When ESPN premiered their latest installment of their ’30 For 30’ series with ‘The Fab Five’, we learned how the heated rivalry between Duke and Michigan started and why they hated Duke.  They thought Grant Hill and Christian Laettner, along with the rest of the Blue Devils, were soft, but they soon learned that wasn’t the case.  They were excellent hard-nosed basketball players, knew how to play as a team, and valued an education.  The Fab Five respected Duke as a whole, but they had a special distaste for the Blue Devils’ star big man Christian Laettner.

Christian Laettner joined XX Sports Radio in San Diego to talk about what he thought about the ‘Fab Five’ documentary and what was said about him, if he can grasp why the Fab Five hated him so much, and the notion that he must appreciate the hatred the Fab Five displayed towards him.

What he thought about the ‘Fab Five’ documentary and what was said about him:

“Well I did not see it.  I did not watch it because I was busy that night but I heard all about it and I saw Grant’s reply.  I thought Grant’s reply was just perfect.  I just joked with him and said, ‘Whoever wrote that for you did a real good job.’  You said, ‘Stick it where the sun don’t shine.’  He and I are always going back and forth.  We had a lot of fun goofing around.  He is amazing, he is still playing at the age he is, he is 38 now or something, on that Phoenix Suns team that is run, run, run all day long.  He is doing really well.  I am very proud of him.”

If he can grasp why the Fab Five hated him so much:

“I definitely understand and I can see where they are coming from and, you know, two things: Duke recruits the crème de la crème of any color you are.  Anywhere in the world they are going to get a look at the best players because people want to play for Duke and for Coach K.  So that, it does not matter where you are from, they are going to come.  If they think you can do the basketball and the schoolwork, they are going to come get you, and then you just either say, yes or no, no big deal.  Now, the second thing is, you know the Fab Five were young and I think if they got older and if they matured and stayed in college to their senior year, they would learn things like, if you disrespect your opponent and if you underestimate your opponent, you are just setting yourself up for failure, and Coach K did a great job of instilling that in us when we were at Duke and he never allowed us to disrespect our opponent, he never allowed us to underestimate them, and when you do it, it allows you to play your best because you are on point, you are very focused, you know you can’t goof around at all.  You have to play great because you respect the other team and you respect the other players.  I think they would have done that as they got older and I know they did it as they got older and I ran across them in the NBA, like I said before, Jalen Rose and Juwan Howard and Chris Webber, they were always respectful enough to me where we had no problems between us.  They were always cool with me and I did not play with any one of them on a team so we never got close but you could see as they got older the respect was there, so I appreciated that.”

On the notion that he must appreciate the hatred the Fab Five displayed towards him:

“I heard you guys talking a little before I came on and, you know, when you are trying to kill people and beat people every time you see them and when you are trying to get to the Final Four every year like I was trying to do, and we were able to pull it off, I hit a lucky shot against UConn when I was a sophomore, I hit a really lucky shot against Kentucky when I was a senior, so when you are having those high expectations and when you are playing your hardest every night you are trying to kill the other team, you don’t expect them to love you…  They have to eventually respect you.  Everyone has a chip on their shoulder, I mean everyone who is a great player has a chip on there when they step on the court.  So, yeah, you are not going to like each other.”

Whether he went into their first game against Michigan in ’92 thinking they have to show these young players how to play basketball:

“Well like I said, Coach K is an amazing coach and he got at us every second of the way and he would never let us think stuff like that.  He would make us think, these guys are good, they can beat you and will beat you if you are not on top of your game, so let’s practice and be ready to have a hell of a fight and hopefully we will end up on top.  Sure, did everyone know they were brash and, that may be the farthest we would go with it, you know, they are cocky, they are young, and they are brash.  Big deal, let’s go out there and beat them.”

Christian Laettner on XX Sports Radio in SD with Scott and BR

Right now, his job is safe and he can thank Denard Robinson for that. The one thing that Rich Rod needs more so than anything else to run his spread offense is a dual-threat quarterback like he had with Pat White at West Virginia. It’s safe to say, he has found his man and it is not the guy that led the offense last year. Denard Robinson has captured the nation’s attention with his electrifying runs, his improved passing, and has led Michigan back into the top 25 and a 4-0 start to the season. As the Wolverines head into Big Ten play, the skeptics will say that Robinson’s style won’t work in the Big Ten and Michigan will once again miss out on a bowl bid like they did last year. However, nobody expected Michigan to be 4-0 right now and Denard Robinson is a completely different quarterback. “Shoelace” has been the best player in America in the first four games of the college football season, is the Heisman Trophy front-runner and the last time Rodriguez had a quarterback this good, he led his program to three straight bowl victories, including the Fiesta Bowl in 2007.

