← Eye On College Basketball
Eye On College Basketball
March Madness 2026 Sweet 16 Thursday Recap! Iowa upsets Nebraska; Illinois' defensive clinic; TKR sends Purdue to the Elite Eight; Arizona bullies Arkansas
00:50:35
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- [00:00]
A
Ion College Basketball is presented by Shipt. With Shipt, you can order same day delivery for everything you need for game day, groceries, decor and so much more from local stores. Download the app or order now@shipt.com that's s h ipt.com ion college basketball is also presented by Domino's. Best deal ever. Right now you can get any pizza with any toppings for one great price at Domino's. Let me say that again. Any pizza, any toppings for one great price. It really is their best deal ever. You know how during tournament season there's always that one game you absolutely cannot miss? Whether it's a buzzer beater in the men's bracket or a massive upset in the women's tournament, having instant access right when the action heats up is everything. That's why Sling is so clutch. Get instant access to the men's and women's college basketball tournaments. Starting for just $4.99, you can catch all the action on TNT, TBS and more. So when the moments that matter happen, you're not scrambling to find a stream. And. And if you're thinking I want even more hoops, you can add an extra pack to your subscription for just $1. Sling offers flexibility. No overpaying, no over committing their flexible passes. Subscription lets you watch live college basketball when you want and you can start watching in minutes. It's tournament level excitement. Just tournaments so crazy they'd be crazy to miss. Sling makes it easy to watch the games you want when you want without locking into a full subscription. Sling lets you do that, but visit sling.com to learn more.
- [01:35]
B
Hey there. I'm Gary Parish. Welcome back to the Ion college basketball podcast where we sometimes discuss Campbell Fighting Dodo Birds and Leaky Black. David Cobb is here with me. If you are watching, watch it on YouTube Honor Brandon Davies. Smash that like button. And if you haven't yet subscribed to the I Own College Basketball podcast, please go do that anywhere you subscribe to podcasts like Apple and Spotify. Let's get into it. Let me first apologize for the later than announced start. Now if you don't mind, can I explain to you what happened? David Cobb, we're gonna talk basketball in a minute. It's good to see you. I appreciate you staying up late. Can I tell you a story first? I don't. I don't know if you're supposed to just start with a story, but can I tell you a story first?
- [02:15]
C
Gary, people are here to hear your stories. Let's hear the story.
- [02:19]
B
Okay, so here's what happened. I've been in studio all night after watching the Mets embarrass Paul Skeens and the Pirates earlier today. I've been in studio all night. We had Sweet 16 games. So I do a show that lasts from about 10pm Eastern to about 12:30pm Eastern. And then I hop in a car, come back to the hotel, and we're gonna try to start the I Own College Basketball podcast at. At, let's say, 1 o' clock Eastern. That'll give me time to get back here, get set up. So when I'm leaving the broadcast center, you know, you think the crew. Hey, guys, thank you. Everybody was great tonight. Good to see everybody. Hey, get home safe. Type of stuff everybody says at the end of the night. And then, as I do basically every night, you know, because I live in a hotel, you grab a, you know, you grab a couple sodas, maybe a Diet Coke or two, and you're like, okay, this will be nice for tomorrow. You get up and rather than have to go down 61 floors and go outside and find something to drink, you'll just have one right there in your room, a nice Diet Coke to start the day. I'm not saying it's the healthiest way to live. I'm just saying I enjoy a nice Diet Coke early in the day. So I threw one in my bag and I threw everything else in my bag and I hopped in my car. And then I tweeted from the car. I was like, hey, everybody, I'm leaving the broadcast center. I'll be back at the hotel soon. We'll start the I Own College Basketball Podcast at one. I'll see you there. And got back in the. So then I. We get to my hotel, driver says, here we go. And I said, hey, good, thank you. Appreciate the ride. Did all that stuff. And I went to pick up my bag, and I noticed there was, like, condensation of some sort on the seat. I was like, why is the seat wet? It's like it hadn't been raining here. Why is the seat wet? But I didn't pay it no mind. So I walk in the hotel like I do every night, and I wave to everybody because I. I see these people more than I see, you know, people that I'm actually related to. So I say, hey, everybody, good to see you. I'm going upstairs. I'll see you guys tomorrow. And. And I get upstairs and I throw my bag on the bed and I see that, oh, buddy, I can figure out what happened here. All the evidence suggests a 12 ounce soda has exploded in my bag. And so I reached in. I reached in and I felt it immediately. There were 12 ounces of Diet Coke emptied right into my little backpack.
- [04:30]
C
So what's the damage?
- [04:32]
B
The damage is a MacBook Air that will no longer turn on. The damage is a MacBook Air that will no longer turn on. Now, luckily, I have multiple employers, and luckily, when you get a job like one of these jobs, they say, well, you're gonna need a computer. What kind of computer do you need? And I say, I'll take another MacBook Air, I guess. So I've got multiple computers. I'm lucky. So I had another one here. That's how I'm here. But I almost did not even bring this computer. The second computer. I don't even know why I threw it in my bag. But if we didn't have it, David Cobb, we gonna see if you can host a podcast solo. That's where we were at. We were about to be. We're about to see a solo Cobb pod because I have a MacBook Air sitting right behind me that is covered in Diet Coke and will not turn on. That's what I've been dealing with. How's your night been?
- [05:23]
C
Well, better than that. I'm honestly, like, I don't know what's worse for you, given the fact that you have multiple computers, it seems like you're okay on that front. But the reality is when you wake up at noon, or whatever time you wake up tomorrow, you are gonna have to go down those 61 flights of stairs to get yourself something to drink. You know, unless you want to like that. Unless you just want to, like, drink out of the backpack. You know, you could drink out of the back.
- [05:44]
B
You know, for the past 20 minutes, I've just been pissed about my computer. It never even occurred to me I might have to go outside in the morning. This is awful on multiple levels. And I know the world's a strange place right now and a lot of people are going through a lot of things, but these are the things I'm going through. And it's been a stressful past 20 so minutes, but we're here now.
