← Eye On College Basketball
Eye On College Basketball
B1G drama won’t cease; Duke injuries🤕; UConn/Florida flip the 1-line, Hurley ejected/fined; 31-0 Miami; an AWFUL weekend for the bubble; auto-bid SZN here🕺🏻
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- [00:00]
Gary Parrish
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- [02:02]
Matt Norlander
Hey there. I am Gary Parish. Welcome back CBS Sports. I own college basketball podcast where we sometimes discuss camel fighting. Dodo birds. Leaky Black Matt Norlander is here with me. That's his neck. If you're watching live on YouTube, we got.
- [02:16]
Gary Parrish
We're talking camel fighting before we get out of this show. If you want, I have a camel fighting sticker and for the life of me it's. It's been on the desk forever. Yeah, keep it going Campbell. Camels still alive in the postseason. We'll get there.
- [02:28]
Matt Norlander
They're fighting. They're fighting like camels. They're fighting like camels were built to fight. If you watch it on YouTube, honor Brandon Davies. Smash that like button. And if you haven't yet subscribed to the Ion College Basketball podcast, please also do that wherever you listen to podcasts like Apple or Spotify. Let's get into it. The place to start is Ann Arbor, where Michigan to Michigan State closed the regular season on cbs. It's America's most watched network. It's the network of stars. Final score Michigan 90, Michigan State 80. Yaxel Linden boy got 27 points, three rebounds, three assists. That should secure Big Ten Player of the year honors for him. Norlander, what'd you make of Michigan completing the regular season sweep of the Spartans? And I think they had already locked up a one seed, but now there's, there's no debate whatsoever.
- [03:17]
Gary Parrish
I think that's been, yeah, I think it has been without debate for a week. But regardless, yes, it was a wonderful game. Had our A team on the broadcast and they were in tremendous form. Love to hear that. Frankly, every CBS broadcast is incredible. But earnestly, if I was not employed by CBS Sports, I'd be like, damn, that's, that's, that's the company that puts on better college basketball product on television than anyone else. And our announcing teams are a big part of that. Loved hearing so much of it. And we got a really good, physical, intense game. Michigan State was in it plenty. Kohler had 23, Fierce had 22. He had nine assists. Landenborg did win Big Ten Player of the year as a result of this. We thought it was open ended going into the weekend just a little bit. He goes for 27 points, five of six from three point range in this one and as a result improved his case to be a first team all American all the more that 27 was the second most he put up in a game this season. Michigan is now 19 and 1 in the Big Ten this season and has outscored its opponents by 301 points. This is a Burson banger here. Shouts to Jared Burson, highest scoring differential in Big Ten play since 74 75. Indiana, which didn't play this many games then and outscored opponents by 410. Bob Knight famously said his 7475 team was better than the 7576 team that went undefeated. Scott May got injured toward the end of that 7475 season. That's why the Hoosiers did not win Back to back. Instead 75 trivia time. Who won the title in 75 HP?
- [04:50]
Matt Norlander
Oh man, was it UMass?
- [04:54]
Josh
Loyal
- [04:56]
Gary Parrish
was the second greatest coach in UCLA history.
- [04:59]
Josh
Yeah.
- [04:59]
Matt Norlander
No, Johnny Wooden came. Yeah, Johnny Wooden, Johnny Wooden.
- [05:05]
Gary Parrish
Michigan finishes the league averaging 85.95 points per game in conference play. Indiana is also invoked here, but it wasn't 74, 75 or 75, 76. The 92, 93 Indiana team was the last time a Big Ten team scored that many per game. So wonderful game. Good push out of Michigan State, which had it won, I think would still be in the mix to get at the final one seed if it could win the Big Ten tournament, get some help. That's off the table now and then. I don't have too much to say about it, but I know as I was asked about it afterward, I know there was immediate chatter about it. I get all that fears. Did a mule kick again? Izzo really did push back on it. Both when Tracy asked him on the court, in the game and then even afterward. I don't think we have the video. We don't need the video. It's a 90 second clip. I get all that. But ISO's kind of like I wanted both sides here. You know, Mara had a technical in this game as well. This was a real rivalry, like to me. Entertaining as hell game. You had real intensity. The players care, the coaches care. There's real animosity with both sides. By the way. These are two amazing coaches, amazing schools, amazing programs, two teams that can get to Indianapolis. I was entertained by all of it.
- [06:10]
Matt Norlander
I think Tom said something afterwards. I, I saw the quote, didn't hear it. I hope to God it's not one of those just made up things that
- [06:16]
Gary Parrish
people share for the old AI again.
- [06:20]
Matt Norlander
Yeah. But it was something like, hey, there's a great environment, especially for here or something like that. This place was popping, you know, relative to what this place usually is like.
- [06:31]
Gary Parrish
It was good. The saltiness. I love it.
- [06:33]
Matt Norlander
It's good. It's good. Like those are two great, like great basketball coaches who I think deep down probably respect each other as basketball coaches, but you just irritate each other a little bit. Like I know guys who have been friends or at least friendly, and then they get rival jobs in the same state and they've told me like, we don't start hating each other. But it is harder to like hang out. It's harder to just like text all the time. You're often your fans are pitting you against each other. The recruiting stuff, you're banging heads. A lot of, he's cheating you, he thinks you're cheating him. It just, it can get complicated and it feels like the Dusty and Tom thing has probably gotten to a point where they just irritate each other a little bit. But I'm with you. Fun basketball game. The fierce thing. I guess it doesn't look right. I mean, I don't know what else to say. It doesn't look right. And I know that there are other moments in maybe not every basketball game, but certainly lots of basketball games where other players do other things that generate technical fouls or attention. But this is to me, this is obvious why Fears gets all the attention and Mara doesn't. Because one guy's become the face of it this season and the other guy's not really like this is the unfortunately, this has become part of Jeremy Fear's story. This is what people think word associate with him when they weren't associated with him at all. Hopefully he can shed that, but it's still there. So anytime something like what happened today happens, it's going to be the thing that gets clipped, that gets slowed down, that goes viral. And I'm, I'm sure Tom understands understands why.
- [08:18]
Gary Parrish
Yeah, we'll see if this can shed and was just a, you know, a rivalry game kind of thing. But. But I get it. Again, entertaining. Salty. There was a Jeremy Fears DPOY sign in the stands and then below it it said dirtiest player of the year. That's the good kind of rivalry smack talk that I want to see. So quality win by Michigan. It does have a chance at the number one overall seed, just not, not just because of where it stands in the, in the pecking order. But with Duke, we'll get to Duke in just a second. You want to keep touring around the Big Ten gp you got anything else from this game or you want because the Big Ten actually had a few notable results even as we go live here, you know, in Nebraska just clinched the two seed in the league tournament. We'll show you the the conference brackets here on YouTube live later in the show when we look ahead to what's coming. But another good win by Nebraska. Really nice emotional moment with the Hoiberg family. All that Iowa, another team with an uninspiring record. They couldn't get it done. We'll get to that as well. What else do you want to talk about from the league GP Yeah, let's.
- [09:14]
Matt Norlander
I mean we can put a button on Michigan, Michigan State by saying this. I did pre game on HQ with Fink and one of the points he made is that no matter who wins this game, Michigan's going to wake up on Monday and be a projected 1 seed in the tournament. And Michigan State's going to wake up on Tuesday and be a projected 2 seed in the tournament. I think that's true. Michigan is awesome. Michigan State is also really good. I think the one seed stuff for Michigan State probably done now with this loss, but I would still have him projected as a two seed right now. And I guess at this point that's where I would assume that they're going to land on Selection Sunday. Elsewhere in the Big Ten final score Wisconsin 97, Purdue 93. The currently unranked Badgers now have four wins over teams ranked in the top 11 of the net. Three of those wins came on the road. Meantime, the preseason number one Boilermakers just finished tied for sixth in the Big Ten with five losses on the season inside Mackie Arena. What's the more surprising of those two sentences?
- [10:18]
Gary Parrish
Good setup in the here and the now? Wisconsin. But if we went back to the start of the season it would be Purdue, which continues to baffle. I don't know what's going on. I want to talk about both teams equally, but let me just go into Purdue first. I don't get what's happening here. This team is too veteran, laden, talented, well compensated even for produce level. Those guys aren't, those guys aren't taking massive discounts. Okay, I don't get it. Five losses at home in the same year. Preseason number one team Braden Smith not going to be a first team All American. Not going to be a second team all American. I guess I got to see what he does in the tournament for the rest of this month. If he can get on 13 Mall American.
- [11:01]
Matt Norlander
Just weird like by the way, might leave college basketball as the NCAA's all time assists leader but did not lead the Big Ten and assist in his senior year of college. That goes to Jeremy Fierce, still the
- [11:16]
Gary Parrish
second off best offense in the country per possession according to Ken Palm. Adjusted for competition, 39th in defense, eighth overall. At Ken Palm, it's not bad but if you've watched this team, if you've actually watched the games over and over and over again, it has either slow starts, missed opportunities in the second half. Purdue has now dropped four of its final six to end the regular season. I don't get it. It's almost like it's just. I think I said this a week ago. It feels like Purdue is like daring everyone to pick against it in March so we can just do a complete reversal and then go ahead and make it to the final Four. At this point not knowing what the bracket's going to look like. I mean like, I mean it like I'm, I would, I would have to think long and hard about picking this team to win two tournament games. It has looked that uninspiring now. Painter is a really good coach. They still have good talent. Fletcher Lawyer is now the all time leader in Purdue and made threes. I get that tkr. He's got some ability. CJ Cox has had some moments as of late, but you know, they needed CJ Cox to avoid the loss against Northwestern last Wednesday. Like it was very closely to being a defeat for Purdue. So I don't know, I'm just, I'm vexed by it. The 97. I think 97 that they allowed here was the most by any opponent this season as well. So it's, it's not just the loss, it's that 97, 93 finish. Wisconsin hit 18 triples in hostile territory. Allegedly hostile territory. GP, I got another person banger here. Wisconsin's the only team to make 15 plus triples in four wins over ranked opponents in the last 20 years. And so that's almost certainly ever. Man, oh man, oh man, that was, that was nuts. In fact they, they made 18 in this game. They've made at least 15 plus in the four wins over the ranked opponents they've got this season. Insane shot. 53 in this game. Good on the Badgers. We can talk about them as well, but the pure stuff continues to vex me. I, I don't know if this team is going to be one and done in the Big Ten tournament, but it's just not what we thought and does rank rank fairly high in my opinion on the list of most if not disappointing teams. Like confusing teams in the country.
- [13:22]
Matt Norlander
Very confusing. Just because we know this coach, we know this core, we know this program, we know that building. There is no indications that, that this was the way this was going to unfold. And there's been moments throughout the season like games where you go, okay, that's it. That's. That's a team that could throw their hat in the conversation to go win six games and hold the national championship trophy. But mostly they've, they've looked short of that and the problems are obviously on the defensive end. Since February 17th, Purdue is 2 and 4. 27th at Torvik. Yeah, I sort of dated a day. Second in offensive offensive efficiency in that stretch. So. February 17th, 2 and 427 at Torvik, second in offense. Guess where they rank in defensive efficiency in that six game stretch?
- [14:21]
Gary Parrish
Nationally, I'll go 184.
- [14:25]
Matt Norlander
You need to make that number sound worse.
- [14:28]
Gary Parrish
Oh my gosh. They're sub 200.
- [14:30]
Matt Norlander
Yes.
