← Eye On College Basketball
Eye On College Basketball
Will Saturday determine if ACC is a 3-bid league? Miami, Utah hirings; Sparty takes Big Ten! Previewing final weekend of the regular season: auto-bids await!
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- [00:00]
Gary Parrish
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- [02:17]
Matt Norlander
Hey there Gary Parish. Welcome back to the CBS Sports Eye on College Basketball podcast where we sometimes discuss Camel Fighting Dodo Birds Leaky Black the Allen College Basketball Podcast is presented by Jersey Mike's a sub above. Matt Norlander is here with me. If you're watching on YouTube, you know what to do to the like button shouts to Brandon Davis. If you haven't yet subscribed to the CBS Sports college basketball YouTube channel, please also do that while you're here. Let's get into it. I do want to start in the acc, which used to often give us the biggest matchup of the final weekend of the regular season. But then Roy Williams retired and Mike retired and it just hasn't really been the same since. Duke and UNC have played five times since Kay and Roy both exited the sport. Duke has won three times, North Carolina has won two times. But in three of the five meetings, North Carolina hasn't even been ranked. And this weekend, UNC once again not ranked. Which means for the third time in six meetings over the past three seasons, Duke, North Carolina won't even give us a ranked versus ranked matchup. So Duke UNC is down. In a related note, ACC also down and currently viewed as a three bid league. That's according to Jerry Palm Norlando Let me hit you with two simple questions with perhaps complicated answers. One, how did the ACC fall this far? Two, how quickly can it all get fixed?
- [03:46]
Gary Parrish
You know, the, the answer for the first one's fairly. I mean, there's no, there's no one answer and we don't have all the answers. Part of it's, you know, the coaching quality in the league has dropped precipitously. It is noticeable on a weekend like this, like we're wrapping the regular season and you just look around and a bunch of stuff like, you know, Jay Billis and Dan Schulman have called the ACC tournament on ESPN for as long as I can remember them doing it, frankly, since Billis was no, since since ESPN stopped broadcasting the Big east tournament when Billis would always do that. Those guys are rightfully going to the SEC tournament instead. It just doesn't carry a lot of appeal. There is, there's some, you know, what will happen with UNC attached to this. Like the Duke UNC game is about, well, if Carolina can win the game at home, you know, would it be in the field in that regard? Like, so there is, there are some stakes to it. Like there is actually some intrigue factor. But spoiler alert, Duke UNC will not be in the Final Four. And one of today's episode, I, I think a lot of it is the coaching. I think Part of it is, you know, bringing in the league is now 18 teams. You've got Cal and Stanford and SMU, which is like, you know, it's trying to knock on the door of being a bubble team. So even in year one it has, it's been okay. It still doesn't have a quad one win overall. But if you're looking for answers, I don't really much have them for you because, you know, some schools in the league have been able to have a halfway decent nil situation. It's not like every school is falling behind. It's not nearly at the level of the sec. But yeah, it is all dovetailed into a pretty bad situation right now. The ACC as you mentioned Wednesday, Tuesday, I forget it's the worst ranked power conference at Ken Palm. It's not the lowest ever. That was actually two years ago. Granted, the conference situation was different, but in, in 2023, the ACC was seventh. It was behind the Mountain west, it was behind the PAC 12. So it was not a, it was not a pretty situation then. The highest seated team two years ago was Virginia. But that ACC got five teams in. This ACC will not get five teams into the tournament, which is even more damning because there's one fewer power conference around and you have 18 teams. So even if you're in a down year with an 18 team conference, a down year should be five teams dancing. Right now the ACC is at three and see if it can get to. See if it can get to four. That is our poll question is, is will the ACC be able to get to, you know, four teams into the NCAA tournament? A lot of that hinges on unc. But how soon can I get back? I, I give the league a chance eventually. I mean some of it's going to be dependent upon the coaching hirings in this cycle and we'll get to that in a little bit and in next year cycle because undoubtedly there will be changes in at some schools next year. GP But I think there's a chance that we can check in seven, eight years down the road from now and we can be talking about the ACC in the year 2025. The way that in the past couple of years we've talked about the SEC and how bad it got circa 2013 when it was in a similar situation.
- [06:49]
Matt Norlander
Seven or eight years, my God.
- [06:52]
Gary Parrish
Talking about reflecting back, I'm not talking about it's going to take that long. I'm, we've talked about like look what the SEC is now and we go back to, you know, 2013 2014, when John Calipari was harping on the league and Mike's live and some other folks that were working in the league were upping the qualifications when it came to scheduling and this, that and the other and prioritizing men's basketball like they had. They had a real come to Jesus moment with SEC basketball more than a dozen years ago and now they need to have that moment in the sec.
- [07:22]
Matt Norlander
As for the poll question, of course they can get four. I think it's going to be difficult because right now obviously Duke in probably has a 1 seed on selection Sunday. Clemson, Louisville, no problems there. After that, everybody else is either not an at large candidate or on the wrong side of the bubble. As you know, the bubble shrinks the closer you get to selection Sunday. And how do you get from the wrong side of the bubble to the right side of the bubble? It typically takes, you know, signature wins, nice wins. There aren't many of those available to you in the ACC tournament. Like on a neutral court, only games against top 50 net teams qualify as quadrant one and there's only five top 50 teams in the ACC, 13 outside of of the top 50. Beyond that, none of these teams that you need to get big wins, the so called bubble teams in the ACC have shown any ability to get big wins this season or at least have shown very little ability to get big wins this season. North Carolina right now is 1 in 10 in quadrant one, SMU is 04, Pitt 1 and 9, Wake 2 and 7. You start looking at them against the three likely, if not definitely NCAA tournament in the ACC. North Carolina is 03 against Duke. Louisville Clemson Wake 04 against Duke, Louisville Clemson, SMU 03 against Duke, Louisville Clemson, like these teams that need wins, they don't have very many chances to get them. And when they've been given chances for the past four months, they haven't done it. So I don't know why I would expect much of that to change over the next week and a half, but we'll see.
- [09:15]
Gary Parrish
We talked on Wednesday's show about my, you know, just general outlook on, you know, if you can't win more than say four conference games, I just don't, I don't want you in my tournament kind of deal. And you said you didn't want to have that on a sliding scale. I get all that and that was mostly for fun. But I also believe it. By the way, a couple years ago we talked about this next one and I think you agreed with me on just on, on pure principle. Parrish and I don't like to narrow things down just to the. To the quadrant stuff because the committee doesn't. And, and, and you're looking at resume metrics and all that stuff is more important. However, if you come from a power conference, and yes, I hear your jokes, the ACC is still a power conference. If you can't get to Selection Sunday with more than one from a power conference, you can't have more than one quad one win. I don't want you in the field. I don't care about anything else. We talked about this with Carolina in 2023. I'm pretty sure you are on my side then. You got to be on my side now. If you can't get. I'm not saying you have to get one. I'm saying you have to have at least two. At least two for me to consider you if you're in a power conference. Agree or disagree?
- [10:21]
Matt Norlander
I mean, I don't.
- [10:23]
Gary Parrish
Agreed. Thank you.
- [10:24]
Matt Norlander
I don't like the rules like that, but I get your point.
- [10:27]
Gary Parrish
I mean, come on, man. One quad one win on Selection Sunday. You don't deserve to be in the field as an at large. Get out of here.