- [06:05]
C
Look, at least he was a Diet Coke and not a real Coke because Diet Coke doesn't have sugar, so it's not. It's not going to be as sticky.
- [06:12]
B
Well, at least my. At least my MacBook Air is not going to put on weight in its death. It's not 240.
- [06:18]
C
Hey, Gary, this is a sign you need. You need to Switch to, you know, one of those healthy alternative sodas, maybe.
- [06:24]
B
There's. It. I might need to make a bunch of life changes, you know, as soon as the season's over, I might need.
- [06:30]
C
That's what I always say. It's like, you know, once. Once we get through the Final Four, then. Then I'll. Then I'll start working out, you know.
- [06:35]
B
Yeah.
- [06:36]
C
Then I'll work on my short game.
- [06:38]
B
Right, Right. Yeah, I'm. I. I got big plans for the off season. I have big plans every off season. Usually it involves something to do with cleaning out the garage. Never. Yeah.
- [06:48]
C
As well. But, I mean, this daggone basketball season keeps getting in the way, you know?
- [06:52]
B
You know, we'll figure it out. We'll figure it out. All right. So anyway, rest in peace. To the MacBook Air. Man, there's. I can't tell you how many basketball teams been ranked inside that MacBook Air. I can't tell you how many top 25 and ones came out of that MacBook Air. Rest in peace. Thank God for this one. Let's talk basketball. Now, I want to be clear. Typically, whether it sounds like it or not, typically I have notes and their structure and bullet points, and I have an idea of what I'm doing. If I haven't made it perfectly clear, every note that I have in my life is in a dead MacBook Air right behind me. I've got nothing. I typed out some scores here in a document. That's about all we're working off the top of my head tonight. And whatever you got in your computer screen, final score, Iowa 77, Nebraska 71. Don't you think Houston's the place to start? Ben McCollum and the Hawkeyes upset Nebraska in a battle of Big Ten rivals. Down in Houston in the Toyota Center, Iowa in the Elite Eight for the first time since 1987. Nebraska's magical run ends in the Sweet 16. Nebraska controlled the game, most of the game, but went through a scoring drought late. Got caught with only four players on the floor. At what point? That's not good. What'd you make of Iowa beating Nebraska to get within one victory of what would be their first Final Four since, I believe, if I remember correctly, 1980.
- [08:25]
C
Yeah. Crazy that you got to go down to Houston, Texas, to basically get what's become a Big Ten Invitational here. So it's. It's Iowa playing a Nebraska team that they are neighbors with, and now moving on to play an Illinois team that they are also neighbors with. So the shot making in the first half of this game was unreal. I mean 14 of 25 combined from beyond the arc between these two teams in the first half. Such a dichotomy from the second game we saw in Houston tonight. Didn't realize that the first window was going to be the one that brought our bangers. I mean, I think we all had the second window of game circled as the one where the most intrigue was going to be in store. Totally not the case whatsoever. Iowa, Nebraska was, was unbelievable. The, the key to this game in my mind was just Iowa's ability to limit the turnovers. Like when they lost to Nebraska to close the regular season. They committed 19 turnovers in that game. I think the final tally, yeah, it was five, five turnovers in this game. So you just limited over the course of that game Nebraska's opportunities to get out in transition and, and to stay in rhythm offensively because you're taking care of the basketball and converting at a pretty efficient clip. So another Ben McCollum masterpiece. I mean this guy was a multi time Division 2 National Champion for a reason and just continues to show that he can Flat out coach 65% of their points this season. Are guys who came with him from Drake. I mean, and here they are and some of them came with them from D2 and here they are going on to the Elite 8. Pretty amazing.
- [09:55]
B
So like I said this on TV tonight and it sounds like a ridiculous thing to say. I don't think it's hyperbolic. The quote is something along the lines, if you'll allow me to quote myself off of TV as ridiculous that sounds. I said something along the lines of this guy. Maybe you'd never heard of him two years ago because you don't watch Division 2 basketball or, or even aware that it exists. But this guy is among the biggest difference makers on a sideline that there is at any level of this sport. Look up at the NBA, look down at high school, look anywhere in between. Division 2, Division 3, NIA, NAIA, Division 1, take it to Europe in terms of just give this guy some basketball players, let him work with them, then let him game plan, then let him execute. I don't like, and this isn't just based off what he did this season or what he did at Drake. It's those things combined with 15 years of excellence at the division tune level where he wins four national titles. I'm not going to go through the whole resume again. I've done it. And I think at this point after the Sweet 16 win, at least people, people are aware of It. But I said last off season that Ben McCollum to Iowa might have been my favorite hire of the entire cycle because it just seemed like the type of thing where if you give this guy the resources to be competitive, he will be competitive.
- [11:32]
C
If you give him the resources, even if you don't, he might still be.
- [11:36]
B
So. Okay, so that's probably a better way to put it. If you don't give him the resources to be competitive, he'll probably still be competitive. If you give him the resources to be good, he'll probably be great. And if you give him the resources to be great, he can probably be elite. Like, if you give him. And I don't even know what's possible at Iowa, what isn't, but if you could ever get to a point where somebody told me, you know, who's got the most money to spend on a roster in the Big Ten, it's Iowa. Now, I don't think we'll ever get there, but like, if we ever had that conversation, I, I'd say, well, then that's, that's like, that's a great, that's, that's going to work. And I don't even think you got to go there. I'm rambling at this point. You get the point. This guy's Incredible. Incredible. Only 44 years old and in year one at Iowa where his best player is somebody who is clearly not this now, but what I'm saying is true. His best player, yes, is an NBA prospect now, but started his college career at the Division 2 level and to win 21 games before selection Sunday and now to be at 24 and just one more victory away from the five, just an all time great introduction into Division 1 coaching. And if I'm a Division 2 coach right now, I am sending him thank you cards because the success that he's having at this level so quickly and at two different places he is going to, or at least it should make athletic directors look at that level and other lower levels of the sport. Because the whole relationship business that we used to hear about all the time, I'm not saying it doesn't exist or matter. It just doesn't matter as much as it ever did. Like it used to be. How can you hire somebody to work in the SEC or the Big Ten or the Big 12 or the ACC if they ain't spent the past 10 years at Peach Jam? You know, I just don't think that matters much anymore. It's, it's a transactional business. If you've got the Money and you can evaluate and get deals done. You can roster build almost minus relationships. And then it's up to you to turn it into something. And this guy seems to be among the best. Turn it into something coaches in the sport. And what happened on Thursday night was a reminder of that.