- [14:32]
Gary Parrish
Give it to me.
- [14:33]
Matt Norlander
228. Purdue ranks 228th nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency according to Torvik since February 17th in this six game stretch. And when they're two and four, I mean, that's like, what, like, how does that even happen?
- [14:52]
Gary Parrish
By the way, Wisconsin averaged one. Hold on. 1.47 points per possession. It was in Ken Palm's database history going back to the mid-90s. No team had ever put up a better points per possession mark against Purdue in its history. This happened at Mackie. I mean, good God. How do you think it's going to end? Oh, well, go ahead. It's going to end for Purdue. Like. Like, are they going to fix this? Or have they become the team that we talk about almost every single. There's usually one or two teams where it's this, it's preseason, not necessarily number one, it's top five, it's top 10, and then it's like every fourth podcast we're talking about this. And then they go into the tournament and then it goes the way we think. Like, is that what we're. Is that where we're heading to here?
- [15:34]
Matt Norlander
You know what it feels like. Because I do think we get into a pattern of doing this with teams every year. Like, the roster looks good. They were preseason top this. And they have some moments where they show you, like, what you thought they were going to be. But largely they're wildly disappointing. But they have these moments and then we always wonder, like, you know, but when you get in the tournament, can it click? And it is almost always just disappoint, more disappointment. Like, these teams rarely just flip a switch and get hot. And I'm not talking about like an NC State thing where it just comes out of nowhere. I'm talking about this team was supposed to be great, hasn't been, but then gets great in the tournament. That doesn't usually happen too often. We did it last season with UConn. It was like, UConn preseason top. Everything got off to a rough start. But is it coming together? Is it starting to come together? Oh, I wouldn't want to see them in the tournament. Is it starting to come together? Oh, you never want to run into Dan Hurley. And then it's like, yeah, they're. They're gone. Just like, you know, it's over. They were just a disappointing team.
- [16:34]
Gary Parrish
Gave Florida a good game, but yes, nevertheless didn't make the second weekend.
- [16:37]
Josh
Right.
- [16:38]
Matt Norlander
Yeah, right. And that I, I would, I would be worried if I were a Purdue fan, that this is starting to feel a little bit like that. But I've, like, I've Said before, I will never rule out anything for that coach, that core that program. If you told me they did actually get it together and end up in Indianapolis at the Final Four, like, that's not unimaginable for me, but it is. It's harder for me to imagine than it was, say, a month ago in the aggregate.
- [17:07]
Gary Parrish
Wisconsin also has some vexing stuff. I mean, it lost at home to USC, got dropped by 14. Most recently at Oregon, what GP less than two weeks ago. It's got some weird losses, but its wins are incredible. It's now at 14 wins in the Big Ten for the sixth time ever. Four of those have come under guard. It has four straight wins over a top 25 opponent for the first time since 1415. You might remember that team and the fellows on there. They only, oh, yeah, by the way, made the national title game. Wisconsin got incredible play out of Nick Boyd. He had 23 points. He had takeover mode late. Blackwell also played very well in this game, but Boyd was the guy who I think actually made sure it was not going to go Purdue's way in this one. And what's kind of wild about Boyd is this. The Big Ten is you have too many teams in the league, man. There's too many good players in the backcourt. You've got fears, you've got waglers, as has Boyd outplayed Smith at this point. I mean, maybe like the Big Ten, I guess the. The player awards, I think, are going to come out here over the next day or two, and there are two. You've got Bruce Thornton, who just set the school record for most points. It's one thing after another after another. And you got Bennett sturts like. Boyd is extremely good, and he. He deserves some love because. Wisconsin one against Michigan State. Wisconsin one at Illinois. Wisconsin won at Purdue. Wisconsin one over Iowa. I don't know where he fits in this mix, but he's been one of the better players in the country this season. And the Big Ten just has straight up too many really, really good guards in the conference this season. I just wanted to give him a little love because he was key in this game.
- [18:47]
Matt Norlander
One more to get to in the Big Ten. And don't worry, Ohio State fans, we got you. You're just bubble block. You're in the bubble block. Norlander wanted a bubble block. We built a bubble block.
- [18:57]
Gary Parrish
Bubble block, buddy. That's right.
- [18:58]
Matt Norlander
Norlander. He requested a bubble block. I said, buddy, I can build you a bubble block. That's no prosthetically. That's the least I Could do for you. You. You do that incredible intro to launch March. The least I can do is build you a bubble block.
- [19:11]
Gary Parrish
Thanks, Buddy.
- [19:12]
Matt Norlander
Ohio State's going to be in the bubble block. Nebraska 84, Iowa 75. Not. It was on Fox late Sunday afternoon. Finished a little bit after Michigan. Michigan State. Tremendous scene. Oh, Buddy. If Sam Hoiberg would have hit that shot at the Barnard regulation. I was standing in my office like this, like, come on, come on, dude.
- [19:37]
Gary Parrish
I would have demanded. We started the show with it. If that went in.
- [19:40]
Matt Norlander
Oh, you have to.
- [19:41]
Gary Parrish
That was almost like we've had it. We're eight days into this month and it. Honestly, it feels like we've had a dozen amazing moments already. That's at the top of the list. If it would have gone in.
- [19:52]
Matt Norlander
Oh, man, that had me feeling like, dozier for the championship. I felt the same stuff I felt during Dozer for the championship. The shot wasn't close, I know, but made it look good flying through the air. I mean, if that goes in, you've got an all time great father, son, college basketball moment. I mean, like right up there with. I was thinking about this earlier. I was just like, first father son moment. That pops into my head. You do it. Go.
- [20:22]
Gary Parrish
The McDermott's only because he was awesome his final year. But there's probably something better.
- [20:25]
Matt Norlander
The thing that popped into my head was ron Hunter and R.J. hunter.
- [20:28]
Gary Parrish
Oh, yeah. Come on now. Come on. Alzheimer. Yes.
- [20:31]
Matt Norlander
The stool. The whole thing that. But I was like this. That Sam. That moment would have been. Anyway. Nebraska wins in overtime. 26 and five overall. 15 and five in the Big Ten. Two seed in the Big Ten tournament. I would argue two seed in the NCAA tournament right now.
- [20:48]
Gary Parrish
I think so, too.
- [20:49]
Matt Norlander
That's where I would have them. I've got them in the top eight of the top 25 and 1. And I just love the way, hey, I agree with you. CES is the best. Our people are incredible. But credit where credit is due. I did like the way Fox sort of stuck with it. And I know they were. I know they were just trying to feel. I know what they were doing. Like, I know how TV works. They weren't like, hey, this is great. Let's stick with it. They're like, hey, we got to get to 58. I know how it works. But they had shots of Fred and Sam, obviously. But then they had shots of Carol, that's Fred's wife, Sam's mother, who we both met at Final Fours and stuff. She's delightful. It's just. Just A beautiful family. And for them to have that moment and even pre game when they did the ceremony. And Fred, Fred, I just love everything I could watch. I'm a sucker for father son stuff. I'm a sucker. Like, I could watch that scene. Like, we talked about it with the Hurleys, the McDermotts. I. That. That whole thing, everything.
- [21:46]
Gary Parrish
The ISOs had this. Yeah.
- [21:48]
Matt Norlander
Yes. The Ezos had it. And even afterward. So post game interview, they do it jointly. Fred and Sam. And Sam just said, you know, that's the person I look up to more than anybody. And I just hated it with the Bulls, watching my dad go through that. And because I knew how great of a coach he was and not to see him, I was just like. I mean, I don't know, I guess we all aspire to, like, have your sons look up to you. I don't know that we all hit that mark, but I can't imagine a more awesome thing to hear from your adult son than that you're the person he looked up to and he's just thrilled that you're getting to have all this. Like I was. You could see Fred getting emotional. I was battling it myself up in the office. I just thought the whole thing was sweet. You can take it from there.
- [22:35]
Gary Parrish
Now, listen, one. One event, one moment after another. This is the greatest month on the calendar. We haven't even gotten to the majority. We are in championship week right now. We're actually live before we have the Summit League title game later tonight. We could get another one there. It's one after another all the time. I absolutely love it. I can't put it any better than you did there. There's still so much to get to. Josh. Whatever, Josh. Right now. Here we go, partners. And then you find out after the break what's next. Let's do.
- [23:00]
Matt Norlander
This is Gary Parrish from the I Own College Basketball podcast, reminding you that the big college basketball tournament is just right around the corner. Been a great season. Can't wait to cover what will be my 23rd straight tournament. Hand to heart, I'm telling you, there's nothing like being there live. If you can, you should try it. When you do, use game time, because game time has the lowest price guarantee, or game time will credit you 110% of the difference so you can shop and purchase with confidence. You know, my family's coming up to New York to visit me while I'm working. I decided I. I want to take him to the conference tournament in midtown Manhattan. So I looked at Friday session four. Clicked on four tickets, dozens of options popped up. Found four in the lower level, clicked on that one, click later, I'm paying. Just like that. We got conference tournament tickets in nyc. It's going to be a blast. Take the guesswork out of buying college basketball tickets with Game time. Download the GameTime app, create an account and use code I for $20 off your first purchase terms. Apply again, create an account and redeem code EYE for 20. $20 off. Download the Game Time app today.
- [24:00]
Gary Parrish
Hey, Sal. Hank. What's going on? We haven't worked a case in years. I just bought my car at Carvana and it was so easy. Too easy. Think something's up? You tell me.
- [24:10]
Matt Norlander
They got thousands of options, found a great car at a great price and it got delivered the next day.
- [24:17]
Gary Parrish
It sounds like Carvana just makes it easy to buy your car, Hank.
- [24:21]
Josh
Yes.
- [24:21]
Gary Parrish
Yeah, you're right.
- [24:22]
Matt Norlander
Case closed.
- [24:24]
Gary Parrish
Buy your car today on Carvana. Delivery fees may apply.
- [24:29]
Josh
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- [25:48]
Matt Norlander
The Weekend Whip around is brought to you by Domino's Guys. This is a championship level deal. You can get any pizza with any toppings for just 9.99. All right, it's time for the Weekend Whip around and we're going to start it in the ACC where top ranked Duke routed North Carolina. That's the good news for the Blue Devils, but there is some bad news. We'll talk about that in a second. First, let me give you the final score. Duke 76, Carolina 61. Blue Devils are now 29 and 2 overall, 17 and 1 in the ACC. They won the outright conference championship by two games. Their two losses are by a total of four points. I mean, they're really close to being one of those all time, let's talk about it type of runs. As it is there, they'll have to settle for being the top ranked team in the AP poll and in the top 25 and 1. The more pressing matter is that Patrick Gangba and Caleb Foster were both in boots on Saturday night. That's 40% of the nation's top ranked team starting lineup in boots on Saturday night. How concerned should Duke supporters be?
- [26:50]
Gary Parrish
Yeah, listen, this is the story coming out of this game. It was a competitive game for a good while. Carolina gave a good fight. Gp this is the first time you and I are even talking since the Wilson news broke. And the fact that Carolina was able to even, you know, make it competitive for a decent portion of the game. And then, oh, by the way, as Josh just messaged us, we got the COVID right. Even without Wilson. Carolina covered the number there. So a little plus one in the final four and one. I'm sure we were both under.500. Regardless, another really, you know, entertaining battle there. I guess. Boozer had 26, 15 and five.
- [27:21]
Matt Norlander
That's it. Yes.
- [27:24]
Gary Parrish
Like I actually thought about this. It would take something like, for CBS Sports purposes.
