The PreWrap Ep. 11 - CBA DONE!! & Bracket Predictions

Finally we have a CBA update for you on the terms of the historic agreement reached!! Also, bracket talk as March Madness begins.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Hey guys, welcome back to the pre-rep. Um virtual edition. We're not in the same room. Sad. This is our first virtual episode. First ever. Episode 11. Um women's tournament starts today. So we're gonna be doing our little bracket predictions, and we have a CBA update. Finally, after our like entire like months and months of just being like, well, we'll see. Um it dropped on Wednesday. So it's finally happened. It's finally happened. Um, so I guess we'll kick it off with the CBA update um on Wednesday. At literally, I woke up at four because my friend was like going to the airport.

SPEAKER_02 0:51

Especially because you felt something like a seismic shift in the world.

SPEAKER_01 0:58

No, I literally immediately awoke in. So crazy. Just after, like, I think I saw that it was over a hundred hours at the table, the negotiation they had been locked in that room for like a week, over a week.

SPEAKER_02 1:16

Well, also when you think about it, the players opted out of their the previous CBA in October 2024.

SPEAKER_01 1:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:24

And then everything expired in October 2025, and then they continue to blow past all the extensions, and then free agency froze.

SPEAKER_00 1:36

And so it's literally been like Yeah, like it's been over a hundred hours of it's been over a hundred hours of like the marathon negotiations, but this has been like it feels like years much longer. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:52

It's crazy. Yeah last week we said will we have a deal by the time we are at our next step? And we do, yay! No Nebraska hat for the for once. I'm Nebraska hat. I'm about to do my bracket predictions and then I'll be back to like 10 minutes of no Nebraska hat.

SPEAKER_00 2:12

Yeah. I'm honestly shocked. I don't, I'm gonna be honest. Sorry, also just to put it get it out there, I have bronchitis right now. Um, but so I'm sorry if I sound like a robot. Um but I really didn't think that um I didn't think that this was gonna happen. I wasn't convinced last week. I think I said something like, I don't know. Um but the terms of the deal are good in my in my view. I think they're really good. I have them up if you want me to read them.

SPEAKER_02 2:50

You were right about the percentage, the gross percentage. You were exactly right about it. I think you said 20%.

SPEAKER_00 2:57

Yeah. I think, yeah. I think so. I think I said like if I were them, I would go for a lower gross over a higher net.

SPEAKER_01 3:06

Um so wait, so these terms, these are not fully finalized, it's just like what's coming out so far. Okay, cool.

SPEAKER_00 3:13

Exactly. So these still need to be um they still need to finalize, like more. I think, but it seems like it's more like finer details.

SPEAKER_01 3:24

It's like a verbal, there's a verbal agreement. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 3:26

Yeah. Um, but they've come to a seven million salary cap. Um one million four hundred thousand supermax salary, which is so oh sorry, I was just gonna say No go ahead, go ahead.

SPEAKER_02 3:41

Apparently, by the end of the deal, the salary cap is projected to exceed ten million by the end of the month of the CBA. So it only continue.

SPEAKER_00 3:51

Okay, six hundred thousand average salary, which is just I like can't even believe that.

SPEAKER_01 4:00

Who was the highest paid player last year?

SPEAKER_00 4:03

Oh, is it Stewie?

SPEAKER_02 4:05

I think it might have been Stewie.

SPEAKER_01 4:07

I that would be my guess. 2025 cat hit rankings, number one Kelsey Mitchell. Oh, really? Oh, good for her. But so according to this spot track says her salary was under $300,000. And so if the max was like $250 or like $220 or something like that. That's like a crazy jump for the now the minimum being $300,000. I know. I can't believe that.

SPEAKER_02 4:35

And all these major stars that deserve a super max are about to be free agents, so you're probably gonna see a lot of like $1.4 million contracts coming in.

SPEAKER_00 4:46

Yeah, it's amazing. So yeah, and then Lucy said so $300,000 minimum salary, which is just the craziest jump from like $77,000. Yeah. Night and day. Um, 20% of gross league and team revenue. Um, and then there's like improved family planning and parental leave benefits. Obviously, uh, if you weren't living under a rock, you know, and you have been listening to us, you know that um the thing that's been stopping them from coming to a deal, at least according to reports, has been a gross league salary versus a net league salary. So um I think I personally think that they made the right call to keep the season going, take a lower gross revenue than they were initially asking for, but stood firm that they wanted gross revenue. Yeah. I think that they made the right call there.