- [13:51]
C
Yeah. So the Kurt Signetti comparison you start to see floated around a little bit. I got to give a shout out to Gabe Kuhn in Memphis, who I talk with on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. And he, he's been on this bandwagon now for a couple of weeks. And I think it's an apt comparison. It's basically the idea of the, the lesser known, lower level coach coming to a program with very little history in the specific sport and then just putting on an absolute masterclass and turning the program overnight into something nationally relevant. And you think about what it took Signetti two years to win a national title at Indiana. Well, now all of a sudden Iowa's on the map. Like if, if now look, they're going to lose Bennett Sturts. But you just think about what has been McCollum earned at Iowa. One, I mean he could certainly use other openings as leverage at this point. And two, he might, he might not even have to because he's now proven what he can do. It's going to be a lot easier for him to go to the administration and, and get more. And oh, by the way, you know, that's talking about what they could do next year. They're not done yet. Like this, this thing is, is marching on to the elite eight. Like that's, that's the amazing thing here is like they played Illinois once. It was a six point game back in early mid January. Illinois won that game. But I was clearly gained confidence I think here over the last couple of weeks because they were always good in the advanced metrics. They were always top 30 in Ken Palm, you know, low 20s in some of the advanced metrics. Like they, they, their quality of play all year long was more like five seed, six seed, seven seed. But they just couldn't get over the hump against like the better opponents on their schedule. Well, they slayed Florida and now who's to say that, that they couldn't get Illinois too? I mean, so it's, it's, it's remarkable. I mean I, I'm gonna pick Illinois to win that game. But, but at this point, like you just don't doubt what Ben McCollum can do. And I think you got to ignore the nine next to Iowa's name because Again, it's like that they were seated there based off their resume and really more like what they hadn't accused, accomplished. But in terms of actual quality of play, they're, they're a lot better than a nine seed.
- [16:02]
B
All right, let's get to the second game at the Toyota center down in Houston. Illinois and Houston. This was considered to be the better game on the schedule, and I guess it was okay for a half, but low scoring. But in the second half, Illinois pulled away and there really wasn't much drama to it. Yeah, Houston had, I guess what amounted to a home court advantage playing two miles from campus, but Illinois didn't seem bothered by it at all. Final score, a line I65, Cougars 55. Kelvin Sampson eliminated from the NCAA tournament in the Sweet 16. Brad Underwood in the Illini, now just 11 away from the Final Four. He did the post game interview on the court Brad did with Lauren Shahadi, and among the first things he mentioned was the defense. And that was, I think, the main obvious takeaway from this. In a game where it was labeled as Illinois's top five offense against Houston's top five defense. Illinois defense is kind of what won the game, holding Houston to just 55 points, lowest point total for the Cougars in any game this season.
- [17:10]
C
Yeah, the crazy part about this game is Houston did not attempt a free throw until under 4 minutes left in this game. They did not, they did not get a single fast break point in this game. And what that means is everything had to come in the half court. There were no freebies at the charity stripe. There were no run outs. There was nothing in transition. Right. So it was all in the half court offense. And like one of the big takeaways from this late window is like, size matters in college basketball and Illinois ranks number one in average height at Ken Palm. And that was a major problem for Houston because they had. Everything was out of the half court. I mean, Illinois hasn't fouled all year. That's just something. They don't do it. They don't foul all year. Nor does Houston get to the free throw line a whole lot. So in the, in the stamp, from the standpoint of operating in the half court, I mean, the, the size of Illinois just stifled Houston entirely and made life miserable. I mean, it was 34 from the field. That's the third worst shooting performance of the season for Houston. They've never attempted fewer free throws in a game this year than they did tonight. So just all systems dominance from Illinois. I mean, like you said, it's like the matchup was built a certain type of way, but I came away from the game blown away by Illinois defensively because that's just not what you've thought of them as being all year long. You thought of them as, as more of an offensive juggernaut. But the, the defensive performance in this game tonight from, from Illinois was a little bit of an eye opener, quite frankly. Like, it in some ways makes you recalibrate, especially now when you look at who the Elite Eight opponent is and you're like, all right, well, this team should go to the final, to the final four, and they're on the side of the bracket. That, that feels a little weaker. So it's like at this point, I mean, I feel like Illinois is a pretty decent bet to go play in the national title game. I don't feel like that's outrageous whatsoever. So really, I just. An unbelievable performance from Illinois tonight.