- [27:29]
Matt Norlander
Yes.
- [27:29]
Gary Parrish
It would take something like Duke stunning upset in the second round of the tournament and then either Yaxel Debonsa or Acuff lead their teams to the national championship for. And it can't even be the national championship because we vote before the final four. Like it would have to be insane for four games in a row and Duke couldn't make the second weekend for us to actually think about it. And I don't even know if I could get there at that point. Even with that.
- [27:53]
Matt Norlander
It would have to be. I don't think. I think it's over. I don't. I think we're done. All right. But I could imagine a Darius Aoff going on a Kimber run.
- [28:04]
Gary Parrish
Yes. Like if that happens.
- [28:05]
Matt Norlander
Yeah.
- [28:06]
Gary Parrish
If it does happen, like we will have.
- [28:08]
Matt Norlander
That's.
- [28:08]
Gary Parrish
That's why at CBS Sports we do our all American and player that we do all of that after the Elite Eight, before the Final Four. So the tournament does reflect, but we don't let the final stage overshadow an entire season's worth of work. I love that, the way that we do it. I wish everyone did it that way. So it goes the. By the way, Duke, past two seasons, plus 824 point differential in the ACC, plus 8, 24, 8, 24 with a 36. 2 record against conference opponents. It's insane.
- [28:34]
Matt Norlander
It is ridiculous.
- [28:36]
Gary Parrish
Ridiculous how dominant this team has been year over year. And yes, Boozer is statistically even better than Flag was last season. He's now reliably a threat to shoot from beyond the perimeter. Amazing stuff. But the story is the injuries now. So the weird thing was like, it felt like going in, the chatter was like, gangba, might he be in? And then you're watching the broadcast, it's like, that's dudes. That's not playing tonight. And then afterwards, Shire says he's not gonna play in Charlotte at the ACC tournament, The Foster injury didn't look good. Reporters on the scene noted that he was emotional. Didn't look good. Like, is he done for the season? Shire is going to have media availability again on Monday. I suppose we're not getting an update there. I'm kind of wondering if we get any real update at all on either of these guys before the tournament starts. Because if Duke does not win the ACC tournament, that's hard to see. But they don't have two of the starting five. Yeah, you never know when the Big Ten tournament, like, number one overall could flip. Like their regions aren't going to flip, but the number one could flip.
- [29:34]
Josh
And
- [29:36]
Gary Parrish
it just. Duke has been a dominant team. It's been amazing this season. Two losses by a bucket, and now you've got this. Okay, are they going to be at 85% of capacity moving forward? Like, where do they sit here? So I, I did find it fairly notable. Foster, I know he's not their best player, he's not their second best player, might not be their third best player, but he is a veteran backcourt presence. And I'm sorry, I think that stuff really, really matters at this time of the year. So I hope he's. I hope he hasn't played his last game this season, but it very much seems tbd. It seems like his outlook is less optimistic than Gunkbas.
- [30:11]
Matt Norlander
Let me tell you how this is going to go because I've seen how these things go. Duke will say one of two things about both of these players. Either that they're good to go or that they're day to day. Nothing else will be said before selection Sunday because you don't want to say. It's, it's very much like, you know, don't say anything that can and will be used against you in a court of law. You don't want the selection committee to say, well, you know, Duke told us that Caleb Foster is, you know, done until at least April. No, Caleb Foster is day to day. They, they, even if they had to do surgery on his ankle at some point, he's going to be day to day through selection Sunday and then Duke will be seated based on, I think their, their full strength roster. Because I'd be shocked if they give anybody any indication to think they're not going to have that once the tournament starts. But this is an ideal. You know, I don't really care what happens in the ACC tournament, but I don't like the idea of bringing two players back, you know, perhaps for a second round game. I mean, that's the, the second round games are, you know, you can get got there first rounds, I'm not worried about that. But the second round, you, you gotta start playing. And you in a single elimination tournament where you only get one shot with every team for your whole career, like John Shire will never coach the same team twice. And you'd like for everybody to be as healthy as they could be at this point in the season. Obviously this isn't unique to Duke. Injuries everywhere, right? Byu, Texas Tech, you name it. But Duke is the number one team in the country and that's why it is such a notable national headline. One other thing to touch on in the acc. Go ahead, you guys.
- [31:54]
Gary Parrish
I'm gonna see if you say it. If you don't, I'll inject it real quick here.
- [31:56]
Matt Norlander
I was gonna point to two coaching changes.
- [31:59]
Gary Parrish
No, I was gonna say this meant talking about injuries. Louisville did win at Miami and that's a really nice one for Louisville. Good boost into the tournament. Mikel Brown Jr. Didn't play and that's 10 games. That also seems like that's an open question if he'll even go in Charlotte. So way too many injuries to way too many good players in college basketball. I, I, I'm not liking this at all. We are done. Please, no more. But just keep an eye like there aren't right. Maybe Louisville is keeping it airtight. Fine. But it kind of feels like when's he coming back? Are they saving him for the NCAA tournament? How about it's a back issue that's also tender. Just keep an eye on that. We have had two coaching changes. Take it away.
- [32:36]
Matt Norlander
Yeah. So in the acc, Georgia Tech has dismissed Damon Stoudemire. Boston College has dismissed Earl Grant. I don't guess either one of these is a surprise. Tough business. And this is the tough side of it. You don't win enough. You, you know, these, these days come. But let me ask you a question, because somebody asked me this, and I figured it's at least bringing up. If you start looking power conferences right now, the coaches that have already been moved, it's Jerome Tang, it's Damon Stoudemire, it's Earl Grant. Depending on whether it's considered official or not. It's, you know, Kim English. Yeah, I. I think you can probably see where I'm going with this thing is somebody said to me, does it bother you that all these men look alike and none of them look like you? And I said, I don't know. Let me ask Norlander. So here I am.
- [33:34]
Gary Parrish
So you didn't answer it.
- [33:36]
Matt Norlander
Now, I just. I. Here's the thing. I don't know if there's definitely something to make of it, but I know that people definitely make something of it, and I don't think it's worthy of being ignored.
- [33:52]
Gary Parrish
Yes, I have obviously noticed that some of it is a function of the ACC tournament, for example, all 18 teams don't go. So Boston College, season's over. Georgia Tech, season's over. If Bobby Hurley wasn't going to.
- [34:03]
Matt Norlander
That's right. Yeah. Right. He'll join this list soon.
- [34:05]
Gary Parrish
He would join the list. Thad Mata could join the list. Wes Miller gonna join the list. If they don't make the tournament. Matt McMahon might make the list. Jeff Capel, black coach, going to. Going to make the list. Adrian Autry, black coach, going to make the list. The records are one thing, but, like, Kim English and Damon Stoudemire were cut off after three seasons. Earl Grant, Boston College, a bad job, but he's been there five years. They've never been good. I get it. Certainly. Now I will say, like, there's still a. Because this is. This is obviously a very and rightfully so a very important topic amongst a lot of black coaches. Ed Cooley talked about this on the podcast when I sat down with him at, at Big east media day back in October. I think the candidate pool for coaches on the, on the upswing here, this, this cycle, like, I'd like to believe that there's going to be a lot of them that do actually get to fill some of these jobs. So keep an eye on that as well. But yes, I, I have noticed it, but some of it is the timing and, and sure, I don't think any. The one thing about all these situations is Georgia Tech. I mean, it was cheap to fire him. I think you could have given another if you wanted. Earl Grant was bad. The Providence situation, like, Kim only got three years. I think you could have. Providence fans are going to be aghast at this notion, but, like, it's expensive to get rid of them. I know it was super toxic with the fan base. I get all of that. Maybe there needs to even be a bigger discussion about why that's the case. But that's Providence fans in general. They're. They're passionate about how they want their morning coffee, let alone the performance of their men's basketball team. But you could have, in theory, you could have given Kim one more year, see how it goes, not have to pay all that money. But that's not the way that it went. So I have, I have noticed it for sure. And, And I'm not the only one. I got. I got a call on this in the past day or so as well. Just say, hey, why is it started off like this? And then we got to talking about
- [35:48]
Matt Norlander
the general carousel and the other thing. And the, and the other thing I hear from. From some coaches is that, hey, and like, I can't defend Earl Grant, right? Or. But like, you know, Josh Pastor didn't like, get off to the best of starts at Georgia Tech, but they didn't get him after three years. And then the other question is, like, who now gets these jobs? Because one of the things we've seen happen in recent years is the black coach gets fired. And I think the numbers have been skewed a little bit. Do you have data on that? That the.
- [36:21]
Gary Parrish
No, I don't have it right now. But I mean, I will say, like, I had my. I had my candidate list of guys like to keep an eye out for this, this cycle here. And I mean, you could have. I'm thinking, like, at that you could have Chris Carraella, Kamani young assistant Swatch. James Jones at Yale. I like if I'm Boston College, why am I not talking to him? Richie McKay at Liberty Takeo Settle now. He just lost to Ko Settle and Casey Alexander just. They just got bounced in their quarterfinals this one season, their conference tournaments, Tony Skins another one. Kellen Sampson is going to get a job. Mike Boynton will be up for some jobs. Emmanuel Dildy at Duke, Carlin Hartman at Florida, Justin Gainey at Tennessee. So Justin Joyner at Michigan, heavily involved right now at Oregon State. So there are plenty of black coaches that I think are going to get opportunities, will ultimately get hired this cycle. We'll see. But. But yeah, that's just an initial list of assistants to keep and head coaches to keep an eye on.
- [37:17]
Matt Norlander
That's good stuff. One last thing on this, then we'll move on. But just out of curiosity, I just. Because one of the things I was hearing from a certain coach was like, it's, it's fine. You can fight. But like, weren't we. And it was a black coach, he was like, we're not getting these opportunities for the. The way other. The way white coaches are getting the opportunity. That was sort of the thing. And so I just started looking at it. Who do you think right now, just off the top of your head, best team in the country led by a black coach. Right now, the numbers are smaller than you think.
- [37:56]
Gary Parrish
You're talking high major. Just in general, like, just in general.
- [37:58]
Matt Norlander
Just. You just name the best team in the country.
- [38:03]
Gary Parrish
Wilmington was good, but they're now out. I don't know.
- [38:09]
Matt Norlander
I mean, Miami. Miami is what I'm.
- [38:12]
Gary Parrish
Yeah, Miami. Yep, yep, yep.
- [38:13]
Matt Norlander
But it's like Jay Lucas.
- [38:14]
Gary Parrish
It might be Jay Lucas just got there. Yep. Yeah, but just got there. Look what he's doing.
- [38:18]
Matt Norlander
Yeah, no, it's great. It's.
- [38:19]
Gary Parrish
He's been Holloway. Really, really good coach. Doing a lot with a little. Pirates aren't making the tournament, but you know, he's done. He's done a good job as well.
- [38:25]
Matt Norlander
But yeah, unless I missed something, when I looked at the top 50 of the net, there was one team in the top 50 with a black head coach. Miami. Those numbers have gotten skewed. That sounds like an off season podcast. Let's move to the Big East. These two, I think can go together. Final score, Marquette 68, UConn 62. Final score, St. John 72, Seton Hall 65. So my red Storm are outright Biggie's champs for the second straight year in. After Yukon Falls in Milwaukee over the weekend, Norlander, UConn has now still not won a conference championship since winning back to back national championships. And yes, did you anticipate this? This kind of fall off from the Huskies?
