Matt Norlander (3:01)

Yeah. I think we've got to the point in the season where we're going to, we're going to figure out the next thing when it's time to do the next thing. Right now we're just trying to get through this thing. So this is. We are. So let's take it one at a time. Bracket breakdown late Sunday. Done. Bracket preview right now in progress. Whatever happens tomorrow, happens tomorrow. I want to start by circling back to this Florida Houston situation down in the South.

Gary Parrish (3:30)

Kidding. Yeah. I will say I heard from a few folks and it's, it's split. I heard from. When I say few, I say four. Two agree with me. Two agree with you. So there we go.

Matt Norlander (3:41)

I, I didn't look at the chat with any sort of detail, but I glanced at it at some point and I saw, I saw both of these things. I said, man, Parrish is an idiot. And then I saw, man, Norlander is an idiot. And so they, you know, and then when I saw, like, I agree, I think then I saw Parrish is right and then I saw Norlander is right. So, like, you know, a good, good conversation, I guess.

Gary Parrish (4:01)

On that note, by the way, we can get rolling here. I don't, I don't, I really don't use IG a ton. Like, I post here and there, but I know like now that we're in game picking season, bracket, season, like, they're, they're doing the collabs and they're pulling videos of you and me and all of our, our CBS crew here. And so I, they had me do all this stuff for social pick your bracket, give me your Cinderella, all this. And as always, just don't read the comments because my wife, my wife gets a kick out of it. Like, my brother has shared a few things, I think, on, on Instagram and all this. And, and she goes, how much are they calling you an idiot? I was like, I don't even look. I already know it's there. But I was like, you know what? Just for you, I'll bring it up. And instantly I bring up, I think it was, oh, it was my team ranking. So I ranked the 1 to 68 field. They put it in graphic form. It looks beautiful. Looks wonderful. And like the first three are all gifts and memes of, this guy's an idiot. Here's a guy who doesn't know ball. Like, it's just one after another after another. Drag me as long as you need to. I don't even care. I'm about to pick 67 games on this podcast, and it's going to be a disaster. That is part of the fun. You know, you lean into the bit.

Matt Norlander (5:05)

This is where I have a real, like, blind spot for the way the world works today, because I cannot imagine myself jumping on Instagram and calling anybody an idiot for any reason. I just don't care enough about whatever you're. Whatever you're saying or doing on Instagram. I don't care enough to weigh in. The best you're going to get out of me is a heart. If it's a cute picture of your kids, I'll get you a heart. All right, I might type congrats if you had a baby. But outside of that, I got nothing to say. And yet every day I wake up and just strangers just call you the worst things. I can't. I don't understand.

Gary Parrish (5:47)

Seems healthy for the planet, for sure.

Matt Norlander (5:48)

Yeah, yeah, it's evidence. It's evidence that the planet's definitely heading in the right direction. All right, let me tell you what we're going to do today. Here's what we're going to do today. We're going to pick every game, real or hypothetical, that we have in our brackets, that have been published@cbssports.com yeah, one of us will stick to the bracket that you might have seen on CBSSports.com

Gary Parrish (6:10)

one of us will definitely not be doing that.

Matt Norlander (6:12)

And one of us will just, you know, say opposite things. That way he can, you know, always say he was.

Gary Parrish (6:18)

I'm not playing both sides.

Matt Norlander (6:19)

He had it right somewhere.

Gary Parrish (6:21)

I'm going to make some slight tweaks today. And you know what? I'm gonna probably make some more tomorrow. So you're gonna get what I'm getting right here. As always, the CBS Sports app, CBSSports.com expert bracket picks where I land. Call it midday Wednesday, then we're good to go. But I. In all seriousness, I think the majority of what you will hear me say on the show today is going to be what my final bracket is. I reserve the right to maybe tweak one or two more after this.

Matt Norlander (6:46)

Okay, so if there's one thing I know about how this works, you pick UMBC on the podcast, you pick Howard on the. On the website. You can say, yeah, I had Howard I had umbc. Whatever you want, whatever you need to say, you can say it. I know. Hey, you ain't. You ain't so slick. All right, we're on to you. We're on to what? What you're up to. Hey, let's start the east, because it's the one in the top left, and that's the way my brain works. So here's what we're going to do. Start the east, top left. Then we'll go counterclockwise, and eventually we'll make a complete circle. And by then, we. We will have each picked 67 games, some of them real, some of them hypothetical. And by the end of this, you're gonna know who we think's going to the Final Four, who we think's winning the national championship. My intention is to go 67 0.

Gary Parrish (7:29)

Well, that won't be happening.

Matt Norlander (7:31)

You don't. You don't know.

Gary Parrish (7:32)

I do know.

Matt Norlander (7:33)

Don't put a ceiling on me.

Gary Parrish (7:35)

We'll actually bet my life on it.

Matt Norlander (7:36)

People been putting a ceiling on me my whole life. People been down live. Now look at me. Look at me now. I mean, look at me now.

Gary Parrish (7:45)

I mean, if you can pull off 60 wins, it's going to be all timer stuff.

Matt Norlander (7:48)

I'm going 67 and. Oh, don't put a ceiling on me. I've been doubted before.