SPEAKER_02 5:46

The gross revenue represents a lot more than just I don't know, than just like more money to the money because it's yeah, it's one that it's gonna grow over the life of the deal, but then two, the fact that they get the money out of the entire pot, like you were saying, um, instead of just like after the league expenses, that means that the league has to be transparent with them about how much money they're making every year. And so I like keeping the books open to them, I think is also really important that they get to see what how well they're doing in the league that they're growing themselves. So I think it's that's also a really interesting part of it.

SPEAKER_00 6:30

Yeah, I totally agree. It's like in my mind, sorry, my voice cracked. In my mind, like um that was the part that I know I've been the person that's kind of been like, okay, we're we're talking about like a lot of money, and it's like hard for me to get up in arms about like so much money. But the thing that I felt like very, very principled about as like a person who is is like kind of grossed out by like excessive wealth in that way, like the thing that got me riled up was this idea of like we're not gonna we're gonna not structure our league to pay you in the same way that we're gonna pay structure our league to pay men. That like to me inexcusable. So so I think this is like a huge, huge, huge, huge step. Yeah, yeah. Agree.

SPEAKER_02 7:22

It's so exciting about um I have questions for you guys. Do you think it was well this feels pretty obvious, but do you think it w it was worth the wait? Who do you think is gonna like who benefits the most uh from this in your eyes? And then do you think this puts pressure on like other up-and-coming women's leagues to to sort of like match this the gross revenue structure going forward? Yeah, definitely. Yeah, I wait, what was the first one of the three? Oh, if it was worth like all the time.

SPEAKER_01 7:56

Oh, definitely hold out. Definitely. I think your point about like it representing something more too is such a big part of it, like four other women's leagues, the fact that like the these women were like really standing strong, and there was like this big show of unity, and um also like with to your question of like who stands to benefit most. I don't know. I feel like the rookies that are now making $300,000 minimum compared to like nothing, especially because like the it's like the life cycle of an average WNBA player, like not over a decade, like way below that. So I feel like being able to make that amount of money is just like a transformational that's the word that word has been everywhere, it's transformational, but like really it's um so I feel like for those players it's really I I definitely agree, and I think especially because you see so many rookies.

SPEAKER_00 8:52

I mean, all respect to them, but you see so many rookies come into this league and then not make rosters for a couple years just because the league is so small. So making 300 grand versus like 77 grand is sh that's like a gobsmacking difference, and it puts people in a position where like they can set themselves up and support themselves in a totally different way than they could with with so little.

SPEAKER_02 9:25

Um also have the two developmental players added on top of the roster, right? Like in top of the 12 player roster. So I think that adds to your point about like giving more opportunity. Um and that just helps like the W like the teams in general, because if somebody gets injured or like they because they don't have like a G League or like things like that, right that they can just like pull players up from.

SPEAKER_00 9:50

I know, and we see it all the time. It's like somebody like tort tears their Achilles or someone like goes out for a season and then they're bringing in these people and like some of these rookies who you're like who got cut in the preseason, you're like, oh my gosh, they're back. Like and you they just yeah, like Catherine said, like you just have to stay ready, but you don't have the money or the infrastructure around you to do that a lot of the time. Or like that's why we see so many of these players like continuing to go back to their undergrad to train. Like so I think this is just such a this is this is huge. Um to me, like that's who I'm the happiest for. I also think that like an average salary of 600 grand, that's in I like can't I'm like so excited about that. That's in like that's so much money, like for a middle tier player. Like that's amazing. That's amazing.

SPEAKER_02 10:46

Just in women's sports, like I'm like, we I never would have thought we would have been hearing a number like that. Yeah, I know so crazy. Did you see Studbuds posting being like, we're gonna be the first millionaires in our family?

SPEAKER_01 11:01

Yeah, oh my god, see like that could make me cry.

SPEAKER_00 11:04

And like, yeah, just like the fact that like these players will be able to start like building generational wealth and like oh my god, their families, like, oh it's so like it's like so much deeper than just like yeah, like that that can make me emotional because I feel like especially like this population of players, like or like that generation of players dealt with so much to even get to like get into basketball in the first place, like especially like the stud buds. I know like Courtney Williams is from like I think it's like wait, I don't want to say the wrong place, but like the the rural, rural south. You know what I mean? Like, I think I read in one of her player tribune like essays that she's like one of the first people in her family to even go to college, something like that. I don't know if I'm butchering that, but I don't know. Like these these people like this these people deserve this money, like the people who are getting this money deserve this money. Um it's just so amazing.

