- 3 hours ago
Made For March S01E01
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00:07Guys, we have good possession.
00:09We're gonna try to generate offense instead of score.
00:12And we gotta win everyone.
00:14Everybody can't score.
00:16We gotta do something to win.
00:18Win.
00:20You five need to score.
00:22Not you, not you, not you, not you, not you.
00:24Use his leverage for good shots.
00:28Come on, man.
00:28We gotta be thinking to have that great offense for my teammates.
00:33All right.
00:34Take a deep breath.
00:37Got it out.
00:38Got it out.
00:39Triggered.
00:40Play good ball for four minutes.
00:47March Madness.
00:49It's the best of the best.
00:54At that time of the year, everyone's watching college basketball.
00:58Gives it to Jenkins for the championship.
01:01The NCAA tournament is always going to deliver unbelievable highs.
01:07Unbelievable heartache.
01:09If you have one off night, it's over.
01:12Abruptly.
01:14In college basketball, there's another level of connectivity to your team than pro sports.
01:20But we're at a time in the game in which the environment is just different.
01:25Money is the name of the game now.
01:27Yeah, it's already.
01:27Merry Christmas.
01:28You've got the dynamics of kids and their families and agents and handlers impacting what your roster looks like.
01:37You have as much talent in college basketball this season as we've seen in a really long time.
01:43If Superman was reincarnated as a college basketball player, he'd be Darren Peterson.
01:51The only way I can get people off my back is to go kill.
01:55And Bill Self is one of the legends that we have of the game.
01:58The thought of your dad still always looking over your shoulder.
02:01To me, that's pretty cool.
02:03With Michigan, I would consider a favorite to win it all.
02:07When I think of Michigan, I probably think of the Fab Five.
02:10They had a huge impact.
02:12Can't this era of Michigan basketball become something really special?
02:16When you're playing against some of the best competitors.
02:19How much do we have on the line?
02:20We're trying to win a championship.
02:22No one knows what will happen.
02:24Once you leave here, there ain't gonna be no arenas like this.
02:53A lot of history in this place.
02:59But to me, the best part of the history is those trophies right there from 08 and 22.
03:10Two special teams brought a lot of joy to a lot of folks.
03:16This is my 23rd year.
03:18And I've been so fortunate because I get a chance to coach
03:23at a place where the inventor of the game was our first coach.
03:30My office is on Naismith Drive.
03:34It's a pretty good gig.
03:37For some two years now, students, alums, and townspeople
03:41have watched the construction of the giant new field house in Lawrence.
03:45A bulging crowd of 17,000 persons packs the new arena
03:49for the dedication honoring Coach Fogg Allen.
03:53There's something about being a part of something bigger than yourself
03:56and to be part of that history, knowing that I'm never going to be the best coach to coach here.
04:02Fogg Allen, Coach Jim.
04:04Let's go!
04:06Jayhawks win, handing Dr. F.C. Allen the 700th victory of his 42 year career.
04:13Coach Fogg Allen had the title known as the father of basketball coaching
04:17and his national championship was in 1952.
04:20We had a guard on that roster.
04:22Dean Smith rims a 10-foot jump shot.
04:25That went on to do some pretty amazing things himself in the coaching world.
04:32This hallway right here captures individuals that have given so much to this place.
04:38Will Chamberlain.
04:38Best player it's ever played at the University of Kansas.
04:42Wilt leads the nation with a 30-point six-point game average.
04:45And then in 88, Coach Brown won the national championship.
04:48Of course, led by Danny Manning.
04:53The truth.
04:54Paul Pierce.
04:55Piers puts a three out.
04:56Good!
04:57Paul Pierce is impeccable!
05:00And then my guys.
05:01National championship guys.
05:03Brandon Rush, Darrell Arthur, Mario Chalmers.
05:07Chalmers for the tie.
05:08Got it!
05:09In 20 seconds.
05:11Kansas takes the title.
05:13And then the 22 national championship guys.
05:16And Kansas completes the biggest championship comeback all time.
05:23You are the first Kansas coach in history to have multiple national titles.
05:28The first ever.
05:32You know, the only thing better than winning two would be, I guess, to win three.
05:37And even though this display's crowded, I bet you they could still find a spot for it.
05:52We'll just go two of these.
05:55Boom.
05:58Take about 30 seconds.
05:59We're gonna do a little abs, a little core work.
06:02Uh-oh.
06:03It's easy.
06:04It's easy.
06:05DP, he's like that Ferrari, that Lamborghini.
