics. This is up.
43:52
43 minutes, 52 seconds
Hear from the coaches. Our time is now with [music] LSU basketball.
43:55
43 minutes, 55 seconds
The players having fun and we working, baby. That’s it, man. The recruits.
43:58
43 minutes, 58 seconds
One way or another, we’re going to make history.
44:00
44 minutes
And those who cover the Fighting Tigers [music] of LSU and the SEC. LSU is the best job in the world.
44:06
44 minutes, 6 seconds
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44 minutes, 9 seconds
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44:11
44 minutes, 11 seconds
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44 minutes, 17 seconds
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44 minutes, 30 seconds
Get ready to talk Tigers [music] with producer Andre Shampine and our host Todd Horn, Jeff Polmo, and Glenn Gildo.
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44 minutes, 39 seconds
Great players that are better people than they are players. This is Tiger Rag Radio live from Super Chevy Dealer Studio.
44:48
44 minutes, 48 seconds
Back here on Tiger Rag Radio, Jeff Polmo along with the editor for Tiger Rag magazine, Glen Gilbo, Todd Horn has the night off and Andre Shampine, our
44:57
44 minutes, 57 seconds
producer for the show. Coming up a little bit later on in hour number two, Michael Cowbell from WBRZTV.
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45 minutes, 4 seconds
We’ll get his thoughts on the state of LSU athletics. And there’s certainly a lot to talk with him about. A lot to talk with Glenn West who’s covering it
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all as well for 247 sports. Glenn is at the box right now. And Glenn, I was going to say, hey, it doesn’t look like
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45 minutes, 19 seconds
you have to cover another wild comeback from LSU. But um because the Tigers scored two runs here to begin this game
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against Bthoon Cookman, but now Bthoon Cookman’s making a little run here on LSU. So, who knows? Maybe they they’ll have to rally back from 7 to2 or
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something. But it it’s been crazy with LSU baseball, that’s for sure, hasn’t it?
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Oh, no doubt. I mean, you just it’s very unpredictable team. Uh it’s a I mean,
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let’s be honest, it’s a flawed team, but they’re also uh showing here they’ve got some fight in them as well. So, even when they’re not playing their best, you
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know, I think you can’t completely count them out. So, that’s a good trait to have as a team. And we’ll see if they can’t put together a little bit more consistency here going forward.
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All right. Is it two to nothing right now, Glenn? Two to one. Two to one. Two to one.
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I think it is. Okay. I’ve I’ve kind of left the the press box area [laughter]
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46 minutes, 6 seconds
to kind of take this call. So, I’m not sure what’s going on right now. Now, a tied game. So,
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oh, see, Glenn, you got to get back to your seat or else uh this thing.
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46 minutes, 15 seconds
They’re just going to wait till the 12th inning and score. [laughter] Who scores 10 runs in the 12th inning? That was amazing.
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They’ll run they’ll get the run [laughter] rule in the in the in the extra innings.
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They they scored more runs in one extra inning than they did in about six of their games earlier in the season.
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46 minutes, 32 seconds
Pretty crazy. Well, maybe we’ll get back to the baseball talk here in a little bit, but we did want to ask you about basketball. Uh, with the transfer portal
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opening today for men’s hoops, who do you see Will Wade eye in here as he has to rebuild this roster basically from uh nothing? There’s only at this point
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there’s only two players left from the uh ro from last year’s roster. Yeah, it’s a very interesting question.
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Uh I think today, you know, you saw some more guys decide to enter the transfer portal. So, you’re right. you’re left with uh really Robert Miller and and
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Jaylen Ree as the two guys that maybe haven’t decided what they’re going to do with their futures yet, but that leaves 13 open spots at least at this time. So,
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47 minutes, 11 seconds
uh a lot of work to be done here in the transfer portal. I think one consistent name that a lot of us I think around the beat have heard is Georgia’s Jeremiah
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Wilkinson. That’s a guy uh averaged 17 points a game. Uh had a couple 30-point games in the SEC this last year. 61
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combo guard. really strong scorer that I think LSU is going to be in play for uh to maybe you know I don’t want to say kick things off because then you know
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47 minutes, 34 seconds
that that decision could come at any time but uh he’s somebody that I know LSU has shown some interest in. Uh, I think, you know, look, we’ll we’ll keep
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an eye on other players. I think right now, and I think it’s probably the smart move is that, you know, the the the first couple days at least, or maybe the first day or two, it’s always important,
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I think, to maybe approach it a little bit more conservatively with basketball because there are so few great players that enter the transfer portal, and it’s
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48 minutes
going to be, you know, a kind of a grabag of guys at the top there that I think LSU is going to want to be in play for. And so you want to wait and see
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kind of what the market looks like and what the the lay of the land looks like in terms of players entering. And so this was just day one. Uh I think you’re
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going to see so a lot of players here. I think we’re already over a thousand, but I would imagine you approach 2,000 here pretty soon um players entering the
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portal. And so there’s going to be a lot of options, a lot of scouting evaluations going on. And uh I’ll be very interested to see what will Wade and the guys are able to cook up here
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over the next couple weeks. Glenn. Um I’m told that uh two players from North Carolina State he has a chance at uh
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48 minutes, 40 seconds
Matt Ael a uh shooting guard and uh and and a small forward Terrence Arseno. Do are you hearing that as well?
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Uh Ael I don’t know about like I I think that look any NC State player that enters the transfer portal I think you
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got to keep your eye on. Um I I I don’t just from what I’ve heard I’m not sure that Abel had the greatest relationship
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this last year at NC State with Will Wade. I don’t you know I’ve heard that a little bit but uh we’ll see if that you know changes the tune changes there. I
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know he’s a very talented guard. He was a true freshman this last year. I think he averaged around nine points a game or something. So uh you know he could be an
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49 minutes, 19 seconds
option for LSU for sure. I think there’s a high school snee I’m trying to remember his name right now. uh 2026 high school sneige that um you know they
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that you know we we’ll see if he sticks with NC State, but if he decides to open things back up could be a uh an option for LSU. Um but you know I I think right
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now the the the names part of this I’m I’m I’m not hearing a ton uh to be honest, but you know I think that will certainly pick up here in in a few days.
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Yeah, Glenn, I I know you said you don’t know too too many names right now, but he’s not in the portal yet or or and he
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might take it, you know, to the draft here, but what what are the possibilities of [snorts] a guy like Allen Graves uh coming back to Louisiana? I mean, his brother played
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for LSU. He had a a great season at Santa Clara. Just what is that a possibility you would believe of maybe
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happening? if he decides to enter the portal and not go to the draft, I would absolutely put Allan Graves’ name at the top of the wish list for LSU. I think to
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your point, uh, Andre, you know, he’s his brother Marshall played for Will for, you know, two or three years there at the very beginning of his career at
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LSU. And so, I would firmly imagine that LSU is going to be making that call if that decision does come in for Graves that he wants to enter the portal. So,
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uh, we’ll see. I mean, he’s obviously another guy that’s, you know, a 5040 uh% guy. The, you know, 50% from the field,
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40% from three. Uh 6’9 forward,
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physical, tough. Uh, you know, I think a lot of the traits that will Wade will be looking for in terms of adding pieces here over the next couple weeks. He’s got some position versatility as well.