- [10:34]
Matt Norlander
I mean, the ones that are especially troubling is when, like, North Carolina is 1 in 10 and Pitts 1 and 9.
- [10:39]
Gary Parrish
Get out of here.
- [10:40]
Matt Norlander
Like, Buddy, you've been in a batter's box a lot. A lot. And you ain't make. You ain't even getting good swings in. It's just those resumes are. Those resumes are rough. And it's why I. I would lean more likely to get three than four. Because what you're asking is whether it's North Carolina wake anybody else. If you're asking them to go from the wrong side of the bubble to the right side of the bubble between now and Selection Sunday, which according to Jerry Palm, is what you're asking them to do. You are asking them to do things they have shown really no ability to do all season. Like, hey, you got. We were in studio the other night and Wally Zerbiak said, you know, I'm just looking forward to seeing Duke. We were previewing North Carolina Duke, and he said, well, I'm just looking forward to seeing Duke play a good team. Well, you know, me too, in the sweet 16. Probably, like, it's probably. We might. We might have to get there. I mean, this is the other problem with the ACC. It's not just that Duke is sitting here at 18 and one in the league. Do you know what the biggest indictment of the ACC is that Clemson and Louisville are both 17 and 2. Like Clemson. Nice team, Louisville. Incredible stuff from Pat Kelsey. Those teams should not be 17 and 2 in the ACC through 19 games. If the ACC is anywhere close to what it should be, would you agree with that?
- [12:05]
Gary Parrish
I'm not gonna listen. You're not gonna. Don't make me. Don't make me go. Matt, Kelsey on you right now. Okay. Kelsey on you. So I'll tell you what. Are you aware of what's going to go down if Duke loses at Carolina on Saturday?
- [12:18]
Matt Norlander
If Duke loses at Carolina on Saturday, am I aware of what's going to go down?
- [12:23]
Gary Parrish
Yeah. If Duke loses and my Louisville Cardinals can get the win against Stanford at home. Yes. And if Clemson. Brad Brownell, if you can be Virginia Tech at home, which seems likely. It seems like Clemson, Louisville are going to win. They're going to finish 182 in the ACC. Duke, which is comfortably the number one team.
- [12:44]
Matt Norlander
Yeah.
- [12:44]
Gary Parrish
Ken Palm. In every metric in the matter of hours. It's gotta lose. It hasn't lost. It's just mutilating teams. But it is the Carolina rivalry game, and it is in Chapel Hill, so we'll see. Duke will be the 3 seed in the ACC tournament if this happens. Are you aware of that? They can go from the number one. And they're. If they win, they're gonna be the number one team in the AP top 25. But Duke, which has owned this conference at the very last minute, if it can't get it done in Chapel Hill, will be the. Will be the 3 seed in the ACC tournament. It's wild.
- [13:20]
Matt Norlander
No, that's. That's. That's the biggest indictment of the ACC is that Duke and Clemson, Louisville should not have nearly identical league records this deep into the season. Like, those are. Those are very different teams. But. But they're not tested within the league. You ever hear, like, professional golfers talk, like, the best of the best? So it would be, you know, the Scotty Scheffler. They hate being on easy courses because they feel like it just balances out the field. I can't separate from the golfers who are a level below me because we're just having a putty contest out here. That's all it is. This course is not challenging the field, so I can't separate from golfers. I'm clearly better. That's what Duke has not been able to separate from Clemson and Louisville because. No, everybody else in the league stinks.
- [14:13]
Gary Parrish
No one's. And I'm not saying you should, but no one's crying for Duke about this. No, not a single. Not a single. I am.
- [14:19]
Matt Norlander
I feel bad for Duke. I want to try for Duke.
- [14:23]
Gary Parrish
Let's go. Come on, Duke. Carolina, it's gonna need to beat Duke one way or the other to get into the tournament. That's my take on the opening segment here. Before we move on, it's either got to beat Duke on Saturday. If it I think UNC will be into the field and understandably so. If you if UNC can get its second quad one one by the way, the other one, if you're curious, CBS Sports Classic beat UCLA, that's the other high end win. UNC's resume metrics would jump into the top 40 in that in that regard and Carolina would be in the field. Now if it does that. If it does that. It depends. So if it does that and then Duke loses, it would actually then avoid Duke in the ACC tournament. Don't want to get too into the weeds here, but right now UNC is fourth in the ACC and if it were to beat Duke, it would remain fourth. Duke would be third, but then they would be on opposite sides of the bracket and so they couldn't meet again until the ACC tournament. Asking UNC to beat Duke once, let alone twice, is a is a pretty tall task. However, if Duke wins, which is to be expected. In fact, Kempom has the projected line at 9. If Duke wins, locks up the 1 seed, Carolina loses, we get to 13 and 7 and then it would either be the 4 or the 5 I think here. Then Carolina might have to face Duke in the semis of the ACC tournament and be tasked with beating Duke again in order to get into the ncaa. So bottom line, if you're a UNC fan, it is almost definitely going to have to be the case that in order to get into the field, you have to figure out a way to beat Duke. Otherwise, you're heading to the nit.
- [16:02]
Matt Norlander
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- [16:56]
Gary Parrish
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- [18:19]
Matt Norlander
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- [19:31]
Gary Parrish
Jay Lucas has been on the Duke staff since John Shire was officially bumped up after Coach K retired and has been the defensive coordinator for Duke's men's basketball program past couple of seasons. And help by the way. You know, a lot of this is credit to the players, of course, but coaching does matter as well and Duke has been a top five defense almost wire to wire this season. Regarded as a really, a really sharp young mind, good recruiter as well. It is, I don't want to say it's an outside the box hire, but it is. There's a lot of stuff about this higher hiring that is a tad unprecedented, including the timing, which we'll get to in just a second here. But yeah, Miami beat, beat everyone, beat everyone. Literally. It's the first vacancy to close, high major or otherwise in this early part of this cycle. And it became official, I don't know Wednesday. I'm losing track of my day's gp. I think it was official on Wednesday. Maybe it was Thursday, maybe I reported it Wednesday. I can't remember. But yeah, energetic coach, really good connections, play to Texas. I mean, you know, these things happen. It's. Oh gosh, I feel like you, like I'm starting to get old. Like talking about Jay Lucas being the Miami coach, I remember when this dude was in college and it wasn't that long ago. Now he's young, he's 36. So it's not like oh look at this 47 year old. And I remember when he was playing ball, it's not quite like that level, but good coach in the industry. It definitely is like turned some heads like huh, maybe that's like a really good fit and he can really maybe like that's exactly what Miami needs. Like new young guy, energetic recruiting connections, get the right staff around him. Like maybe Miami can be a player and then some others are like, shire's already got a coach on his tree, a branch on his coaching tree in year three. He's never run a program. Yeah, he's been at Duke. He was at Kentucky prior to that with John Caliperi, was at Texas prior to that. But maybe that's not what the program will need and maybe we'll look up in a few years and Miami won't have been anything better for it. So there's some mixed opinion over the outlook of the hiring, but that's. That's what they're getting. And then he is coaching with Duke this weekend and then gonna get on a plane, be introduced on Monday, and that's it, he's done. He's no longer at Duke, which is. Is necessary, I guess. Although I have another thought on that, but I'll. I'll toss it back to you. But because of the impending portal that's going to happen in the roster flip he's going to need to make and the staff that he's going to have to build, John and Jay came to the agreement that, yeah, for the betterment of the start of his coaching career and getting this job, he is going to have to leave the team that he helped build into a national title contender. And we've never seen that before.
