Matt Norlander (3:29)

Hey there. Guess who, Guess who again. It's me, Gary Parish. Welcome back to the Ion College basketball podcast where we sometimes discuss camel fighting Dodo birds. Leaky black Matt Norlander is here with me. If you're watching on YouTube, you know what to do to that. Like button shouts to Brandon Davies. If you haven't yet subscribed to the CBS Sports College Basketball YouTube channel, I'll be honest, I don't even care. I don't even.

Gary Parish (3:52)

Don't subscribe.

Matt Norlander (3:53)

You know. You know what? Don't subscribe at this point. I don't care. All right, let's get into it. This is. This is what I'm told is our annual mega preview where we pick every single game in the bracket. Is that right? Norlander? Explain to me what we're supposed to be doing here before we get started.

Gary Parish (4:08)

First of all, this is classic. This is classic Parish right now. Yes, that is what we're doing. Every year we do it now. The timing of this pod changes. And yes, this is a double pod Tuesday. I'm almost positive that if you're listening in on audio on your phone, you got our Tuesday CBS Sports Network show and then a couple hours later, yes, this is two pods the same day. But this one, by the way, hello. And to everyone that is listening to this show for the first time, maybe ever, do subscribe to the podcast and on YouTube because this need to feeds across the network. Across.

Matt Norlander (4:40)

No, don't subscribe. I'm tired of asking, all right? I've been asking three times a week since the beginning of the season, every season for years.

Gary Parish (4:48)

And if you're not watching, no better time than now. Let's just mix up the script. Let's. How about we get some new language at the start of that show? I mean, we just don't have this. We don't have the ask anymore. I. I say we, we change it up and we make it happen. Yes. We are going to pick Paris and I are going to give you this gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous bracket. Clean. This one's clean. I got mine here. Not too fast. Not gonna wait. Mine's done. I also brought my nine year old sons. Don't worry, we're not gonna go through it. But he did this last night. He did this. He didn't even tell me he was doing it. He's got some bold, zesty, spicy pics. I posted it to Twitter. A bunch of mutants and cretins and a holes are insulting my son's intelligence to, to no surprise whatsoever. People get a life. Okay, Bracket, and you got to go after him. It's your absolute loser energy. Get over yourself. A lot of people that understood the bit and what I was trying to do there. I appreciate you. I'll. I'll reveal a couple of my 9 year old spicier picks before the end of the show.

Matt Norlander (5:41)

In fairness, how smart is your son on a scale of 1 to 10?

Gary Parish (5:48)

He's pretty damn smart, actually. He's ahead where I was. I'll tell you that. That is, that is a guarantee. Guarantee. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Matt Norlander (5:56)

My, my oldest, my oldest. Definitely ahead of where I was. My little guys, I don't know about them so much. I don't know, but I do love that there's a world out there of people who can't wait to criticize your son's break.

Gary Parish (6:10)

I know, it's absolutely ridiculous. Of course this is on Twitter. I posted to Blue Sky. Nothing but good vibes there on that side. They support this.

Matt Norlander (6:20)

In all seriousness, on the father son stuff, does it ever make you proud? You said it did. So I'm going to take it your word, but like expand on that the first time you walk in on one, because I have examples of this. The first time you walk in and see one of your children experiencing something on their own that you introduce to them that like you, you care about this and you want it to matter to them and you can force it on them all the time. Like, I could always tell my kids, hey, Come up here and watch this Mets game with me. But I love when I walk in the room and they've got it on. They turned it on themselves. I didn't even have to do it. Or like, I walk in the room and, you know, my little guy is listening to an album that I also appreciate. Like, he put that on. He decided to put that on Spotify. I love when I see them enjoying things on their own that I just really yearn for them to enjoy. And I bet your son filling out a bracket by himself is one of those moments.

Gary Parish (7:19)

Yeah, it's really cool. So we can get to the picture in a second, but the basic story behind this one is I. I brought some printouts home from after we did our selection Sunday show at hq and I just put. I put one on the kitchen table. So Sunday night going into Monday. And then I just. You might be able to identify this. I haven't been able to hang out with my children all that much lately. So I saw him a little bit yesterday, but then when. He must have done it last night, but I didn't see it. And then I woke up this morning and I. We never talked about it. Whatever. He just. He had just filled it out. He had filled it out in full and it's really, really cool. The other. That's my older one, my younger one, if you want to your point, right now he's wearing the Cassius Winston headband that Michigan State sent me the year they were, you know, campaigning for Cassius Winston to be player of the year. That was the COVID year. And right before I came up to do the podcast, he said, dad, how many teams play tonight? 38. I was like, it's actually just four, but yeah. What time does the game start? It's about 6:30 or so. We'll get it going there. So it is really cool. Um, to that point, like, you know, both of them, huge Beatles fans. I didn't, you know, we all are playing music, so. Yeah, it's. It's awesome. Super rewarding. As a dad, I'd actually, if I had the time, I'd. What I used to have, I still have what I used to do. I used to take these big poster boards. I love the tournament so much. In high school and middle school, I would. I would draw out the entire bracket ruler, had the exact measurements and I've long wanted to do that with them. But the time, man, it's just very early March. I just. You. I literally would need like three hours uninterrupted to do that and haven't had the chance to do it. But maybe next year.

Matt Norlander (8:45)

I, I, like you no longer really know my children, but back when I did and I plan on, I plan on meeting them again soon. But in all seriousness, a few weeks ago, we had this moment. My little guy came to me, similar thing. He had his iPad and he said, hey, dad, did you know that Kendrick played peekaboo at the Super bowl for XXXTentacion? And I said, hold up, hold up. And so I don't even know, like, and then we talked about it, but I loved that he was, that's what he was doing on YouTube is looking at breakdowns of Kendrick Lamar super bowl halftime show. Like, that's what I've been doing on YouTube. That's what I do when I have free time.

Gary Parish (9:24)

Let's hope that the comparison stop there because we don't need to go down that big bang challenge road. Okay.

Matt Norlander (9:29)

So I, I love that he wanted to bring that conversation with me. When your kids start to automatically pick up on the things that you also care about, that's like a, that's a sweet part of fatherhood. So I'm glad you got to, I'm glad you got to have that moment. Even if your son's bracket probably does stink.

Gary Parish (9:45)

I actually think he's going to, he's going to destroy both of us. We'll, we'll, we'll keep track of this. I think he's going to be both. I'm not even. This isn't tongue in cheek. He's got some, he's got some spiciness here that I couldn't dare. He's at Troy over Kentucky. Like, I, I can't even go down that road, but we'll see. Let's pick, let's pick some games here. Let's dive into it. What region? And, and I think what we should do here, GP is we'll go region by region. So we'll pick every single outcome up to the final four in the south and all around the board as opposed to. Okay, here are all the first round games. I think it's easier for the listener experience to go region by region. You want to go first?

Matt Norlander (10:18)

Sure, why not? Just. Just did this on CBS Sports Network 30 minutes ago.

Gary Parish (10:23)

Did you?

Matt Norlander (10:24)

Yes. I wish we could just take that, replay it here and get on with our day. Here we are. Obviously, I've got auburn as the 1 seed. I've got Alabama State winning later tonight. We talked about this earlier on CBS Sports Network. Tony Madlock is the Alabama State head coach, 55 years old. He was in his 50s before he began a Division 1 head coach had sort of been locked into that label of lifetime assistant perhaps. And yet he gets an opportunity and now he's got Alabama State in the tournament. His son is his third leading scorer. Just could be happier for Tony A to finally get the shot he deserved and B, to be taking advantage of it. Either way, they're gonna even if they win, they're a million point underdog to Auburn. I. I'm gonna take Auburn to not become the latest 1 seed to lose to a 16. I've got Louisville over Creighton. Comparable teams. I think Louisville was underseated but will benefit from playing in Rupp Arena. I'll take Louisville over Creighton, Michigan over UC San Diego. I just think that's interesting. Big Ten tournament champ. Literally the last team we saw play before the selection show cut down nets. All that stuff is in a game with the school that most people don't even know exist. And they're only like a two and a half, three point favorite, little bitty line. But I do think Michigan gets by there. I've got Texas A and M over Yale. Then I guess we keep going down. I've got Ole Miss over San Diego State, North Carolina winner. I've got Iowa State even without Keyshawn Gilbert getting past Lipscomb. Marquette over New Mexico, but I don't love that one. That's just if I'm being honest, my little homie from Memphis, Cam Jones. I'm picking with my heart there, but New Mexico's been good all season. Donovan Dent's incredible. Michigan State. I've got advancing to face Marquette in the second round. I've got Auburn over Louisville, but I hate that Auburn even has to play that game. That's a mistake by the committee. You shouldn't be asking the number one overall seed to play a quality team that's underseated 70 minutes from its campus. But that's what Auburn has to do. I think the Tigers are good enough to get past it, but they should not be in this game. I've got Michigan past A and M, Ole Miss over Iowa State, Michigan State over Marquette. Then we get to the sweet 16. I've got Auburn over Michigan. I took Ole Miss over Michigan State. That would be a upset. Chris Beard, second year at Texas Tech. Resulted in a deep bracket run. Got eliminated only by the eventual national champion Villanova. This could be something similar. I've got Auburn be Ole Miss in the Elite Eight to go to the Final Four.

