Buckets & Birdies
The Buckets & Birdies Podcast hosted by @cbills23 and @mg1nyard
23 minutes of hoops, golf and sports across the state of North Carolina.
Buckets & Birdies
Down Goes Dook
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March Madness delivers another all-time moment as the Dook Blue Devils fall to the UConn Huskies on a buzzer-beater for the ages. Marcus and Carter break down the game, make their predictions for the rest of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament, and react to Will Wade leaving NC State after just one season.
Plus, excitement builds as we look ahead to a special upcoming episode from Augusta!
March Madness & The Masters, what could be better? 🏀⛳
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Buckets and Birdies Podcast. Buckets and Birdies is a weekly glimpse into the worlds of basketball and golf.
SPEAKER_01We'll also balance national sports trends with ACC Insights and provide a lens of notable happenings of sports in our home state of North Carolina.
SPEAKER_03Two friends and industry professionals getting together to bring you 23 minutes of fun each week with shared experiences around buckets and birdies. He's Carter Bills, sports agent and seasoned consultant in the golf space.
SPEAKER_01Joining me on the mic is national champion, Tario Great, Marcus Ginyard. Welcome to Buckets and Birdies.
SPEAKER_03Welcome to another episode of the Buckets and Birdies Podcast.
SPEAKER_01It's Sunday, March 29th, and when you're hearing this one, it'll be Friday, April 3rd. April, Marcus. Where did March go?
SPEAKER_03I don't know. We still got a couple more days, though, Carter. But you're right. You'll be hearing this all Friday at high noon.
SPEAKER_01Thanks to everyone for catching up with Buckets and Birdies. 23 minutes of our thoughts for you.
SPEAKER_03We appreciate you.
SPEAKER_01And as positive people who like positive things, we'll start this one as we always do, Marcus, with the quote of the day. And the quote today is don't give up.
SPEAKER_03Don't ever give up. Coach Jimmy V, and there's nobody more positive right now. Carter, I'm gonna just jump right off the top here. There's nobody more positive than the Yukon Huskies, who did not give up, coming back from a 19-point deficit to beat the Duke Blue Devils, which some people might think that, you know, I feel a little bad for them. I don't, newsflash. I don't. Um, but yeah, man, how about that game just now? I mean, the game ended not too long ago. I'm sure you were in front of the TV, I was in front of the iPad. Um, what did you see out there?
SPEAKER_01You had the same off the top I did, Marcus. I'm just thinking, what kind of team would give up a 19-point lead in March when you had ability to close the game? Careful there, buddy, because we did.
SPEAKER_03Okay. We did too.
SPEAKER_01I know, I know. Did that on purpose a little bit, you know, a little bit of self-shame for the Tar Hills, but the Blue Devils could taste the final four, and man, they let the Yukon Huskies come back, and Yukon took advantage. Talk about a team that takes on the personality of their coach. Grit, fight, stick to it. It looked like they were done, Marcus, but I was impressed with how they didn't give up.
SPEAKER_03Incredibly impressive performance. Um, you got to take your hat off to Duke for how they've played all season long. But, you know, this is why, again, we get back to it every time we we've talked about March Madness, man. This is Christmas in March, and you can just never ever think that the game is over. You got to play all 40 minutes down to the last half second. This is not the first time that we've seen a last second shot be the deciding factor of a game. That's why we're here. That's why we love March Madness.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and this shot is one of the ones that I think Marcus gets replayed for years and years to come. It's not a championship game shot. It's not a Final Four shot, but it was a shot to go to the Final Four in a game that pretty much looked decided. And I think we see this one for years to come.
SPEAKER_03There's no doubt in my mind that this is already a top 10 shot in NCAA history. Um, you talked about making this shot to go to the final four. You immediately think about a guy like Luke May. And that shot that we've seen so many times year after year. I mean, this is no doubt a huge shot that we will be watching for a very long time.
SPEAKER_01Man, some some big time Elite Eight shots now that you say. Luke May makes a shot to go to the Final Four over Kentucky. Big time game in what, 2017? 17. Yep. Hills would go on to cut down the nets. Christian Leitner, I believe, is Elite Eight versus Kentucky, that he hits the famous catch from Grant Hill. Turnaround Jay, Duke Boo Devils, go on to win. Let's see what happens for the Yukon Huskies. They have got sort of a new lease on life after that shot. You think about how good Michigan's playing, how good Arizona's playing. Probably the best two in the tournament left, I would say, Marcus, as far as how they're playing. A one seed and a one seed, both on the other side of the bracket. Now, Illinois's nothing to scoff at. Yukon's gonna have to be ready. They've got a big-time Final Four game, but wow, they've got an opportunity in front of them as they look to next weekend in Indianapolis.
