EOCBB on CBSSN: Fav Sweet 16 games; all 1s or zero 1s to Final Four? Plus: portal is open too early; coaching carousel latest; NCAAT survivor picks!

Summary

Eye On College Basketball Podcast Summary Episode: EOCBB on CBSSN: Fav Sweet 16 games; all 1s or zero 1s to Final Four? Plus: portal is open too early; coaching carousel latest; NCAAT survivor picks!
Release Date: March 25, 2025

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Introduction to Sweet 16 Matchups

Timestamp: [01:57] – [04:50]

Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander kick off the episode by diving into the upcoming Sweet 16 games, which are pivotal in shaping the path to the Final Four. With four games scheduled each on Thursday and Friday, the hosts discuss potential standout matchups and personal preferences.

Notable Discussion Points:

• Matt's Highlight Game: Matt expresses a strong preference for the BYU vs. Alabama game, emphasizing the offensive prowess of both teams. He mentions BYU's Kevin Young and AJ DeBance, projecting DeBance as a top NBA draft pick.

  Matt Norlander [02:38]: "It's actually even better from inside the arc... AJ DeBance... likely going to be a top three pick in the 2026 draft."

• Gary's Choice: Gary opts for the Duke vs. Arizona matchup, highlighting Caleb Love's impact and his potential to change the course of games.

  Gary Parrish [04:50]: "Caleb Love... ended Mike Shasheski's career and could now end Cooper Flag's college career."

Final Four Predictions: All 1s or Zero 1s?

Timestamp: [11:09] – [17:05]

The conversation shifts to the likelihood of all four number one seeds advancing to the Final Four, a scenario that has only occurred once before in NCAA history (2008).

Key Insights:

• Matt's Perspective: Matt believes there's a 20-21% chance of all four 1-seeds making it, touching on statistical analyses but admits uncertainty without external data.

  Matt Norlander [11:32]: "This feels like 20, 21% ish that we get all four seeds."

• Gary's Take: Gary aligns with Matt, suggesting that having all four 1-seeds in the Final Four is more probable than having none. However, he also points out Auburn's recent performance as a potential vulnerability among the 1-seeds.

  Gary Parrish [13:31]: "I'd be shocked if there were zero number one seeds at the Final Four."

Vulnerable Number One Seeds

Timestamp: [17:07] – [19:41]

Focusing on which of the four remaining 1-seeds might falter, Gary and Matt analyze team performances and underlying issues.

Notable Points:

• Auburn's Decline: Gary highlights Auburn's recent slump, noting their drop from top KinMoment rankings and inconsistent performances, particularly from key players like Janai Broom.

  Gary Parrish [16:53]: "Auburn is 3 and 3 since March 4th. The teams that are 1, 2, and 3 since March 4th are Houston, Florida, and Duke."

• Matt's Analysis: Matt concurs, citing Auburn's struggles and the challenges they face against formidable opponents like Michigan.

  Matt Norlander [18:04]: "If Auburn can be a flip switcher then we got to see it here in the Sweet 16."

The Transfer Portal: Early Opening Concerns

Timestamp: [21:09] – [33:05]

The hosts delve into the contentious topic of the transfer portal being open too early during the tournament season, discussing its implications on both players and coaches.

Key Discussions:

• Matt's Critique: Matt criticizes the timing of the transfer portal's opening, arguing it detracts from the tournament's focus and creates unnecessary distractions for coaches and players alike.

  Matt Norlander [21:43]: "I just don't find it beneficial to have this happening while we still have 16 teams in the tournament."

• Gary's Counterpoints: Gary acknowledges the premature opening but emphasizes that many coaches have been engaging in transfer talks long before the portal officially opened, suggesting a level of hypocrisy in the criticism.

  Gary Parrish [25:45]: "It seems a little hypocritical to be up in arms about players perhaps thinking about their future while a season is still unfolding."

• Player Autonomy: Both hosts agree that transferring should be a player's decision to maximize their opportunities and potential earnings, despite the challenges it may pose academically.

  Gary Parrish [27:41]: "Players need to do what's best for the players."

Coaching Carousel Developments

Timestamp: [33:39] – [37:46]

Shifting focus to coaching changes, Gary and Matt discuss recent moves, including Sean Miller's appointment at Texas and the broader implications of coaching stability and diversity.

Highlights:

• Sean Miller to Texas: The hosts analyze Sean Miller's move, considering his track record and the expectations placed upon him at a storied program like Texas.

  Gary Parrish [34:16]: "Sean is actually probably equipped to do well at Texas and that could really work."

• Racial Dynamics: Gary brings up the racial aspect in coaching hires, noting that coaches like Sean Miller and Will Wade have navigated their careers differently compared to others involved in scandals.

  Gary Parrish [36:21]: "There's a racial component to this as well."

• Maryland's Situation: The discussion extends to Kevin Willard's criticisms of Maryland's support structure, pondering whether his public grievances indicate a potential move to Villanova or another program.

  Gary Parrish [36:21]: "He's talking like somebody who knows if I don't, I don't have to be here."

NCAAT Survivor Pool Picks

Timestamp: [44:11] – [48:24]

In the final segment, Gary and Matt engage in a "Survivor Pool" challenge, selecting non-1 seed teams they believe will advance to the Elite Eight, adding an element of friendly competition.

Matt's Picks:

• Michigan State Over Ole Miss: Despite acknowledging Michigan State's struggles with three-point shooting, Matt trusts their overall performance and defensive capabilities.

  Matt Norlander [44:11]: "My pick is Michigan State over Ole Miss on Friday night on CBS in Atlanta."

