Eye On College Basketball: "Players Era Debrief: Brackets, Crowds + More; Gonzaga vs. Michigan in Title Game; Duke vs. Arkansas on Thanksgiving"

Date: November 26, 2025
Hosts: Gary Parrish (JP), Kyle Boone (KB)

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the controversial Players Era Festival—a new college basketball multi-team event in Las Vegas—dissecting its confusing format, lackluster crowds, and its broader implications for college basketball traditions. The hosts also preview high-profile matchups: Gonzaga vs. Michigan for the Players Era title, Kansas vs. Tennessee in the third-place game, USC vs. Arizona State in the Maui Invitational, and the marquee Thanksgiving game—Duke vs. Arkansas—set to follow Cowboys-Chiefs on CBS.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Players Era Festival Format: Confusing and Soulless?

• Summary: The hosts criticize the new "Players Era Festival" format, emphasizing fan confusion and a lack of traditional tournament structure. Tennessee, despite being undefeated and beating Houston (the top team in the event), gets relegated to the third-place game due to point differential.
• Key Concerns:
  • The festival eschews the traditional bracket system for a pool play with point differential—a move widely panned as confusing and "soulless."
  • Fans and programs like Tennessee and Iowa State see the format as unfair and unworthy of college basketball traditions.
• Notable Quotes:
  • "If you have a tournament where somebody can go undefeated, beat the perceived best team in your event, and not play for the championship game, you don't really have a tournament." — GP (08:04)
  • "It just feels icky, right? You’ve got the half-empty Vegas arenas, the confusing non-bracket tournament format... it comes at the expense of the Maui Invitational, the Battle for Atlantis, which is where I really have a problem." — KB (09:45)

Timestamps:

• Explanation of format and its issues (01:08–05:10)
• Reaction to organizers' defense of the format (05:10–10:00)
• Deeper reflection on what’s being lost in the sport (09:29–12:51)

2. The Money Factor and Crowds in Vegas

• Summary: The lure of appearance fees is understood—but both hosts bemoan the event’s "soullessness," empty crowds, and what’s lost when tradition is discarded for profit.
• Notable Quotes:
  • "I don’t blame the programs for taking the money... In today's college basketball world, money literally buys talent. And you know, as a result, it might literally buy wins. You need it to survive, you need it to adapt in this era." — KB (09:40)
• Crowd Issues:
  • Crowds in Las Vegas have been sparse, lacking the energy and connection of traditional venues like Maui or Allen Fieldhouse.
  • "If I were traveling to Las Vegas… I want to go see the Jayhawks play and then just as soon as that game's over, I’m looking at my watch going… let's go see what's going on at the pool?" — GP (13:10)
• Reflection:
  • College basketball’s appeal is deeply connected to campus environments, passionate crowds, and tradition.
  • Neil expansion, private equity, and profit-driven changes threaten cherished rivalries and events.

3. Top Matchups & Team Analysis

Players Era Festival Championship: Gonzaga vs. Michigan (9:30 PM ET, TNT)

• Why It Matters: Despite format criticism, the final features two elite teams—Gonzaga and Michigan—both playing outstanding basketball.

• Stat Insights:

  • Data sorted on BartTorvik.com (removing preseason bias) ranks them #1 and #2 in the nation right now.
  • Gonzaga is ranked #1 at KenPom, with a standout 39-point win over Maryland and the oldest roster (by experience) in the country.
  • Michigan boasts the #1 defense at KenPom; Yaxel Lendeborg and Roddy Gayle are highlighted.

• Notable Quotes:

  • "What you’re watching tonight are the teams ranked #1 and #2 in the country right now... a rare 1 vs. 2 matchup if you remove all preseason bias." — JP (24:46)
  • "Gonzaga... has been established under Mark Few, maintained it despite incredible staff turnover. That program is still as strong as ever. The Zags are awesome again. Surprise, surprise." — JP (28:20)
  • "Gonzaga, very experienced... basically a G League team that's playing in college basketball. They're all super old." — KB (25:42)
  • "Michigan defense, now number one in adjusted efficiency margin on defense at KenPom. Yaxel Lendeborg, the UAB transfer, playing up to his potential." — KB (26:15)

Third-Place Game: Kansas vs. Tennessee

• Talking Point: Both teams are undefeated in Las Vegas but relegated due to the bizarre format. Kansas had a comparatively easy run (Notre Dame, Syracuse); Tennessee had a dominant week, beating Houston and Rutgers.
• Money Matters: Title game winner gets $1 million; third-place gets $300K—all based on point differential.
• Notable Quote:
  • "Tennessee’s been the most impressive team out in Las Vegas... pounded an inferior opponent and then beat what was perceived to be the best team in the event before it started... and that still only gets you to the third-place game." — JP (33:28)