Rich Rodriguez joined 1070 the Fan in Indy with Dan Dakich to talk about whether or not Denard Robinson is expected to play this weekend against Indiana, whether or not he is surprised by the success that Robinson has had so far this year, moving past everything that happened at West Virginia, and talks about the differences from last year’s team and this year’s team.

On whether or not Denard Robinson will play this weekend:

“Yeah he’s good to go. He actually practiced yesterday.”

On whether or not he’s surprised by Robinson’s success so far:

“Not really. He’s a first time starter so anytime a young guy goes in there you’re always a little bit nervous, but he had such an outstanding spring and then a really good camp. The nice about it is he’s executing the offense, but he’s taking care of the ball really well and making great decisions for a first time starter.”

On moving past everything that happened at West Virginia:

“We’ve had a lot of stuff happen the last couple of years and it’s been difficult. It started the moment we left West Virginia and all the controversy with that. We just tried to shield ourself from the external things. There’s sometimes I wish I woulda stood up and said this is what’s really going on. Instead of trying to answer everything, we just tried to press forward and surround ourselves with the right people and get this program where everyone wants it. It’s been a slow process, but we certainly think we’re on the way.”

On the differences between this year’s team and last year’s team:

“I think because it’s our third year, they’re in tune a little bit more with what our expectations are, how we go about our business, and practice in meetings and all that. Certainly we think we’re a little more experience offensively. Our quarterbacks were playing last year as true freshmen and now they’re second year players and more experienced up front. Defensively we’re not. We’re less experienced, but sometimes a young guy will get out there, run around, play, and we expect them to get better as the season goes along.”

On whether or not he is informing his team about how tough it will be on the road this weekend in Big Ten play:

“Oh sure I do. Our guys understand in the Big Ten and especially on the road. Every game on the road and at home, but especially on the road is going to be a challenge. Not going to be a lot of folks for ya, they’re going to want you to do poorly, make a lot of noise and distract ya, and so we talked about it quite a bit and we will work on it all during the week. You worry about it with some of the younger guys, but Denard even though he’s a second year player, he has played in some hostile environments, played in some as a freshman, and our guys, we’re gonna have to rely on that experience to get through this one.”

Listen to Rich Rodriguez on 1070 the Fan in Indy here

To date, just two seasons into his career, it hasn’t worked. Michigan is 8-16 under Rodriguez. 2010 will be a crucial year for the program, as Rodriguez spent his first two seasons focused on getting the players he needs to win. Now, he will need to do that.

With a pending NCAA investigation into practice habits, a clear divide among alumni supporters and a spotlight infinitely bigger than the one shining on him when he once had Pac-Man Jones and Chris Henry on the same team, coaching football isn’t necessarily Rodriguez’s only concern as we enter Spring practice. But it is all he wants to talk about.

Rich Rodriguez joined WDFN in Detroit to discuss Spring practice, early enrollment by freshman, turning around the program, the importance of competition, and his incoming recruiting class.

On what he’s looking for in Spring practice:

“We gave our players five kind of main goals. One of them is to improve their fundamentals and learn their positions. The other one as for the players is to prove that they can win – that we can win with them playing. At that’s very important for our young guys. There are guys who red-shirted or who were injured so this is a very important Spring for them.”

On the advantage to freshman to enroll early:

“It’s certainly going to be beneficial to them – not only from what they are going to do in Spring practice, but to have them have six or seven more weeks in our strength and conditioning program. It helps them make some advances. But they are going to learn so much in these 15 practices. We tell them that it’s a bonus to play here. We don’t expect them to be ready to play or start after Spring practices, but at the same time it is a great proving ground for them. I don’t put too much on them because we have to remember that they are still true freshman and are supposed to be in high school right now. We’re excited that they are here and that they are going to have a few practices to show themselves this Spring.

