Rocky: 0:00

no-transcript. Hopefully that's back here. I had some difficulties earlier so I appreciate that. Hopefully I was talking the whole time so nobody probably heard me. So I appreciate people were tuned in. They said you're not getting any sound. Hopefully that's better, guys, and hopefully you can hear me.

Rocky: 7:01

But I was saying there's a lot of big jobs across college basketball that are open. And I'm talking about the Indiana job because I would say if I'm the athletic director, I make three phone calls. One of them is to Brad Stevens, who's the GM for the Boston Celtics, who turned it down and said not interested, and he went on the great run at Butler when he was coaching in college and I think he's a star and I'd love to see him back coaching. Number two I call Steve Alford. Steve Alford played for Bob Knight at Indiana. I think it would be a dynamite hire, I think it would be a lock for him. He made some comments yesterday, I think after the Nevada game. That's where he's at right now and he might be one of those coaches that hasn't been able to adapt to the portal. So that might hurt because Indiana's got a lot of money. And then the third name I would call is Chris Beard, who's a coach at Ole Miss, who was an assistant coach on Bob Knight's staff at Texas Tech and he was also, I believe, an assistant at Indiana, got himself in a little bit of trouble at Texas Tech, but here he is again. He's resurrected the program at Ole Miss. So those would be the three names that I would call for the Indiana job.

Rocky: 8:16

So if you're listening, I apologize. I had a little bit of a mic hookup hiccup this morning. If I'm getting sound now and you're watching in the comment box, um, thumbs up. Sound is good to go. So we'll get more into some college basketball. But without further ado, I want to bring on damien call. So let's bring on, damien. How you doing, my friend?

Damien: 8:38

how you doing, I'm doing well can you hear me?

Rocky: 8:41

I can hear you loud and clear. Man, can you hear me? Yeah, I can hear you all right. So, man, can you hear me? Yeah, I can hear you All right. So listen, I appreciate you taking the time. This morning I had to reach out to Coach Medesis and see where you were in the all-time scoring ranks. He said you're third. So I want to go back to high school for a minute with you fast. You were so fun to watch, play, play and I followed your entire career, so it's been fun. But I want to go back to your high school career first, and when you look at the program where it is today, um, even when you played, you kind of got this thing going for coach Medesas, but the C Rome Free Academy basketball where it is today, back on the map, what's that mean to you?

Damien: 9:25

no, I mean, I think Medesas has been doing a good job since you know, you know, um, since he got the job, since you know a couple guys before me like TJ Balin, tristan Hungzinger, ethan Powell, guys like those, um, no, it's, it's super awesome to see where the program is. You know they're obviously you know they were 17 and 0 and didn't end up how they wanted to this year. But you know, I think, just you know, having those offseason workouts that Medesis is always having during the summer, you know getting on the track. I know he's still doing all that stuff. So I think you know him consistently doing that stuff has helped build that program to where it is today. And you know this year he had 3,000-point scores. So that just goes to show you know the conditioning that they put in and you know all the skill work and stuff. But it's super awesome to see, you know he just keeps growing and growing as a program. You know trying to make that extra push towards that section title.

Rocky: 10:18

Damian, do you have a special memory from your high school playing days that stands out to you?

Damien: 10:24

from your high school playing days that stands out to you. I mean, I would say probably either the Henninger win my last year in sectionals where we went to Henninger and won or I would say the West Jenny win, you know, beating the number one team in the section I don't know what they were ranked state, but they were. You know they were one in our section and we were the ninth seed, barely getting in. So I think you know those two games were the most memorable, just playing with the team. And you know just the environment uh, you know playoff environment, especially west genesee. You know the gym being packed um and you're up against the number one team in the section.

Rocky: 10:58

So I would say those two memories for sure yeah, listen, I'd have to agree with you and I'd have to probably tell people that when they, when they ask me, because when I played basketball we weren't very good, um, and I'm talking back in the the late 90s, um, but I would probably say that west jetty win against. They were number, they were number one in the sectionals and I think they were top five in the state. Right, I'd probably say that might be nick's biggest win so far in the history of the program yeah, that was, that was a huge win.

Damien: 11:24

I mean to go, I mean to go into their place, especially when they're number one and, like you said, I think they were top five or something in the state with Will, mika and players like that, and then they're good coach kind of over there, but yeah. So I mean, yeah, they're just tough gym to play in, especially with those rims in the student section sitting right behind. You know their rim. But no, it's definitely, I would say, is my most favorite memory for sure.

Rocky: 11:52

So, damian, you graduate from RFA as one of the all-time greats that come out of Rome and you make the decision to play here, locally at Utica University, which, again, great career and we'll get into that. But what went into the decision-making process? I know you had some schools that were looking at you, but what went into your, your thought process and how did you end up deciding on Utica?

Damien: 12:08

Um, yeah, so I didn't. I mean I didn't really know what I wanted to do, where I wanted to go. Um, I know I played AAU ball, traveled a little bit, so, um, I mean, I kind of knew what, playing out of the state or out of the area, what it might look like. But you know, at coffee he, coach Coffey, was recruiting me since I was a sophomore and then he kind of got away from me just saying, like you know, oh, like I don't think you're going to. He said I don't really think you're going to come to Utica. I think I don't want to sound cocky or something, but he said you might be too good for Utica when I was a sophomore. And then we kind of linked up back around the end of my junior year, senior year, as I was trying to make a decision, and he just I think I just wanted to stay local, stay around my family, allow my family to watch, know, watch me play, watch the team play. Um, thank you know, thank god we had all the success we did um, through all that hard work and stuff. But, um, I think you know, just coach coffee, coming to a majority of my games my senior year, you know I want to say him and the assistant coach made it over to. You know, like I want to say, we had 20 games, they made it to at least 15 of them. So I know just the effort.

