Eye on College Basketball: "Power Five power ranx one month in; UConn-Illinois recap; previewing Tuesday’s stacked slate; an unexpected torching of Lane Kiffin"

Date: November 30, 2025 | Hosts: Gary Parrish (GP) & Matt Norlander

Episode Overview

This episode marks a deep examination into the first month of the college basketball season, focusing on how the Power Five conferences stack up, a breakdown of UConn’s significant win over Illinois, and a lively preview of an epic upcoming Tuesday night schedule. The hosts finish with a passionate and unexpected dive into Lane Kiffin’s controversial move from Ole Miss to LSU, discussing the shocking impact on college sports culture.

Power Five Conference Rankings: Where Do Things Stand?

[01:30-36:18]

Opening Thoughts and Criteria

• GP argues that the Big Ten has had the best start of any conference, based on trophy wins, number of undefeated teams, and upper-half strength.
• Norlander leans toward the Big 12, citing top-to-bottom quality, better win percentage, and more wins over ranked teams.
• Both hosts agree: “It’s all about what you value—top vs. depth.” (Norlander, 09:39)
• The NCAA NET Rankings are due to drop Monday; this episode sets the foundation to interpret them.

Conference-by-Conference Breakdown

1. The Big Ten

• Record: 107–25 (0.811 win pct.)
• Undefeated Teams: Leads with seven; no other league has more than four.
• Top 25 & “Trophies”: 8 Big Ten teams in GP’s Top 25 + 1; most of any league.
• “Purdue is undefeated, won the Baja Mar Championship. Michigan is undefeated, won the Players Era Festival. USC, undefeated, won Maui...” (Norlander, 05:08)
• However: Some Big Ten teams haven’t faced top-50 opponents.
• Record vs. Ranked Opponents: 7–8
• Key Quote: “There’s more good teams in the Big Ten than any other conference. And I think they’ve got multiple, legitimate, undeniable national championship contenders.” (GP, 11:43)

2. The Big 12

• Record: 98–20 (0.831 win pct. — best among Power 5)
• Undefeated Teams: 4
• Wins vs. Ranked & Top 50 Teams: Only league above .500 vs. KenPom top-50 (17–15).
• No Team with 3+ Losses: Unique among Power 5.
• “Big 12 is the only league in the country right now that is above .500 against KenPom Top 50 competition...” (Norlander, 07:36)
• Depth: Every Big 12 team but Colorado has played at least one top-50 opponent.
• Key Quote: “If you’re asking the question, do I think any of those teams—the only two I would trust to get there [Final Four] is probably Purdue and Michigan.” (GP, 14:54)

3. The SEC

• Record: 93–26 (0.782 win pct.)
• KenPom Rank: #1 (though much is predictive, not resume-based)
• Five teams with zero or one loss.
• Vs. Ranked/Top 50: 5–11 vs ranked, 8–19 vs top-50
• Notable: Only one team (Mississippi State) with 3+ losses.
• Alabama, Vanderbilt, Kentucky: Discussed as main contenders. “Right now, Bama is my answer… but there’s a lot of parity.” (Norlander, 21:16)
• Key Quote: “Trust the program, trust the coach. Nate Oats just won two of the past five regular season SEC titles.” (GP, 22:18)

4. The ACC

• Record: 105–31 (0.772)
• Undefeateds: Duke, Louisville, SMU
• Only Four Wins vs Ranked Teams
• Vs. Top 50: 10–18
• Bottom Weighs Down League
• “The ACC is still notably behind … but is better than it’s been in years and I would think is going to get more NCAA tournament bids than it’s gotten in years.” (GP, 27:15)

5. The Big East

• Record: 55–26 (0.679)
• No Undefeated Teams; 6 of 11 have 3+ losses.
• Only Two in GP’s Top 25+1: UConn and St. John’s.
• “It has already reached a situation where it is under threat to be a three-bid max league.” (Norlander, 31:56)
• “I mean, I think St. John’s is going to be good, but they’ve done nothing... it sounds like Rick [Pitino] hates his team.” (GP, 34:23)
• UConn stands alone as excellent; others struggling, especially Marquette.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Segments

• On Big Ten’s Strength:
  “If you’re asking the question, do I think any of those teams… are they the only two I would trust to get there?... That’s probably Purdue and Michigan.”
  – GP (14:54)