06:08So you just, we just gotta make sure all systems are topped off.
06:13We don't gotta do too much.
06:14Other players, sometimes you gotta develop them at a high level.
06:17But this one, you just, just make sure the tire pressure's good.
06:21You're just fine-tuning.
06:22Okay.
06:22That's it.
06:23Fine-tuning.
06:23We don't gotta do too much.
06:25Bet.
06:26You know, just make sure that check engine line don't come off.
06:30My first time here, I remember telling my pops I wanna play here.
06:33And this was like my sophomore year of high school.
06:36When my dad told me, like, it's already rigged, we just gotta go live it.
06:38I'll be taking my talents to the University of Kansas.
06:42Go J-O.
06:44You get the legacy here.
06:46Darren Peterson was an unbelievable kid.
06:53Let's get to Darren Peterson, cause it all is about this guy.
06:57He's certainly got a chance to be the best player in the sport.
07:00I put him in a jersey because I feel like it's my purpose and my destiny.
07:03And I was born to do it.
07:10You don't see too many 18-year-olds that moves the way he moves, that sees it the way he
07:15sees it.
07:17He's far beyond his years.
07:22I told everybody what I think.
07:24I haven't held it back.
07:25He's the best freshman I've ever recruited.
07:29Somebody described you as the best guard to enter college since Derrick Rose, comparisons to Kobe Bryant.
07:35The Kobe comparison's a nice one, too.
07:37Just out of respect for the game.
07:40Yeah, but also out of respect, I don't like that one.
07:42You don't like that one?
07:43Out of respect, that's one of my goals.
07:45I can't even be compared to one of my goals.
07:47I like that.
07:48Feel me?
07:49We got to draw a line somewhere.
07:50Somewhere.
07:51I appreciate the love, but you can't compare me to one of the goals and I'm 19.
07:56We don't even know what I'm going to be like in the NBA yet.
07:58I'm focused on today and tomorrow.
08:02I'm going to come in and try to get a ring for coaching and for myself.
08:05How are you handling the pressure of being here in the meet to perform?
08:09Do you feel that?
08:10I've battled adversity since I was super young.
08:13I come from a family of go-getters, so this is what 10 and 11-year-old me wanted for
08:18myself,
08:19to be the face of a big-time program like I am.
08:34All right, man, let's go.
08:36Let's go, let's go.
08:38Lord, thank you for this day.
08:39Thank you for this amazing opportunity to play the game we love.
08:41I said you please keep everyone healthy and we'll just put a lot of enthusiasm and get better.
08:44Amen.
08:45Let's have a great morning.
08:46Okay, hard work.
08:47One, two, three.
08:47Hard work.
08:47Everybody grab a ball.
08:48Let's dribble.
08:49Let's go.
08:49Let's go.
08:51Here we go, man.
08:52For the first 20 years that we've been here.
08:56Let's have a great day.
08:58We won at a pretty good clip.
09:00Two national championships, four Final Fours, 14 straight conference championships.
09:05But the last two years we haven't been as good.
09:09We haven't been in the game.
09:12When I'm thinking of the game, I'm thinking of the last two weekends of the NCAA tournament.
09:17We haven't been there.
09:18They were the preseason number one team two years in a row.
09:21And by some measures, it was actually Kansas' worst two year run in essentially 40 plus years.
09:26Last year was the hardest and probably worst season that we've had since I've been here.
09:31This will be Kansas' first loss in the first round since 2006.
09:39The reality of it is, if you got better players and you got a great place to play and a
09:44great home court,
09:46the expectation is you should be good.
09:48You got to take it harder than that.
09:49Let's go.
09:50Full speed.
09:51Go.
09:52Going into this season, I don't think anybody's looking at us as a team that could make a serious run.
09:59That's not it.
10:00Do it again.
10:00That's not what we said.
10:01Everybody's got to do it right.
10:04This guy is going to be hellbent.
10:07Road up, everybody!
10:09On reminding the college basketball world who's who and what's what.
10:13Get out there!
10:14All right, that's a turtle.
10:16God dang it.
10:16Do it again.
10:17No good.
10:17In what is almost definitely the winter of Bill Self's career,
10:20this could be a pivotal season in determining the direction of Kansas through the end of the decade.
10:27We got to get back to consistently being a favorite to compete for the highest of stakes to cut down
10:35a net in April.
10:36And this season, I believe we've got the pieces we need to do that.
10:50I grew up in a one stoplight town.