- [19:00]
B
Obviously nothing outrageous about Illinois playing in the national title game. And you know, they are still top 25 and adjusted defensive efficiency, so they're not back bad. But that's not elite. But what we saw on Thursday against Houston, that was elite. And if suddenly you've got a top two offense with a better than where it has rated throughout most of the season defense, well, yeah, that's a combination where you can play on Monday, on a Monday night in Indianapolis. At this point, I don't think there's anything crazy about that. And you know, you go into a regional thinking, if we can get, are you just going to a tournament thinking, okay, if we can get out of the round of 64, round of 32, we got to go down to Houston and then, you know, we, you got to deal with Houston and then who knows what's on the other side. You start daydreaming about, I mean, you, you do you have to beat Houston and then the reigning champs and back to back games, is that the way this is going to go? And then you look up and it's like, okay, we handled Houston kind of no problem in the second half and oh, wow, look who it is. It's our buddies from the Big Ten, Iowa, on the other side. Florida's not here. It's. It's Iowa. All right, well, we can, we can maybe do that. And then at that point you just start dreaming as big as you want to dream. So incredible stuff from Illinois and on the Houston side, I just sort of. Because you got to understand that when, when that the late games are going on, we are on set and so you've Got it at the corner of your eye and you're following it obviously in terms of watching the score and watching the play by play, but in terms of locked in on a game, you don't, you. It's hard to do that when you're talking on television. But I did glance at it at one point and I just saw Kelvin sitting on the sideline and it was like when it had gotten up to like 16 or 18, somewhere up there where it felt like it was slipping away and he just sort of looked like, like I don't want to put thoughts in his head, but to me it was like he almost, it looked like it was just how did. Man, this is all set up for us. This was set up and now it's just slipped away and, and that's the nature of a single elimination tournament. It can get, you know, one bad night can end it. And this happened to be their worst offensive night of the season, at least in terms of points. But you think of all the things you need to get where it is he was trying to get. And they had it. Or at least they had most of it. The hall of Fame level, coach, roster, continuity year over year from one good team to the next. They returned three starters, DF pros. They enrolled two of those, including a possible top five pick. But certainly Kingston Flemings and Chris Sinek both are projected to go in the, in the first round, Flemings in the top 10. We'll see about the other. They just, they had all the pieces and the South Region happened to be set up in Houston. The one seed got knocked out in the round of 32. Like it's there and then you look up and it's just gone and the season's over and you don't get these back. And obviously when you're at the age of 70, like Kelvin is, you don't know how many of these opportunities you'll ever get. And like you just look at the past two years, like his age 69 year will be a season that ended after he had a double digit lead in the second half of the national championship game, but it ended in a loss. And his age 70 season will end in a loss in his, you know, two miles from campus to a team that is good, obviously, but a team that Houston was favored to win. That's, I'd imagine that's a hard thing to stomach.
- [22:29]
C
So quote right now from his press conference that just showed up in our slack channel, I still like it, but we're all going to step away eventually. I haven't really thought about that to the point where I can share anything. But I'm not going to get in anybody's way though. If I'm in somebody's way or if I'm overstaying my welcome, I'll be the first one to leave.
- [22:49]
B
Well, nobody thinks he's overstaying his welcome, right?
- [22:51]
C
I mean, yeah, yeah, no, nobody. I mean, unless his son's like, yo dad, let me shine.
- [22:57]
B
You know, that might be. If I'm overstaying my welcome is something that might have made sense if Jim Boeheim said it in his final years at Syracuse. But there's nobody I. I've never heard a whisper about. Is Kelvin still got it? It's like, does Kelvin still want to do it? But does he still have it? Undeniably, he's one of the undeniably so absolutely it.
- [23:21]
C
You know, this team, I think the one thing it missed was like that, that heft of like a J Juan Roberts, because like Sanak was long and they had some, they had, they always have length. You know, toddlers rangy with the crazy wingspan and, but they didn't have that like strong six eight, like barrel chested, physical defender who could just dominate the glass. And I mean that was kind of the one missing thing. It's like they had to rely so much on, on jump shots and their guards, as great as they were, just not super physical. And that showed up against the, the tallest team in college basketball.
- [24:03]
B
And so, you know, I guess he leaves open a little bit like Bill Self has left open the possibility that this really might be it. And, and I know this was the most open Bill's ever left it. And I imagine that's the most open Kelvin's ever left it. And it's not a big question with either one of those guys about whether they can still do it or even do it. Well, I know KU has slipped a little bit over the past three years, but I would still put Bill Self up there really high on a list of active college basketball coaches. And obviously Kelvin's up there really high too. But like at some point I made this point on hq, I think earlier, like we don't even blink when people with millions of dollars in their 60s decide they're ready to retire. In fact, we're like, if they don't. Like if you had a friend who was 62 and had, you know, $30 million and was still grinding themselves every day, you might at one point be like, hey man, like what are you doing this for? You still love it. Like that. And I think sometimes we forget that with basketball coaches. These are, in Kelvin's case and in Bill's case, older men who have lots of money and they don't have to do this for the same reasons. 99.9% of Americans work. Most Americans work because they have to, because you've got a mortgage to pay. These are two people who don't have to do the jobs that they are paid to do anymore if they don't want to. So it really does come down to how do you want to spend your days. As I've said before, these jobs, you don't ever have to feel sorry for anybody. These men are making millions of dollars. We should all be as lucky as them. But it is a stressful job and, and a hard job and an exhausting job and it can take a toll. And so it's not surprising to me to hear two all time great coaches after their last losses of these seasons sort of leave open the possibility that, you know, maybe it's time for them to do something else for different reasons. But, you know, we'll, we'll see. But, but the idea that the North Carolina job is open, it's in theory, the Kansas job could open and Kelvin Sampson could, at least in theory, walk away from Houston. That job wouldn't open. It would go to his son. But still, like, you know, it's. These are long seasons and they take a toll. And I think we've seen multiple examples of coaches sort of illustrating that in their post game pressers after those last losses.
