Tradition's Finest Episode 82 - "The smiTT'N like Jason wiTT'N Episode"

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 82 - “The smiTT'N like Jason wiTT'N Episode” includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - NCAA Women's NCAA Tournament Final Four & National Championship Review - Let's begin our review with the NCAA Tournament Women's Final Four - these games took place last Friday, April 4^th in the beautiful city of Tampa, Florida. . .The first semifinal game included a couple of battle-tested No.1 seeds from the Southeastern Conference - HC Dawn Staley & the defending-champion South Carolina Gamecocks, who advanced to the Final Four after defeating the two-seeded Lady Blue Devils from Duke University 54-50 in the Region 2 Final (Elite Eight), which turned out to be a very intensity-driven & physical game, that occurred in Birmingham, AL the prior Sunday; and HC Vic Shaefer & the Texas Longhorns, who advanced to the Women's Final Four after defeating Hailey Van Lith & the two-seeded TCU Horned Frogs 58-47 in the Region 3 Final, that was also played in Birmingham, AL on Monday, March 31st. . .Led by senior guard Te-Hina Paopao & freshman forward Joyce Edwards, who led Dawn Staley's Gamecocks in scoring, with 14 and 13 points, respectively, would go on to dismantle the Texas Longhorns on Friday night, 74-57, to advance to their 4^th National Championship Game - and to keep their hopes alive of becoming NCAAW back-to-back champions for the first time in program history. . .In the second matchup of the Women's Final Four between the No.2 seed UCONN Huskies, led by their legendary HC Geno Auriemma & the No.1 seed UCLA Bruins, who are led by HC Cori Close, who was recently named the Associated Press Women's Basketball Coach of the Year after leading the Lady Bruins to an oustanding 30-2 record this season as well as securing a No.1 seed in the 2025 NCAA Women's College Basketball Tournament — The Lady Huskies advanced to the Women's Final Four after dispatching the Region 4 No.1 seed USC Trojans 78-64 in Spokane, WA - although the Trojans were playing without their All-American guard & reigning 2025 National Player of the Year in Women's College Basketball, JuJu Watkins, who suffered a season-ending ACL injury in the Trojans' second-round victory over the 9-seeded Mississippi State Bulldogs, while the No.1 seed UCLA Bruins advanced to this year's Final Four after defeating the three-seeded LSU Tigers 72-65 in the Region 1 Final in Spokane, WA the prior Saturday evening. . .Led by the Huskies "Big Three," which are composed of freshman forward Sarah Strong and a pair of senior guards in Azzi Fudd & Paige Bueckers - who finished the game scoring a combined total of 57 points & made up 67% of the Huskies team total - would go on to dominate the UCLA Bruins 85-51 on Friday night to advance to their program-leading 13^th national championship game — and would set up the monstrous clash in the NCAAW National Championship Game between the preseason No.1 ranked team & defending champion South Carolina Gamecocks & the preseason No.2 ranked team UCONN Huskies that was to be played on Sunday, April 4^th in Tampa. . .In the NCAA Women's Tournament National Title Game, the No.2 seed UCONN Huskies proved to be way too dominant - both offensively & defensively for the Lady Gamecocks - as UCONN would go on to blow out South Carolina for the 82-59 victory, to win its record 12^th national championship under HC Geno Auriemma - - Guard Azzi Fudd, who was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Women's Final Four, scored 24 points - while fellow senior guard Paige Bueckers finished the game with 17 points, and capped her stellar career by leading the Huskies to the program's first championship since 2016, which ended a nine-year drought for the team - - but she is expected to be the No.1 overall pick in this year's WNBA Draft scheduled to occur on April 14th. . . - NCAA Men's NCAA Tournament Final Four & National Championship Review - In a Men's Final Four made up of four No.1 seeds, the intensity level was maxed out, and things were guaranteed to get "chippy" down the stretch: As so, in the first matchup of the Men's Final Four between two No.1 seeds & SEC Conference foes - the Florida Gators, who completed the incredible comeback against the three-seeded Texas Tech Raiders 84-79 in the West Region Final, to advance to the Men's Final Four, and the Auburn Tigers, who was able to hold off the two-seeded Michigan State Spartans 70-64 in the South Region Final - to reach their