Gary's Picks:

• Tennessee Vols: Gary chooses Tennessee, rooting for their growth and potential to reach the Final Four for the first time in school history.

  Gary Parrish [46:10]: "I think I go with the Tennessee Vols... close to that [Final Four]."

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Conclusion

The episode offers a comprehensive exploration of the current NCAA tournament landscape, addressing key matchups, the integrity of the Final Four seeding, the controversial timing of the transfer portal, and significant coaching moves. Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander provide insightful analysis, backed by personal opinions and statistical considerations, making this episode a must-listen for college basketball enthusiasts seeking in-depth coverage and thoughtful commentary.

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Notable Quotes:

• Matt Norlander [02:38]: "AJ DeBance... likely going to be a top three pick in the 2026 draft."
• Gary Parrish [04:50]: "Caleb Love... ended Mike Shasheski's career and could now end Cooper Flag's college career."
• Gary Parrish [13:31]: "I'd be shocked if there were zero number one seeds at the Final Four."
• Matt Norlander [21:43]: "I just don't find it beneficial to have this happening while we still have 16 teams in the tournament."
• Matt Norlander [44:11]: "My pick is Michigan State over Ole Miss on Friday night on CBS in Atlanta."
• Gary Parrish [46:10]: "I think I go with the Tennessee Vols... close to that [Final Four]."

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This summary encapsulates the episode's key discussions and insights, providing a clear overview for listeners and enthusiasts unable to attend the live broadcast.

Transcript

[Gary Parrish]

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[Matt Norlander]

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[Gary Parrish]

Hey there Gary Perrott. Welcome back to the Iowan college basketball podcast, CBS Sports Network, where we sometimes discuss camel fighting, dodo birds and leaky black. Matt Norlander is here with me and we are now just two days away from the start of the Sweet 16. Four games on Thursday, four games on Friday. Norlander I know we now live in a world where millions of folks have multiple screens. We don't have to make these hard choices that we used to have to make, at least in most cases. But what if we did? Let's Play that game for a second. Let's pretend that on Thursday you could only watch one of the Sweet 16 games available. Then we'll do the same thing for Friday. What's the main game on your radar Thursday as we get this NCAA tournament restarted?

[Matt Norlander]

Well, good to see you again, G.P. i'm going to pick the game that I'm going to be at and that would be the pick anyway, even if I wasn't going to be in the building. For everyone listening, your reminder here on the Thursday games, we've got byu, Bama and Newark and that is in the east. And then we'll have Maryland, Florida out west in San Francisco. That'll happen about 30 minutes after. Then there's Ariz. Duke back east in Newark on cbs. And then the night will wrap with Arkansas versus Texas Tech. So we're picking from this group. I am. It's. For me, it is byu, Bama, because the potential for these teams to put on an offensive display that is dazzling, I think is high. Now when you get two teams that are willing to get up and down the floor, there is the potential that this could get away from one of them. And we wind up having one team, you know, winning 95 to 81. And maybe it's not all that thrilling after all. But I tell you what, with what Kevin Young's team has been able to do, it's a really good, it shoots plenty. It shoots plenty of threes. It's a really good three point shooting team. It's actually even better from inside the arc. We know that BYU has been on, largely speaking, it's been on a heater parish for more than a month. The only time it got clipped was against Houston, which is a team that I've got winning the national championship. And that game happened in the Big 12 tournament. So, you know, Igor Demon could be a top 20 NBA pick. Richie Saunders has been tremendous. They've got a, they've got a few guys that can shoot it well from deep. And I, I think they got a great chance. And you've got Mark Sears on the other side. Alabama trying to go for another Final Four. They score more points per game than anyone in the sport. And, and I like it. And then there's also, although this isn't really playing too much into it, I just, it's. Oh, by the way, the number one pick probably, you know, likely and almost certainly going to be a top three pick in the 2026 draft. His name is AJ DeBance and we talked about him earlier this season because he committed to BYU back in December and he committed to BYU over Alabama. So it's just interesting that the two schools that were chasing more coveted prospects of the past 10 years, I mean, he's considered to be. Some people think that he's going to be a better pro than Cooper Flag, but we'll see him in college next year. BYU is even maybe ahead of the pace. That's the game for me that I, that I would choose out of all of them. And I can't wait to be there. I'm, I'm eager to get down to Newark on Thursday and see that one tip off and get the sweet 16 going.

[Gary Parrish]

That'll obviously be a fun one. But I would go Duke, Arizona in part because of the Caleb Love component to this matchup. This dude may be already a legend forever, but if you end Mike Shasheski's career and then in Cooper Flag's freshman season and likely college career, legend forever. You remember he got, he got 28 points for North Carolina in what was coach case final game on the sidelines for dude ended Paulo Bankero's college career and could now end Cooper Flagg's college career. Imagine being that. That's your resident. That's your Wikipedia page. Hey, what'd you do in college? What did I do in college? Ended Mike Shasheski's career and the career of two subsequent number one overall picks in the NBA draft. That could be where we're headed with Caleb Love. Let's look ahead to to Friday. Now if you could only watch one game on Friday, which game would you pick there?