Gary Parrish (7:52)

The guy who once said UConn would never lose again.

Matt Norlander (7:54)

I didn't think they were. The way that UConn fans were talking. I mean, the coach was saying, he's the best coach in the sport. And the fans were like, yes, he is. I was like, I guess they'll never lose again. I was wrong. What do you want? I was wrong. What do you mean to do? Anyway, I plan on going 67 0, but you can go first in the east if you want to.

Gary Parrish (8:14)

Let's bring up that bracket. Josh, if you're watching on YouTube, you can. We're doing some interactive stuff as we go along here. Right into the east we go. That is our inner. That is our interface. By the way, that's the UX for the bracket stuff. @cbssports.com on the CBS Sports app, we will have. I'm glad this. I'm glad I thought of it. Now we are going to have, as always, a ion college basketball bracket games group on CBS Sports. We will send links out to that on every social channel. Josh, if we actually have the capability in this podcast description after the fact, if need be, go ahead and send folks a link. If it's even Possible in the chat. I don't know if it is. Let them know we want to compete against you. See how you can do. We've had some really, really, you know, crowded entries the past few, few seasons. Let's do it again.

Matt Norlander (9:02)

I will compete against anybody in a bracket challenge except Miami. Ohio. Not going to play them. Not going to play. I refuse to let.

Gary Parrish (9:09)

It is against NCAA rules for people that play for Miami and coach at Miami to participate in our bracket games. So I think we're good to go there. All right, let's go to the East. Duke versus Siena. You know where I'm going here. We don't need to talk too much about it. Duke gets done and moves on along. Okay. Ohio State, tcu. You got the Horn Frogs. A team that has had some really nice wins this season. Some interesting losses. Horn frogs are 43 at Ken Palm. Ohio State going into this game. Buckeyes 26. There's a, there's a market difference there. TCU's got some good defense to it. I love David Punch. He's a sophomore, six seven, super smart forward. He's really the guy that if TCU is going to win this game, I think can have a huge, huge impact. He, he has much watch. I'm going to go Ohio State. It's got a better offense. It's not just Thornton who's really good. John Mobley is a 42% three point shooter from deep between those two. Just excellent. Excellent range overall. And Christoph's daily. He's been getting better as the season's been going along as a, as a seven footer inside. So I'll take Ohio State to move along going on down. I'm going to take Johnny's here over Northern Iowa. I thought Northern I was going to land as a 13. They get there as a 12. Ben Jacobson's a really nice coach, but boy, I mean with the way that Johnny's have been playing in their physicality, I don't see the 12 over five there. Kansas versus Cal Baptist. I'm gonna go Jayhawks now. Cal Baptist has a player who was the February USBWA Mid Major Player of the Month. And Dominique Daniels Jr. He was a stud and can really fill it up. He's top five in the country in scoring nationally. So I wonder if he can actually get going and really and really heat up here. I wonder if this one might be a little close down the stretch. This game is in San Diego. Cal Baptist doesn't have to travel that far. Gp you good with that? Kansas got to Go out to San Diego and Cal Baptist. Taking a quick bus ride. There you go. I don't. I don't love it.

Matt Norlander (11:01)

I mean, you really putting Bill Self at an incredible disadvantage against Rick. Against Rick Croy.

Gary Parrish (11:07)

That's correct. Rick Croix, solid coach, by the way. Might be in the mix of pepper 9. We'll see how that works out. I will go. Okay, let's talk through this here. I. So we make our picks on the show on Sunday night. And I was feeling so good about South Florida and I still am, but. GP I get home late last night. I'm sifting through the reactions, reading a bunch of different stuff, checking what some people have posted. Is there a single person in the media picking Louisville to win this game?

Matt Norlander (11:38)

This is so.

Gary Parrish (11:39)

This to me, has gone so far in one direction, it's making me hesitate significantly. Bulls are good. They. They have been playing extremely well over the past two months. Hodgson's a very good coach. I am truly torn what to do here. I just don't want to go. I hate going all chalk. All right, I'm gonna stick with USF. But if Louisville wins this game by 14, I'm gonna be furious. Pat Kelsey, Do I even have the glasses? Yeah, I do. I got. Listen, don't think, don't think. I can't go Pat Kelsey at a moment's notice here, but I'm going against them. Look up, G.P. look at us. Look at us. You and me, who thought we're twins.

Matt Norlander (12:17)

We're basically twins now.