- [22:06]
Matt Norlander
Yeah, well, first, I'd push back a little bit on it's necessary. Why is it necessary? And if it was, if it's necessary, then why wasn't it necessary for anybody last year? Like, literally no coach.
- [22:16]
Gary Parrish
Yeah, no, I appreciate the pushback and I know I'm just role playing with you here. I always love role playing with you. GP yeah, the portal doesn't open until March 24th, so the portal does not open until the Monday after the first weekend of the NCAA tournament. So I agree. And I haven't burrowed into the exact reasons why he has to le Duke after this weekend. As I was reporting out the story behind the scenes, my anticipation was that he would certainly coach for the end of the ACC tournament and then they would determine if he was going to be able to be with the team in the first weekend of the tournament or if he needed to really, like, prep his stuff. But I think they just didn't want to have a situation where he's with Duke. But he's also spending half his time or more than half his time, like, building out Miami's roster and Miami staff. And so now he's leaving, which creates this weird dichotomy, like if he's good enough and Valuable enough to be the next coach in Miami because what he did at Duke, but he's not so valuable that he, that Duke can be like, oh, no, you know, if you got to leave, you got to leave. I genuinely wonder if it will impact Duke's chances at making a Final Four run or winning the national title. He's a good coach. He's been, he's been a critical part of that staff. That's one less guy you have helping in scout, helping in practice, helping do all this stuff. So I actually do think it has some tangible effects whether or not really Duke is impacted. We'll see. But I would agree with you. Like the fact that he would, quote, unquote, have to leave right now. Not sure I'm there, but I understand with the portal and all of that, like, it would be asking a lot of him to stay on Duke staff till the end of the NCAA tournament run while also trying to recruit players to another team that, oh, just so, by the way, happens to be in the same exact conference.
- [23:47]
Matt Norlander
Right. I understand how it benefits Jay. I understand how it benefits Miami. I'm less understanding of what Duke gets out of it and less understanding of why it's necessary because, like, nobody, this is not normal. If it were necessary, it would be normal. But other coaches don't do this. I don't think any other coaches are going to do this. Or at least I'd be surprised if any other coaches do this. I'm with you. Like, you gotta, you gotta have an opinion and then I'll, I'll react to it. So if you tell me it doesn't matter that Duke is losing Jay Lucas before the ACC tournament, then I'm telling you. Well, then, are we sure Miami's making a good decision here? Because if the guy doesn't matter, then I don't know why I would want him. And if you tell me he does matter, well, then I'm going to tell you that this is not ideal for Duke. And I think, just so we're clear, I think he does matter. I, I, I, I, I, I hope he matters. I would hope he matters. And like, if John Shire is okay with it, I don't know why I would be up in arms about it.
- [24:46]
Gary Parrish
No, you should be. You know what you need? You know, John Scheider has been pissed enough. You should be, you should be angry.
- [24:50]
Matt Norlander
On his behalf, but I'm not angry at all. But this is a program that is chasing a national championship and according to everybody, is about to lose in the pursuit of that. A valuable coach from the staff. I just don't know how that's, I don't know how that's, I don't know how you could consider that a plus. We could debate how big of a negative it is. But if you tell me Jay Lucas is talented and then I'm going to tell you the Duke just lost the talented coach as it's getting ready to try to win a national championship. And that's, they, you know, that's, that can't be ideal.
- [25:23]
Gary Parrish
No. And this is, this is all initiated by the fact of life in the Portal and the inevitable inundation of players going into that. And again, it doesn't technically open until March 24, but let's be very clear and honest about this. Jay Lucas and many, many other coaches will be aware of potential targets that are going to be into the Portal before that becomes official on March 24. So it is all, it is all prep work in ed in advance of, in advance of, of that Utah hired Alex Jensen. That's the other hiring at the Power 5 level this week. That was official on Thursday. Jensen played for Rick Majeris in the late 1990s. He was a, he was the first Mountain west player of the year, in fact. But before that he was on the the team that made the national title game in 1998. I have very vivid memories of watching that title game. I love those Kentucky teams in the 90s and I really, really love that Utah team. And Jensen was in the mix the last time GP this job came open four years ago when Craig SM, he's currently an assistant on the Mavericks. At the time four years ago he was an assistant with the Jazz. So he was living in Salt Lake City. You know, could have gotten to, could have gotten to campus in all of 10 to 15 minutes. Given everything that's happening with the Mavericks. We'll wait and see when Jensen wants to speak on all this. But you know, all the turmoil with trading away Luka Doncic. Anthony Davis hasn't been healthy now. You just lost Kyrie Ring for the season. I was also told that, you know, the way that ownership decided to maybe not reward the staff with Dallas last year after, after their big run in the, in the playoffs. Not saying it was a deciding factor, but it was just another thing on top of it. And you know he's going back to his alma mater. This is, this was a one of Rick Majeris is truly beloved players. He got into college coaching when majoris was at St. Louis. If you remember that era. Jensen was on that staff for a few years before he went over to the NBA and had spent the past dozen years or so. So Utah, Mark Harlan fired Craig Smith, went after, got criticized for it, went after Jensen, was able to convince Jensen to, to take the job on, on a good deal. And so now Utah is going to take the. It's not the first time this has happened, by the way. Larry Kruscoviak had had NBA connections and ties when he got the job as well. But now BYU and Utah both in consecutive years have have hired sitting high profile NBA assistants to come quote unquote home. Even though Kevin Young isn't a BYU alum and, and Jensen's joining staff. What are your thoughts on the hire?
- [27:39]
Matt Norlander
Well, I do think it's notable that those big universities in that state have both made similar hires over the past year. Do you think one led to the other or one helped the other one get done or one put the idea in the other one's head?
- [27:57]
Gary Parrish
I, I, no, but I have to believe that Jensen looked at what BYU was doing and how Kevin was able to step in even the season before getting AJ DeBancer, by the way. And I mean BYU's tracking toward maybe like a six or seven seed right now. And this is a shot. This is your alma mater. You know, college coaching is different than the NBA. There are some ways in which it's better. There are some ways in which it makes your life harder, some ways in which it makes your life easier. And yeah, the parallels are kind of hard to deny. Now Utah fans, I'm aware of this just because, you know, you send out the news and then BYU and Utah fans start, they start going after each other and they mentioned. So Utah fans are pushing back on the idea that, you know, they're following what BYU did. And you know what, it's all in great fun because that's an, that's an incredibly, incredibly intense rivalry. So I get all of that. But, but yeah, I think it might have had a little bit of influence, but it's, I don't think it's, it's necessarily one following in the footsteps of the air. But how could you say that it didn't have at least some impact on, on what Utah decided to do?