[Matt Norlander]

By the way, Caleb Love hit a huge buzzer beater earlier this season. That's just like an oh, by the way with him and it's going to be a big one. Here's the order. Mississippi. Excuse me, G.P. ol Miss versus Michigan State. That's in Atlanta on CBS on Friday. Then it will be Kentucky, Tennessee and Indianapolis. Then it will be Michigan versus Auburn and then wraps up with Purdue. Houston. There's a lot of options here. My pick is, my pick is Michigan versus Auburn for a couple of reasons. You know, Michigan having the two seven footers, Vlad the Impaler. Vlad the Impaler. That's a fish reference. Oh, by the way, I know GP is not picking up on that. Having Vlad golden and Danny Wolf and two seven footers, Jenny Broom, Nash, you know, national player of the year contender and, and oh, by the way, like flag and broom. I haven't decided. We're going to GP and I and [e-mail] we will decide in less than a week. I'm not even kidding you when I tell you that how these players play over the next couple of games may sway my vote. We'll see. So how would this broom play against the Michigan? Big Auburn has gotten a push from Creighton. It hasn't looked like the best team in the tournament through two games, but it's obviously capable of. Of winning this one. Michigan had a really big push from UC San Diego and and has been able to break on through. It basically turned off Texas A and M's water, although A and M can't really shoot it. A and M almost went to the faucet itself and said, okay, we're done here. That one is the most intriguing to me. And Auburn fans are going to fill that building plenty. But you and I both know that that building will be on fire because Michigan and Michigan State fans travel and travel well. And then you got Auburn and Ole Miss and their fan bases are going to be well represented given the region that this is in that one. I can't shake the feeling that it's going to be close. And Michigan does really, really, really, really, really well in close games. So that's my pick. You agree or you got. You're going somewhere else on the board?

[Gary Parrish]

I'll go to a different game, but I'll stay in the same arena, the same city. You know, Oxford, Mississippi is very drivable to Atlanta as well. So Atlanta popping for these Sweet 16 games and. And the Elite Eight matchup, Michigan State, Ole Miss, no matter the result. Pretty wild story. If Michigan State wins this, and that is the expected outcome, at least according to the computers, then Tom Izzo is suddenly one more win away at the age of 70 from reaching his ninth final four. Only four men have ever made nine final fours. It's Coach K. John Wooden, Roy Williams and. And Dean Smith.

[Matt Norlander]

Dean Smith.

[Gary Parrish]

That's it.

[Matt Norlander]

Yep. Yeah.

[Gary Parrish]

Tom Izzo can join that list with two more wins in Atlanta. That would obviously be a great story. But on the other side, it could be an incredible story as well, because if Ole Miss wins on Friday, then Ole Miss is in the Elite Eight. You ready for this? For the first time in school history and in year two under Chris Beard. Chris Beard is the first person to ever lead Little Rock to 30 wins. Did unprecedented stuff there. Got the Texas Tech job. Did unprecedented stuff. Their first coach to ever take Texas Tech to an Elite Eight, to a Final Four and to a national championship game. And now could be the first person to ever take Ole Miss to an elite eight. And obviously once you get there, then you're trying to hang banners and get to the first final four in school history. So, yeah, I think of all the sites like you've got really compelling stuff down in Atlanta, the two Michigan schools both being there and then two schools that are very drivable for the fans with Auburn and and Ole Miss. Let's continue this conversation touching on some of the one seeds next. All four are remain alive. They all four remain favored to win their regions. And obviously if that happens, then we got all four number one seeds in the Final four for just the second time in NCAA tournament history. How likely does Norlando think that is? I'll ask him right after this break on the Iowa College Basketball Podcast. We're on CBS Sports Network.

[Matt Norlander]

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[Gary Parrish]

Basketball Podcast on CBS Sports Network. As you likely know, all four number one seeds remain alive in this NCAA tournament. And if they all win two more games, we would have four number one seeds at the Final Four for just the second time in history. First time since 2008. So let's stop here for a second. Norlander, how likely do you think that is? Could you see all four number one seeds actually winning two more games?

[Matt Norlander]

I could see it. I'm gonna drop an Easter egg into this episode. So if you're watching or listening, we're gonna do another episode within the next 24 hours. At least that's the plan. Before we get the Sweet 16 rolling. I have sent, I've sent a Note along to Mr. Ken Pomeroy about this, and I don't think he's gonna get back to me before the end of the segment. I will give you the exact Pomeroy percentage of this on the next show. The Norlander percentage, which you should not take to heart. I'm gonna say this feels. This feels like 20, 21% ish that we get all 41 seeds. If we do, it will be all too appropriate given the stat that if you follow college basketball, you know this by heart. But just a reminder, San Antonio, oh, eight was the only time and now we are in San Antonio again this season. I can see a scenario in which all of these one seeds actually get beat and we have zero ones wind up in the final four. I don't think that's going to happen. Let me be clear. But because the quality of the field that we have par it would not stun me. And let me ask you, I think I know your answer, but just let me see. What do you find to be more likely, all four ones or none of the ones make it to the final four?

[Gary Parrish]

Well, I think it's obviously more likely. All four ones is much more likely than zero ones. Wouldn't you agree with that?

[Matt Norlander]

I. I wonder how big the. The forecast percentage would be on that. I would. I don't know. I don't know. GP I don't know if all four ones is more likely than none of them. I think it probably is, but I'd be interested to see how. How different that is. We're venturing into probabilities off the top of our head. It's really dangerous territory. Probably just bail on this conversation altogether. However, that being said, I am fascinated to see which ones, if any, get picked off. I don't think this will happen. I think we will have at least one lose. My guess is when we get to Sunday night, this is just my guess. My guess is we will have two 1 seeds heading to San Antonio.

[Gary Parrish]

I can't back this up with any numbers, but this is the best way I can put it. I'd be shocked if there were zero number one seeds at the final four in San Antonio. And yet it would not shock me at all if, if. If all four were actually, actually there. That said, of the four number one seeds, which one do you think's most vulnerable right now? Like the one that you just have real questions about, regardless of how you felt Last Sunday or seven Sundays ago, just in this moment, you've lost a little faith.