10:54Basically, my address was a rural route.
10:57In the last 20 minutes from where Indiana University is, and we're a coach and I coach.
11:03With my mother working a lot and being in a single parent home, the gym became like home as well.
11:14from the first time i played organized basketball i fell in love with the sport
11:20it's almost like it was release from everything and that's really where i learned determination
11:27drive and how to coach my coaches had a great impact on me
11:36i was assistant coach for years beginning with eastern michigan
11:41and then head coach at fau where we became a national name and a top 10 team in the country
11:48after that this job came open michigan is such a well-rounded place that everything is important
11:57here on day one we felt like we at least had the pieces where things went well we'd be able
12:03to
12:03compete with anyone the culmination of a lot of work and sacrifice
12:12this isn't a job it's a 24-hour seven-day-a-week labor of love
12:25what's the next way here another set five reps is this warm up yeah i'm gonna jump in with him
12:32let's do it let's do it one more one more one more one more it's called offset loading
12:39offset loading no how many reps should i try to get 10 out of 45
12:45we can turn it up for a few minutes yeah and then we'll crank it back down
12:51yeah crank it up dude let's go
12:58yeah i played a wing uh for university of michigan
13:06yaxl is i mean there probably can't be a more diverse journey than his in college basketball
13:13and i mean diverse meaning he didn't play basketball
13:20the work in progress he's getting done i'm going bad
13:24in high school i was never fast never athletic and i couldn't shoot
13:32it was a struggle for me especially for my mentor because i'd never been the most confident kid
13:38after graduating i wasn't planning on playing any sports or nothing i was just
13:42working my job at a warehouse his mom signed him up for an open showcase during covid
13:48a coach in arizona saw limited clips and they needed a backup big guy he shows up to arizona western
13:55from uh new jersey playing a sport he probably hadn't fallen in love with yet
14:02and really blossomed as a basketball player became one of the best junior college players in the country
14:13i started feeling myself a little bit more
14:16i started getting recruited by a lot of division one programs
14:20uab identified him as a guy that could help them
14:23we competed against him for two years and he was a special talent
14:39in division one college basketball history there are two players who have scored 600 points 400 rebounds
14:46at 150 assists in season yaksin lenigort and larry burke
14:54after their season was over he made a decision to declare for the nba draft
14:59it was like super huge news like it was crazy how much attention it got you know it's like is
15:04this
15:04really what life is going to turn into now i'm at the highest level now it's this is crazy
15:09so then that's when all the doubt started creeping like man did i make the right decision
15:24i wanted to obviously make it to the nba but i didn't feel like i was ready
15:28it was a lot that i had to work on and now feel me feel me a little bit feel
15:31me right now you're
15:32out of balance yeah right now i'm back you down reach coach dusty i was a big fan of him
15:37already
15:38you know he seems super genuine super nice with his guys and he seems super engaged you know
15:43that's the kind of coach i want to play for all you need to do is seal me and drop
15:46the ball
15:46two quick kill dribbles i called dusty i was like hey i'm coming to michigan man i wanted to
15:50tell you first and you know he thought i was joking i'm like nah like for real congratulations
15:56how many did he lift the same as coach right he did too fortunately he chose to join us
16:02which raised our ceiling exponentially dusty's one of the best program builders in the way college
16:11basketball teams are built now he's proven that he can evaluate develop and build chemistry really
16:17quickly through the portal recruiting guys out of the portal we told him that we're going to bring in a
16:25bunch of really good players and we're going to make it work but we're going to have to sacrifice
16:28all of us they could have gotten more money they could have gotten guaranteed more playing time
16:34elsewhere but they sacrificed all that for the betterment of the team it's cool to see people
16:42believe in a vision and and follow through with it over my career of 25 years all of the teams
16:51that had
16:52the best chemistry the only commonality was they had a pass first point guard quote of the day learn
17:00from the mistake of others what's the second part of it elliot you don't live long enough to make them
17:05all yourself perfect you can't live long enough to make them all yourself we knew who we wanted to
17:10target i'm elliot cadeau i'm a point guard for the university of michigan i'm a playmaker
17:19his speed his reputation his passing ability he's a special player
17:26coming out of high school i committed to north carolina
17:33i was there for two years i entered the transfer portal i started talking to dusty and i just fell
17:39in
17:39love with his coaching style from there we needed to replace our starting four and five man
17:54you told me to go to the corner that we've been working on summer adai was someone that we fell
18:00in
18:00love with his personality he's just such a kind soul seven three the way he can move and protect the
18:06rib