- [39:15]
Gary Parrish
I wouldn't call it a fall off. You kind of still top 10 in the metrics, right? Projected.
- [39:21]
Matt Norlander
I'm obviously joking. If you idiots try to act like that was a serious comment, I'm obviously playing around.
- [39:29]
Gary Parrish
This was A shocking result. I mean. I mean, come on, man. I'm. I'm sitting. I'm sitting there watching my son's basketball game, thinking, okay, they might actually be able to somehow pull out this win. But no. 68, 62. Hurley gets tossed. 25, 000 fine, no suspension for the Big East. I did look into. Because obviously, like, Yukon fans don't think Hurley made contact, and everyone in the Big east actually made contact. John Cal runs the. The officiating for the Biggie. So I actually did look into this in advance of what came out on late Saturday when. When he was not suspended. And the Biggies said we couldn't find verification of that, and there wasn't concrete evidence. But the director of officiating for the Biggies called John Gaffney, who is no shrinking violet, and I was told, ask Gaffney directly. Did Hurley make physical contact with you? And Gaffney told Cal, no. That's what I was told. Gaffney doesn't seem like he'd be anyone to take any kind of crap whatsoever, but if he didn't, Hurley got as intimate as you possibly could have, yelling sweet nothings into Gaffney's ear. And he. He blew a gasket because he wanted the foul. I don't know.
- [40:45]
Matt Norlander
Like, he blew a gasket because that's what he does. That's who he is. That's why he did it.
- [40:49]
Gary Parrish
I get it. But, like, they. You blew the shot. You blew the regular season championship. You're ticked off. You want the call. You didn't need to act that way. If Hurley was on this podcast right now, I guarantee you he'd regret it.
- [41:01]
Matt Norlander
But guess what?
- [41:01]
Gary Parrish
You can't do it in the moment, man. Can't do it in the moment. Now we. We have. Have we had another incident with Hurley so far this season?
- [41:10]
Matt Norlander
Like, I don't care anymore. Like, I don't even care.
- [41:13]
Gary Parrish
Like, I'm not even saying, like, we need to be keeping a quota or a tally, but as it happened, I was like, is this the first one of the year? Did he actually make it to March 7th before? There was a significant incident, but on a different scale and to a different degree. And to a bigger degree, it's like the fierce thing. Like, one thing, and everyone's going to reference the stuff that happened before. So I thought they would suspend him for a game, but the official that he yelled at apparently, and told him he didn't. He didn't make. He didn't bump me. He just didn't do it, he did not make malicious contact with me, and so that's why he doesn't suspend it.
- [41:44]
Matt Norlander
Yeah, I'm at a point with all that stuff where it's just like, that is a UConn problem. Like, I, I've made it clear, Like, I, I, I don't think I would coach that way. I don't think I would like to be coached that way. But his players love him, clearly, and it obviously works. So just whatever. And at some point, he might cross a line that you really can't cross, and he'll have to pay a price for that, a price bigger than $25,000. And, but, you know, that'll be his problem, not mine. As for the actual, like, call or non call, here's here is 100% the truth. Dan Hurley blew a gasket, as you say, because that official didn't call a foul in that moment because it was his player driving the ball and the other team's player trying to prevent the basket. And Dan thought that should have been a foul in that moment, and that's why he flipped out and got the technical foul. Here's the truth. Had the roles completely been reversed and that play happened right in front of him the exact same way, but it was a Marquette player driving and a Yukon player. The, the, I mean, the, the physical nature of the moment is exactly the same.
- [43:00]
Gary Parrish
All right?
- [43:01]
Matt Norlander
And it is also a no call or no, no, no, rather, no, no, the whistle is blown. It's a foul. So everything that happened in the play that you watch happens again, just opposite roles. It's a Marquette player driving and a UConn player playing defense. It looks exactly the same. And the ref calls the foul, which is what Dan Hurley says should have happened. Do you know what would have happened if the ref called that foul in that moment? He would have also blew a gasket and got a technical foul. It would have all been the same. So he didn't, he wasn't upset at the, at the way the thing was called as much as he was upset as the call didn't go his way. Because if it would have been roles reversed and the call would have been made, he would have been upset about that, too. It just didn't go UConn's way. And then he does, he does what he does often when things don't go UConn's way. This is this, this ain't nothing new, but that is what happened.
- [43:54]
Gary Parrish
And they lose the one seat as a result. Florida's now on the one line. Yukon I. I guess never say never, but I. It would take Florida losing immediately in the SEC tournament, Yukon beating St. John's in the Big east, and like Houston not going far for. For, in my opinion, for Yukon to rip the one seed back. It still has two fewer losses. But I, I said it when we had this debate a week ago or a couple days ago, whenever it was time. What is it if they didn't lose again? Both. I thought Yukon would have the tiebreaker. Yukon did lose. Now the calculus changes and not only do they lose, like they've got the. Was that. Was it Quad two? I'm looking right now. GP no, it wasn't. That was. Yeah, it was quite. It was Quad two. Sorry. It was. I wondered if it was Quad three. No. So the Creighton loss at home is still the only quad three. Yukon right now 16 and three. In quad one and two six and one and quad three, it is fifth. And WAB still fifth. And Web, it is behind Florida, which is fourth at this point. It is a two seed, probably the best two seed right now, but I think that Houston can pass it. If Houston wins the Big 12 tournament. I think that would be the case. Houston has two more Q1 and Q2 wins than Yukon at this point, and they have the same amount of Quad 1 victories anyway. That was, that was a stunner. Good for Shaka. Smart. It's been a tough year. I get it. You're gonna have to really have some. Some serious questions about what you're doing and answers hopefully about the program. But at least you got that last home game of the season. You got to win. You can at least salvage something and stun the entire country. I don't. I don't think many people get Marquette any chance going into that game.
- [45:23]
Matt Norlander
I, you know, proud program, Senior Day capacity crowd, or at least nice crowd. I'm always going to give that a fighting chance, but I didn't expect it. So, yeah, like, it shapes the outright Big east champ, opens up that final one seed for Florida. I think UConn is now a two, I think probably will be a two on selection Sunday. And if I worry one seed, that would be the two seed I would want to avoid. If you said, okay, you're a one and you can. You can identify one two seed that you. You push on the other side of the bracket, they're not there.
- [46:03]
Gary Parrish
UConn, Michigan State, Illinois, Houston, Nebraska. Which one do you want to avoid the most?
- [46:08]
Matt Norlander
I think I'd just rather get away from UConn. You counter Houston it's you kind of Houston, me, it's one of those two.
- [46:16]
Gary Parrish
But come on, Harley's got two national titles. This thing I care about on the roster, like I, I understand, like someone just said in the chat, like, Houston's got a national title ceiling, but the lowest floor. And there, there might be something to that. Although I almost wonder if Illinois is in that conversation as well. Two seeds in general right now. Teams in that discussion I find super fascinating heading into, you know, we're a week out from selection Sunday. Oh, by the way, folks, we'll know the bracket less than a week from now.
- [46:40]
Matt Norlander
Let's move to the Big 12. I'm going to run you through three results real quick.
- [46:44]
Gary Parrish
Yep.
- [46:44]
Matt Norlander
Then you can just take it wherever you want to take it. Final score, Arizona 89, Colorado 79. Nothing really here other than it's worth acknowledging that Arizona is 29. 2. They went 162 in the Big 12, won the league by two games. Four years ago, Kansas had won a 17th Big 12 title in, in a 19 year stretch. Then comes realignment. Past three Big Twin champs. The past three Big 12 champs have been Houston, Houston and Arizona. Two schools that weren't even in the league four years ago. Final score, Kansas 104, Kansas State 85. Darren Peterson, 10 of 15 from the field, 27 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists. He played 29 minutes. Final score, BYU 82, Texas Tech 76. AJ Debona, 21 points in 40 minutes. Boy, they ain't gonna. They ain't gonna nickname him DNP. They ain't gonna nickname him DNP. He'll play all 40. Robert Wright got 27. BYU just needed to stop the. The bleeding. Had lost three straight and nine of 13. But that was a nice win in what was likely Devonta's final home game. Regardless of what he says.
- [47:53]
Gary Parrish
Yeah, I know, I know I don't have a lot here. And you know what? We can even keep it moving in this regard. Your boy here's hopping on a bird in less than in what, two, two days or so. And I'm going to the Big 12 tournament, so I'm gonna see a lot of these teams. We'll be able to talk on them. They were more good out of Peterson. Arizona found itself in a closer game and expected on the road against Colorado got it done. And BYU did need that kind of win. I want to see if that transfers over at all to the Big 12 bracket, but I'm excited to be on the ground there in KC and see who shows up and what we, what we get there. And what's plenty on the line, a lot of interesting stuff that that awaits with the the Big 12.
- [48:28]
Matt Norlander
All right, let's go over to the SEC and tip our hat to the conference champs there. Florida 84, Kentucky 77, Gators 25 and 6. Now 16 and 2 in the SEC won the league outright by three games. They are 20 and 2 since December 13th. Since that day. Yeah, I was sorting data earlier today. Since December 13, Florida's 20 and 2. And according to Torvik, the top four teams in the country since that day are Duke, Florida, Michigan and Arizona, the four schools that are projected to be one seeds right now.
- [49:06]
Gary Parrish
Funny how that works. Florida got out to a good start. I kind of want to split this, split this in two here because Kentucky just can't keep doing this, man. Like Florida hasn't lost since January 24th. It's an absolute freight train right now. And it looked like Florida was pacing itself to like a 22 point win here finds a final is 84, 77 Kentucky. They actually blew a call. Florida was out of bounds. I think it was. Is it Cloffshire? I think it was Cloffshire that was out of bounds. But they missed it. It was a five point game at that point. Florida got the bucket. If it was Kentucky's ball instead, maybe it turns into one possession game. But that's not what happened. And don't get down so big early. Keeps happening with Kentucky. Kentucky's 19 and 12, 10, eight in the league. Oh, I had himself another really nice game. But you had Florida come into your building and a chance to really do something. They got off to a slow start. It's just bad for Kentucky. We'll see if they can get into Nashville and make some noise. Florida just continues to be that Hauk is one of my favorite players to watch in the entire sport. And good play out of Fland and Lee for sure. Bigs are the bigs and they get it done across Kentucky for at least having some pride and making a game in doubt late. But Florida's the final one and it knew that it was in a position because this game came after the Yukon loss. We go, we went to Kentucky. We know we'll be in position in the projected brackets to be the final one and it got it done.
- [50:28]
Matt Norlander
You hear that? You hear that Big blue nation? Norlander's proud of your boys for fighting.
- [50:33]
Gary Parrish
I mean at least they didn't roll over and lose by an applaud. A team that has, that has vaporized plenty of opponents. At least Kentucky didn't do that at home.
- [50:41]
Matt Norlander
I will say this because then, like, Dicky V. Jumped on it, man.
- [50:45]
Gary Parrish
Yeah, he actually. I appreciate you injecting this because. Because I know Vital gets sometimes a rep for like, I get it. Like, he's, He's a cheerleader for the sport. I think that's fine. His role is fine. But every so often, like, he'll, He'll. He'll drop in and say something. You take it away here. But I, I appreciate what. Sometimes when, when he says that, because I actually think that does mean something and can resonate.
- [51:03]
Matt Norlander
He was just like, hey, reportedly it's $22 million they spent on this roster, and I don't feel like they bought the right groceries. I mean, those are my words, not his. But he more or less said, I don't think they roster built very good. It is worth noting that, like, they're down two starters. Like that matters.