SPEAKER_02 12:02

Yeah, it's awesome. And and the season is not impacted, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:07

I mean crazy. I almost feel misled. I know Catherine, you said this like off screen. You were like, oh, it was definitely a negotiating tactic. Like, yeah, it is, but it's like and then I remember I said something last episode about like okay, what is the difference between coming to terms like what was the what was the deadline that it was like March 10th? I was like, what's the difference between coming to a deal like on 5 p.m. on March 10th versus like 8 in the morning on March 11th? Like they're saying I don't think I understand, but but I still like bought into it. I was like, oh my god, like I'm so stressed. I was like, I'll be so.

SPEAKER_02 12:59

It was more for the public than it was for them, like they didn't care, they waited an extra 10 days to get it done. Right.

SPEAKER_01 13:06

So yeah, above expansion, expansion draft, March Madness has already started. Oh my god, the college draft. There's so much that has happened, but I guess and free agency is gonna start.

SPEAKER_00 13:19

I was like, we're gonna have so much to talk about, you guys.

SPEAKER_02 13:22

We're gonna have so much to talk about. It's gonna be crazy. Let me find this list that I was looking at of um It's so crazy. Free agents. It's you it's gonna blow your mind. Okay, this is the list. This is a a player scheduled to become unrestricted free agents next month. Asia Wilson, Brianna Stewart, Sabrina, Ionis. Everybody Kelsey Plum, Athesa Collier, Jewel Lloyd, Kyle Copper, Arique, Jackie Young, Kelsey Mitchell, Sophie Cunningham, Emma Misaman, Gabby Williams, and Satu Sabalit. Like that's a crazy all-stars.

SPEAKER_00 13:59

Just like that's just an all-star game. Like, like, are you kidding me? Saying the first person to come out of your mouth Asia Wilson is insane. I mean, this is Do you really think she'll go somewhere else though?

SPEAKER_02 14:14

No, she's not gonna leave Becky and she's not gonna leave Vegas. Yeah, they're gonna sign her to a Supermax. I don't know if where if are most of these where are most of these players gonna go? No, and you think we also see Kelsey Mitchell leaving. Yeah, I could see Arique leaving the wings. Is Jackie Young gonna leave the Aces? Right. Is Jewel Lloyd gonna leave the Aces?

SPEAKER_00 14:40

I know Jewel Lloyd's been hopping around. Who's this? She's been there her whole career. Yeah. That's true. I feel like I feel like she's been there her whole career, but I feel like they've made some decisions lately. To be honest, I look at it and I'm like, what the hell, you guys, what are we doing?

SPEAKER_02 15:03

Yeah, I think like Kelsey Plum signed with the Sparks, and like the Sparks obviously didn't have a good season. So she could go somewhere else.

SPEAKER_00 15:13

I'm so I wonder how many of these people think about like market over or versus success and like how they weigh those. Um that's because obviously, like I mean when Kayla went to Indiana, then we s after her rookie season, we saw literally half the league go to Indiana to play with her. Right, right, exactly. So I feel like uh I'm really I think I'm most curious to see what happens in these expansion drafts.

SPEAKER_02 15:43

I think I'm so excited for these new teams because there's more money involved too. Like yeah, just in general.

SPEAKER_01 15:52

So you think one of these Liberty players would want to go to Toronto? Like because of Sanello, or like it wouldn't.

SPEAKER_02 16:00

Oh yeah, because of Sandy. Imagine if Sabrina signed.

SPEAKER_00 16:04

Okay, and also I remember Brianna Stewart, like her big thing for going to New York, or what she talked about, was like, this is where my family is, like, I'm ready to be closer to home, like all this stuff. Toronto is not that far. Toronto is very, very close.

SPEAKER_02 16:20

Yeah, it's true. But then it's also like you're taking on the risk of the expansion draft, and you just don't know like what you're gonna get, I feel like, which is hard. I know it's gonna be crazy.

SPEAKER_03 16:34

So it's I wonder.

SPEAKER_02 16:37

Oh, I was just gonna say, I wonder if more. This was like maybe more when we were talking about CBA and money stuff, but I wonder if more like international players are gonna want to come and play in the W now that the salaries are raised. Do you know what I mean? Like it makes it a more attractive league for people overseas, perhaps.

SPEAKER_01 16:57

I think there's already been such a kind of influx of international players. So I feel like this would only make that number go up more.

SPEAKER_00 17:05

Yeah, I think what I've heard over and over again is like the WNBA is like the best league with the best players. Like it's more like the draw up until this point, I guess, has always been like pride. It's always been like I can I deserve to be here because I'm I'm the best. Like and I want to play with the best. And now I think it's about both, it can be about both, yeah, which is really, really cool. Yeah. Wow. Just growing, growing, growing, growing. When do you think the season actually would have been impacted? Like what day down the line do you think if they had reached a deal like two days from now, next week, when do you think it would have been actually we actually are cutting into the season?