Gary Parrish (12:19)

There we go. I'll go South Florida. I'm doing it reluctantly. I swear. I will not change this pick, but I. It bothers me how many people are picking the Bulls in that game. I will go Michigan State to beat ndsu. I feel like I might be seeing a little bit of some North Dakota State action. We'll see on that. I don't see it personally, but never know. UCLA over ucf. This is a no hesitation one for me. UCLA has been playing a lot better. It's two best players should be available for this game. UCF gets in, gets in and doesn't even go to Dayton, where I thought it was going to go. UCF is the lowest rated at large team that is not Miami University. It's 21 and 11. This program has dropped four of its final five. It's not good defensively at all. I. I don't hesitate here, which means I'm probably going to be wrong, but nevertheless, give me UCF and then I will take UConn over fur man. Fur man, so hot right now, but not hot enough. Bob Richie's team can't get it done in Philly on Friday. Huskies move along. Let's go back up to the top here and talk second round. I'll try and move a little bit more quickly. Duke over Ohio State. How can you not Ohio State's. You know, that'll be a successful season for sure for year two for Jake Diebler. But even with the injury situations, I'm going Duke there. I'm going St. John's over Kansas. Feels like more people than not are also going. Johnny's here. I think that's an impact of the Big east double sweep. Zubi Edgefor and how well he's played this season and played himself into an all American status. So I'll go. Johnny's there. That is a cross country trip. You know, get through the first game. Hopefully it doesn't have any wear on you, but that those are in San Diego as a reminder. And then South Florida, Michigan State. Last night I had South Florida. Do I want to stick with this? This is a Michigan State team that was almost a 2. South Florida doesn't have a top 60 offense in the country. It is good on the offensive glass. Wes Enos is a very solid guard. I. I like the match up there. Just in general with Jeremy Fears. This game's in Buffalo. There'll be a Michigan State fans should show up plenty. Oh boy. GP, what do I do? MSU's dropped two in a row, but it was at Michigan. Understandable by 40. UCLA. This is Nizzo on a two day turnaround.

Matt Norlander (14:41)

You're not picking against Tom is over here. Get on with it.

Gary Parrish (14:45)

Man. I hate this though. Like, am I really gonna do this? This chalk nonsense? No. Give me the Bulls. I'm gonna be wrong, but whatever.

Matt Norlander (14:54)

Put them through.

Gary Parrish (14:56)

Put them through. Bulls on parade. Let's go. We're doing it. Give me the Bulls of the sweet 16. How many people out there going that zesty? Come on now. And then I will go Yukon over ucla. Mick Cronin goes one and one in the eastern time zone in the entirety of the 2526 season. Here we go. I'm gonna stick with this one. A battle between the two best bigs in college basketball. Cam Boozer, Zubie. Edge of four. It's Rick Patino. It's John Shire. Game would be in D.C. in the East Regional. I'll take St. John's to get to the Elite Eight and upset Duke in the Sweet 16. And then in the bottom half, I will go Huskies over Bulls. And this is not. I'm not doing this for the clicks or the reactions. I did this in real time and I'm going to stick with it. We are getting a fourth, fourth game between Huskies and Johnny's, and I'm going to take the Yukon Huskies to go to Indianapolis, which I feel like is kind of a counterculture pick right now, and understandably so. I'm not overly confident in this. This feels like a good. It feels like a good, good value play here in your office pool. They got. They got a coach who knows a thing or two about winning in March, and a lot of people are going to take Duke. I think you could see some Michigan State love. You might even see some. Some St. John's love here. So I will go. UConn, it's all you.

Matt Norlander (16:28)

All right. UConn in the final Four out of the East Region for Norlander. I'll keep us moving a little.

Gary Parrish (16:33)

Oh, yeah, I know. I, you know, you know, I'm gonna be long winded.

Matt Norlander (16:37)

I'm fine with it. I'm sitting, you know, I just sit here and, you know, text people and stuff. I'm fine with it. Don't worry about it. Duke, Sienna. Fun coaching matchup. John Shire, Jerry McNamara. 2. Two guys who are famous college basketball players. Both won national championships, both scored more than 2,000 points.

Gary Parrish (16:54)

But quick question. Whose career would you rather have had at the college level? McNamara is. Wasn't as good of a player as Shire, but they both won national titles. But at Syracuse, there's not as many legends as there is at Duke. Which one would you rather be?

Matt Norlander (17:09)

I think, and I'd be happy to be corrected by Syracuse fans or Duke fans, but it feels like Jerry, the coaching thing might change it because, like, John Shire is about to be the coach at Duke. Yeah, I think Jerry McNamara as a player resonates more at Syracuse than John Shire as a player resonates at Duke.

Gary Parrish (17:29)

I think that's true. And yet Shire was the better player. But it's just something I thought about earlier today. I wanted to throw it to you

Matt Norlander (17:35)

on the show, obviously, but one of these guys coaches Duke and the other one coaches Sienna, so, like, let's.

Gary Parrish (17:40)

Although they could be coaching against each other next season, we'll wait and see how that goes.

Matt Norlander (17:43)

You think it's going to go that way?

Gary Parrish (17:44)

I think there's a chance. How about this? I'll say 50%. Jerry McNamara is the next Syracuse coach right now.