Gary Parish (13:00)

Okay, so what is your. Just for our listeners keeping track at home and not watching on the old YouTube. What is your biggest upset in the South?

Matt Norlander (13:09)

Biggest upset in the South. Now you're just asking pop questions.

Gary Parish (13:13)

Well, it's your bracket. That felt very chalky.

Matt Norlander (13:17)

Yeah, I don't. I don't think I picked a single first round upset.

Gary Parish (13:21)

Okay. So no, no surprise there. Do you have anything notable in that sweet 16?

Matt Norlander (13:28)

Well, I mean. I mean I've got Ole Miss over Michigan State.

Gary Parish (13:31)

There you go. Okay, so that. That would be it. That's your biggest upset. Yeah. Beard over. Over Thomas. Okay, I'll run through mine. Here in the south, you've got Auburn obviously moving along. I've got Louisville Creighton reminder. That's the first game on Thursday CBS 12 15. I'm going to go with the Jays shouts to nada. For doing this in real time on the. On the video version here. Filling in for audience. It's pretty cool. I'm going UC San Diego over Michigan. I'm going to take the Tritons. You fork and heard me right. I think that because they've got a really good defense that turns teams over and the Tritons don't turn themselves over. This is top 40 team. I don't know what this team is going to do with Vlad Golden. I don't know how it handles him, let alone Danny Wolf. But really the way that golden operates in that offense, that is going to be a problem. But they. But UC San Diego, here we go. I'm give this a go. You know, there's no chance in hell Paris was going to try and say this dude's name on the podcast, but I got it down. They got a guard six six senior on a waniwa. Tate Jones, he is going to Michigan. Has a good backcourt. Aniwani Watate Jones will be the best guard on the floor in this game. I think he's gonna.

Matt Norlander (14:38)

I hope that don't show up in a shot sheet on. On. I don't mean that you're in trouble. Oh, buddy, you. You get handed those shot sheets long enough, there ain't nothing you can't talk around.

Gary Parish (14:50)

All right, there we go. Aniwaniwate Jones. This is a trendy 12 over 5. I'm gonna take the Tritons. Not only that, go ahead and move along the Bulldogs in that lower. Yeah, there you go. Gotti nada. Yale over. You see Sandy? Are you yell over Texas A and M. Texas A M can't shoot. It's the only top four that did not win a conference tournament game in this year's tournament. And James Jones has done this twice before. I'm gonna take him again. Give me. Give me Yale. Moving on down. I am. Okay, so this is. Here's the problem with doing this right now. I'm taking San Diego State to be Ole Miss. If San Diego State beats Carolina, if Carolina wins, I will take Ole Miss. But for the purposes here and now, I am having the Aztecs. We almost, I think every year except one, a first four team has made it minimally to the second round. I will have the Aztecs doing that. If it's Carolina, I will take Ole Miss. In that situation, I've got Iowa State over Lipscomb. I know Cyclones fans, you're shocked to discover that. Give me in an awesome battle with Cam Jones and Donovan Dent. I will take the Lobos. I will take Richard Patino and New Mexico to get that done. And then I've got Michigan State moving along. Scoop on back up here. I will have Auburn over Creighton. And I, like, I took Creighton to beat Louisville in a de facto road game. The Jays were not given any favors. But I've got Auburn moving along and not having to play Louisville in that situation. And I will go. You forking. Heard me right. Tritons over Yale in the. In the first year of this program's eligibility to make the NCAA tournament, I got him into the Sweet 16. And being one of the two or three biggest stories of the entire tournament, by the time we get to Sunday night, bottom half, Iowa State over San Diego State. They don't have Keyshawn Gilbert. I'm going to take Iowa State to the sweet 16 regardless of opponent. And then I'll have Michigan State over New Mexico. Give me Auburn. Nada. To get into the Elite Eight and beat UC San Diego. I will take Michigan State to get past Iowa State and get to the Elite Eight. And then I will have Auburn making the Final Four, by the way. Auburn, North Carolina, Iowa State. And who am I missing here? Auburn, North Carolina, Iowa State, Michigan State. They were all. They were all in Maui. This is the Maui bracket. All those teams were out there. I saw them earlier this year. Give me the Tigers to emerge from the South. What are we thinking on the West?

Matt Norlander (17:14)

All right. Well, hey, first off, you think this. You think this. You think this outfit pays for itself?

Gary Parish (17:22)

No.

Matt Norlander (17:23)

Okay. Okay. Then we have to. We have to pay some bills. Nada. Let's get. Let's get a word from our partners.

Gary Parish (17:29)

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Matt Norlander (20:39)

Okay, before we move on to the West Regional, we gotta pay some bills. For real. It's time for basketball and Uber Eats is dropping deals on game day favorites to keep you locked in on the action. Like when you're craving a buzzer beater but also Buffalo wings or when an upset makes you want to ugly cry into a pizza. And right now, Uber Eats has game day deals from McDonald's, Popeyes, Pizza Hut, Wendy's and hundreds more local favorites so you can keep your eyes on the ball and your hands on a hamburger. Order now only on Uber Eats. Product availability varies by region. See app for details. What we're going to do here, Stay or Hit, presented by Chumba Casino, is I am going to ask you about the South Region that we just discussed and I'm going to name teams and you're going to tell me which one is a bigger threat to the number one seed in the South Regional. In your mind, I'll name two teams and you tell me which is the bigger threat to Auburn. In the South Region, our starting place is Louisville. Do you want to stay on Louisville or hit and get Creighton?

Gary Parish (21:45)

See, I am. Okay, I'm going to. I'll stay. Now, I picked Creighton, but if you're asking me if either of those teams play them, I think Louisville is the bigger threat because they're going to have the home, they're going to have the home court advantage.

Matt Norlander (22:00)

Okay, well that's not going to get confusing for anybody. Do you want to, do you want to stay on Louisville or do you want to hit and get Ole Miss?

Gary Parish (22:14)

I Suggest you hit, sir. I actually pump fake there, but I would. I think I would take. I think I take Mississippi, but it's close. It's close.

Matt Norlander (22:24)

Do you know how aggravated people get that you won't say Ole Miss?

Gary Parish (22:27)

I do say Ole Miss. And Chris Walker in studio last night also said Mississippi.

Matt Norlander (22:31)

Did he really?

Gary Parish (22:32)

He did, yes.

Matt Norlander (22:33)

That's it. But I need an Ole Miss. You're trying to put a D on there.

Gary Parish (22:37)

I've never tried to put a D on Ole Miss.

Matt Norlander (22:40)

I hear it.

Gary Parish (22:41)

Miss. Is that helping Ole Miss?

Matt Norlander (22:43)

Yes. Ole Miss. You should. You should call them Ole Miss. Do you want to stay on Ole Miss?

Gary Parish (22:48)

Yes.

Matt Norlander (22:49)

Do you want to stay on Mississippi? University of Mississippi. Do you want to stay with the sip, or do you want to hit and get Michigan?

Gary Parish (23:01)

I suggest you hit, sir. I would take Michigan in that situation. I think Michigan is a bigger threat to Auburn than Ole Miss.

Matt Norlander (23:10)

Do you want to stay? Now that we've got Ole Miss out of the way?

Gary Parish (23:13)

Yeah.

Matt Norlander (23:14)

Do you want to stay on Michigan, or do you want to hit and get Iowa State?

Gary Parish (23:22)

I'll stay. I'll stay.

Matt Norlander (23:26)

I.

Gary Parish (23:27)

State doesn't have Keyshawn Gilbert.

Matt Norlander (23:28)

I heard. I heard about that.

Gary Parish (23:30)

Yeah. No, Keyshawn Gilbert. That's a problem. Sorry. Okay.

Matt Norlander (23:34)

Okay.

Gary Parish (23:35)

This is an Iowa State team that was up 17 to Auburn earlier this season in Maui. Couldn't hold on. Keyshawn Gilbert was available in that game. And not only was he available, his parents were in the building. I know because the night before, I had dinner next to them. I met. I met the Gilberts. Great people. Great people, but not available. So again, I'll stay on Michigan.

Matt Norlander (23:55)

All right, all right. We got rivals here. Oh, this is. Oh, this has turned out nicely.

Gary Parish (24:00)

Someone's pointing out in the chat that I've hit on two teams that I have losing earlier.

Matt Norlander (24:04)

Yes, yes, I. I noticed that myself, and I'm not even really paying attention.

Gary Parish (24:08)

That's different framing.

Matt Norlander (24:09)

Keep it going. Hey, as somebody who talks with nuance, just trust me when I tell you it doesn't work. Nope.

Gary Parish (24:19)

Doesn't matter.

Matt Norlander (24:20)

You. You can explain exactly what you're doing, and I will actually understand the point you're making, because I'm listening to you and I understand what you're doing. Just trust me that everybody else.