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Uh, and he and he’s played in some big NCAA tournament games already. I mean,
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Santa Clara had a really nice showing there in the first couple rounds of the NCAA tournament. So, uh, he’s somebody that would also bring a little bit of a winning pedigree to the program. So, uh,
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and he’s a Ponchula kid. You know, he came, you know, right down the road there on I2 at Pon Tula. So, uh, a lot of the boxes there make sense if he were
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to enter the portal, uh, here in the next couple days.
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Glenn, what school do you hear about DJ Thomas going to? And, and do you think there would be any chance of him staying at LSU if if Will Wade showed interest
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in him and asked him if he if he wanted to stay?
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Yeah, I think, you know, a week or two ago, I probably would have said that that decision was maybe not as firm. Um,
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I do know that DJ has a Zoom call set up with Kentucky. Uh, but I think the Wildcats are going to make a very strong push. Um,
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yeah, they were after him last year in Florida.
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Yeah, they they almost got him last year, too, but I think LSU was just a little little more lucrative of an opportunity for him. Uh, but, you know,
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he’s also going to get, I think, some looks out west. you know, he’s from out there, uh, in that kind of Las Vegas,
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you know, Arizona area. So, I think a couple of the Arizona schools, uh, could be an option for him as well, uh, if he wants to get back closer to home. So,
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uh, don’t know that LSU is going to be right at the top of his list, at least start, but uh, you can certainly make that pitch and see kind of where his head’s at. And but, you know, the other
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thing with him you have to consider is he’s got a a pretty long road to recovery here. I mean, these these in these injuries to the foot, uh, as we’re
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seeing here play out in real time with Sam Levit, you know, they they take four to five months. And so, you know, we’ll see kind of what happens with his decision there. But, you know, I I I do
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think that he would be okay for next year. But, it’s just kind of the, you know, that whole process that you’ve got to also weigh here in terms of how you want to build out your roster.
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All right. Since you opened up the door to talk some football, let’s talk some football. Glenn, your big takeaway from spring football as we’re halfway through.
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Yeah, I think for me, you know, it was actually something that Lane Keifin told us today is that, you know, he kind of worked it into a couple different answers when he was asked. Uh, but it
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sounds like the defense is the head of the offense right now, which I think is something that you would expect as an LSU fan considering, uh, you know, all the players that they’ve had to bring in
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from the transfer portal uh, on the offensive side of the ball and just some of the relative continuity you’ve seen from the defensive staff perspective and from some of the leaders uh, that are also going to be back on this defense.
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So, uh, you know, I think that’s, you know, something to take away. I think,
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uh, you know, the the the the real competition here is going to be cranked up at wide receiver, on the offensive line, uh, at running back. I think one of the interesting kind of early signs,
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at least through the first 30 minutes of practice that the media has been allowed to see here over the first two weeks,
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uh, you know, Kaden Durham has been a pretty steady consistent with the the number on’s. And, you know, Harlem Barry works in there, too. But I think
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Durham’s had a really nice start to the spring and so they’re you know leaning into him a lot as well. Uh you know defensively I think you know what you’ve
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seen uh up front with some of the freshman defensive linemen that have played a lot for LSU here these first couple of uh first couple of weeks you know Duce Gerald’s Richard Anderson I
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think these are guys that LSU is really high on and expects to uh at least at this stage have a potential role here on the interior D line. So, those are just
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a couple of my, you know, kind of instant takeaways, but certainly we’ll learn a lot more here as the week progresses because I do think we’re going to get a full practice here on
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Saturday, which will be good for uh media viewing and for content and just kind of developing, you know, some more thoughts about this team here in the spring.
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Has Kate Aaron Bey hit any home runs during your uh [laughter] guest appearance here?
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I sure hope not. I sure hope not. I I haven’t seen it. I haven’t uh you know,
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he was up to the plate. I think he blasted a single over the middle and then you know one of the players Dartar I believe tried to stretch that extra
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54 minutes, 42 seconds
base and they got thrown out but he did throw a runner out at second. So that’s that’s a good sign. But Bthoon Cookman has put up a three spot here in this inning. Uh and so they lead it now.
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So yeah, you you get to cover another come from behind win for this LSU team. So let’s get you out on this then. Uh,
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baseball-wise, what what is one or two moves you would make if you were Jay Johnson to to tighten things up here a
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little bit? You you you said it very well here at the beginning. This is a flawed team, but yet they have this belief that they could win every game,
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which is which is outstanding to have,
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but they are a flawed team. But what could they do to potentially make themselves better?
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Yeah. Well, I think you’re seeing one of them play out here in real time tonight.
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they’ve um decided to go with Mason Braun, the freshman at first base over Zack York um at at first base. You know,
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York’s had his struggles here recently at the plate of course, but now we’re starting to see it bleed into his defense as well. And so I think LSU was
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smart to make that move today and we’ll see if that continues. But uh he’s somebody that or Mason Braun is somebody that I think has a lot of potential in
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this program long term and they’ve really looked at him a lot in the outfield. they haven’t used him as much on the infield at first base, but uh if he’s going to, you know, crack it into
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the main rotation here, I think he’s uh got to start showing it here today and have some good plate showing, some good plate discipline and get on base a few
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times and see if he can’t carry that momentum into the weekend. But, you know, that’s just one move. I think uh from a pitching perspective, uh you know, you’re going to continue to
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obviously roll with Kase Evans and William Schmidt there in those first two games. And I think really just kind of play it by year to see kind of how that
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game three rolls out because I do think it’s going to be a heavy bullpen kind of a game three here going forward for the pitching until you’re able to get Cooper Moore back out on the field.
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Yeah. No, and uh I thought this past weekend they pitched it very well,
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Glenn. I mean, I think they showed you the ability that they they have some depth there. They they got they have enough arms. I think that they got enough hitting. They got enough offense.
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It may go away at times, but it it goes away for a lot of teams. Even in Major League Baseball, teams don’t hit for three, four straight games. Uh but it’s
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the defense that’s got to really tighten up and uh they’re working on it. I know that there’s still time, so we’ll see what happens. Thanks a lot for your time tonight, Glenn.
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All right, thanks guys. Appreciate it.