- [26:35]
C
Yeah. And then the grind immediately resumes nowadays with the portal opening when it opens and Houston's going to have a lot to replace from this year's team. So that, that's a part of it as well. I think it's also maybe harder, at least I would think, for, for somebody like Kelvin Sampson to walk away knowing how close he's gotten to winning a national title and how close if he continues, he will continue to be in the mix. He'll continue to be in the hunt for a national title. And knowing that you could achieve that, that it's a realistic goal that you've been so close that you'll continue to be close if you stay in. Like, that's got to be like tantalizing. If you're Bill Self, you've won a couple of national titles, right. So like you've been to the mountaintop, but the Kelvin Sampson hasn't. He's been so close. You got to think that that's a factor in the mindset, regardless of if he ever. If he ever wins one, I think he's one of the. One of the best to ever do it. And maybe that'll be his legacy. Maybe he'll be the best coach to never win a national title. If so, I mean, who cares, right? Like, the guy literally had his career taken from him for things that would be deemed trivial and overlooked entirely by the ncaa. Now he worked his way back resurrecting a program that had been dormant for decades. And, you know, it's crazy, like, they had to get Rice to host for him this week because basically when they started putting in a bid to be a host site back in like, 2017, they were so irrelevant that it was like, why would we ever even conjure up a scenario where it would be a conflict for us to. To be a host institution? You. You know, and in 2020, it was in. Awarded. They announced that in 2026 they'd host a regional. Well, you know, this summer rolls around and they're like, well, crap Rice. You guys available? You know, and. And so, I mean, to me, that just, like, illustrates the remarkable rebirth of that program over the last 10 years to where they went from a total afterthought to one of the. The best in. In college basketball. And, you know, tonight didn't go their way. But if this is the end, it. What an amazing run for Kelvin Sampson. And if not, I'm sure they'll be right back here next year.
- [28:38]
B
And I do think the point you made about how, you know, the portal opens soon, like, there's not a whole lot of time to breathe like, like, you. You're going every day and then it's over and you're like, and. But it then starts again immediately, and that's. That's hard. God, you've been going every day. Do you want to. You want to get back in this cycle again right now? And then it should be noted, then we'll move on. Kelvin did unprompted, I think, kind of mention publicly earlier in the season, like, you know, hey, we don't have the money to keep buying players of this caliber, and obviously he's losing the bulk of this team. There's going to be a lot to replace. And if he was publicly announcing we don't have the resources available to us that. That other schools have to roster build. Well, that could be. That could play a role in. In any decision as well, one way or the other, as always. We'll see. All right, let's take a break, Josh. And when we come back, we'll turn our attention to Purdue over Texas and Arizona over Arkansas. That's the Elite Eight matchup we've now got in the West, Arizona and Purdue. We'll do that next. First, let's get a word from our partners.
- [29:53]
A
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- [31:04]
B
here with Wayfair and let me tell you, game day is serious business at my house. If I'm grilling, chilling and watching hoops, my outdoor setup better be ready to play. That's where Wayfair wins. From patio seating and umbrellas to grills and grill accessories, Wayfair's got it all and it shows up fast. I'm talking and fast and easy delivery. So level up your grill game and your outdoor chill game and head to Wayfarer.com to get your outdoor space ready for the season.
- [31:30]
C
Wayfair Every style, every home all right
- [31:33]
B
Norlander, we're settling this right now. We're doing a pizza topping draft, a
- [31:37]
A
full on pizza draft, two loaded pizza builds just 9.99 each with Domino's. Best deal ever. I am ready.
- [31:44]
B
GP all right, I'll go first. Let's go. Handmade pan crust, pepperonis, extra cheese, jalapenos, onions and garlic parmesan sauce please.
- [31:53]
A
Garlic parmesan sauce. Okay, I'm going thin crust, red sauce, spinach. You know what, give me some banana peppers Too thin crust. It's the four seed of all pizzas. I stand by it.
- [32:05]
B
See, this is why this deal is perfect. Everyone gets exactly what they want.
- [32:10]
A
Especially for a watch party. You can build all the large pizzas you need, customize each and every single one and keep the whole crew happy. For just 9.99 each.
- [32:18]
B
Any toppings, any combo. That's why this is Domino's. Best deal ever. With Domino's Best deliver, you can get any pizza with any toppings for just 9.99. Prices higher in some locations. Select this online only offer from 223 to 4. 6 size. Availability varies by crust type. Max 7 toppings, 6 for New York style and pan crust. Stuffed crust is extra. Excludes XL and specialty pizzas. Minimum purchase required for delivery prices, participation, delivery area and charges may vary. Final score Purdue 79, Texas 77 in San Jose Sweet 16 west region came down to the final seconds. If you watched it, you know how it ended. If not, listen to me. Try to tell you. Braden Smith, tie game, tries to get to the rim, puts it off the backboard, misses. But Trey Kaufman Wren, possibly with a hook and hold, possibly with a hook and hold, is able to get the stick back. And Purdue wins it back in the Elite eight for the second time in a three year span. Let's stop there for a second. I saw some Texas fans chattering about the hook and hold on the final bucket. Do they have a valid complaint?
- [33:25]
C
You always set me up to take away from the moment of glory. Like I had. You set me up to talk about how Kentucky didn't deserve to win the game against Santa Clara because of the clock discrepancies. And I'm like, okay, yes. I mean, yes. Maybe there was a case for a hook and hold here. My, my bigger issue was like, and I understand why Sean Miller did it because he didn't want modest focatitis to get stuck in a, in a switch on a pick and roll. But they didn't have their seven footer on the floor. Like, what do you expect? This is what Purdue does. It's what they've always done. They bully you down low. I mean, I, I don't expect the, the referees to, to call a hook and hold in this situation. I don't think it was blatant enough. I mean, Trey Coffin Wren just like bullied Dalen Swain to a point where there was no chance he was getting the rebound. Like, like Coffin Ren, just like stuck his thigh into his back and just wedged him underneath the basket and I think that was half the play. It was like, all right, they, they knew they were going offense deep. Like, Matt Painter knew Sean Miller was going offense defense with volcatitis. So, I mean, I think the discussion was something along the lines of, like, Braden, just go get a shot up on the backboard. Just get one on the glass, try to hit the rim. If it goes in, great, awesome. If not, like, they don't have their seven footer on the floor, so you know TKR is going to be there for the putback. I mean, you don't think they should have called a hook and hold, like, in your heart of hearts, do you?
