Mondays With Matt Presented By Middleton Ford - Monday January 15th

None

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
One A one point five I'm ay afm Madison's Classic Rock Stakes on this
back to Work Monday. Also aMondays with Matt, A Monday with Matt,
presented by Middleton Ford, the voiceof the Badgers, Matt Lapey.
He's with us, Matt. Soare you, sir doing good? Ben?
How are you doing great today?Little cold, which I think we
all are across southern Wisconsin, butit is winter. Anyways, I want

(00:23):
to go back to Saturday. Whata win it was for the Badgers.
They're sixth in a row. Theyheld off Northwestern seventy one to sixty three
at the Cole Center behind a careerhigh twenty four points for Max Klesman.
Aj Store also threw into fourteen,So we know how well the Badgers did
offensively, but they also did verywell on the other end of the court.
They held Northwestern to just a fortytwo percent shooting percentage as well.

(00:46):
So let's kind of talk about thisteam playing a complete game against Northwestern.
Maybe yeah, they well, yesand no, I mean they were turnover
prone in the first half. Wisconsinwas uncharacteristically so, but in the second
half, the Badgers reially clean thatup. The only returnovers in the second
half. And yeah, the defensiveefforts, specifically on one of Northwestern's better

(01:07):
players, are more improved shooters froma year ago, Ty Berry, and
that was you know, Max Klesmanhad a lot to do with that,
with some help, of course,but he only hit one three in Northwestern.
It has been a good three pointshooting team, but it wasn't on
Saturday. It was six for twentyone. So the fact that Wisconsin again
was able to close out the game, there's this narrative right now, Ben

(01:29):
that the Badgers haven't played in anyclose games, and that is an inaccurate
narrative. They the final score sometimescan be deceiving. This game was tied
with a little more than two minutesleft and Wisconsin scored the final eight points.
The game at Ohio State last week, it was a four point game
late, but Wisconsin scored the finalseven to end up winning by eleven.

(01:52):
They've had another game or two muchlike that. Their ability to close games
out has been really impressive so farthis season, and they were able to
do that again on Saturday against Northwestern. Yeah, I was going to ask
you about that and the strength ofthis team, so far, at least
a quarter of the way through BigTen play has been being able to close
teams out. And that's all Imean, as you go through league play,

(02:14):
you want to build toward March,and these are really good things to
see from this Badge routine. Itis. I mean, there's obviously the
you know, the cliche alert here, there's a long way to go in
the year. But the fact thatyou know, I starting with Chucky,
hepburn before the first game of theseason, and you know that Wisconsin the
last two years has had these downto the wire games. Two years ago

(02:35):
they had this remarkable record in gamesdecided by five points or fewer. Last
year they still won more than theylost, but it just didn't feel that
way because there were there were gamesthat got away, and you know,
last year they would get sizeable leadsand they would evaporated. Wis constant would
go in these long scoring droughts.And that's one of the things that Chucky
would been talking about him before gameone. He says, you gotta got

(02:58):
eliminate that. It's a goal thisseason and is in essence to avoid the
drama. And they've you know,you're gonna have close games in college basketball
and in the Big Ten, butthe ability just to be able to finish
games out if it's you know,if it's Hepburn doing what he needs to
do, or if it's aj Storemaking big shots. Obviously Klesman, they
can hit you in a lot ofdifferent ways. And it's been really it's

(03:22):
been encouraging. The depth, theimproved offensive capability of this team. It's
one of the most efficient offenses inthe country right now. Yes, they're
they're likely will be hiccups because everybodyin college basketball is dealing with it.
But the fact that in a weeklast week where so many highly ranked teams
got beat, for Wisconsin to comeout of the week unscathed, you check

(03:46):
the box and now we'll see whathappens this week. Yeah, Badger's now
thirteen and three, five and zeroin league play, the only undefeated team
in Big in the Big Ten conferenceplay as well. Talking with the voice
of the Badgers, Matt Lapey,mondays with Matt sent by Middleton Ford and
you mentioned it, Matt, thereis a long way to go yet in
this season. But how good canthis team be? How good are they?

