Eye On College Basketball – Feb. 18, 2026

Michigan is a MACHINE; JT Toppin injury has Texas Tech’s season on edge; Mick Cronin is a (problematic) content factory; Miami U 26-0!

Hosts: Gary Parrish & Matt Norlander
Episode Overview:
This episode dives deep into Michigan’s ascendancy as college basketball’s most dominant team, Purdue’s concerning trend in big home games, a major injury scare for Texas Tech’s JT Toppin, Mick Cronin’s latest headline-making antics at UCLA, and Miami University’s remarkable undefeated run. The hosts weave in stats, anecdotes, quotes, and analysis, capturing the energy and humor the Eye On College Basketball Podcast is known for.

1. Michigan Asserts Its Dominance at Purdue

Key Segment: 02:03–17:11

• Setting the Scene:
  Michigan, newly minted as #1, dominated #7 Purdue at Mackie Arena, 91–80. This was Michigan’s 21st double-digit victory out of 26 games, improving to 25-1.
• Atmosphere and Storylines:
  • Norlander attended the game in person; describes Mackie’s environment as the “loudest gym” to start a game he’s ever experienced (03:11).
  • Purdue student section targeted Yaxel Lindenberg (Michigan’s star) over a resurfaced viral video, but “it did not matter” as Michigan surged early (03:40).
  • Michigan broke the game open with a 24-4 first-half run, with Norlander reporting, “They went on a 24-4 run early in the first half to gain that separation and basically put the lead out of reach” (04:05).
  • Notably, Purdue’s Braden Smith was scoreless in the first half as Michigan locked down defensively.
• Historical Comparison & Stats:
  • Michigan is first Big Ten team to 25 wins since 2011.
  • Have won 6 consecutive Big Ten road games by double digits—an exceedingly rare feat (05:24).
  • “They will have separated from the rest of the sport heading into March,” said Norlander, if they beat Duke this weekend (06:54).
• Perspective and Polls:
  • Parrish: "If they beat Duke this weekend and they’re not the unanimous number one on Monday, then I’m bringing back the poll attacks column." (08:38)
  • Hosts joke about embarrassing old bar videos, drawing a parallel to the Yaxel video incident.
• Purdue’s Outlook:
  • Norlander: “Purdue... was the preseason number one in the AP Top 25. It’s had great opportunities at home against title contenders Iowa State, Illinois, Michigan. Failed all of them.” (14:11)
  • They agree the loss says more about Michigan’s dominance than Purdue’s flaws, but it’s a troubling data point for Purdue.

Notable Quote:

“Michigan’s best player was telling me it was a team that doesn’t have a best player. He’s the best player on the team. But they are incredibly balanced.”
—Matt Norlander (13:07)

2. Texas Tech in Limbo After JT Toppin Injury

Segment: 17:18–24:14

• Summary:
  Texas Tech lost to Arizona State (72–67) in a late-night game, but the real story is JT Toppin—reigning Big 12 Player of the Year—going down with a possible serious knee injury.
• Impact:
  • Norlander: “If it’s a serious injury that affects Toppin’s availability... it completely changes Texas Tech's outlook. They are not even remotely the same team.” (19:52)
  • Context: Toppin is a Naismith candidate and the bedrock for the Red Raiders.
• The game ended with chaotic play by Arizona State, prompting critiques and jokes about coaching "antics" across the Hurley family.
• Both hosts express hope for a positive injury update.

Notable Quote:

“We want to see the best players in the sport... Can we get to March and not have any other top-20 talents in the sport go down, please?”
—Matt Norlander (20:55)

3. Mick Cronin: Content Factory or Problem?

Segment: 24:35–37:10

• First Viral Moment:
  • Cronin ejects his own player on national TV during a blowout loss at Michigan State (15 MSU 82, UCLA 59).
  • Hosts can’t recall another D1 coach removing his own player without a technical foul.
  • “There’s no one doing it like Mick Cronin. The content with this guy never ends.” (25:32–25:57)
• Second, More Serious Viral Moment:
  • After the game, Cronin berates a reporter for a “totally reasonable” question about MSU’s crowd being kind to a former player. “It was totally reasonable and didn’t deserve that kind of response. ...It’s on camera. You look like an ass.” (28:32)
  • The hosts agree Cronin’s behavior crossed a line from “content” to “problematic,” with Parrish calling for an apology.
• Discussion of Cronin’s Future:
  • UCLA’s record when traveling east is abysmal, and the season has disappointed.
  • However, firing him is unlikely due to a massive buyout clause.
  • Norlander: “There is so much money coming to him... I consider it to be highly unlikely.” (31:39)

Notable Quotes:

“I don’t laugh at that [press behavior] at all... He was out of line and should apologize.” —Gary Parrish (32:29)
“He does not look like a happy human being, that is for sure. Maybe he is just happy being unhappy.” —Matt Norlander (36:07)

4. Key Results Rapid-Fire: Other Tuesday Night Headlines

Big Ten Chaos & Court Stormings

Segment: 38:28–44:12

• Iowa knocks off #9 Nebraska 57–52; court storm ensues.
  • “Nebraska has reached a point where it is worthy of being stormed.” —Parrish (41:25)
• Ohio State routs #24 Wisconsin 86–69.
  • It’s a big win for OSU’s bubble hopes and hands Wisconsin a setback after consecutive impressive wins (43:00).