Damien: 13:16

Um, you know, like I want to say, we had 20 games, they made it to at least 15 of them. So I know just the effort. You know being valued, I, you know I wanted to be valued, I wanted to be, you know, put somewhere where I could make a difference. You know, immediately, and then you know, kind of COVID messed the whole first year up and stuff. I think that was those were the main points. You know, just coffee in the program, showing, you know showing, um, you know what I would be able to do in the program, um, and just stuff like that. But you know, just being down the road from rome and allowing, you know, my family to be there, and you know others that are from around here, um, you know, allow, allow them to watch me play and you guys have been on a great run too.

Rocky: 13:51

Uh, in your time I think you guys have made it three ncaa tournament appearances and you went back to back this year in the Empire eight and you guys finished with 21 wins in an NCAA tournament spot. Talk to us about you know the your career when you started at UC to your senior year, and again thousand point score, which is fantastic to have a thousand point score in high school and then do it at the college level. But from your freshman year until your senior year, how'd you develop?

Damien: 14:21

Um, yeah, no, I think I, I think I uh, developed a lot. You know, my freshman sophomore year, um, you know, I was younger guy. Um, there's a lot of older guys on the team. You know, I was just kind of following them, following their lead, and you know, whether it's games or workouts or you know whether we were hanging out or stuff, they were always good guys to follow, especially in you know, the basketball aspect of stuff. So I was just, you know, kind of following them, you know, following their lead. You know it was. It was ultimately their team. They were the juniors and seniors of that group. They've been playing together for four years so I was just, you know, playing with them, developing.

Damien: 14:58

You know, the COVID year was a little weird, but then once I got back into you know, my sophomore year, things started to get back to normal. But I think really after that sophomore year I had the injury where I tore my UCL in my thumb. So I was out for like the first half of my junior year and then after that, you know, I think, finished that junior season. I think we lost in the semis so our season was cut short, even though we were the one seed. But I think after that, you know, through my freshman, sophomore, junior year, you know, those years I was I don't want to say following, but you know I was just kind of. I was just kind of there, you know following the lead from others, the older guys on the team. But I think after that, so my past two years, I really had to develop into a more complete player, kind of you know whole floor, not just you know offensively or defensively, you know doing all the little stuff. And I also think I had to grow into, you know, more of a leadership role. Being the team captain the past two years and then with Justice and Tommy last year and then just by myself this year.

Damien: 16:00

I think growing into that leadership role has helped me, helped the team. So I think that would be one of the biggest changes. But I think, developing wise basketball, I think just improving my ball handling I think I did that well over my five years at Utica Shooting, adding a little mid-range fade away, you know, instead of sometimes when I can't get all the way to the rim, stuff like that. And you know I think I improved a lot on the defensive side, you know, being more versatile at the end of the season. You know I'm a, I'm considered a forward or a wing. You know, at the end of the season I was stuck in the playoffs guarding, you know little guards running around, six foot guards that are quicker, faster than me. So you know, I think that's where I'm changed the mostly um, defensively, um, and then you know, just adding like that mid range and you know, just trying to take care of, take better care of the ball, but um, also that leadership role, especially the past two years that we won.

Rocky: 16:56

So take us through the Empire 8 tournament. You guys played Nazareth who you guys I believe had split during the regular season. I think you beat them in overtime at home. You beat Huffington 80-68. And then I wasn't at the championship game but from everybody that was at that game against SUNY Poly, they said that was one of the best atmospheres at a college basketball and I'm saying Division I, ii or III level that was one of the best atmospheres. Take us through first a championship game and what that atmosphere was like.

Damien: 17:26

Yeah, that atmosphere was crazy Easily the craziest atmosphere I played in in college, or I'd say ever really. I mean you know RFA was pretty crazy too, but that was just a whole different experience in college, or I'd say ever really. I mean, you know RFA was pretty crazy too, but that that was just a whole different experience. I mean, you know, coming out you got an hour until tip off and the gyms already, you know the poly side is already full. They got there super early. So you know you got people. You know talking to students, they got their student section. So it's just all it was all. Obviously you're a a little nervous, got a little butterflies and stuff. You know it's championship game and I mean couldn't script it any better against poly. You know, in utica, right across the road, so, um, I think, just walking out there, you know seeing all the people how loud it was, um, they had a lot. Stop letting people in.

Damien: 18:09

So I think just that experience in itself, um, you know, was a great experience for us and our team. And you know Coach Coffey and I don't think he's ever had an experience that can quite live up to that because it was just insane. But you know the game was crazy. You know people screaming after every basket, after every play, and you know playoffs, every possession matters. So you really got to lock in and um get through that whole game, you know with your team, um, but it was just a crazy atmosphere. Um, you know we had a very good first half. You know scoring like 50 something points, going on a crazy run that really helped us win the game. Um, but it's super crazy atmosphere, I mean with coach schoener and coach coffee, um, the two programs that they built and then just everybody that came out. No, it was easily the craziest atmosphere I've ever played in. Ever.

