Ep. 43: Gaucho Fever (Featuring Josh Elliott): UC Santa Barbara March Madness Special

Pass It Down

Featured guest Josh Elliott tells Mike, Natalie and her younger brothers--UCSB students Greg and Robbie--how he ended up playing water polo at the school in the ‘90s and why the former Good Morning America personality still feels so connected to his alma mater. With the Gauchos set to take on Creighton in a first-round game on Saturday, Josh recalls the talented UCSB team from his freshman year that defeated future national champion UNLV in the regular season and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Greg describes calling the JaQuori McLaughlin buzzer beater in a packed Thunderdome in March of 2020 just before the shelter-in-place order was instituted, and how the pandemic has impacted college life in the year that followed. Josh weighs in on Creighton head coach Doug McDermott’s “plantation speech” and paints a hopeful picture of the Gauchos’ prospects for the first round and beyond. Eyebrow-raising stories featuring UCSB alums and accomplished actors Michael Douglas and Gwyneth Paltrow, and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, should have Isla Vista popping before tipoff.