SPEAKER_03Man, you said it. They got some big names in the Final Four. Everybody's looking, you know, at these number one seeds in Arizona and in Michigan. But don't forget about Illinois. I think that they're gonna be a team that people may overlook. I mean, you're in the Final Four. You can't overlook any of these teams, but um I'll be looking for Illinois to have a big time game as they come out against UConn.
SPEAKER_01All right, Marcus, that obviously takes us right into our bucket section today. And we've gone through our brackets each week. Somehow we're now down to the final four. It happened so fast. Um, and I want to take a look, Marcus. Where are you with your bracket? I'll take a look at mine. Let's see who we got left.
SPEAKER_03Um, Carter, I don't think my bracket's looking that great at all. I had all two seeds, if I remember correctly. And if I'm not mistaken, I had UConn winning. So I do still have UConn in the mix. Um, did not foresee Tennessee making it this far. Um, and of course, uh had Purdue um getting by as well, but I still got one team alive, so not too shabby.
SPEAKER_01Not too shabby. I think I'll only have one team as well. I had Michigan going to the Final Four, I had Houston going to the Final Four, I had Michigan State going to the Final Four and Purdue. We both dropped Purdue. I dropped Michigan State. Great win from Yukon. Great win again from Yukon today to march on again. Um, and then Michigan. I mean, how much of the game did you catch before Duke Yukon today? Michigan really put on a show. As you said, congratulations to the Tennessee volunteers for making it this far. But Michigan showed everyone why they're a one seed today, Marcus.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I mean, Michigan just had way too much for Tennessee to handle. Uh from the very beginning of the game, there was no doubt in my mind that Michigan, Michigan was going to go on to win. Um, I mean, they were just firing on all cylinders. I mean, everything seemed to be going their way. Uh, Tennessee gave a great effort, but you could just tell they were completely um outpowered by by Michigan. And I honestly, after that game, I'm thinking a little bit different about that matchup between Arizona and Michigan. I mean, obviously, I didn't even have Arizona in it, but just as these games have been unfolding and been thinking about, man, Arizona looks really, really good. But after that Michigan game today, I mean, that's gonna be a tough matchup. I mean, that is definitely gonna be a game where you want to be sitting square in front of the TV. Those are gonna be two juggernauts going up against each other.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that is gonna be prime time. I was thinking the same thing, Marcus. Watching the ball movement for Michigan today, the way that they were getting easy buckets, and I tell you, a lot of that goes back to the point guard play of Elia Cadeau. I know there were things in his years in Chapel Hill that drove you crazy sometimes. Some of the turnovers, some of the missed threes, some of the maybe possessions off on defense. He has really flipped a trigger, and we always knew he could pass the ball. So I think that passing is contagious. The amount of easy buckets I watched the Michigan Wolverines get this afternoon was unreal for this late in the game in March Madness. And again, I credit it to when he makes that extra pass, it feels like the team wants to keep making the extra pass. They're getting either wide open layups, Marcus, or open three-pointers.
SPEAKER_03I mean, they shared the basketball in a way that I haven't really seen. I mean, really made me think about the Golden State Warriors. I mean, everybody's touching the ball multiple times each possession. They're passing up relatively open shots to get even more open shots. And credit Elliott Cadeau. He's a big reason why they move the ball so well. Uh a phenomenal player, don't get me wrong. Um his attitude definitely got me a little frustrated uh during his time here in Chapel Hill. But he's an elite guard. He's a great player, um, and is a huge part of Michigan's success uh until now.
SPEAKER_01I love to see a true point guard doing true point guard things, and he helps the Wolverines march on. As we look at that side of the bracket, Marcus, Arizona and Michigan. If we repick who are you going with now as we look towards Indianapolis this coming weekend?
SPEAKER_03Um on that side of the bracket, Carter, I'm gonna I'm gonna go with Michigan. But again, that is going to be a serious matchup, an incredible game to watch, and really looking forward to it. But I I think Michigan is gonna edge out on that one.
