← Eye On College Basketball
Eye On College Basketball
EOCBB on CBSSN: Iowa State beats Houston in thriller at Hilton Coliseum; One potentially fatal flaw for 10 national title contenders
00:47:15
Loading summary
Transcript51 lines
- [00:00]
Collars and Company Advertiser
Look, you get to a certain age and you want to be a little more serious when it comes to your shirt. Anybody who's worn a dress shirt knows just how uncomfortable it can be and how annoying it is when they bunch up under a sweater. So you must check out Collars and company, makers of the dress collar polo. Their shirts are four way stretch, buttery soft polos with firm dress collars on them. So they give you that dress shirt look, but it's an extremely comfortable polo feeling. Now these are shirts you can wear with anything. Wear them with a blazer, wear them under a sweater, wear them solo as an elevated polo. They work for any occasion. Got a date? Perfect. Heading out to golf again. Perfect. What about going to the office? Same thing. Collars and company has exploded into the marketplace. I'm guessing you have seen them. They've gone viral many times on social media. Their collars don't flop down and spread out. They stay firm and sharp all day. They also have an amazing array of sweaters, quarter zips, pants and outerwear. So if you're looking for a performance dress shirt or a polo that looks great all day, check out collars and co.com use the promo code media for 15% off any purchase of $100 or more. Again, promo code media for 15% off ANY purchase of $100 or more. Collars and company need contract help for.
- [01:20]
KB (College Basketball Analyst)
Those workload peaks and backlogged projects.
- [01:23]
Robert Half Advertiser
You're not alone.
- [01:24]
KB (College Basketball Analyst)
At Robert Half we found that 67% of companies surveyed said they will increase their use of contract talent. That's why our recruiters leverage their experience and use award winning AI to quickly find the skilled candidates you want. Learn about our specialized talent in finance, accounting, technology, marketing, legal and administrative support at Robert Half. We know talent. Visit roberthalf.com talent today.
- [02:03]
Gary Parish (Host, Iowa State College Basketball Podcast)
Hey there. I am Gary Parish. Welcome back. I own college basketball podcast. We're here on CBS Sports Network where we sometimes discuss camel fighting dodo birds and leaky black cow. Boone is here with me and and we're both going to be here with you for the next hour talking nothing but college hoop. And the place to start is Hilton Coliseum where we Got a top 10 showdown late Monday between a couple of Big 12 powers. Final score Iowa State 70, Houston 67. ISU closed on a 17 to 4 run to win the game that I believe is what they call Hilton Magic. Kb good to see you on this Tuesday. What'd you make of what we saw last night at Hilton Coliseum?
- [02:42]
KB (College Basketball Analyst)
Yeah, Hilton. Hilton definitely did some Hilton things last Night. This was, this was an incredible game for college basketball. This is incredible comeback from Iowa State. Houston through much of this game looked like it largely had it in control. Iowa State does what it frequently does inside Hilton Coliseum closes things out. But GP I felt like it was more Houston kind of giving that game away, which you know, we'll talk a little bit about has been an unfortunate theme for Houston this season. And even going back go to the national championship game against Florida in April, had a big lead, ended up blowing it. But you know, the way Iowa State closed that out, 174 run, as you mentioned, they, they tightened up their defense, they got timely stops, their offense was amazing. Just an incredible game and incredible finish from Iowa State to get a win over one of the hottest teams in college bas basketball. And that is Houston.
- [03:44]
Gary Parish (Host, Iowa State College Basketball Podcast)
I do think you picked up on something here. It's not that it's a trend or a pattern that Houston is blowing leads or collapsing because they don't lose too often. So you can't have a trend of losing when you don't lose very often. But it is notable that in some big losses, high profile losses dating back to the championship game, there's a moment where it feels, feels like they're in control, like they're going to close this out and then they don't. And the 17 to 4 run, like I can take all the hilt magic you want, but that's never supposed to happen to a Kelvin Sampson coach team. And even Kelvin said that after the game, like, you know, we lost, I can live with that. But I didn't like how we lost. Giving up an offensive rebound, just doing things that we don't do. But, but one of the things they have done is, you know, squandered some what appears to be comfortable leads in big, big spots. And it bit him in the championship game and, and obviously it got sniped. But let's give some credit to Iowa State. I mean that was amazing. The Nate Heisey shot, I mean that's going to be one they watch forever. He came off the bench 11 points, got the ball down one in the corner with about 80 seconds left. And it's about the quickest catch and shoot you'll ever see. He knew he had to let it go. He got it off, it swished. That makes it 69, 67. The building explodes. Just focus on that shot for a second. That's an awes timer. I've watched it 50 times. It's awesome every time.
- [05:10]
KB (College Basketball Analyst)
It's an incredible shot. I mean the level of Difficulty GP to get that off. You know, he, he caught it essentially from the top of his head. No dip, just straight corner three. And that is a professional level NBA three point shot to get that off in that moment with the stakes being as high as they are. He also had an eye injury. So I think he was playing Perhaps not at 100% in this game, just, just an all time shot that I'm sure Iowa State fans will remember for a long time. And he was tremendous throughout the entire second half. And Iowa State, I think it was just the way they played in the second half, including his was largely part of why they won. They only had one turnover in the second half. I thought that was huge. Held Houston in the second half to 11 of 32 shooting. They forced some timely turnovers. And of course Heisey with, with the exclamation mark, the corner three with the level of difficulty, I thought that was just probably the best moment from that game to kind of punctuate an incredible game from Hilton Coliseum.