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All right, that’s Glenn West. We’ll get him back to LSU baseball who’s now trailing Bthoon Cookman 3-2 as Cooper William I know Marcos Paws had a good
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57 minutes, 11 seconds
first inning. And Jay Johnson’s felt really good about Marcos here the last couple of outings in the SEC. He’s pitched well. Granted, not in high
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57 minutes, 19 seconds
leverage situations, but still he’s he’s gone out there and had a couple of unscathed innings or appearances. And
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57 minutes, 26 seconds
then Cooper Williams uh once again gives up uh some hits and he’s been uh he’s been an enigma this season, man. They
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57 minutes, 34 seconds
just haven’t been able to get him on track uh as much as they would like to. So,
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57 minutes, 38 seconds
well, they probably feel more comfortable now that they’re that they’re behind. [laughter]
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You’re right about that. I see where Aaron Bey started at uh at catcher with with Brawn at York first base and Yammen
57:51
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Yammen who caught pretty well after um after the other catcher U Cerna got hurt.
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Cerna got hurt. Yeah. So I think you might see Yammen uh catch more. You know Aaron Bey struggled behind the plate that he might be your DH.
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Yeah, he’s the DH tonight.
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No, Aaron Bey is catching tonight. I’m saying is catching tonight. He he might be better at at DH.
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Yeah, he and Cerna both had receiving problems. So, you might have Yammen uh at at catcher would be a good move. Well, York is out of the lineup.
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Yeah. And I I don’t know how much more I don’t know how many more I don’t know how much more you can run that out there. I think you got to give Mason
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Braun an extended look here at first base. He He should And they’re both lefties, so that doesn’t You’re not
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58 minutes, 36 seconds
going to put them. So, let’s see Mason Brawn out there for at least two of these games this weekend. If you don’t
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want to completely unplug Zack York and just put him on the bench like you just basically did with Jack Ruckard and some of these other guys, Braden Simpson and Tanner Reeves,
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some of these other guys that had opportunities and just didn’t do enough to warrant continued playing time. Um,
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the thing is, and I think we saw this this past weekend, and I know we’re late for a break, but Jay Johnson really has
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59 minutes, 8 seconds
the utmost confidence in his players. He believes in them so much, and I think he believes in Zack York. Uh, but maybe this past weekend, it was just too much.
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59 minutes, 18 seconds
Yeah, I agree with that. So, we’ll see. Uh, we’ll take a break.
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59 minutes, 21 seconds
More more when we come back here on Tiger Rag Radio.
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59 minutes, 25 seconds
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59 minutes, 32 seconds
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59 minutes, 40 seconds
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Now back to Tiger Rag Radio live from Super Chevy Dealer Studio.
1:01:03
1 hour, 1 minute, 3 seconds
Back here on Tiger Rag Radio. What a series for LSU baseball last weekend against Tennessee. Really, what a run of games that the Tigers have had going
1:01:11
1 hour, 1 minute, 11 seconds
back to that win against Kentucky on Sunday. I mean, think about it. They during that span there, they hit four
1:01:18
1 hour, 1 minute, 18 seconds
grand slams, right? And and at one time they hit backto back they hit grand slams in three consecutive games. First time they’ve ever done that since 98.
1:01:28
1 hour, 1 minute, 28 seconds
You had the same player hit a grand slam in back-to-back games. Derek Hurry up.
1:01:32
1 hour, 1 minute, 32 seconds
First player to do that since Shawn Oinko since 2009.
1:01:36
1 hour, 1 minute, 36 seconds
In Sunday’s game, you had a backto backto back home run situation which is very rare. Hitting three consecutive
1:01:44
1 hour, 1 minute, 44 seconds
home runs. Obviously a four home run performance. Mike never happened.
1:01:48
1 hour, 1 minute, 48 seconds
Never happened. I mean, they are doing some just wild stuff. And a lot of the reasons why they’re having to do it is
1:01:56
1 hour, 1 minute, 56 seconds
to to cover up the four errors that they committed on Sunday. Yeah. Yeah. There’s no [laughter]
1:02:02
1 hour, 2 minutes, 2 seconds
question. They they uh you know, and and uh it was funny on this radio show last night, Jay was talking about wild pitches and pass balls. He says, “Good
1:02:10
1 hour, 2 minutes, 10 seconds
teams don’t do those.” Well, well, then he just said his team’s not any good, right?
1:02:14
1 hour, 2 minutes, 14 seconds
Because they’re they they lead the SEC in wild pitches by a lot. And if you combine the wild pitches and past balls,
1:02:21
1 hour, 2 minutes, 21 seconds
they have the most of uh of any team in the SEC.
1:02:24
1 hour, 2 minutes, 24 seconds
Yeah, they’ve they’ve had 47. If you think LSU’s had a lot of wild pitches,
1:02:29
1 hour, 2 minutes, 29 seconds
they’ve had 47 of them. That is the most in the SEC. Second most is Vanderbilt with 32. So, it’s not even close. And
1:02:36
1 hour, 2 minutes, 36 seconds
then the pass balls, uh, hold on, I got to get down to the fielding one, but I got it here. Uh, the fielding, uh, pass
1:02:43
1 hour, 2 minutes, 43 seconds
balls, they are 15. 15, right? Is that right? 15 pass balls, second most in the SEC.
1:02:51
1 hour, 2 minutes, 51 seconds
Yeah. And they’re and they’re they’re six and six in the SEC.
1:02:54
1 hour, 2 minutes, 54 seconds
11 pass balls, I’m sorry, but 12 is the the number one.
1:02:58
1 hour, 2 minutes, 58 seconds
Yeah. So, if they can clean that up and and get and then get their other starting pitcher back. Yeah.
1:03:02
1 hour, 3 minutes, 2 seconds
C Cooper Moore. Um you know, you you’d think they’re going to finish a lot stronger. Uh but they know how to win games. They know how to win.
1:03:12
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Definitely know how to come come from behind.
1:03:14
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They got great character players. They do. Jake Brown, Derek Curiel, Chris Stanfield,
1:03:20
1 hour, 3 minutes, 20 seconds
Steven Milm. I mean, these are just great character players. And that’s what Jay does.
1:03:26
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He he eyes talent, but he really eyes character very well, too. And that’s what’s made him such a successful coach.
1:03:34
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And boy, Gry was just so clutch. Yeah.
1:03:37
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Sunday, he that kind of got lost with the four home runs of Kate Aaron Bey and the and the three straight home runs.
1:03:43
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Then and Zack Cowen, who’s now just all of a sudden reverted back to being what we saw in 2025.
1:03:49
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Well, he gave up a grand slam, but he but he uh he came back after that and he gave up a grand slam, right? No, not that.
1:03:56
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I think he I think he gave up a double or something that he only gave up one run in that game. No. Well, no, one earned run. Right. Yeah. Right. Right. Yeah.
1:04:03
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He gave up a he gave up a grand slam that had three earned runs.