Rocky: 19:00

So you guys win the Empire, you get a date in the NCAA tournament. Did you guys have a watch party, like you see on TV, with all these colleges? How was the watch party?

Damien: 19:09

Yeah, no, it was good. Our watch party has changed from years to years. We used to the pub, this little pub spot at Utica on campus where, like, other people could come and they put on the TVs. But, um, this year we kind of just chilled with ourselves, um, in the locker room, uh, just watching it on the TV, having like a watch party. You know, I had some people from Utica there like, uh, you know, like some photographers, some people that work media and stuff, but you know, really just ourselves, because you know we were, we, uh, you know, thinking in our head the season's not done. You know, we knew, um, we had a shot to make a chance, to make a run in the tournament and we knew, like, once we got that team, we were, um, you know, to focus from there and focus on them, um, but yeah, we did have a little watch party in the locker room that day of so you guys get it.

Rocky: 19:55

Um, opening round game. Um, well, you get montclair state, who's really good, yeah, um, in the tournament and you guys. It looked like it was a tale of two halves, right, the first half you guys were neck and neck and then they got up double digits on you guys and you guys, I think, cut it to single digits with about five or six minutes left to play. Right, um, talk to us about that game.

Damien: 20:16

Yeah, I mean that game. You know we had the whole week to prep for it. So I mean NCAA game. We're traveling out to New Jersey Thursday. So we're there Thursday, you know, practicing in their gym, getting ready, getting comfortable. Then Friday we got tip-off.

Damien: 20:29

I mean it was just them, you know, studying what their players do. You know they, just like we did RFA in high school, we, they press the whole game. They like to play fast, shoot threes, get layups. They had a kid transfer from Rutgers. He was like number one in points per possession in the country for D three. So it was kind of crazy. Shot like 50% from three, shot like 300 on the year. It was ridiculous.

Damien: 20:54

But just playing against a system like that super fast, I mean you know how it is, especially with RFA. You know just trying to take care of the ball. So I think in that first half you know we did a good job taking care of the ball, taking our time. Then I think in the second half we just kind of got away from that and you know they, we just got caught in their pace a little bit at times. You know they made some runs, some quick runs, you know, turned the ball over. They hit a three and then, you know, turned it over again, it's another three, that's a six-point swing. So I think you know the first half we did very well, you know, taking care of the ball getting where we wanted.

Damien: 21:27

But then the second half, you know, I think that pace got to us, that press got to us. You know we turned it over a couple times. They capitalized on it and you know they were the 13th team in the country, so you knew they were going to capitalize on it and they've been doing this all season. You know pressing and stuff. So just a crazy game to play in. I mean, montclair State's a way bigger school than Utica out in New Jersey, like 20,000 compared to Utica's 3,000. Well, I think we had it at halftime, like you said, we were down one and we were neck and neck. But second half they hit some threes and you know just couldn't crawl our way back from that 15, you know 15, 12-point deficit.

Rocky: 22:05

I know as a young kid even myself today, and I'm not. I wish I was a young kid again and I was just saying before I came on the air. I get all excited because I'm a college football junkie, but I love college basketball and today's the greatest day of the year when we get the selection show and then we'll fill out the brackets. You know, at any level the plate at a high level, whether it's Division I, ii, iii I always think it's special for these tournaments and you got an opportunity in your college career to play in an NCAA tournament. What's that mean to you? I'm sure you were a young kid filling out brackets. Get all excited for March Madness. How cool was it for you to play in an NCAA tournament?

Damien: 22:40

Yeah, I mean it's awesome. I can't even describe the feeling you know, be able to go, being able to go travel somewhere, I mean with your teammates and your coaches. You know you're coming off, hopefully coming off that high of, you know, winning a championship and you got, you know, motivation to go make a run in the tournament. But I mean it's just a super surreal feeling. I mean once, once you just get there, I mean once you enter the month of March, it's just a whole different beast in terms of basketball, like just every game, every possession.

Damien: 23:08

And then once you get to those NCAA games, you know it's it's one and done so you got. You got fans that are there cheering you on and stuff, and then you just got to. Really, I mean you, you got this one game scenario where anything could happen. You know you got to prepare for every situation possible. So I mean just playing in those games. I mean means the world to me, the fact that I was able to do it, you know, three times, and even win a game a couple of years ago back in Rowan against Babson in the tournament, it's just a super awesome feeling. I mean just to be able to, you know, go out there and compete in the NCAA tournament was awesome.

Rocky: 23:45

And I think, Coach Coffey, the run that you guys have had over the last four years and I've had them on the radio show and I'll have them on here pretty soon. But I had to go back and look at the last four years and these numbers are crazy. So in 2020 to 2021, you guys were 10-2. That was the shortened season, but I think you guys had a really good team that year too. That would have been a fun year to see how that played out. The following year, you guys go 23-4. Then you go 23-5, as you talked about, you guys got it at large into the ncaa tournament. You beat batson, which was a great win for you guys, right. And then 23 24. You guys go 24 and four. So over four years you guys have won 80. You're 80 and 15 in four years. Like what that's?

Damien: 24:28

that's unheard of for a four-year run yeah, uh, yeah, I mean, yeah, I mean, I think it's just from what coffee is built. You know he's, uh, he's. You know he loves basketball. He played himself in college, uh, at oneonta, and then you know, overseas, uh, in ireland.