On what it takes to win after disappointing first seasons:

“We think about it every day. I know our fans do as well. I’m obsessed. I think our staff and our players are obsessed with it too. We know the last two seasons have not gone the way that anyone would like. At the same time, we have made some progress and put the foundation down. Now we are ready to start get going with more wins. It’s important to us to understand the process we are going to go through. I don’t want the players to have a certain number of wins in mind. I want them to go through the winning process of how they prepare every day and how they do the things each and every day to make themselves successful. As coaches we got to give them the tools to do that. I think we have and I think the better times are coming because the guys are growing up and understanding that process.”

On the importance of competition to the improvement of the defense:

“Offensively last year we made some steps because we had some competition. Defensively we did not make as many steps. But we are going to have more competition and I think we can play at a higher level defensively this fall because we are going to have more numbers there – more scholarship numbers. We are going to be young. Some of those freshman and sophomores are going to have to play and play at a high level for us. But we are going to have some bodies there that are competing and I think our guys are anxious to prove themselves.”

And on the incoming, highly-ranked recruiting class:

“We think we met our needs. As I mentioned before, we had some needs defensively at all three levels – line, linebacker and secondary – and we think we met our needs. The other part we were looking for is to have guys that are athletic and competitive. I think that’s important for us to have those guys who can play multiple positions, but are so competitive that they will do whatever we ask them to do at whatever position. The guys, especially the defensive guys that we brought in, are guys that can play multiple positions. As they learn in the program and learn the system, as coaches we need to teach them multiple positions. That way our depth is better. And I think that’s going to be the case.”

Listen to Rich Rodriguez on WDFN in Detroit.

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The hypocritical nature of college athletics is that coaches expect loyalty and honesty from their players, but rarely give it in return.  Four months after renegotiating a new contract with WVU (spurned on by rumors of him accepting the Alabama job), Rich Rod left for Michigan.  The departure gave new meaning to the word ugly with lawsuits and Mayor Robert Riggs ordering two signs tbe taken down that proclaim Grant Town as the “Home of WVU Head Football Coach Rich Rodriguez”.

Rich Rod is no longer welcome in his home state and may not be welcome in the state of Michigan for much longer.  In his first season, the Wolverines finished 3-9 and failed to make a bowl game for the first time in 33 years. Earlier this week, allegations came out from former and anonymous players of the Michigan team practicing well beyond the allotted time.  Rich Rod denied these in a tearful press conference

Rodriguez joined WDFN in Detroit to talk about the allegations and what the past 48 hours have been like for him.

On the difficulty of these allegations:

“This is not something that anybody wants to go through and obviously it completely blindsided me.  I was emotional and I’ll stay emotional Matt because we care very deeply and I always have in the 25 years of coaching about the young men I work with.  I take great pride in that and that’s at the very essence and the core of  what we believe in coaching-wise.

Are you still having fun?

“You know what I love the most?  Is being that time on the field with our players and obviously spending some time with our coaches and watching with film, which is what we’re doing now, we’re watching film in the mornings, and in the afternoons, spending time with our players out on the practice field.  That’s the best time for me of the entire day.  Then, evening back meeting with the coaches, watching more film with the staff, those are the times that you enjoy the most, ’cause it is, it’s all football, it’s always the people that you enjoy being around.”

Will these allegations affect your ability to recruit players?

“Well, I’m sure in recruiting there’s always some negative recruiting that always goes on.  We faced a little bit of it last year because of the record, and some before that because of the West Virginia situation, but I think if you have enough credibility amongst your current players and with your past and your history and so many of those former players, there are guys that have played for me that are now in the NFL that have contacted me in the last couple days, voicing their support.  It shows you that really what kind of people you are and the kind of people you have on your staff.  So, we feel very good about that and we can work on any issues that potential recruitment have.”

How are the players taking this?

“Everybody wants to talk about our players, a lot of our players were upset yesterday – I don’t wanna say today – they were upset because they were like coach, ‘We’re working hard, we’re doing all we can, and we’re focused, and we’re hungry.’  And, I said, ‘I know it.’  I felt bad for them because they are focused, and hungry, and excited for game week, and that’s why we’re moving forward and we had a great practice yesterday and I expect another one today.”