[Matt Norlander]

I okay, so I will go back to just what I had on my bracket Sunday night nine days ago, and I had Maryland over Florida. That's now the matchup that we have in front of us awaiting us Thursday night in the City by the Bay. So I'm going to continue to stick with Terps over Gators, which seems to be a game as an aside that is set to potentially just tear our newsroom apart because we have no shortage of Florida Maryland alumni. So that's going to be fun. I, I, I love Maryland starting five. And you know, the reason why this has been dubbed the Crab Five isn't just because it's a good team. That's a, that's a funny and cool punny nickname going off of the Fab Five from Michigan, which obviously lifted from the bales. But they are legitimately very, very, very good. And they score more points per game as a starting unit than any team in college basketball. And the way that they are built, I think they have a chance to really give Florida a real push. Now Florida got a genuine 40 minutes. If UConn can really, if Yukon was able to make two or three plays in the final three minutes of that game, this would be a Maryland versus Yukon game. But it is a Maryland versus Florida game. And so that is my pick. I'll send it back to you, Parrish. But I, I think you can say that Auburn has been the one seed that has looked through the first two games to be the, that has had the, I don't want to say it's been the weakest because it hasn't, it just, it hasn't looked as Duke has been the best for sure. Houston got a nudge from Gonzaga late. Florida got a genuine fight from a really, really good team. And then Auburn, Creighton's good. It just found itself in a, in a fight for maybe longer than expected.

[Gary Parrish]

Right? I think that's the right answer. I've got Auburn winning the national championship. I kept Auburn number one in the top 25 and one for like the final 60 something days of the, of the season heading into selection Sunday. I'm not going to move off of, of that now, but they haven't looked the same. I mean they're just three and three in their past six games. We know that. Janai Broom. Yeah, national player of the year candidate, but not lately. He's been held to single digits in points three times in his last seven outings over the past five weeks, Auburn has dropped from first at Kin Bomb to fourth at KinPom. And if you run the [e-mail], which is something I learned how to do years ago, and you go back to March 4th, that's the day where Auburn started to slide. So you go back six games to the morning of March 4th and run the data there. This was sort of interesting. Auburn is 3 and 3 since March 4th. The teams that are 1, 2, and [e-mail] since March 4th are Houston, Florida and Duke. It's the three other number one seats. Do you know where Auburn is? Trivia time. Where is Auburn since March 4th? If I'm telling you right now, I'll.

[Matt Norlander]

Be quick on it. Give me. I got you. Give me three guesses to get within three rankings. My first guess is 30.

[Gary Parrish]

You're close enough. It's 32nd to me.

[Matt Norlander]

There we go, buddy.

[Gary Parrish]

So that's one way to illustrate, like, they're not the same team that they once were. And it doesn't mean they can't get it back, but if you were hoping they would look like they got it back in the round of 64, not really. Look like they got it back in the round of 32, not really. I guess they can still flip the switch, but if they don't, I could see them going from the number one overall seed to, you know, maybe the first one seed eliminated from this tournament. Because even though they are the number one overall seed, they are not the favorite to win this. Now, Duke is, and if not Duke, then it's Florida, but it's not Auburn. And some of that is because of the way. The way they've been playing lately. Let me ask you just a philosophical question. Do you believe in switch flipping? People talk about that in sports all the time. Like they could just turn it back on. How often do you think that's actually a real thing relative to how often we talk about it? And it just never really actually happens. You are what you are.

[Matt Norlander]

I think it can be a thing. I think it's different factors for different teams in different circumstances, but it probably gets overstated overall. But if it's a thing with Auburn, then we better see it on this weekend because Michigan is a team that is deep. It's got, you know, it runs really good offense. It turns it over a ton like Auburn's. Actually, there are ways that you can look at this matchup and see how it can really benefit Auburn. You there. There are scenarios in which Auburn shows up and really gives Michigan the business and moves on to the lead eight and we say I remember that team, I remember you. But if Auburn is going to continue to be this team that has been good but not great then it could be in for some real trouble because everything like Wolf's ability as as truly like a point, a seven foot point forward slash center that can cause some issues. You know they've got Auburn's got Dylan Cardwell engine. I Broom Cardwell is a better pound for pound defender. That's like not arguable. Broom's a great rebounder but Cardwell is going to be the gu that's going to probably match up with flat golden. And so with that in mind can broom it can broom handle Wolf. How will that, how will that go down there? And then you've got the guard matchups and Michigan's gonna have, it's going to be have its work cut out for it on the defensive end as well. But if Auburn can be a, a flip switcher then we got to see it here in the sweet 16. The opponent also has a factor in this. Don't get me wrong, but I do believe in the general idea of it. But I, I, I think that not many teams are truly capable of it of going to be like oh, we've kind of been in cruise control now we mean it and here we go.

[Gary Parrish]

I'll keep it simple. I believed even when the bracket came out that Auburn could get to the sweet 16 without playing well. And I think they kind of got to the sweet 16 without playing well. I'm not sure they can win another game without playing well. Now it's time like you, you better show up or obviously the Big Ten tournament champs are, are capable of, of beating you. And either team on the other side if you get past Michigan are capable of getting you too if you know, if you don't start performing a little better than you've been performing lately. When we come back, we'll turn our attention to the transfer portal. It's now open and filling up fast. Some folks I see on social media are calling it, you know, ridiculous and crazy. I'd go with a slightly different word. Maybe smart. Maybe smart. I'll explain why. We'll do it after this break on the ion college basketball podcast CBS Sports Network.