Damien: 24:44

But I think you know, I think it's really just it comes down to him and you know the players he recruits. I know I think he looks for good people, um, you know good guys, not just people that are you know going to be good on the court for him. I think he looks for people that are, you know, good, good guys, not just people that are, you know going to be good on the court for him. I think he looks for people that are, you know, good overall people, have good morals and stuff and you know are going to get it done on the classroom and be a good locker room guy. I think it's just from really what he's built, you know, from the weight room to you know just, you know what he's. You know putting into our guys all the time and effort, and especially the assistant coaches, with Luke Fretzel, zach Zoll Fretzel being from Westmoreland, another local guy.

Damien: 25:19

But I think just you know them, you know really digging in, you know putting in the time and you know, as a player, you know you might think it's a lot, but I mean, at the end of the day, if you're winning championships and going on the records like those and runs like those you're having 21 seasons you know you're definitely not going to complain at the end of the season. You know you might be complaining in August when you're running on the track, but you might, you're not going to be complaining in March when you're winning championships. So I think it's just from really what he's built, you know keeping guys accountable, you know getting really getting the maximum potential out of guys. I really think it's just you know him and what he's built that has helped us, you know, lead to our success.

Rocky: 26:00

So I've interviewed over the last 10 years a ton of coaches at every level and I feel like right now I'm sitting here interviewing a coach because you're so well-spoken. Any coaching into plans for Damien?

Damien: 26:15

Yeah, I mean I don't really know what I'd want. You know there's there's a couple different routes, you know, coaching or, like you know, if I wanted to do training like train kids or um, you know, some people um have even talked about like reffing, like trying to make my way up into like college reffing, um. But you know, I actually just picked up a job um, not a job but just a a little coaching side gig with my teammate from Frankfurt, levi Spina. He was on my team this year. So we're coaching just a seventh grade team right now for AAU basketball. It's called MVE Elite out in Mohawk. So it's just a little seventh grade team doing a couple of tournaments around here. But you know, I don't really know about after that coaching, training, reffing, what I want to get into. But yeah, I don't really know too much yet what I want to get into, but just starting off with that, you know, trying to help develop some seventh graders, you know from the Valley.

Rocky: 27:07

So I'm assuming. I wish we could say you had some more eligibility left and we'd see you back for another year, but any more eligibility to keep playing, Nah, nah, You'll have to wish you back for another year, but any more eligibility to keep playing?

Damien: 27:18

No, no, I mean no more eligibility. I mean you never know what. I've had some teammates play overseas. Have a teammate play. I have a teammate on the Albany Patroons team in the TBL, albany Justice. So you never know what's going to present itself. I'll probably try to put some films together, send it out, see what will happen. You know, never know, um, what can happen. You know overseas or even in the states, um, just figuring that out, you know, I definitely think there's a chance, especially with the success I've had at utica and you know the back-to-back championships. I think the winning definitely helps, um, so you know, I don't want to say for sure, it's definitely like the last time I'll play or it's my last year of eligibility. It definitely is for Utica, for college, but you know, after that, you know professionally or overseas or anything like that, you know, only time will tell. So, yeah, we'll see about that. I'll definitely send some film out somewhere.

Rocky: 28:09

Well, listen, man, you were so fun to watch. Throughout your career I loved watching you play basketball. I think all of us Romans that are that are tuned in here this morning would say the same thing. And um, I remember your your first game is is a high school kid and then continuing on to Utica. You've done some great things and I know Rome's proud of you. Man, and um, best of luck to you, keep in touch, and I I appreciate you coming on this morning with me.

Damien: 28:30

Yeah, no, I appreciate you, Rocky, always been there since Sarfay. I remember you always supporting since then, so I appreciate all the support.

Rocky: 28:39

Well, I appreciate it, man. Best of luck to you. Keep in touch, yep. Thank you.

Scott: 28:42

I'll see you. You got it.

Rocky: 28:45

So that was Rome's Damien call. And you know when I say I've interviewed a lot of coaches and I have, which is awesome, but I felt like I was talking to a coach. He's so well-spoken for he's a true professional. He represents Rome with so much class and I remember watching him in his first game at Rome and then his career at Utica University and I think it's really neat to listen to a kid talk about what made him choose Utica and how special it is. And I say this all the time and this isn't a knock to any athlete in this area. We've had a lot of good athletes come through here and not many of them have played at the Division I level. But I always say this If you're fortunate enough to get out there and watch a Division III basketball game baseball game, softball, whatever it is Division III is really good basketball If you're fortunate enough to play at any level as a high school kid especially the way the world is today with college athletics and the NIL, you're not seeing a lot of high school kids get recruited to some of the bigger schools because of the NIL and because of the transfer portal. So if you haven't gotten the opportunity to watch any level, especially Division III. It's special and he had a really, really, really great career and nobody did it better with class than with Damian. So I appreciate that.

Rocky: 30:12

So we're going to jump from one to the other. We're going to jump now talk some Syracuse sports. But one of my favorite guests who's been on with me now I think I was on sports watch on the radio 10 years ago and I think Scott was one of the first guests that I that I had on and he's always fortunate. I'm always fortunate enough to have him jump out at me when I reach out to him. So let's bring Scott on, talk some Syracuse sports. Who knows where we're going to talk? We might talk everything this morning with Scott, but let's uh, let's bring him on Scott. How you doing, my friend?

Scott: 30:43

Pleasure to be on with you, my friend.