Matt Norlander (17:52)

Yeah, I was. I've been. I've been peppering my, My Syracuse colleagues up here, they're. They're eager to find out. Ohio State, tcu. I'm going to take the Buckeyes, Bruce Thornton in the NCAA Tournament, so we never have to do that thing where. Can you believe he led the school in scoring but never played in the tournament? He's going to play in the tournament. I think he's going to get a win. But TCU is 6 and 1 in the past seven. Sort that data. Top 30 in the country in that stretch. St. John's over Northern Iowa. Johnny's are 191 in the past 22 wins over UConn in that stretch, two wins over Villanova in that stretch. Kansas over Cal Baptist. I don't love the idea that Rick Coy. So Rick Roy is so close to home. I don't. You know how I feel about that kind of stuff. But Bill Self, Darren Peterson, one way or another, they'll get through that. I. In the bracket, I filled out. I do have Louisville over South Florida, so I am. Maybe I'm the one person picking Louisville or South Florida. But I did circle back. I might be. I did circle back and I found the Brian Hodgson press conference from yesterday after it was announced they're going back to play in Buffalo. And that was really sweet, man. Like that. That makes me. You ready for this? I picked Louisville, but I would be happy to be wrong if Brian could share that moment with his father in. In person. If you haven't seen the press conference, I thought that was a sweet moment. Go find it. I'll take Louisville over USF, Michigan State over North Dakota State. North Dakota State, 27 wins, 17 and two in their past 19. But I'll take the Spartans to advance. UCLA, USF. Where's this game at? Philadelphia.

Gary Parrish (19:36)

This game, of course, he's gonna. He's. Mick Cronin complained about the Statue of Liberty, now he's gonna complain about the Statue of Rocky.

Matt Norlander (19:44)

Imagine. Imagine you.

Gary Parrish (19:45)

You.

Matt Norlander (19:45)

You go to Philly and you decide you want to do the. Like, you climb the steps and get it all on video.

Gary Parrish (19:50)

You know, you should do that, by the way. Like, Mick, lean into it. Like, go do that. That would be a huge. A huge one.

Matt Norlander (19:58)

No, I was going to say you're just a random Rocky fan doing it. And then you look back at your video a few days later and you notice in the background, it's just Mick Cronin standing over there by the statue, just pissed off, just mad as hell

Gary Parrish (20:08)

at the whole thing.

Matt Norlander (20:09)

And then down there cussing out the Liberty Bell. He goes and Looks at the Liberty

Gary Parrish (20:14)

Bell and says, over under 0.5 Liberty. 0.5 Liberty Bell. Mentions by Mick Cronin for the entirety of the trip.

Matt Norlander (20:22)

Are you raising. Are you raising your bell at me?

Gary Parrish (20:25)

Are you. Are you raising your bell at me?

Matt Norlander (20:27)

Are you raising your bell at me?

Gary Parrish (20:28)

I'm. I think it gets one Liberty Belt reference, be it day before media availability. It's. We're getting it some way, somehow.

Matt Norlander (20:34)

Are you raising your bell at me? What if he. What if he takes issue with the Liberty Bell? Are you raising your bell at me?

Gary Parrish (20:41)

And be amazing? We're all rooting for something like this. Let's be honest.

Matt Norlander (20:45)

There is no way UCLA can win a game in the Eastern time zone. That's crazy. This is a setup. All right? This is a setup. Johnny Dawkins to the round of 32. You confirming? You confirming? You know how I. You know how I feel about Bob Richie, but I actually don't.

Gary Parrish (21:01)

But we can keep it moving.

Matt Norlander (21:03)

Let me tell you how I feel about Bob Richie. Yukon advances. All right, so now we back up. This is where we about to get interesting, buddy.

Gary Parrish (21:12)

Sounds like Bob Richie is GP's Nico Medved, if you follow me.

Matt Norlander (21:17)

I would. I wouldn't mind seeing Bob Richie get out of that, but it's just a tough ask, you know, to get past the Huskies. Okay, I got Duke, Ohio State, round of 32. I'll take Duke there. Bruce Thornton, man, you had a hell of a career. St. John's and Kansas. I'm taking the Red Storm, 19 and one in their past 20. I don't trust Kansas. You put them in Allen Field house, anything can happen. You take them out of there. I just. I don't think they played enough together. Darren Peterson and the rest of those guys. I'll take the Red Storm to get out of there. I've got Michigan State over Louisville, UConn over Central Florida. Now we're in the Sweet 16. Oh, buddy. I don't know if you heard. There's this One dude had St. John's number one in a preseason. He got off to a rough start.

Gary Parrish (22:05)

Yeah, that's the coach. Five seed, by the way. Just so we're all clear, that coach

Matt Norlander (22:09)

started hating his team, then I started hating his team, and. And that was it. We just sort of left it there. But now here we are matched up to the sweet 16. Me and my red storm against the number one. Over the number one overall seed in the NCAA tournament.

Gary Parrish (22:28)

Come on, Duke.

Matt Norlander (22:29)

But they're hurting. But they're hurting. Caleb Foster is surgically Repaired but not ready. Patrick Gangba ain't played in a minute. They hurting. They hurting. Give me the Red Storm. Straight up. They're advancing to the Elite.

Gary Parrish (22:53)

I both agree. Oh, no. This is terrible.

Matt Norlander (22:56)

Did I maybe spin? 4 months looking like an idiot predicting St. John's to be the best team in the country. Yeah, maybe I did. Maybe I did. But they're 19 and one in their past 20 and I've got them getting past shorthanded Duke. It's unfortunate that John Shire can't catch a break. Michigan State and UConn Sweet 16. We're going to advance the Huskies to the Elite Eight. We've got the fourth matchup between St. John's and Yukon.

Gary Parrish (23:28)

I think that's a squirrel.