- [28:59]
Matt Norlander
I just remember when it was a few years ago there was a school that I want to say I remember Juwan Howard had a nice start or a nice season or something at Michigan. I think I've got this right in my head. Tell me if you remember it this way. And then as the Indiana job is open and once we get past the Brad Stevens stuff for the 50th time. I remember talking to somebody connected to the Indiana program and they were like, they just kept hammering to me. But look at what's happened at Michigan. You know, they went out, they hired an alum MBA background and like it's working and it felt like they were trying to sell me on and we're going to go hire an alum with NBA Mike Woodson. It felt like they were leading me down. I know you might not understand why we're doing this but before you criticize it, look at what happened at Michigan. This is what they did and it's going well. So like just be a little more open minded about what we might do. I really did. At least this one person. I felt like they were using Juwan Howard in Michigan to sell me on Mike Woodson in Indiana. And I do think sometimes when you could point to something that's that's working in real time to and compare it to what you are trying to do or imagining doing it can be helpful. And yeah, I'm not accusing Utah of copycatting for lack of a better word but I do think the fact that BYU it's this thing that it did is going well makes it easier for somebody to do something similar. I don't think that's connecting too many dots.
- [30:43]
Gary Parrish
Yeah, I'm told Andre Miller is very much in the mix and considering joining Jensen staff. Miller of course played at Utah, was Jensen's teammate. He's been a G League coach for the past few years, obviously had a long and successful NBA career. So if that happens could have a pretty cool, pretty cool story out in the Beehive State. There's, there's plenty of turnover. Those are the two vacancies that have closed as a reminder and there's a coaching tracker as well on cbs sports.com that I update. It's going to be updating pretty much daily probably after this weekend here. The three others that are to be filled still are Indiana and that's that search is it's quietly moving along. Well we got to get another week or so in before I think that really picks up some steam. Virginia looking at a couple of candidates here and then Florida State is also looking at a few as well. I think Luke Laux, the NBA connection, he's an alum Sacramento Kings assistant. I've been told that he is considered the, the leader at this stage. Whether or not that remains the case we'll find out soon enough. And There are many other candidates as well that have been involved in the FSG job, but those are the. Those are the three that are open and I would expect we' get, I don't know, another three or four within a week's time of us talking right now. That will. That will open then.
- [31:51]
Matt Norlander
All right, it's time to move on and get to the final four. And one presented by FanDuel Sportsbook. Make every moment war. Make every moment more. FanDuel Sportsbook make every moment more. This is where we provide the best expert picks on the Internet. Don't pay attention to the season records. They can be a little misleading. But this is where you're going to get the best expert picks on the entire Internet. It's the final four. And one presented by FanDuel Sportsbook. Make every moment more. We're going to do that next. First, let's get a word from our partner.
- [32:26]
Gary Parrish
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- [33:28]
Matt Norlander
Are you tracking all our cars on Carvana Value Tracker on all our devices? Yes, Kristen, yes I am. Well, I've been looking for my phone for. In Dax's domain we see all so we always know what our cars are worth. All of them?
- [33:41]
Gary Parrish
All of them. Them.
- [33:43]
Matt Norlander
Value surge trucks up 3.9%.
- [33:45]
Gary Parrish
That's a great offer.
- [33:47]
Matt Norlander
I know. Sell.
- [33:49]
Gary Parrish
Sell.
- [33:51]
Matt Norlander
Track your car's value with Carvana Value Tracker today.
- [33:56]
Gary Parrish
GP all right, hold on. I gotta say, I gotta say, if you're watching on YouTube and you're young. That, that, that, that promo for the NA Tournament. I have had Word up by Cameo in my head the entire week. It is, it is a jam. So if you're listening to and wondering what is that song? That's like 1985, 86. Cameo. Word up, YouTube At Kids, there's Pandora, Spotify, whatever you do. Straight out of the. It is a jam I've had in my head all week. So I was. It really gets me going. There we go.
- [34:25]
Matt Norlander
Well, let me tell you what I have in my head. For two months now on the other show, the Gary Paris show, we have commercials and breaks and just like everything else and we often will have ads for concerts coming up at FedEx Forum or whatever. And there's a Shinedown Bush show coming to FedEx Forum. And so every day.
- [34:48]
Gary Parrish
Machine head. Yes, Machine.
- [34:51]
Matt Norlander
Got a machine here. I got machine head. It's just, I hear, I hear machine head twice a day, five days a week. I don't think anybody should be hearing machine head twice a day, five days a week in the year 2025. That's not healthy.
- [35:11]
Gary Parrish
That can't be. Formerly married to Gwen Stefani.
- [35:15]
Matt Norlander
Don't talk to me. Who you think you're talking to.
- [35:17]
Gary Parrish
That's right.
- [35:18]
Matt Norlander
It's time for the final four. One presented by Fandom Sportsbook. Make every moment more. You went three and two last week. Congratulations. I went two and three. So the season record, you're now 40, 43 and two. Three games under 500. I'm 36, 47 and two.
- [35:40]
Gary Parrish
You got me thinking about Bush, by the way, that I love. I got my drum set over there. The, the come down drum beat with the bass. It's such a fun, such a fun little. Yeah.
- [35:56]
Matt Norlander
Something about he wants to get cut down the sides.
- [35:59]
Gary Parrish
But it's that. It's that.
- [36:00]
Matt Norlander
How is it possible you can. How is it possible you can remember every word to every song you knew when you were 15 years old?
- [36:09]
Gary Parrish
Best time of your life. It's pre, pre marital sex. No, it wasn't the best time in your life, but in many ways.
- [36:16]
Matt Norlander
No. Speak for yourself.
- [36:18]
Gary Parrish
Fifteen.
- [36:20]
Matt Norlander
I don't remember.
- [36:22]
Gary Parrish
No shot. No shot.
- [36:25]
Matt Norlander
You.
- [36:28]
Gary Parrish
Not me.
- [36:29]
Matt Norlander
I don't remember, man.
- [36:30]
Gary Parrish
I don't care.
- [36:31]
Matt Norlander
That was so long ago. Who could even remember, you know?
- [36:35]
Gary Parrish
Wow. I got people in the chat trying to accuse me of just, just showing instruments. Do I actually play them?
- [36:39]
Matt Norlander
Hell yeah.
- [36:40]
Gary Parrish
I play them that guitar right now and play it for you. It's a little awkward here, but I Could make me.
- [36:47]
Matt Norlander
Game one, Saturday, noon Eastern. It's number six, St. John's at number 20. Marquette inside. Travis Dinner Forum. You can watch it on Fox. Kim Palm's got it. Marquette good, minus one.
- [37:02]
Gary Parrish
Get it out. Get it. I thought you were on the mend. You're aggressive.
- [37:07]
Matt Norlander
I did, too. I felt pretty good yesterday. I felt pretty good yesterday. I've relapsed. I relapsed this morning.
- [37:13]
Gary Parrish
You did relapse.
- [37:15]
Matt Norlander
I've relapsed.
- [37:16]
Gary Parrish
Problematic. St. John's at Marquette. You know what? Not a Playwood play. What happened to St. John's on Thursday night on network television. Real quick. This is a good 20 seconds. Maybe you got it on top after.
- [37:31]
Matt Norlander
25 years, led by a coach we all revere, a legendary man among his peers. His name is Rick Pitino. Soon may the Red Storm come to rock the rim and make a run.
- [37:45]
Gary Parrish
One day when the winning is done.
- [37:47]
Matt Norlander
We'Ll cut the nets and go.