second consecutive Men's Final Four under HC Bruce Pearl. . .All-American PG Walter Clayton Jr. would finish the game with 34 points, and would lead the Gators to a 79-73 victory over the top overall seed Tigers last Saturday night, to advance Florida to the NCAA Men's Tournament National Title Game for the first time since their back-to-back titles in 2006 & 2007 - Clayton became the first player with consecutive 30-point games in both the Elite Eight & the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament since Larry Bird for the Indiana State Sycamores in 1979. . .Much like the theme for the past few games, Auburn played very well in the first half & would enter the halftime break with an eight-point lead - but Thomas Haugh & the Gators offense would hit a streak to open the second half on a 13-3 run, while Tigers' Johni Broome, with the injury to his right elbow looming, struggled in this game, finishing with 15 points on 6-for-14 shooting and 7 rebounds - and the first all-SEC Conference matchup in the Final Four would end with PG Walter Clayton Jr. chasing down a loose rebound & tipping it back inbounds to keep the clock running & to secure the win - - The Gators would have a chance on the following Monday night to win the SEC's first national title since Kentucky back in 2012, the only one since the Gators won in back-to-back seasons under HC Billy Donovan. . .In the second matchup of the Men's Final Four between the Duke Blue Devils & the Houston Cougars, the Cougars' stingy defense wiped away a sizeable 14-point deficit over the final eight minutes of the game, to erase star freshman Cooper Flagg & the Blue Devils' dreams of a national title - - Led by PF Joseph Tugler's four crucial blocks, PG L.J. Cryer's team-high 26 points, Houston's relentless defense that held Duke to 37.5% shooting in the second half, and the Cougars ability to hold Duke to one FG over the last 10 ½ minutes - would serve to allow Houston to rally & close the game out on a 9-0 run in the final 33 seconds, and to defeat Duke 70-67 on Saturday night, to advance to their first NCAA Men's National Championship Game since 1984, where they would face off against the Florida Gators. . .In the NCAA Men's Tournament National Title Game, the amoeba-like defense of the Cougars carried over from their previous matchup with Duke - this time, with the sights of the targets pointed directly towards All-American guard Walter Clayton Jr., and for the first time all tournament, Clayton was held scoreless, going 0-for-4 from the field throughout the first half, however, Gators guard Will Richard would capitalize when the team was struggling - and the Gators would head to the locker room trailing Houston 31-28 to close out the first half. . . The Gators, in familar territory, was able to overcome the halftime deficit - which eventually rose to 12 points - marking the 4th comeback out of the six March Madness wins for the Gators. . . In a game where Florida led for a total of 64 seconds (or 1 minute & 4 seconds), it was PG Walter Clayton Jr. that would make an incredible defensive play on Houston's Emanuel Sharp in the final seconds of regulation, that would lift Florida to the program's third national title with the 65-63 victory over the Houston Cougars on Monday night. . .Florida HC Todd Golden, age 39, became the youngest coach to win a national title since NC State's Jim Valvano in 1983. . .Q: In an NCAA Tournament that included a record-setting 14 teams from the SEC, is it really that big of a surprise that one of the fourteen teams would go on to hoist the trophy?. . .On the other hand, you cannot help but feel horrible for HC Kelvin Sampson & the Houston Cougars - who were denied their first-ever championship - but you cannot help but give this team their due: this game was a defensive brawl, and Houston's defense was able to prevent the Gators from cracking 70 points for only the second time all season - Cougars' fans, hold your head up high, you guys WILL be back!. . .Final Note: JD officially knows ball - his final bracket prediction on the ESPN Tournament Challenge app was 94.4% - and he did predict the Florida Gators to hoist the trophy at the end of the Tournament - Miscellaneous - While it is extremely rare for us to make mention or discuss news or storylines associated with other sports outside of the major sports (i.e., baseball, basketball, football, etc.), but every once in awhile, a very noteworthy or once-in-a-lifetime event occurs within one of the secondary sports - and it presents us with an