[Unknown Speaker]

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[Gary Parrish]

Welcome back to the I Own college Basketball podcast CBS Sports Network. The Transfer Portal open Monday. It's filling up fast. Norlander. Some people with jobs like ours seem really bothered by this. I'm not. Are you?

[Matt Norlander]

The fact that it's filling up? No. There's a couple angles on this, in all honesty. Like I don't care about the transfer portal right now. I care about the tournament and the storylines and what's happening on the floor. Transfer portal stuff to me is, is is the kind of, I even hate to say content, but you know, transactional stuff that really has more intrigue and value for me personally once we find out who is the last team standing in San Antonio in the days following that, literally as now, I'm not going to deny that players that are opting to go into it are in some cases and not many, but in some are newsworthy. Literally seconds before we just came back from break, Donovan Dent announced that he was going into the portal. Donovan Dent was one of the 20 best players in the country this season at New Mexico. And so that's a notable one. Like Tucker. Tucker Devries technically in the portal, but following his his F Indiana Bennett Sturts was one of the best guards in the country this season. He's going to follow Ben McCollum to Iowa as as should be expected. Malik Renew is one of the more notable players from Indiana. He's in the portal. We'll get bigger names as stuff moves along. I just don't find myself all that interested in it, to be honest, because I care more about the tournament and I think most fans frankly care way, way, way, way more about the tournament than a lot of players whose impact next year and the year after is very much tbd. I do care about when it opens, like, there's no. There's no stopping. And nor should there be if a player wants to announce that they will go into the portal. Players did that two weeks ago. But I just don't think this is remotely beneficial to the sport that it opens now. This is not a new opinion. I said this on the podcast a year ago and the year before that. At the absolute earliest, the portal should be opening after the Elite Eight. If you want to. If you want to say, okay, we get to a Final Four and there's only four teams left in Division 1 that are competing for a national championship. There'll be a few more. We got that silly crown thing that's now happening in Vegas, and that's going to be a disaster with the portal in general. I get that. I wouldn't even push back on that. A lot of people say, no, no, it should be after the Final Four period. But I think you can even move it back one more week. I had a coach that's in the Sweet sixteen hit me up yesterday and say, we're preparing to play X Team. Okay? This is a coach of a team who has a worse seed than the team that they are facing. And they said 75% of our meeting today, 75% was about the portal. We're trying to. We're trying to game plan and beat this. That's just. That is so emblematic to me. GP of where we do not need to be in college basketball. If coaching staffs that are competing and participating in the Sweet 16 are spending the Monday after the first weekend of the tournament with 75% of their conversation time and attention on the portal and not their next game. And trying to make a Final Four a part of the sport is broken and it needs to be fixed. They need to bump the portal opening date to the week after the lead eight, in my opinion, starting next year.

[Gary Parrish]

I would not object to that. But I would also note that we now know, and I mean, we've always known, but it's like on the record, coaches have told us in the past week or so that in some cases these conversations between schools and sitting head coaches started weeks ago, if not months ago. So every time somebody stands up and says this transfer portal shouldn't be open in the middle of a season that's still ongoing because it creates all of this uncertainty and all of these conversations. Well, we know coaches are talking to agents and other schools, athletic directors, all that search firms while the season's unfolding. It seems a little hypocritical to be up in arms about players perhaps thinking about their future while a season is still unfolding as well. Either way, my larger point is that you see the numbers, it's hundreds very quickly and I mean, you can't keep up to your point.

[Matt Norlander]

We might be, sorry, GP, we might be at 800 plus by the end of Tuesday. Just so people have an idea of how many guys have hopped in the portal. Go ahead.

[Gary Parrish]

Yeah. And the overwhelming majority of them, like, you see their name and the next time you'll see their name is when they commit somewhere and then you'll never think about them again. All right, so I guess where I just sort of roll my eyes, I see people say things like, this is ridiculous, all these young people in the transfer portal. And I actually think it's the smartest thing a young person could do. Like if my son were a college basketball player, you know, unless we were just as happy as we could be in every aspect, I would advise to get into the transfer portal every. Every off season. These are jobs now, Will. High paying jobs. That's what they are. If you're a high major basketball player, you are pursuing a good job that pays well. There's a lot of money getting thrown around right now, sometimes stupidly, I don't know why, it's ridiculous for a young person to make himself available and just find out if somebody wants to throw a stupid amount of money at you, perhaps you'll get answers that humble you a little bit. Maybe the market for you isn't quite what you hoped it would be, but there's going to be somebody, lots of people who jump into the transfer portal and end up agreeing to deals to play basketball somewhere for much more money than they play basketball this season. And I don't know why that should be considered a bad thing. If you want to redo the whole system and like blow it up, start from scratch, collectively bargain, all of that stuff, I'm for that. I don't like the way this is, but it is not the player's responsibility to save the sport. I saw that at last night. Like all these players getting in the transport portal is ruining the sport. Well, it's not the player's job to save the sport or improve the sport.

[Matt Norlander]

That's exactly right.

[Gary Parrish]

Other people, yeah, the players need to do what's best for the players. And right now I genuinely believe this. The best thing you can do as a college basketball player, if you have any value at all, is get into the transfer portal. Even if you think you're going right Back where you just were. Still, you might want to get in there and get as many offers as you can and then you use them as leverage to make sure you are going to school next season and maximizing the amount of money you're going to earn while doing it.