- [51:19]
Gary Parrish
Like, it does. But at the same time, like, do we think this would be, like, they're 19 and 12 if they had both the starters like that? You. I don't even think you can. You can factor in quaintance being involved because he was always returning from the injury. So with like, Jalen Low never had the injury. Are they 20 and 13 or 20 and 11?
- [51:38]
Matt Norlander
They're way better than this. I mean, that. Those are two or they. On paper, would they be two or their three most important players if they're 100, healthy and on the court? You run your team point guard and your, your. Your arms to the sky big, that swats and deflects everything. Those are probably two of the three most important players, and you just don't have them.
- [51:59]
Gary Parrish
I know, but a lot of these losses, dude, like, they weren't winning the Louisville game.
- [52:02]
Matt Norlander
I got it.
- [52:03]
Gary Parrish
They had low for some of this. They lost by 15 to Bama. They lost. Maybe the Missouri game at home flips. They lost by 25 to Vandy. We're never winning at Florida. Lost by eight at home to Georgia. Lost by 11 at A and M. I don't know.
- [52:17]
Matt Norlander
I just wonder if Mark Pope's ever sitting around like, I got it. We're not very good.
- [52:23]
Gary Parrish
Well, no, they've had some good wins. They're just up and down. They are completely unpredictable. I have no idea what they're going to be over the next three weeks. They are as unpredictable as just about any team in the country.
- [52:31]
Matt Norlander
I guess I'd just be like, you know, I got. I. I know we should be better. I'll own it. This is the type of thing I'd be saying to myself if I were Mark Pope. Privately, I take responsibility, but grab Yaxel and Elliot Cadeau off of Michigan's team and let's see how great Dusty May's doing. You know, like, you take two of the top dudes off of any college basketball team, things change. I don't need to make excuses for Kentucky. I just, I. All I ever hear about is how the only I ever hear about Kentucky is 22 million and they stink. 22 million and they, they are terrible. And I'm like, they are missing like two very important players. That. That should at least be part of the conversation.
- [53:12]
Gary Parrish
I got. Who do you. Real quick before we get to the next part, who do you trust more over the next two weeks, Kentucky or Purdue?
- [53:19]
Matt Norlander
Oh, Purdue. Just because at least they got, you know, like, at least they have their point guard and they're big. Okay. Yeah, so. But I don't. Neither one of them. Neither one. I'm looking real trustworthy lately. I think Kentucky now, what is it, like two and five in the last
- [53:35]
Gary Parrish
seven and prior to that they've won like eight out of nine.
- [53:39]
Matt Norlander
All right. Hey, can we spend a few minutes on the Mac?
- [53:43]
Gary Parrish
Dude, I am ashamed right now.
- [53:47]
Matt Norlander
What are you ashamed of?
- [53:49]
Gary Parrish
We have a team that ran the regular season table and it took us 50 minutes to get to them in this podcast.
- [53:54]
Matt Norlander
What new thing could we possibly say about Miami Ohio?
- [54:00]
Gary Parrish
We could acknowledge greatness.
- [54:01]
Matt Norlander
I've been acknowledging greatness. You're the one that's been hesitant to jump on board. I've been acknowledging greatness for months.
- [54:07]
Gary Parrish
We're finally here. All this, hey, what if they lose three games? I gotta see him lose one. What if they lose two? I gotta see him lose one. They still haven't lost. They're a lock. I wrote the column Friday. I did hq, all this stuff. They're a lock, folks. Not only is Miami a lock, Miami is of no threat to go to Dayton. Could lose the first game in the Mac tournament quarters to UMass. Wouldn't surprise me if it happened. Won't be going to Dayton. We'll get to the bubble stuff in just a minute here. Not gonna happen. Travis Steele's team is going to the tournament. Josh, what a. Toss up those results here from the poll here. I wanted to see what folks thought. They're going to end up seed wise. They're in. It's not debatable. This isn't just like me saying it and thinking it's going. I know it's going to be true. I I having talked to committee members when we did the mock selection committee and knowing how much a zero running the table means what that reflects. I know they're not top 75 in any predictive mainstream metric. I don't care. Right now they are top 30 in WAB and in strength, the record. And by the way, they inadvertently picked up another Quad 2 win because right State happened to stumble into just getting into that category. So as I wrote Friday night and GP wrote about this in his top 25 and one as well. If you in any way find yourself trying to drag this team down, you have so brutally missed the point and missed the plot. That's this team is the best of college basketball and what it can bring in the month of March. I don't know if we will, I really don't know if we'll ever see something like this again in this era. With the Portal and nil a mid major team, go 31 and oh run the regular season table. By the way, the regular season is going to get larger. So it will be 32, 33. It'll probably be at least 34 games in the next five years. You really might not ever see something like this again. And that game on Friday was incredible. You are going to your rival's place. That is real hatred. They had not won in that building in 15 years. The broadcast was awesome. Miami couldn't stop picking up dead ball, technical fouls. It got a flagrant. It looked like it was in doubt. The Jeff Bowles was as excited as could be. And you, you could even hear if you picked it up every so often on the broadcast, those Miami players in hostile territory, they were on the receiving end some, some real lashings. And so that's why at the end of that game when Miami won and you saw Peter Suter, Miami's best player, waving goodbye, you saw bench guys running off onto the court flipping the bird at the, at the, at the Ohio students. Yeah, I actually think it's amazing. I think this is a great thing for college basketball because that's a real rivalry. They had to listen to it for two hours. They had to take this game even beyond into overtime. 218 points were needed to decide the 218th meeting ever between these two schools. How poetically perfect is that? One of the most memorable regular season games I can recall in recent history. And Miami did it with a perfect regular season on the line. I look forward to seeing where this team is slotted on selection Sunday and what seed it gets that's still up for debate because we got to see if it can run the table entirely or if it's going to take a loss. But that was amazing. And I love the fact that Miami did this on a weekend where so many teams and the bubble conversation just did a pratfall. Vomit on their shoes, soup on their shorts, couldn't stop losing left and right everywhere you look. Not Miami. That team doesn't know how to lose yet. 31. And oh, it knows how to win no matter what. It has more road wins by, I think, two, if not three, than any team in the country. It's in the tournament. It's in the tournament. With room to spare. It will play its first tournament game either on Thursday or Friday of the tournament week. You will not see this team anywhere close to Dayton.
- [57:38]
Matt Norlander
At risk of exposing myself as a poor sport.
- [57:43]
Gary Parrish
I love teams.
- [57:44]
Matt Norlander
Taunt GP I love Double Birds. I'm a big fan of Double Birds. I just think they're funny. I think they're funny. I also like booing, not yelling obscenities. Just this. Just this. When you see something you don't like, just doing this. I just think that's funny that we just decided that's how you. That's how you show disdain for something. I like the double bird. I know it's not the best sportsmanship, but I enjoy it. I'm with you, obviously. Like, what are we talking about? This is a great story. We should be arguing for the Indiana's and the Auburns over something like this. Do you know bad Indiana fans hate their team? How bad Auburn fans hate their team? Like, hey, selection committee. This is always. Maybe this is a new process we should put into the equation before when we're, when we're really scrubbing and trying to weigh this at large against that art.
- [58:46]
Gary Parrish
Large.
- [58:46]
Matt Norlander
Maybe we get to a point where we go, but do these people even like their team? Be like, no, they Auburn fans? No, they hate their team. Are you crazy? How could they not? And be like, okay, what about Indiana fans? No, bro, they. They always hate their team and always hate their coach. Since Bob Knight, everything has come after that has just been hated consistently. Okay, what about Miami? They love it. They love their team. They love every. They love Peter Suter. They love everything. All right, then let's, let's do them then. This is easy. Once one story is great, the other ones are silly. I like the great one. Go Redhawks flat with it. You want to flap?
- [59:24]
Gary Parrish
Sure, we'll flap.
- [59:25]
Matt Norlander
Flap a little bit.
- [59:26]
Gary Parrish
Flap, flapping. Red Hawks red lock Incredible stuff. The chat has voted before I reveal the results. GP what seed you got to factor in whether you think it runs the table or not. What seed will Miami have on Selection Sunday?
- [59:39]
Matt Norlander
They'll have a 10. I would give them and I'd give them something better, but I think they'll get something like a 9 or a 10.
- [59:44]
Gary Parrish
Biggest result is the 89 game 37% number two is 10 or 11 seed at 31%. 3 third best result is 7 or better at 25 and then a 12 seed at 7%. I I the tournament needs no extra juice, but the one thing that gives it even more is to have any team that enters in and has a zero in the loss column on its first game. That would be incredible. I wonder if it can get there. Akron still rates better. It's still more likely than not to lose a game, but that's been true for Miami the entire season. I will say you said 10. I think I'm with you. I'll say when we get to Selection Sunday. Miami is sitting on the 10 line.
- [60:26]
Matt Norlander
You ready for some bubble talk?
- [60:28]
Gary Parrish
Let's get into it. I think we need one more break though.
- [60:30]
Matt Norlander
All right, fine. Give me another word from our partners then. That was the weekend Whip Around Brought to you by Domino's if you're settling in for a full slate of college basketball, it doesn't get better than Domino's. Best deal ever. Any pizza with any toppings for just 9.99. That's one what I'm getting for game day. Shout out to Domino's for sponsoring prices higher in some locations, select this online only offer from 223 to 46 size availability varies by crust type. Max 7 toppings 6 for New York style and pan crust. Stuffed crust is extra. Excludes XL and specialty pizzas. Minimum purchase required for delivery prices, participation, delivery area and charges may vary. Avoiding your unfinished home projects because you're
- [61:09]
Gary Parrish
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Matt Norlander
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- [61:29]
Gary Parrish
Why have I asked my H Vac guy I found on angie.com to change my grandpa's trachea tube? I was so amazed at how he replaced our air ducts. I knew I could trust him to change Pop Pop's tube.
- [61:38]
Matt Norlander
I think we should call a doctor, Angie. The one you trust to find the ones you trust. Find pros for all your home projects@angie.com pancetta mushroom tortellini. You can eat smart, still fit in your bikini. I ordered Blue Apron. I've been happy ever since they sent pre portioned meals. I don't make no measurements. Saute the pancetta, then I add the mushrooms. Large skillet. Cause you can't have too much room. Garlic pesto, tomato paste, Calabrian chili. Season the taste order Blue Apron today. It's time for bubble talk. Now, Norlander, listen.
- [62:18]
Gary Parrish
It's the bubble block.
- [62:20]
Matt Norlander
It's a bubble block. This is what I like to call bubble block. Now, we are not going to talk about every bubble.
- [62:25]
Gary Parrish
We are not.
- [62:26]
Matt Norlander
Because I think my family wants to watch a new Harry Styles concert that dropped on Netflix tonight or something.
- [62:33]
Gary Parrish
All right?
- [62:35]
Matt Norlander
So we are not going to go through every bubble team. So what I'm going to do is I'm going to. I'm going to run you through some bubble stuff and then I'm going to just say. I'm just going to say, hey, you fire.
- [62:42]
Gary Parrish
You throw it at me. Throw it over the plate. No. Knock it out of the park.
- [62:46]
Matt Norlander
Well, a good pitcher does not throw it over the plate. I'm trying to.
- [62:49]
Gary Parrish
So I need you to be a crappy pitcher right now. I need you to be a terrible pitcher who is. Hold on, hold on. Who is like one of the worst fourth or fifth guys in the rotation in the majors right now. That's why I need you to be.