opportunity to expand our discussions on topics outside of our weekly domain and/or broaden the scope to reach areas beyond our typical comfort zone(s) - - and ladies & gentlemen, such an event has occurred. . .NHL: Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin scored goal No. 895 on Sunday evening, passing Hall of Famer (and the NHL's ) Wayne Gretzky, to become the NHL's All-Time Leading Scoring Leader - - Interestingly enough, there is very little to debate, as Ovechkin completed this feat in the 1,487th game of his career, which is the exact same as Gretzky's career total - - Following Ovechkin's record goal in the second period of the Capitals' game versus the New York Islanders, the game came to a standstill as fans & players celebrated the historic moment - the 25-minute ceremony featured a couple video(s): one of which that chronicled Ovechkin's goal-scoring journey, featuring congratulations from NHL legends, such as Jaromir Jagr, Brett Hull, and former Capitals teammates, including center Nicklas Backstrom - and this particular video ended with a clip of his mother, Tatyana - applauding/praising her son for his historic career; and a second video, that featured an eclectic mix of star athletes & celebrities offering high praise to Ovechkin for this historic moment, which included the likes of the following athletes - Michael Jordan & LeBron James (NBA), Derek Jeter (MLB), Michael Phelps & Simone Biles (Team USA/Olympics), Roger Federer (Tennis), Jayden Daniels (NFL), Cody Rhodes (WWE), Sidney Crosby (NHL), and well-known artists/actors, such as: Snoop Dogg, Vince Vaughn & Danny DeVito. . .Q: After matching & then breaking Wayne Gretzky's record for the most goals scored in NHL history, do you consider Alex Ovechkin to be the GOAT of hockey? Or will Wayne Gretzky always be the greatest hockey player to ever play the game? (*Let Us Know What You Think - - Please Feel Free to Share Your Thoughts with us via Twitter/X - @TraditionFinest or Send Us a Message via Email to [email protected]!!). . .PGA: The 2025 PGA Masters Tournament is officially underway in Augusta, GA - - and the BIG question surrounding this year's Tournament is: Can Scottie Scheffler win the event (& another green jacket) a 3^rd time in four years?. . .Q: Is Scottie Scheffler your pick to win this year's Masters Tournament? What is your prediction for Rory McIlroy - will 2025 be the year that the No.1 PGA player in the world breaks through for a win at Augusta?. . . - MLB - First baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Toronto Blue Jays reached an agreement on a 14-year, $500 million contract extension, as reported per ESPN's sources - this extension includes a no-deferral deal, and significantly raises the likelihood that the homegrown star will remain in Toronto for what is likely to be an extensive career. . . - NBA - The NBA announced last Friday that Memphis Grizzlies' star Ja Morant had received a $75,000 fine for "twice making an inappropriate gesture," on the court during a game after previously being warned that the gesture "could be interpreted in a negative light" - - this fine stems from Morant's continued use of the "finger-gun" gesture - first in the team's Tuesday night matchup versus the Golden State Warriors & then in the team's 110-108 victory over the Miami Heat on Thursday night, which ultimately, led to the league-issed fine. . .Fast forward to this past Tuesday night, Morant ditched the "finger-gun" gesture & moved on to a "grenade" celebratory gesture - after draining a 3-pointer to put the Grizzlies up 92-70 versus the Charlotte Hornets, Morant would unveil his latest weaponry celebration by pretending to throw a grenade into the crowd, to which, the Memphis crowd reacted appropriately - which makes you wonder if this was a "pre-planned" occurrence. . .Q: What are your thoughts regarding Ja Morant's antics on the court? What affirmitative action or steps can the league take to prevent players from repeating such gestures? (or more specifically, what action would be suitable and would have the potential to refrain Ja Morant from acting in this particular manner (i.e., an increased monetary fine, suspension, etc.?). . .With just six days remaining in the NBA regular season - and just two years removed from winning the NBA Championship - shock reverberated across the league on Tuesday after it was announced that the Denver Nuggets had fired head coach Michael Malone, and that they would not be extending the contract of GM Calvin Booth - - The Nuggets are currently in 4^th