[Matt Norlander]

Just the idea that, you know, if everyone's in the portal, does the portal even exist and kind of breaking the. In the actual existential. The existential concept of the portal in general is. It's kind of twisting my brain. I can't, I can't disagree with a lot of what you said. There. Obviously there will be situations where some players just find that they can get the most where they are. But I get your point. There's a, there's a real value to that. I just don't find it beneficial or frankly all that interesting to having this happen while we still have 16 teams in the tournament a year ago. As a reminder, this actually happened after Selection Sunday and we were having a very similar conversation. Almost everyone in the sport, not everyone, but like an overwhelming amount of people. I'm talking athletic directors and coaches and agents and media people and fans, did not think that it was at all appropriate to have the portal open the Monday after Selection Sunday. They moved it back a week. I think it is progress. I think you still need to move it one more week and keep it open for a 30 day period. That's plenty of time for the majority of April to figure this out and, and to not have a situation where you have coaches that are. That are dealing with this. And also in addition to players, I mean there. I don't know how many others are. I know Justin Pippen who plays for Michigan is in the portal. I would. I frankly been too busy to suss this out. I suppose I could send a text and find out, but is. I assume he's going to be traveling with the team. Right. So I'm going to go in the portal once our season's done. I don't even have an issue with that. But I just don't. I don't think it's the, the greatest, the greatest look of all. Justin Pippen, the son of Scotty Pippen. Go get, go get your bag. Go find your, your path. I get all that. I just want it pushed back at least one more week for the benefit of the sport and to have much more of the attention and really all of the attention for the most part on the tournament. In addition to your point on the coaching stuff is completely valid. I'll just note it does create Turmoil. There are headlines there, but there aren't 700 coaches changing jobs as opposed to 700 players. It's kind of apples and oranges. I just at least wanted to provide that, that counterbalance to what you said. But your point on coaches moving and talking before, completely fair. And if players and their representation are, you know, quote unquote tampering, going back weeks and weeks and weeks, you might not like it, but you can't stop it. It's going to be a thing that happens.

[Gary Parrish]

Yeah, that's the thing that happens that you can do nothing about. One last note and then we'll move on. Because you tweet something along the lines of what I've been saying and people try to counter argue it in a variety of ways and then I just go to sleep and wake up to it the next morning. But you see some of the replies and I understand people think they're making good points, but sometimes I just think they're misguided on them. For instance, I'll see something like, hey, I don't mind these young people maximizing their worth or value, but when you start transferring from one school to the next to the next, your college credits aren't going to transfer seamlessly with you in all cases. And you're making it very difficult to graduate college, or at least more difficult than it otherwise would be. And you know what? Here's the truth. That's 100% true, but it also is not the priority. I know this is counterintuitive, but a college basketball player right now should not be trying to graduate college as quickly as possible. That should not be the goal. You know what the goal should be? Make as much money in college as you can while you're in college. And if you have to sacrifice some credits along the way, you can make them all up in an extra semester or two down the road. But you should be trying to make all the money you can make right now. Because in a lot of people's cases, the most money they'll ever make playing basketball is the money they're going to make in the SEC or the Big Ten or the Big 12. It's right now, it's there. You'll never get it back, and you should be trying to maximize that. I had an SEC coach tell me that he could honestly tell a high school prospect, if you come with me, red shirt, and then play four years for me and live off your scholarship and cost of attendance, stipend, you can graduate college and leave this school as a millionaire off of your nil. That, that's, that's, that's available to you, but it's only available to you if you go to the places or at least make yourself available to the places that had that kind of money to throw around. And that's why I do not blame a single player for getting into the transfer portal. They won't all hear the news that they want to hear, but some of them are going to get offers that they didn't even think were real. A list realistic offers, say six months ago. Again, there's a lot of money being thrown around and the people throwing it around don't always know, don't always know what they're doing with it. When we come back, let's focus on the coaching carousel. Sean Miller to Texas is now official. Josh Pastor is leaving media. He's going to be the head coach at unlv. Coaching carousel developments do that next. I Own College Basketball Podcast CBS Sports Network.

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[Gary Parrish]

Welcome back to the I Own College Basketball podcast on CBS Sports Network. Yes, we are mostly focused on the NCAA tournament right now, but the coaching carousel, it's been in pretty good. Sean Miller is official to Texas. What do you make of that move? A lot of people have noted that whether it's Will Wade at NC State, Rick Patino, St. John's Bill Self, a lifetime contract at Kansas, now Sean Miller at Texas. A lot of the men, if not most of the men, certainly the head coaches who were rep up for one reason or another in that FBI scandal, they all seem to mostly be doing okay. What do you make of that aspect of this?

[Matt Norlander]

I think it's it's a generally like a good thing. But I will know. I did have someone mention this to me on Monday. You know, Book Richardson is waiting for his moment to get back into college basketball. He was Sean Miller's assistant on Arizona staff. He was just named last week the director of basketball operations at the St. James Performance Academy. And you know, the assistants that were caught up in that FBI scandal certainly paid a much heavier price. One of them is now coaching at Washington. Another one still has also not returned to the sport. So as these other, as these head coaches who, to be clear, you know, they didn't have the FBI knock on their door and put them in cuffs that, that September day in 2017. Nevertheless, it is at least notable that the head coaches have been able to, for a variety of reasons, still find success. And, and some of the assistants have not. And, you know, hopefully that is amended sooner than later if, you know, former assistants seek to get back in, involved with the game. But it certainly is interesting what you point out there. Will Wade, his press conference, I think is literally happening as we speak right now on CBS Sports Network. And Sean Miller to Texas. We talked a little bit about the Miller stuff yesterday in terms of just, it's a, it's a, it's a little bit of a weird one. We'll see how it, we'll see how it goes there. I had someone point out to me that they said Sean is actually probably equipped to do well at Texas and that could really work. But if you actually look at Sean's overall track record over the past end of Arizona included with Xavier, like, it's been good but not great. And, and they're intrigued to see what, what happens there next before we get to the other coaching carousel. So if you teed me up on the question, I just kind of wonder your thoughts on, on the situation as.