- [37:53]
Gary Parrish
Come on now. This, this is the. In all seriousness, Parrish, this is when you are in New York City, Rick Patino relevant program going on. Jimmy Fallon in the Tonight Show. These are the. This is the stuff that adds to St. John's being the kind of team that casual sports fans know about, want to watch, want to talk about. It has. It has broad impact, man.
- [38:15]
Matt Norlander
There are millions of people last night who became aware a. That Rick patino is coaching St. John's and that St. John's is good and had no idea before last night. That's the type like that just opens you up to a whole new world of people who don't even know, despite our billboards in Times Square, don't even know that we exist. Don't even know that Rick Pitino is still alive. Like nothing that, that, that's the type of thing that takes you to another level. It was cool to see.
- [38:46]
Gary Parrish
It was. It was cool to see. Even in the live chat, I can tell people didn't realize that happened. So we took some people by surprise. It was cool to see. There's actually an even longer version. That's just the Patino part at the end there. Love seeing most of the players on the roster get some time there as they were. They were fake singing along with. With Fallon and the. Patino sat down and. And talked with Jimmy Fallon. So yeah, this is St. John's truly, truly national and now it's. It's locked up the regular season championship in the Big east and it's got to go play on the road against Marquette. Marquette's gonna win this game. GP they got it close earlier in the week against UConn. They fought valiantly. The Huskies were able to to get the dub and a really nice win by by Dan Hurley's crew and getting that Alex Caravan had himself a nice game. Marquette is going to respond from its Wednesday night lost six point loss on the road against UConn. He's got the game at home visor form and give me Marquette win straight up.
- [39:48]
Matt Norlander
If you're Rick Patino, do you consider because he's been talking about how banged up various players have been in recent weeks, would you consider resting somebody here? You've got the outright biggies title locked up. You are still theoretically playing for a seed in the NCAA tournament, but most people don't think you can get to the one or at least don't think you will get to the one.
- [40:13]
Gary Parrish
Right.
- [40:13]
Matt Norlander
We're really talking about probably a two as your ceiling, a four as your floor. Would you consider maybe trying to go to Milwaukee and and do this without Kadari or somebody?
- [40:24]
Gary Parrish
Exactly. If I got a couple of guys are just a little banged up and they'd benefit by. Let's see, St. John's last played on was it really Saturday? It was. So they've had a full week off. But if you the question is how banged up are are your key guys. Kadarian specifically, do they need another five, six days of rest? If will they be benefited by that? By potentially having to do three games and three days in the at the Big east tournament before then getting another four or five days of rest for the entire tournament, I would consider it. You've locked it up now. If you lose, there's actually a scenario if this matters to you. If you're Rick Patino, if you lose at Marquette and even win the Big east tournament, depending on it's gonna depend on like four or five other teams. There's actually a scenario where if that happens, you would actually eliminate yourself from the two seed conversation if the right kind of teams won enough over the next week and a half. And so then you take yourself out of being a 2 and you get put on the 3. How much does that matter to you? I happen to think no matter the strength St. John's plays in this one, I think Marquette is going to play hair on fire, come out ready, get this W and help its seed process or its seed push in the process and getting that done. But it is a, it is something certainly to watch for on Saturday.
- [41:30]
Matt Norlander
The problem of course is that Marquette had been good lately and by lately, I mean I know for more than a month, four and five in their past nine since February 1st. Marquette is 49th at Torvik, 69th. And offensive efficiency 46. And defensive efficiency shooting 31% from three. So they haven't been very good for a while. But given the injury stuff connected to St. John's given that I'm a building truster, I identify as a building.
- [42:05]
Gary Parrish
This is the building you don't trust. We've gone over this. I see. Even I gotta remind you, you don't trust this building. You call it a two timer.
- [42:11]
Matt Norlander
Well, it is a two timer. Sometimes. Sometimes it lets Giannis call it home.
- [42:15]
Gary Parrish
Exactly. And other times you don't trust this building.
- [42:20]
Matt Norlander
You're right.
- [42:21]
Gary Parrish
I don't know.
- [42:23]
Matt Norlander
You're right. I don't try. Give me the Red Storm. I don't trust the two time and I surf forum. Sometimes it's like, come on home, Giannis. Lay down with me. And then it's like, come on over. Cam Jones. That's the kennel doesn't do that. Do you think the kennel does that?
- [42:39]
Gary Parrish
Only for like volleyball games.
- [42:42]
Matt Norlander
Yeah, but that's different. I think we can all agree that's different.
- [42:45]
Gary Parrish
I came to.
- [42:47]
Matt Norlander
That's just called being a little open minded, you know? I'm taking the Red Storm. I don't trust that building. I'm sorry. I want to, but I can't. Game two, Saturday, 2:30pm Eastern. Number seven, Alabama at number one, Auburn. Inside Jared Harper Arena. You can watch it on espn. Jared Harper, he took the Tigers to their first Final Four.
- [43:11]
Gary Parrish
I know. I'm not saying it's not. I just, I. I forget about Jared Harper. And then every time Auburn has a home game in the final form one, you remind me about Jared Harper. I like it.
- [43:18]
Matt Norlander
Jared Harper is the perfect player who, if he lived now, and I guess he does live now, I should remove him from. Remove him from.
- [43:27]
Gary Parrish
Please don't kill off Jared Harper.
- [43:30]
Matt Norlander
There is nothing I would. I no part of me that wanted to wake up today and kill Jared Harper. All right, my point is this. If Jared Harper was coming off of the 2019 season, in 2025, he would make $4 million to come back to Auburn next year and play basketball. Instead, he's disappeared. I know he's still on this earth somewhere. But you don't know where.
- [43:55]
Gary Parrish
I don't. I don't know. He's playing basketball somewhere. Couldn't tell you. The country. Let's try and guess. Let's guess. The country.
- [44:02]
Matt Norlander
Let's guess. The country Jared harbor is currently playing.
- [44:05]
Gary Parrish
Let's guess the country. What if he's in the G League? If we're wrong. But let's. Let's assume he's playing overseas. Predominantly. I will say.
- [44:14]
Matt Norlander
We will pick what country we think he's playing. Yes. And if we're wrong about the country because it's the G League, we will also identify a G League franchise that he could be playing for, and we'll see if we hit on either one.
- [44:25]
Gary Parrish
So hold on. So I'm not looking this up?
- [44:27]
Matt Norlander
No, no. Neither one of us are looking it up right now. You got to look it up.
- [44:30]
Gary Parrish
Not to get that mic ready. I think not as a Panera right now, by the way.
- [44:37]
Matt Norlander
Put your sandwich down and you find out if A, confirm that Jared Harper is still living. B, find out where he's playing. And now we will guess both a country and a G League franchise.
- [44:50]
Gary Parrish
Okay. I will say Jared Harper is playing in. I'm gonna say Italy.
- [44:58]
Matt Norlander
I will go with Australia.
- [45:00]
Gary Parrish
Okay. Nada. Do you have the answer?
- [45:02]
Matt Norlander
Oh, no. We gotta pick a G League franchise. Gotta pick a G league franchise.
- [45:05]
Gary Parrish
Oh, well, hold on. Is it G League or no?
- [45:08]
Matt Norlander
It is not G League at all.
- [45:10]
Gary Parrish
It's not Australia and it's not Italy. One more guess a piece. I'm obviously going to say Greece.
- [45:22]
Matt Norlander
I'm gonna go with.