• Summing Up Big East’s Woes:
  "In the Big east, like it's. There ain't much good enough... Somebody else will emerge as the third best team and then. Man, that might be it."
  – GP (35:16)

• Norlander’s Bidding Wisdom:
  "The SEC... ranked number one at KenPom, but that's predictive. What firmly, to me, puts the SEC at third: it's 8–19 versus ranked or top-50 competition so far."
  – Norlander (18:55)

UConn 74 – Illinois 61: Recap & Analysis

[38:02–44:03]

• UConn Impresses Again: Despite easing key players (Terrace Reed, Braylon Mullins) back in, UConn handled Illinois with depth and quality.
• “That’s the kind of stuff… you hope down the road—okay, [they] have got the confidence, they can do it. I thought that was a big-time deal for UConn...” (Norlander, 39:13)
• Malachi Smith stood out, nailing all three 3-pointers.
• Illinois: Brad Underwood's team is scheduling tough opponents. Losses to Bama and UConn, but “as long as you don't lose to bad teams, keep losing to teams ahead of you, I’m not going to punish you too much for that.” (GP, 42:15)

Black Friday & Other Notables

[44:03–46:42]

• TCU tops Wisconsin at the Rady Children’s Invitational, building a unique resume (two top-30 wins, one sub-180 loss).
• Wisconsin’s struggles and TCU’s unpredictability highlighted.

Preview: Tuesday Night’s Epic Slate

[47:27–56:00]

• Tuesday’s masterpiece:
  • Iowa at Michigan State (Big Ten play starts)
  • Tennessee at Syracuse (Orange vs Orange)
  • Trio of blueblood blockbusters:
    • Florida at Duke
    • UConn at Kansas
    • North Carolina at Kentucky
• “Those six teams… have accounted for 16 of the past 21 national championships. That is insane.” (GP, 49:40)
• “This is a stud, stud Tuesday slate… If you’re dialed in… and you didn’t quite realize it, you need to tell all your friends, tell your enemies, it’s a ball night!” (Norlander, 48:59–49:01)
• Hosts rank their most anticipated games, placing UConn–Kansas at the top, with debate hinging on Dajuan Peterson’s status for Kansas.

LANE KIFFIN TO LSU: The Unexpected, Blistering Rant

[57:15–79:45]

What Happened?

• Lane Kiffin leaves Ole Miss—amidst their best season ever—to become LSU’s head football coach, right before a playoff run.
• Pete Golding named full-time head coach to try to stabilize the roster for the playoff.

Hosts’ Reaction

• Strong condemnation of Kiffin’s timing:
  “Quitting on a team, quitting on a university… right in the middle of a playoff run. That’s bad. That’s bad.” (GP, 59:49)
• Norlander brands it “borderline crass,” noting how coaches who swap “good for better” mid-glory often struggle to re-capture their previous magic.
• “He is trading off a real possibility of winning a national title this year for the hope that he will be able to do it at LSU with no guarantee.” (Norlander, 74:44)
• Both agree: Ole Miss had no choice but to cut Kiffin loose upon his decision.
• Parallels drawn to 1989 Bill Frieder incident at Michigan, where he was fired before the NCAA tournament after accepting the Arizona State job, allowing Steve Fisher to seize a title run.
• Fiery final word: “No scenario where I would allow him to continue coaching Ole Miss… I can’t trust you anymore, man. Thank you for your time, sir, but your time has been served.” (GP, 76:48)

Closing Thoughts & Next Up

• Next episode promises a full recap of epic Tuesday night action and any further fallout from Lane Kiffin’s shockwaves in college football.
• “Shouts to Devin Downey. Shouts to Chester, South Carolina. Terry Teagle’s a legend. Hulk Larnell. Thank you for watching, listening… we’ll talk again real soon.” – GP (82:18)

Notable Segment Timestamps

• [01:30] Main show begins
• [04:17] Big Ten or bust debate
• [12:23] Final Four/National championship contender lightning round
• [31:56] Big East’s “three-bid threat” problem
• [38:02] UConn–Illinois recap
• [47:27] Look ahead to Tuesday’s mega slate
• [57:15] Lane Kiffin departure dissected
• [74:44–79:45] Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss statement & cultural fallout

Summary prepared in original hosts’ tone, maintaining their conversational flow and good-natured debate. Designed for those who want a full picture of early-season college basketball and the evolving college sports landscape, even if you didn't catch the episode.