1:04:06
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Yeah. The others were uh char I think they were charged to another pitcher.
1:04:10
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Yeah. They weren’t charged to him, but he gave up the actual grand height.
1:04:16
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He he he shut it down after that to allow LSU to get to get going. And it was if people didn’t hear the
1:04:24
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explanation because and and Jay basically duped Tennessee into announcing their Sunday starter. If
1:04:32
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you didn’t hear it, this is how he explained it on his coach’s show on on Monday night. He, if you remember, they listed LSU listed its starters as obviously um, uh, Kase Evans, um,
1:04:45
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William Schmidt, and then it was Gavin Gry,
1:04:47
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and that surprised me because he usually does TVA.
1:04:50
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And Gry had an awful start the Sunday before. So like, why are you starting him again? And so he basically when Bill
1:04:57
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Frankz asked, “Hey, who you starting this weekend?” So he can submit it to the league office or whatever, whatever they do with it or when Bill’s putting
1:05:05
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out his press release. And of course the teams beforehand, they exchange who they’re going to start,
1:05:11
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Jay just said, “Put down Gavin Gry.” But he he immediately told Gavin Gry,
1:05:16
1 hour, 5 minutes, 16 seconds
“You’re not starting on Sunday. I’m just putting your name down there to see who Tennessee says they’re starting on Sunday.” Chess, [laughter] not checkers.
1:05:25
1 hour, 5 minutes, 25 seconds
And I can’t believe Jay, that’s awesome. Jade describ Jay uh uh told this story. I mean,
1:05:31
1 hour, 5 minutes, 31 seconds
I I thought it was because of the story I wrote Sunday morning cuz I wrote how bad Gavin Gidry had been his last few games and then I turn on the game and it’s not starting.
1:05:41
1 hour, 5 minutes, 41 seconds
But it was just to do it was just to find I mean it’s brilliant. It’s just to find out who because Tennessee had been shifting their weekend rotation as well.
1:05:50
1 hour, 5 minutes, 50 seconds
So he didn’t know exactly who they they were going to start. Wow. And so it was Yes. He gave away his secrets. He did. He did give away his secret.
1:05:58
1 hour, 5 minutes, 58 seconds
Baseball coaches are be are [laughter]
1:05:59
1 hour, 5 minutes, 59 seconds
becoming football coaches. You can’t Well, he’s got a football coach mindset because of his dad. I mean, it’s it’s complete. I mean, that’s And again,
1:06:06
1 hour, 6 minutes, 6 seconds
that’s another reason why I think it makes him so successful is that he does think he thinks these really strategic things.
1:06:13
1 hour, 6 minutes, 13 seconds
And that was just brilliant. I mean, I couldn’t that that was a good story.
1:06:17
1 hour, 6 minutes, 17 seconds
Well, well, the question is who would have t who who would Tennessee have started had he not, you know, put maybe maybe Tennessee goes TBA too on Sunday.
1:06:26
1 hour, 6 minutes, 26 seconds
Yeah. Well, but the bottom line is Gavin Gdry who had been coming off seven pretty bad appearances and not good
1:06:33
1 hour, 6 minutes, 33 seconds
starts. He comes in and he pitched like a starter for five and two/3 innings.
1:06:37
1 hour, 6 minutes, 37 seconds
No, he he was great. He was great. There were a lot of heroes in that game. Mason Braun, the Jake Brown at bat to tie the game,
1:06:45
1 hour, 6 minutes, 45 seconds
right? the Seth Dardar double. Yeah.
1:06:48
1 hour, 6 minutes, 48 seconds
And hey, how how about how good a coach is Jay Johnson? After he gets tossed,
1:06:53
1 hour, 6 minutes, 53 seconds
Jake Brown hits the tying run. Kate Arbidi hits two home runs and Gavin Gidry finishes off the game. So maybe he should get tossed more.
1:07:01
1 hour, 7 minutes, 1 second
And in your article on Tiger Rag, his mother didn’t appreciate the language he used on Easter Sunday. So that’s right. [laughter] That’s right.
1:07:08
1 hour, 7 minutes, 8 seconds
He said said she got upset about that.
1:07:11
1 hour, 7 minutes, 11 seconds
But boy, he was he was mad. I saw some video of that, man. He came running out there, man.
1:07:15
1 hour, 7 minutes, 15 seconds
Yeah, he was. And he and and he had the right to be mad. That was a pretty low pitch. And he thought that none of the pitches to Aaron Bey were a strike. And
1:07:23
1 hour, 7 minutes, 23 seconds
it’s ironic that that was the only at bat that iron that Aaron Bey uh was out during the whole game and he goes five for six. All right, let’s take a break.
1:07:32
1 hour, 7 minutes, 32 seconds
Michael Cabo when we come back. Tiger Rag Radio from the Super Chevy dealer studio. How you doing? This is Snow Golf. Tiger Rag. Tiger Rag Radio.
1:07:40
1 hour, 7 minutes, 40 seconds
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls,
1:07:42
1 hour, 7 minutes, 42 seconds
you are tuned in. Talk LSU sports interviews, opinions, and new calls around the Tiger Nation.
1:07:48
1 hour, 7 minutes, 48 seconds
Bad Rose was a life for me. Home of LSU Tigers. Now, more Tiger Rag Radio.
1:07:52
1 hour, 7 minutes, 52 seconds
We love to score and get highlights in the championship and play to win.
1:07:55
1 hour, 7 minutes, 55 seconds
Tiger Rag Radio. All right, back here on Tiger Rag Radio. Jeff Polarmo along with Glenn Gilbo, editor for Tiger Rag Magazine. Andre Champine, our producer.
1:08:03
1 hour, 8 minutes, 3 seconds
Glad you could join. It’s been a fun show so far. In case you’re just catching us, uh, if you want to listen back, you can catch us anywhere you get
1:08:12
1 hour, 8 minutes, 12 seconds
your podcast or the show’s uploaded to YouTube about 20 30 minutes after the show ends on Tuesday night. Joining us now, Michael Cowbell from WBRZ. Michael,
1:08:20
1 hour, 8 minutes, 20 seconds
how you doing tonight, man? I’m doing great. How are you guys doing?
1:08:24
1 hour, 8 minutes, 24 seconds
Doing well. Doing well. You know, here at the Louisiana Radio Network, we we do two-minute sports cast and Andre does uh sports cast in the afternoon and we’re
1:08:32
1 hour, 8 minutes, 32 seconds
always, man, we got so much stuff. How do we figure out how to jam it all in there? I’m sure you’re having the same problem with your three and a half, four
1:08:40
1 hour, 8 minutes, 40 seconds
minute block or whatever they give you over there at WBRZ.
1:08:43
1 hour, 8 minutes, 43 seconds
The hardest thing is trying to figure out when to take days off and who can get days off and when. So [laughter]
1:08:48
1 hour, 8 minutes, 48 seconds
that’s join the club.