Matt Norlander (23:33)

And I'm well aware of what I'm doing to myself.

Gary Parrish (23:35)

Squirrels. Squirrel. Squirrels. Squirrel. Person squirrels. A squirrel. I think that's a squirrel. What do we got?

Matt Norlander (23:42)

I know how this is going to go. I've walked this path before. But rick Patino and St. John's will get past UConn in the Elite Eight and the Red Storm will fulfill their prophecy. The Red Storm will make it where they always were supposed to make it, dating back to the off season. Top 25 and 1. Rick Patino with a team he used to hate but now loves because that's what 19 and one can do to a relationship. The Red Storm go to the Final Four out of the East Region as a five seed. Rick Pitino continued to make his case as not only one of but arguably the greatest college basketball coach of all time and would perhaps have the accomplishments to back that up if he had never been lured away to that evil NBA. The world is a vampire.

Gary Parrish (24:42)

All right. Wow. You actually did it. Five seed St. John's to Indianapolis.

Matt Norlander (24:49)

Isn't it just more fun this way?

Gary Parrish (24:51)

Isn't it just one of the biggest takeaways from this show? Particularly we are going to lean into the fun of the picks he claims he's trying to go 67 and. Oh, we just learned that's not going to happen. He's already. It's already over. It's over for you. But if you don't have a little fun, what's the fun of it all? We know that a lot of these are going to blow up in our face. Who cares? Getting everyone together to watch the game is fun until you realize you're running low on snacks right before halftime. That's why shipped is there for you on game day. Whether going for that classic spread chips and dip or mixing in even A few healthier options. I can and so can you order all the favorites for same day delivery to keep the party going. Especially now that March is here. And if that chip bowl is looking suddenly too empty, no stress. Just place another order and it shows up the same day. Shipt makes last minute hosting so much easier. You can get snacks, party supplies, decorations and more delivered from nearby stores. I'm talking grocery runs from places like Safeway or Albertsons, party decor from Michael's, or even a quick target order all while you're getting ready for guests. With Shipt, you can order same day delivery on groceries, gifts and so much more. And shoppers are known for incredible attention to detail and care. Plus, with an annual Shipt membership, you get unlimited orders, zero delivery fees on orders over $35, exclusive deals and and even the option to request your favorite shoppers again. Download the app or order@shipt.com that's s

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Matt Norlander (27:20)

All right, Norlander, we're settling this right now. We're doing a pizza topping draft, a

Gary Parrish (27:24)

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Gary Parrish (27:40)

Garlic parmesan sauce. Okay, I'm going thin crust, red sauce, spinach. You know what, give me some banana peppers too. Thin crust. It's the four seed of all pizzas. I stand by it.

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Gary Parrish (28:32)

Let's keep it moving. We're going to the south.

Matt Norlander (28:34)

I think we go to the south.

Gary Parrish (28:36)

Check out that south region. Let's bring it up on the screen. I'll take us a tour through it. Try and move it a little bit more quickly, if that's okay by you.

Matt Norlander (28:43)

We can't say we're going to move a little more quickly and then go slow. All right.

Gary Parrish (28:46)

It also might happen. Honestly, that's part of the show.

Matt Norlander (28:50)

You know, we sound like a recently hired basketball coach. We're gonna play fast. We're gonna get up and down.

Gary Parrish (28:57)

Yeah.

Matt Norlander (28:57)

And then they come out and they're like 289th in tempo for their entire career.

Gary Parrish (29:01)

And Jacobson and Tony Bennett on the show right now. I think you took longer than I did.

Matt Norlander (29:05)

Yeah, it's like Tony, it's like Tony Bennett, like Tony Bennett getting a new job and being like, we're gonna play fast. Like, like we always get up and down the court. It's like, hold up, you're not the fat. You're not play fast guy. You're great, but you're not play fast guy. I'm gonna try to be the play fast guy. I'm gonna get in my Nate oats a little bit going forward. But you, you can handle however you want.

Gary Parrish (29:22)

Okay. And I, I again, I think the plan is for our Tuesday show to have a little more of a, of an in depth look at some of the first round stuff so we can keep it moving, I guess.

Matt Norlander (29:31)

I'm not trying to get in depth. I don't, I don't like getting it.

Gary Parrish (29:34)

I will be ready. I'll have notes and nuggets. Okay.

Matt Norlander (29:37)

I don't really want to get in there.