Gary Parish (24:32)

Podcast has come a long way then.

Matt Norlander (24:33)

So everybody's just going to call you an idiot. All right? I know you start trying to get nuance on a podcast, it does not work. I've tried it so many times. It does not work. You just gotta. You either you gotta scream one thing really loudly or another thing really loudly. But if you try to get nuanced, people get lost. You ready for this? This is gonna work out nicely. Do you want to stay on Michigan or do you want to hit and get Michigan State?

Gary Parish (25:00)

I suggest you hit, sir. I would take Michigan State at this point. Three weeks ago, I probably would have given you the Wolverines in this situation, but not just because two seed, but everything Michigan State does with the exception of shooting the long ball, I would give them. There's a reason they're the two. They're the biggest threat to Auburn in.

Matt Norlander (25:15)

This region, so the selection committee and Norlander agree. The biggest threat to Auburn in the south, it should be Michigan State.

Gary Parish (25:26)

You don't wake up dreaming of McDonald's fries. You wake up dreaming of McDonald's hash browns. McDonald's breakfast comes first.

Matt Norlander (25:38)

Let's go to the West Regional. Now, that's where Florida is the number one seed. You want me to run you through it? Oh, I've got it all figured out. I know exactly how this is going to go. Let me tell you. Okay, I got Florida winning his first round game over Norfolk State. Should be no problem there. We will get Florida UConn in the round of 32. After UConn knocks out Oklahoma, I've got Memphis beating Colorado State. I hate the Tyrese Hunter situation, but I don't know if you know, I live in Tennessee, Memphis area specific, not Colorado. I don't gain anything for picking against the Tigers and having to walk around this place. So I will take Penny Hardaway's five seed to get past Colorado State. I don't expect Tyrese Hunter to be available for that game. We'll see. Maryland. I've got getting past Grand Canyon, Drake over Missouri. This would be an upset. Does that surprise you? I mean, nothing, none of this should surprise you. That's a stupid way to ask.

Gary Parish (26:31)

Surprises me. I don't even know what you asked me. What is it?

Matt Norlander (26:33)

Well, like, it shouldn't surprise you because you could just be like, well, no, Drake's, you know, here in the predictive metrics and Missouri's here in the predictive metrics. So it doesn't surprise me. Missouri has a 6 1/2 point favorite over Drake. Seemed like a big number to me.

Gary Parish (26:44)

I'd agree. That's a little big to me. I would. I would have guessed it at like four and a half or so. Yeah, a little big. Supposed to play in that game. Wasn't available in the SEC tournament. Think he's Going to return for the Tigers.

Matt Norlander (26:54)

Missouri has lost four of five. Great season for Dennis Gates, obviously, but they have lost four or five. And I wouldn't if I were Missouri. Want to lay six and a half to a team that's won 30 games in multiple power conference Programs are trying to hire their coach probably. I've got Drake over Missouri, Texas Tech advancing. I've got Kansas over Arkansas in the John Caliper, Bill Self matchup. And then Rick Patino, St. John's into the round of 30.

Gary Parish (27:21)

Sue.

Matt Norlander (27:21)

So I've got Florida, UConn. I'm going to take Florida to get past UConn. The dream of going back to. Back to back for the Huskies, I think ends right there. I took Memphis over Maryland. This is before it became increasingly clear that Tyrese Hunter is probably not going to play. I'm not somebody who changes my bracket. I'm locked into it. I'll take Memphis to get to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2009. Texas Tech over Drake, St. John's over Kansas, Florida over Memphis in the Sweet 16 to get to the Elite 8. I've got St. John's over Texas Tech, and then I got St. John's in Florida in the Elite 8. And I took the Red Storm, the Big east outright champs. Big east tournament champs. I've got Rick Patino in San Antonio at the age of 72 with a final Four team from the Big East.

Gary Parish (28:10)

Reinforce that. Why? Why St. John's beyond Rick Patino? That's the biggest factor. Obviously, you don't have Michigan State going. They have to face Auburn. That's a better team. Michigan State's bad from three. St. John's is bad from three. St. John'S is number one defense in the country. Michigan State's one of the best teams. So why. Why not MSU, but why St. John's instead? Because you can make the case that St. John's actually has the tougher one seed to face. Given the state of both teams right now.

Matt Norlander (28:33)

I think St. John's has the better best player in RJ Lewis might have this better second best player in Kadari. Richmond excellent defensively. Just wins outright. Biggies champions. Biggies tournament champions all time. Great coach. Barely lost. And when they did, barely, like just nobody ran them off the court all year long. There. There is nothing we've seen at any point in the season that suggests the game's going to get away from St. John's games. Don't get away from them. I. I don't love the lack of three Point shooting that has been an issue all season long but it is not an issue that has prevented them from from being a 30 win team on Selection Sunday. 30 and 4 the four losses by a total of seven points with one of the greatest coaches of all time and the reigning biggies player of the year and biggest tournament most outstanding player like number one defense in America. I I wish they shot it better from three. I think they can still win a national championship. Not doing it.

Gary Parish (29:36)

All right. Fair enough. By the way it's a tradition for me to give you the tip times and channels here. I let you down in the in the south. I won't let you down moving forward here in the west. Florida Norfolk State. That is a Friday game 650 TNT. I've got Florida winning obviously Yukon. Oklahoma is going to follow that in Raleigh. It's a TNT game approximately 925. I'm going Yukon in this spot. Hard for me to see a Dan Hurley coach team even the one that's been up and down. You know Oklahoma was a bubble team like a minute and a half ago and this seems on the nine line now. Another it's. It's not egregious but surprising to me that a team that you know among other things they went 6 and 12 conference recorders and isn't obviously criterion there but surprising. I will I will go with with Yukon. Jeremiah Fears though for Oklahoma if you're not familiar is an absolute bucket that has fun potential. In Seattle it will be two Eastern Memphis and Colorado State getting it going. That game being on Friday on tbs. I'm gonna go Rams because of no hunter. Nick Clifford has been on one. I think he's averaging. I did the numbers in studio over the weekend. I want to say he's at like almost 26 points, eight boards, five assists over his past like six games. He' been. He's been incredible maybe even like the past eight or nine games. That's I'm taking both 12 over fives here. One I think it's going to happen but two, one of these two trendy ones has got to hit right. So I will go with Nico Medved to continue. That'll be 11 straight wins if CSU gets it done in Seattle and then also in Seattle after that game on TBS around 435. That's going to be Maryland against Grand Canyon. Maryland is in the west so Maryland has to fly to Seattle. If it gets to the sweet 16 it has to come back east and then fly again out to San Francisco. And this was a four seat. It's just not great. But this is what's going to happen when you have a West where most seasons you're not going to have four teams, Mountain west time zone and. And further to the left that qualify. So usually there's going to be at least one, if not two teams that unfortunately get shoehorned in there. And the travel is the travel. But I'm so that's why I'm surprised they shipped terps all the way out to Seattle.

Matt Norlander (31:44)

Well, let me ask you a question real quick. That's a Friday game, correct?

Gary Parish (31:48)

That is a Friday game, yes.

Matt Norlander (31:49)

So then they play against Sunday. I mean, at that point you don't even. You don't come back. You stay out there, right?

Gary Parish (31:54)

Yeah, you're probably right. Because I'm looking at this and this San Francisco have Thursday, Saturday.

Matt Norlander (32:01)

Yeah, they're not coming back home.

Gary Parish (32:03)

I'm looking. Hold on 27. Yeah. Yeah, that is correct. Yes. San Francisco is Thursday. Saturday will not come back home. They're going to stay out west if they win. That's actually the way that and I don't know if Willard's wired like this. Some coaches get super superstitious on stuff like that and they don't want to, you know, they don't want to attempt that stuff. But you won't. But you kind of need to. You need to pack to prepare for if you make the sweet 16, even if you think you're jinxing in the process. I will have the Terps over Grand Canyon. Not a lot of buzz for grand canyon in the 13 over four there. Understandably so. Maryland's just that crap. Five is awesome in Wichita. These games are on Thursday. 7:35. True TV, Mizzou and Drake. Man, they put Mizzou, Drake on true tv. Drake is super duper, duper trendy. And I also have the Bulldogs winning with Ben McCollum. This is one of those situations where I've just accepted my fate here. I've. I've taken Drake. My son, by the way, has Drake in the Final Four. He has taken Drake to the Final Four.

Matt Norlander (33:01)

That sounds a little. That sounds a little too OV ho for me.

Gary Parish (33:04)

Yeah, that's. Don't ask me why. I haven't even talked. I honestly haven't even talked to him about it. But I said he's got some bold and zesty ones.

Matt Norlander (33:11)

He might be ovho you might be raising an Obi Ho.

Gary Parish (33:14)

Houston, one seed Duke, one seed Auburn and 11 seed Drake kind of could be raising.

Matt Norlander (33:19)

You could be raising a Drake fan. You could be. You could be the leader. You could be the leader of an OVO household. Do you want to be the leader of a OVO household?