- [06:20]
Gary Parish (Host, Iowa State College Basketball Podcast)
It is the lasting moment, the one you'll remember years from now, especially if you're an Iowa State fan. The biggest moment though might have been, and Nate said this himself after the game, the Tamon Lipsey offensive rebound. If you were watching the game with John Schombi and FR for Schiller, they noted it many times. That is what Iowa State refers to as a tame and play. And I don't want to say that was the difference in the game, but it's among the reasons Iowa State was able to close that thing out. And then sort of where I settled in on the top 25 and one on Tuesday morning is just sort of celebrating this run of incredible matchups and games that we're on. Like, you know, I'm a wrestling fan but you know, so raw's cool. But on Monday night, if you're not watching college basketball, you're not doing something right. Three Monday nights ago we had projected one and done top 20 pick Braden Buries get 29 points in Arizona's win at BYU. One Monday after that, that's when you get Darren Peterson, the presumed number one pick of the 2026 NBA Draft. He gets 19 points in Kansas's 6461 win over Texas Tech. One Monday after that, that's when we get Kansas minus Peterson for one reason or another. But they upset Arizona, give the Wildcats their first loss of the season. And then last night we get this Iowa State Houston matchup top 10 showdown featuring two of the best coaches in the sport. TJ Otzelberger and Kelvin Sampson, and then once again, it delivered. All top 10 matchups look good on paper. They don't always look great on the court, but that was a fun way to spend a Monday night watching those two obvious Final Four national championship contenders battle it out. And then we get another one tonight with Purdue and Michigan, another top 10 matchup. So just KB college basketball. I know people get caught up on nil and transfer waivers and constant movements and G League players coming back to school. There's a lot of messy stuff. I got it. But the on the court product, I say this confidently, is as good as I can remember it since I've been doing this and I've been doing this, you can probably tell from my lack of hair for a pretty long time now.
- [08:27]
KB (College Basketball Analyst)
I. I think the lack of air is a choice. I think we've discovered that. You know, I agree with you. I agree with you. I think college basketball, despite all the noise, the, you know, the Betty Ako ruling, you've got G leaguers coming to play in college basketball, you got G leaguers trying to come and play in college basketball, the transfer portal, all of that is absolutely noise and it cannot be totally ignored. But the product that college basketball is putting out on a weekly basis is among the best that frankly, that I've seen since I've been here since 2016. And, you know, it has been highlighted on several weeks in a row on Monday nights with big matchups. Last night, another one we had, you know, Kingston Flemings, you know, an NBA draft prospect going off and having a big game, Iowa State making a run and getting a come from behind win versus a Houston team that, you know, coming into that game look like it could be a number one seed. So every single week it feels like there are multiple games that feels like, I don't know if you want to qualify it as Sweet 16 worthy or Elite 8 worthy or Final 4 good. The level of college basketball competition right now is as good as I can remember it. There is no complaining for me. I know it's been a weird place to get to this point because of nil transfer portal and eligibility rules, all of that. No complaining from me about the actual product. It has been a fantastic season and I think we're in for a really good finish. Like the lead up to the Final Four Indian in Indianapolis here in a couple weeks should be a lot of fun.
- [10:05]
Gary Parish (Host, Iowa State College Basketball Podcast)
GP for folks who don't know, KB is not just a college basketball contributor at CBS Sports. He also does a lot of the heavy lifting on our NBA draft coverage. So he knows these prospects better than most. So let's focus on Kingston Flemings. Last night, he had 22 points. Wasn't his best performance, but he still had those moments where it's clear he's a top 10 pick, maybe a top five at one point. Fran for Schiller on the game said, quote, whoever drafts this kid, it's possible he'll be the best pro. This kid is phenomenal. In other words, I think most of us agree that Darren Peterson is considered the leading candidate to be the number one pick in the 2026 draft. If all Franny was trying to say is, don't be surprised that Kingston Flemings emerges as the best player from this draft, which isn't an outlandish thing for him or anybody else to say. I don't know that I would take Flemings first, but I can understand why somebody else might think you need to take a look at it.
- [11:02]
KB (College Basketball Analyst)
Yeah. No, I mean, I think if you made that comment two months ago, it might have sounded crazy. But Kingston Flemings has been awesome for Houston. It should be noted that, like, this Houston team is not a remade roster. Like this is a Houston team that largely returned most of its core from a team that went to the national championship game, lost by two points to Florida in the national championship game. And he has taken over and been the alpha on this team as a true freshman. That's insane. I mean, that does not happen unless it's a Cam Boozer, a Darren Peterson and Kingston Flemings. He has been in that level. I think he's made a case to be a potential All American. He's got size, he's got scoring, he's got timely shot making, as we've seen time and again this season. There was a play GP late in, in this game versus Iowa State where he dribbled himself into a corner. Iowa State's defense kind of put him in a box and it's like, oh, rookie mistake. He dribbles out of it and just kind of finds a way to get a really tough shot off and makes it. And just like he's sometimes Houdini in the way that he can just create his own offense, create for himself and both for others. Just. I think Kelvin Sampson has talked about this several times throughout the season. Like, almost talks about him as if he's like another son, just someone who he loves. He loves his work ethic. He loves his dedication. He's consistently gotten better throughout the season. It is really hard GP for any true freshman to make any meaningful impact in college basketball, especially I think for a program that is coached by Kelvin Sampson. He has really, really high standards, particularly on the defensive end, and he has made his mark in a significant way. Like Houston, I think GP would be my pick to win the national championship. That is in large part because Kingston Flemings has been one of the most impactful players in all of college basketball this season.