1:08:52
1 hour, 8 minutes, 52 seconds
Yeah, juggling the schedules has not been easy, but uh like I worked seven last week, so I’m not working any this week. It’s just Yeah, it’s kind of although I go to practice every Tuesday,
1:09:01
1 hour, 9 minutes, 1 second
Thursday, so yeah, it’s uh it’s a little different for sure. But hey, look, uh I Well, I am not complaining.
1:09:07
1 hour, 9 minutes, 7 seconds
No, I’m not. I’m not either. It’s fun this way. It’s It’s a lot of fun when it’s coming left and right and you don’t know what’s what’s happening. Uh well,
1:09:14
1 hour, 9 minutes, 14 seconds
let’s start off with football since you’ve been at football practice. We asked Glenn this earlier, you know, what were some of his big takeaways from
1:09:22
1 hour, 9 minutes, 22 seconds
watching as we’re at about the halfway point of spring football. So, what are some of your big takeaways after watching these guys for the little amount of time that we’re able to see them?
1:09:31
1 hour, 9 minutes, 31 seconds
Yeah, just I mean the newness of this team, you know, what Lane’s compared it to an expansion team and I think he’s absolutely right there. Right. There’s
1:09:38
1 hour, 9 minutes, 38 seconds
so many new pieces to figure out and kind of look for and and see and and I think that evolution will continue all the way through the fall, you know,
1:09:48
1 hour, 9 minutes, 48 seconds
probably first couple three weeks of the season. So, um, I’m not looking, you know, to have this this this riddle figured out anytime soon, but as far as
1:09:56
1 hour, 9 minutes, 56 seconds
the players, I was surprised at how mobile Sam Levit was. I heard your your update there, and obviously that’s not the case right now. He’s on crutches.
1:10:05
1 hour, 10 minutes, 5 seconds
But, uh, when I first saw him at the first practice and every subsequent practice, I was surprised how much he was doing, quite honestly, because I had kind of got in my mind that he was just
1:10:13
1 hour, 10 minutes, 13 seconds
going to be there, you know, maybe throwing to some stationary type drills,
1:10:17
1 hour, 10 minutes, 17 seconds
you know, where he’s just getting the ball and throwing it. But, uh, no, I mean, he he was pretty mobile there. Um,
1:10:22
1 hour, 10 minutes, 22 seconds
I’m a little concerned about the size of the running back room. They don’t, um,
1:10:25
1 hour, 10 minutes, 25 seconds
and I mean, stature, not numbers. They just don’t seem like very big backs. Um,
1:10:32
1 hour, 10 minutes, 32 seconds
so I’m a little curious as to how they’re going to run the ball. You know,
1:10:36
1 hour, 10 minutes, 36 seconds
obviously this is an issue. Lane alluded to it today. You know, it’s been a problem for three years in a row now. I thought that was great that he knew that. uh obviously in his scout, you
1:10:45
1 hour, 10 minutes, 45 seconds
know, at Old Miss, he understood the the liabilities that LSU uh possessed and was quick to point him out today. So,
1:10:52
1 hour, 10 minutes, 52 seconds
that was I got a little chuckle about that. But, um and then just the the sheer numbers of receivers, but again,
1:11:00
1 hour, 11 minutes
can you really tell if anybody’s separating themselves? I think there’s another big, you know, size issue concern there. It seems like they have a lot of guys that all kind of look alike.
1:11:09
1 hour, 11 minutes, 9 seconds
So, when does the differentiation start?
1:11:11
1 hour, 11 minutes, 11 seconds
But, um, I like what Lane said about his wide receiver core and how they kind of try to make it
1:11:18
1 hour, 11 minutes, 18 seconds
deep, not topheavy. He, you know, he’s talking about spending NIL dollars and he wants to get as much bang for his buck and with the tempo that he runs,
1:11:26
1 hour, 11 minutes, 26 seconds
you know, he’s looking at at at having numbers and he’s not necessarily concerned about the topend guy because he feels that the bottom really suffers
1:11:34
1 hour, 11 minutes, 34 seconds
when you do that. So, he’s more of a fill it out through the middle kind of guy and um, it’s it’s worked for him,
1:11:40
1 hour, 11 minutes, 40 seconds
right? Right. I mean, a lot of this stuff has worked for him. So, uh, it’s it’s been fun. Today was interesting when he said that they would be a defensive team, though, if if the season
1:11:48
1 hour, 11 minutes, 48 seconds
started right now. So, you get I I’ve been actually pretty impressed with them. Um, I didn’t have a lot of expectations with Lane as far as what
1:11:56
1 hour, 11 minutes, 56 seconds
what our relationship would be like with the media, but, uh, it’s been pretty pretty solid so far. Definitely can’t complain.
1:12:03
1 hour, 12 minutes, 3 seconds
Talking to Michael Kbble of WBRZ TV channel 2 here in in Baton Rouge. Um,
1:12:09
1 hour, 12 minutes, 9 seconds
you know, I was I was surprised too at how how mobile Sam Levit was the first couple of practices we saw. And I’m
1:12:18
1 hour, 12 minutes, 18 seconds
wondering maybe they should have just left the screws in there, huh?
1:12:22
1 hour, 12 minutes, 22 seconds
[laughter]
1:12:22
1 hour, 12 minutes, 22 seconds
What were they hurting, right?
1:12:25
1 hour, 12 minutes, 25 seconds
Take those out after the season. You know what I’m saying? [laughter]
1:12:29
1 hour, 12 minutes, 29 seconds
Yeah. I mean, I do wonder. Yeah, but like I mean they they’ve gotten this thing to such an interesting
1:12:36
1 hour, 12 minutes, 36 seconds
an interesting you know like just the the science of of sports medicine right now and their ability people back and I
1:12:44
1 hour, 12 minutes, 44 seconds
mean you Glenn you remember when Tua had that tightroppe surgery and and he came back in basically a week and a half you know came back in a by week and and we were all thinking there’s no way you
1:12:52
1 hour, 12 minutes, 52 seconds
know she’s going to roll him and here this guy is you know playing burrow to to the to the end there. So, it was it was uh it’s incredible. Uh you hope, you know, for his sake and his future that,
1:13:03
1 hour, 13 minutes, 3 seconds
you know, positive results just like Tua had. So, um what do you think uh what do you think of the other two quarterbacks, Michael?
1:13:10
1 hour, 13 minutes, 10 seconds
What have what you’ve seen?
