Eye On College Basketball Podcast — Episode Summary (March 10, 2026)

Episode Theme:
The episode dives deep into conference tournament season—making picks for the power conferences, reminiscing about classic Champ Week moments, discussing the coaching carousel, and ranking the current National Coach of the Year contenders.

Conference Tournament Auto-Bid Winners & Underdogs

[01:42] - [04:01] "Furman & Troy Stories"

• Hosts: Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander
• Highlights:
  • Furman wins the Southern Conference Title—returning to the NCAA tournament for the first time in three years.
    • Matt Norlander: “When they went in 23, that was the first time in more than four decades that the Dins... made it to the Big dance.” ([02:16])
    • Fond recollection of Furman’s last tournament win, specifically the 2023 buzzer-beater vs. Virginia.
  • Troy clinches a second straight Sun Belt title under Scott Cross—a school first.
    • Norlander: “His name has been connected as one of the three, four, five most likely guys to potentially get that Georgia Tech job. He’s a really, really good coach…” ([02:56])
  • Parallels between Cross’s journeys at UT Arlington and Troy, highlighting the disappointment behind his UTA firing.
    • Parrish: “Whoever’s running UT Arlington has absolutely no impact on my life whatsoever. But it is worth noting that Scott landed at Troy and now has Troy in back-to-back NCAA tournaments.” ([04:01])

Bubble Talk & WCC Upset

[05:14] - [07:51] "Santa Clara Upsets St. Mary’s"

• Santa Clara stuns St. Mary’s in the WCC semifinals, setting up a showdown with Gonzaga.

  • Discussing whether the WCC could become a three-bid league.
  • Norlander: “Santa Clara’s sitting at 36 [in wins above bubble]. If you’re sitting inside of the top 40, I think the committee is going to put you in just about every time.” ([06:07])

• Parrish notes this is likely the last time the WCC will be a multi-bid league with Gonzaga’s expected exit.

  • Parrish: “Probably a three-bid league for the last time in the history of the conference.” ([07:51])

Power Conference Tournament Predictions

ACC

[11:49] Norlander’s ACC Pick

• Virginia over Duke, mentioning recent injuries (Caleb Foster's surgery).
  • Norlander: “When you hear a coach use the phrase 'foreseeable future,' that means he’s done.” ([11:49])
• Parrish: Picks Duke even with injuries, forecasting them as No.1 overall seed ([12:50]).

Big East

[13:31] NYC Showdown

• Universal hope for UConn vs. St. John’s in the final.
  • Norlander: “It would be so disappointing if this was anything other than Huskies versus Johnny’s…” ([13:31])
  • Both pick UConn to win.

Big Ten

[14:33] Chaos in the Midwestern Air

• Norlander: Picks Illinois’ top offense to prevail over Purdue.
• Parrish: Selects Michigan as the safe, top-seed pick but acknowledges the league’s wild variability.

Big 12

[16:58] Houston vs. Arizona

• Both hosts choose Houston over Arizona, with Arizona as the best team across the season.

SEC

[17:43] Counterpoint: Non-One Seeds

• Parrish: Florida is the team to beat, predicting Todd Golden’s squad as a No.1 seed.
• Norlander: Takes Alabama and notes the SEC often yields a non-top seed winner.

Overarching Pattern

• Norlander: “What’s the pattern? Virginia, Yukon, Illinois, Houston, Bama. What do they have in common?…They are all non one seeds.” ([19:14])
  • Parrish: “You're braver than I am. I took, I believe, three one seeds.” ([19:30])

Champ Week Memories: Iconic Moments & Personal Favorites

[20:50] “Memories Are Made In This Week Annually”

Matt Norlander

• Kemba Walker’s buzzer-beater at MSG (2011)

  • “Kemba did the press conference...then he saw me. He’s like, ‘Nah, man, I’m good, we can talk.’ I’ll never forget that.” ([21:40])

• Syracuse-UConn 6 OT Game (2009)

  • Bar-watched epic after being denied press credentials.