Rocky: 30:45

Well, I was just saying here I think I was on the radio for I think I hit 10 years and then I said to myself, let's, let's do the podcast thing, just because my kids were getting older and it was so hard to commit to a live show every weekend and this has really been a lot of fun. But I think you were around with me when I first started.

Scott: 31:04

I think it was one of the originals there. So shouldn't we get a pin or something or some recognition for that or whatever? No, it's always great and I always enjoy. You know how I feel about hometown and I feel about you and your family and stuff, so it's always a pleasure and anytime you want me, just let me know.

Rocky: 31:23

Well, I appreciate that, scott, and you know Syracuse Hoops. The season just ended and I watched the ACC tournament game against SMU the other night and we heard the news that Coach Autry is going to be back. I think, scott, scott, I was one of those guys and Medesas, and those guys give me, they heckle me all the time because they say, well, you're not a Syracuse guy, you always bad mouth the program and I was one that said, unfortunately, I would move on, um, just because again the the way of the transfer portal, the NIL, um, I just think that he's really struggled there, uh, the first few years that he's taken over for Coach Boeheim.

Scott: 32:01

You know, I think there's a lot there. I'm going to start out by saying that I don't know if Red Autry is a good head coach or not. I don't know if anybody does. Right now it hasn't looked well, particularly this season. This was a team that you know played sporadically. I think the you know the injuries to Freeman and JJ Starling. You missed him for like.

Scott: 32:24

I think, seven or eight games. I think that really hurt. But even if I was trying to project, even if Freeman had continued to play and not gotten hurt he was the highly touted freshman, probably the, I think, the highest ranked incoming recruit since Carmelo Anthony, let's say like he had continued to progress, you know, and was a double-double guy every night, they would have probably had less problems scoring, but they still were a flawed team defensively. But going back to this whole thing, there's a lot at work here now. Rock, that wasn't a factor, you know, several years ago. And that is the whole NIL thing, the collective, how much money you are paying guys, and you and I may not like this, and I don't.

Scott: 33:10

What college sports is becoming. It's a big, big business now and it's now. It's just really chaotic. But you know Red Autry, I will blame Syracuse, I will blame, you know, john Wildhack and Syracuse for not being ready for this. Essentially in that, if you look at I'll give you a comparison If you watch last night's ACC championship game between Duke and Louisville, right, well, if you remember Rock last year, louisville was terrible. I mean, they were terrible. They were the worst team in the ACC. And how did they turn it around. They hired a new coach. He brought in all his guys, essentially, and they also, if you look at it, they had a budget, an NIL budget name image likeness budget there of, I think, over $4 million to pay their players.

Scott: 34:03

Syracuse, meanwhile, was slow to the game and I think their budget was somewhere around the $2 million mark. So look at the disparity you already have, and again I don't like it. The disparity you already have, and again I don't like it. But the reality is that you know you better be. If you want to play with the big boys, you're going to have to pay the big boys with the big boys, and I don't think Syracuse was prepared for that. So I will cut red some slack as a result of that. I mean, look at, you know, the guys. They lost the kid to Duke. The you got Richard is a prominent player for Rick Pitino, right, and St John's, and St John's has a massive amount of money that they paid for their players this year. So there's a lot at work there. All that said, I don't like the way Syracuse played this year.

Scott: 34:55

You know, there's certain things I think as a coach and Rick Pitino is a perfect example I don't particularly care for a lot of his shenanigans away from the court and stuff. He has not been an exemplary person necessarily, but he's a great, great coach. There's no denying that, and the thing that I'm impressed with is how hard St John's plays, particularly defensively. So there's a couple of things as a coach and as a player that you can always control right. You can always control your hustle, your amount of hustle. That's an energy level. You can control that regardless. You know your shooting might be off this and that. And I think the other thing that's an indication of a team that plays hard is a team that gets after it defensively. You know defense is effort and we see how many players do. We see that are very good offensive players but can't play on the other end. So there's a lot at work here and you know Red Autry has a great class coming in next year, including Carmelo Anthony's son. He's got a highly, highly rated. So we'll see.

Scott: 35:57

But as a friend of mine said, like's son, he's got a highly, highly rated. So we'll see. But as a friend of mine said, like, yeah, he's got a great recruiting class, so don't make a change or whatever. But can he coach? And I go, I don't know. I don't know he might be. I've covered sports long enough, rocky, to know that there are some people who are great assistant coaches, great coordinators are not head coaches. It's a totally different thing, as you well know, you've got to be kind of the CEO of your entire program and you've got to be responsible for everything. Whereas I'm a position coach or whatever, or a coordinator, I have a unit, and so that's, you know, and it's a whole different thing.

Rocky: 36:34

As you well know, scott, a lot of people say you know, and that's a whole different thing, as you well know, scott. A lot of people say you know Syracuse is, and, like many schools, duke's done it. They've kept it in-house with these Duke guys and, uh, the Syracuse guys, and you look not too far down the road. You see, the year that Jerry McNamara had at Siena now he didn't make the NCAA tournament. I think GMAC won 14-15 games, which was a turnaround, and many thought that he was the guy that would follow Boeheim with. You know big favor on Syracuse can recruit. Does this do anything for him, being that he decided to step away from Syracuse? Take his own program? He had some success in year one. If it doesn't go well for Autry next year in year three, is GMAC a possibility or do they go outside the Syracuse norm?