1:13:12
1 hour, 13 minutes, 12 seconds
You know, decent. I mean, like, but it’s hard to tell. I mean, like I I don’t really feel like I have an answer for
1:13:19
1 hour, 13 minutes, 19 seconds
them. I think they throw the ball well enough and they certainly run well enough. Um, to me, I would put Han Long
1:13:26
1 hour, 13 minutes, 26 seconds
Street ahead, but you know, that’s I don’t know that there’s any real teeth to that. I just think it’s great that they’re getting the opportunities and
1:13:34
1 hour, 13 minutes, 34 seconds
the reps because obviously with Le on the Shelf, you know, these two guys are going to have to carry the load. No slight to me Picarella, but you know, I think we know what the situation is. So,
1:13:44
1 hour, 13 minutes, 44 seconds
um, I’ve just I’ve just been enjoying kind of what we’ve been seeing. Again, I it’s more than I expected with Lane. I
1:13:52
1 hour, 13 minutes, 52 seconds
didn’t think we’d have as much access as we’ve had and he seems like he’s been pretty accommodating to, you know,
1:13:57
1 hour, 13 minutes, 57 seconds
potentially more. I guess we’re going to get to watch a whole practice on Saturday. So, um, you know, that’s that’s welcomed as well. But as far as I
1:14:06
1 hour, 14 minutes, 6 seconds
don’t have a feel for this offense. I have no idea what this offense can do.
1:14:08
1 hour, 14 minutes, 8 seconds
The the offensive line are always a field and a half away. It seems like the only time we really get to see them is on their initial runouts. Um, and again,
1:14:18
1 hour, 14 minutes, 18 seconds
you know, as much as you love looking at some of the guys that have slimmed down,
1:14:22
1 hour, 14 minutes, 22 seconds
how do they work as a group? Some of the early stuff, you know, when we did get to watch some some pressures, they were they were giving up sacks. So, again, I
1:14:30
1 hour, 14 minutes, 30 seconds
don’t I don’t feel like I have a real true testament to what this team is capable of.
1:14:35
1 hour, 14 minutes, 35 seconds
Talking with Michael Kbble from WBRZTV Sports. Uh, Michael, still how is it still surreal to you to think that Will Wade is LSU’s men’s basketball coach?
1:14:46
1 hour, 14 minutes, 46 seconds
[laughter]
1:14:49
1 hour, 14 minutes, 49 seconds
It’s unbelievable, man. Like I mean, where else in America, right?
1:14:52
1 hour, 14 minutes, 52 seconds
Yeah. I don’t I don’t think anywhere else. [snorts]
1:14:55
1 hour, 14 minutes, 55 seconds
And the thing is is like we’re we’re growing accustomed to it, too. So, it’s like, yeah, sure, why not? It’s like we don’t even [laughter] bat an eye anymore. It’s like, you want to go get Lane Kemping? Let’s do it, you know?
1:15:05
1 hour, 15 minutes, 5 seconds
Yeah. I mean, so could you could you imagine Michael Lane and Wade going out on a Friday night in Baton Rouge? Wow. Look, look at this place. Wow. It’s so [laughter] great.
1:15:14
1 hour, 15 minutes, 14 seconds
It’s so exciting to be here. I love this place. Let’s go to Phil’s Oyster Bar.
1:15:17
1 hour, 15 minutes, 17 seconds
Let’s go over here. Let’s go to the Colonel’s Club. [laughter] Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Those two together.
1:15:22
1 hour, 15 minutes, 22 seconds
Could you Yeah. No, I could not. Could you imagine Lane and Matt McMahon? That would be even [laughter] better combination.
1:15:29
1 hour, 15 minutes, 29 seconds
So So no, it’s uh it’s it is a nutty time, right? I mean, like, it’s just we used to call it the silly season, right?
1:15:36
1 hour, 15 minutes, 36 seconds
But like now, I just think LSU is like a silly university. Like,
1:15:39
1 hour, 15 minutes, 39 seconds
yeah, we we want to do it. Sure, we’ll we’ll find a way to do it. We’re going to mortgage the house, you know? Who knows? Maybe the PMAC is is got like a third mortgage on it right now that we don’t know about. But, um, you know,
1:15:49
1 hour, 15 minutes, 49 seconds
Verge said, “Don’t worry about the money. We’ll find the money.” That was a very interesting, um, interview with him at Will’s introductory.
1:15:57
1 hour, 15 minutes, 57 seconds
Yeah. Just on the side, it just kind of broke out. That was amazing.
1:16:00
1 hour, 16 minutes
Exactly. But I mean he was pretty transparent, you know, and you he is he always Glenn again kind of you and I have been around a long time here. It’s it is
1:16:09
1 hour, 16 minutes, 9 seconds
refreshing to see them think about things in a different way and him restructuring the internal operation. Uh
1:16:17
1 hour, 16 minutes, 17 seconds
so senior administrators really become fundraisers. I mean that’s that’s something that’s largely been left up to the TAF people, you know. So you can see
1:16:26
1 hour, 16 minutes, 26 seconds
where they’re trying to turn this thing around. you can un and you can understand the dynamics of the business side of college athletics now and you
1:16:35
1 hour, 16 minutes, 35 seconds
can see where some of these decisions are being made and whether that is the current one with Jay Johnson and LSU baseball or softball or um you know Kim
1:16:44
1 hour, 16 minutes, 44 seconds
Moy and the a lotment that she is allowed to receive because of you know the publicity that she brings in like I I I at least appreciated him being
1:16:51
1 hour, 16 minutes, 51 seconds
honest and being like hey look this is a just justifiable call cost for us you know because of what we get in turn. So,
1:16:59
1 hour, 16 minutes, 59 seconds
um I think it’s it’s a great time obviously for us to be covering this university. Uh it’s a it’s a cool time for the fans to be, you know, interested in it. I just really hope it pays off.
1:17:11
1 hour, 17 minutes, 11 seconds
You know, because if this thing flames out, oh my goodness.
1:17:15
1 hour, 17 minutes, 15 seconds
Yeah. It it’s going to be it’s going to be you know what kind of show. I mean, it’s [laughter]
1:17:21
1 hour, 17 minutes, 21 seconds
Well, and you know, it was real funny too, Michael, with this doesn’t work out. what [clears throat] what you just mentioned.
1:17:27
1 hour, 17 minutes, 27 seconds
You know, some of these senior administrators have been at LSU for a long time who and they’ve done no fundraising and now they read the paper and it’s like I got a fundraiser.
1:17:35
1 hour, 17 minutes, 35 seconds
[laughter]
1:17:36
1 hour, 17 minutes, 36 seconds
Okay, Verge, let’s go.
1:17:39
1 hour, 17 minutes, 39 seconds
Well, I think about Julie who just came on and I’m like, man, did she know what she was getting into when she signed up?
1:17:45
1 hour, 17 minutes, 45 seconds
I mean, like taking over from Kelly Zim. She’s she lost her boss in basically the first week and now she’s, you know, in charge of fundraising for, you know, sports.