- [13:01]
Gary Parish (Host, Iowa State College Basketball Podcast)
So Iowa State Houston delivers and it doesn't get easy for either one going forward. Up next for Houston, they host Arizona on Saturday. Up next for Iowa State at BYU on Saturday. And check out this three game stretch for isu. Dating back two games they played Kansas with Darren Peterson, then Houston with Kingston Flemings. Next up, BYU with AJ DebonSA. Three straight games against top five picks and you know if they win the next one, they will have gone 30 in that stretch. Up next, we're going to start bouncing through the top 10 of the latest AP Poll. All of the teams are undeniably good. You can't have that kind of number connected to your name this late in the season unless you're good. But none of the teams are perfect. So what's the biggest flaw that could Prevent each top 10 team in the AP poll from winning the national championship? We're going to try to tell you next here on the Iowan College Basketball Podcast on CBS Sports Network.
- [13:59]
GameTime App Advertiser
This time of year, right now, next few months, basketball season, my favorite time of the year. And as great as it is to take in the games on tv, the sport is even better in person. I love the buzz of an arena for a big game, NBA or college, and I know you do as well. But actually getting the tickets, that part can be a real pain. Online queues, the logins, what's my password? The shock of a price jump at checkout. By the time you're done, you're already annoyed with the whole process, right? Well, Good news. The GameTime app is here to fix all of that. The GameTime app genuinely gives fans the advantage back. You can check college or NBA games on the upcoming schedule, searching in just a few quick taps and find seats at great and reasonable prices. The best part, other than the pricing, is how simple everything is. Fees are included up front, so what you see is what you pay. I used a zone deal, picked my section, and gametime handled the rest. And the seat view feature lets you see exactly what the view would be like with the tickets you want to buy before you pay for them. Plus, the gametime guarantee means the tickets are 100% authentic. And delivered on time. Take the guesswork out of buying NBA tickets with GameTime. 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 bucks off. Download the GameTime app today.
- [15:21]
Collars and Company Advertiser
Avoiding your unfinished home projects because you're not sure where to start.
- [15:25]
KB (College Basketball Analyst)
Thumbtack knows homes, so you don't have.
- [15:27]
Collars and Company Advertiser
To don't know the difference between matte paint, finish and satin or what that clunking sound from your dryer is. With thumbtack, you don't have to be a home pro, you just have to hire one.
- [15:38]
KB (College Basketball Analyst)
You can hire top rated pros, see.
- [15:40]
Collars and Company Advertiser
Price estimates and read reviews all on the app.
- [15:43]
Collars and Company Advertiser (Maverick Performance Blazer)
Download Today Guys, by now you've heard me talk about collars and company makers of the dress collar polo. They've already sold over a million of these amazing shirts. Well, collars and co just came out with the new Maverick Performance Blazer. This blazer is sharp and wrinkle resistant so you can travel anywhere with it. Just throw it in your bag and it will remain wrinkle free. It even comes with security zip pockets and a sunglasses loop and an optional pocket Square. So visit collarsandco.com and use code TIKI for 20% off@collarsandco.com.
- [16:19]
Gary Parish (Host, Iowa State College Basketball Podcast)
Welcome back to the Ion College Basketball Podcast here on CBS Sports Network. Credit where credit is due. Our producer Josh Mullineck. He had noticed on Sunday's episode of the Iowan College Basketball Podcast that we were talking about previous Number one Arizona. Obviously great team, but clearly flawed in the sense that they don't really emphasize the three point shot in a time in the sport where the three point shot has never been emphasized more. So Josh said, hey, why don't we look at each of the teams in the top 10 of the AP poll, like the sports best teams, and try to identify the biggest flaw with each that could potentially keep them from winning the national championship. Fun idea. Let's do it. So KB with that in mind, and that's serving as the setup, let's bounce through the top 10 of the AP poll and try to identify the biggest thing that could, could not will, but could prevent each of these teams from winning the 2026 NCAA's tournament. Let's start with number one, Michigan. Obviously the Wolverines are number one in the AP poll for the first time since 2013, but also number one in the net. Number one at Ken Palm Torvik. Just about every.com you can find they've beaten just about everybody. They played badly. They're great, but I guess they're not perfect. What's the flaw?
- [17:37]
KB (College Basketball Analyst)
This is so tough. GP I will. I just want to add an extra caveat. I know you already added a caveat. We are talking about the number one team in college basketball. And so at this point we are very much nitpicking if I'm going to pick the nits with Michigan and we're going to go through the top 10 here, as you noted. One thing that stood out to me as I'm digging through the numbers, they're sixth in the Big Ten in three point percentage at 35.4%. They're above the three, the Division 1 average on above the break threes in both corners. Dig into the numbers a little bit and I think it's interesting the the splits between the first and second half shooting numbers now on non corner threes in the first half this season they're shooting 37.4%. That is 4% above the division one average. Follow me here. But they shoot 31.3% on non corner threes in the second half. That is 2% below the division average, division one average. So you know they're, they're a good, not great three point shooting team. They're not terrible at it, but the data shows that throughout the season they have been markedly worse in second half since. Just something to keep an eye on. They're really good inside the painted area. They're really good inside the arc. That is where they butter their bread, so to speak. They're really good on defense. They're good at generating second chance points. They have a lot of ways to offset this potential flaw. But I think the fact that they are not elite at shooting the three point shot and then even more so not elite at doing it in the second halves. Just something to keep an eye on here if you're Michigan and rooting for the Wolverines.