18:06him he's an absolute beast tomorrow easy pickings the shack of the west right now
18:17merez was the next guy up front and that relationship clicked right away as well
18:22because we knew he valued winning merez johnson is an absolute force an absolute beast inside johnson's got
18:32the ball i think it is one of the best collections of talent that anybody was able to put together
18:46in
18:47the transfer portal the axel and the board the daimara merez johnson the ability for those three to play
18:55together in a jumbo lineup is what takes michigan very good man from being a really good team to a
19:02potentially great team this season we would be remiss if we did not highlight the returning personnel
19:09that michigan has maury burnett will cheddar roddy gale players that went to the sweet 16. they are
19:19really really important this season michigan clearly looks like a team that i would consider
19:25a favorite to win it all this year and they so happen to be from the big 10. this season
19:37if you're
19:37going to even have a shot to compete in the big 10 we have to have guys that have a
19:42growth mindset that
19:43never get too high or too low because our season is so long and there are so many ups and
19:47downs
19:50the goal for this group is obviously big 10 final four and then national championship
19:58and so our intensity and attention to detail was at a really really good place preseason and as soon
20:06as we started playing games i felt like it faltered a little bit
20:11still we're winning but we weren't winning well and off count these two three left wing drives in
20:17shot a high floater bigs off no good off to the left and michigan survives the tcu game nothing was
20:26going
20:30right it was our lack of toughness our lack of cutting and sharing the basketball
20:42glaring holes that are going to be our achilles heel if we don't get them fixed
20:47that'll do it and michigan has survived they found a way to get a win on the road
20:54my senses say that we're struggling with the weight of expectations right now we're in a very slippery spot
21:04this michigan team has been winning by the skin of their teeth
21:08their biggest tests will come at the players era tournament in las vegas
21:12where all eyes will be watching
21:21las vegas nevada a city built to spotlight the spectacular
21:28this is the players era tournament and other than march madness i don't know if there's a bigger college
21:34basketball tournament all year long come on chris i need some love i'm feeling it
21:41players era festival is a new early season tournament that's created a major major platform
21:46for college basketball during november everybody wants money now that players have the opportunity
21:52to play in a tournament where you're going to get one paid in order to just show up and be
21:55there but
21:56then two have the opportunity to win prize money what could be better you have 18 teams some of the
22:04best in
22:04college basketball michigan gonzaga kansas tennessee they got close to a million even just to come and
22:10then the winner will get another million you're playing against some of the best players and competitors
22:16you're figuring out who you are early what does your team have to really become the tournament team
22:22later in march as a team what are your expectations you know what my expectations are that we're gonna
22:35love the moment i obviously believe that but i didn't say anything about wins and losses i'll know
22:41that i know my team yet are we hard workers do we like each other are we dedicated toughness are
22:52we
22:52coachable you know you can run crap offense but if all five guys believe in it you'll get a good
22:59shot
23:01but without darren peterson who knows
23:15kansas jayhawks have made their way out the court they are three and two this season there are only two
23:21losses double digit losses at the hands of north carolina and duke and the big storyline with them
23:27has been darren peterson he has missed the last three games due to a hamstring injury and this will
23:33be his fourth i got the hamstring right now so i can't play these vegas games but trying to figure
23:41it
23:41out i'm doing tests and stuff and just a pain just i was there like certain movements will bother it
23:47trigger it and then once i trigger it it just would not go away tried to mask it but i
23:53couldn't
23:54do it so uh definitely hard for me
23:58it sucks the good news is we're still early in the season and it gives guys other opportunities
24:05to get more playing time to contribute jayhawks will have to get bigger efforts for the likes of flory
24:12trey melvin and the rest of the gang the coach wants to see better execution if ku is to make
24:18some
24:18noise out here in vegas in an absolutely loaded field half of which are ranked in the top 25.
24:26the bottom line is this we got to win games with or without darren there's no excuses
24:33my dad was a coach he had an expression don't worry about the mules just load the wagon
24:43elder damon kansas ready to do battle kansas a couple of tough early losses this season to
24:48north carolina duke without their freshman star darren peterson peterson out with that
24:52hamstring injury no word on a timetable for him right now and now this guy moves up to the top
24:59of
24:59the scouting report trey white yeah we're closest guys to step up make plays
25:10here
25:32here he is
25:40All right, fire away.
25:43Bill, what if any updates do you have about Darren Peterson
25:45and when he might return?