(04:08):
Maybe right now? This I meanthis Badger team isn't getting a lot
of talk nationally. If that kindof talk matters to people, yeah,
I mean, well it gives peoplesomething to be angry about here, but
I'm not really it doesn't really matter, no, because I think you know,
the people who matter the most areaware of what this team is doing.
And it's all the if. It'sthe Ken Palm ratings, the net

(04:30):
rankings, all of that. It'sreal and even you know the AP they're
they're considered one of the better teamsin the country right now. But there's
such parody in college basketball, notunlike the NFL these days. You know,
there's a ten and eight team that'sstill going right now and people are
pretty excited about it. They're tenand eight, So with Wisconsin or even
you look last year, the teamsthat got to the Final four this time

(04:55):
last year probably weren't all that widelytalked about. You know, at San
Diego State, fau Yukon was strugglingthere for a little bit of time.
But right now they are playing extremelywell. They probably they hit seven or
fourteen from three the other day.They've been a little up and down with
their three point shooting. They probablywould like to be more consistent there.

(05:18):
Talking with great Guard last week,he's seen better things defensively, and you
would expect him to also add thatthey still can get better, and I
think that makes them sense. Soyeah, I don't think they're a finished
product by any stretch, but they'reon a pretty good path right now.

(05:38):
Sitting here with a five and ohBig ten record and thirteen and three overall.
That's pretty good. Yeah, itis very good. Tomorrow night,
Badgers in Happy Valleys to take onpenn Stints. Matt's a little preview of
the Nitney lines with the Badgers havingstore from them tomorrow night. New coach
Mike Rhodes, Pennsylvania native. Hewas at BCU for the last six years

(05:59):
and had a really good team lastyear won won the championship regular season and
in their conference tournament. They're they'refinding their way. They've got a lot
of newcomers, ten newcomers, onlythree returning scholarship players. They they ran
into a bus saft on this pastweekend at Purdue, pretty was coming off
a loss. They go to macArena and Penn State gets pretty much run

(06:23):
out of the gym. But they'vehad some comeback wins they double digits down
to beat Michigan, eighteen down inthe second half to beat Ohio State.
So they've got some guys who canwho can hurt you. Kanye Clary is
is an eighteen pointed game guy.He can look at an unorthodox with some
of his shots, but one ofthe better players who is in the under
six foot club in all of collegebasketball. He's five eleven, one ninety

(06:46):
five, but he's he's tough andhe can make some big shots. Acet
Baldwin, who came with Rhodes fromVCU, is a is a terrific assist
guy about five a game, butyou'll get a lot of steals. They
played differently, which which is probablywhat the Big Ten needs, because this
team will will press you, they'lltrap you, a little run and jump
things that they do defensively. It'sthe Big Ten. One of the criticisms

(07:11):
it gets is that the teams arenot all that different. Penn State brings
a little something different to the party. So I think for the league overall,
it's good and it'll be a youknow, probably a pretty good test
for Wisconsin on Tuesday night, andprobably not a big crowd for a nine
o'clock Eastern time game. Yeah,in State College, so it'll be you
know, bring your own energy forWisconsin. But you know they're sitting there

(07:34):
five and oh, so I don'tthink that'll be a problem. Wisconsin Penn
State Tomorrow night. Our coverage startsat seven, tip off set for eights
here on I FM. So aswe transition away from benjer Hoops Matts.
So I want to get your thoughtsin the Packers win it was yesterday.
I think one or two things thatreally surprised me was the defense what Joe
Berry and that's the side of theball, was able to do, but

(07:57):
also just the maturity of Jordan Lovedand what we saw yesterday. Not only
you know, throwing off a onefoot which either can be really good or
really bad. It's kind of ahabit he picked up from Aaron Rodgers,
but also just the different arm angleshe was able to make passes from last
night. Yeah, trying to thinkof the last time he made a really
bad decision. Can you think ofit? No, I mean it's been

(08:18):
a while. I mean he justreally he's just been you know, he
doesn't complete every pass, but hecompletes the overwhelming majority, and he doesn't
throw it to the other guy.That's been There's a calmness about him that
is really really impressive. Only heknows how he feels inside, but outside,
he just has this calm demeanor thatin obviously a very high skill set.