- [19:18]
Gary Parish (Host, Iowa State College Basketball Podcast)
Yeah, I'm glad you noted what you noted because when Josh suggested it, I was like, yeah, fun idea, let's do it. And then I was like, all right, now I got to get on this plane and try to figure out what's wrong with Michigan. Like not much is the answer. Not much. They barely have any flaws. They're number four in offensive efficiency, number one in defensive efficiency. But I think you did touch on it. The three point shooting. It's just at least one thing they're not great at. Right. 35.4% from the three point line on the season. That ranks 91st nationally. So it's not terrible, but they're elite at most things and not great at that. It is worth noting at 24 and 1. So you dive into the one loss. What happened there? They were 8 of 25 from 3 point range in that one, 32%. But again, we're nitpicking because this is the the number one team in the country, the favorite to win the national championship. If somebody asks you, how good is Michigan? This is a good answer for today. So good that they're favored at Purdue. They're favored at Purdue. Tonight they're playing the preseason number one team in the country, coached by Matt Painter, led by Braden Smith, and they are expected to win that game tonight inside Mackie Arena. That's how good Michigan is. Let's move on. Number two, Houston. Obviously, Monday night the Cougars took their third loss of the season at Iowa State. Clearly though, this is a title contender. You said earlier might be your pick to win the national championship. I've said for weeks this is my pick to win the national championship. But they're not perfect. So what's the flaw?
- [20:47]
KB (College Basketball Analyst)
Yeah, we hit on this a little bit earlier in the show. GP I think the lack of being able to close out close games is just something that I think is worth noting. It is not a theme. It's not something that I'm not necessarily concerned about if I'm Houston. But going back to even last season, the way that they ended in the national championship game, they were up big against Florida in the second half, led for the majority of that game. End up losing in heartbreaking fashion and blowing a lead, pure and simple that we saw that last night against Iowa State. Iowa State was trailing by 10 points with under seven to play. Houston gave up a 174 run to close that game. End up losing inside Hilton Coliseum. Go back to the loss to Tennessee in November. Came by three points after leading by as many as five in the second half. Go back to the loss to Texas Tech in January. They came leading by seven points in the first half, led by four points in the second half, end up losing that game. And so there's only three losses on the season. GP for this Houston team, that's not a lot of losses. It's certainly not representative, I think, of this Houston team, by and large. But the three losses have come in games where they have not quite been able to close out close games. And you know, I think when you're projecting ahead going into March Madness, that's something I would like to see and feel a little bit better. About, about my national championship pick to be able to close out close games. Those three losses, they were not able to do that.
- [22:23]
Gary Parish (Host, Iowa State College Basketball Podcast)
It's not a concern for me. I want to be clear about that. But it is something I've noticed. It's a real thing. They don't lose often, only three times this season. But in each of those games, like you noted, they were ahead by at least seven in every one of them, by double digits in two of them. Then you go back to the national championship game, they were comfortably ahead in the second half and let that get away from them. And so I don't know that it's a pattern or a trend, but it is something to be aware of also. Three point shooting, just to be fair, is also something, you know, mid-30s, 34.1% on the season. That's 174th in the country. But these are all like, if it's a homework assignment and you've got to find something wrong with these basketball teams, you look for whatever you can look for. So closing out games can be a flaw for Houston. But I think what Kelvin Sampson would tell you is. So you're telling me that we've won every game we've played, except for the three we haven't. And in those three games, we were ahead by at least seven points. Right. So we've been ahead in every game comfortably that we played this season. Right. Okay. I'm good. We'll be all right. Like, I, I bet he's not as concerned, but it is something that, that we've watched happen over and over again still, or I should rephrase, not over and over again, but at least three times this season. And in every loss that they've taken, they're up comfortably. It looks like they're okay, and then they're not. Still, this is my pick to win it all. They've got experience. They've got NBA talent, which, you know, there's a difference between a very good college basketball team with good college basketball players and a very good college basketball team with pros that can go win the whole thing. And Houston's the latter. They've. They've got, They've got the pros to do this, too. Multiple top 20 picks. They've got roster continuity. So guys who went through all that last year, they're back here doing it again this year. And then they got a Hall of Fame caliber coach, somebody who should be inducted into the Naismith Memorial hall of Fame this year because he has a finalist in Calvin Sampson. Houston is awesome. Yeah, I'd rather them not give up 17 to 4 runs to close games on big Mondays. But broadly speaking, whatever problems, whatever flaws they have, they're, they're smaller than most. When we come back, we'll look at number three and number four in the AP poll. That's Duke and Arizona. That's next here on the I Own College Basketball Podcast. We're on CBS Sports Network. Welcome back to the Ion College Basketball Podcast here on CBS Sports Network. We are bouncing through the top 10 of the AP poll trying to identify flaws with each team. We're up to number three, Duke. The Blue Devils. KB they don't have many flaws. They're 24 and two on their way to what appears to be another ACC regular season title. They got the national player of the year favorite in Cameron Boozer, but they're not perfect. What's the flaw?
