Eye On College Basketball Podcast

Episode: Zona, U-M + plenty more: CBB has AMAZING depth this season

Air Date: December 15, 2025

Hosts: Gary Parrish & Matt Norlander

Episode Overview

This episode centers on the incredible depth of top-tier teams in men's college basketball during the 2025–26 season, with a particular focus on undefeated Michigan and Arizona. The hosts, Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander, debate whether these two have separated themselves from the rest of the field and explore if it’s "Zona, Michigan, or the field" at the season’s summit. The conversation digs into big weekend results—including Kansas’ overtime win over NC State (and the latest on Darryn Peterson’s injury), Nebraska’s buzzer-beater over Illinois, Arkansas and Kentucky’s bounce-back wins, and more—offering in-depth analysis, statistical context, and plenty of characteristically sharp, playful banter.

Main Discussion: Have Michigan & Arizona Separated from the Pack?

• Michigan and Arizona’s Statement Wins

  • Michigan routed Maryland in College Park, 101–83, and Arizona dominated Alabama 96–75 in Tuscaloosa. Impressively, both trailed at halftime but stormed back with overwhelming second-half performances.
  • “They are clearly the two teams in my opinion that should be under consideration for having a 1 next to their name in any sort of human ranking. But I don't know that they've separated…” —Gary Parrish (06:04)

• Debating "Zona + Michigan or the Field" (03:42)

  • Matt Norlander pushes back on the notion from Pat Forde that it's simply those two vs. everyone. He stresses the extraordinary depth this year: Duke and Iowa State are undefeated, UConn has only lost to Arizona shorthanded, and contenders like BYU and Houston have also proven their mettle.
  • “One of my big takeaways...was we have an extremely deep, overwhelmingly competent field of national championship contenders at this point. That is a deeper class right now, in my opinion, than we had a year ago.” —Matt Norlander (05:30)

• Resume Debate: ‘Best Team’ vs. ‘Best Body of Work’

  • Arizona has five wins over teams ranked at game-time (a 30-year record), including Bama, but some of those teams have since dropped out of the rankings; UConn was without two starters.
  • Michigan lacks as many "signature" wins, but the dominance is off the charts: “They beat Gonzaga and San Diego State by 40 on neutrals, beat Auburn by 30 on a neutral, beat Villanova by 28 at home, beat Maryland by 18 on the road. They’re number one at KenPom, BartTorvik, EvanMiya, Factor Sports, and the NET.” —Gary Parrish (10:12)
  • Odds reflect Michigan’s dominance: Michigan +450 to win the title, Arizona/Duke at +1000 (12:09).

• Notable Quotes:

  • “Michigan is the favorite to win the national championship right now. Michigan is number one in most computers right now. If Michigan were on a neutral court against anybody right now, it would be the favorite.” —Gary Parrish (12:09)
  • “Sometimes pundits default to ‘are there any great teams?’ …That is not on the table whatsoever. I really think we could have as many as seven or eight great teams this season.” —Matt Norlander (08:25)

Game-by-Game Breakdown

Michigan 101, Maryland 83 (13:20)

• Streak: Michigan’s run of six consecutive 25+ point wins ends, but they handily outscore Maryland by 23 in the second half.
• Star: Yaxel Lindenberg (29 points, 9 assists, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 steals; two 28–8–8–3–2 stat lines this season, only five in the last 30 years)
  • “He’s just a different player right now… now he’s in the conversation for best player in America.” —Gary Parrish (16:16)
• Caveat: Maryland lost star Pharrel Payne to injury in the first half.
• Just How Good? Michigan hasn’t played a "full" Big Ten slate; their efficiency, already better than last year’s Florida title team, could dip with tougher games ahead (11:25).

Arizona 96, Alabama 75 (Second Half Surge) (17:08)

• Stat Domination: Out-rebounded Bama 52–32 (22–3 offensive boards), 15–2 in second-chance points.
• Breakout: Braden Burrys nails 5-of-10 from 3 (28 points, 7 rebounds), emerging as a critical perimeter threat.
  • “They are college basketball’s Voltron this season…I am so, so very impressed.” —Matt Norlander (21:26)
• What’s Next: Neither team faces another ranked opponent until late January (22:40).
• “We could be sitting here for a little while with these two at one and two.” —Gary Parrish (22:54)

Kansas 77, NC State 76 (OT): Melvin Council’s Breakout & Peterson’s Injury (28:15)

• The Star: Melvin Council Jr. explodes for 36 points on 13–27 FG, including 9–15 from three (!), to will Kansas to victory in Raleigh
  • “He’s not even a shooter…I don’t know where this came from. Like this doesn’t make sense on any level.” —Gary Parrish (28:15)
  • Career 29% 3pt shooter, was 5-of-27 from 3 this season before going nuclear.
• NC State’s Dilemma: Darren Williams missed two late potential game-winners; team falls to 7–4, with résumé concerns (32:00)
• Peterson’s Hamstring Re-Aggravation:
  • Kansas’ 5-star freshman leaves late with hamstring tightness, having already missed seven games this year.
  • “You get one shot at this with Darren Peterson… it would be just awful if we look back on Bill Self’s incredible Hall of Fame career and…the two most talented dudes ever had: Embiid couldn’t play in the NCAA Tournament…and is [Peterson] gonna be stuck on four for a little while [games played]?” —Gary Parrish (35:25)
  • The hosts express concern over return timelines but urge calm against speculation on a season shutdown. (41:05)
  • “If you care about going number one, I actually think it will affect whether you do [shut down] or not personally, given how good the talent is…” —Matt Norlander (41:24)