place in the Western Conference playoff race, but after a four-game losing streak, and according to ESPN's Basketball Power Index, the Nuggets have a 46.9% chance of falling into the play-in tournament. . .Quite possibly, the most important topic of discussion after the news broke, concerned the future of Nuggets' All-Star center Nikola Jokic - Q: What do you think - does the firing of Nuggets HC Michael Malone positively or negatively impact Nikola Jokic's decision to remain in Denver?. . . - NFL - After losing out on their primary target to serve as Dak Prescott's backup QB in Dallas, Jacoby Brissett - and allowing last year's backup, Cooper Rush, to sign a two-year deal with the Baltimore Ravens, the Dallas Cowboys have finally ended their pain-staking search for a backup QB to Prescott - as "America's Team" acquired QB Joe Milton III & a 2025 7th-round pick from the New England Patriots in exchange for a 2025 5th-round pick, last Thursday morning. . .Former Atlanta Falcons WR Julio Jones, who is considered to be one of the best players in franchise history, announced his retirement last Friday after playing in the league for 13 seasons - Jones, 36, is a seven-time Pro Bowl selection, a two-time 1^st team All-Pro - and led the NFL in receiving yards (2015 & 2018) & is the Falcons' all-time leader in receptions (848) and receiving yards (12,896) - and he also won a national championship at the University of Alabama under HC Nick Saban. . .After spending most of his career with the Atlanta Falcons, Jones would go on to have short stints with teams such as the Titans, Bucs & Eagles. . .Overall, Jones finished his career with 914 total receptions for 13k+ receiving yards & 66 TDs. . .Next up for Julio? Nothing short of the Hall of Fame. . . - NCAA: News & Storylines - Prior to Tuesday's college baseball doubleheader between Division III programs, Yeshiva University and Lehman College - both schools are located in different areas of New York - the two programs had lost a combined 141 games in a row - but this astounding losing streak finally came to an abrupt end on Tuesday for both programs - - The Lehman Lightning & the Yeshiva Maccabees would go on to split the doubleheader, with Lehman winning the opening (or first) game in extra innings with a final score of 7 to 6, while Yeshiva, who was riding a 100-game losing streak, defeated Lehman in the second game by a score of 9 to 5. . .Prior to each team's victory on Tuesday, Yeshiva had not won a single game since February 2022, while Lehman's last win occurred in May 2023, when they defeated Baruch College 7-4. . . - NCAA College Basketball - Shoutout to last week's "Episode Athlete," Terrell "T.O." Owens alma mater - as the Chattanooga Mocs became the first Southern Conference team to win an NIT tournament title. . .Mocs' Collin Mulholland scored 19 points & knocked down five three-pointers while Garrison Keeslar sank a go-ahead jumper from the FT line with 11 seconds remaining in OT as Chattanooga would hang on to defeat UC Irvine 85-84 last Thursday night in the NIT Tournament Championship game. . .Chattanooga, with a 29-9 overall record, tied a program record for the most victories in a single season after winning 17 of it's last 18 games to capture the program's first postseason title. . .In what should not be considered earth-shattering or even remotely shocking news, it was reported on Sunday afternoon that Duke Blue Devils star freshman phenom, Cooper Flagg, was named the Naismith Men's College Basketball Player of the Year - and he also was named the AP College Basketball Player of the Year Award winner. . .Former Samford University head basketball coach Bucky McMillian was officially introduced as the Texas A&M Aggies head basketball coach on Monday afternoon - - McMillian, a Birmingham, AL native, previously coached at Mountain Brook High School, and led the program to five state titles at the 7A level, the state's highest high school classification - and would go on to lead the Samford Bulldogs to more wins in the Southern Conference than any other program over the past four years - and finished with an overall record of 99-52 over his five seasons at the helm for Samford, even leading the Bulldogs to a berth in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. . .On Wednesday afternoon, it was announced that Texas Tech All-American JT Toppin would be returning for the Red Raiders next season, per On3 Sports - and it was also revealed that Toppin is expected to make around $4 million in NIL next season at Texas Tech. . .