Eye On College Basketball Podcast — 2025-26 Season Mega Preview

Date: November 3, 2025
Hosts: Gary Parrish (GP) & Matt Norlander
Main Theme:
The ultimate tipoff to the 2025-26 college basketball season with a mega two-hour preview: Final Four and championship predictions, national awards picks, deep dives into incoming freshmen, season storylines, game previews (especially Florida vs. Arizona and BYU vs. Villanova), and a wide-ranging segment of fun and bold predictions for the year ahead.

Episode Overview

With less than 24 hours before the new college basketball season, GP and Norlander deliver an extensive “mega preview.” The show covers excitement levels heading into 2025-26, major storylines, the sport’s biggest stars and coaches, deep analysis of the season’s outstanding freshman class, and official hosts’ predictions for the Final Four, national champion, and major individual awards. The hosts also preview high-profile opening week games, discuss “how many screens is too many screens,” and engage in a rapid-fire prediction segment (e.g. which teams will disappoint, who will stay undefeated longest, record-chase storylines, etc.). The preview is rich in both expert analysis and trademark banter.

1. Preseason Excitement & Major Storylines

00:31 – 09:56

• Both hosts are more excited than usual heading into 2025-26, citing a loaded season full of superstar returnees, elite coaching storylines, and a freshman class with historic potential.

  • Norlander: “I cannot wait. I think this is going to be an incredible college basketball season...my hopes and expectations are as high as you could possibly expect them going in.” (02:41)
  • Parrish: “I find myself...more excited than usual. This season...has so many awesome storylines that it's impossible that some of these are not going to emerge.” (05:24)

• Key Storylines for 2025-26:

  • Rick Pitino at St. John’s chasing a third national title at a third school.
  • UConn, seeking a third national title in four years.
  • Florida aiming to repeat as champions.
  • Hall-of-famers Kelvin Sampson (Houston) and Matt Painter (Purdue) seeking their first titles.
  • Elite freshman trio: Darryn Peterson (Kansas), AJ Dybantsa (BYU), Cam Boozer (Duke)—“any of those guys could be National Player of the Year, #1 pick, or the next Anthony Davis.” (05:24)
  • Potential final season of the 68-team NCAA Tournament format.

2. The Freshman Revolution

07:40 – 09:56

• Depth and talent of the 2025 freshman class is unprecedented:
  • Norlander: “This really could be one of the three best freshman classes of the past 20 years—and if it's of the past 20 years, then it's probably the best ever, frankly.” (07:40)
  • Beyond the big three (Peterson, Dybantsa, Boozer), he highlights Nate Ament (Tennessee), Darius Acuff (Arkansas), Mikel Brown Jr. (Louisville), Chris Cenac (Houston), and others as likely instant-impact players.
  • Expectation: far more one-and-done stars will shape title contenders, reversing the trend of recent seasons.

3. National Championship & Final Four Picks

09:56 – 15:11

Matt Norlander’s Final Four:

• Houston (National Champion, over Michigan)
• Michigan
• Arizona
• Purdue

On Houston:
“I think Houston is going to continue this run of compelling national championship storylines … I'm predicting Houston again. I'm gonna have Houston over Michigan in the title game.” (10:51)

Gary Parrish’s Final Four:

• St. John’s (National Champion, over Purdue)
• Purdue
• Houston
• BYU

On St. John’s:
“I’m ride or die with St. John’s. I've got St. John's over Purdue in the national title game.” (14:42)

4. Major Individual Awards

15:11 – 18:20

• Player of the Year:

  • GP: Braden Smith (Purdue)
  • Norlander: Darryn Peterson (Kansas)

• Freshman of the Year:

  • GP: AJ Dybantsa (BYU)
  • Norlander: Darryn Peterson (Kansas)
  • Both agree Cam Boozer could easily win it and is looming.

• Transfer of the Year:

  • Both: Donovan Dent (UCLA), with shoutouts to other top point guards and possible breakout transfers.

Notable Exchange:

• “If you're the best player in the nation and you are a freshman, then you are also the best freshman in the nation. By definition, anything that gets away from that very simple formula is stupid. Period.” –Gary Parrish (16:18)

5. Conference Champion Picks

20:10 – 21:40

• ACC: Both pick Duke
• Big 12: Both pick Houston
• Big Ten: Both pick Purdue
• Big East: GP picks St. John’s, Norlander picks UConn
• SEC: GP picks Florida, Norlander picks Kentucky

6. Opening Week Premier Matchups

(Includes in-depth, timestamped preview segments)

Florida vs. Arizona (Monday, 7:00 ET, TNT)

26:15 – 41:02

• Both excited for a rare, true heavyweight opener: Florida (#3) vs. Arizona (#13).
• Historical context: Only the second reigning champ in 25 years to open vs. a high-major (not conference-mandated). “For Florida, what Todd Golden has done...is highly unusual.” –Norlander (30:59)
• Players/angles to watch: Boogie Flan’s debut for Florida, new Florida backcourt, Arizona’s deep, tall frontcourt, and impactful freshmen.
• Coaching stakes: Both Tommy Lloyd (Arizona) and Todd Golden (Florida) called potential future NBA coaches. Lloyd off to a historically elite start: .772 career win pct vs. Coach K’s .766. (35:15)
• Prediction: Norlander leans Arizona; GP highlights the stakes for both and commends bold scheduling.