Gary Parrish (29:38)

No, it's a nuggets. I, I got you on. I got you tomorrow. Okay. Florida's gonna move along in the first round over Prairie View or Lehigh. I'm gonna take, I'm gonna take Clemson to beat Iowa. Who the heck knows, man? Iowa runs everything through Sturts. Is that going to be enough? Clemson's got more physicality. I'll go Tigers there. Those games are going to be in Tampa. By the way. Vanderbilt will play McNeese in Oklahoma City. These games will be on Thursday. Vandy as as a reminder got the. Got the short end of the stick as a 5 and with the difficult 12 there commodores, I, I just think with the way they've been playing the offense that they have. McNiece is a. McNie's a legit team. Like they've got some, they've got some dudes, they've got some physicality, they've got an endless array of wings. But I will, I will take Vanderbilt in this spot to get it done. And what could be a pretty damn entertaining game. Doors move along and then it's Nebraska. We already know GP's taking Nebraska. I'll take Nebraska as well. We need to see this program finally experience an NCAA tournament win. I think it will. I have to note though, they're playing Troy. This team did make the tournament a year ago. It wasn't that competitive. It lost to Kentucky if you've forgotten. Scott Cross still there and you know, maybe, maybe they've got enough experience to make it interesting. But I don't really hesitate too much on that one. So Nebraska moves along UNC VCU foreign. We've seen an 11 seeded VCU matched up against a blue blood from the ACC on the sixth line before that was 07. Shouts to Eric Maynard VC was a very trendy pick and they won. I remember because I picked them that year too. I'll do it. I'll do it here as well. Phil Martelli Junior's team has one loss since January 10th. It was at St. Louis. It's not an elite group really in any facet but they play so well together and they've got real depth. They're hard to beat and I just wonder where North Carolina is after losing two in a row. Understandable losses, but no. Caleb Wilson. You're recalibrating with that. Give me. I guess that's me. Back to back 11 over sixes. Why not? Let's get. Let's have some fun here. Illinois to beat Penn. I don't think It'll be close. St. Mary's a M is. I mean that is so interesting because these teams do not play like each other at all. St. Mary's is a defensive grinding team that is more than okay. Beating you 62 to 57 it's the best free throw shooting team in the country by the way. St. Mary's is. And between Mikey Lewis and Polyus Morowskis. Those are two guys that they. I just like the way they play. Like I've probably seen. I don't know, I've probably seen St. Mary's play five or six times this year. I love, I love the way they work on the floor as a unit. Meanwhile, a M up and down the floor, full court press, you know, will launch without abandon. Loves to take the three. If you really dive into the resume, they, they don't have a lot of really good wins against NCAA tournament level teams. I will go, I will go Gales in that one and then I'll take Houston to beat Idaho. I think that will be the biggest two over 15 blow out of the first round going on back to the top. Give me the Gators over Clemson for sure. And then Vandy, Nebraska is a tough one for me. I will, I don't know man. This. I'll go Vandy. I'll go Vandy here either way. See to me, either one you're getting like no matter what team gets out of there, doesn't matter Vandy, McNiece and Braska, Troy. There's only going to be one of those four teams that's going to get out of Oklahoma City into the regional semis in Houston. It's an awesome story. So I love that no matter what we're going to feel good about it. I will go Tyler Tanner, Duke Miles, Tyler Nichol Co. To get it done. Mark Byington gets to the Sweet 16 bottom half. I'll take Illinois over VCU and then I will take Houston to get past St. Mary's maybe in a game where we're dialed in late and, and it's a close one but the Cougars ultimately get it done and then. Okay, so here we go. Then we get the rematch in the Sweet 16 between Florida and Vanderbilt. They just faced each other. Vanderbilt was able to upend up in Florida in the SEC semis. They won 91, 74. Florida won earlier in the season. They got it done when that game was in Gainesville, but it was a four point margin. So if we do get this matchup, be plenty of intrigue with it. They play different styles. Vanderbilt is kind of successful because of what it can do with its guards led by by Tanner more than anyone else. And meanwhile we know what Florida can do with its front court. I will go Gators in this spot but I kind of think that Florida, Vanderbilt Has a chance. There's a lot of potential. Sweet 16 games. That could be incredible. Incredible. That one feels like it could be a top four or five matchup in a regional semi. Bottom half, I've got Illinois versus Houston. Oh, boy, that is a grown man varsity game. Houston with its defensive capabilities. And then you've got the Kingston Flemings factor against Keaton Wagler. Please give me this game.

Matt Norlander (34:57)

Please.

Gary Parrish (34:58)

That would be awesome. I will go Houston with this spot. Illinois seems to be a team to me that. Not just when you look at its region, but you look at what it's done over the past month. It's a team that's gone four and five down the stretch. Defensively now it's 28th overall in Ken Palm. Offensively, we don't have that many questions about gets it done. It's not just Wagler. Merkovich is a really good player. Thomas Lava V. Sitch is, you know, among the better bigs in the country. 71 like a real. A real presence there, kind of Boswell, he can do a lot defensively. Boswell and Flemings could be. Must see tv. I'll go Houston there. Florida. Houston in the regional semi or excuse me, the regional finals. And then I will take Houston to beat Florida.

Matt Norlander (35:43)

Home court advantage. Home court advantage.

Gary Parrish (35:46)

Season's national title game on an elite eight stage. Cougars with the benefit of the arena in their backyard. Get it done and make it all the way to Indianapolis.

Matt Norlander (35:56)

Home court advantage. Home quarter. Looking forward to seeing home court advantage come into play for the two seed over the one seed.

Gary Parrish (36:03)

All right, I'm told. I'm sorry about that. Yeah, someone in the chat's corrected me. Florida won the game at Vandy. Not in Gatesville. Might be sorry about that. Fact check. Appreciate it.