SPEAKER_01 17:57

Well, I w I want to be like, well, surely next week, but I'm like, maybe not, because I thought like this week it would have been April 1st, maybe.

SPEAKER_02 18:05

Yeah. Like at that point, what are you gonna do? Like, because training camps are like two and a half weeks, and you have no ex like you haven't done free agency or the expansion drafts or anything like that.

SPEAKER_00 18:18

How long is training camp usually?

SPEAKER_02 18:21

Ooh, like it's not that long, like a couple weeks because the season starts May 8th.

SPEAKER_00 18:27

Yeah, and yeah, it's like a Friday. Do you think they are like I think at that point too, ultimately they could have just like cut into training camp and started the season on time anyway. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And just let it be like kind of a mess.

SPEAKER_02 18:44

Yeah. Like it's kind of like, oh, I guess we're lines together for the first time that our home openers are moving. Yeah. Oh god. That's kind of what it was like. I feel like um like watching uh like Angel Reese and like her first season, and also like thinking about all those players, because you like get drafted and then you just get dropped into a team too. Like they were just like we have never played together, and now we're playing in with the in like the toughest league in the world.

SPEAKER_01 19:22

Yeah, so yeah, yeah, exciting, exciting, and I can't believe we finally get to say that there's a C B A, a new CBA. I know. Yeah, we've just been batting around the idea of it.

SPEAKER_02 19:37

I know huge CBA update. Yeah, and uh Chicago with us. I know, yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:47

Wait, that's so amazing.

SPEAKER_02 19:49

We have to get credentialed. Yeah. Okay, let's bra. Yes, I was just gonna say that.

SPEAKER_00 19:59

Okay, um you go say. I made I made more than one.

SPEAKER_02 20:06

Oh I'm showing us do you have an upset bracket?

SPEAKER_00 20:11

I think I will I think I want to talk about my upset bracket. I'm afraid I feel like you're what?

SPEAKER_01 20:22

My bracket is so boring.

SPEAKER_00 20:24

So I know I will my bracket. I was getting bored. Like that's the thing. I was like making it and I was getting bored. So I want to see what we all put for the finals so bad.

SPEAKER_02 20:35

Don't say.

SPEAKER_00 20:36

I want to take it. I my upset bracket, the biggest upset that I have on there. Can you guess? Well, there's two big upsets. Okay, wait, let me look at my bracket and see.

SPEAKER_01 20:51

Is it is it like a a heart thing? Like is it is it Louisville related?

SPEAKER_00 20:58

Which which is arguably you could say that it's Louisville related because I do have Louisville going to the Elite, but I I didn't take them further than that. It has to do with UCLA, yeah. Wait, this is a regional two, and there's another one with Regional 4.

SPEAKER_02 21:19

You did Okay, you did the UCLA LSU upset. You have LSU, yes.

SPEAKER_00 21:26

I think that this is like a crazy game because I think you LSU, if anyone is going to upset a number one seed, it's LSU. And personally, I think that uh UCLA has been somewhat untested for a very long time.

SPEAKER_02 21:49

And I guess we'll see, I guess we'll see if that has for a very long time, very long time.

SPEAKER_00 21:59

Um I think like this also will tell us a lot. I mean, they're playing Ole Miss right before then. So who also upsets a lot of people. Yeah. So but ultimately, I think if if I had to pick one of the two to upset UCLA, I would pick UC LSU. Okay. So this is just really boring. I do have Kentucky beating West Virginia, but this is my boring bracket. But I have the other upset that I put on my other bracket that I can't find right now for some reason. Is Georgia upsetting Iowa? You can see that. Yeah. And I also on my upset bracket took Michigan State over Oklahoma. Oh, really?

SPEAKER_02 22:48

I did that too, actually, to be honest, in my regular bracket.

SPEAKER_00 22:52

Yeah. Um everything else I I think is pretty straightforward. I think UNC, this one was hard for me if I'm being honest. The Maryland, North Carolina.

SPEAKER_02 23:06

But I was I have to take UNC.

SPEAKER_00 23:11

I kind of felt that ACC. I felt that ACC pride in in there. My bias definitely showed. And then I did also take Syracuse over Iowa State. This is a very interesting game to me. Yeah. And I don't know how I feel about maybe this is also my ACC bias showing. I don't I think this will tell us a little bit about both the Big 12 and the ACC and if the committee was right or how right they were to value one over the other by the end of the season.

SPEAKER_02 23:47

I feel like in those games with like uh with seats that are that close like that, it it's more revealing of like the committee than necessarily the play. I know the the game itself. It's interesting to see how they rank them.