25:48He's doing more every day.
25:50He's working out here.
25:52You know, he's running.
25:53He's cutting.
25:54You know, he's just got to test out of some things,
25:58which we'll test him again when we get back.
26:00So, you know, Myron, it's week to week, maybe too long.
26:09It's more of every three or four days.
26:11You know, we'll reevaluate and see where he's at.
26:16As of right now, definitely hard for me
26:18because I feel like I'm doing everything right,
26:21but then it's still not working.
26:22So I just trust the process, trust what God got going on.
26:28It's basketball.
26:30It's definitely going to happen if I do it.
26:34I don't know.
26:35I don't really got to answer.
26:36I just try to see what I can do.
26:47I'm trying to come out the best.
26:48I'm trying to own the metal, bro.
26:50We got some prizes to win.
26:53Howie said I could take his share, too.
26:55I'm taking that.
26:57I'm taking that.
26:58I mean, you're rich already.
26:59Y'all both rich.
27:00Hey, while we're getting started, fellas,
27:02just let's do a quick brainstorm.
27:04Anything, jump out.
27:04Anything we did well last night.
27:07Yaks.
27:07I'll say the post-ups and the fellas on the top on the fast break.
27:11The early post-ups on the fast break.
27:13Excellent.
27:14All right, let's roll.
27:15Coach, pause it right there.
27:17You guys remember what plays they're looking to make.
27:20If I'm speaking with a coaching friend that's watched our game and he's talking about the
27:24intensity and passion and the unselfishness that we play with, I would be very, very pleased
27:29and feel like we're doing our job as coaches.
27:32We try to make sure our guys know that when it's time to work, it's time to work.
27:38But when it's not time to work, you can enjoy yourself and you can be just a normal guy and
27:43be vulnerable.
27:46This is where the guys have this right here.
27:51NBA 2K26.
27:52Go right here, press the little bar right here, and everything else is going what?
27:58You know why it's a burger.
27:59No, it's not.
28:00I ain't never seen a thing.
28:02Yaks, during his visit with, you know, coming to Michigan, he really didn't know a lot of things.
28:06He was just kind of looking for someone to just, like, kind of tell him what it meant to be
28:10here at Michigan with the dude.
28:11It's a finally show proof, man.
28:12Let's go.
28:13That's my dude.
28:14Who?
28:15LeBron.
28:15Michael Jordan, that little brother.
28:18Stop playing or not.
28:19Roddy was pretty much the first Michigan player I met and got to talk to legitimately, so I was like,
28:25like, man, this guy's really cool.
28:29He doesn't want it.
28:29He doesn't want it.
28:31I thought he was, like, a very shy kid.
28:33He barely talked or he spoke.
28:36Hey, KD, take me home, KD.
28:38Which was a complete front.
28:40He can't get him to shut up now.
28:41Come on, KD.
28:44I think once you build that relationship off the court, like, it's so much easier.
28:48Coming into the game, playing with the physicality, relying on the person to the left and the right of you.
28:52Oh, my goodness.
28:56I am the best 2K player on the team.
28:58If anybody wants to know.
28:59Nah, they just cheated me, bro.
29:01The game of basketball is hard, man.
29:02Like, you can't really, like, go into a place and expect a win.
29:07I think we kind of let the outside noise get in our heads.
29:09But, like, we've done a great job of just staying together and just staying the course, trusting the work, just
29:15getting back to our standard.
29:15All right.
29:16All right.
29:16Come on, man.
29:17Come on.
29:19Put your hands on me.
29:20Put your hands on me.
29:21One, two, three.
29:24Michigan.
29:25The Auburn Tigers ran to the AP poll at number 21.
29:29Last March, the Tigers ended Michigan's season en route to a final four.
29:35Michigan swarming, picking up right where they left off yesterday.
29:38The Tigers haven't scored it in half minutes here to drive by Hall, kicking over to the three.
29:43Way short off to the left.
29:44Cadot saves the rebound.
29:45Pushes into Johnson.
29:47Up ahead Burnett.
29:48Easy two-hand run.
29:49What anticipation.
29:51Kaysen straight on.
29:52Me to right corner.
29:53Wide open Leithamore to three.
29:55You betcha.
29:56Leithamore takes three.
29:57Spinning, banking.
29:58All right.
29:59Get a foul.
30:00Go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go,
30:05go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go.
30:08Michigan has lit up Las Vegas.
30:16A 30-point victory over Auburn tonight.