[Gary Parrish]

Well, I would assume. Well, first on the situation, the head coach is basically bouncing back just fine and the assistant coaches not so easily. If we don't point it out, somebody else will. There's a racial component to this as well.

[Matt Norlander]

Oh, absolutely.

[Gary Parrish]

And you know, to put it in the simplest of terms, the, the people who look like, like Sean Miller and Will Wade have been able to bounce back and get big jobs and the people who don't have found that a little, a little more challenging. And obviously it's more complicated than just boiling anything down to that, but that is a component of that that people in the industry have, have paid attention to. As for Sean at Texas, I assume it will go well because it's a good job and he's a great coach and that's usually a, a successful combination. But what is going well look like at Texas, Keep in mind, Rick Barnes did well at Texas and they still pushed him out of there. Shock it smart did well at Texas and they got to a place where he felt like if he didn't Go to Marquette. When he did, they were going to make him go, you know, maybe a year later. We know the Chris Beard story. Rodney Terry was the head coach at Texas for three marches. Went to the NCAA tournament each time, went to the Elite Eight, took that program there for the first time since 2008. They pushed him out. So do I think Sean will do well? Yes, but what recent history tells us is you got to do something better than just good or else they'll get frustrated with you pretty quickly. Is that a fair assessment?

[Matt Norlander]

Yeah, probably. I mean, Texas is an interesting gig overall. And there's. Yeah, the interesting. Yeah, they want it. Chris Del Conti, the athletic director, he's got this new building, relatively new, just a few years old. They want to be a program, as many do, but they, there's actually a belief with like, the financial infrastructure and support and Austin as a city, they just think that Texas should be consistently like a top, top 15 program like every single year. We'll see if Miller can get him to that point. I'll be interested to see it because obviously football rules the day. Heavy there and now we'll see how we adjust. Overall, he did a good job at Arizona. Texas is a similar job, but a different job. And I'm interested to see that. Some other carousel stuff. GP There is a bit of a homecoming theme. There's been a couple themes. NBA assistants getting jobs, that's one of them. There's also a homecoming thing. Ben McCollum from Iowa goes to. Goes to Iowa, leaves Drake. Nico Medved. We didn't mention him on Monday's show, but he is, he is the next coach at Minnesota. He's an alum from Minnesota, grew up in Minneapolis. He returns home. Ryan Odom didn't go to Virginia, but his formative years, his youthful years, even said at his press conference on Monday, the University of Virginia is where I actually learned to love college basketball. So there's that angle to it as well, which should be pretty interesting. There's only a few high major vacancies yet to fill. Miller leaving Xavier leaves that job open. We wait and see if Chris Mack is really the actual favorite there or frankly, if, if the circumstances under which Sean Miller left would give that athletic director any kind of pause about bringing another former Xavier coach back or not. The difference is Mac was there for almost two decades and, you know, the, the circumstances under which he might take a job for a second time at Xavier are different. And I can just tell you that I, I had a conversation with Mac when he, he took Three years off. And if he had really known everything involved with Louisville when he took the job, I remember hanging up the phone thinking, like, yeah, you know, know, I think he would have stayed at Xavier if he knew everything that he didn't know then. So I think he's going to try and certainly be enthusiastic about trying to get that job. So Xavier's open. West Virginia, we still wait on that. Don't really know when that might close. That one seems to be floating a little bit there. And then Villanova, and then let's just. Let's just talk Nova and Kevin Willard, because I'm fascinated by it. We got a time crunch, so I know we don't have a ton of time here. Kevin Willard was on radio earlier on Tuesday after, I guess, missing an earlier scheduled hit, but he's also on the left coast, so he's three hours behind. Whatever. He eventually got on public airwaves and started talking more and more about the Maryland and. And what kind of an extenuation of what he had at his press conference. I'm fascinated by it. He doesn't have an athletic director. He's asking for more support at Maryland in general. He's saying the kind of things that you and I have both heard coaches say over the phone in person, privately. They have these conversations with their athletic directors, with their boosters. I'm never going to tell coach not to go public with this because I'm. I'm all the more intrigued by it. It does make me think that it's just. It's so out there. I'm not saying he won't leave Maryland to be the next Villanova coach. I'm not saying that. But I wonder if. If all of this is actually the stuff that he feels like he needs to get off his chest and in the process will reinforce what he's actually looking for with Maryland. I was talking to one person, one industry source about an hour before we started the show, and they said, I can't believe what Willard's doing. Like, him doing this and speaking out this much against Maryland, against his school, and asking them for all this stuff publicly, like he's entitled to do it. But if I'm Villanova and I'm seriously considering bringing him on, the person just said, that doesn't. That doesn't look Villanova to me. That doesn't feel Villanova to me. And, you know, who knows if privately Villanova has a term sheet waiting for Willard when Maryland season ends, but his whole situation is extremely fascinating. And, oh, by the way, one seed Florida waits on 30. What if they win again? Like, what if they keep going? What are your thoughts on everything with Willard and what he's saying and will he, won't he with Nova?

