Eye On College Basketball Podcast: Immediate Impact—Reax to Cam Boozer, Koa Peat, Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa & Early Season Takeaways

Date: November 5, 2025
Hosts: Gary Parrish & Matt Norlander

EPISODE OVERVIEW

This early-season episode dives deep into the standout performances and storylines from the first two days of the college basketball season, with a special emphasis on the incredible production of the highly touted freshman class. Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander break down the immediate impacts made by stars like Cam Boozer (Duke), Koa Peat (Arizona), Darryn Peterson (Kansas), and AJ Dybantsa (BYU), exploring what their debuts signal for their teams and for the evolving landscape of the sport. The hosts also touch on key games, emerging team narratives, coaching moments, and their own preseason prognostications—often with their trademark mix of analysis, humility, and humor.

KEY DISCUSSION POINTS & INSIGHTS

1. Duke’s Opening Win & Cam Boozer’s Debut

• Game: #6 Duke 75, Texas 60
• Cam Boozer Performance: 15 pts, 13 rebs, 3 stls, 2 asts, 1 blk (despite scoring zero in the first half)
  • Coach Shire called out Boozer for playing "soft" at halftime; Boozer responded with a huge second half.
  • "If things go the way we think they're going to go with Boozer this season, this will probably be among his six or seven worst games—and he still had 15 and 13, which is outrageous." —Matt Norlander [03:48]
• Isaiah Evans: Emerged as the game's most important player—23 pts (7-of-13 FG), making clear that Duke’s ceiling rises and falls with his efficiency and three-point shooting.
• Duke’s Consistency: Now 27 straight season-opening wins (last loss in ‘99 to Stanford).
• Game Turning Point: Duke opened 2nd half with a 10-0 run, didn't allow Texas a basket for first 5 minutes after halftime.
• Texas Outlook: Still finding its form—new coach Sean Miller, missed key shots, impressive moments from big man Modestas Medelis.
• Dick Vitale Event: Both salute ESPN for naming an early-season event after Dick Vitale at last—“the most important media member in the history of college basketball.” —Norlander [07:53]

2. Freshman Phenom: Koa Peat’s Historic Debut for Arizona

• Game: #13 Arizona 93, #3 (Reigning Champ) Florida 87
• Koa Peat: 30 pts, 5 rebs, 5 asts, 3 stls in his first-ever college game (did it against what was seen as the top frontcourt in the nation)
  • “This was the best freshman debut I really want to say ever... To do that against the reigning champions, with their entire frontcourt back—absurd.” —Gary Parrish [15:11]
  • Only the second player (and only freshman) to go for 30-5-5-3 in a major debut.
  • “He might be the front-runner for national player of the year—two days into the season.” —Parrish [17:11]
• Arizona’s Unusual Style: Won with just 2-of-5 three-point shooting, emphasizing versatility in the college game.
  • “It’s rare... 93 points in a 40-minute game on barely any threes. That would never happen in the NBA.” —Norlander [23:31]
• Coaching Notes: Tommy Lloyd now 22–13 vs. ranked teams, 7–4 vs. top-5 opponents.
• Arizona Players Snubbed: None named preseason All-Big 12 first team despite this impact.

3. Preseason Rankings Regrets: Player Evaluations

• Both hosts jokingly shame themselves for underrating Peat in their preseason Top 100 lists.
  • “Where was he?” —Parrish
  • “I had him at 94. That’s embarrassing.” —Norlander [13:55]

4. NBA Prospect vs. College Star Debate

• Not all top freshmen are elite NBA prospects; Peat is less hyped as a pro, but his college dominance is irrefutable.
  • “Perhaps there should’ve been zero questions about how it would translate to this level.” —Norlander [19:08]
• Big three projected NBA picks for 2026: Peterson, Dybantsa, and Boozer, but Peat is shifting the conversation.

5. Freshman Class of 2025: Best Ever?

• All four generational freshmen (Boozer, Peat, Dybantsa, Peterson) shined immediately.
  • “We might have the top six picks in the draft all be freshmen.” —Parrish [38:30]
  • Listener poll during episode: 75% say this will be the best freshman class ever.

6. Quick Hits—Other Results & Notable Performances

• Kansas (#19) vs Green Bay: Darryn Peterson: 21-4-3, matches Dybantsa’s BYU line.
• BYU vs Villanova: AJ Dybantsa: “Not a huge line, but physically imposing as an 18-year-old on older guys with championship rings.” —Norlander [20:05]
• Purdue: Fletcher Loyer’s 7 threes and Braden Smith’s 11 assists vs. Evansville; Coach Matt Painter chides “not smart” fans who want Loyer benched.
  • “Let’s not talk to them.” —Painter (reported by Norlander) [34:10]
• Other High-Impact Freshmen: Nate Amen (Tennessee), among others, also started strong.