30:21Michigan plays for a championship in the Players' Era Festival tomorrow night.
30:36See, we got to deal with this cockiness all the time.
30:40He wants to be the star of the show already.
30:44Yeah, we'll know who we play, guys, probably in a couple hours.
30:47Looks like it'll be Tennessee.
30:49And not in the championship game.
30:51It'll be the other game.
30:52Not in the championship game.
30:53No, no.
30:54Michigan won by 30.
30:56They won by 20 yesterday.
30:58And Gonzaga, if they beat Maryland by more than 14, then that's more than us.
31:03So they're up 27 to 11 right now.
31:09Getting set for day three of the Players' Era Tournament, biggest keys to a Kansas win today.
31:14Be physical.
31:15And the Jayhawks will try to log the top 25, take down number 17, Tennessee.
31:22White passes ahead to Tiller.
31:24Goes up and slams it down.
31:27Abram, a desperation free.
31:29He hit it.
31:30Wow.
31:30Tennessee is red hot to start this game.
31:33Tennessee, they're one of the best teams in the country, one of the most physical teams in the country.
31:38I came out hot against them.
31:40I had, like, 14 in the first half.
31:42Backdoor cut to right.
31:43Two-hand slammer!
31:45And then second half, I fouled out early.
31:48A nightmare scenario for shorthanded Kansas.
31:52That game was very personal because Coach was saying that Tennessee was going to throw us around and stuff.
31:58And we didn't want to be on national television looking soft.
32:02A markup.
32:03Enters into Florida.
32:04Backdoor cut council.
32:05Right-hand runner.
32:06Good!
32:07The troops, man, they rallied up.
32:10Melvin.
32:11A slashing drive is good again.
32:14Melvin, council.
32:15Marco.
32:16Crossover Jackson to the cup.
32:18Right-hand runner.
32:19Good!
32:22Jamari.
32:23Jamari McDowell with a big-time triple.
32:26This team is really gritty.
32:29We go down like we're not losing the fight.
32:31Tremendous comeback effort.
32:33One's down 12.
32:34They're up seven now.
32:35Here's a drive and a block inside by Bedunga.
32:38Even though we miss our best player, we went right now, you know, when a lot of people thought we'd
32:43win.
32:45The party's underway.
32:47Kansas claims third here at the Players' Era.
32:54That was a big win for us.
32:55We got better this week.
32:57What did you learn about the character of this team throughout these three games?
33:01I've complained about us being a little soft, but today we were tough.
33:04And that's the thing I'm most proud of.
33:11Hey, man.
33:14Don't let me call you.
33:15This is all right.
33:28So any of these wing catches by the fives, we're going to be in a good, clean pick and roll.
33:33Or if it's hard edge, we're looking to twist it first.
33:36We'll get into our shorts that way.
33:37Take one minute and process those three things, and then we'll turn the page to defense.
33:41It's high-stakes poker tonight for our guys.
33:44One game with a $500,000 difference in payout.
33:49Stay in the motion. Stay in the motion.
33:50We can't try to win money.
33:52We need to go out and play basketball the way we've trained and prepared every single day.
33:58They put in so much work that they should feel confidence in what they've done.
34:05We're not going to play tight because of expectations.
34:07We're not going to play tight because we're afraid of what other people are going to say.
34:11We're going to go out and let it rip and trust that it's good enough.
34:17Coming into Michigan from mid-major level, it's like the amount of attention and the amount of, like, exposure you
34:22get on a whole other level.
34:23Y'all know we're here, boys. 50 fans on me. 50 fans on me. 1, 2, 3. 50 fans!
34:28It's the Gonzaga Bulldogs. 7-0. Five wins over Ken Palm's top 100 teams.
34:34And Gonzaga are ready to show that they're the best break for him in America.
34:39Yaxo Landerbort has something to argue about it.
34:43I always have battles with my mind.
34:46Like, I'm not feeling like I belong.
34:48I've always felt that way.
34:50Like, I'm just a kid from Juco, man.
34:52I didn't think I'd be here.
34:54But, um, I'm going to do whatever I need to do to win.
34:59In Gonzaga, I come out when the first play of the game is a three by me off of, like,
35:03a flare screen.
35:04Right wing Landerbort.
35:05Twice a three.
35:06Rattles it home.
35:07I've never come off a flare screen in my life, man.
35:09So it's like more of my game is starting to show and I'm not even expecting it.
35:12I'm just trying to do whatever coach says.