Gary Parish (33:29)

I do not. I will not and it is not happening. I will have Drake winning this game, though. Ready to be wrong. Oh, and another thing, with my bracket played, I'm not going to change a pick. This is going to be a first to me. It's not easy for me, but I, I made these on Sunday night and I'm just going to accept it. For the first time ever, I'm going to not change a pick. I'm. I'm just accepting it what it is, what it is. So what I'm reading to you here, you saw me say on TV, if you're watching on CBS Sports HQ, next game in Wichita 1010 TIP on Thursday, approximately Texas Tech versus UNCW. I will have Grant McCaslin's team moving along. If you listened or when you listened to the show from earlier today, I noted that McCaslin and Ben McCollum at Drake, they're actually super duper, duper close friends. McCollum's never even coached in the tournament and now he might have to face his best friend in the second round. That's a wild plot twist. They got to win the games though. Providence, where I will be on Thursday. 7:10 CBS Kansas vs. Arkansas, Self vs. Calipari. I will have Kansas winning this game. I Man, oh man, just. It's such a good, it's such a good matchup because anything feels possible in this one. It really does. Anything on the table feels possible. And then the nightcap in Providence at the dunk will be St. John's Omaha on CBS Round 9 45. I will have St. John's moving along. All right, let's keep it going here with the West. I will have Florida over Yukon. Getting that done. Did these two teams. By the way, I was thinking when we were talking earlier. Let me look check this real quick. Did these two teams not meet in the, in the o in the 2014 Final Four? They did. It was the national semis. I thought that was the case. So these teams met all of 11 years ago. UConn won that game 63.53. This game will be much more high scoring than that one. I will have Maryland over Colorado State in the top half of the west and then the bottom Drake versus Texas Tech. I've got Ben McCollum getting the best of Grant McCaslin. I'm going to take the Bulldogs to continue their winning ways and be a 32.3team and be right there with UC. San Diego is one of the best stories of the tournament through the first weekend. And then I will have Rick Patino getting past Bill Self and moving along as I do this in real time. If anyone in the chat knows, feel free. Feel free dropping in on this. Has Patino ever coached against Self? Am I missing something obvious here? Have they done it like seven times and I can't remember if someone in the chat can look that up. I'd be curious if Patino and Self have actually coached against each other ever.

Matt Norlander (35:49)

It would just seem almost impossible for them not to have at some point. But nothing pops into my head.

Gary Parish (35:55)

I know. I'm sure it's happened, but I don't. I don't remember it when it would have happened. I'm just curious if these two have ever met. We know Patino and Caliperi met 2012 Final Four. That's a, that's a cow win. They met 96 Final Four. That's a Patino win. They met in the Sweet 16 and that was a cow win. They've automatic three or four times in the tournament. I know that. All right. Self and Patino, period.

Matt Norlander (36:23)

I just, I. I just found something here.

Gary Parish (36:25)

What do you got?

Matt Norlander (36:26)

A Reddit thread that says today will be the first ever matchup between Bill Self and Rick Patino.

Gary Parish (36:30)

Boom. Okay, so it looks when Reddit thread.

Matt Norlander (36:37)

Kansas. I own a game.

Gary Parish (36:39)

Kansas Iona. Okay, There we go.

Matt Norlander (36:42)

November, November 2021 would have been the first time Rick and Bill ever coached against each other.

Gary Parish (36:48)

Okay, so there we go. Good stuff. Real time research. I love it. On the pod Florida versus Maryland in San Francisco. I I'm gonna have a one seed going down before the for the Elite Eight and this is going to be the one. This is a reminder by the way. Every year I'm in the process of doing this. I hope to finish it tonight. We always I publish this huge story of nuggets, stats, facts, trends, a whole bunch of stuff. And within that you're going to see stuff about the win rates and loss rates of 1 seeds and 2 seeds and making the sweet 16 and the elite 8 in the bracket. Dig into that. I know it's hard to do. When you fill out your bracket, it is extremely unlikely that all the ones and twos are going to make the sweet 16. I think it's only happened like two times in the past 20 plus years and a once and getting all the ones to the Elite Eight rarely happens. So I will have Maryland, on the strength of its Crab 5 pulling off the upset there. I'm not overly confident in it. I'm just trying to pick one and. And that was the one that, frankly, I just. I thought had maybe the best chance there. Todd golden, waiting to win his first game as a. As a head coach in the NCAA tournament. He's always going to get that done. How many will he get? I will have St. John's over Drake and then. So that is Mar Johns all Red Elite 8 situation there. GP and I are in agreement. I guess we are 2 for 2 in agreement on Final Fours right now because you've got Auburn. I've got Auburn, you've got St. John's I do have Rick Patino and St. John's moving along. I asked for GP for his reason. I'm going to give you mine as well. Part of it's the losing and the lack thereof. Only seven points total with four losses. It is the defense. This team is relentless. It is also the fact that St. John's multiple times this season has faced significant deficits against good opponents in the second half and found ways to overwhelm teams. Wear them down and just pull down the rope. You're coming back down to us. You're getting right there in the mud. They've done this time and time again. The tournament can be a different beast. This is Patino. He knows how to coach in this tournament. Team will be well conditioned. Zubi, edge of four has been awesome. I like the Johnny's to go from Providence to San Francisco to San Antonio.

Matt Norlander (38:36)

So we both have Auburn and St. John's in the final four coming out of the left side of the bracket. Is that right?

Gary Parish (38:42)

Yes, that's. I. We're back to our old ways. I just said that 47 seconds ago.

Matt Norlander (38:47)

I know. I was. I was repeating for emphasis.

Gary Parish (38:49)

Okay. Okay. Because you said you listened to what I say on the show, so I was.

Matt Norlander (38:53)

I was. You must not know how to repeat for emphasis. That's also OVHO behavior on your behalf.

Gary Parish (39:00)

Oh, is it? Okay?

Matt Norlander (39:02)

Yes. A lot of. I'm learning a lot. I'm learning a lot throughout this mega preview.

Gary Parish (39:06)

You want to do another stair hit? Let's go.

Matt Norlander (39:09)

I'm all out of say your history.

Gary Parish (39:11)

Okay, buddy.

Matt Norlander (39:13)

It took everything I had to come up with that on the fly. East Regional. That's where Duke is the number one. See? We'll get to that next. But first, not. I don't mean to catch you off guard. That's. I mean to pump fake you. Let's get away. Let's get rich. Let's get rich. Really work from a promise.

Gary Parish (39:29)

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Matt Norlander (39:35)

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Gary Parish (39:37)

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Matt Norlander (39:59)

Some people just know they could save hundreds on car insurance by checking Allstate First. Like you know to check the Jumbotron first before attempting to eat a stack of Supreme Nachos in one bite. Now you're just a meme that everyone shares on game day. Checking first is smart, so check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds. You're in good hands with Allstate. Savings vary subject to terms, conditions and availability. Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates Northbrook, Illinois I think you could have got a sushi bite during that one.

Gary Parish (40:28)

I could have. I don't have it. I don't need it. I could have. I could have. I could have done a whole piece of sushi. People were worried. They're like, was that sushi just sitting out for hours? It was. And I put it we have refrigerators at the offices in Stanford and and I was good to go. But yeah, good point on you.

Matt Norlander (40:42)

Yeah, just some news that has come across as we've been talking because we just talked about the West Regional and Memphis and the Tyrese Hunter News. Penny Hardaway just met with the local media and said at this point the quote is wishful thinking for Tyrese Hunter to play again this season. Wishful thinking.

Gary Parish (41:03)

Yeah.

Matt Norlander (41:03)

Doesn't sound good. Tiger's probably going to be without him. Let's go to the East Regional. That's where Duke is the number one seed. Needless to say, I've got Duke advancing out of the round of 64. Regardless of who the Blue Devils play, they're waiting on a winner of a first four game. Mississippi State over Baylor. I've got Oregon over Liberty, Arizona over Akron. This is where my upsets start to start to pick up. VCU over BYU in the round of 64. This VCU team, yeah. Comes from the A10. I get it. Not a great seed based on resume stuff, but top 30 at Kinpom. Max Sholga was gone to Villanova Got in the transfer portal, committed to Villanova Nil. I talked to Ryan Odom because I saw VCU at the Veterans Classic back in November and, and I was just sort of picking his brain about Shoga and like, he was very upfront about it. How did we get Max Shulga back? It's not because he missed the Siegel Center. It's not because he loved being a Ram. I mean, all that stuff is true, I'm sure, but what did they actually have to do to get him back? Money. They had to go secure Nil funds and get it done. And he was very appreciative of his support system, boosters, administration, all of that. That they put him in a position like, if you want to keep this thing as one of the, the best programs in the country operating out of the power conference structure, we've got to spend money. It's going. It. It comes with a cost and they worry. But that's how they got Max Sugar back to school. My point is he would have started at Villanova this year in the Big east had he left. Joe Bama still is a power conference player, too. So VCU is a. Is a conference champion and conference tournament champion from a league that isn't under the power conference label. But they've got. They're a little bit like Memphis in the sense they got power conference players playing in a non power conference league. I like the VCU team. I've got them getting past BYU, Wisconsin over Montana. I've got St. Mary's over Vanderbilt and Alabama over Robert Morris. Whether it is whether or not Grant Nelson plays or not. Back up to the top. Duke over Mississippi State, Arizona over Oregon in a matchup of former Pac 12 schools. I've got VCU over Wisconsin. I'm going to continue to ride the rams. Alabama over St. Mary's I've got Duke over Arizona, and then I've got VCU over Alabama in a battle of places. Anthony Grant used to coach. I guess I do have duke getting past VCU, but I've got the A10 championship in the elite eight. And then I've got the one seed Duke. Blue Devils picking up Cooper flag somewhere along the way, advancing to the Final Four for the first time under John Shire.