- [34:47]
B
Here's what I think. I think it was. I don't think it would have been. Should have been called. Well, that, that actually, that sounds contradict, like, I think it was a foul, but I don't think they should have called the foul. I don't like the way that sounded. So let me do it again. I think by the, like, if we put that in front of Gene's territory, he's going to say, that's a hook and hold. I didn't expect it to be called. How about that? I didn't expect it to be called. If you put it in a clinic, they'd say, yeah, that, that should have been a whistle. But in that moment, I did not expect it to be called. But when you watch the replay, it is what it is. I thought there was an interesting postgame press conference moment between a reporter and I didn't catch the name. I apologize. Otherwise, I would give you credit because I thought it was a good question, an appointed question, and the type of question that needs to be asked in a press conference so often. Like, we're sitting in studio listening to these and I've noticed it, like in real life press conferences as well, but like these, sometimes people just ask questions to hear themselves talk as opposed to, like, ask a question because you're genuinely curious what the answer to this very specific question would be. There's not enough of that in press conferences, but this was that. So whoever asked the question, tip of the hat to you. The person just asked Sean, like, plainly, you took your big off the court. Why? And I thought the way Sean answered it was fine, like, totally. Like, this is one where he said what you said, which is, I didn't want him to like their bigs out, cluffs out, and I didn't want him to get put into a ball screen with Braden Smith because that's just not going to be good for us. And so it's no different than. Is it any different. You tell me. In the NBA we hear about Biggs getting played off the court all the time. I mean that's what that was. It was like we are in a tie game, shot clock off situation. If you're on the court, they're going to put you in a ball screen against the NCAA's all time assist leader. So sit over here. And then they just got caught in my head. It's one of those that if you leave him on the court and he gets switched and then Braden just Kimball walkers him, you're, we're all going, why did they leave him on the court? You knew what they were going to do. As soon as he's on the court, you know Matt Peter is going to put him in a ball screen and so you take him off the court and then what happened, happened. And so you can question either way, but I think you can also justify either decision. And I thought it was a fair question and Sean had a fair answer.
- [37:05]
C
Yeah, I don't mean, I don't know. I'm not saying he was wrong. I'm just saying this is what decided the game is the fact that they had a seven footer on the bench there. Because if he is on the floor, well, one without him on the floor, there never was a high ball screen. There was no high ball screen. But that's likely because Vocatitis was not on the floor.
- [37:22]
B
Trust me, you put him on the floor, that ball screen's coming.
- [37:24]
C
Right? Right. And if, if the ball screen comes, what's going to happen is Volk Titus is going to switch on to Braden Smith and then whoever was guarding Braden Smith, I guess Kendall Weaver is going to end up stuck on Trey Kaufman Wren or, or they're going to try to fight through it and it's going to get distorted and, and then Volcanitis is going to have to come from behind to try to block the shot at the rim. Well then all of a sudden if he, if he's trying to chase down and block the shot, then he's not going to be there to make the rebound either. So I mean it's a pick your poison situation. But I thought the way Purdue handled it was a kind of a perfect embodiment of like why this team is still alive. Like this isn't the world's most talented or athletic team, but it's a veteran group. I mean that trio of Trey Kaufman ran, Fletcher lawyer, Braden Smith, they combined for 58 or something points in this game. Like Fletcher Lawyer kind of overlooked, but has been really good the last couple of weeks. Trey Kaufman ran steady as they come, and then Braden Smith has been up and down actually the last few weeks. But Purdue has thrived even when he's not been at his best offensively. But that late game sequence was it. I mean, they read it perfectly. I mean, I, I'm not convinced that Braden Smith was even like, you know, just hell bent on making that shot. Like, I think the whole objective there was, hey, like TKR is down there. Just get one up on the rim and that's all we had to do. And so, I mean, let's also not like forget just how ridiculous it was that Texas was in this game. I mean, Traymond Mark and Jordan Pope. Yeah, both with like serious ankle issues. Jordan Pope said in the post game press conference that he has a broken foot like Tremont. Mark was like hobbling around out there like, like, like an old dude at the Y, you know, and he was just making everything so unbelievable. The fact that Texas was even in this game down the stretch.
- [39:14]
B
And so Purdue back in the Elite Eight, like I said, second time in three years. And it's just interesting. They're right where they were supposed to be. Even though they didn't have the season they were supposed to have preseason number one in the AP poll. There was a stretch in the season where they went 6, 7 in a 13 game stretch. They had a three game losing streak at one point, then comes back and then another stretch of games where they were losing more than they were winning. This wasn't like, well, they had a little bad week early or a bad week late. They had a 13 game sample size where they went 6 and 7. And you start to question, are they defensively solid enough to do all the things that you're expected to do when you're ranked number one in the preseason. And you know, they finished tied for six in the Big Ten. But then they win the Big Ten tournament and now here they are just one more one away from another trip to the Final Four. It'll be a big challenge, obviously, and that's because the opponent will be Arizona, which throttled Arkansas on Thursday night. 1092 88. The Wildcats shot 64% from the field, 63% from three. They only took eight threes. That's the way they play. They made five of them. Completely dominated John Caliperi's Razorbacks. 109. 88. So Arizona, Purdue in the Elite Eight, winner goes to the Final Four. I guess that's probably the most surprising result of the night. Not that Arizona beat Arkansas, but that Arizona did that to Arkansas.