7. Coaching & Team Miscellany

• Mick Cronin (UCLA): After a shaky win, Cronin: “Mistakes everywhere, I’d like to fire myself.” [44:21]
• Bruce Pearl (Auburn): Debuted as coach, tweeted premature “Boom” before Bethune-Cookman sent game to OT; his son Stephen eked out the win.
  • “I know Auburn fans are sick and tired of being asked to be patient...” —S. Pearl (paraphrased) [42:09]
• Close Calls & Upsets:
  • Auburn, Colorado, UCF, Xavier, Oregon, Georgia Tech, and Boston College narrowly escape or drop openers.
  • TCU loses at home to New Orleans, who won just 4 games last year.
  • Boise State falls to Division II Hawaii Pacific—"worst loss in the history of the school."
• Memorable Moment: Loyola Chicago beats Cleveland State at the buzzer in first game after Sister Jean passes away—"chill bump inducing stuff." [49:41]

8. Thematic Threads & Running Jokes

• Admitting Preseason Misses: Both hosts candidly recount underrating Koa Peat, and other honest admissions.
• Producer Changes and Video Mishaps: Snafus about sending/receiving video clips for the live show, leading to jokes about family sabotage and 'hand-raising' when you make mistakes.
• Inside Jokes: Speculation about each other's cars, humblebrags about high school rides, and Gary accidentally sabotaging Ja Morant's parking spot with his dead EV.

9. Notable Quotes & Moments

• “Zero points with 19:31 left in the game and [Boozer] still finished with 15 and 13. It’s his first double double as a Blue Devil.” —Norlander [04:53]
• “It’s interesting to see a star player get called out at halftime, then flourish in the second half as opposed to just shut it down and pop off in the postgame.” —Parrish [05:47]
• “[Koa Peat] gave college basketball a wonderful immediate boost by arriving on the stage and frankly looking like a guy who should be starting right now for the Suns, not even the Wildcats.” —Norlander [18:06]
• “The ones who want to get rid of [Fletcher Loyer], they’re not very smart, so let’s not talk to them.” —Matt Painter, paraphrased by Norlander [34:30]
• “If there’s really one person who embodies the enthusiasm and spirit of college basketball, it’s Dick Vitale... The most important media member in the history of college basketball.” —Norlander [07:53]
• “Mistakes everywhere—I’d like to fire myself.” —Mick Cronin [44:21]
• “Do you know what I drove in high school? Suzuki Samurai, with a Nine Inch Nails sticker... I was running.” —Norlander [57:18]

10. Looking Ahead

• Quiet Mid-Week: Slim pickings until Friday—“It is thin stuff Wednesday and Thursday.”
• Advice for Coaches: “If I were running a prominent college basketball program, I’d be on the phone with my television partners [to get on TV Wednesday night, opening week].” —Norlander [52:21]
• Weekend Preview: Kansas, Carolina, Maryland, Georgetown, Alabama, St. John’s, Arkansas, Michigan State, Oklahoma, Gonzaga, Indiana, Marquette among Friday-Sunday headliners.
• Breaking News: Purdue and Tennessee to start a home-and-home in December 2026. [50:38]

IMPORTANT SEGMENTS & TIMESTAMPS

• Duke-Texas Recap, Cam Boozer’s Impact: [01:00–05:40]
• Discussion: Coaching, Defensive Runs, Vitale Event: [06:15–09:00]
• Arizona-Florida, Koa Peat’s Debut, Freshman History: [12:47–19:08]
• Debate: College vs NBA Prospect Status, Three-Point Trends: [19:08–23:40]
• Best Freshman Class Ever? Poll/Discussion: [38:30–39:00][54:20]
• Purdue, Loyer, Painter quote: [30:01, 34:10]
• Buzzer Beater for Loyola (Sister Jean): [49:19]
• Coach Meltdowns & Quips (Cronin, Pearl): [41:22, 44:16]
• Looking Ahead / Big Picture: [51:46–54:20]

SUMMARY

This episode framed the new college basketball season as a stage for a potentially historic freshman class, whose immediate impact is redefining expectations and adding enormous intrigue at both the elite program and NBA scouting levels. Gary and Matt’s breakdowns of Cam Boozer’s and Koa Peat’s performances come with honest reflections about missed preseason evaluations, while the rundown of other key games and strange moments (close calls, coaching quotes, and technical mishaps) rounds out a rich tapestry of early-season drama and humor. The message is clear: college hoops is back, its stars are shining as brightly as ever, and this class of freshmen may go down as the best ever.

If you want in-depth, insightful, and thoroughly entertaining commentary on the college game, this episode is required listening—or at least, reading.