Scott: 37:24

I had a very unpopular view of this whole thing last year, in that I felt that you should have conducted a national search for a coach. You know there's real dangers at times of staying in the family, so to speak. You know how many businesses have we seen sons and daughters have ruined, have taken down. You know that they inherited from from their father or mother. And I just think, I really think, despite all the challenges that Syracuse is facing, particularly with, you know, getting money to pay players and this is a big, big issue throughout college sports Now I really think it this is a big, big issue throughout college sports now I really think it's still a very good job, a very you know, a very attractive job in college sports. You've got great facilities. You play in a conference that's down, admittedly, you know, and has some work to do in terms of catching up. You know basketball has some work to do in terms of catching up, you know. You know basketball wise and in football and stuff. But and you have, you know you have great television exposure. So I think it's a great job and I would have opened it up for a national search and I think you could have gotten a brilliant, you know young coach who could have done some things here.

Scott: 38:47

Now again, that wasn't going to happen because Jim Boeheim as many people will say rightfully so deserved to name his successor. I don't necessarily agree with that, just as you know. I mean, he saw Krzyzewski did the same thing at Duke. He saw essentially North Carolina do the same thing and it's not uncommon for a legacy coach to demand that right to pick his or her successor Again. I think it's kind, conducted a national search and then you came to the conclusion Rocky that well, red Autry's our guy. Even after doing all that. Fine, okay, you made that decision, but I think you could have. I think this is a plum job, despite the fact the program is no question, the program's down and this has been kind of a 10-year decline or even more, and this has been kind of a 10-year decline or even more. This is, you know, syracuse is essentially a 500 program in the ACC, in the ACC play since they joined.

Rocky: 39:53

What was it?

Scott: 39:53

2013, I think, is when they joined the ACC, and you know so they've got a lot of work to do, and so I guess this has been a long-winded answer of saying that I think he deserves one more shot, and that's it, Because you've got to move on now. The way things are changing rapidly in the landscape of college sports.

Rocky: 40:14

Scott, if we go back to the play on the court this year, they didn't shoot the ball fairly well at all. I think they were just over 30% from the three-point line and I think they were below 50% percent from the field in general. And they turned it over a lot too at times. And I know Starling had the injuries and I thought he, when he was healthy, played really well down the stretch for Syracuse. But little sloppy um played during the year. They didn't shoot the ball fairly well. I know that's something Autry can't control, but you got to shoot the ball to win games, right? Yeah, I mean the I mean the nature of basketball.

Scott: 40:45

Right the way it's changed. I call it the Steph Curry effect. Right, the three-point is it. The three-point shot is such an incredible weapon. Now I don't particularly like the way the game's played as a result of that, because you've got a lot of just chuck it up and you're not running offense.

Scott: 41:01

And Syracuse, you know, I don't think they ran the offensive offense very well. I don't really think. You know, rocky, looking, looking back at the season, I I just never felt they had a good point guard. You know a good quarterback of the offense and stuff to run it. You know, or calm things down or know what to do, like, instead of this. There just didn't seem to be any structure to this offense. You know how many times did they get shot, clock violations and or down to the last minute and have to chuck one. You worked all that time for that, you know. So that's an issue.

Scott: 41:39

And if you want to pet peeve and this goes back to Boeheim, this drives me absolutely nuts as a former, you know, youth league basketball coach can you run inbound plays? Syracuse has historically had problems getting the ball inbounds. It's a basic. I'll give you a mimeograph sheet with five plays to run right, like, come on. I'll give you a mimeograph sheet with five plays to run right, like, come on. And if you know six and seven and eight eighth graders can comprehend that I think that you know guys who've played their entire lives travel ball on AAU should be able to run an inbounds play. So anyway, but that's a little aside. That, you know, again, is part of like.

Scott: 42:20

You know, when you get back to criticism of coaching, like that's a fundamentally unsound team, you know, um, but yeah, that for I I can't remember the kids name, but they have a really a great three-point shooter coming in from australia next year as part of this class who's highly rated, and I I think that, um, carmelo's kid is a very good three-point shooter. Will it translate in the college game? You know, we'll see. I mean, they played high level AAU and high school basketball. We'll see how it translates.

Scott: 42:55

But yeah, there's a lot of work to do. They need to become a better three-point shooting team and that means not having one three-point shooter out there. You know you pretty much have to have three or four shooters, you know, in today's game to to be effective and not be able to take away those shooters. You know what I mean. Like you have strength in numbers, so to speak, and defensively they were just the to me, or a horrible team that faded in the second half. Um, and you know it's a combination of things, right, like you know, complementary basketball, shooting the ball well, playing defense, um, running an offense, um, you know there's a lot of things, a lot of things there, and they were you know they were not a great free-throw shooting team, so that probably cost them a handful of games as well.

Rocky: 43:47

Yeah, you mentioned since you were pretty much spot on Scott when they came into the ACC. I got them at 99-88 in ACC plays. So they're just over 500 since joining the ACC. And you watch now the Big East with Petito coming in there and St John's who I keep saying if he had some shooters I, I mean, st John's is really good this year, imagine if he had some shooters how much better they would. They would be. But you look at this Big East and you sit there and say, man, wouldn't it be pretty cool to see Syracuse back, bring the old Big East back with Georgetown and and Villanova and all those teams to see them? But I know there's no chance of them ever going back to the Big East, but man, it'd be fun. The Big East has been good yeah it's been good.