- [25:14]
KB (College Basketball Analyst)
This one's tough. I'm gonna go with guard play. GP I, I feel like the best passer and obviously the leader in assist on this team being Cameron Boozer, who's a 6 foot 9 forward, is both a representation of how good Boozer is, how good his versatility is, but also I think a little bit of representative representation of maybe some flaws within this backcourt, specifically Duke. Go into the numbers there. 6.6 points per 100 possessions worse with Caleb Foster on the court. This is per Evan Maya data. Duke is 21.4 points per 100 possessions worse with Darren Harris on the floor. Kaden Boozer splits are negative 1.0, so basically about average. They don't have a true difference maker at the point guard position. Now they've got other guys who can fill in. Cameron Boozer a good really races a lot of mistakes. Dame Sar has been fantastic. Isaiah Evans can give them instant offense whenever they need it. But I do, I do have some concerns about who is going to run that offense if it's not Cameron Boozer who's initiating. And you know, I think the concerns within that backcourt is enough, at least for me to have some brief pauses about Duke's postseason ceiling.
- [26:34]
Gary Parish (Host, Iowa State College Basketball Podcast)
So this is definitely the type of thing that could get clipped out of context. So all you content creators out there, bear with me, don't clip this out of context. What I'm about to say, I'm only saying to make a point. But what if your biggest flaw, you're gonna have to follow me here. If you hang with me to the end, I'll make a point. What if their biggest flaw is that their best player. What if Duke's best biggest flaw is that Duke's best player, even if he's the best player in the country, is a freshman. Because freshmen do not tend to lead teams to national championships. We remember when they do Carmelo Anthony. Anthony Davis. But freshmen do not typically represent the face of a national champion in college basketball. Which brings me to a trivia time. Who is the last freshman to be named most outstanding player at the Final Four? And don't worry about it if you get it wrong, because I would have gotten it wrong, too.
- [27:41]
KB (College Basketball Analyst)
Oh, goodness. Well, my initial thought was that it might be Carmelo Anthony, but that seems like so long ago.
- [27:50]
Gary Parish (Host, Iowa State College Basketball Podcast)
More recent than that.
- [27:51]
KB (College Basketball Analyst)
Yeah, I'm going to. I'm going to go with Anthony Davis.
- [27:54]
Gary Parish (Host, Iowa State College Basketball Podcast)
Okay. That was 2012. Three years after that, in 2015, Tyus Jones was actually the most outstanding player of the 2015 Final Four that Duke won. And this is my point, another freshman has not won it since then. Three of the past four most outstanding players at the Final Four were seniors. And the past nine most outstanding players at the Final Four have all been juniors or seniors. So let me be clear. Do I think Cameron Boozer is awesome enough, even as a freshman, to lead Duke to a national championship? Absolutely. You'd be crazy to suggest otherwise. Right. But he would be an exception to the rule. My point is that this is not the way it's typically done. For what? It doesn't mean it can't be done this way. You can do it with Anthony Davis in 2012, you can do it with Carmelo Anthony in 2003, but it doesn't get done very often. Freshmen, as the face of your team going and actually winning, the whole thing, you can come close. A lot of freshmen come close, but it doesn't usually work out that way. It's not a reason why I wouldn't. It's not a reason that I would eliminate Duke from title contention. That would be silly. The numbers are the numbers. This team is awesome. But it's just something I noticed. We sort of hold up these examples of one and done star players winning national championships without recognizing sometimes. It's a very rare thing. It's not normal. Duke can do it with Cameron Boozer, but if they do it, they will be an outlier. They will not be the rule. They'll be the exception to it. Let's get to number four, Arizona. Tommy Lloyd's Wildcats are sort of the inspiration for this conversation. As we noted, we know the flaw here. It's not necessarily that they can't make threes. It's that they don't even take them at a rate that lines up with anything anybody describes as modern basketball in the year 2026.
- [30:00]
KB (College Basketball Analyst)
Yes.
- [30:01]
GameTime App Advertiser
Yeah.
- [30:02]
KB (College Basketball Analyst)
And you know, independent of that conversation that you had, I actually missed the podcast. So I'm glad to find that I had the same exact fatal flaw. It is the low volume of threes for Arizona. Stunned to find this out. Arizona's 359th GP in college basketball in three point attempts per game. That is second lowest among major conference teams behind only Seton hall this season. Now look, this Arizona team is very good. Obviously they were number one for I think eight, maybe nine weeks in a row. Their top five in offensive rebounding rate, their top 50 in two point shooting percentage. That's how they make up for it in part. But I do think the low volume of three pointers is something to at least be moderately concerned about. Look at the last game. Arizona lost to Texas tech. Texas Tech shot 11 of 33 from three point range in that game. Arizona just 4 of 17 from three point range. Half the three point attempts, nearly one third of the three point makes. I think in a big game that could easily go the same way in an NCAA tournament game as it went against Texas Tech. The low volume of threes, if they're not making that up with elite offensive rebounding second chance points, that could be a concern. And one way that they get tracked down, the NCBA tournament.