SPEAKER_00 24:02

Um yeah. I also another upset that I took in my upset bracket was Clemson and USC. I think Clemson has a uh is gonna win over USC. Because they had they had they beat Duke, like they have a high ceiling.

SPEAKER_02 24:17

Also with USC's the way that USC is played this year, I I I would put more of my money on Clemson.

SPEAKER_00 24:25

Yeah, yeah. Yeah. So maybe I'll I'm gonna I'm gonna update my bracket to make it more interesting.

SPEAKER_02 24:32

I kind of feel like Washington over TCU is a bit of an upset, Sydney.

SPEAKER_00 24:37

You think so? Yeah. Oh, wait. Yeah. I don't think I remembered putting that now that I'm I'm kind of surprised to see. I know. The 125 I know she did it in her fever haze. Yeah, guys, I uh yesterday I was at a feverish state. I was using whatever. I was shaking. Yeah, don't even look at it. Um, yeah, I took oh I already already talked about this also Louisville in Michigan. I think that's gonna be a very interesting game.

SPEAKER_02 25:14

I know. I think I took Louisville too, but honestly, only because I I want Michigan to win for uh actually this is kind of like both of you actually I can't I can't I can't lose go right either way with saying who I want to win because it's actually like it's actually kind of like a hometown. It's personal.

SPEAKER_00 25:37

Christina and I'm gonna talk to each other that day.

SPEAKER_01 25:42

And then like I I said this earlier, but I okay, I put Michigan just because I think I was ruling with my heart. But I actually I think kind of like deep down, I think Louisville's gonna win. I was like, I was like, should I put them? And I was like, no, I'm just gonna I I I have to go with I have to go with Michigan. Your chats gonna be it. They lose crazy that day.

SPEAKER_00 26:05

I know going off. I also really struggled with this NC State Tennessee game. I've like I went back and forth and back and forth and back and forth. Um, and I still am not, I still am not super convinced that I made the right choice.

SPEAKER_02 26:25

I put NC State too. You did?

SPEAKER_01 26:27

But I kind of think now Tennessee's gonna win.

unknown 26:30

Really?

SPEAKER_01 26:30

Because surely they're not gonna go on the first round. I I feel like they're technically the lower seed rate. I don't find think it would be an upset.

SPEAKER_02 26:39

Is not good. Yeah, they're it's just not a bad thing.

SPEAKER_00 26:42

But NC State had such a struggle bus season too. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 26:47

I think they're both coming off of bad endings to their season. Yeah. No one's really on the up, so it's kind of who knows. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 26:54

Okay, so let me let me get my my ish in order because I don't know. I thought my bracket, maybe I just didn't submit this button right here, it's unfamiliar to me until this point. Submit it. Submit. No, I need to fix it up. I need to fix it up. Okay, okay, okay.

SPEAKER_01 27:12

Obviously, I have Yukon winning everything. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 27:16

So kind of I didn't even say that who I had winning.

SPEAKER_01 27:20

It's like it's like you don't even need to. We don't even need to say it. I have L S K winning here. So I was like, I just surely like Audi Kirks and Co. aren't gonna go out in the first round, but I I think like agree. But we'll see. I have UNC, obviously. Um I feel like they've been had a good end of end of their season, like like a fairly good, strong end. And then I almost didn't choose Notre Dame to win this game.

SPEAKER_00 27:49

But they they've had some big like they upset Louisville. They had a nice little I think they were writing on the bubble and then like really asserted themselves and like yeah, towards the end of their season.

SPEAKER_02 28:02

I think Hannah Hidalgo can like beat Fairfield, you know. Yeah, I know because that's usually her. She carries most of the games and lots of game that I think she can carry.

SPEAKER_01 28:12

Yeah, I really curious. That's why I chose the Ohio skin game.

SPEAKER_02 28:16

Yeah, but I have losing Ohio. I have Andrew.

SPEAKER_01 28:19

I don't see um that game in general. I don't know. I have Andy losing to Yukon. Sorry, Shea Ralph. It's like a Yukon off. No matter who wins, Yukon wins because Shea Ralph is yeah, it all goes back. It all it all goes back goes back to Chino. Um but I I I don't really think Yukon's gonna struggle here. I first was like, could it be like I mean, I don't know. Kind of like Yukon Michigan regular season game.

SPEAKER_00 28:49

Yeah, also like looking at Yukon's Oh wait, I missed that last part. I'm just gonna say what I'm saying anyway. Sorry. My brain's like half connected. Looking at Yukon's like journey to get there, if you scroll up, I'm like, I don't really think anybody's gonna challenge them. They're not yeah, yeah. No, I agree. I like North Carolina not happening.