- [45:27]
Gary Parrish
GP's. Mike has now gone underwater. I heard you. But he's gonna go Germany. Germany. Germany. What is it? You guys are both wrong again. It is real Israel. You know what?
- [45:41]
Matt Norlander
That tracks. That tracks. It makes sense.
- [45:43]
Gary Parrish
It's our bad.
- [45:45]
Matt Norlander
Yeah, we did. We. We should have. There's some clues we could have picked up on perhaps.
- [45:50]
Gary Parrish
Yeah, we. That's bad gumshoe work right there. Bad gumshoe work. What's the line in this game? Parrish?
- [45:59]
Matt Norlander
Auburn -10. Big number.
- [46:03]
Gary Parrish
Okay, we.
- [46:04]
Matt Norlander
Let's.
- [46:05]
Gary Parrish
We. I know. We got to kind of keep it moving here. What we talked about on the Wednesday show happened that night in Alabama. Did you see this? The Tide get beat by Florida. And congrats to Florida on a really good win. 99. 94. They go on the road. I mean, they dropped 99 on Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Get yet another good win. Gators are one seed level right now. 26 and 4. I know it's been a couple nights since that game was played, but at least want to acknowledge some of the stuff that went down on Wednesday since we last talked. That was a good win. Alex Condon was awesome and just the latest example of Florida having the dudes to win a national title. Super, super, super impressive. Bama loses again. It is 23 and 7. It was senior night and the joint largely emptied as Mark Sears and co. We're looking to get honored there.
- [46:55]
Matt Norlander
Yeah.
- [46:56]
Gary Parrish
Afterward, he didn't want to have all of the pregame stuff affect his team's performance, so they saved it for afterward. And unfortunately, it's the exact thing that you said on the show. The worst case scenario is you do it after a home loss on senior night. And that's what wound up happening. Bama has lost four of its past six. And yeah, you hate to see that because Sears, Sears over the past couple years here has played himself into being one of the better players in the history of that program.
- [47:22]
Matt Norlander
It's all about your approach to a moment. And you could.
- [47:25]
Gary Parrish
You can.
- [47:27]
Matt Norlander
Like this makes sense in my head, an approach to anything like, what are you after? Are you after best case scenario or are you trying to avoid worst case scenario? And anytime you're trying to avoid worst case scenario, the decision should be pretty easy for you. For instance, like, you got a plane to catch. You might encounter traffic on the way. Do I really want to leave for the airport two hours early? No, I don't want to leave two hours early. But what's. What am I trying to make sure. Worst case scenario, I can't miss this flight, so I'll leave early just to avoid worst case scenario. Same thing here. I would rather, if you could promise me I would win and the building would stay full and we would all feel great afterwards. Yeah. Let's have the celebration after the game. But there is a chance we're going to lose. And then this celebration becomes miserable and it becomes a bad memory instead of a good one. Put me in charge of a college basketball program and senior night will always come before tip off, never after. Yeah, it's lame. It's. It's a. I understand. I understand it. But it. Anytime it leads to a moment like that, it's not good.
- [48:36]
Gary Parrish
I'm gonna take all that said, I'm going to take Bama to cover in this game. Although here's. Here's a nugget. GP Bama has lost to Ole Miss, to Auburn, to Tennessee, to Missouri, to Florida. That's five losses to teams in the top six of the SEC standings and against those specific teams. It doesn't have more than. I'm looking to make sure that my stuff is accurate here. It doesn't have a win. Is this correct? It's like 0515 against the top five teams in the SEC. This is Bama. So it's been slipping as of late. It hasn't been playing well against the top end of the conference at all. And now it's got a roadie against Auburn. I actually think Auburn after its loss on Tuesday, I think Auburn comes out plays well but rivalry game. I think the Tide have enough and they get inside the number. I will take NATO's group to be inside. You said it's 10, nine or 10. I'll take Alabama to cover.
- [49:37]
Matt Norlander
It just seems like a big number. Denver Jones did miss the game midweek with an ankle. Like he matters. He's six four guard, two way player.
- [49:46]
Gary Parrish
Yes, that's me.
- [49:47]
Matt Norlander
Double digit score. He warmed up before the A and M game and then just didn't go. I, I would assume he, he'll try to give it a go again this weekend and probably be okay, but as always we'll see. That's. I think Auburn wins the game obviously, but in a rivalry game between two teams that have both been projected as one seeds recently, you know, if you, if I can get 10 points in either direction, I'll just take the 10 points and hope that somebody can keep it close. Game 3 Saturday, 3:45pm Eastern Ohio State at Indiana inside Tom Crene Hall. You can watch it on cbs. That's America's most watched network. Network of stars. Kim Palm's got it. Indiana minus one. It's a big double bubble game. This is a double bubble game.
- [50:40]
Gary Parrish
This is a classic double bubble. It's not our only double bubble in the Final Four. And one both these teams, Indiana, Ohio State, they're in that Dayton 11 seed territory. Ohio State getting a win in double OT in another double bubble game. This is a double double bubble week for the Buckeyes. I mean that's just a lot to ask right there. Double double bubble. I like Indiana GP I like, I like Mike Woodson to continue his, his revenge tour on a team he currently coaches against the school he's currently employed at and to get a win and further push Indiana's case to make the NCAA tournament. I like the, I like the, I like the Hoosiers and I like them with a little bit of breathing room here.
- [51:21]
Matt Norlander
I will say this is one of the positives of announcing mid season that you're gone at the end of the season no matter what.
- [51:30]
Gary Parrish
Yeah.
- [51:30]
Matt Norlander
Because Indiana fans, Indiana fans would be in a weird situation right now if Mike Woodson's future was still up in the air.
- [51:36]
Gary Parrish
Exactly right.
- [51:37]
Matt Norlander
You wouldn't know whether to root for him to win just enough to keep his job or for this to fall apart so that he doesn't keep his job. But now I think I don't want to speak, I don't want to speak for Indiana fans, but I would think, I mean, I might, I might speak for Indiana fans. I would think it's easy to just root for now. Now you're just root. You're going to get what you want. You're going to get a new coach. Maybe not the coach you want, but you're going to have a new one. And now you could just root for. You don't have to look at Mike Woodson as the disappointing coach. You can just look him as your former player, as your alum who you would like to see have some good moments before he exits stage left. So I imagine Tom Crene hall will be filled up in a nice environment for America's most not watch network this weekend. This is also just a promise. We, we don't have it in our contracts that we have to say this every show or address this every show. But this is also the millionth reason why we don't need tournament expansion. Both of these teams feel like they've been wildly disappointing this season.
- [52:42]
Gary Parrish
I know.
- [52:44]
Matt Norlander
And they both could still, they could both make the NCAA tournament.
- [52:47]
Gary Parrish
I would put it this way. Ohio State is 17 and 13 right now, which is just not an inspiring record. Indiana's 18 and 12. So the record's a little bit better in Ohio State. If you made me pick between the two right now. I think, I mean, I mean narrowly, I think I would narrowly have Ohio State again ahead of Indiana right now. But yeah, we don't need more teams. This is just this, this is the stakes. And then you get into the Big Ten tournament and if you want to make it into the NCAA tournament, win a couple of games, it's a great system we got going. Next week's going to be filled with tension and plenty of must watch ball because the tournament is the perfect size. I'm going to take Indiana and you are as well.