35:14It's just building and building.
35:16And Landerbort catches right pocket three.
35:18Rattles it in again.
35:20Michigan sizzling to start.
35:22It's 11-3, Wolverines.
35:24There's the timeout bucket.
35:25Gonzaga called a timeout and I just remember thinking,
35:28all right, our guys are just special.
35:32Michigan starts right where it picked up.
35:42Now Landerbort drives in.
35:44Leader on!
35:46We felt like if Yaxle could pick up his effort,
35:50then we had another big, big jump to make and he's done that.
35:53Landerbort with a double clutch reverse push.
35:57That's probably the biggest difference for the players' era.
36:0240 points on Monday, 30 points on Tuesday,
36:05and a 40-point beatdown of Gonzaga.
36:10Congratulations to the Michigan Wolverines,
36:12the Geico Players' Era champions.
36:16Now we have to hand out the MVP, Yaxle Landerbort.
36:18Come on up here.
36:19Look at that.
36:21Hey, hold that up so we can see that on TV.
36:22My goodness.
36:24Yeah!
36:26Yeah!
36:28Yeah!
36:31Yeah!
36:32Yeah!
36:32Yeah!
36:36Yeah!
36:36Yeah!
36:38Yeah!
36:43Great freaking effort, man.
36:44The players' era, and if we do that, like, we could be the best college basketball team ever.
36:49We feel like we should be the number one team in the nation.
36:52The amount of confidence that built in and how much closer it brought us all together.
36:57Man, you just feel like a king.
36:59What are you guys going to do with the $50,000 you just won?
37:02I'm going to be more smart with my money.
37:03I'm not.
37:04With my money.
37:04He's not.
37:05I'm going to blow the whole $50,000 bands on the call for my mom.
37:09Deliver it for Christmas.
37:10I'm going to try to buy some property.
37:11That's just something that I was into.
37:13That is so pro, man.
37:14Bro.
37:14This guy is so inspirational, bro.
37:16It's ridiculous, like...
37:26Here.
37:26Let's go.
37:27At least you can make this one.
37:29All right.
37:30All right.
37:32Hey, Jack, do you want to shoot?
37:33All right, thieves!
37:35Thieves, good job!
37:37My dad was a coach.
37:39Almost.
37:40I got my degree at Oklahoma State in business to make sure I didn't coach.
37:46You know, I'd seen my dad and the hours and everything, and I said,
37:49you know what, I want to be in the business world.
37:51I want to make money.
37:52I want to do something different.
37:54And then I got a job working Kansas' camp for Larry Brown.
37:59That's when I became a coach.
38:03The Arizona's good, but that Michigan team, I don't see how anybody in November can beat them.
38:09Yeah.
38:09Wow.
38:10That's impressive.
38:12What do you guys think of your grandson hosting Thanksgiving dinner here?
38:16Oh, I just think it's great.
38:17It's pretty good, isn't it?
38:19It's working out so far.
38:22We haven't tasted the turkey yet.
38:25I imagine it'll be good.
38:26I imagine it'll be good.
38:28It'll be good.
38:29And how do you feel you've navigated basketball and family?
38:32I actually think that I've done a poor job with that line.
38:38I feel like my family has benefited from me being a coach because they've been exposed to
38:46so many great and cool things, the teams, the travel.
38:51But it's a 12-month, seven-day-a-week job for the most part, and too much of my family
38:58time
38:59involves my job.
39:02Even though I spent time with them, I still think I shortchanged them.
39:06What did you do at the game last night?
39:08What were you doing during the game?
39:09I was kicking score.
39:12You were kicking score.
39:15I can make that excuse that, well, there's good reason for it.
39:21But the reality of it is, you can't get that time back.
39:25Hey, you want to go get in the bounce house?
39:27Come on.
39:28Come with me.
39:29There you go.
39:31Go ahead.
39:32Get up there.
39:33So I'm really looking forward to not making that mistake with my grandchildren.
39:39All right.
39:40Good job, Blair.
39:45Come on.
39:46Let's go shoot this.
39:58You don't really get how good it is to play at Kansas until you play tomorrow, because each
40:09and every one of you, you came to Kansas to play in this game tomorrow.
40:15It was campers before we went to Vegas.
40:17I'm like, whoa.
40:19There's 125 last I saw.
40:22You guys know each kid represents 30 kids.
40:25I mean, there's already 3,700 kids camping out for this game tomorrow for you, all right?
40:33And it's a tough environment.
40:35And it's a tough environment.