- [31:25]
Gary Parish (Host, Iowa State College Basketball Podcast)
Obviously it's working for Tommy Lloyd. Let's be clear about that. I've talked to other people about this approach and they summarize it by just saying this is the way he likes to play and it's clearly working. His head coaching career is off to one of the greatest starts in the history of Division 1 head coaching careers. They're ranked third at Ken Palm right now. They were ranked number one last week. We are really nitpicking here, but it is wildly unusual to play basketball this way in the year 2026. And as I've joked about on the Ion College Basketball podcast previously, even though this way is working for Tommy Lloyd, undeniably in the NBA and I know different sports, all that, but like, you wouldn't even be allowed to try to coach this way. They wouldn't let you. If you said we're going to only take 26.4% of our field goal attempts from three point range, the conversation would stop right there. It would the counter, somebody would say, no, you're not. That's not how we play. That's a math problem. You can't do that. But that is what Arizona does. They only take 26.4% of their field go attempts from three. That number ranks 363rd nationally. There's only 365 teams playing Division 1 men's basketball, so this is very, very, very low. You look at that Texas Tech loss. They got beat bad at the three point line. Texas Tech got 33 points from the three point line. Arizona only got 12. You got a math problem trying to play this way sometimes. I'm not saying it's the reason Arizona won't win a title, because I'm not convinced Arizona won't win the title. But if Arizona doesn't win the title gets eliminated earlier than you might have anticipated, there's a decent chance it'll be connected to that number. Go look at that number. If they lose in the tournament, look at that number for them. Their opponent's number not just makes, but takes. And then the makes matter, of course, but takes is what we're talking about here. I won't be surprised if they lose in the NCAA tournament earlier than they should or at all, if the downfall is connected to this number one way or another. When we come back, take a look at the next three teams in the AP poll. That's UConn, Iowa State and Purdue. That's next on the Iowan College Basketball Podcast. We're here on CBS Sports Network.
- [33:41]
Rosetta Stone Advertiser
Build something you can be proud of. There's something incredibly satisfying about learning something new and actually watching your progress build over time. That's what love about Rosetta Stone. You don't have to dive in for hours. You start small, fit lessons into your day and suddenly you're understanding more than you thought you would. Rosetta Stone has been the trusted leader in language learning for over 30 years and their immersive, intuitive method really stands out. There's no memorizing random vocabulary lists and no feeling lost. You learn naturally, starting with words, building to phrases, and then full sentences without English translations so it actually sticks. Plus, Rosetta Stone offers 25 languages from Spanish and French to German and Japanese, all designed for long term retention. Don't wait, unlock your language learning potential. Now. Listeners of this podcast can grab Rosetta Stone's lifetime membership for 50% off. That's unlimited access to 25 language courses for life. Visit RosettaStone.com RS10 to get started and claim your 50% off today. Go to RosettaStone.S10 and start learning today.
- [34:51]
Robert Half Advertiser
You know what's the worst part about all that shopping hype? I end up timing big home purchases around it and by the time I'm finally ready, the windows passed. Choosing furniture is hard enough without squeezing it into a narrow time frame. Thankfully at Bob's Discount Furniture I don't have to rush. They skip the phony pricing games and offer great low prices all year round. You could chase the hype or you can go straight to everyday low prices at Bob's. One standout is Bob's top rated Beaumont Bedroom. It's got that classic look but with modern upgrades like headboard lighting, felt line, drawers, built in USB ports and plenty of storage. And get this, it costs over a thousand dollars less than the competition. That's huge. Then there's Bob's best selling lush mattress. You're getting high density Bob O Pedic memory foam and a cooling cover just like other brands. But Bob's cost only $999 and the warranty is 10 years longer for the living room. The modular Bob sectional gives you endless options. Buttery soft upholstery, family proof construction, multiple colors plus Bob Appedic memory foam storage and built in wireless charging at only 250 per piece, it's an easy way to build your dream setup. See how much more you can save when you dare to compare at Bob's.
- [36:08]
Gary Parish (Host, Iowa State College Basketball Podcast)
Welcome back to the Ion College Basketball Podcast. Here on CBS Sports Network we are identifying possible fatal flaws for each of the top 10 teams in AP Poll. We are down to number five, Yukon. What's the flaw?
- [36:22]
KB (College Basketball Analyst)
KB I think it's turnover troubles GP and I'm only saying turnover troubles GP because I watch every single Dan Hurley press conference and every single Dan Hurley press conference. He is complaining about not taking care of the basketball inconsistency taking care of the basketball inconsistency from the from the point guard position. 15 turnovers versus St. John's and that loss earlier this month, their eighth in the big east in turnover rate this season. Just about middle of the pack. I think that is a concern that has reared its head this season and it was a major concern last season and I thought it would be an improvement. It has improved, I think marginally, but it's not to a point where I think it is a strength. Taking care of the basketball I think for UConn has to improve if UConn can win the national championship so far this season it has not improved enough from last season to suggest that Yukon that this UConn team can rely on being able to take care of the basketball well enough to win the national championship.
- [37:30]
Gary Parish (Host, Iowa State College Basketball Podcast)
Yeah, their offensive turnover percentage is 16.4. That ranks 152nd nationally. So it's certainly not a strength. Probably qualifies as a weakness. Not sure if that would be the thing that would keep them from winning a national championship, but it's probably among the glaring statistical issues that the Huskies have. Also free throw shooting, you know, they're only 70.1% from the free throw line. That ranks 260th in the country. Like does that become an issue in a close game in a single elimination tournament? Both of Dan's national championship winning teams were above 74.2% from the free throw line and ranked in the top 85 nationally. This team, again, 70.1% from the free throw line. That's 260th nationally. That's another flaw. Not when you're up, you know, 17 points on Butler. Not an issue there. But if you're in a close game in the Elite Eight, this lack of solid free throw shooting could. Could at least theoretically become an issue also for our next team. Let's move there. Number six, Iowa State. I think I just hinted what I think the flaw is with the Cyclones, but you give me your.