ACC, Big 12, and Significant Non-Power Results

• NC State routs #16 UNC, 82–58, in a lopsided in-state rivalry win with UNC missing key players (44:29).
• SMU beats #21 Louisville 95–85; SMU quietly solidifies its at-large résumé in its first ACC season (45:58).
• Kansas State, just days after firing coach Jerome Tang, upsets #12 Baylor 90–74 in a “road to hell” joke segment about Baylor’s struggles (47:35).
  • “Eleven and fifteen for Kansas State. They fire Jerome Tang and turn around and win by 16. Yes, all time stuff.” —Norlander (49:15)
• UCF beats TCU 82–71, a “double bubble result” as TCU’s bizarre résumé continues (49:05).
• Rhode Island ends #18 St. Louis’s 18-game win streak, 81–76 (50:17).

“Miami 26–0!”

Segment: 52:12–55:51

• #22 Miami University remains the nation’s lone undefeated team, beating UMass 86–77.
• The hosts put Miami’s start in historic perspective; the odds of starting 26–0 were about 1 in 1,134 (55:04).
• Debate where Miami should be seeded if the tournament started now—hosts settle on 6 or 7 seed out of “respect for the zero” (54:27).

5. Naismith Watch – Top Player of the Year Candidates

Segment: 57:00–62:56

• Norlander's Top Five:
  1. Cameron Boozer
  2. Joshua Jefferson
  3. JT Toppin (pending health)
  4. AJ DeBonsa
  5. Darius Acuff Jr.
• Parrish’s Take:
  Emphasizes award voters favoring top-10 teams; offers own list focused on “best player from the best teams.”
• Statitude:
  “The past 11 Naismith winners were on a team that finished top 10 at KenPom.” (60:34)
• Colorful Banter:
  Hosts tongue-in-cheek about “hating” certain players and the realities of award voting.

6. Quick Look-Ahead & Final Notes

Segment: 62:56–65:38

• Upcoming Games:
  • Wednesday features Arkansas at Alabama; Kansas at Oklahoma State; Illinois at USC; BYU at Arizona (Game of the Night).
• Thursday:
  • “Essentially nothing” nationally aside from Memphis-USF and UMass Lowell in action; Norlander prepping for NCAA media mock tournament seeding.
• Inside Media/Industry Chatter:
  • Both hosts heap praise on CBS colleagues like Clark Kellogg and Adam Zucker (65:01).

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Michigan:

  “If they beat Duke... and somebody decides to give a number one vote... to anybody on the planet other than Michigan, the poll attacks column is coming back.”
  —Gary Parrish (09:13)

• On Mick Cronin:

  “We can call Cronin out on his BS. This is a lame answer... I would tell him that right now. Call him right now. Say, Mick, that was idiotic. You look awful with this.”
  —Matt Norlander (31:13)

• On court stormings and college chaos:

  “Nebraska has reached a point where it is worthy of being stormed. I like that. That is a nice compliment to your program.”
  —Gary Parrish (41:25)

• On Miami’s undefeated run:

  “The probability before the season started that Miami would start 26-0... 0.09%. A 1 in 1,134 chance. Just to give you an idea of how difficult it is what Miami has done.”
  —Norlander (55:04)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Michigan’s win at Purdue & implications: 02:03–17:11
• JT Toppin/Tech injury crisis: 17:18–24:14
• Mick Cronin’s incidents & UCLA’s mess: 24:35–37:10
• Court storming/Iowa upsets Nebraska: 38:28–41:28
• Other rapid-fire Top 25 results: 44:12–52:12
• Miami U’s 26-0 run & seeding convo: 52:12–55:51
• Naismith Award player watch: 57:00–62:56
• Upcoming games/media banter: 62:56–65:38

Tone & Takeaways

• Energetic, irreverent, analytical. The hosts balance detailed breakdowns with stories, jokes, and direct critiques of coaching personalities and the quirks of college basketball.
• Memorable moments: Cronin ejecting his own player, Michigan taking the “actual” #1 away from pre-season darling Purdue, and the heartbreak for Texas Tech surrounding Toppin.
• Banter: Self-deprecating humor (“I know I’m not tough” – Parrish 37:10), inside jokes about old videos, and shoutouts to the “content factory” that is Mick Cronin keep the show lively, even as they address serious basketball issues.

For those who missed it:

• Michigan is dauntless, poised to enter March as a tier above the field.
• Texas Tech could see its season derailed pending Toppin’s injury update.
• Mick Cronin remains the sport’s most controversial lightning rod.
• Miami U’s unbeaten streak is historically unlikely, yet very real.
• Coaching hot seats, bracket resumes, and star players’ injuries are all heating up as March looms.

End of summary.