- [53:25]
Matt Norlander
I don't think I can. Wow. I'm not sure I can.
- [53:30]
Gary Parrish
It's game three and it is March. You probably need to go against me.
- [53:33]
Matt Norlander
Many men have spent the past 13 months getting deep learned like the list.
- [53:39]
Gary Parrish
Is I had a coach, I don't this has been a minute now. I did have a coach text me after beating Ohio State at some point this season and say I didn't want to get deep blurred and I Was like, it's tough.
- [53:53]
Matt Norlander
Nobody wants to get nobody, nobody, nobody ever plans on getting deep learned. That's not. You don't wake up, gonna be like, I know what I want to do today. Get DeBlurt. Nobody says that. Right. But it happens. It happens to you whether you want it to happen to you or not. Happened to Matt Painter. It has happened to Tom Izzo. Rodney Terry has been deep learned. Mark Pope has been deep learned. Frank McCaffrey. I always save him for life.
- [54:23]
Gary Parrish
Okay.
- [54:26]
Matt Norlander
Dating sprinkle. Deep blurred. Eric Musselman has been deep learned. Fred Hoiberg has been deep learned. And yes, Doug Gottlieb has also been deeper. He's been a lot of things, but also deeper.
- [54:38]
Gary Parrish
All right, you're taking, taking the bucks.
- [54:42]
Matt Norlander
Yeah, I think I have to. It's a double bubble game with a dibbler involved. What are you talking about? Game four, Sunday, noon Eastern.
- [54:49]
Gary Parrish
Yep.
- [54:50]
Matt Norlander
Number 17, Michigan at number eight. Michigan State inside Mateen Cleave Center. You can watch it on cps. It's America's most watched network.
- [55:02]
Gary Parrish
Again.
- [55:06]
Matt Norlander
Michigan State minus seven. This is very emotional for me.
- [55:13]
Gary Parrish
All right, let it out, buddy.
- [55:16]
Matt Norlander
Tom Izzo, inside Mateen Cleave center, after securing a outright Big Ten title. They were down big last night, down 14 to Iowa and looked like they were going to take a loss. And they outscored. I was 78, 57 over the final 28, 34, down 14, won the game by seven. That's a 21 point flip. Yeah, it's going to be an emotional weekend for me personally seeing Tom Izzo inside the Mateen Cleave center with his 11th Big Ten title already secured. How about this? Jason Richardson spent two years at Michigan State, won back to back Big Ten titles. Now his son is arguably the best player on a Big Ten title team. Tom Izzo has won 11 Big Ten titles. Nobody's ever won more. And three of them are. Richardson is involved. 27.3% of Tom Izzo's Big Ten titles features one of the Richardsons in the father son duo. That's kind of a neat little thing, isn't it?
- [56:27]
Gary Parrish
It is a neat little thing, yeah. The fact that Michigan State in the preseason was this. It received the seventh most votes among AP voters, I think in the unofficial poll that's, that's done by our buddy Adam Jardi. I think Michigan State was fifth in that one. But AP voters wound up putting Michigan State seventh overall among Big Ten teams. And now we look ahead and. And yeah, they are. They're the outright Big ten champs. I was recently in Michigan got a thing on Tom Izzo and Dusty May, which if all goes to plan, I think should pub either today or tomorrow in advance of the game. Michigan State has, has eliminated any kind of drama and stakes to these games because now Michigan can't even get a share of it. But, but I appreciate both those men for spending a lot of time with me and, and giving me some time. So a nice little insight to both of them. And what Izzo is doing just remains incredible. He's, he's, he's still operating at a high level and that he's got a team like this and now he's, you know, with 11, 11 regular season Big Ten championships. And I looked this up last night. This is now, I think this is, I think it's 22 out of 30 years. I think if you're a Michigan State fan, hit up your Michigan buds and gal pals and let them know that Tom Izzo, this is year 30. I think in 22 of his 30 years, Michigan State has finished ahead of Michigan in the final Big Ten standings. It's mighty impressive. That being said, give me that line again.
- [57:47]
Matt Norlander
It is Michigan State minus seven.
- [57:53]
Gary Parrish
You know what I'll say Michigan goes in there and makes it close. Now Wolverines, they have flopped a little bit as of late. Obviously they're two and three in their last five. They couldn't get it done on Wednesday night. Credit Crab5 and Maryland for going in and getting that win. Highly impressive from the Terps, who continue to be a team that is trending in like, in a BYU way to being, to being very buzzworthy over making a, making a deep run here. But I think Michigan is going to put up a, put up a good fight here. I don't know if it will win. Wouldn't surprise me if it won. But give me, give me Dusty Mae's crew to get inside that, that number. I would guess it will be a little bit smaller when the actual line comes out on Saturday. I will go with the Wolverines to cover that line.
- [58:35]
Matt Norlander
Michigan has not looked good lately, but that's a big, that's a big number in a rivalry game. Isn't.
- [58:42]
Gary Parrish
Feels a little big. Yeah, yeah. MSU's got it locked up, you know, and I don't know if, if Izzo will need to rest anyone in the same way that Patino might. But keep that in mind as well. He also lives like he cannot stand losing to Michigan.
- [58:56]
Matt Norlander
So yeah, while recognizing I need to make up ground on you somewhere, I will take that's just too many points to give a Vlad Golden. I think if there's one thing I've been saying for years is that you can't give Glad Vlad golden that many points in a rivalry game. Right?
- [59:14]
Gary Parrish
Yeah.
- [59:15]
Matt Norlander
So, yeah, I'm taking Michigan plus the seven. I think Michigan State wins the game inside the Breslin center, but I'll take Michigan plus the points. What else do we need to know before we get out of here? Here. And what's the N1? That's what I meant.
- [59:27]
Gary Parrish
Correct. We got the N1 small mid major job's gonna open here in a couple hours. But I don't need to say it on the screen. That's that it's not Green Bay.
- [59:40]
Matt Norlander
Okay. That's what the chat was thinking.
- [59:44]
Gary Parrish
I believe the job is in the central time zone. But anyway. Okay. And one A Oklahoma at Texas on Kenton Paulino Court. This game is. Is Saturday. Hold on. I don't have the time here. My bad, buddy. It is Saturday. This is another double bubble game. Texas 8 Eastern. SEC Network. Oklahoma. Texas. Double bubble situation. Losers definitely not in the field heading into Big 12 tournament play. Excuse me. SEC tournament. Old habits die hard. The line for Ken Palm is Texas minus three. Who you got? It's tough game. I think this is the toughest game of the five we're doing.
- [60:26]
Matt Norlander
You know what? I. I. Not only do I trust buildings, I root for people.
- [60:31]
Gary Parrish
Stop.
- [60:32]
Matt Norlander
These are two of my favorite qualities about myself. I'm a building truster and a. And a people rooter. I root for Rodney Terry. I. I don't. I don't think Porter's coaching for his life. Rodney Terry might be. Let's. Let's be. Let's be. Let's root for people. Let's root for people.
- [60:50]
Gary Parrish
Yep.
- [60:51]
Matt Norlander
I'm taking Texas. I'm laying the little point.
- [60:54]
Gary Parrish
Did you call it a little point?
- [60:56]
Matt Norlander
No. The little points. Three points.