1:17:54
1 hour, 17 minutes, 54 seconds
So, yeah, it’s a it’s definitely a wild time to to be in college athletics and here at LSU. You know, we always used to make fun of Auburn, right?
1:18:03
1 hour, 18 minutes, 3 seconds
Yeah. Right.
1:18:03
1 hour, 18 minutes, 3 seconds
Circus that that they were, but now it feels like LSU’s got the big top tent over top of it.
1:18:08
1 hour, 18 minutes, 8 seconds
No, you’re you’re right about that. All right, last question for you, Michael.
1:18:10
1 hour, 18 minutes, 10 seconds
What’s your thoughts on LSU baseball here? Do you you feel like they’ve turned the corner and could start playing some more consistent baseball or
1:18:18
1 hour, 18 minutes, 18 seconds
is this just going to be a wild ride all the way through here with these uh remaining 18 SEC games?
1:18:26
1 hour, 18 minutes, 26 seconds
Yeah. No, I definitely think the inconsistency is is the calling card for this team, unfortunately. Um and I can’t really put my finger on it. I don’t I
1:18:34
1 hour, 18 minutes, 34 seconds
don’t know if it’s a talent thing, if it’s a a psychological thing. Um you know, I’ve been at those practices. I’ve
1:18:41
1 hour, 18 minutes, 41 seconds
watched them work. I understand what Jay tries to get out of those teams. Um, so I I I do kind of understand his frustration of going to the ballpark.
1:18:50
1 hour, 18 minutes, 50 seconds
Johnny Jones told me this one time and and I don’t think the average fan really realizes it as much as the coaches do,
1:18:56
1 hour, 18 minutes, 56 seconds
but basically that coaches are just looking for consistency. It doesn’t have to be high level consistency. It doesn’t have to be peak performance consistency,
1:19:05
1 hour, 19 minutes, 5 seconds
but it’s that consistency that they then know how to use you at like a tool. And Glenn, you can probably allude to this, but Skip was probably the best at that,
1:19:14
1 hour, 19 minutes, 14 seconds
right? Once he realized what you could do, he was he he had a tool in his arsenal and he knew when and how to use it. Um, and unfortunately, I don’t think
1:19:22
1 hour, 19 minutes, 22 seconds
Jay is able to operate in that same space because of the inconsistency that his team is currently playing with. So,
1:19:28
1 hour, 19 minutes, 28 seconds
it’s um it’s troubling and I don’t see it really getting that much better. Uh it’s amazing the parallels to that 24
1:19:36
1 hour, 19 minutes, 36 seconds
season right after that title and you know I just think it’s going to be a similar deal. We’re going to go on the road for a regional and see if LSU can fight their way out of it and you know
1:19:44
1 hour, 19 minutes, 44 seconds
and then it’s up to just one weekend of baseball and and can you do enough to get back to Omaha. It it it speaks to
1:19:50
1 hour, 19 minutes, 50 seconds
our unrealistic expectations that we really just did think LSU is going to roll roll the the bats back out there
1:19:59
1 hour, 19 minutes, 59 seconds
and be back in Omaha, you know, going for the repeat, right? when you think about all the and that’s the naivee I guess that we have as sports media and
1:20:08
1 hour, 20 minutes, 8 seconds
even a fan base where we just expect these things to happen and we really don’t think about how incredibly difficult they are to make
1:20:15
1 hour, 20 minutes, 15 seconds
especially with football everybody with football now is thinking oh they’re going to the playoffs you know they because because they they spent so much money on the on the roster that’s not
1:20:24
1 hour, 20 minutes, 24 seconds
how it works well and and Lane said it today now with the ninth SEC g game now it’s nine and three instead of 10 and two it is n is n
1:20:33
1 hour, 20 minutes, 33 seconds
and three good enough to get you in the college football playoff and so I mean we’ll find out but um it should be interesting and uh yeah uh it’s
1:20:41
1 hour, 20 minutes, 41 seconds
always interesting [laughter] always and it’s going to be even more interesting here over the next coming weeks, days, months, years. It should be
1:20:49
1 hour, 20 minutes, 49 seconds
a lot of fun. Thanks Michael for joining us. We’ll let you get back to uh some uh RNR and we’ll talk to you again soon.
1:20:56
1 hour, 20 minutes, 56 seconds
Thanks for having me fellas. Have a good night.
1:20:57
1 hour, 20 minutes, 57 seconds
All right, that’s Michael McCabell from WBRZ TV. Let’s take a break. More of Tiger Rag Radio when we come back from the Super Chevy dealer studio.
1:21:07
1 hour, 21 minutes, 7 seconds
Back to Tiger Rag Radio live from Super Chevy Dealer Studio.
1:21:15
1 hour, 21 minutes, 15 seconds
Hey, we’re back inside the Super Chevy dealer studio. Jeff Polalmo along with Glen Gilbo, Andre Shan Pine. It’s been a good show. A lot to talk about. I feel like we really haven’t gotten in depth
1:21:24
1 hour, 21 minutes, 24 seconds
on a lot of stuff because there’s just so much stuff out there. Uh Lane Kipan did speak today. Uh the biggest thing he
1:21:32
1 hour, 21 minutes, 32 seconds
said was about Sam Levit. Uh us in the media, we were not anticipating him not being able to finish spring football,
1:21:39
1 hour, 21 minutes, 39 seconds
but uh he ended up having a procedure done Monday to remove the pins out of his surgically repaired right foot from
1:21:47
1 hour, 21 minutes, 47 seconds
the Liz Frank injury. So that means he’s most likely not going to participate again in spring football. But Coach Keifin doesn’t seem too concerned about
1:21:56
1 hour, 21 minutes, 56 seconds
it. talked about how he’s he’s he’s obviously he’s involved in the meetings.
1:22:02
1 hour, 22 minutes, 2 seconds
He’s out on the practice field. He’s getting all the mental reps. And then he brought up, of course, Trinidad Chamblas, who didn’t arrive on the Old
1:22:09
1 hour, 22 minutes, 9 seconds
Miss campus until the summertime. And then look at what he was able to do last season. So, he didn’t mention him by name, though.
1:22:16
1 hour, 22 minutes, 16 seconds
He also doesn’t mention Old Miss by name. He’s just like that guy from last year [laughter] where he used to be last year,
1:22:23
1 hour, 22 minutes, 23 seconds
previous school. I think that’s the way it should be from the other year. [laughter] That guy from the other year.
1:22:28
1 hour, 22 minutes, 28 seconds
But uh he did talk a little bit more in depth about certain things, so we wanted to get to them before we get out of here. Here’s uh him talking about
1:22:36
1 hour, 22 minutes, 36 seconds
Richard Anderson, who I know a lot of LSU fans are fired up to see.