Scott: 44:31

But you know, again I really worry, not merely for Syracuse but for probably I don't know however many hundred of programs out there that you know we're trending towards a super conference or two super conferences. You know, and unfortunately I have to place the blame on greedy football coaches at the highest level, you know, and athletic directors at Big Ten and SEC schools. They've really ruined this and they're greedy. Sec schools, they've really ruined this and they're greedy. And you know they're going to eventually get their comeuppance. Because if you go form, let's say, 220 team or 20 school super conferences in sports, right at a big time level, well, I hate to break it to you, but not everybody's going undefeated. You're still going to create the haves and the have-nots. I mean, let's say, let's say, for example, how is northwestern going to compete in that super conference with, with the dollars that we're seeing in ohio? And you know, I, I I've talked with friends about this and I really think the state schools have such a tremendous advantage because they essentially have this enormous pool of money. And think about how horrible this is really if you, if you really break it down, you know, sort of a Penn State or Ohio State taxpayer money is essentially going to pay these exorbitant salaries for, for football coaches and staff. That's enormous and money, you know, to pay the players and whatever. I mean. What was it? Ohio State's football budget or something was $20 million this year. They're the best team that money could buy and I don't know how a Syracuse, a smaller private institution or many of these other schools can compete down the road. It's a chaotic, uh, greedy situation right now on all parts and uh, I I don't like it. But I also realize, like at some point you're going to have to have, you're going to have like, say, seven, 10 team divisions and one big conglomerate major college sports league. You know, like the NFL only have 10 divisions or whatever, or seven divisions of 10 teams.

Scott: 46:57

You know, and a perfect thing thought that had the old East Indies, which were football schools that essentially you were talking Penn State, syracuse, west Virginia, boston College, pitt, maryland. You could throw the Navy and Army if you wanted For the longest time. That was the ECACU. It was an independent conference but it made perfect sense because you would have decent football schools in there, right with historic programs and stuff, and you know that would have been the ideal situation and again, like Penn State's not leaving the Big Ten, or what is it? The Big 16? Now Rocky, however many.

Scott: 47:46

My math's not good and neither is theirs, but that would you know. So do it geographically. That made sense. Come up with, you know, this conglomeration of 70 schools and I just throw that figure out there and have things again. Again, conferences make geographic sense. You know Cal and Stanford playing on the in an Atlantic Coast conference, and how stupid is the whole thing really when you boil it down to the um. Think about it. Rocky, the Olympic sports, the non-revenue producing sports. So I got to send my field hockey team, my women's field hockey team or my men's volleyball team to from Syracuse to Cal, let's say, you know, on a Tuesday night. How much is that costing me? I mean, it makes no sense. Plus, how much time am I taking away from the student athlete from class time just to?

Scott: 48:43

get to the coast and even if I go out, like okay, they're going to go out and we're going to spend, we're going to play two games out there, because, because Cal and Stanford aren't that far away, even then it just makes absolutely no sense and it's all about greed. And I'm really down on, you know, on the athletic directors and university presidents who really don't care, it seems at the highest levels. Like I got mine, I don't care about the rest.

Rocky: 49:11

Well, you're seeing now in college I mean North Carolina with Belichick, they brought in a GM and you're seeing more of these schools now bring general managers in and running it like professional sports and really it is right because we're paying the athletes Scott real fast. I know a lot of Syracuse fans want to talk Syracuse football. Already they were ready to move on. You've got Syracuse lacrosse that's on right now and they're always fun to follow too the women and the men's side of it. I looked at the Syracuse football schedule for this coming year and I said Fran Brown got a good one in year one.

Scott: 49:44

Now year two, it's a much tougher schedule, uh, for the football team yeah, this is, um, I think what was it ranked like the 13th and the. The only ones are maybe Big Ten and SEC schools who have to play a number of their own uh, you know, under the new, new arrangements and stuff. But yeah, this is a brutal schedule. Not only only is it tough, like when you're, I think they're playing, while you're playing Notre Dame, you're playing Miami. Tennessee you'll open up with in a neutral site, but it'll be more of a Tennessee site.

Scott: 50:15

It's facing down south in Atlanta. Yeah, there's something like they have like four playoff teams, I think, and they're all on the road. You're playing like Notre Dame on the road, you're playing Tennessee, essentially on the road, and it's brutal, it's absolutely brutal. And that's why I try to say, and you're doing it without Kyle McCord, you don't really know who your quarterback's going to be.

Scott: 50:42

It's brutal and I try to tell Syracuse fans, who tend to be impatient and want to run people out of town very quickly Look, you better have patience with Fran Brown and you better not say because if Fran Brown I'm telling you right now, rocky, if Fran Brown goes six and six with that schedule, he really merits coach of the year recognition.

Scott: 51:03

I mean, it's brutal it's brutal yeah, look, it's brutal and it's all on the road too. Most of that the the major ones, I mean Syracuse fans will get to see the hoodie. Uh, bill Belichick come into the room, that'll be kind of fun, um, but yeah, uh. So you know Fran's got a. He had the largest, um high school class in. I think he's doing things right. I think he's done a thing that I really like, and that is he's really rebuilding the bridges that were broken down by recent Syracuse coaches in terms of developing relationships with high school coaches throughout the state.

Scott: 51:41

Got to do it. Mack knew you had to do it. Pasqualone knew you had to do it. Pasqualone knew you had to do it. And so there's Fran Brown participating at the Turning Stone. You know resort at the New York State coaches high school football coaches concert. You got to do that conference. You got to do that, and I think he understands the value. You have to build relationships with coaches and you have to give back. You have to give back to the high school coaches as well. So you've got to give the guy time. I mean this could be, it could be a four win year and it would be understandable. But you're building something here and he's got a lot of really highly touted high school recruits here. You got to give them time to mature and, you know, physically, mentally, emotionally, it just doesn't normally happen as a freshman, you know. So you know, particularly with the big boys up front, they got to get physically stronger in order to play at that level.