40:36But understand, each one of you has shown that you're ready for this.
40:42Because UConn, you guys already know, like back-to-back championship, you know, that's, like, that's big time.
40:49Between Kansas and UConn, they won three out of the last four national championships.
40:54Anytime two heavyweights like that match up in the field house, they don't get no better than that in college,
41:00folks.
41:00Number 21, Kansas.
41:02Number 5, UConn.
41:04Team's going to come storming out the tunnel here in just a second for what should be an extra-amped
41:09starting lineup.
41:10Help could be on the way soon.
41:12Darren Peterson inching closer and closer to a return.
41:16Just not tonight.
41:18I just wish I could play in it.
41:20Before the game, just looking around, I was in there like, what the?
41:30I thought it was loud before, but I didn't realize that the floor would be shaking.
41:36You see that stuff, like, in movies, like when you're a little kid.
41:39Crazy, man.
41:40It's the type of game that you're just so confident as a Kansas fan in this building.
41:46They always find a way.
41:59KU will have it first, attacking from right to left, as we view the floors.
42:03They go inside, Taylor.
42:04Right to the hoop, he takes it.
42:06A right-hand layup is good.
42:08Council drives him with a right-hand and breaks it home.
42:12McDowell, from the top, steps to two and three.
42:14He hits.
42:15Jabari McDowell blows a kiss to the crowd.
42:19We felt really good about the first half.
42:21They try to pass out, but Jim Dawson steps away.
42:24Uh-oh.
42:24Takes it away.
42:25To Rosario.
42:26A two-hand monster jab.
42:30It went good.
42:31We were up four points, but we could have been up at least 12 points.
42:35Several mistakes that we made.
42:38As many highlights as we've had.
42:42As exciting as these runs have been.
42:45It's only a two-possession game.
42:49Council up the floor.
42:50Misses the layup.
42:51Boy, if he throws it back to Trey White, it's a dunk.
42:54But Melvin just two of eight.
42:5712 to shoot.
42:58Caravan, another deep three.
42:59He buried that one from downtown Eudora.
43:04Showed the ball to double that lead.
43:05He will.
43:06A three-pointer is good.
43:08We were just making little mistakes that we shouldn't have made.
43:13Like, stuff that learned fourth graders will mess up.
43:16Like, we should never mess it up.
43:17McDowell fakes on a three.
43:19But a travel is called.
43:21Turnover on KU.
43:23That'll be their tenth.
43:24Kansas can't get anything going offensively.
43:28UConn's never beaten Kansas, but they're 23 seconds away.
43:32McDowell gets it in to Melvin Council.
43:35Dribbling on the tail feather in the Jayhawk between the circles.
43:39Locked down to 15.
43:41Council right side.
43:42McDowell steps through.
43:43Hangs with the left hand.
43:47And that's going to do it.
43:48For the first time, all-time, UConn has defeated Kansas 61-56.
44:05Everybody get your head up.
44:09We tried hard.
44:11And defensively, we guarded our ass off.
44:15But we're not going to run great offense right now.
44:18We don't have DP.
44:20I mean, that's a whole different deal if we had DP out there.
44:24But we didn't do what we're supposed to do.
44:28You guys played one-on-one way too much, even after we totally messed it up.
44:35That wasn't them.
44:37That's on us.
44:39You can't let the defense catch up because we can't go around them.
44:43We can't go around anybody.
44:46But even with that being said, there's some encouraging things.
44:50We'll learn from it, and we'll be better from it.
44:53Tonight's one we should have won.
44:57All right, let's go.
45:00Bam.
45:00One, two, three.
45:01Bam!
45:07Any loss sucks.
45:10All of them hurt.
45:13But there's losses that wake you up to the point where now you can actually be better
45:17moving forward because you were exposed.
45:23We're young, and we need to grow together fast
45:26because we're jumping in the fire right off the bat.
45:34Michigan looked like the best team in college basketball by far.
45:38But I know they're going to go out, and they're going to lay an egg at some point.
45:41How much do we have on the line?
45:42We're going to win a big championship.
45:44Peterson gets around his bag.
45:46How do we play if he's in?
45:48How do we play if he's not?
45:49Peterson telling coach something needs to come out.
45:52Frustrations are growing.
45:53That's terrible.
45:54It's definitely been an unbelievable experience for me.
45:56When I got up the stairs, I'm going, something doesn't feel right.
46:00I said, I think I'm having a heart attack.
46:34We'll see you next time.
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