Maui Invitational Title Game: USC vs. Arizona State (2:30 PM ET, ESPN)

• Tradition Highlighted: The hosts share affection for the Maui Invitational’s energy and history—contrasting its genuine crowd environment and tradition with Vegas’ soullessness.
• Team Talk:
  • USC in the Top 25-in-1 after a strong start; Rodney Rice and Chad Baker-Mazara praised.
  • Arizona State’s only loss is to Gonzaga; Bobby Hurley facing job pressure.
• Notable Quotes:
  • "You’re not playing for money... but the tradition of the Maui Invitational and just the vibes of playing in a tournament that has that type of history and tradition I think is really cool." — KB (35:20)
  • "When I walked into that little gym (Maui) for the first time, I felt like I was walking into Wrigley Field. These are places things happen every year of my life." — JP (36:42)

4. Thanksgiving Games Preview: Duke vs. Arkansas in Prime Time

• Game Details:

  • Duke (#7) vs. Arkansas (#5), Thanksgiving, 8 PM ET on CBS (after Cowboys-Chiefs).
  • Notable for: Prime slot after America’s top NFL match, immense viewership expected.

• Why It's Big:

  • "Norlander said on Sunday, this will be the most watched regular season college basketball game because it follows Cowboys, Chiefs... Why would you even touch your remote control when Duke and Arkansas... is about to come on?" — JP (43:00)
  • Arkansas is led by John Calipari; Duke’s younger core with star Cam Boozer stands out.

• Notable Quotes:

  • "People could just keep the game on, be asleep, watch the entirety of Duke-Arkansas and not engage in any way. They will be watching though." — KB (44:25)
  • "It's going to be a monster number... we don't do a lot of prime time games on big CBS in the regular season. It's going to feel and seem bigger than it otherwise would be and it's going to be massive." — JP (46:30)

• Fun Add-ons:

  • The game follows Cowboys-Chiefs—featuring the nation’s most popular teams and potential for a Taylor Swift sighting.
  • Both hosts look forward to watching with family, discussing Thanksgiving traditions and the joy of sports during the holiday.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Format Confusion:
  • "You think you've got the best in-season college basketball event, but you don't have a bracket. That just doesn't make any sense." — JP (15:37)
• On Brackets & Tradition:
  • "Maybe the ancient Romans created the bracket. People love to see a bracket, and it makes sense. There's no way to manipulate it in any way." — KB (18:04)
• On College Basketball's Soul:
  • "College basketball is special because of those environments, the personalities and the traditions. Strip those things away, you're left with this hollow, soulless product we've seen in Vegas." — KB (11:10)
• Personal Touch:
  • JP shares his ongoing illness, family plans for Thanksgiving, and appreciation for tradition—even sneaking in Memphis "scissor" humor (41:54–42:20).

Important Timestamps

| Time | Segment | |----------|------------------------------------------| | 01:08 | Main show intro & Players Era Festival | | 03:07 | Why the format feels "goofy" | | 05:08 | Critique of event structure & pushback | | 09:29 | How money and soullessness impact the sport | | 12:51 | Loss of tradition & atmosphere | | 18:53 | Brackets, format suggestions | | 22:25 | Preview: Gonzaga vs. Michigan | | 26:00 | Gonzaga and Michigan deep stats | | 30:56 | Kansas vs. Tennessee—Money & matchups | | 33:28 | Tennessee’s impressive run, Maui love | | 35:34 | Maui Invitational atmosphere | | 43:00 | Duke vs. Arkansas primetime preview | | 44:25 | Thanksgiving, NFL lead-in, family talk |

Tone and Style

The episode is a lively, candid critique delivered with affection for college basketball’s quirks and traditions. Sarcastic humor, personal anecdotes, and pointed commentary on the festival’s failures highlight the hosts’ love for the game—and their frustration with commercial meddling.

Takeaways for Non-Listeners

• The Players Era Festival is shining a harsh light on the pitfalls of deviating from tried-and-true bracket-based tournaments—leaving even undefeated teams like Tennessee out of the title game, devaluing tradition, and failing to generate fan excitement.
• Despite format flaws, the games themselves (Gonzaga-Michigan, Kansas-Tennessee) feature top-level basketball and will impact the national conversation.
• Thanksgiving brings a rare treat: Duke-Arkansas in CBS primetime—expected to draw one of the year’s biggest college basketball audiences thanks to a marquee NFL lead-in and college hoops’ most familiar bluebloods.
• Longing for tradition and atmosphere dominates the conversation, as do worries about the sport’s soul in the face of money-driven changes.