Rocky: 52:36

So, yeah, it's brutal, but give give Fran a chance to, to, you know, to build something here, truly build something so, scott, favorite day of the year for me is is college football and watching the new year's day bowl games, but today's probably right there with it. We get the selection show today and then we can fill out the brackets and, uh, we can start arguing who should have been in, who's, who got left out, and so forth, without seeing a bracket. Who do you like?

Scott: 53:05

I still like Duke if Flag comes back off that ankle. You know I watch them. They're an exceptional team. I mean, I'm very intrigued, rocky, to see are we going to have 12, 13, 14 SEC teams? And they will be deserving. It's a super basketball conference right now who would have thought that a football conference? But it also gets back to that whole general thing. So I'm intrigued to see you know which SEC schools. They'll probably have a couple number one seeds, I would think, and just how many are there going to be? But if I really had to get pushed, and that's with the caveat that you know flag Cooper flag is going to be healthy enough to play on that ankle and maybe you don't. Maybe, if you're trying to buy some more time, rocky, you don't play them in the first game. It's always dangerous, of course, but you know Duke should be able to beat a 16 seed without. I mean, look what they did last night without him. That was a pretty impressive.

Rocky: 54:11

You know they gutted out a win in the championship game yeah, I think, with him playing, even if he's 85, 90 and I'm not a duke guy, but I think they're the best team, I think he's the best player in the country on one of the best teams, so I I think they make a good run. I'm anxious to see what Patino does in St John's. Like I said, if they can shoot the ball fairly well, I think they can beat anybody. But those SEC schools from Florida, auburn, alabama, I mean Michigan State there's so many teams I think that, seeded, one through eight, maybe even one through 10, got a shot to win this thing, depending on who you get paired up with.

Scott: 54:47

I'd open the never to be honest with you, even given the domination of the SEC and so forth. I think, yeah, I think it's going to be really interesting. And, patino, like you say, I just think that perhaps they don't, you know, they just don't have enough offense because there's going to be. But again, we talked about this earlier that you know you can always be consistent with your defense as long as you're not getting whistles going against you too much, you know, and you get some guys in foul trouble. But I, the thing that's that's the thing that's impressed me most about the job he's done at St John's is he has.

Scott: 55:23

You know that coaching is really being a salesman. You need to get your players to buy into what you want and he has gotten them to buy into. We got to. We got to play 40 minutes of hell here on defense. We got to. Just, we're going to right from the opening tap. We're coming at you and and we're going to keep coming at you and we're going to wear you down. That can take them on a run. You know it really could. But do they have enough? When it comes to that championship, when it comes to the Final Four and you've got to make some shots. Man, it comes down to that. You better have some offense to go with that, because unless you're, you know you can't play the Villanova stall stall against georgetown. You know there's a shot clock now and you gotta, you gotta have some offense come out of that. But their defense does lead to a lot of offense too yeah, it should be a fun tournament.

Rocky: 56:17

Uh, to see who gets in today. I know I'll be looking forward to that later. I already told my wife don't bother me for an hour while the selection shows on. And then she says well, the selection shows over. Now I'm watching the guys break down who gets in and who gets out. So well, scott, listen, I appreciate you coming on. I know we'll do it again soon. I always love talking to you. I always say you're one of the mentors for me, that if I can follow in your footsteps I'll be successful.

Scott: 56:41

That's for sure, that's the kind of you to say and, like I said, I always enjoy coming on with you and I wish you nothing but the best and keep at this. This is great what you're doing and you've shown so much initiative. Just just keep at it, man, and uh, and just keep expanding.

Rocky: 56:56

Well, I appreciate it, scott, We'll talk soon. Okay, take care, thank you. So that was Scott Petoniak and, like I said, coming on, I think Scott was one of the first guests that I had on when I joined the radio station here at WKAL 1450. And anytime we talk Syracuse basketball, syracuse football, I mean you name it I've always reached out to Scott and he's always been great to come on. He's had a great career and, like I said, he's one of the mentors for me, been great to come on. He's had a great career and, like I said, he's one of the mentors for me. Um, I keep saying I wish I was a young guy, but, um, but he's been fantastic. So I want to thank scott for, uh, for coming on with me here this morning. I want to thank damien call, who was fantastic. If you missed the interviews, I'll put them up later. They'll always be on the social media channels for podcast listeners. I'll have it up on spot High Heart Radio, apple Podcasts and all that a little bit later on tonight.

Rocky: 57:46

As I do some cut-ups, sorry about the mute piece here, the first two minutes of the show. I had some mic problems before I jumped on here this morning, but I appreciate you staying with me here, as always. So, on behalf of the entire crew which I promise we will get you Pags, medesis and the Statmen on here at some point in time. We're all busy running around with the kids and stuff, so we will get us all on here and bring the gang back together. On behalf of the entire crew here at the Mohawk Valley Sports Watch and the Rockpile, I want to thank Damian Call for joining me. I want to thank Scott Petoniak for joining me here this morning and thanks to Coach Paggs, thanks to Coach Medesis and the Statman. Have a good weekend everybody. I'm out.