Matt Norlander (36:10)

All right. All right. Florida advances no matter the opponent. That goes without saying. Clemson, Iowa, two teams like I was 3 and 7. They're past 10. Clemson's 4 and 6 in their past 10. But somebody's got to win.

Gary Parrish (36:26)

Yeah, well, here's the deal. Someone's going to have a sour taste in their mouth and they're going to be like, man, we had something going and it. And it kind of went the wrong way. And then the other team's gonna be like, you know what? At least we're able to salvage it, get a win in the tournament before getting robbed by Florida.

Matt Norlander (36:38)

Okay, let's say Clemson with the sour taste and. And Iowa with the salvage. Yeah. Iowa advances. Shouts to Bennett Sturts. Vanderbilt, McNeese, Bill Armstrong. 28 5, first year at McNeese okay, question. Yep. Does this count as a Scott Drew coaching tree? He was at Baylor for one year.

Gary Parrish (37:00)

That's a good question. I'm gonna say no.

Matt Norlander (37:02)

We give Josh Pastor to John Calipari.

Gary Parrish (37:05)

Was that one year?

Matt Norlander (37:06)

Yes. I'm gonna say yes.

Gary Parrish (37:14)

Let's do it. Are you sure?

Matt Norlander (37:16)

Text Scott. Ask Scott what he thinks.

Gary Parrish (37:19)

No, let's ask Bryce. This is Bryce and I don't care.

Matt Norlander (37:22)

I. I assume Bryce would not care whether Bill Armstrong is considered part of the Scott Drew tree or not.

Gary Parrish (37:27)

He very much does not.

Matt Norlander (37:28)

Couldn't care less. Okay. Could not care less. Vandy five and two in their past seven. I'll take the Commodores to get past McNeese. Nebraska, Troy. Scott Cross. Great story. Fired at UT Arlington. Doing great things at Troy, but, I

Gary Parrish (37:47)

mean, I'll be very, very, very surprised if he's not the coach at Georgia Tech. By the way,

Matt Norlander (37:53)

how much do you feel if you're UT Arlington, you fired an alum who's going to go on to be the coach at Georgia Tech? Yeah, maybe. I don't know who. I don't remember who made that decision, but. Looks like a poor one. I think with the benefit of hindsight, we can call it a poor one. Although I remember correctly in real time, it was. Seemed confusing. Anyway, my heart will not allow me to pick against Nebraska. The Cornhuskers have to get their first win in NCAA tournament history. I think it comes at the expense of Troy. UNC, VCU. I'm with you. VCU 161 in their past 17. I'll take VCU straight up. I just think it's. I know, I know. Carolina kept its head above water for the most part in the absence of Caleb Wilson, but at some point that matters. And maybe it's not the round of 64, but in my quest to go67.0, I will take the Rams over North Carolina. I got Illinois over Pennsylvania. But shouts to Frank McCaffrey for even being in this position.

Gary Parrish (38:54)

By the way, sorry to interrupt.

Matt Norlander (38:56)

Yeah.

Gary Parrish (38:57)

If Fran McCaffrey wins this game, he's 1 and 8 in his last night against Brad Underwood. It was already decided today on Twitter. If Fran beats Illinois, Tom Fornelli has to sit on the Ion College basketball podcast for a full hour. So that is his punishment.

Matt Norlander (39:14)

Just sit there and just. Just sit there silently.

Gary Parrish (39:17)

He will. He will. He will speak when called upon.

Matt Norlander (39:20)

Okay. Can only speak when spoken to.

Gary Parrish (39:22)

Yes.

Matt Norlander (39:22)

I like that. That's. That's kind of the way I like to do shows.

Gary Parrish (39:26)

Yeah. Cornelli we fully expect your team to win and to win comfortably. But we got to see it first. That is a TNT tip Thursday night. Approximately 9:25 out of Greenville.

Matt Norlander (39:38)

By the way, I got St. Mary's over Texas a and M. Spoiler. I'm going to have three WCC teams advancing. I want, I want three of the final 32 to be from the West Coast Conference. I've got Houston over Idaho. I like a good Vandal. I can appreciate a good van.

Gary Parrish (39:56)

I know that's a top five. That might be a top five moniker in the bracket.

Matt Norlander (40:00)

By the way, the Vandals is great.

Gary Parrish (40:01)

Love it.

Matt Norlander (40:02)

Love the Vandals. But I don't think they can deal with Houston while Houston's on its way to Houston. Florida, Iowa. I've got Florida over there. Like Bennett Sturtz is just one dude and Florida's got. Got a lot more. Florida's got a lot more players the caliber of Bennett Sturts than Iowa does. Iowa's got like one Bennett Sturts caliber player. Florida's got more than one. The gamers advance. Vandy, Nebraska. Come on, Fred Hoiberg. Get you a second win. Go ahead and get you to. Go ahead and get you to Nebraska not only gets its first win in the NCBA tournament, goes to its Sweet 16. First Sweet 16 in school history. Illinois, VCU. This is where I do have it ending for the Rams. Brad Underwood to the sweet 16. I've got Houston over St. Mary's Florida over Nebraska. Fred Hoiberg, magical season ends in the Sweet 16. Todd golden back to the Elite Eight. I've got Houston over Illinois. Yes. I've got IT set up 1 versus 2 in the South Region final. Florida playing at an incredible disadvantage that I fundamentally think is unfair, loses to the Houston Cougars. Kelvin Sampson back in the Final Four. Kelvin Sampson, two wins away from a national championship. Florida fans complaining all night about why they had to play a road game as the 1 seed. And don't ever forget, I was, I was arguing on your behalf on March 15, and Matt Norlander tried to shame me with bracketing principles.