- [63:00]
Matt Norlander
Well, I mean, there was that one fella for the Blue Jays a few years ago. He was like a Cy Young candidate. And then they put a pitch clock in and he can't pitch anymore. I can't remember his name. He was like. He was like a Cy Young candidate for Toronto. Then they. They implemented the pitch clock and it was just over for him. He's back in the minor leagues or something.
- [63:18]
Gary Parrish
Going in the no Context preview. I just got to figure out who it is. If anyone in the live chat knows who this Blue Jays pitcher was, they can't. Couldn't pitch with a pitch clock. Is that. We got an. I'll look at that. They're right on it. Alec Manoa.
- [63:28]
Matt Norlander
Yeah, that's him.
- [63:28]
Gary Parrish
All right. He's going to the no Context. I need you to be Alec Manoa right now.
- [63:31]
Matt Norlander
Okay, I'm gonna be Alec Manoa, but I'm gonna be post pitch clock. Alec Manoa.
- [63:35]
Gary Parrish
Okay.
- [63:36]
Matt Norlander
Not Cy Young candidate. Alex.
- [63:38]
Gary Parrish
It's like six immediate responses. Alec Manoa. Yeah, loving the chat's all over.
- [63:43]
Matt Norlander
It's actually a crazy story. It would be like if, if, like this is an exaggeration, but like Concanipple has this incredible season and, and then like two years from now, he can't play anymore. He's like in the G League.
- [63:57]
Gary Parrish
So like a Rick and Keel situation, but different.
- [64:00]
Matt Norlander
Different. But yeah. And baseball does that all the time. Like, like Cody Bellinger will win an MVP and then stink and then get good again in ways that doesn't really happen in, in other sports. Baseball's crazy.
- [64:13]
Gary Parrish
All right, all right, lay it on me.
- [64:16]
Matt Norlander
I'm gonna throw you. I'm. I'm gonna put it on a T for you.
- [64:19]
Gary Parrish
As gp. As GP lays this out just as a. Just so everyone realizes this weekend, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, like even Iowa, I think it's getting in the tournament. Take a closer look at that resume. I don't know if we've seen a messier bubble situation a week out from the tournament in the past seven, eight, nine years. Five bubble winners by my count. Fourteen teams in the conversation lost. Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Firewood. Gp.
- [64:43]
Matt Norlander
Okay, vcu, San Diego State, Ohio State are among the bubble teams that won this weekend. Good for them. Ohio State. Blasted. Indiana Buckeyes have now won three in a row. Currently an eight seed according to CBS Sports.
- [64:57]
Gary Parrish
Yeah, that's a miss, by the way. I'm sorry, Ohio State.
- [65:00]
Matt Norlander
Oh, I can't wait to see your slack tomorrow morning.
- [65:04]
Gary Parrish
I don't know what to tell you. Nine and two games under.500 in quad one and two, six and eight in road neutral. It's 37th and resume average right now. It's, it's not an eight seat.
- [65:14]
Matt Norlander
So I just, I. I've decided I'm gonna be a good team player.
- [65:18]
Gary Parrish
Okay, well, I'm decided I'm going to be a truth teller, so keep it up. Bruce Thornton, by the way, all time league score at Ohio State. Love to see it. I want to see him in the tournament. Ohio State's going to get in the tournament?
- [65:27]
Matt Norlander
Yes.
- [65:28]
Gary Parrish
There's a big double bubble result. Indiana, by the way, not in the field. We'll get there.
- [65:31]
Matt Norlander
Now to the goofies. Listen to all these.
- [65:34]
Gary Parrish
Hold on. Give me the teams you just said again.
- [65:36]
Matt Norlander
The ones who did well. Vcu, Ohio State and San Diego State.
- [65:40]
Gary Parrish
You're missing one.
- [65:41]
Matt Norlander
Who?
- [65:42]
Gary Parrish
Stanford is in the field according to CBS Sports bracketology.
- [65:46]
Matt Norlander
But you don't trust CBS Sports bracketology. Is what I heard.
- [65:49]
Gary Parrish
I do. There are exceptions and that's how you hold things accountable. Stanford is 9 and 8 in quad one and quad two right now. 9 and 8. Ohio State's 9 and 11. Oh, by the way, although the only reason why it's it's iffy. Stanford's the only bubble team with three Quad three losses. That's the problem there. Shouts to Abuka Okorie who was awesome, won, put up another 30 pound point outing there. Stanford is the team that was so off the radar going into the weekend, got a win and all these other teams losing. It really increased the standing there. Cardinal may well get into the field.
- [66:19]
Matt Norlander
I listen to these goofies. Cal, smu, New Mexico, Missouri.
- [66:27]
Gary Parrish
I mean Auburn one after another.
- [66:29]
Matt Norlander
Texas are among the bubble teams that lost. Auburn got smacked at Alabama. Stephen Pearl's Tigers are now 16 and 15, just 2 and 8 in their past 10. Which of these bubble losers disappointed you the most? These goofies.
- [66:43]
Gary Parrish
There are so many of them.
- [66:44]
Matt Norlander
By the way, there are dozens of us.
- [66:47]
Gary Parrish
Dozens. Dozens of goofies. Dozens. What was the question?
- [66:53]
Matt Norlander
Which one of these goofies, these bubble losers disappointed you the most this weekend?
- [67:00]
Gary Parrish
Where do we start? Did we start with ucf, which lost at West Virginia on Friday? Lost again has gone from 17 and 4 to 20 and 10 is now down to 53rd in the predictive averages 10 and 9 in quad one two with a quad three loss. Is it NC State lost at home to Stanford 39th and resume average now 20 and 11, 11 and 11 in quad one and two and has a quad four loss. Dive into the specifics of that resume. GP North Carolina State thoroughly uninspiring. The one thing saving it it's above.500 in road and neutral games right now. Is it Missouri which lost at home to Arkansas? Now Arkansas is a good team. Didn't have Darius Acuff in the game. It's 43rd and resume average. Five quad one wins is what's saving Missouri. It's in the field, but it isn't better than 38th in any single team sheet metric. I can't say they're a lock yet, but they're going to get in. Sorry, too much weirdness out there. Is it Smugp lost at Florida State now 8 and 12 in quad one and quad two, hovering between 38 and 48 in all metrics. 4 and 9 in road neutral didn't have BJ Edwards. That's a factor. If you aren't keeping up with the ponies, here's where they've gone from 198 to 19 and 12 with losses to Cal, Stanford, Miami and Florida State. Is it Auburn lost at Alabama. We're not surprised by that. It was Alabama and it was Auburn. But it wasn't even competitive. 96.84 and it wasn't even that close as well. Auburn's now 16 and 15. 45th in resume average. That's right around the cut line. It's 5 and 11 in road neutral games. Since 1985, there have only been two teams that have ever gotten into the tournament as an at large with a two game over.500 overall record. And back then they played fewer games so the win percentage actually accounted for more. And that was Georgia in 2001 and Villanova a decade before 91. There have only been three teams GP that have gotten into the tournament with at least 15 losses. That was all SEC teams. Vandy Bama, Florida 17, 18, 19. Auburn's already got 15. It would have to become the first team with 16 losses ever to get in. Get them out of here. Yeah. Virginia Tech is understandable. Lost to Virginia. Is it Texas losing at home to Oklahoma in overtime. And now The Longhorns are 20 and 11. Sitting at 48th and resume average with an 8 and 12 quad 1 and quad 2 record with a quad 3 loss. 5 and 8 on the road to neutral. Not good. What about Cal blowing it on the road to wake Forest?
- [69:40]
Matt Norlander
Yuck.
- [69:41]
Gary Parrish
50th in resume average. 70th in predictives. Not better than 50 in any single metric. Out, out, out. Get the hell out of my tournament. Is it New Mexico now? Lost at Utah State. It's a problem. They're out of the field right now. Couldn't expect them to win. At least they're above.500 in quad one and quad two. They got two quad three losses. That's the problem. Not better than 45th in any metric. Or is it? Indiana lost at Ohio State. Understandable. I get it. Zero case to be in the field right now. 53rd in resume average. 6 and 13 in quad one and quad two. Non conference strength of schedule is 301. They're 4 and 9 Enron neutrals. They lost to Illinois by 20. They lost to Purdue by 29. They lost to Ohio State by 13 over the weekend, which is the same margin they lost in Michigan State. And they lost to Northwestern at home. They're nowhere even remotely close. There's even more of them. Cincinnati, usc, Seton Hall. They're all on the outside looking in. Shots disdained yet again. It's been a while. I think my most disappointing Loss of the entire weekend of all these teams was NC State losing home to Stanford. What the hell are you doing?
- [70:47]
Matt Norlander
No surprise that Auburn lost at Alabama, obviously, but. But there's just so much attention on that whole thing now that it's just. First off, had a funny moment. I don't watch a lot of college basketball with my wife. We don't sit and watch games together a lot, in part because I'm just not. I'm not home throughout the week, March. But last night, we were like. I was like, hey, let's just. So we watched. We watched the double. We watched Duke, Carolina, Alabama, Auburn, double hair. And so they show Stephen. It's like they entered, like, the very beginning of the game. It's like, you know, they show Stephen Pearl, and it says Stephen. It's got the graphic Stephen Pearl. And it's record. It's like, first year at Auburn. And she goes. She goes, stephen Pearl? Is he related to Bruce? I swear, if I ever need to hide anything from my wife, I'm doing it right here on this podcast.
- [71:40]
Gary Parrish
That is too.
- [71:41]
Matt Norlander
She goes. She goes, stephen Pearl? She goes, is he related to Bruce? And I said. I said, yeah, he is. I said, that's Bruce's son. She said, oh. She said, how did he get that job? I said, kelly, we. That's a hard question. I said, I can send you a clip of BB Talking about it earlier in the week. I let. He let him explain it. And so then we watched the game, and it. It did not go well. Did you see the pregame speech, the locker room speech?
- [72:07]
Gary Parrish
I did. I did not. Actually.
- [72:09]
Matt Norlander
I was good. It almost felt like it was a performance for the selection committee, as opposed to. As opposed to like, hey, guys, let's go out there and beat Alabama. It was like. It was like. It was great. It was like, you've got a great strength of schedule.
- [72:29]
Gary Parrish
He did not.
- [72:30]
Matt Norlander
It was something like, you played the hardest schedule.
- [72:32]
Gary Parrish
Okay, that's true. I don't. I'm guessing Stephen didn't say, our WAB is incredible right now for the amount of months.
- [72:40]
Matt Norlander
That's the way my ears hurt it. I know that's not the way, but that's what it was like. It was like. And you beat the national. The reigning national champs at their place, and you got this win over here, and your strength of schedule is incredible. It was like. That's the way I heard it. I was like, all right, let's go. I was fired up. And then it was.