Gary Parish (43:52)

I knew you'd take Duke. Not surprised by that. Do you buy the notion that Duke has by far the easiest path of all the ones? I feel like that's somewhat true, but it kind of discounts Arizona's potential. And I know, like, people that pick the bracket every year that you say Arizona in the tournament. They're like, yeah, the team that never makes the Final Four. I understand, like the Arizona reputation in March. I get that. But I think it kind of shrugs them off a little bit. People just writing Duke into the sweet 16. And I will, I will as well. I did, you know, no resistance at all until the elite eight. Minimally, you know, byu, Bama, Wisconsin can score. I don't know. You think it's.

Matt Norlander (44:38)

I mean, I don't.

Gary Parish (44:39)

You think it's easy for Duke?

Matt Norlander (44:41)

I. I think it can be easy. I don't know that it will. I mean, I could see them getting into a. It's almost become a joke. Like when I say stuff like this. It's like when you try to say obvious things seriously to make them sound smart. I was about to do it. But I do think this is important. Even if it's obvious, like it's just a 40 minute game. Like, what would be so shocking if you looked up and Chris Jans had Duke in a fistfight 28 minutes in.

Gary Parish (45:08)

Like, you know, not caring a crazy thing about who wins the game. That's why I love this tournament. I root for stuff like that. I want to see a one seed with seven and a half minutes to go down by two and like, hell yeah, dial the hell in. Let's see what happens here. That's what I live for in the tournament. So. Because no one's talking about that scenario, it might not well happen. How about this? Yes or no? True. Yes or no? Duke finishes Duke. If Duke makes. And how do I frame this? Yes or no? Duke wins all four games in its region by double digits. Yes or no? I will say no.

Matt Norlander (45:37)

I would say no. I would say no. I would say no just because it's unusual, but. And by the way, we're talking about Mississippi State. Duke, like Baylor could beat Mississippi State. And then we're just. It's all moved, right? I'm just. There's nothing shocking. Keep in mind Mississippi State has been playing teams like Duke all season. It's been a minute. It's been a minute since Duke's played a team like Mississippi State, you know, or at least they didn't play too many teams like Mississippi State. Tough, been through the wars. Got a little guard and Josh Hubbard who can pop off. Like if I just told you. Norlander, it's Sunday. Cooper, flag's back. There's nine minutes left in a game between Mississippi State and duke. It's a one possession game and Josh Hubbard's got 27.

Gary Parish (46:26)

Hell yeah. Give it to me, take it right now.

Matt Norlander (46:29)

Like, none of that is crazy, right? So I'll say this. I don't know if Duke has the easiest path of the one seeds, because I don't know what the path is going to be. But I always think it's helpful to just flip the question around and ask it from a different angle. If. If you were a one seat and you could pick your. Like, you got. You could just take your one and place you in any of these regions. And you can. If you're Duke, you can be Auburn. If you're Auburn, you can be Florida. If you're Florida, you could be Houston. If you're Houston, you could be Auburn. It's up to you. I think Duke would stay where it's at, and I think every one of these schools would be willing to trade with Duke.

Gary Parish (47:08)

Geography, not including geography.

Matt Norlander (47:10)

Obviously, it's not including geography. Sure. But, like, the possible pass, all of the stuff you include in that, I think Duke theoretically should. That. That's the most manageable to me. I got into a conversation somebody the other day about this. Like, when you're debating, let's just say Hubert Davis as North Carolina's coach, because one of the things I've said a few times is, is he one of the top 10 coaches in America? Because if you don't think he is, you probably don't have the right coach. Because at North Carolina, you should have one of the best coaches in America. You're one of the best jobs in America. So somebody sort of flipped that around and put it to me like this. They said, okay, GP let's let you answer these questions honestly. I said, all right, what's up? Indiana jobs open right now. That's right. If. If North Carolina said, you can have Hubert Davis, you want him, just take him. Would they hire him? Let me. Let's do this exercise with you.

Gary Parish (47:55)

Okay.

Matt Norlander (47:55)

What do you think? What do you think?

Gary Parish (47:57)

No.

Matt Norlander (47:57)

Get the answer? Virginia?

Gary Parish (48:01)

No.

Matt Norlander (48:04)

Villanova?

Gary Parish (48:05)

No.

Matt Norlander (48:06)

Okay, so, like, now we're talking. Now we're getting some answers here maybe, right? I. I think take that same type of approach with the question you're presenting, and I think you. It's easier to get the answer. Would. Would Duke trade spots with any other one C. Geography. Geography not included in the conversation? I think Duke would say, no, buddy, I'm good. I'll sit right here. I'll try to. We got 16 teams in this region. I feel like this is the one we can come out of easiest.

Gary Parish (48:35)

I wouldn't move. I think Houston's got a case. And if you were flipping on Duke, Duke would have potentially Clemson, which it's beaten Illinois, which it beat by 43. I think you can make a case for the Midwest. The only thing is do you get Kinsaga or not? But I hear the point the whole way. That's a, that's a. Some intriguing thought there. All right, I'll go East Region. Not a fire up that bracket for our YouTube audience here. Here are your games. Duke versus the winner, winner of American versus Mount St. Mary's that is a CBS game 250 on Friday shouts to Chip Pat Patterson, who will be making an appearance or two on the pod in the coming weeks as he does every year in March. We love Chips energy. We love his knowledge. We love his passion for college hoops. He will be on site in Raleigh to cover that pod for us for cbs sports.com I obviously have Duke moving along prior to the Duke game. The first tip of Friday from Raleigh will be Mississippi State and Baylor on CBS at 12:15. I have gone Mississippi State here. I actually I pulled the Costanza on this one. I wanted and I didn't do this with all most of my picks. I actually wanted to take Baylor but often when the the team I want to take in the 8 9, the other one wins. So I went opposite. I'm sure a lot of people listening can identify with that. Moving down. We had to. We had to. Oregon Liberty and Arizona versus Akron. These games are. Let me just check real quick. My printer thing. My printer thing cut off here. These games are on Friday and these games are. These are in Seattle. That's what I thought. Okay, so these are also Seattle games. These are the late one. Oregon Liberty might be the last tip of the day around 10:10 Eastern. I'm going to take Oregon. Liberty is. I did a thing on them earlier. Liberty might have the shortest. Tell you real quick here. I want to inform our audience on this. Liberty has they're the worst at something in the field. They are the worst free throw shooting team in the field. 65.4%. The Liberty Flames 28.6. Excuse me, 28 and 6 overall. Ranked top 70 in the metrics. Done a nice job but I'm I'm gonna take the Ducks in this one. Jackson Shell Stad leading the way. Nate Biddle as well. Give me the Ducks to win that one. Arizona vs Akron 735 tip on true TV coming out of Seattle. I will go Arizona here. John Gross has done and John Gross has been the coach of teams that have won in the first round of the NCAA tournament before. This is now his fourth NCAA tournament level team he has had at Akron. Really really good coach. Akron gets up and down the floor. This game has really if Akron can and it's a good shooting team if they can hit their shots this, this game actually has fair potential to be all right. It's 79.77 with three and a half to go kind of deal like they we could have both teams hit the 80s. I will go Arizona. Ken Palm actually projects at a 90 to 76 win for Arizona. I can't go. I can't go that far. But but yeah there's some. There's some good potential here next to we scoot on down in the east we've got BYU, VCU and Wisconsin versus Montana. These games are coming to you from Denver. BYU VCU is a 405 tip on Thursday on TNT. People in the chat have been talking cougs here in the past couple of minutes. They're a good three point shooting team when the shot and this is typically true of a lot of teams but in particular with vcu. I mean excuse me with BYU they really seem to hit another gear or two when the when the threes are falling. They do rank top 10 in 2 point percentage. Jaeger Demon probably going to be a top 20 NBA pick. I think he's been. He's cooled off from what he was in the first month of the season. But Richie Saunders is really really good. I like he becada down low for byu. I I'm in on on them Generally Speaking. VCU at 28 and 6, this is a very good defensive team. Ryan Odom's done a wonderful job. He's the primary candidate at Virginia at this stage. We'll see how we're and and how that goes. But getting Shoga back. Yeah, I've seen a lot of split ones on this but I'm going byu, Wisconsin, Montana. I'm going Wisconsin without too much hesitation here. Not convinced. Wisconsin should have been on the three line. I also don't want. I haven't been able to break this down. Why is Wisconsin as a three not in Milwaukee? It's not their building. Why are they going to Denver? I don't understand why we're doing that. Regardless, I got. I got Bucky.