Whip-Around: Other Key Results

Nebraska 83, Illinois 80 – Last-Second Heroics & Program History (44:38)

• Jamarcus Lawrence nails a buzzer-beating 3 to keep Nebraska perfect at 11–0—the best start in school history.
• Epic Radio Call: “I think I might pass out. Oh, man, I wish I had the radio call.”—Matt Norlander (45:34)
• Radio call replay: “Lawrence, puts it up… I’m gonna pass out. The game is over, Nebraska wins it!” (50:52)
• Historical Context: Nebraska now owns the program’s longest win streak (15) and is in line for its highest AP ranking in years.
• Tournament Outlook: Will Nebraska finally win the first NCAA tournament game in school history? GP bets March 2026 will be the breakthrough (54:33).

Arkansas 93, Texas Tech 86 (55:59)

• Hogs Have Arrived: Three Arkansas players hit 20+ points (first time in 20 years vs. a ranked opponent).
• Trevon Brazil: 24 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks—the best game since returning from his 2022 ACL tear.
• The SEC title race feels wide-open, with Arkansas possibly the league’s top team, per the hosts (57:58).
• Texas Tech struggles versus ranked teams (now 1–3) despite star JT Toppin’s production (58:52).

Kentucky 72, Indiana 60 (69:11)

• Mark Pope’s Much-Needed Win: Kentucky avoids PR disaster, dominates second half behind Jalen Lowe and Diabate.
• “Nobody needed a victory to just calm things down as much as Kentucky needed one this weekend.” —Gary Parrish (71:07)
• Moves UK back into GP’s Top 25 (at No. 26), with losses only to teams all in that top 15.

Purdue 79, Marquette 59

• Purdue: Oscar Clough—22 pts (9/9 FG), 11 rebounds; perfect efficiency. He’s been a massive transfer addition (65:03).
• Marquette: Now 5–6, down to 99th at KenPom, reminiscent of Steve Wojciechowski doldrums (66:10).

Gonzaga 83, UCLA 73

• Gonzaga: Only loss to Michigan; 4–1 against ranked teams. Braden Huff scores 20+ points for third straight game (61:09).
• UCLA: Has struggled against tough opponents; star transfer Donovan Dent not yet translating to the Bruins’ system.

Other Notable:

• Butler’s Double-OT Win Over Providence (76:31): Jalen Jackson lost for the season; puts Butler’s NCAA tournament hopes at risk.
• Oklahoma over Oklahoma State: O-State finally drops from the unbeaten ranks (77:23).

Tone & Banter Highlights

• Plenty of inside-joke humor and asides, including:
  • Retro radio call delights (50:52)
  • The hosts good-naturedly ribbing each other for AI “research” mistakes (52:29), and Gary’s “computer tricker” catchphrase.
  • References to classic NCAA moments, one-liners about coaches’ postgame evasiveness (36:48), and playful pessimism about Nebraska’s "March destiny" (49:46).

Quick Look Ahead & Listener Poll

• The next few days offer minimal ranked matchups.
• CBS Sports’ own poll: 69% of live viewers pick Arizona as the better team over Michigan.

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• On Zona and Michigan's national status:
  • “We could be sitting here for a little while with these two at one and two.” —Gary Parrish (22:54)
• On Melvin Council’s shooting night:
  • “He’s not even a shooter…I don’t know where this came from. Like this doesn’t make sense on any level.” —Gary Parrish (28:15)
• On coverage speculation around player injuries:
  • “You don’t need to shut down a hamstring injury in December to prepare for a draft in June. All right?” —Gary Parrish (41:05)
• Nebraska buzzer-beater radio call:
  • “Lawrence, puts it up… I’m gonna pass out. The game is over, Nebraska wins it!” (50:52)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:42] - Have Zona/Michigan separated from the field? Pat Forde’s argument & hosts respond
• [13:20] - Michigan’s offensive blitz over Maryland / Yaxel Lindenberg stat line
• [17:08] - Arizona’s domination of Bama; Braden Burrys’ breakout game
• [28:15] - Kansas/NC State OT thriller, Melvin Council takes over, Peterson injury fallout
• [44:38] - Nebraska buzzer-beater win over Illinois, historic context
• [55:59] - Arkansas tops Texas Tech, SEC outlook
• [69:11] - Kentucky rights the ship vs. Indiana
• [65:03] - Purdue blows out Marquette, evaluating both teams
• [61:09] - Gonzaga outlasts UCLA, depth of "true elites" this season

Episode Takeaways

• The 2025–26 men’s college basketball season is shaping up as one of breathtaking depth at the top, with up to 8 or 9 teams plausibly arguing for “title favorite” status.
• Michigan and Arizona are 1A/1B in the polls—they keep winning, but the chasing pack (Duke, UConn, Iowa State, Gonzaga, and more) look formidable.
• Star player injuries (Darryn Peterson) and emerging talents (Yaxel Lindenberg, Braden Burrys) will define the path to March.
• Feel-good stories abound: Nebraska’s unbeaten run, Arkansas and Kentucky’s resurgence, and Butler’s grittiness.
• The landscape is fluid—resumes, metrics, and conference races are all heating up for a drama-filled winter.

“Sometimes you only get one shot at these things in college basketball… you get one shot at this with Darren Peterson. And it would be just awful if we look back on Bill Self’s incredible Hall of Fame career and the two most talented dudes he ever had… couldn’t play.” (35:25)

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