1:22:41
1 hour, 22 minutes, 41 seconds
Phenomenal prospect. This guy’s going to be a great player. It’s just a matter of time to when that happens. Love how physical he is. Love how hard he’s worked early. He’s doing a great job.
1:22:50
1 hour, 22 minutes, 50 seconds
Got a little banged up and played through it Saturday, which was good. So, we’re really excited about him.
1:22:55
1 hour, 22 minutes, 55 seconds
The one thing about this is because the depth isn’t particularly great on the defensive line, I think you’re going to see a lot of Richard Anderson in 2026.
1:23:06
1 hour, 23 minutes, 6 seconds
And what did you guys think? I think he’s going to play right away.
1:23:09
1 hour, 23 minutes, 9 seconds
Yeah. I mean, especially when you look at that defensive tackle uh room right now and and with the Reford injury, I think he kind of alluded to Lamar coming
1:23:17
1 hour, 23 minutes, 17 seconds
in and yeah, I think that kind of shows you which is kind of nice to to see because Brian Kelly really was he didn’t
1:23:25
1 hour, 23 minutes, 25 seconds
play freshman a lot. Um and and so you even saw with with Harold Perkins in his first year, he was doing so well and then you wouldn’t see him for a little
1:23:33
1 hour, 23 minutes, 33 seconds
bit. And so, uh I I think that’s pretty interesting. I think Lane doesn’t care who, you know, who it is or what class they are. He’s going to put the best guys on the field no matter what.
1:23:42
1 hour, 23 minutes, 42 seconds
Well, I wanted to put Richard at the top of our depth chart, but you and Todd overruled me. That is true. So, I think Lane agrees with me.
1:23:49
1 hour, 23 minutes, 49 seconds
We pulled uh we we we pulled a Brian Kelly there. [laughter] Yeah.
1:23:53
1 hour, 23 minutes, 53 seconds
So, who do you have at the top on the uh in the spring football issue? Who’s Blockton, I believe? Right. It’s the final
1:24:00
1 hour, 24 minutes
just the uh the Tiger Rag issue just came out, Saturday Night Fever with Lane Keifin on the cover. Imagine that with a with a leather jacket. Um, let’s see.
1:24:09
1 hour, 24 minutes, 9 seconds
I’m looking for the the dep.
1:24:10
1 hour, 24 minutes, 10 seconds
Who did you say, Andre? They were I think Stefilin Green. Okay. Out of uh Clemson. And then Malik Blton.
1:24:18
1 hour, 24 minutes, 18 seconds
And he he was running with the first team defensive tackles today. So,
1:24:21
1 hour, 24 minutes, 21 seconds
okay. All right. So, you guys are still on track. We’re on track.
1:24:24
1 hour, 24 minutes, 24 seconds
We’re on track on that. But Richard Anderson’s going to be a big part of the 2026 defense. Uh, how about running the football? LSU has really struggled to do
1:24:32
1 hour, 24 minutes, 32 seconds
that. Lane Keifin talked about that today. In my opinion, can’t run the ball, you got problems, not just offensively, but as a team. It’s just
1:24:39
1 hour, 24 minutes, 39 seconds
part of your personality. And so, we’ve always really stressed that over time.
1:24:43
1 hour, 24 minutes, 43 seconds
We’ve run the ball as well as anybody over the years, the last two places we’ve been. That’s a really big challenge for us right now. And so,
1:24:50
1 hour, 24 minutes, 50 seconds
that’s high on our list because it sets up everything. Everybody knows that sets up throwing the ball and play action, but to me, it sets your whole team up.
1:24:57
1 hour, 24 minutes, 57 seconds
Yeah. And Michael Kbble said that Kaden Durham’s been running at first team running back most of the time. And you and Todd told me not to put Kaden number
1:25:05
1 hour, 25 minutes, 5 seconds
one. You got Harlem Barry number one. So you’re 0 for two. No, that’s not true because you got you got Richard. That’s not true. We said we put
1:25:14
1 hour, 25 minutes, 14 seconds
No, that’s not how it is. No, y’all both said Harlem Barry. I don’t know what you remember, [laughter]
1:25:18
1 hour, 25 minutes, 18 seconds
but you you got Don McKinley over Richard Anderson and you got Harlem. Don Don McKinley’s going to play a lot.
1:25:25
1 hour, 25 minutes, 25 seconds
Yeah. Yeah. I think I think Richard’s going to play a lot. I think Kaden Durham’s going to start.
1:25:29
1 hour, 25 minutes, 29 seconds
And I thought it was interesting how Michael Kbell said not a what you notice out of the running back room is not a lot of girth, right? Not they don’t have a big back that they can really rely on.
1:25:40
1 hour, 25 minutes, 40 seconds
Let’s take our final break and then we’ll wrap up the show after this here on Tiger Rag Radio from the Super Chevy Dealer Studio.
1:25:47
1 hour, 25 minutes, 47 seconds
And we’re back with Tiger Rag Radio live [music] from Super Chevy Dealer Studio. All right, back here on Tiger Rag Radio.
1:25:56
1 hour, 25 minutes, 56 seconds
Jeff Palmo along with Glenn Gilbo and Andre Shan Pine. We only got about a minute left, so we don’t have much time.
1:26:01
1 hour, 26 minutes, 1 second
Big series for LSU baseball this weekend in Oxford. They’re going to face two really talented pitchers in Hunter Elliot and Kade Towns. And both of these
1:26:09
1 hour, 26 minutes, 9 seconds
guys are really good. Um, and they’re going to be in a hostile atmosphere.
1:26:13
1 hour, 26 minutes, 13 seconds
Glenn, what do you think? How do you think it goes?
1:26:16
1 hour, 26 minutes, 16 seconds
I think if they can win one game, it’s really good because they just took two last week. Uh, so you know, that might be what it is. But I would I would say
1:26:24
1 hour, 26 minutes, 24 seconds
the way they’ve been playing offensively, I think LSU is going to win two out of three.
1:26:29
1 hour, 26 minutes, 29 seconds
Okay, Andre, you’re shaking your head now. I don’t think so. Yeah.
1:26:32
1 hour, 26 minutes, 32 seconds
Uh, just the inconsistency like we said from the pitching staff, from the starters, you just you never know. Like it it it’s so weird. And good p good
1:26:41
1 hour, 26 minutes, 41 seconds
pitching beats good hitting. And I I think Miss has a little bit of an edge since they are at home here. And plus with with the the miss LSU hatred now
1:26:50
1 hour, 26 minutes, 50 seconds
that they’re going to play this one like their Super Bowl. So yeah, that’s true. That’s true. I I’ll go with Miss too. I think they go three and three on this backtoback weekends.
1:26:58
1 hour, 26 minutes, 58 seconds
That does it for Tiger Rag Radio. We’ll see you again next week. Have a great night, everyone.
1:27:04
1 hour, 27 minutes, 4 seconds
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