Matt Norlander (52:53)

They lost. They. They lost. You didn't hear?

Gary Parish (52:55)

No.

Matt Norlander (52:57)

I think the official explanation from the committee was they lost Tucker De Vries in December.

Gary Parish (53:03)

I didn't take that into consideration. Now it all makes should have Tucker Devries injury Affecting more people, more teams than people realize.

Matt Norlander (53:11)

That's right.

Gary Parish (53:12)

Checking out. How long is the drive from Missoula to Denver? All right, trivia time. Okay, Missoula University of Montana is in Missoula, right?

Matt Norlander (53:21)

Yeah, it should be. If not, they should move it there.

Gary Parish (53:24)

Yeah, it's in Missoula. Just making sure. All right, trivia time. Within. How about within two hours?

Matt Norlander (53:30)

Okay.

Gary Parish (53:30)

How long is the drive chat? Don't give it away. How long is the drive from Missoula to Denver?

Matt Norlander (53:37)

Oh, that's 11 hours.

Gary Parish (53:40)

I'm gonna give it to you if you leave Missoula right now. According to Google Maps, it doesn't look like traffic's too big. Too big of an issue. Except, wow, you get around the Boulder area, it looks like there might be some. Some construction. 13 hours, six minutes. You said 11.

Matt Norlander (53:54)

I said 11. I think I said 11 hours.

Gary Parish (53:56)

Two hours. I said, can you get it within two.

Matt Norlander (53:58)

I know I said 11 hours. And then you cut me off. I was going to say 11 hours and seven minutes.

Gary Parish (54:03)

That's not true.

Matt Norlander (54:04)

That's what I was going to say.

Gary Parish (54:05)

You're taking 25. You're taking. Well, you're going 90, obviously, you're going 90 East. Everyone knows that. And you're going down. I've actually. We do that, but. I know. But I've. I've at some point in my life, especially with. I, like, I just want to go driving in this part of the country. I just want to drive through Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota, Montana, Idaho. I just want to drive it, you know, just do a little out west.

Matt Norlander (54:27)

Yeah, you would take. You would take 93 east. Unless you know a shortcut. You ever still meet somebody? Because all my life, people. You'd be telling them you're going somewhere. Like, yeah, we're driving down to Florida, going down to the beach for a little while. And everybody would always have a shortcut. They would take pride in telling you about their shortcut. And every once in a while, I'll still meet somebody in the year 20, 25, and I'll be like, yeah, I guess. I guess we're gonna leave the house around so and so, and we'll get there around so and so, and we'll just meet you guys there. And they'll say, well, you know, I know a shortcut. And I'm like, how do you think you're smarter than my car?

Gary Parish (55:00)

Well, I'm not smarter than this.

Matt Norlander (55:02)

Yeah, like, you know what? You're not smarter than my. My iPhone. All right, This. I love. I love people who still think they know things that our phones don't know. Like they know. They know a way to get somewhere that. That my car doesn't know. Makes me laugh.

Gary Parish (55:22)

There's no shortcut from Missoula to Denver, I'll tell you that much.

Matt Norlander (55:25)

That's tough.

Gary Parish (55:27)

You're driving around the big old Rockies. Okay. That's what you got to be doing there. Anyway. I've got Wisconsin over Minnesota in a 314. Actually, as on that topic here, GP which 314 do you think has the best chance of being the closest game? And we still got to get to Kentucky. Troy. Which my kiddo has. Troy winning. So Kentucky, Troy, Wisconsin, Montana, Iowa State, Lipscomb, Texas Tech. UNCW. There's usually one 3 14. That's got a little bit of tension to it. Which one do you think is the most likely to be the closest game?

Matt Norlander (55:56)

Iowa State. Lipscomb.

Gary Parish (55:58)

No, Keyshawn Gilbert's going to do it.

Matt Norlander (56:00)

Yeah. Just missing a player.

Gary Parish (56:01)

They could.

Matt Norlander (56:02)

They can. Yeah, I could just. Yeah, I could see that game being closer than it. You think it would be.

Gary Parish (56:09)

I would. I just wonder.

Matt Norlander (56:10)

I just wonder what that does mentally to a team when you've lost somebody who's very important to you. Like, does it feel. I don't know, I guess in a single elimination tournament you can just be like, hey, we got to go out and win one game. It feels like in a seven game series it'd be such much more deflating because it, you know, you obviously got to get more accomplished in a seven game series than a single elimination tournament. I just wonder what that does to Iowa State. And they've been kind of, I don't know, like just. I wonder if what that does mentally to them, do they feel like, I don't know. We'll see. I won't be surprised. That game's close.

Gary Parish (56:46)

I would only say, and I know it's a conference game and it was weird, but like, Wisconsin lost at Home Depot. Penn State. No one's talking about Montana beating Wisconsin. That's not. Not. They're not even talking about in Missoula. Not happening. Maybe. Jeff Amen, the former Ion college basketball podcast guest. I bet he's talking about Big Montana fan. He'll be dialed in, by the way. All right, final two in the east region, first round. We've got St. Mary's Vandy and we've got Bama. Robert Morris. I don't think I've. Did I mention this on the show yet? I've completely forgotten. Do you realize that Alabama they're probably going to win, but they got to play a 15 seat. Robert Morris is like less than two hours away from this, from Cleveland. Like, I'm not saying they're taking it over like Louisville fans, but this is, this is a byproduct of having your best SEC teams. They all got against four different regions and at some, at a certain point they gotta, they gotta keep true to the seed. So Bama's flying up there and they're gonna.

Matt Norlander (57:40)

I'm less offended by that because it's a 15 and a 2 and it's. I say this respectfully, but it's Robert Morris, not the University of Louisville that can fill up its own 20,000 seat arena 70 minutes away. I was way more bothered by the possibility of Auburn having to play Louisville and Lexington than Alabama having to play Robert Morris.

Gary Parish (58:02)

I want to say there has. There was one. I'm not going to be able to pull it here, but I want to say that this did happen in the past. Maybe it was pre covered. There was either like a 15, I think it was a 15 or 14 that got like unusually close for its first round game. I can't remember if you remember, drop it in the chat or drop in the YouTube comments.

Matt Norlander (58:22)

One of the more famous. There's some famous examples of this deeper in the bracket. Duke having to play South Carolina in.

Gary Parish (58:28)

South Carolina, the Zion year, no. 2017, because South Carolina went to the Final Four. Right, Right.

Matt Norlander (58:34)

That's right. There's that one. There's Memphis as a 1 seed having to play UCLA in California in a regional final. I was there for that one. So sometimes this stuff does happen and I don't want to say every time I think it's wrong because some of it's just unavoidable. That's what, that's what a committee member would tell you. You just can't plan that deep into the bracket. But I would like if I were adding bracket principles. We're never going to set up a situation where a one seed is playing a possible road game, de facto road game in the round of 32. And we're never going to set it up where if the bracket plays to seed when we get to the Elite Eight, the one seed will have to play a theoretical road game against the two seed. We would just avoid those things. So I'm not going to have in that year, 2006, Memphis going to California to play an Elite Eight game against UCLA when Memphis is the 1 seed. I would avoid just. I'm not trying to avoid everything because you can't. But there are some obvious things where.

Gary Parish (59:35)

Just if you ever think about that and you still run into logistical challenges because for the most part they want to stay too true to the seed more than the geography. And so sometimes in random years, you can't avoid it.

Matt Norlander (59:45)

I get. I, I would. You can change the principles and avoid it. You know what I would say? I would rather abandon geography than have a one seed playing a road game in the Elite.

Gary Parish (59:55)

That might force you to change a team off at seedline, though. There's no guarantee they get there.

Matt Norlander (60:02)

I know, but I'm looking for things to avoid. I want to avoid a situation where we could like the most likely Elite eight matchup in any region, theoretically. Yeah, I understand betting markets and all that, but you'll get the point. Should be one versus two. I'm going to always try to avoid. I'm going to always avoid a one having to pay a two near the two's campus or in the two state. I just. We're just not gonna. That. I know when we get there, the coach of the one seed is going to make a big deal out of it. He's going to screen this unfair. We shouldn't be playing this game here. So let's just skip that part. I would have. I would violate. I would change other principles to make sure we could adhere to that one, if that makes sense.

Gary Parish (60:44)

But I think I agree with what you're saying. Let's just pick the damn game. I just think you're gonna still run into this. I think there are too many teams, too many sites. It just, it pops its head up unexpectedly here and there. But I, I don't disagree with the, with the overall premise.

Matt Norlander (60:56)

I mean, I think, again, I don't want to belabor the point, but I think I can go back to that 2006 bracket right now and just make a couple of two seat changes and we don't have the same problem.