- [72:56]
Gary Parrish
I went over. Florida is the only thing that is keeping Auburn's case on the table. If Auburn gets in and doesn't have the auto bid, that means it will be the first team ever with 16 losses. And I'm actually willing to hear the case if Auburn makes the SEC semis because they're going to have to have knocked off some teams but we'll get there. Devastating week for the bubble. You cannot expand this tournament. This is just, I'm serious man. Like the teams we have in the flotsam of 10, 11 seed, nine seed territory, it's borderline offensive. So one after another just kept losing and kept losing and kept losing as a result. Like even Oklahoma now, like it suddenly just showed up at the party out of nowhere. Like it's, it's, it's the community gift where he walks into the room on fire with the pizza. That's Oklahoma right now. Credit supporter Moser got life saving his job. But yeah, yeah. So I think the next six days, I talked about this tonight on on HQ with, with Cobb. Like the next six days worth of results I think are going to be wild. I, I think that you have teams right now that depending on which forecast is putting them out there like our nines and you can't feel 100 confident you're getting into the field because there's so, there's so much around you and so many opportunities for these teams to pick off wins when the difference between these resumes is like this and they're all uninspiring. There's, there is a calving between call it the seven, maybe the top of the eight line and everyone else after that. This is a big group of teams that are an absolute mess.
- [74:16]
Matt Norlander
Let me say one last thing about the Pearl situation and then we'll move on because you know Bruce did that interview last week and he was like, do I want my son to do well? Of course I do. Did I help my son get this job? Of course I did. And I know that he's gotten banged on a little bit because of that. Like people are like how can you admit publicly that nepotism is the only reason your son has that job? How could you? And I'm like, I didn't mind that at all what he said there. The misstep I think BP had respectfully is pitting Miami Ohio against his son's team because that's just, even if your data is all correct, that's just not going to play the right way, period. And I think he knows that now and can laugh about it now. But I don't think there's I just wasn't bothered the way I saw some other people get bothered with Bruce just sort of raising his hand in the air and saying, all right, sure, I want my, I'm an analyst, but I want my son to do well. And you know, of course I helped my son get this job. What are we talking about? I just felt like we all know both of those things are true. So why, why are people banging on him for saying it out loud? I like, of all the things that you could bang on Bruce Pearl about, that just didn't seem like it should be anywhere on the list to me.
- [75:28]
Gary Parrish
Pearl, if nothing else, always willing to speak it how he is. And he actually leaned into a lot of this stuff. He did the the with Travis Steele and now he's got him in the tournament. I'm cry. By the way, I haven't talked to Bruce at all about this. I can only assume that what, what I wrote on Friday and what you wrote Friday and a Saturday is what finally convinced them they're in the tournament. Bruce Miami's going to the tournament.
- [75:48]
Matt Norlander
So I don't, I'm not, I'm not sitting around assuming Bruce Pearl is convinced about anything because of me or you.
- [75:54]
Gary Parrish
I'm pretty sure he's dialed in online and reading your stuff.
- [75:56]
Matt Norlander
I think he's just, I think he's realized it was just a misstep. I know what he was trying to do. His, his, his intentions were good and it just got, it got him, it got him to a point like real quick. I, it reminded me of something I did once. I'll be quick with this.
- [76:12]
Gary Parrish
It was the, hey, you're the one that wants to watch Harry Styles tonight.
- [76:14]
Matt Norlander
So it was the second year of Penny Hardaway at Memphis when he had the number one recruiting class in America. James Wiseman, all those guys, preseason ranking, the whole deal. And that team was bad. And I remember doing a video for CBS Sports Network where I said, okay, let's like everybody's, you know, banging on this team. That's disappointing. But James Wiseman quit the week before Christmas and D.J. jeffries had a season ending injury before February 1st. Those are two of his top three players. How many teams would be good if they lost two of their top three players? And I had it all thought out and my numbers were, the information was, it was a great argument, but it couldn't come from me because I was the guy who was screaming two years earlier, you have to fire Tubby Smith, hire Penny Hardaway. So that argument coming from me felt like you're just making excuses for the guy you wanted to coach your alma mater, when in reality, in my head, it was just like a common sense. Yeah, he had the number one recruiting class in America. Two of the top three recruits from it aren't playing anymore. What are we talking about? And if you would have done that, it would have played way differently than if I did it. And I think this is kind of the same thing. It was the messenger here. You can't be Bruce Pearl arguing for Auburn against Miami Ohio. You could be somebody else doing it, but you can't be him doing it. And I, I sort of under. When I saw the backlash, I was like, oh, I know that feeling. Because in his head, I bet it, it made perfect sense. It's just not going to be well received. And I, I. When I did that thing that time, I had a blind spot for that. And, and, and I couldn't believe the reaction. But with the benefit of hindsight, I can see it now.
- [78:00]
Gary Parrish
Okay, let's keep it moving here. Tennessee State Autobahn dancing. Right, that's. I think that's next here on the docket. I'll just run through it real quick because we've got teams in the dance here, and congrats to all of them. Tennessee State wins in the ovc. Nolan Smith, that Nolan Smith, first year as a head coach. Getting the Tigers in this program, hasn't been there in 32 years. Probably going to be a 16 seed. That was the first team in the field, I guess. No, it technically was the second team in the field because liu, coached by none other than Rod Strickland, out of the nec. They got it done in the semis. They'll always be the Blackbirds to me, but now they're called the Sharks. But because Mercyhurst, who we've discussed on this podcast earlier this season, coincidentally enough, and their epic sets from the late 90s and early 2000s at Lollapalooza transitioning to Division 1, not eligible to play. We talk about this, like, every three years. They're a victim of that. As a result, the Sharks, who, by the way, are the number one seed in the nac, might have done it. Regardless, they are going to be in the. In the NCB tournament as a result. Missouri Valley on Saturday. Excuse me, on Sunday on cbs, Northern Iowa beats uic. Shout out to Robbie Hummel and Kevin Harlan, because I sent this tweet a couple of years ago where I said I had. Hearing Kevin Harlan say the winner goes to the NCAA Tournament is a drug, and it is Robbie showed him the tweet, I think before the broadcast. A GP I don't know if you were able to watch. He said the phrase like five times today because he knew about the tweet. It's amazing. Kevin Harlan is the best. It was incredible. I know he's had a little bit of a rough week. I believe I saw that he just lost, might have just lost his father. So all the more nothing but the best of Kevin Harlan who was a pros pro. Him and Hummel were on fire in this one. Ben Jacobson going back to the tournament for a fifth time.
- [79:43]
Matt Norlander
I love seeing that.
- [79:44]
Gary Parrish
Yeah. Three previous times they've been on the winning end of an upset in the NCAA tournament. You might remember a famous one against Kansas about a decade and a half ago. First time ever a six seed won the Valley Tournament outright. First time ever a team won four games in four days. Take Arch Madness. Really, really, really cool. You and I will probably be a 13. If not, it might be the last 12 on the line there. Big south earlier today. High point going to back to back tournaments after never getting there in program history. 9176 over Winthrop. That team's a lock 12 seed, 30 and 4. They beat a Winthrop team, by the way. GP that needed a 120 run in the final 45 seconds the night before to beat Presbyterian. Shouts to college basketball analytics for this. It was the fastest 120 run in college basketball in the past eight seasons. They couldn't get it done the next day. Flynn Clayman's not the coach there at High Point. That's got one of the best nil situations of any mid major. That will be a very trendy Cinderella team. And then how about Queens? That's your other auto bid right now. They get it done. I heard it said on the broadcast. Queens, let's see here. Okay, so Chris Ashby of queens, he had 10 threes in this conference tournament game. On the broadcast they said his 10 threes were the most in a conference tournament game of any kind since 2000 when Miami did. A player in Miami did it there. This game was amazing. Cameron Hunter himself scored like 20 points in the final three and a half minutes to get Central Arkansas even to overtime. That was the one seed. He finished with 49. There were 20 steals in this game. 1.20 points per possessions. Queens just became eligible this season. The Queens Royals, That's a top 10 moniker in D1, just became eligible. Clark Kellogg said when they were doing the highlight in the studio. This is only the fourth time that we've had a team eligible in its first year to go to the tournament and gets it done right away. Shouts to Queens. That's really cool. Shots to Nada, by the way, who texted me, said if he was, if he was running things here, it's right down the street from him. He would have wanted to start the show with queens. I was like, GP might have had an issue starting the show with queens, but I promise him I get some queens. Love in. Shouts to Nada. He's doing relatively well this day these days and we'd love to hear it. Only other thing for me, GP we got Summit league tonight after we go off the air. In fact, it's happening right now for the auto bid there. That semi between North Dakota and St. Thomas late on Saturday was incredible. And we keep seeing one seeds go down. Uncw, Navy. Navy's ending.
- [82:01]
Matt Norlander
Actually.
- [82:01]
Gary Parrish
Do we have that, Josh? I think I sent it to you. Do we have the way that Navy lost to Boston University? I think we have it. Josh is saying we have it. Let's watch it real quick. Watch it real quick. This is, I think the highlight so far of March happened earlier today on CBS Sports Network. The ball out of Benini's hands.
- [82:17]
Matt Norlander
Be tough to do.
- [82:18]
Gary Parrish
He's not going to give it up now.
- [82:20]
Matt Norlander
Final ticks. Patriot League player of the year speeding in. Gets the lamb. Look at this dribble right here.
- [82:27]
Gary Parrish
BU Chance back, Gladden.
- [82:29]
Josh
Go.
- [82:31]
Matt Norlander
Chance Glenn sends BU to the title game.
- [82:37]
Gary Parrish
Now that's the semis. Navy was a team good enough to pull off a Cinderella run in the tournament, but that was the semis. They're going to Chance. Gladden got the hit. CBS Sports Network. The glory of this month, the heartbreak of this month. One seeds are dropping left and right. Central Arkansas was the one seed. Belmont was the one seed. ETSU almost lost as the one seed earlier against Western Carolina. It's one thing after another. Phenomenal, phenomenal stuff. Oh, by the way, wasn't a conference tournament. Duquesne came back from a 30 point deficit and became only the fourth team in history. Shouts to Dave Warlock who gave the stat out. Only four teams ever have come back from a 30 point deficit in history of Ben's D1. Duquesne did it against Richmond in the regular season finale over the weekend.
- [83:16]
Matt Norlander
All right, are we ready for the AP poll? Look ahead.
- [83:19]
Gary Parrish
Yes. You know what? It's all you. That's you. You give me the AP poll. I want to know what your top five is. I've taken up enough of your time.
- [83:27]
Matt Norlander
I think I've mastered the AP poll. Look ahead. You ready?
- [83:29]
Gary Parrish
Yeah. Let's have it.
- [83:30]
Matt Norlander
As a reminder, the current AP poll has it. Duke at 1, followed by number 2, Arizona. Number 3, Michigan, number 4, UConn, number 5, Florida, number 6, Iowa State 7, Houston 8, Michigan State 9, Nebraska, 10, Texas Tech. On Monday morning, the top 25 and 1 will be number 1, Duke. Number 2, Michigan. Number 3, Arizona. Number 4, Florida. Number 5, Houston. Number 6, Nebraska. Number 7, Michigan. State, number 8, UConn. Number 9, Iowa State, number 10, Illinois. And my prediction for Monday's AP poll is Duke will remain at number 1. They had a two and a week. That's easy. Arizona will remain at number two. They had a two and a week. That's easy. Michigan will remain at number three. They had a two zero week. That's easy. Florida will be the new number four. Previous number five. Two and a week moves up thanks to UConn's loss. Houston. Previous number six will move up to number five. Two in a week moves up thanks to Uconn's loss. Yukon, I think, will fall only to six in the AP poll. They'll be higher. You think they'll be seven?
- [84:34]
Gary Parrish
No. So if they're six, who's seven?
- [84:36]
Matt Norlander
I think it'll be Iowa State. Iowa State dropped from 6 to 7 in my projection after a loss at Arizona earlier in the week.
- [84:48]
Gary Parrish
That was the. I was. That's what I was thinking in real time. I was like, was the Iowa State loss last or technically this week? And it was.