- [38:39]
KB (College Basketball Analyst)
I think it's a lack of athleticism. And, you know, maybe this is an unfair critique, but, you know, we've seen throughout this season that teams that have a little bit more length, a little bit more physicality can give Iowa State some fits. Now they're coming off a game where they track down a Houston team that is very athletic, they're very long, so perhaps not the best time to make this case, obviously. But when they face elite athleticism, when they face elite link, there have been times where it has been truly disruptive to what Iowa State wants to get done now. They win with their defense, they win by forcing turnovers, and they win by shooting it really, really well, particularly Milan Momcilovic. But I think in the right matchup, or even perhaps the wrong matchup for Iowa State, a team that has length like a, like a Michigan, for example, I think Michigan would give Iowa State fits with their length and athleticism. I think they could end up being susceptible to teams that are constructed in ways that would hamper Iowa State from.
- [39:41]
Gary Parish (Host, Iowa State College Basketball Podcast)
Advancing, that could be an issue. But if I'm going to make note of UConn's free throw shooting, I've got to make note of Iowa State's free throw shooting because it's even worse. 66.5% from the free throw line. That ranks 345th nationally. Now, when you're 23 and three. And in one seed conversations, you don't have many problems. But this is the type of thing that can get you in a single elimination tournament. I think most famously, Memphis in 2008 shot 61.4% from the free throw line on the season. 329th in the country. It was an issue all season. I can remember John Calipari talking about, you know, I've told my players to go home and close their eyes and imagine themselves making 10 free throws in a row. I mean, buddy, they tried everything, all right? Meditation, you name it. But they played in Conference usa, and so it never bit them. Because who cares if you're only making 61% of your free throws if you're up 27 points against everybody? And they just sort of laughed it off the whole season. And there is even. You can go find this on YouTube. There is a clip of the five tiger starters. Derrick Rose, Antonio Anderson, Robert Dozier, Joey Dorsey, the whole crew, Chris, Douglas, Roberts. And they're being asked about free throw shooting. And they're like laughing and they said, oh, God, you know, it's basically like, we'll make them when they matter. Don't worry. We'll make them when they matter. They just never matter. We're always ahead by 50. We'll make them when they matter. They didn't make them when they mattered, and it cost them the national championship. And so these types of things can be as trivial as it seems. It's just free throw. Shoot. They can derail a season or at least make it end in a way you did not want it to end. And Iowa State, shooting 66.5% from the free throw line, ranking 345th in that category. That could be an issue. Let's move to number seven. Purdue, preseason number one. Obviously, a lot of positives, but they're not perfect. What's the flaw?
- [41:42]
KB (College Basketball Analyst)
Yeah, this one, I thought was one of the more challenging ones for me. I went with a lot of reliance and perhaps an over reliance on Fletcher Lawyer. He's been a little bit up and down as a shooter this season. Shot 44.4% on the dot the last two seasons. That number's down this season below 40%. He's shooting 38.8% from three point range. You've got Braden Smith, who I think, you know, if I were starting a team right now, he would be my point guard one. He would be among the five first players who I would take. If I'm a college basketball coach starting a team. You've got Trey Kaufman, Wren. So you've got the point guard, you've got size, you've got Oscar Clough, another big guy who can come in and bang down low. But I think the, the lack of consistency, shooting the basketball has at times hurt Purdue this season. Lawyer has, you know, rode the roller coaster in some ways where he's had some lows, he's had some highs, but they are a lot of relying on Fletcher, Lawyer this season. I think Kedd bit them at times and I think could end up being one of their flaws come the NCAA tournament.
- [42:49]
Gary Parish (Host, Iowa State College Basketball Podcast)
To me, the question here is, are they just ultimately going to be good enough defensively, athletic enough defensively to stop other elite teams? Like they're 19th in adjusted defense, that's not bad. But in that three game losing streak that they endured last month, UCLA, Illinois, Indiana, they ranked 186th in deficiency efficiency in that, defensive efficiency in that stretch, according to Torvik. Obviously that's extreme in a bad way, but you, you, you got to be obviously much better than that and frankly, just much better than they are to actually go win the whole thing. And this is Purdue we're talking about. Braden Smith, Fletcher, Lawyer, Trey Kaufman ran. They're not trying to go to another Elite Eight. They're not trying to even go to a Final Four, although obviously that would be nice and they'll put a banner up for it. This will feel like a letdown if they don't win the whole thing. And on the defensive side of the ball, there's some stuff there that makes you wonder, are they good enough on that end to actually go win six games in the bracket? I would rule it out, but if they're not, if they prove incapable, it'll probably be connected to that. One more block to go. Three more teams to go. When we come back, we'll get to Kansas, Nebraska and Illinois. Here on the Ion College Basketball Podcast, we're on CBS Sports Network. Welcome back to the Ion College Basketball Podcast. We're here on CBS Sports Sports Network. One more block to go. We're spotting flaws in top 10 teams from the AP poll. We've knocked out one through seven. We're now at number eight. Number eight is Kansas. KB what's the flaw with Bill Self's Jayhawks?