Gary Parish (61:03)

Yeah, fair enough. I will have St. Mary's over Vanderbilt. This is gonna be wrong, folks. I have not hesitated. I saw it on the bracket. I said St. Mary's immediately, which means I'm gonna be wrong here. And then I'll have Bama over Robert Morris. Alabama update we talked about earlier on the show. Grant Nelson probably not going to play in this game, but hopefully available for the second and definitely available for the second weekend. I then have Duke beating Mississippi State. I have Arizona over Oregon. Love that PAC12 flavor right there, but I'll go with Zona. Not a lot of people Right in Oregon. I don't feel like into the sweet 16. It would not surprise me at all. Oregon's beaten a lot of good teams this year. I will have BYU over Bucky. I'll take. I'll have Kevin Young. Although there's. I got a number of coaches that don't have NCAA tournament wins. Moving on to the second weekend. This is probably not going to work out for your guy. I'll have Alabama over St. Mary's with some hesitation which doesn't make sense when you see my bracket. But like St. Mary's good enough to make the second weekend people. Duke, Arizona. Third time in two seasons. I will have Duke beating Arizona again. They won out in Tucson earlier this season. And then I've got Alabama playing BYU in the Sweet 16. BYU won the battle for AJ Debanza. This is a recruiting battle game. I've got Alabama winning the head to head here. Give me the Tide moving along. I have picked Alabama with the idea that Grant Nelson is going to be pretty capable of of being a go and Mark Sears doing well for himself. And then I will have not Duke. I have Alabama moving along to the Final Four for a second consecutive season. That's a value play as much as anything else. Duke is going to be such an overwhelming pick in your bracket pool to make the Final Four and understandably so. They might cruise there. Alabama is the highest scoring team in the country. Plays at a super fast pace. If it catches fire, absolutely can beat Duke if it is playing right. That's. That's not a long shot whatsoever. So I think there's actually some good value with Alabama there. And if you're seeing elsewhere with say Arizona, maybe Wisconsin, I don't know. It's certainly conceivable Duke could get knocked out before the Final Four and I'm taking a chance there. So right now I've got a one and two twos before we get to the final region.

Matt Norlander (63:19)

All right. We got Midwest regional coming up. We're going to bounce through that pretty quickly. First, let's get one more word from our partners. Pro savings days are back at Lowe's with limited time savings on the supplies pros need get up to 40% off select major appliances plus save an additional $100 on every $1,000 you spend on select major appliances. And don't miss your chance to activate and earn three times the points on select Dewalt and Klein Tools lowes. We help you save valid. The 328 selection varies by location. While supplies last see associate or lowe's.com for more details on qualifying items.

Gary Parish (63:55)

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Matt Norlander (64:26)

All right, now we're down to the Midwest Regional. That's where Houston is the number one seat. I'll run through mine real quick and then we'll get on with this thing because we are working on a clock here. Houston. I've got obviously advancing out of the round of 64. I love the Brian Barone story at SIUE, but I think it ends in a first round loss to Kelvin Sampson. Gonzaga over Georgia to keep that streak of Sweet 16 appearances alive at least for a couple more days. I've got Clemson getting past Will Wade and McNe State. Purdue over High Point. I'm still partially boilermaker. I think that goes without saying. Illinois over the winner of Texas Xavier. I've got Kentucky past Troy, Utah State over ucla, that would be an upset. And Tennessee getting past Wofford going back up. I do have Houston eliminating Gonzaga. That's another one where as long as we're adjusting bracket principles, I do not think you should ever put North Carolina in the field strictly because of its and I know they won't say strictly because I don't think you should point to their predictive metrics and put them in based on those. But I do think when it comes to seating there, there there's some leeway to maybe let you emphasize that a little more, if only to be more fair to the one seed. My point is this. I don't love that Houston's got to play a top 10 Kingpom team in the round of 32. Perhaps I think that's unfair to Houston. You suggested something the other day that I think I could subscribe to. We're not going to use predictive metrics to put people in the field, but if we have a team that based on results lands in the 89 game or like that's where we think they belong, but they have top 10 predictives, we might just move them into the 710 game just to make sure no one seed ever stands up and says why do we have to play a top 10 Kim Pom team in the round of 32. What do we do to deserve this? Yeah, you would instead be giving it to a two seed and maybe that would be slightly less unfair, but still unfair. But at least then you can tell the two seed. Well, you should have been a one seed. You wouldn't have to deal with this. But you shouldn't be telling one seed. You don't have to play. You got to play 10C. You got to play top 10 Kim Bomb teams in the round of 32. Either way, that's probably what Houston's got to do. I think Houston wins it. Gonzaga streak of Sweet 16 appearances ends at 9. I've got Clemson over Purdue. Purdue's just been shaky lately. I just lots of turnovers, two point defensive field goal percentage. I mean they just get eat up inside the paint almost every game. I've got Clemson pass Purdue, Illinois past Kentucky. The injury stuff at some point just becomes an issue for Mark Pope. I've got Tennessee over Utah State, Houston over Clemson, Tennessee over Houston. And then I've got Houston over Tennessee in the elite eight. Making my final four three one seeds and a two seed. Auburn, St. John's Duke and Houston.

Gary Parish (67:26)

I got someone in the chat saying my picks are too chalky. Dude, I've got UC, San Diego, Drake into the Sweet 16. I I parish is going with that. This is the chalk master over here. That's the chalk master. That's what you are. You're the shock master. All right, let's go here to my, to my picks and then we'll scoot here in just a minute because we are on a little bit of a time crunch here. Houston, siue, Gonzaga and Georgia. Those games are in Wichita, Kansas. These are Thursday games. Houston Suey versus is it 2:00pm on TBS and Gonzaga will follow that against Georgia. 435. I think Georgia has a better chance in this game than people realize. That's a big team. Asa Newell, the best NBA prospect on the floor. Gonzaga's got Ryan Nehard who leads the country in assist. Graham Ek down low. I obviously have Houston moving along. I'm going with Gonzaga here, but I do think that Mike White's team with Georgia is going to put up a fight. I think this is going to be of of all the eight nines, I actually think this is going to be the closest game. Kill me. I was wrong because it's inevitable. Next two are where I will be on Thursday in Providence. Clemson vs. McNeese and Purdue vs. High Point. Not I'm actually going to go this in chronological order. So Purdue High point is the first game from the dunk on Thursday, 1240 on True TV. I will go Purdue in this spot. But I do think that High Point has a chance to make this a close game. It is good scoring in the interior. We've talked about Purdue's problems there. Ultimately, I'm going with Purdue. Braden Smith, Trey Kaufman, Ren have been terrific. I'm interested to see how Purdue shows up in this tournament without Zach Edie in the lineup. Don't know if it's really the quality of a four seed, but I'll take him to beat. High Point, high points. Good man. A couple of these teams that we're picking to lose, they're gonna win Parish. That's the damnedest thing. You got to try and identify them. Could well miss. I'll take Clemson beating McNeese. Will Wade's got a solid team. It's not as good as the team last year. Clemson's really good. This is the winningest season in Clemson history and it hasn't even played in the NCAA tournament yet. 276 for Brad Brownell's Tigers. They got a great player named Chase Hunter. I like Clemson to move along. Bottom half of the bracket, you've got Illinois awaiting the winner of Texas versus Xavier and you've got Kentucky versus Troy. These games are in Milwaukee. Illinois, I think Xavier is going to be so again in my brackets, I've got Xavier over Illinois. If Texas beats Xavier, I will have Illinois into the second round. But for right now, I have. I have Sean Miller's team moving along and getting the dub over the Alliani. And if that doesn't happen, mark me down for Illinois over Texas. I've got Kentucky over Troy. Both of these games are on CBS. Kentucky's at 7:10 on Friday. The Illinois, Texas Xavier game is at 9:45. And then in the bottom you got UCLA, Utah State and Tennessee versus Wofford in the 7:10 and the 215 game. These games are being played. I'm bringing it up here real quick. These are the Lexington. Of course these are in Lexington. So Tennessee versus Wofford is 650 on TNT on Thursday. UCLA, Utah State late tip 925 TNT on Thursday. I'm going to go Utah State over UCLA in this one. Jared Calhoun's done a really good job in year one with the Aggies. Tough 710 read. Utah State got out to a 19 and two start. The season is 26 7. Now it can score. It's a really good scoring team. Ian Martinez is a really solid guard. Keep an eye on him. Mason Falslev is also good. He shoots well from deep. UCLA is a bit featureless. Like it's good defensively. You can turn teams over which is what it's it's forte is but if it does not turn you over and get out into some sort of transition opportunity I actually think they're pretty vulnerable. I'll have Utah State winning there. I've got Tennessee over Wofford second round. I will go Houston over Gonzaga primarily because I don't think that this Gonzaga team and why I think they're going to have trouble with Georgia. I, I just don't think it's ultra athletic and I do like the way that Georgia is comprised and Houston and oh by the way with Houston I'll just say now is no way before we got to our final four picks. Houston is the best three point shooting team in the tournament. Now normally that's not the case in terms of their three point powers period. They're elite defensively again and no one has been better from beyond the arc this season of any team in the field than Calvin Sansom. Seem I'll have Houston moving along. I'll take Purdue over Clemson. That to me is coin flip city. A 50, 50 whatever. I will go with the Boilers. Both these teams made good runs last year. Prude of the title again Clemson's made the Elite 8. I will go with Matt Painter. I have Kentucky moving along to the second weekend. If it's Kentucky versus Illinois I don't have Illinois in this game but if it was I still think I would take Kentucky. That's too funny because I've talked about this on the show. Both these teams have been what the hell are we going to get right now? And like how good is Lamont Butler shoulder? Like is he I know they feel good about it but is this thing being held together by duct tape and shoelaces? I I, I don't know. I'm just curious on that one. I've got Tennessee getting past Utah State and I do have Kentucky over Tennessee. Kentucky is beaten twice. I said this earlier. Let me just fact check myself in real time GP because I think that's the case. It is the case. So Kentucky be Tennessee twice, beat him a third time. News flash, be the same team three times in one season. Not as hard as people might make you think on television. So I love Kentucky moving along and I will take Houston over Kentucky in the Elite Eight. So my final four is Auburn St. John's Bama, Houston. That is two ones and two twos. What's your final four? What's your champ GP?