- [84:54]
Matt Norlander
Right. So my prediction would be Duke 1, Arizona 2, Michigan 3. Florida up to 4, Houston up to 5. UConn down from 4 to 6. Iowa State drops from 6 to 7. Michigan State stays at 8 after a one and one week with the loan loss being the loss at Michigan. Nebraska stays at nine after a one and one week loss at ucla went over Iowa. This is the one I'm iffy on. They could slip a little bit, but at some point you got to have somebody to put in front of them. And there ain't really. There aren't teams to put in front of them.
- [85:28]
Gary Parrish
You just said you mastered it. I thought you got this.
- [85:33]
Matt Norlander
I. I have mastered what it should be.
- [85:35]
Gary Parrish
Okay.
- [85:36]
Matt Norlander
But I can't trust AP voters to be smart. I used to write a column about this. You know, I've got Illinois projected to come in at 10. They were previous number 11 and had the had a two in a week. So where it could be different is like Illinois could be in front of Nebraska, even in front of Michigan. State and Nebraska because of a two and a week. And AP voters just love to drop you if you lose, no matter where you lost. But either way, I think Those are the 10 that'll be in the top 10 in some order. I think those are the top, Those are the 10 that should be in the top 10 in some order. And those are the exact same 10 schools that are in the top 25 and one's top 10 Sunday morning and will be the case again on, on Monday morning. Before we get out of here, just a couple of things to look forward to on Monday. CAA semifinals are on CBS Sports Network starting at 6 Eastern. So that'll be a fun double header. We get Gonzaga and St. Mary's both playing in the West Coast Conference tournament semifinals for the last time together. They won't play each other obviously, but if things go as planned, they'll meet on Tuesday night. That'll be appointment television. Sunbelt title game, Southern Conference title game. Both of those are going to happen on Monday night. And then we'll be back one o' clock Eastern on Tuesday on CBS Sports Network to, you know, talk for about 43 minutes. Well, we do have to do that, don't we?
- [86:59]
Gary Parrish
No, I, I, I think we do it just yet. You just, you just reminded me it's been, dude, it's been busy. It's been, it's been non stop coaching movement games left and right. Oh, so we got a Tuesday network show coming too. We're good to go. I think we got to go.
- [87:15]
Matt Norlander
I think we got a Tuesday show.
- [87:16]
Gary Parrish
We got a Tuesday show. But yes, ace, we've got SoCon Sunbelt title games going down on, on Monday night. And then Josh real, I asked Josh to pull up the bracket. So real quick, this is your power conference tournament stuff to be aware of here. Five leagues starting at, at different times overall different sizes. There is no universal deal here. First we've got, I think technically first is Josh. Is it the Big Ten by tip or is it the Big East? You can feel free to turn on your mic and let me know. There's, there's a variety of difference that we've got here. What do we got?
- [87:52]
Josh
First,
- [87:55]
Gary Parrish
Josh, are you there? I'm gonna, I'm gonna be honest with you. I don't know off the top of my head. Okay, we can, I. But across the bottom of the screen right now we do have, you know, some starting on Tuesday, some starting on Wednesday. So we can go with those. Tournament starts Tuesday in Charlotte. Big 12 tournament starts Tuesday in Kansas City. Oh, yeah. Biggie says Wednesday. That's my bad. Big Ten tournament starts Tuesday in Chicago. So, Josh, can we see the Big ACC first? Let's see the ACC first, just so we have a quick look at this, so we can see what people got to be waiting for. So it's a lot of teams, but they're not sending all 18. They only sent 15. And you've got Stanford against Pitt. Stanford is a bubble team now, so you've got that one there. SMU would play Syracuse. That is a bubble team. See, like, if SMU loses that game, it's. It's out. We're done. Virginia Tech has to play Wake Forest. It's out if it loses that. So those will be the first ones. And NC State has to play the winner of Stanford and Pitt. Like, you lose that game. NC State. Keep an eye on that. Big 12 tournament Tuesday in Kansas City. Josh, let's take a quick look at that one. Big 12 here. They always love putting it against a black backdrop. If people print this out, they want a white piece of paper. My buddy Stephen Hartzell rants about this all the time. So here. What do we have here with about
- [89:11]
Matt Norlander
the color of printed. Hey, you know, people don't really print things out anymore, right?
- [89:15]
Gary Parrish
Brackets. You think people don't print out brackets?
- [89:18]
Matt Norlander
I don't.
- [89:19]
Gary Parrish
You think people don't. What are we talking about? It is a bracket. It is meant to be print out. That is exactly what we do. BYU Place, Kansas State, if you want BYU, Peterson, DebonSA. The only way we get it. Semis Friday night in Kansas City. They both got to get there. That's the Big 12 schedule we have there. Let's look at the Big 10 if
- [89:40]
Matt Norlander
we could, real quick.
- [89:41]
Gary Parrish
GP loves this segment to wrap the show, by the way, but I want to show people the brackets. It's conference Championship week.
- [89:46]
Matt Norlander
I know. Hey, do your thing. You think. You think I'm gonna stand in your way? I know how excited you get about brackets. You don't nickname yourself. March, man, do your thing.
- [89:54]
Gary Parrish
I just. Never mind. Oh, here we go. The Big Ten is sending all.
- [90:03]
Matt Norlander
Look at this.
- [90:04]
Gary Parrish
Look at this catastrophe. It is sending 18 teams to its league tournament. We don't need to do this. I understand. You want to give every student athlete the opportunity.
- [90:13]
Matt Norlander
What is a tiaa? What does that even mean?
- [90:15]
Gary Parrish
I don't know. I feel like there was a TIAA craft once upon a time. I don't know if they lost the cruf. Not quite sure what that happens.
- [90:22]
Matt Norlander
I know everybody's got to make their money. But why is a TIAA right in the middle of the tournament?
- [90:27]
Gary Parrish
I hear you. Where's the pinwheel, by the way? I'm offended by the lack of a pinwheel. Big Ten, get it together. Maryland, Oregon, Penn State, Northwestern, friends and family only. On Tuesday I will have the game on my television because I have a sickness and I want to see how empty the United center is for these games. Bubble wise like Iowa, it will play the winner of Maryland, Oregon. Don't lose that game and give the committee a reason. Ohio State would then have to play the winner of the Iowa, Maryland, Oregon game. Don't lose that game and give the committee any kind of reason. Indiana has to play the winner of Penn State. Northwestern. Indiana will need to win that game. It will need to then beat Purdue and then we might have something there. Keep an eye on that. The top teams, Michigan, Illinois, Nebraska, Michigan State. Those are the top four seeds. They will not be playing until Friday. Let's take a look at the Big east tournament if we could. Josh, this thing is going to get going on Wednesday. You've got not a single bubble team that will be playing. There's no bubble team.
- [91:25]
Matt Norlander
These brackets look crazy.
- [91:27]
Gary Parrish
St. John's is the one, Yukon is the two, Nova is the three. I don't think Seton hall can get in unless it wins this tournament. You dive into the resume and all that. Unfortunately, it had the chance at home Friday. St. John's couldn't get it done. I think the hall needs to beat Creighton, beat the Johnny's and then beat you, Conor. Villanova get the autobid. I think it has to go that way. And then lastly, let's take a look at the SC. Did we see the SEC? Which one? Have we not seen the Big 12. What have we not seen yet? Oh, the SEC. There we go. Kentucky against LSU. Gets it going Wednesday. Oh boy. Auburn plays Mississippi State. If it loses that game, I'm gonna tell you it's missing the tournament. Auburn needs to be Mississippi State, then it needs to be Tennessee. And then I think it needs to beat Vanderbilt to get into the tournament.
- [92:15]
Matt Norlander
Oh, man, I already see what's going to happen here. It's going to be tough. Tough situation.
- [92:20]
Gary Parrish
Lay it out.
- [92:22]
Matt Norlander
Stephen Pearl is going to have his first season at Auburn ended by his alma mater.
- [92:28]
Gary Parrish
There you go. That could well happen. That's rough bubble wise like Missouri should be in, but don't lose to LSU or Kentucky. We've got Texas playing Ole Miss. You can't lose the game there. Oklahoma is now in the field or not in the field. In the mix. It's got South Carolina, but then it's got a M. A M is now in the field. You're gonna have to be both of those teams. It's just one after another after another. Mass chaos is ensuing. Those are your five power conference tournament brackets. To anyone listening, go and find them on your own. I tried to give you a decentral.
- [92:59]
Matt Norlander
You could have said that seven minutes ago.
- [93:01]
Gary Parrish
I know, but I wanted to. I wanted to, you know, it's for the, it's. They, they tell us we got to teach, you know, treat this as much as a podcast, as a visual product. So I wanted to.
- [93:11]
Matt Norlander
In the spirit of self awareness, I do not think I'm allowed to complain about you talking too much or for too long or about things that I don't think you should be talking about. In the spirit of self awareness, I don't think I'm allowed to speak up under those circumstances. So I'm just gonna sit here and let you go.
- [93:32]
Gary Parrish
Yeah, I'm all about that. So that's all I got. That's. That's a. Another 90 minute Sunday show. We aren't trying to make them this long, but it's also. Come on now. March is in full bloom. Less than a week before we get the tournament bracket. Selection Sunday. Auto bids left and right. They're coming fast and furious. Conference tournament play. Let's go, G.P. that's a show.
- [93:54]
Matt Norlander
That's a show. Shouts to Devin Downey. Shouts to Chester, South Carolina, Terry Teagle. Legend Huck Larnell. Thank you guys.
- [94:01]
Gary Parrish
Loving the brackets by the way. They're loving the brackets. Appreciate it.
- [94:08]
Matt Norlander
You're not subscribed. Please go subscribe anyway. Subscribe to podcasts, Apple, Spotify. There's more of us than there are of them. That needs to be reflected in the comments. I just realized something.
- [94:20]
Gary Parrish
Oh, boy.
- [94:25]
Matt Norlander
I have, I have. I'm watching you in real time. But I also have a monitor over here and I've been glancing mostly at the monitor and there are times where I'm talking and the mon. This monitor over here is a little bit behind, but I'm looking at this one and I see you start to talk and I'm like, I can't hear him.
- [94:40]
Gary Parrish
Oh.
- [94:41]
Matt Norlander
But it's, it's. I'm just.
- [94:43]
Gary Parrish
This is a man who talks on television professionally every single week of the year.
- [94:50]
Matt Norlander
I just sort of noticed I was looking at the wrong monitor and I was like, okay, that's why it sounds like I can't hear him sometimes because he's not actually talking. It just looks like he is over there. Anyway, we got 1 o' clock Eastern. 1 o' clock Eastern on Tuesday.
- [95:03]
Gary Parrish
I should have saved the bubble stuff for that show, man. What can you do? What can. Hey, do we run it back?
- [95:10]
Matt Norlander
Hey, hey. Let's do it again. Do it again.
- [95:14]
Gary Parrish
Let's run it back.
- [95:15]
Matt Norlander
All right, let's do it. Hey, we're going to talk to you again on Tuesday and we'll try to. We'll try to be better then, all right? We'll try to be short. We'll. We'll try to be better and we'll definitely be shorter. Till then, take care. Paramount Podcasts
- [95:45]
Gary Parrish
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- [95:46]
Matt Norlander
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Gary Parrish
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Matt Norlander
And they all bring the Monster Energy punch. So if you've been living in the
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Gary Parrish
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