Eye On College Basketball Podcast

Episode Summary: “Three Big Games, Three Close Endings: Duke-Florida, UNC-Kentucky, UConn-Kansas. ACC on the Upswing + Cam Boozer is the NPOY 1 Month In”

Date: December 3, 2025

Overview of the Episode

In this loaded post-feast week special, Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander break down an electric Tuesday night featuring three marquee, closely-contested college basketball showdowns: Duke-Florida, North Carolina-Kentucky, and UConn-Kansas. The hosts analyze key moments, standout performances—particularly by Duke’s Cam Boozer, one month in as the national player of the year front-runner—conference power trends, and narrative shifts after a pivotal ACC-vs-SEC Challenge night. The pod keeps its trademark blend of sharp basketball analysis, inside stats, light-hearted banter, and fan interaction.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Duke’s Narrow Escape Over Florida (Duke 67, Florida 66)

• Opening Segment ([03:35]-[07:29]):
  • Parrish marvels at Duke’s resilience after Florida erases a 15-point deficit.
  • Isaiah Evans hits just his first three-pointer of the night (1-for-8), but the game-winner with 21 seconds left.
  • Cam Boozer once again dominant (29 pts, 6 reb, 2 ast, 10-21 FG), cited as clear NPOY leader.
  • Norlander: “He’s the best player in the sport right now...just definitively the best player in college basketball through the first month plus of the season” ([07:11]).
  • Shoutout to Duke’s Patrick Ngongba (rare 5/5/5+ game: rebounds, assists, blocks).
  • Florida’s Thomas Hauck (24 pts) praised for all-American-level play, but the team’s three non-SEC losses noted as worrying.

Debate: Cam Boozer as Player of the Year

• [09:03]-[10:10]: Both hosts agree there’s “not a competition” for NPOY at this stage. Boozer’s stats: 23.6 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 3.7 apg, 1.7 spg, 1.0 bpg.
• Analytics love: Norlander notes Boozer is the #1 KenPom POY (“kpoi/kpo.y”), far ahead of #2.
• Notable quote — Gary Parrish: “If anybody puts anything other than Cam Boozer [as POY], it’s just wrong.” ([09:03])

Florida’s Concerns: Zevion Lee Struggles

• [14:08]-[15:15]: Parrish critiques Florida guard Zevion Lee’s fit and shooting, questioning SEC-level play and transfer investment.
• Norlander considers judgement harsh but doesn’t disagree that Lee’s shooting is a big issue.

Looking Ahead

• Both Duke and Florida face challenging upcoming schedules (Duke at Michigan State, Florida vs UConn at MSG).

2. UNC Edges Out Kentucky (UNC 68, Kentucky 65 at Rupp)

• [23:45]-[32:52]: Hosts debate:
  • What’s more significant? Kentucky’s home loss (“third loss in eight games…and still no good wins”—Parrish), or UNC’s true road win.
  • Kentucky’s roster and chemistry issues, shooting woes (1/13 from three), and crisis narratives post $22M roster construction for a subpar shooting team.
  • Absences/roster obstacles discussed: Jalen Lowe’s injury (mysterious status), Jaden Quaintance not playing yet.
  • Kentucky now 5-3, cited as a “disappointment” among bluebloods.

UNC’s Big Step

• [30:27]-[32:15]: UNC “responded beautifully” after prior losses, now 7-1 with quality wins over Kansas and Kentucky.
• Freshman Derek Dixon emerges as late-game hero with key three.
• Noteworthy: “This was a coach [Hubert Davis] who entered the season on, I think, as hot a seat as almost anyone...this is a really, really nice way to start.”

3. UConn Stifles Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse (UConn 61, Kansas 56)

• [32:52]-[39:54]: UConn wins as an underdog at Allen Fieldhouse, an exceptionally rare event for a Bill Self team.
• Hero: Braylon Mullins plays just second Huskies game, leading with 17 points.
• UConn without key big man Terrace Reed; Kansas missing #2 NBA prospect Darrin Peterson (hamstring).
• UConn defense holds Kansas to lowest home non-con scoring under Self.
• Norlander: “Caravan...had some…huge plays…UConn outscored Kansas by 10 in the paint...This is a team that can get real big, can play smaller…they look great.”

Darrin Peterson Conspiracy Talk

• [39:05]-[46:14]: Extended riff on fan theories about why Peterson hasn’t played; podcasters dismiss rumors, lean on injury explanation (“If he didn’t want to play college basketball, he didn’t have to enroll…” — Parrish [44:07]).