- [40:52]
C
Yeah, it was abusive. So first, this is from CBS Sports Research. Arizona the first team to score 100 plus points while attempting fewer than nine three pointers in an NCAA tournament game since Indiana in 1999. So it's been over a quarter century since we've seen a team put 100 up in a big dance game with fewer three point attempts. And that just embodies who this Arizona team is. And Arkansas never stood a chance. I mean the, the physicality, the overwhelming physicality of Arizona. I mean I know I said Illinois ranks number one in average height, but when you incorporate the, like the, the girth of, of Arizona, I mean they're on a different level with Kos, with Toaka Co opit. Even their like their quote, smaller guards are still really physical. And so I mean one of the takeaways here is, is Gary like, you know, I know you like to daydream about seeing Darius Acuff in a Memphis Grizzlies uniform and I totally understand it. But Braden Burries, man, I, I thought he was just as good as Acuff in this game. And it's crazy because Arizona has six guys who score 14 or more points in this ball game. So it's, it's not a team where any one player gets a ton of the shine because it's so well balanced. But, but I thought he was great. There was one sequence in particular in the second half before Arizona had completely pulled away. Burry's played really good one on one defense against Auff, forces a miss, then gets out in transition, finishes through traffic while getting fouled by Darius Acuff. And I was like, interesting sequence there. I'm not gonna make my NBA draft big board based on, you know, 1 22nd, you know, back and forth. But it was great to see these two players go head to head. Just like it was great to see Kingston Flemings and Keaton Wagler go head to head. And you know, you can debate, I guess who the better freshman guard is in college basketball but the better team, the best team right now in college basketball I think without debate is Arizona.
- [42:49]
B
Certainly looks that way. 109. 88. Acuff was good, 28 points like you said, but Buries gets the win with 23. So Arizona, Purdue in the elite eight. We will do that on Saturday. Up next, let's do our five hour energy. Starting five. We're going to pull five players that had nice performances on Thursday night. Highlight them. Then we'll set you up for Friday's games, then we'll call it a show, and I'll see if somehow, you know, sometimes, like, if your iPhone gets wet or something, you look up the next day and it's like it's back to life. I don't really know how this happened, but, like, it wasn't working for a minute, but now it's back to life. I'm going to hope. I'm going to see if my MacBook has come back to life.
- [43:35]
C
I've heard a little aspartame is good for a MacBook.
- [43:37]
B
So, you know, maybe where you find that kind of thing this time of night?
- [43:42]
C
It's in a Diet Coke.
- [43:44]
B
I'm at a Diet Coke. That's the problem. That's the problem. I don't have a MacBook that works. Or a Diet Coke. Man, it's been a hell of a. You thought Arkansas had a bad night, man. You thought John Caliperi had a bad night. It ain't nothing compared to mine. All right, Josh, hit your little button. Let's take a break, and then we'll come back and we'll. We'll figure out how to get out of here. This is Gary Parrish. I have a confession. The confession is that sometimes, yeah, I hit an afternoon wall. Say, in between doing the I Own College Basketball podcast and, you know, walking to the broadcast center for a night in studio, I realized I probably didn't get enough rest. I need some caffeine. I want something sweet, but not like some big sugary drink. And that's why I'm obsessed with the new food. Fruity rainbow shots from Five Hour Energy. They seriously taste like a handful of classic rainbow candy. Bright, juicy and fun, but with a caffeine kick built in. It's like caffeine finally got that flavor glow up it always deserved. It was 17 flavors total in the 5 hour energy lineup. There is something for every mood, but this fruity rainbow launch is all about that bold, sweet, fruity chaos. What do I love most? It's the big flavor in that tiny portable two ounce bottle. I can throw it in my bag, keep one in my car, stash it at desk golf bag. It's no bulky can, no sticky wrappers, no sugar crash. It's a zero sugar treat that's totally sweet tooth approved. So it feels indulgent, but it's actually practical. If you're gonna grab caffeine anyway, it might as well taste like candy. Get candy Flavored Chaos with fruity rainbow 5 Hour Energy shots available online at 5 Hour Energy.com or Amazon. March is here. And if you've ever followed the tournament, you know one thing, the only predictable thing is the chaos. Upsets, buzzer beaters, Cinderella runs. It' the best kind of unpredictable. And that's exactly why DraftKings Sportsbook, the number one sportsbook for live betting, is built for March. The tournament is unexpected, rewards are guaranteed, and DraftKings Sportsbook is delivering some of the most generous rewards in the market. What I like about DraftKings, it is the live betting. With DraftKings, the number one sportsbook for live betting, you're not betting on what might happen later. You're betting on what's happening right now. While the game unfolds, momentum shifts, big plays, last second drama. You can get in on the action as it happens. And if you're new to DraftKings, it's the perfect time to jump in. Just bet $5 and get 200 in bonus bets instantly. Download the DraftKings sportsbook app now and use code I. That's code I E, Y E, to turn five bucks into 200 in bonus bets instantly. In partnership with DraftKings, the crown is yours. Gambling problem. Call 1-800-GAMBLER or 1-800-MY-SET NEW YORK Call 877-8-HOPE NY or text Hope NY, CT Call 88878-97777 or visit ccpg.org on behalf of Boot Hill Casino in Kansas. Wager text pass through May apply in Illinois 21 in most states. Void in Ontario, restrictions apply. Bonus bets expire seven days after issuance. For additional terms and responsible gaming resources, see sportsbook.draftkings.com promos Limited time offer.
- [46:50]
A
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- [47:44]
B
All right, it's time for the Five Hour Energy starting five, sponsored by Five Hour Energy and their fruity rainbow flavor. Treat your taste buds to an explosion. A fruity candy flavor with a tasty caffeine kick. Candy flavored chaos with a fruity rainbow. Five Hour Energy online at Five Hour Energy.com or Amazon. That's Five Hour Energy.com or Amazon. All right, so we're picking five players who had nice performances on Thursday night. I took the early games because I was going to be on set during the late one. So let's start the team with Bennett Sturts. He of course was great in Iowa's win over Nebraska. 7 of 15 from the field, 20 points in the victory. Meantime, Trey Kaufman Wren terrific for Purdue. Eight of ten from the field. I think that's 80%. 20 points, eight rebounds. Only one turnover for him. So our five hour energy starting five, it starts with Bennett Sturts. Iowa Trekauman, Rin Purdue, David Cobb, take it away.