Listen to Rich Rodriguez on WDFN in Detroit with Matt Shepard

It didn’t take long before Michigan faithful started to question the hire of Rich Rodriguez. It took 91 days before his first loss to Ohio State when Terrelle Pryor spurned Michigan for the hated Buckeyes. Rich Rodriguez has no clue what he is doing at Michigan. Is he really going to play three quarterbacks in a game? Doesn’t he know that would never work? Well I do know one thing about Rich Rod; is that he doesn’t give a crap about what other people think. Who knows, maybe he might surprise us all and turn the Big Blue around.

Rich Rodriguez joined The Dan Patrick Showto talk about the QB controversy, about Terrell Pryor going to Ohio State, trying to keep guys focused on Western Michigan before they play Notre Dame, and if he has gone back to West Virginia since resigning.

Playing 3 quarterbacks doesn’t work. You want to have just one guy.

“A lot of folks you like to say that somebody is so good that they separate themselves and you can do everything you want in that offense with that one guy and that’s a perfect situation but if it’s not that then what’s the alternative? And for us it’s maybe using different packages and what they can do. I would be a little nervous about it because you know they need quality reps in practice. Well the way we structure our practice, we’ve gotten all of those guys a lot of quality reps and we get a lot of plays in practice. The two freshman you worry about because they haven’t played at all but uh we’ll try to play it out. We won’t know exactly for sure how we are going to play it out”

Not getting Terrelle Pryor, how much did that hurt you or set you back?

“Well I think you know in recruiting you always wish you get em all.  Everybody that you wanted, but in reality is you never get them all most of the time and you just kind of adjust accordingly and Terrelle’s doing very well at Ohio State and he is a great athlete. But even after that didn’t happen, we thought oh ok we will get some in the next class and we feel good about the guys that we got in this class. Very, very good at them in fact and we feel good about the guys that we are going to get in the future so you adjust accordingly. There should never be one guy that makes or breaks an entire program even thought at the QB position and any coach will tell you that is the key guy in any offense let alone the spread. And we were forced in the West Virginia not to only have Pat as you mentioned who was one of the greatest that I think ever played. Even before him Rasheed Marshall who was a great player so I think we got those those type of abilities in the guys we got and the guys that we can recruit.”

How do you keep the players focused on Western Michigan when you play Notre Dame the next week?

“Well you know I think our guys are that way. I think you have to appeal to their competitiveness and that what your program should be all about. Just like last year, the Utah game I thought our guys were really focused on that game and we didn’t win but wind up turned out Utah was pretty good. You know we lost by a couple points there and it wasn’t like you got back geez our guys are looking ahead there and uh I think our guys are completely focused on Western Michigan and I think you understand, I’ve said this for years for years that in college football division IA and I still call it division 1A. You know we are the only thing that every game regular season has so much importance. We don’t have a playoff so our playoffs begin with the first game.”

Have you been back to West Virginia?

“I have been back a few times uh my wife and kids have more times working on the house and we’re trying to sell that but I’ve been back I’ve got back twice this summer and saw the family and able to see some folks. Everybody has been really nice. I know there were a lot of hard feelings and a lot of things said you know when we first left. It’s a wonderful state and people and I have a whole lot of friends still there.”

Listen to Rich Rodriguez on the Dan Patrick Show

The Final Four is taking place in the state of Michigan this year but for many their best college basketball memory of that state, and possibly ever, is the Wolverines’ Fab Five.  A very unique squad when it comes to college sports – five freshmen taking a team to the NCAA Final – we’re not talking division II here.  As the Head Coach of that team (Steve Fisher) mentions, this is not a feat which will be duplicated in today’s college game.  People love the NCAA because of its innocence and hard-working kids, well, this is the ultimate of those emotions.  Five fresh faced boys right out of high school, taking the country on a ride.  Even as a young person myself in 1991, I could feel the societal backing the Wolverines had.  They also had a cultural impact as many people attribute long hoops shorts and black hoop sneaks and socks to the Fab Five. 

Coach Steve Fisher joins Brandon & Woolvey on WQXI The Zoneto talk about his best memories, the naysayers, and an incredible story regarding John Wooden and Chris Webber after C-Webb’s famous timeout.