SPEAKER_01If the national championship game is not the game of the tournament, and if today's Duke Yukon game is not the game of the tournament, I'm with you. That's gonna be the game of the tournament this year, Marcus. It's gonna be big time. And then what about on the other side? So on the other side, Marcus, we've got Yukon and Illinois. You had Yukon going there. I knew it would be sort of a coin flip between Yukon and Michigan State. They march on again. So I was wrong completely because, again, I picked guard play and went with the Spartans early. Yukon marches on, which keeps them alive for you. I don't think either of us saw Illinois playing this well. In fact, I thought they might be vulnerable early on, but steady Eddie, they have been through the tournament. I think Paige Stoyakovich's son, young Stoyakovic, who we saw last year in the ACC at Cal, has proven that he's here to play like his dad. He can make it from outside, make it from inside. He's scoring all over the place. And Illinois has a lot of fight to him. Have you got to see the alumni? And what do you think about that game as they look to face off an Indianapolis, Marcus?
SPEAKER_03I mean, Carter, they don't call him the fighting alumni for no reason. These guys, they've got some grit. They've got some toughness, and and they've shown that that they've try to make a name for themselves, have made a name for themselves, even though people have been overlooking them a little bit. I think that they are um, to your point, a great team that scores inside and outside. Um, they've got experience. I do like their guard play. Um, maybe not as much as I like Yukon's guardplay, but um, they are gonna be a formidable opponent for the Yukon Huskies.
SPEAKER_01No question. I agree with you. They don't call them the fighting allight for nothing. They're gonna fight. I do think that the Yukon Huskies are gonna be ready to go. I think they know that they got a new lease on life when they looked kind of DOA for the second half of that Duke game. They fought, they've earned their way to keep going, and I think they keep going, Marcus. Not without a fight from Illinois, but I think it's it's almost a storybook. You have Mullins that makes the game-winning three, right, against Duke, going back to Indianapolis, where he played high school basketball for his dad in Indiana. One of those Indiana true form kind of guys that steps into a three and dagger, knocks it down. I really thought Caravan at the end of that Duke game was gonna take the shot. We talked about great ball movement for Michigan. What great team play and unselfishness from Yukon. When you look at Caravan, maybe the winningest player still in college basketball right now, who gets the ball, elbow extended on the three. I'm thinking he's gonna jab, step back, something, and take the shot. He sees his teammate, who just made the steal, by the way, still of a lifetime, walk into to the ability to knock down a three and he gives up the ball. But what a shot by Mullins, who now, Marcus, goes back to Indiana with a chance to really have a storybook ending in Indianapolis.
SPEAKER_03I think this is, again, just why we love Marsh Madness. All these stories seem to come together in the most perfect way. And you know you talked about it. Mullins also got the steal, which I think is great, right? So for him to get the steal, give it up, get it back. Um great teamwork. It was beautiful. It was beautiful. Truly amazing.
SPEAKER_01All right, so it sounds like we both have UConn. Yes, on that side. Yes. You had him all along. I did not. Glad to rock with them now. Go, Huskies, UConn, and it sounds like we both might have Michigan on the other side. I'm going with Michigan on the other side.
SPEAKER_03Yukon, Michigan in the national championship game. And then I think Yukon is gonna edge him out. I think they're going to start talking a little bit more about a dynasty potentially, uh, but I think Yukon's gonna walk away with this one.
SPEAKER_01I'm with you. My son, as you saw a video earlier, all he knows growing up, besides being a Tar Hill fan or a high point fan here locally, is Yukon Huskies nationally. They've been to the Final Four now, Marcus, in three years where he may only remember five final fours. So the Yukon Huskies are cementing themselves not only over the last 30 years, but really of recent history. I think you're right. I think it's dynasty material what they're doing. And Marcus, that dynasty material comes in the form of big banners. And you know in Chapel Hill, we like to count big banners. This would be number seven for Yukon Marcus. Seven. All since '99.
SPEAKER_03All since 1999?
SPEAKER_01All since 99. With Calhoun, obviously Calhoun again in 04. Yeah, Calhoun again in what 11, Kevin Ollie in 14, and then the last couple with Dan Hurley, two of the last three years here recently. This would be seven all since '99. That's pretty remarkable. We know that Yukon might hang its seventh banner here in a week's time, Marcus. What we also know is that Duke will not hang it sixth. So as we count banners against Chapel Hill, I think we have to count our wins in some cases.