- [48:47]
C
Yeah, so also from that early window, I went with Tate Sage, who another one of these Ben McCollum finds that is just like this guy was like a 350 something ranked prospect, you know, coming out of high school last year. He was originally offered by drake when Ben McCollum was there. And then he ends up following McCollum to Iowa and, and he has the best game of his young career on the biggest stage of his young career. And it's just like, it's unbelievable. This guy had no high major offers other than the one coach who believed in him. And it's just great for him. And another example of, wow, look at what Ben McCollum is doing with talent that most coaches would, would not craft into this level of team. And so he was great, especially in the first half. So he made my list. And then I also had Braden Burries and David Merkovich. Merkavich and Keaton Wagler became the first duo of freshman teammates to each go for a double double in the same NCAA tournament game. That's also from CBS Sports Research. So pretty cool note there on Wagler and Merkovich that they both went for double doubles in the same game. First time that's ever happened.
- [50:01]
B
All right, so that is the five Hour Energy, a starting five sponsored by five Hour Energy and their fruity rainbow flavor. Treat your Taste buds to an explosion of fruity candy flavor with a tasty caffeine kick. Get candy flavored chaos. You know where? Online five hour energy.com or on Amazon. Five hour energy.com or on Amazon. All right, let me set you up for what we're looking at on Friday. First game gonna tip 7:10pm Eastern. It's gonna be in D.C. it's a good one. Seven St. John's and Duke. That'll be followed 25 minutes later. Alabama, Michigan. Then at 9:45pm Eastern, Michigan State, Yukon, 10:10pm Eastern. Tennessee, Iowa State. Do you trust David Cobb? We'll leave it here. Do you trust your balls can get past Iowa State with or without Joshua Jefferson in the lineup?
- [50:52]
C
Well, the problem is we got a situation there with Native Mint still. So you know, somebody, somebody was joking earlier because I guess Isaac Trotter. Isaac Trotter did go to Illinois and it's like, all right, well, Illinois might go to the Final Four and that'd be cool if he got to cover his alma mater at the Final Four. And was. Somebody was like, yeah, Cobb and Tennessee might go too. And I was like, I don't know if I see Tennessee beating Iowa State and Michigan with a not fully healthy Native mint, but. But sure. So no. My confidence level is low nonetheless. Unbelievable run of Tennessee basketball here under Rick Barnes. So I'm excited for, for all these games. It's going to be another big time, big time. Now you look at the coaches, the matchups, the brands, it's just, it's going to be great.
- [51:32]
B
All right, we're going to call that a show. And then we're going to go see if, if I have one MacBook Air or two MacBook Airs. I came to New York with two. I had it.
- [51:47]
C
I think you need to get another job. You know, you need, you need to add something else to your plate so you can, you can get another MacBook or.
- [51:54]
B
I need to learn to stop putting Diet Cokes in my. Right next to my computer and then throw in my bag. That's. I, I guarantee you I know what happened. I put the Diet Coke in the computer bag and then threw my bag in the SUV like I always do and then it popped.
- [52:10]
C
So. So wait, so it was a can
- [52:12]
B
or a bottle can?
- [52:14]
C
Uhhuh.
- [52:15]
B
Can.
- [52:16]
C
I love that you just casually dropped though, that you've, you've got a black suv. You're not just out here calling a regular Yellow cab or a regular old Uber. Like GP gets that black SUV treatment
- [52:26]
B
when he's in Manhattan, it's just part of the job. I don't need it. Trust me. I have told them a million times, you can put me in a Uber X, I'm, I'm going 0.6 miles. It's not why can't wait.
- [52:38]
C
Why don't you just walk? If you had just walked, you wouldn't be in this predicament.
- [52:43]
B
It's a good point. I think that I, I don't know if they want you just walking through the streets of New York in the middle of the night.
- [52:49]
C
You know, I mean, it's like you're Midtown Manhattan. It's not like you're in Harlem.
- [52:54]
B
Well, I will, I will say this. I, I, I walk to work every day. Every day. But I don't think they want us walking home at 1 o' clock in the morning, 2 o' clock in the morning, and that is usually the time of night where I'm getting out of the studio. But I do walk to work every single day. Unless it's raining. I walk to work every day. I enjoy, I enjoy walking through the city. So what I don't enjoy is driving through the city and watching Diet Cokes explode in my bag. So I'm gonna get over here. I'm gonna hope that for some reason, after an hour or so of just sitting there immersed in Diet Coke, the MacBook Air will come back on and I'll be back operating like I normally do. If not, I'm gonna have to rewrite a bunch of scripts because they're trapped in that computer and.
- [53:39]
C
Oh, boy, you should have an icloud, I think, I mean, get some, get somebody at the studio to, like, help you out with, like, finding your, your icloud storage.
- [53:49]
B
I got a lot to, I got a lot, I got a lot going on. You know what? I'll figure it out. I'll figure it out. At some point, I'm gonna consider myself fortunate to have a second MacBook and not stress out about it. How about that? Wouldn't that be the way to do it?
- [54:03]
C
All right, I think that's, that's a good plan.
- [54:05]
B
I think that's the, the plan. Let's call it a show. Shouts to Devin Downey. Shouts to Chester, S.C. shouts Terry Teagle. He's a legend. Huck Larnell. Thank you guys once again for watching listening to the Eye on College Basketball podcast. If you're not subscribed, please go subscribe anywhere. Subscribe to podcasts, Apple, Spotify, more of us than there are of them. That needs to be reflected in the comments. So do that and we'll talk to you again real soon. And by real soon, I mean late, late Friday night. Till until then, take care.
- [54:44]
C
This episode is brought to you by Athletic Brewing Co. No matter how you do game day, on the couch, in the crowd, or manning the snack table, Athletic Brewing fits right in with a full lineup of non alcoholic beer styles you can enjoy bold flavors all game long. No hangovers, no buzz, no subbing out for water in the second half. Stock the fridge for tip off with a variety of non alcoholic craft styles. Available at your local grocery store or online at athleticbrewing.com near Beer Fit for All times.