[Gary Parrish]

Well, I picked up on a lot of the same stuff. He is talking like a man who's not worried about angering his bosses. That's the way he's speaking very freely, like, man, are you sure you should be saying this? I don't know if your university president is gonna like that. Okay. I don't care. He's talking like somebody who knows if I don't, I don't have to be here if I don't want to be here type of. That's the tone that I'm hearing. And so we'll see on whether this is the end of his time at Maryland and he's on to vill. But he's not just talking out of frustrate. Like, he tells this whole story about we were in New York and I wanted to stay an extra night. Like, that's a story he started telling now. Could have told that story Christmas, could have told that story anytime. Why are you telling it now? He's talking like somebody who is unconcerned with angering people at Maryland. And sometimes that can be an indication that a person knows if I need to get out of here, I. I've got good options if I want to get out of here. As always, we'll see. But his press conferences and just, just about every time he talks now, it's, it's creating headlines. And it's an interesting situation that that Maryland program and that that fan base is dealing with right now. When we come back, we'll close the show with our own little version of a survivor pool. I'll explain it after this break on the Island College basketball podcast, CBS Sports Network. Hear that? Spring is here and the Home Depot has great prices on grills to make this season yours. So if you're working on improving your hosting skills, you're going to want the next grill four burner gas grill for $229. And of course, pair it with the next grill eight piece grill tool set. Now get outside and show off those new skills. Shop a wide selection of grills under $300 at the home Depot. Welcome back to the I Own College Basketball podcast. We're on CBS Sports Network. One more segment to go. And what we're going to do here is something like a Survivor pool. You hear about those types of things. Here's the way I set it up. For you, Norlander. Take the one seeds. Remove them from the conversation. If you had to guarantee, to quote the great Charles Barkley, guarantee a non 1 seed is going to win its sweet 16 games, which non 1 seed would you pick? You guarantee that this non 1 seed is winning either Thursday or Friday and going to the Elite Eight. There's no way you would ever be wrong about this. What team would you go with?

[Matt Norlander]

Nope, I'm getting ahead of it here. This is. That one's on me. I'm gonna. I'm. I'm telling you that I'm going to get this wrong. All right. This is going to be because of the. Because GP wanted to do this on the show. I'm doomed. This is a great bit by you. I very much enjoy it. I. I want to be clear. I have Maryland over Florida in my bracket. So that was predicted on Selection Sunday. It's what I'm projecting. However, I'm not exhibiting my strongest confidence in a non one seed with the Terps. My. And I have Kentucky over Tennessee in my bracket. That's also not going to be my pick. Those are. That's both those teams. Obviously not a one. I have Alabama over BYU in my bracket, and I'm also to pick that one. I will go with Michigan State over Ole Miss on Friday night on CBS in Atlanta with Tom Izzo. That team. And I am also aware of the fact that I am now doing this with a team that can't shoot three pointers in the tournament. But it is ISO, so I will go with the Spartans.

[Gary Parrish]

Who is your pick you're picking against Ole Miss. Sounds like somebody spent the weekend with Tim Doyle.

[Matt Norlander]

And hey, did you see what I made Tim Doyle do on set?

[Gary Parrish]

I did, but do you know how many Ole Miss fans live in my neighborhood? Do you know? I'm just trying to say my own stuff on TV all weekend and I'm getting bombarded with text messages. I got 70 friends asking me for Tim Doyle's contact information. I got my neighbors asking me for Tim Doyle's. They want to text him. I said, no, I'm not giving you Tim Donuts phone number.

[Matt Norlander]

I made this dude stare into the camera and say, I am a fraud. Okay? Because he deserved it. And I've never said that Ole Miss is a fraud. It's not. It's a really good team. It's capable. But for the sake of the. Of the segment, my pick is Michigan State. I guess it's not your pick. Which team do you hate?

[Gary Parrish]

I don't like setting it up like that. But if I had to pick a non 1 seed to guarantee to get to the elite 8, I think I would go with and this breaks my heart but I think I go with the Tennessee Vols. I've been a UK supporter all season. I love the Mark Pope story. But at some point doesn't losing Jackson Robinson have to matter? Like at some point doesn't that have to be a thing?

[Matt Norlander]

What? Hold on, hold on. What, what will matter sooner? Not being able to shoot three pointers or not having Jackson Robinson on the floor? Because that's the, that's the situation with both teams we pick for this second.

[Gary Parrish]

I assume not having Jackson Robinson is going to be an issue. What's hilarious about this matchup, they're playing for the third time. Kentucky is 2 and oh against Tennessee even though by all metrics Tennessee is the better team. Tennessee's favored by four points in this game even though it's 02 against Kentucky. You know, in this season. I think Tennessee improves to 1 and 2 against the Wildcats this season with the victory and goes to goes to the Elite Eight. And then Rick Barnes has the balls. One more went away from the first Final Four in men's basketball school history. It is like we're sort of close to that. You know, like Tennessee can get to the Final Four for the first time in school history. Ole Miss can get to the Elite Eight for the first time in school history. We got some of that. You know, it always makes these storylines a little, a little more meaningful and more enjoyable, I think.

[Matt Norlander]

Think yeah, no doubt we've got a number of results where when we get to the Elite Eight, there's going to be interesting things attached to it regardless of region. Tennessee made the Elite Eight last year. Ran into Zach Edie. We'll see if Tennessee can win and we'll see if Houston is awaiting. But if that is the case that yeah, that would be back to back regional finals for Rick Mars Club shouts.

[Gary Parrish]

To Devin Downey shouts to Chester, S.C. shouts to Terry Teagle. He's a legend. Huck Larnell thank you guys once again for watching the On College Basketball podcast on CBS Sports Network. If you're not subscribed, please go subscribe anywhere you subscribe to podcasts and we will talk to you again real soon. Till then, take care.

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