Notable Quote:

• “Somebody has to step up and make compelling matchups on opening night. In this case, Tommy and Todd...were able to get this done. So we get the reigning national champs in a big game against a quality opponent.” –GP (34:45)

BYU vs. Villanova (Monday, 9:30 ET, TNT)

45:05 – 50:56

• BYU, for the first time, enters the preseason AP top 10—Dybantsa headlines, but there’s balance with Richie Saunders and Rob Wright.
• “Our first big look at a big name freshman happens Monday night with the Cougars out in the desert.” –Norlander (46:27)
• Villanova's first year under Kevin Willard—completely rebuilt roster, but tipped as a possibly competitive matchup.
• Both expect BYU to win, but Norlander raises the chance of a Nova surprise.

Lehigh at Houston (Monday, 8:00 ET, CBSSN)

• Noted for Kelvin Sampson pursuing his 800th win.

Texas vs. Duke (Tuesday, 8:45 ET, Dick Vitale Invitational)

56:05 – 57:56

• Cam Boozer’s much-anticipated Duke debut—can he become the fourth two-time Gatorade Player of the Year to live up to the hype?
• Both believe Duke is favored and likely to win in Charlotte; Texas is playing “house money.”

7. Notable Quotes & Banter

• “I got addicted. At some point, I just started buying screens.” —GP, on his home viewing setup (44:13)
• “It's like this pod—you gotta balance it out.” —Norlander, on hosts as sports archetypes (30:01)
• “I think in 2025, you don't have to be rich to have a nice setup…TV screens that used to cost $1500, cost $250 now. That's what I mean.” —GP (44:27)
• On transfer market unpredictability: “One of them could easily not hit—someone we haven’t even hardly talked about could wind up being the most valuable transfer.” —Norlander (17:19)

8. Extensive Season Predictions and Fun Segments

60:50 – 99:14

Rapid-Fire Prediction Highlights

(Full timestamps in transcript above for each category)

• High-major new coaches reaching the NCAA Tournament: GP says 6, Norlander 6, but with slight differences in which coaches.
• Single-digit seeds from last year likely to miss this year: GP picks St. Mary’s, Georgia, Clemson; Norlander adds Maryland, Texas A&M.
• Undefeated teams the longest: GP picks UCLA; Norlander picks Michigan.
• Shire watch: Both agree John Shire will set the all-time mark for wins by a coach through four seasons.
• Braden Smith’s chase for the all-time assist record: GP says yes; Norlander says no but expects a close miss.
• Over/unders for star freshmen:
  • Peterson: Over/under 32.5 combined production—GP: Under.
  • Boozer: Over/under 27.5 double-doubles—both slightly over.
  • Dybantsa: Over/under 23.5 ppg (under for both); 7.5 30-point games (under for both).
• Will at least two non-power-conference teams make the Sweet 16? GP: No; Norlander: Yes.

9. Closing: Producer Tribute & Housekeeping

101:08 – 111:02

• Tribute to longtime show producer Kanata “Nada” Edwards, who was laid off due to CBS/Paramount-wide layoffs but is entering fatherhood via adoption the very same week.
  • “You have to have a producer to do this type of stuff, and it's always helpful when you have one who's capable...We can't overstate what he meant to us.” —GP (101:08)
  • “Nada is watching as we are watching, texting Parrrish and I...[even as] he's embarking on something truly unforgettable—fatherhood.”—Norlander (108:21)

10. Scheduling & Scheduling Announcements

110:01 – 111:02

• Wednesday and Friday shows will aim to go live at 9:45am ET, for easier watching/listening.
• Next episode will recap all the opening week action.

Timestamp Key Segments

• Opening Excitement/Season Context: 02:41–09:56
• Freshmen Depth Breakdown: 07:40–09:56
• Final Four & National Champion Picks: 10:51–15:11
• Player, Freshman, Transfer of the Year: 15:11–18:20
• Florida vs. Arizona In-depth Preview: 26:15–41:02
• BYU-Villanova, Houston’s 800th Win Preview: 45:05–50:56
• Texas-Duke, Boozer NBA Future: 56:05–57:56
• Bold & Fun Predictions Segment: 60:50–99:14
• Producer Tribute: 101:08–109:19

In Summary

This “mega preview” sets the tone for a college basketball season brimming with iconic coaches, an all-time freshman class, record chases, and legitimate drama on multiple fronts. The hosts’ deep knowledge and insider analysis are mixed with enthusiasm, humor, and engaging banter—making it a can’t-miss session for fans eager to have a handle on what awaits throughout the 2025-26 college hoops campaign.