• Isaiah Thomas’ Pac-12 Championship Buzzer-Beater (2010)

• Childress’ Crossover (1995 ACC Tournament)

  • “That Childress highlight...is one of the marquee long-lasting non NCAA tournament March highlights in the history of college basketball.” ([32:23])

• On why Champ Week is almost as good as March Madness: “There are more games being played...more teams that are playing with their seasons on the line... I still slightly favor the actual Big Dance, but it's as close as possible.” ([32:57])

Gary Parrish

• Kenyon Martin’s 2000 leg-breaking injury in Memphis that altered the national title race.
  • “Kenyon Martin, broken leg. Changed college basketball history perhaps forever.” ([23:00])
• Darius Washington’s missed free throws (Memphis, Conf. USA, 2005)
  • “To this day, that is the hardest basketball moment I’ve ever watched that didn’t involve an injury...This young man just crushed, feeling like he just let a whole city down.” ([26:36])
  • Noted the Phish song “The Line” as a testament to the moment’s importance.
• Covering undefeated runs in conference tournaments (Wichita State 2014, Kentucky 2015).

Coach of the Year Race: Contenders Ranked

[36:54] - [39:53] "Wide Open Field"

• Norlander’s Top 5 (in order):
  1. Travis Steele, Miami (OH) – Undefeated regular season, “...a 1 in 3740 chance...longer odds than any of the other teams.” ([37:20])
  2. Jon Scheyer, Duke – Lost five starters to the NBA, still built a No.1 overall seed.
  3. Tommy Lloyd, Arizona – “He is as freshman dependent as anyone in the country and it’s working.” ([37:20])
  4. Dusty May, Michigan – Outstanding year one, impressive player development.
  5. Fred Hoiberg, Nebraska – Program’s best season ever, outpacing all reasonable expectations.
• Parrish’s pick: Hoiberg at Nebraska. “Unimaginable, unprecedented. And that’s the place I would hand the trophy to. You wouldn’t argue with me, would you?” ([39:36])
• Both agree the race is genuinely up for grabs until the Elite Eight is complete.

Coaching Carousel: Who’s Hot, Who’s Not

[42:46] - [47:58] "Jobs in Flux"
Jobs expected/rumored to open:

• Arizona State: Hurley likely to depart.

• Syracuse: Uncertainty around Red Autry; search for next AD is ongoing but contact with coaching candidates has reportedly begun.

• Cincinnati: West Miller might need an NCAA bid to keep his job.

• Pittsburgh: Jeff Capel’s future murky; expensive buyout but likely to turn over.

• Norlander: “I don’t think we’re going to have a top 20 job that comes open. Although never say never—like, weird stuff happens...” ([44:13])

• Memphis:

  • Parrish: “I don’t think it’s going to open. I think Penny Hardaway will get a year nine...Nobody on this planet other than Penny Hardaway would get a Year 9 at the University of Memphis under these circumstances.” ([45:23])
  • If results don't improve next season, the decision to part ways becomes easier and more palatable for the administration.

Quotes & Noteworthy Exchanges

• Norlander on Coach of the Year:

  • “When you hear a coach use the phrase, foreseeable future, that means he’s done.” ([11:49])

• Parrish on Club Roster Management:

  • “Why do you want to pay $6 million buyout to fracture your fan base, alienate your most famous alum to hire the next coach? You don’t even know who that’s going to be.” ([46:28])

• On the magic of conference tournaments:

  • "Memories are made in this week annually. I can’t wait to see which ones we get made as it unfolds." ([33:17], Parrish)

Notable Timestamps

• [02:14] Furman’s NCAA return recap, Zebulander joke
• [05:14] Santa Clara’s bubble fate and the WCC three-bid discussion
• [11:49] ACC tournament injury fallout and predictions
• [20:50] Reminiscence about Kemba Walker’s MSG moment
• [23:00] Kenyon Martin’s injury and alternate college basketball history
• [26:36] Darius Washington’s infamous missed free throws
• [37:20] Norlander’s Coach of the Year ranking rundown
• [42:46] Deep dive into the coaching carousel jobs and implications

Final Thoughts & Looking Ahead

• Both hosts set out for live coverage: Norlander to Kansas City for the Big 12, Parrish to NYC for CBS studio coverage.
• Parrish: “We’ll have a new episode...coming to YouTube on Wednesday. So make sure to be prepared for that.” ([48:17])

This summary captures the episode’s unique blend of insightful analysis, personal flashbacks, and playful banter—delivering a vibrant tour through the high drama and storytelling that define March’s college basketball landscape.