- [44:24]
KB (College Basketball Analyst)
GP I think Kansas, their greatest strength, might also be their biggest flaw, and that's Darren Peterson's availability slash unavailability. Kansas has looked amazing for the greater part of the last month. That has largely been when Darren Peterson has been in the lineup. But GP as we've seen. There have been times where Darren Peterson has checked himself out late in games. He's missed a couple games. And so it is very hard, even if you are a Hall of Fame coach in Bill Self, to consistently rely on a player of his caliber. He's clearly the best player on this team. But if you do not know, night in, night out, if you are going to have him available for 40 minutes, I think it's just really hard to plan for each game. And so going into the NCAA Tournament, you know, I think there's a chance that, like, what if he tweaks his hamstring? What if he is cramping a little bit and is unavailable? You have to completely throw out potentially your game plan. And Darren Peterson is awesome. He could take Kansas to the national championship. I don't think I'd be that surprised if that happens, actually. But I also think that the fact that he has been inconsistently available for various parts throughout this entire season, I think it's a flaw for Kansas. I'm looking ahead into the March Madness.
- [45:48]
Gary Parish (Host, Iowa State College Basketball Podcast)
Clearly, the biggest flaw, like, is he available? Is he not available? If he is available, how much has he been available? Are my other guys comfortable playing with them? Is he comfortable playing with them? Oh, it's the second half. Are we sure he's going to play? Like, this is not a thing we think about with other basketball players. Like, hey, he looked amazing in the first half. I wonder if he'll play in the second. But that's where we're at with Darren Peterson. Like, you really don't know if he'll play in the second half. It's like, I've seen people, just random people, but it's still people with Twitter accounts joking like, Kansas is going to be in the Elite Eight and this dude's just going to sit out the last 14 minutes of a game just because. And they're jokes, but, like, they're jokes rooted in reality because we've been through this stuff. So tell me how Darren Peterson's freshman season is going to unfold from this point. I can start to try to tell you how I think Kansas season is going to unfold from this point. As of it is, as of this moment, we're all just guessing. We're hoping, but just guessing his availability. Clearly the biggest flaw with the Jayhawks. Number nine, Nebraska. Awesome team. Great story. They're not perfect. What's the flaw?
- [46:52]
KB (College Basketball Analyst)
Two things that I noted here from Nebraska. Number one, they live and die by the three largely. That has been excellent recipe for Nebraska 41.6% of their offense this season comes from the three point line. That is the ninth highest rate in college basketball. I think largely that is a strength. But I think if they, they enter a game with an off night unable to hit threes consistently, that could bite them. The second one, and I think is maybe more important when you're talking about a potential fatal flaw is they've really struggled at times rebounding the basketball. Go to a couple of their recent losses. 35, 23 rebounding disadvantage and a loss to Michigan. 4027 rebounding disadvantage in a loss to Illinois. 54, 37 rebounding disadvantage and a loss to Purdue. In those three losses GP they've been out rebounded in total 129 to 87. And I think you know, when you're talking about not being able to generate second chance points off of a lack of creating offensive rebounds, when you're not preventing offensive rebounds, that is something that eventually adds up. And again, we're talking about a top 10 team. We're talking about perhaps nitpicking in some ways a team that is clearly very good. But that is a flaw that I think we've seen time and again from this Nebraska team. And if they end up losing the NCAA tournament, I think rebounding or lack of success rebounding could end up being one of the flaws that we point to for why they ended up falling short of a national championship.
- [48:26]
Gary Parish (Host, Iowa State College Basketball Podcast)
I'll keep this one simple. You're one of the best NBA draft analysts working. I don't think you've got any Cornhuskers in your mock draft. That's the flaw. You can go to a Final Four with any kind of roster. Loyola Chicago can get there as long as Sister Jean's guiding the whole thing. But to win the national championship, win two games. Once you get to the Final Four, what history tells us is that you need to have NBA players. And the only NBA player on Nebraska's team is probably the coach. You know that that awesome team. But if they don't get all the way to the end and they shouldn't like, it's crazy to even be talking about this in Nebraska. Let's just win a game in the tournament first. But they don't have the pros that some of these other title contenders have and ultimately that would likely be the thing that prevents them from getting there. Number 10 is Illinois. Great team. Real quick, K.B. what's the flaw?
- [49:16]
KB (College Basketball Analyst)
One flaw that I noted don't force turnovers enough. And I've said this all season about this Illinois team I think they're good on defense, but they're not great. They don't force enough turnovers. Their Turnovers Forced rate is 365th in college basketball. GP that is dead last among all teams in college basketball. If you cannot create enough turnovers to generate transition points, I think that could end up being a concern. That is what I've noted from Illinois time and again when they've struggled. You point back to the lack of ability to create havoc and create turnovers on the defensive end of the ball.
- [49:53]
Gary Parish (Host, Iowa State College Basketball Podcast)
To me the flaw is just the health of the team. They got Kylan Boswell back, but Stojakovic is out. They played 26 games. Keaton Wagler is the only dude of the top three scores that's played more than 23. Are they healthy enough? We'll see. Shouts to Devin Downey shouts to Chester, S.C. shouts to Terry Teagle. Ledger legend Huck Larnell. See you guys next time.
- [50:26]
Collars and Company Advertiser (Maverick Performance Blazer)
Paramount Podcasts Guys, by now you've heard me talk about collars and company makers of the Dress Collar Polo. They've already sold over a million of these amazing shirts. Well, Collars and co just came out with the new Maverick Performance Blazer. This blazer is shar and wrinkle resistant so you can travel anywhere with it. Just throw it in your bag and it will remain wrinkle free. It even comes with security zip pockets, a sunglasses loop and an optional pocket Square. So visit collarsandco.com and use code TIKI for 20% off@collarsandco.com.