4. Conference & Results Roundup

• Syracuse Upsets Tennessee: Cuse gets first non-league ranked win since 2018, first home non-league ranked win since 2013 ([46:14]-[49:59]).
  • Parrish: “Nice night for one of college basketball’s best brands and they haven't had a lot of nights like that lately.”
• ACC-vs-SEC Challenge: ACC goes 6-3 on Tuesday and passes SEC in Torvik’s wins above bubble metric ([50:08]-[52:07]).
  • “Perhaps broadly speaking, who had the best Tuesday night in the sport? The Atlantic Coast Conference.”
• Stat Debates: Extended meta-discussion about basketball analytics usage (“We just decided all these things mean something and I’m not sure they always do” — Parrish [11:47], [51:37]-[52:07]).

5. Other Notables

• Michigan State Blows Out Iowa; Jeremy Fears Shines: “The biggest riser in college basketball” ([54:44]-[56:06]).
• USC Remains Undefeated: Musselman’s squad poised to potentially hit Big Ten play unbeaten ([57:06]-[59:19]).
• Previewing Wednesday: Main event: Louisville at Arkansas; other notable: NC State at Auburn, SMU at Vanderbilt ([61:25]-[64:34]).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Duke-Florida finish:
  • Norlander: “Guy is cold all night...Shooter’s shoot, I say shooters make. His eighth three-point attempt of the night was his only make. He gets that done.” ([06:13])
• On Cam Boozer’s dominance:
  • Norlander: “He’s the best player in the sport right now...definitively the best player...for the first month plus.” ([07:11])
• On Kentucky’s problems:
  • Parrish: “They spent reportedly $22 million on a basketball team that can’t shoot...Everything that could go wrong has gone wrong.” ([24:18])
• On the spread of modern analytics:
  • Parrish: “People, myself included, are constantly talking about wins above replacement, wins above bubble...and most people don’t have any idea what they mean. We just decided these things mean something.” ([11:47])
• On UConn’s ceiling:
  • Parrish: “If you told me right now GP, I can see the future…and it’s UConn winning a third national title in four years, I’d say: yeah, that makes sense. That’s not a crazy thing to think.” ([39:13])
• On Darrin Peterson conspiracy theories:
  • Parrish: “If he didn’t want to play college basketball, he didn’t have to…He could’ve done literally anything.” ([44:07])
• On the ACC’s resurgence:
  • Norlander: “The ACC is now third…pure resume strength right now, collectively as a league, ahead of the SEC after what it did last night.” ([50:22])
• Running gag: AI giving bad stats (Kansas betting lines) and fake Diddy photos ([37:09]-[38:27], [64:34]-[65:27]).
• Norlander’s podcast suggestion: “Strangers on a Bench” ([21:48])
• Parrish on injury status: “I’m a survivor of a torn hamstring.” ([44:07], [51:55])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:35] – Show proper begins, Duke-Florida recap
• [07:11] – Cam Boozer’s Player of the Year lock
• [09:03] – NPOY discussion, KenPom and stats
• [14:08] – Florida’s Lee struggles, “mid-major” talk
• [23:41] – UK-UNC debate, Kentucky’s issues
• [32:52] – UConn-Kansas, Allen Fieldhouse rarity
• [39:54] – UConn depth, Kansas & Darrin Peterson injury/rumors
• [46:14] – Syracuse upsets Tennessee
• [50:08] – ACC-SEC challenge aftermath, analytics chat
• [54:44] – Michigan State’s surge, Jeremy Fears
• [57:06] – USC threat discussed
• [61:25] – Wednesday preview: Louisville-Arkansas headliner
• [65:53] – Listeners’ Spotify wrap request, “husky” impression joke

Tone & Takeaways

• The show balances deeply knowledgeable stat-driven analysis with classic college hoops storytelling and signature witty rapport.
• Player Focus: Cam Boozer’s dominance, Darrin Peterson’s absence, Jeremy Fears’ emergence.
• Team Focus: Duke’s undefeated ways (despite not peaking), UConn’s championship mettle, Kentucky’s early-season crisis, ACC’s reversal of 2023 narratives.
• Recurring themes: Importance of context for stats/metrics; how NIL/roster-building volatility affects blueblood programs.
• Listener engagement: Encouraged through Spotify wrap sharing and the “husky impression” gag.

For New Listeners/Readers

Whether or not you watched Tuesday’s games, this episode gives you a lively, thorough recap of every key plotline, a pulse check on the major players and programs, a primer on early analytics narratives, and an illustration of how much can change in college hoops in a single night. The episode highlights Cam Boozer’s runaway NPOY candidacy, blueblood turbulence, a resurgent ACC, and the constant evolution of both teams and storylines a month into the season.