- [60:58]
Gary Parrish
One. And it's minus three.
- [60:59]
Matt Norlander
I'll write that little number. I'll lay a little number.
- [61:01]
Gary Parrish
I feel like it's a. It's a solid size number three.
- [61:05]
Matt Norlander
Three is not. Take my word for it. Three is not solid size.
- [61:08]
Gary Parrish
Someone in the chat might have the school correct that I was alluding to. I will also take Texas to. To win and cover here. Feels extremely unpredictable. Extremely unpredictable. But I will go with Trey Johnson and crew to get it done to get the win and in the process have the Longhorns in the projected field heading into the SEC tournament. We don't have a ton of time.
- [61:34]
Matt Norlander
I keep seeing tweets from you about Trey Johnson. You ready for him to go number one ahead of Cooper Flag in the NBA?
- [61:39]
Gary Parrish
I love Trey Johnson. Johnson, he's. He's gonna be a stud at the next level. Yeah, he's gonna be great. What? You. I don't see any tweets from you on Trey Johnson, by the way. None. Not a single one. Why do you hate this guy?
- [61:51]
Matt Norlander
I don't hate Trey Johnson. I hate Twitter, okay? My Twitter use is down. It's got nothing to do with Trey Johnson. I love Trey Johnson.
- [62:02]
Gary Parrish
I know, I know, I know. All right. Other games to know. We got to get out of here in like two, three minutes because GP's got another show to do. Here's what else to know on a weekend in which hello, we are getting dance bids handed out Friday. Not that. Purdue at Illinois tonight, 8 Eastern on Fox. Just a good old Big Ten fashioned battle with seating for the Big Ten tournament on the line. Colorado State at Boise State is at 10 Eastern on FS1 on Friday. Boise State with the win in the field Saturday. Number 19, Kentucky at number 15, Missouri. Noon is loaded. We. We are getting this day rolling on Saturday. Kentucky at Mizzou on Noon Eastern on ESPN. Mississippi State @ Arkansas. Arkansas obviously in a gotta win situation. Noon Eastern, SEC Network. And then Vanderbilt, Georgia. If Georgia wins, it's gonna. I'm willing to go lock status on Georgia if it beats Vandy at noon eastern Saturday on ESPNU, 1:30 Eastern on CBS. Iowa State @ K State. Can Iowa State just get the win? I mean, it's really kind of fluctuating a bit here. Cyclone's got a, got a slippery one at 1:30 Eastern on CBS on Saturday. Keep it moving. Number 24, Arizona at Kansas, 4:30 Eastern on ESPN. This is the only schedul meeting between these teams this season. The Big 12 only opted to do this once, and the game doesn't have nearly the stakes that we would have thought it would have had three months ago. Ole Miss plays at number five, Florida at six Eastern on SEC Network on Saturday. Florida may well need to win that game at home in order to keep its 1 seed status. Meanwhile, Ole Miss, if it can go on the road and actually pull that off, maybe it can actually work its way into, say, a four seed heading into the SEC tournament. Duke plays at North Carolina at 6:30 Eastern on ESPN. Rumor has it there might be talk of how long it takes to fly a crow between the two campuses. That's just a source. The OVC title game will be 9 Eastern on Saturday. Night on ESPN2. This is the first bid to the 2025 men's NCAA tournament. We don't know the matchup. I can't tell you the teams because that won't be determined until later on today as the OVC continues to play its bracket. But I love this weekend every year for obvious reasons. Final weekend of the regular season and you have teams actually getting into the NCAA tournament. It is incredibly awesome television and great vibes all around. The last game on Saturday of true note is Houston at Baylor 10 Eastern on ESPN. Just see what Houston can do on the road. Another team that is locked up a regular season championship playing away from home. Can Baylor get it done in that spot Sunday? We've got auto bids, a lot of them. Big south final teams to be determined. That is at noon Eastern on ESPN2. ASUN final. We do know the match up there. It will be North Alabama against Lipscomb 2 Eastern ESPN 2. So that will be the third team to get into the NCAA tournament. It will either be North Alabama or Lipscom. Bisons beat Queens on Thursday night in overtime to keep their tournament hopes alive. GP already obviously mentioned the the Big Spartan Michigan game. Don't need to go over that. The NBC final 210 Eastern on CBS though that will come after Michigan State and Michigan. We don't know the teams there. I'm guessing it will be Drake versus Bradley. If Bradley wins that game we absolutely will be having a discussion about Drake's at large chances. In that scenario it would be a 4 loss, 30 win team, 29 win team. We'll see. Maybe Drake wins it and it's not a conversation whatsoever. But the MVC final as always on cbs. I don't know this to be the case, but I only hope that it is. Kevin Harlan on the call again because I absolutely love Kevin Harlan on the call for the NBC Championship game on every year on CBS and then late this is a wrinkle to the conference championship schedule. The Summit League has bumped it up. It is now on CBS Sports Network. It's up to Paris if he wants to wait until 11:00 to podcast on Sunday night. But the Summit League championship will be at 9 Eastern on CBS Sports Network on Sunday with a bid to the NCAA Tournament in the process. That is your Friday, Saturday Sunday TV schedule. One last note and we can get out of here. It was announced yesterday Duke will play Arkansas on Thanksgiving later this year slash next season. Really awesome matchup. The CBS Sports Thanksgiving Classic 8 Eastern on on big CBS Duke in Arkansas. Awesome non con game and those kind of games, as we've talked told you about plenty before, multiple big time high profile college basketball games on network television on Thanksgiving will be the way of the future. And that one was just announced on Thursday.
- [66:07]
Matt Norlander
We will not be waiting till 11.
- [66:09]
Gary Parrish
O'Clock on Sunday night. Podcast okay, we will be going live before we know what Summit League team is into the NCAA tournament. I figured that was the case. I just wanted you to see it.
- [66:17]
Matt Norlander
That's exactly right. There is no scenario where we are staying up late to talk about teams that we haven't ever talked about before. So. So tbd time to be determined. But it will not be that late on Drake. Real quick. And I always, I root for these types of schools. I'd much rather see Drake as an at large than, you know, one of These Power Conference 1 and 10 and Quadrant 1 teams we've been talking about. But for what it's worth, Jerry Palm does have drake as a 12 seed right now in the bracket as a automatic qualifier. What that suggests just suggests. I'd let Jerry speak for himself. But what it suggests is if you take a loss in the NBC tournament, that's not going to be good enough. Would you agree with it?
- [67:05]
Gary Parrish
Not yet. I just want to see where we're at on Sunday. If it loses to a good Bradley team, I want to see the resume metrics. But it suggests that might be the case. But I, I obviously can't, I can't get that far.
- [67:19]
Matt Norlander
I would advise them not to lose. I would advise Drake not to lose. Duh. We'll see. Shouts to Devin Downey. Shouts to chest to South Carolina Terry Eagle. He's a legend. Huck Larnell. Thank you guys once again for watching listening to the Ion College Basketball Podcast. If you're not subscribed, please go subscribe Anywhere you subscribe to podcasts, Apple, Spotify, there's more of us than there are of them. That should be reflected in the comments. So do that. We'll talk to you again on Sunday. Till then, take care.
- [67:51]
Gary Parrish
Paramount Podcasts.
- [67:54]
Matt Norlander
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Gary Parrish
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Matt Norlander
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