SPEAKER_02 29:15

No, no, no way. Like I'm so sorry. The close game that they had against Michigan, I'm like, that the way that Michigan ended their season, like that's not like that's not the Michigan team that would give Yukon a run for their money. But I'm just like, how did that game even happen? I don't know. No, I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 29:34

I don't think if they had met, even if that Michigan team, like still doing well, had met like later Yukon, I feel like it would have been more. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 29:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 29:45

Um down here, I have US, I have USC winning. So you put USC. I was like, I'm gonna put the battle of the Rails. Um here. I battle of the US and I yeah, the battle of the which ones? The real USC. I had Clemson at first and then I went back and changed it. So my yeah, hope my little What what made you change it? Just vibes? It was it was like was fully vibe-based. I thought about the DV game, but then I thought about the meeting again in the ACC tournament. And I was like, I'm just gonna choose USC and Jazzy Davidson. So I'm gonna go with them for one at least one game, and then I think they're gonna lose, obviously. And I have Oklahoma winning. So let's see. And you have to have TCU. I think you have TCU, I have Iowa. Okay, but I think TCU's gonna beat Iowa. So I have TCU all the way up here. But not this one's not super interesting. Um, over here, like none of it's is interesting, to be honest. I was pretty safe.

SPEAKER_00 30:52

Texas, I think West Virginia, it's good. I know. I've been so high on West Virginia, but as soon as I see them against Kentucky, I'm like, I saw that in the budget. Kentucky's winning!

SPEAKER_01 31:02

I was like I honestly like no go.

SPEAKER_00 31:06

Oh no, they they have Tiani Key back, you guys. Like, who knows? Anything could happen. Who knows?

SPEAKER_03 31:12

It might even be gone.

SPEAKER_00 31:14

This is the team that upset LSU. Like, this is the team that upset LSU. So we don't know.

SPEAKER_01 31:20

I feel like this area, this is the part of my bracket, I feel like has the mo biggest chance to not send the number one, not the UCLA. I know you're yeah, oh okay. You think Texas, there's too much going on in the Texas section, even though they won the SSC tournament. I just feel like to me, I don't know. I feel like it's the most dangerous. Like I feel like you could have upsets on this side.

SPEAKER_02 31:44

I'm not sure.

SPEAKER_01 31:48

Yeah, I can see Louisville making it tough for them, even though I chose Michigan. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 31:55

I think that Alabama, I'm gonna be honest, that Alabama Louisville game, it's gonna give me nightmares. I'm so afraid for that. They're they're like a sweating. Like any SEC team that has like big upsets on their yeah, on their record, I'm just like, please don't make them play my teams.

SPEAKER_01 32:17

Um let's see. I have Princeton winning. And then like that's my old, these are my little Oh, I have Ole Miss, but then I have them losing to UCLA. Yeah. Duke, LSU. I have LSU losing to UCLA. I just don't think I don't think they're gonna be UCLA if they have to if they have to meet up.

SPEAKER_00 32:38

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 32:39

So that's why all my my final four is one seeds. So boring, but I just feel like I feel like it's gonna happen, and if it doesn't, it's gonna be Texas that's not there.

SPEAKER_02 32:52

I feel like it is so generous.

SPEAKER_01 32:56

I know. I was I was a little bit stressed. I was like, I feel like I'm I feel like UCLA like might come out like swinging this tournament. Like I mean, this also could they also could get blown out by like 50. I give it a little, I give it a little something.

SPEAKER_02 33:14

So that's my final my bracket, so here it is. Um we all have different like she did a hand, she did a I like downloaded it and then I did it. Okay, so I have let's see. It's pretty much the same. Like Yukon, North Carolina, Yukon.

SPEAKER_00 33:40

You guys don't think that Notre Dame has any chance of upsetting Ohio State?

SPEAKER_02 33:44

I think they have a chance, but I think there's a chance. Oh, I don't think they're going to and even if they do, I think Vandy's gonna take them. And then I put Vandy for sure. Versus Ohio State. I think Vandy's gonna beat that game. Or are we gonna start?

SPEAKER_01 34:00

How close do you think the Vandy Yukon game's gonna be? If it happens. Ooh.

SPEAKER_00 34:06

A master against the apprentice. Literally.

SPEAKER_02 34:09

What if it's randomly close? Like I feel like Vandy has a better chance of having like the Yukon sort of Michigan game regular season than like any other than maybe UCLA does too, but I don't know, you guys.

SPEAKER_01 34:25

I feel like maybe and then like cut cut cut to the game, it's like blowout.