SPEAKER_03Hey, I'm good. Uh we we in my book as a fan, we we won. So I'm all good, man. All right, Carter, as we transition from buckets to birdies, it's time for Nets and Jackets, where you, Carter, are put on the spot to tell us the men's national champion and also the master's champion of any given year. And this year, you have already gotten the men's national champion. The year is 2004. You have already told us that Jim Calhoun and his Yukon Huskies won in 2004, so I will go ahead and give you credit for that. So tell us who is the master's champion in 2004.
SPEAKER_012004, Marcus, was the first of three masters wins for lefty Phil Mickelson.
SPEAKER_03Correct indeed. I'll tell you, Card, you're on a you're on a roll here, buddy. You're on a roll.
SPEAKER_01I didn't I didn't mean to spill the beans. Obviously, I I don't know what year you're gonna say. I didn't know. We were just going through UConn's wins. I'll give you a little extra tidbit. 2004, Omeka Okafour, the most outstanding player, Ben Gordon, obviously a great player on that team as well. They went up against an ACC opponent, if memory serves, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Jared Jack, BJ Elder, and that team marched all the way in a special run to the national championship game in 04 as well.
SPEAKER_03They did, and that was a hell of a game. So tell us, Carter, what's going on in the world of golf?
SPEAKER_01All right, Marcus, on the PGA tour this week, the Houston Open just concluded here on Sunday night, and I couldn't be happier for the champion, Gary Woodland. You and I were talking a little bit about him before. What a battle Gary's had. Gary went from winning the U.S. Open in 2019, riding high as a major champion, to just a couple short years ago, Marcus, having some health issues, realizing there was a tumor in his brain, having to have that removed, coming back on a major medical. Just early this season, Marcus, on top of that, has been very open about his mental health and mental stability and his confidence and how going through that surgery has shaken him and his ability to play golf and his identity. But he's such a great guy, such a well-rounded guy. Anyone that you'd meet on tour, anyone that's ever interacted with Gary would tell you he's just one of the nicest people you'd ever meet. He goes on to win the Houston Open today, Marcus, opens all sorts of doors back for him. He's in all the signature events, and now Gary is firmly back in people's mind as we head into the Masters in a week's time. So happy for Gary. The win gets him in the Masters, Marcus. He was he was not in the Masters. He had just gotten outside of his major championship exemptions recently. So he's in the Masters.
SPEAKER_03Let's go. Welcome, Gary. Welcome to Augusta. No, I mean that's a great story. And, you know, as we circle back to the quote of the day today, um, and you know, just thinking about never giving up. And this is one of those opportunities where he could have easily given up. You know, you've got a medical hardship like that, um, something that serious and that grave. I think it's really easy for folks to think about, you know, stepping away and and and not coming back. But the fact that he continued to battle through and um now finds himself a a winner on tour again, and you know, as you mentioned, getting himself now prepared to head to Augusta. I I just think those are the the the great stories in sports that that we love to to read about and watch and follow, um, to see people continue to persevere and get over large obstacles like that. And so hopefully there's some folks out there that are watching that that get inspired and uh will continue to push through all the things that they're going through and and and still believe that that there's a chance they can you know be a champion one day.
SPEAKER_01Well said. Happy for you, Gary. And Marcus, also as we look to Augusta, I think back a week ago, I'm watching the TGL finals. I don't know if you called it at all, but Tiger Woods Jupiter Lynx team was in the finals of TGL, and he's swinging a golf club competitively for the first time in months, nearly a couple years, I think, Marcus. And he's looking pretty good. You see some grimacing, maybe dealing with some back pain, understandably. He's gone through back surgeries and knee surgeries and leg breaks and Achilles tears, and he looks like he's finally coming back. And we know why he was swinging competitively a week ago, right? He's thinking Augusta. As long as he can walk that thing, he was showing the world that he can still swing like Tiger Woods, hitting some amazing shots. And I'm thinking, wow, Marcus, we're gonna come on here and talk about Tiger Woods is coming back for the Masters. Phil's reminiscent of 2019, when by the way, he marched all the way to barely making it in people's minds to win in the darn thing. And I'm thinking we're gonna be talking about that again. And lo and behold, we have a car wreck early last week. Fortunately, Tiger's okay, no one was injured, um, and everything seems to be fine. I just hope that he's in a place where he can still walk, he can still march towards trying to play because golf is better when Tiger Woods is playing. And gosh, the Masters tournament sure is a lot more exciting when Tiger Woods is in the field.