One thing that’s often overlooked about that group is they returned to the Final

On the uniqueness of that team:

“In today’s world, five freshmen can’t start anywhere in the country, and if you have them starting you can’t win.  And, we did both.  They started, we got to the national championship game as freshmen, and I think that set them apart from any recruiting class in history.  No, we didn’t win the national championship, but they will be long remembered for a whole lot of things.  For me, the most important thing, the winning and the way they won, and the fact that they were so good, so young together.”

On why people thought they wouldn’t succeed:

“If you go back and read some the things that were written when the class was signed, it’s ‘Well, they don’t have everything lined up… they got Webber and (Juwan) Howard, they both play the same position… you have no point guard’.  Jalen Rose was a back to the basket four or five man in high school and he never played with the ball in his hands and he’s 6’8″.  So, all of a sudden though, it happened.”

Steve Fisher on the big three, John Wooden talking to Chris Webber after the timeout call, and the full interview after the break.

On what each of the big three brought to the table:

“Everybody knew how good Webber was, and the first practice, you say: ‘This is the best player we got talent-wise.’  Juwan willed his way in to the lineup; we had three starters back including Eric Riley who went to play in the NBA for a while, and Juwan just willed his way in to the starting lineup.  And, Jalen, once we started, it didn’t take me long to say, ‘The smartest guy we’ve got.  Give him the ball and good things will happen with it.”

On what John Wooden did for Chris Webber after the traumatic timeout:

“We were scheduled two days later to go to Los Angeles for The Wooden Awards – Chris was a finalist, he knew that he didn’t win.  Afterward, he says, ‘Coach, I’m not going. I can’t go. I cannot go.’  I said: ‘You have to go.  You made a commitment.  I made a commitment.  You’re going.’  ‘I’m not going.’  Between his dad and myself, we got him to go.  We got there and Coach John Wooden, when he saw Chris, he said ‘Steve, can I talk to Chris for a few minutes?’  Brought him back in the back room, and for about 30 minutes he had a 1-on-1 with Webber and afterward Chris came out with a smile like it was Christmas and said ‘Coach, thank you, this was the highlight of my college career, what coach Wooden said to me.’  And, it was so unsolicited, so coach Wooden, to know the timing was perfect for him to talk to Chris.”

Listen to Steve Fisher on WQXI 790 The Zone

Reason why #1 seed doesn’t make it to the Final Four:   If Ty Lawson isn’t close to a 100%, North Carolina is very beatable.  Roy Williams should rest him for at least the first game against Radford. 

Best bet in the first round:   Butler + 2 1/2 over LSU

Player I’m most looking forward to playing in the NBA:  Johnny Flynn.  I’m biased as a Syracuse grad, but I think he’s the best point guard in the country.  Deceptively strong with a better jumper than most point guards.  I hope he stays another year, but I doubt it.

Prediction for this bracket:  North Carolina, they’re just too deep.  However, if Lawson is still hobbled, I’ll go with Syracuse.  Sleeper pick would be Gonzaga.

Listen to North Carolina (#1) Head Coach Roy Williams on The Dan Patrick Show

Listen to Oklahoma (#2) Head Coach Jeff Capel on ESPN Radio with Tirico & Van Pelt

Listen to Syracuse (#3) Head Coach Jim Boeheim on KLAC with Chris Myers and Steve Hartman

Listen to Gonzaga (#4) Head Coach Mark Few on KTAR in Phoenix with Gambo & Ash

Listen to Illinois (#5) Head Coach Bruce Webber on WSCR in Chicago

Listen to Arizona State (#6) Head Coach Herb Sendek on KTAR in Phoenix with Doug & Wolf

Listen to Butler (#9) Head Coach Brad Stevens on 1070 the Fan in Indy with Bob Kravitz and Eddie White

Listen to Michigan (#10) Head Coach John Beilein on WTKA in Ann Arbor

Listen to Temple (#11) Head Coach Fran Dunphy on WIP in Philadelphia with Howard Eskin

Listen here to Western Kentucky (#12) Head Coach Ken McDonald on KTAR in Phoenix with Gambo & Ash

Listen here to Akron (#13 South) Head Coach Keith Dambrot on ESPN Radio Cleveland

Listen here to Stephen F. Austin (#14) Head Coach Danny Kaspar on ESPN Radio Syracuse

Listen to Morgan State (#15) Head Coach Todd Bozeman on WNST in Baltimore with Drew Forrester

Listen here to Radford (#16) head coach Brad Greenberg on KJR in Seattle