SPEAKER_00 34:31

Yeah, I'm like, I'm like thinking about it and I'm like trying to imagine their bigs going against Sarah Strong, and I'm just like anybody going against Sarah Strong. I just don't I'm like I wouldn't be surprised, especially after watching like them lose in the SEC tournament.

SPEAKER_01 34:49

I'm just like if they shut down like wraps, then they definitely can.

SPEAKER_00 34:57

There's no way if anyone in the country can, it's it's who is on it's Sarah Strong and it's yeah, and KK Arnold. And KK.

SPEAKER_02 35:07

Yeah, KK's amazing.

SPEAKER_00 35:09

That's her defending.

SPEAKER_02 35:10

Yeah. Okay, you can cut that uh South Carolina. I had Clemson over USC. I put Michigan State over Oklahoma, which is maybe controversial. Nothing. Oh, and I put Georgia. Oh wait, no, I didn't. I won it. I think in one of my brackets, not this one. I put Georgia over Iowa. I could see, I could kind of see that upside.

SPEAKER_00 35:36

I could see that happening.

SPEAKER_02 35:38

NTCU over Iowa. Yeah. Um, let's see, what else? What else? UCLA for sure. Old Miss. I also put Old Miss over Minnesota. Um, do we think like Duke Baylor is kind of an interesting game or not really?

SPEAKER_00 35:54

I think that is.

SPEAKER_01 35:56

I think it could be, but I think Duke is gonna win.

SPEAKER_00 35:58

I think Baylor has like it's Baylor's one of those teams that has like a high ceiling, low floor.

SPEAKER_01 36:03

Like, I feel like Baylor towards the end of their season, they kind of were going down. Yeah.

unknown 36:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 36:10

Yeah, they they didn't really trend the right way. Uh yeah. So but I think but I do think it's gonna be, I don't think it's gonna be like a walk in the park for Duke.

SPEAKER_02 36:20

No, I don't think so either. But I did put Duke ultimately, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 36:24

And then I did put LSU over to what do you think LSU's chances are for ups upsetting UCLA? Ooh, I mean I was gonna ask, like I I mean, isn't it?

SPEAKER_00 36:37

Because look at who UCLA is playing before that game. Yeah, they're playing Ole Miss, who upsets people all the time, like in the SEC, and then they're playing LSU, who upsets people all the time in the SEC. True, they're paths. Those are brutal games to go in to play before having to go to the Final Four and play Texas. And then you're gonna that's insane.

SPEAKER_02 37:00

I feel like it's gonna be one of those games where it's like we're gonna see pretty fast whether the UCLA has a handle on it or not. Because I also think that's that's also kind of the way that UCLA plays. Like you either know if it's gonna be a game that they kind of have control of or they don't. But uh, I put UCLA. Yeah. Um everything else is pretty standard. I did put Louvall over Michigan, West Virginia, and then yeah, same Lucy. The final four is all one seeds. But I I also just agree. I feel like the gap this year between those like top four teams was just like so much bigger.

SPEAKER_00 37:42

Like just so we're gonna be able to do it. It's hard to not it's hard to not see them. It's hard to not see them. It's hard to pick any team over them.

SPEAKER_01 37:50

And then the gap between like Yukon and other Napoleons probably. Yeah, yeah, it's like a subset. It's like Yukon, and then it's like a crazy upset and they lose. Like I mean, not before the final four, obviously, but like Yukon, they get upset. I don't think they're gonna lose South Carolina though.

SPEAKER_02 38:09

Who would they lose to? They're not gonna lose to South Carolina, it's gonna be a repeat of the championship game. It's crazy that South Carolina has to meet them. It's actually kind of crazy that they have to meet before the championship game.

SPEAKER_00 38:23

Yeah. They have to. Uh-huh. Yeah, I don't know. You know what I think is really interesting? Because you know the committee like organizes it's like chess, and they try to make as many people who have like beef meat. They didn't try to make they did not put TCU and Notre Dame in the same region, right?

SPEAKER_01 38:47

Yeah. No, they're not the same region.

SPEAKER_00 38:50

Which would have I think that is very um that's unlike them.

SPEAKER_01 38:56

They weren't being messy, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 38:58

I know, that's unlike them.

SPEAKER_01 38:59

Like the beef is squashed. What if they have insider intel that the beef is squashed?

SPEAKER_00 39:03

The beef is not squashed.

SPEAKER_01 39:04

No, and you put it on trust me, it's still being.

SPEAKER_00 39:06

And we know Lucy and I have in people on the inside sources for the beef.

SPEAKER_02 39:13

Which will protect, but the beef is not squashed.