(08:43):
It's been it's been something to watch. I mean, it really has
been in a season where you know, with all the injuries on that quarterback
play, it hasn't exactly been atits best in the NFL this year.
You know, this guy can betalked about right now is one of the
best in the league the way he'sgoing. And and yeah, definitely credits
in this team because when you youknow, they needed to win the three

(09:03):
games down the stretch, they gotby a bad Carolina team, They beat
a Vikings team with no real quarterback, you know that that's established in this
league, and beat a Bears teamthat was playing pretty well. But you
got to Dallas, where you know, it's been a couple of years since
they lost the home game, andthat was another game where the final score
was deceiving, even at sixteen points, because they vot raced them. I

(09:26):
mean then they then they pulled backa little bit. So it's not good
for them, you know, theirreward is to go to play the forty
nine ers. But the way they'replaying right now, this is where you
know, as I said a coupleof nuks ago, they're ten and eight,
But I don't know if anybody's ina big hurry to play the Green
Bay Packers right now because for aten and eight team, you know,
they're they're playing much more like afourteen win team right now the way,

(09:50):
and I think they're probably too youngto know better. Yeah, sometimes youth
can be an advantage to them.So they've you know, you've got to
tip your cap to them because theyit would appear to be, at least
in the outside looking in, Ihad a schedule given the turnover that they
had, especially at the most importantposition in the game. Yeah, we'll
see what happens this upcoming weekend Packersand forty nine Ers. Last question for

(10:13):
you, Matt, before I letyou go. So many coaching changes,
not only in college football but theNFL of course as well. And one
of the most historic college coaches ofall time, Nick Samon, announced his
retirement last week. So do youhave a Nick Sabin memory. I know
he was in at this conference theBig Ten for a short amount of time
with Michigan State. But did youever meet him, have you ever had

(10:33):
any interaction with him? Yeah?Yeah, I did Big Ten media days
several years ago when he was inMichigan State. Is probably back in the
Ron Danier. I mean, MichiganState had some really good run defenses and
there was a year where Dane justran over them. But before the season,
I remember sitting down with him andjust asking him about, you know,

(10:54):
philosophically, what do you try todo? I guess the guy like
a guy like Ron, and hiswhole thing was you got to get to
him before he really gets any kindof head of steam going. You got
to try to pressure Crash into thebackfield because if he gets, if he
gets a couple of strides beyond theline of scrim as, you're in a
world, it hurts. And itwas it was actually a pretty It was
a it was a fun It wasa fun conversation, you know, because

(11:16):
I think with him the thing thatmost people and this is like one or
two interactions I ever had with him, But if you just get right down
to business with him and talk ball, he's good and you ask him you
know you kind of pick his brainabout about the game. He was actually
very cordial and good. I knowhe's had you know, many of those
famous news conferences where sideline interviews wherehe rants, but he was really Now,

(11:39):
this was the big time media day. So it was July. You
know, Heson hasn't hadn't started yet. But yeah, you're talking about what,
you know, arguably the best toever do it, what he did
at Alabama. You know, wona title at LSU. It was one
of those guys that that handled pressurecooker jobs and and turned it into just

(12:01):
a remarkable's closest thing you'll find itwith dynasty now in in in sports.
So it's been a weird, prettyhectic week. Pete Carroll, Dick Saban,
Bill Belichick, at least for themoment. Uh So it's uh but
you got to tip your cap towhat Saban did at Alabama and best of
luck to uh to the new headcoach down there, because that is a

(12:22):
rather tough act to follow. Yes, so they will be at Camp Arrandeles
Stadium this coming fall, and youbrought up Pete Carroll there. Matt,
I want his energy at his agewhen I get there, someday. What
about you. Yeah, it's prettyuh, pretty amazing. It's uh,
you know, living living right.I guess I always had that and you
wondered, you know that USC obviouslyhe had it and what he was able

(12:46):
to do in that run with theSeattle Seahawks, so uh yeah, that's
uh. It's fun to watch peoplewho enjoy what they're doing. And and
with Pete Carroll, he always hadthe sense that he enjoyed it. So
be interesting to see what the headfor him and for uh and for Belichick.
You know, Saban sounds like he'sdone done. Maybe we'll see him

(13:07):
working for one of the networks withcollege football moving forward here. But you
just get the sense that maybe thestory isn't completely written for a couple of
these other iconic coaches. All right, that is the voice of the Badgers.
Matt Lefe. His time with ustoday was presented by Middleton Ford.
Matt, Thank you, sir,Save travels out to Penn State tomorrow night.

(13:28):
All right, Ben, take careof thanks. Yes you can hear
that game tomorrow night Wisconsin and PennState right here on I b a FM.
Our cover starts at seven tip offsaid for eights and if you missed
any parts of our conversation today,find that shortly at w y B a
fm dot com.