Matt Norlander (72:52)

Auburn, St. John's Duke, Houston. I've got Auburn and Houston in the national title game. I've got Bruce Pearl's Auburn Tigers as my national champion. And yes, I'm aware that they've lost three or four heading into this thing. The way I've made sense of it in my head is that they didn't go on that bad stretch until everybody in the world told them, you've done enough. Like we all sit there and told the team very publicly. And I'm not like suggesting Chad Baker Mazara is like listening to the Ion College Basketball podcast and it's like, well, the ball guy said we're good, so I guess we're good. Like, but it was just sort of out there like, hey man, they've done it. 16 quadrant one wins so far ahead of the pack. They're like a golfer with a five shot lead. Their own coach was saying we're outright SEC champs. I feel like we've done enough. And I agreed with him. I don't think he was speaking at a turn, but like when you hear that over and over again, I think it's easy to lose focus a little bit. And when everybody's telling you you're good until the tournament, you've locked up everything you can lock up until the tournament. I think it's easy to not be as focused as maybe everybody else is. And then you lose one game to a good team and you come home and you think you'll bounce back, but you know, another good team catches you and then it's Florida and they're playing as well as anybody. I just, I think they are capable of turning it back on. If they don't, they'll be out of this thing not early. Keep in mind they are literally Auburn, the only team in the country that never lost to a team outside of the top 20 in the net all season. Not one. Yep, they can't even play a team like the teams that they've lost to until at least the sweet 16. Now I know Louisville inside rough 70 minutes from campus is maybe a different animal, but you look at most the numbers. Louisville is not the type of team that beat Auburn this season. Auburn won't have to play a type of team that beat Auburn this season until this at least the sweet 16. I'm going to trust that they can turn it back on and win six games, but I know they're not the favorite even though they are the number one overall seed.

Gary Parish (74:57)

Auburn has more wins versus the field than any team in the field. It's 19. Second place is Alabama and Tennessee. Obviously this is no shock to all CC teams but Alabama and Tennessee have 17 wins versus the field. Auburn has 19. Bama has played the most games versus teams in the field with 25. Auburn and Tennessee have played 24 piece. There are 10 teams with zero wins against the field. They're all single bid leagues. Obviously you might expect there's someone of note there if you like that kind of stuff. Again I'll, I'll have a huge story stats nuggets if you like to dive into the goodies there. You and my kiddo by the way agree. He's got. All right, he's got Auburn. He's got Auburn over Duke there.

Matt Norlander (75:31)

All right, we'll be.

Gary Parish (75:32)

We'll be idiot.

Matt Norlander (75:33)

We'll be. We'll be idiots together.

Gary Parish (75:35)

Well, well, there you go. I, I have Auburn over St. John's in the final four. Just the idea of like Bruce Pearl, Rick Patino, Nate Oates and Kelvin Sampson, that's a very, very good quotable final four that I've got there. No complaints whatsoever. If those four coaches are behind the microphones at the deus and on the court at the down there in San Antonio. I'll take Auburn over St. John's I, I'm going to repeat what I said about the SEC tournament and that fell flat. I've seen Auburn play at its best. I know what this team can be and I, I just. I can't shake the feeling that they are going to have a dominant push to the final Four. Like personally, and this could be very wrong. I get it. Like I, I think Duke's gonna look good in this tournament. I don't have in the final Four. I think if Auburn and Duke both make the final Four, I would say Auburn's more likely to have the more impressive showing, higher margin of victory. Just. I think this team's going to turn it on. We'll see though. I mean I've been brutally wrong before. I'm ready to do it again. I will have Houston over Alabama. These teams met earlier this season. I, I'd love. You know what, I want this matchup to happen because I want the Auburn. Sorry, sorry. Houston versus Auburn's my title game. So I have Houston over Bama in the, in the national semis. I want Houston, Auburn in the title game because I want the oral history and the retelling of the plane Fight that forced the Auburn to flame. This is what changed Auburn's entire season. They got into a little scuffle on the plane. They had to divert, go back, flew back, didn't bring a couple of players with them. And then they turned into, into the best team in the sport for three months. Give me the Auburn versus Houston rematch and I have the Houston Cougars going back to Texas, getting it done, winning in San Antonio, Kelvin Sampson launching a national championship. And I'm doing it not just because of the defense and not just because Auburn forces you. It forces you to play on its terms. It dictates the conversation. When you play Houston, it is the three point shooting. Milo, Susan, L.J. crier, Emmanuel, Sharp, all being knockdown shooters. They stay healthy, they get it done. I've got the Cougs over the Tigers in the national title game and those our, our bracket picks. We actually did this fairly quickly this year. We moved through it relatively quick. One quick thing, GP the poll. On today's question, we asked our live audience, who are you taking to win the title, the SEC or the field? I will give you the answer, but I want you to try and guess which side won and what the percentage split was.

Matt Norlander (78:05)

I would assume the field one because there's an anti SEC sentiment that exists.

Gary Parish (78:12)

People don't like. Yes, I think, I think I agree with that. Yeah.

Matt Norlander (78:15)

Yes, I would assume the field one. I would take the SEC, but I would assume the field one.

Gary Parish (78:19)

The field did win 62 to 28 to 38. Right. 62 to 38. So that's actually, that's not that bad. Yeah, I, I'm taking the field literally because I have Houston, but that's a bigger margin than I would have expected.

Matt Norlander (78:34)

So we both have just to put a bow on this and then we'll move on. And by move on, I mean get out of here. If we both have a Houston Auburn championship game, that would be Kelvin Sampson, Bruce Pearl. Have we ever had a national championship game? What up, Jared Burson? Have we ever had a national championship game between two coaches who were previously fired from power conference jobs?

Gary Parish (79:00)

I think that's.

Matt Norlander (79:01)

You think that's happened? I don't know.

Gary Parish (79:04)

Good question. I don't know.

Matt Norlander (79:06)

Think about once you get fired in, in the history of the sport, once you get fired from a power conference job, you don't usually get another one.

Gary Parish (79:17)

I'd have to think. I don't know. Maybe it hasn't happened. Let's listen. This is my projection. So. Yeah. Did I have that right? We both have the Same final. We have the same final.

Matt Norlander (79:27)

I have Auburn, Houston. I have Auburn, Houston with Auburn winning. You have Auburn, Houston with Houston winning.

Gary Parish (79:32)

Yep. Okay.

Matt Norlander (79:33)

But it could be two formally fired power conference coaches, which would be just a I bet you that story gets that story get written by somebody.

Gary Parish (79:41)

Reminder. If you're listening, we're getting out of here, but you can join our ion college basketball bracket pool on the CBS Sports app@cbssports.com the link will be in this YouTube video. It will be in this podcast description and join you have until I think Thursday at like 11:59. Don't wait on it you will see our picks. Winners get shouts, Paramount plus subscriptions. All that good stuff. Join up and can't wait to see how everyone kicks our asses in this because we are going to be terrible.

Matt Norlander (80:11)

I'm gonna be great. Everybody deserves to watch Landman. Everybody.

Gary Parish (80:15)

That's right.

Matt Norlander (80:16)

And that's how you can do it. By winning a bracket challenge and getting a subscription to Paramount. Plus shouts to Devin Downey. Shouts to Chester, South Carolina Terry Teagle legend Huck Larnell. Thank you guys once again for watching listening to the I own College Basketball podcast. If you're not subscribed, please go subscribe anywhere you subscribe to podcast. Apple, Apple, Spotify. There's more of us than there are of them. That needs to be reflected in the comments. So to that and we will talk to you again probably in 45 minutes.

Gary Parish (80:46)

Well, it's not going to be that close. We are going to have podcasts for you recapping a bunch of tournament action. Just stay subscribed. All that good stuff. We got you covered. Best time of the year is here. Let's let that's a show.

Matt Norlander (80:54)

All right. Bye bye.

Gary Parish (81:04)

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