SPEAKER_00 39:15

Yeah, we're not squashed. We know the beef is not squashed. And and the my like evidence to support this is every single time Haley Van Lith played in the NCAA tournament, she had after she transferred from Louisville, she had to play Louisville in order to advance. Yeah. That's like their thing, that's what they do.

SPEAKER_02 39:35

But yeah, I know.

SPEAKER_00 39:37

So I don't really know. I was really surprised to see that TCU and Notre Dame aren't playing. Or don't have to play. Maybe they're like aren't on track to play in each other.

SPEAKER_02 39:46

They're not gonna meet. I was gonna say, maybe they're kind of like, uh, like I know Notre Dame's not gonna make it past like the second round. Maybe they would have had to put them like here and here.

SPEAKER_00 39:57

Guys, I don't know. I I wouldn't be like gobsmacked if Notre Dame upset Ohio State. I wouldn't be. Yeah, but we'll see.

SPEAKER_02 40:04

I think it all goes like I wouldn't be either, but then I'm that I feel like would be like the last like juice that they had in the tank, and then it would be like oh yeah, after that, don't they sustain that?

SPEAKER_00 40:17

No, exactly.

SPEAKER_01 40:18

Yeah, um it'll be it'll be crazy, or it'll be super straightforward, and all the number one seeds will be in the final four as we predicted.

SPEAKER_02 40:26

I know now I feel like our like uh like college and like pro takes up flipped where it's like every week at after CBA we'll be like, well, I guess we'll see. And now for like college, we're like, I guess we'll just have to wait and find out. I know.

SPEAKER_01 40:41

Like crazy. I mean, it's starting like soon. We'll see.

SPEAKER_00 40:44

I know in like a few hours. Um my god! It's the best time of the year, you guys. It's the best time of the year.

SPEAKER_01 40:51

Maybe it's Christmas.

SPEAKER_00 40:52

I know it really is.

SPEAKER_01 40:54

And UCBA, like, wow, can't believe this is my life. This is my life.

SPEAKER_00 40:57

Can't believe this is my life. Okay, I think that UCLA has the toughest path to a final four. Lucy thinks Texas has the toughest path to a final four.

SPEAKER_02 41:12

Good question.

SPEAKER_00 41:13

Catherine, who do you think has the toughest path to a final four?

SPEAKER_02 41:18

Honestly, you guys, I think it's gotta be UConn. No, I'm kidding. I kind of feel like such an easy path. I know. I kind of was looking which is funny because it's like they didn't win the SEC championship, and everyone was like, well, now they have to play in Sacramento, but it's kind of like we'll take it.

SPEAKER_00 41:39

Yeah, right, exactly. It's easy. I don't see any of these teams beating them.

SPEAKER_02 41:46

No, no, no, no way. Ugh. I mean, I kind of think UCLA, I'm gonna have to go with U Sydney. I think Texas is second to UCLA in terms of like the hardest path to the final four. Because Ole Miss and LSU, or if it's Ole Miss, or if you have to play Duke, like either one. That's insane.

SPEAKER_01 42:09

No, I'll give you that is objectively the hardest base move they have to play, but I feel like they're not gonna lose.

SPEAKER_00 42:15

You think Texas is the most likely to be the most likely to be upset. Okay, so I phrase I phrase your position wrong.

SPEAKER_02 42:22

But yeah, yeah. I agree, I agree. Texas, Texas is more like Texas is my number one seed that's not making it, which would make either mean that Louisville or Michigan would be in that final four, which I feel like it would be Louisville to upset them.

SPEAKER_01 42:38

Oh my god.

SPEAKER_00 42:40

Because I couldn't don't threaten me with a good time. Yeah, I would lose my mind.

SPEAKER_01 42:49

You're up, the big ten and UCLA for least. I know another rage of literally matchup.

unknown 43:01

Oh my god.

SPEAKER_00 43:03

Oh god. Okay, well, go cards, go cards. Oh, wait, on this one it has to be. Is it reverse? This is it, right? Are you all saying L? Yeah, no, it's backwards. Okay, okay. Yeah, there you go. This is right for me. Okay, go you about bum bum bum bum bum bum. Hoping for you. You guys, we need to get you to the yum center. Oh yeah, I need to taste that water. Gotta taste that water. Really good tap, you guys. Really good.

SPEAKER_02 43:35

Big tap in the country over there. We want the deluble water. Yeah. Okay. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 43:42

It's an exciting time.

SPEAKER_02 43:43

All in basketball. So till next week when we'll have some answers.

SPEAKER_01 43:49

Have some answers. Hopefully, stories. Alright. Episode 11 in the books. Bye. Bye. Please.