SPEAKER_03Would obviously love to see Tiger Woods in the field at Augusta, but uh ultimately, as you said, just hope that that he's doing okay and you know he's finding the the best way to recover from this. Um clearly going through some tough times, but um just hoping that he can find a way to get back to feeling good enough to compete, um, but just making sure that that he's doing all right. All right, Carter, that brings us nicely to our Beyond the Box Score feature.
SPEAKER_01Everything Marcus and I talk about is beyond the box score, but specifically each week, we take a dive into one story from the North State Journal's Beyond the Box Score feature in its sports section. The North State Journal is North Carolina's only statewide newspaper. For more on the North State Journal, check out nsjonline.com. And Marcus, this week, the North State Journal's Beyond the Box Score feature takes us back to the triangle and with college basketball. And Will Wade, Marcus, leaving what seemed to be in the night, proverbially, as he returns to LSU. What have you seen of this story? What have you seen of the fallout of it in the triangle area? And where did the Wolfpack go from here?
SPEAKER_03Carter, this on one side absolutely blows my mind, right? Like you see Will Wade come to state, you hear all the interviews about how he's committed to being here and building this team and you know, taking this program from wherever they are now to the next level. And you saw his interview after the last game. I'm committed to being here. We're gonna get we're already talking about next year with the administration, et cetera, et cetera. And then, like you said, man, like in the middle of the night, poof. Now this guy's the head coach at LSU, and you're thinking, what the f is going on here? Well, that's one side. But then on the other side, Carter, you're like, hmm, but we're talking about Will Wade here, right? He's got a history of being, I don't know, for lack of better words, the slime ball, a little loose, right? And so on one side, I'm not surprised at all that this happened. And, you know, we were talking about this before the show, but now there's there's some stuff coming out here that he might have been putting offers in on houses a month ago. And I mean, like, this starts to seem like there could have been uh a larger plan to this, at least recently, right? And you know, there's awesome connectivity there with, I believe, the AD at LSU now. Um, I think there's some history there back when he was at Vinny State. Um, it all seems pretty fishy. Um, it stinks. It stinks, it definitely stinks to high hell here. So I I don't know exactly what all went down, but at the end of the day, Will Wade is no longer the head coach at NC State after just one season. And I know that's got a sting for Wolfpack fans. Whether they did great this year or not, I I mean, I just think that the stings to have to be on the market for a new coach again. Um, I think everybody was relatively excited about that hire, and quite frankly, I thought it was a great hire. And so now, you know, there's there's multiple teams in the triangle looking for a head coach. Can't remember the last time that happened.
SPEAKER_01I I would say thanks, NC State, for taking some of the pressure off North Carolina, who I know is still in the midst of a you know very serious hunt for its next head basketball coach. But I mean, wow. Duke loses, thanks. NC State Will Wade, thanks. So fun times in the triangle with with basketball and tobacco road right now, Marcus.
SPEAKER_03You know what's crazy? You know, everybody thinks about the triangle as being, you know, having the elite basketball programs. I tell you right now, it's a it's a tough night. It's been a tough week uh for basketball in the triangle.
SPEAKER_01We've got some work to do. And I will say this I do hope NC State gives a serious look to Justin Ganey. Justin grew up in High Point, ended up playing his high school basketball at Greensboro Day. I watched him growing up, played against his brother Jadal. Could not be a bigger fan of his career. I think a four-year starter at NC State, Marcus, and the first assistant, I believe, now for Rick Barnes at Tennessee, who heralds him as an unbelievable recruiter, unbelievable guy with player development. We know he can coach. We know the type of coaches he's been around. I'd love to see him get his chance as a former point guard from NC State. Seems like a nice fit.
SPEAKER_03It certainly could be, Carter. Um, but there's some big-time decisions getting made in the triangle here shortly, so we'll keep our eyes out for it.
SPEAKER_01All right, guys, that's all for today.
SPEAKER_03Thanks for tuning in to the Buckets and Birdies Podcast.
SPEAKER_01That's 23 minutes of our thoughts for you from Marcus Ginyard. I'm Carter Bills.
SPEAKER_03We'll catch you next time from Augusta.
SPEAKER_00He was dealt by three. One out of two. 70, you ten seconds to go. Now they cut and run through the ball. Who better than this guy? Get it in the blue jump back for shore. Ahead, booser, that ball deployed.
SPEAKER_02Dude, knock it down. Oh, let's go! Oh my god! Oh my god! Utterly impossible! Utterly impossible! Oh and then the major out of Indiana. Oh my god.
SPEAKER_03March Mads.
SPEAKER_02Holy shit. That is fine.