Gary Parrish (41:32)

Okay, that's the left side of the bracket. We, we agree on the, the team

Matt Norlander (41:39)

out of the South.

Gary Parrish (41:39)

We both got the coops.

Matt Norlander (41:40)

And Florida fans, if you, if you don't like the way this is going and you would like your voices heard, you could get in there in these little chats, in these little comment sections where all the Houston fans are yelling at me even though Houston's like my favorite team. Now I got a Houston face yelling at gp. Don't you know Houston had to play Purdue and Indiana. Yes, I know we said the stupid clip, but there's 18 people who type it in the comments without recognizing.

Gary Parrish (42:10)

Ignore the comments without wrecking.

Matt Norlander (42:12)

Hey, this guy covers college basketball. He probably is aware that Houston played Purdue last season.

Gary Parrish (42:18)

Let him get ahead. All right, let's go.

Matt Norlander (42:20)

I'm just saying, Florida fans, I'm out there. I'm not fighting on your behalf. I'm fighting on the behalf of what I think should be new and improved bracketing principles. But if you want to call Houston fan. If you want to get in there and call Houston fan names on my behalf, I wouldn't. I wouldn't object. This is Gary Parish. I have a confession. The confession is that sometimes, yeah, I hit an afternoon wall. Say, in between doing the Iowa College Basketball podcast and, you know, walking to the broadcast center for a night in studio, I realized I probably didn't get enough rest. I need some caffeine. I want something sweet, but not like some big sugary drink. And that's why I'm obsessed with the new fruity rainbow shots for from 5 Hour Energy. They seriously taste like a handful of classic rainbow candy. Bright, juicy and fun, but with a caffeine kick built in. It's like caffeine finally got that flavor glow up it always deserved. It was 17 flavors total in the five hour energy lineup. There is something for every mood, but this fruity rainbow launch is all about that bold, sweet, fruity chaos. What do I love most? It's the big flavor in that tiny portable two ounce bottle. I can throw it in my bag, keep one in my car, stash it at my desk. Golf B bag. It's no bulky can, no sticky wrappers, no sugar crash. It's a zero sugar treat that's totally sweet tooth approved. So it feels indulgent, but it's actually practical. If you're gonna grab caffeine anyway, it might as well taste like candy. Get candy Flavored Chaos with fruity rainbow 5 hour energy shots available online at 5hourenergy.com or Amazon. March is here. And if you've ever followed the tournament, you know one thing, the only predictable thing is the chaos upsets buzzer beaters, Cinderella runs. It's the best kind of unreal, unpredictable. And that's exactly why DraftKings Sportsbook, the number one sportsbook for live betting, is built for March. The tournament is unexpected, rewards are guaranteed. And DraftKings Sportsbook is delivering some of the most generous rewards in the market. What I like about DraftKings, it is the live betting. With DraftKings, the number one sportsbook for live betting, you're not betting on what might happen later. You're betting on what's happening right now. While the game unfolds, momentum shifts, big plays, last second drama. You can get in on the action as it happens. And if you're new to DraftKings, it's the perfect time to jump in. Just bet $5 and get 200 in bonus bets instantly. Download the DraftKings sportsbook app now and use code I. That's code I E, Y E to turn five bucks into 200 in bonus bets instantly in partnership with DraftKings, the crown is yours. Gambling problem. Call 1-800- GAMBLER or 1-800-MY-SET NEW YORK Call 877-8-HOPE NY or text Hope NY Connecticut call 888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org of Boot Hill Casino in Kansas. Wager Text Pass through may apply in Illinois 21 plus in most states. Void in Ontario, restrictions apply. Bonus bets expire seven days after issuance. For additional terms and responsible gaming resources, see sportsbook.draftkings.com promos Limited time offer.

Gary Parrish (45:21)

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Matt Norlander (46:56)

The only one I know about now is that straight where all the oil comes from. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Gary Parrish (47:00)

By the way, wow.

Matt Norlander (47:01)

I am.

Gary Parrish (47:02)

I am atrocious. Suez Canal is between Africa and Asia. That is awful by me, man.

Matt Norlander (47:10)

That's straight. Boy, that seems like that's a wild scene up in that straight.

Gary Parrish (47:17)

It is the Panama Canal, you absolute dolt. Suez.

Matt Norlander (47:25)

Suez Canal has canal.

Gary Parrish (47:28)

I guess, theoretically you can get there some way if you're a shark and you got to go from a Long island to San Diego, which is, by the way, where the games are going to be played. You got to take the Panama Canal. Oh, my gosh. Let me ask you, Arizona, winning the game for the record, can you.

Matt Norlander (47:44)

Has anybody thought about trying to, like, can we just move the oil through the Suez Canal? Would that work?

Gary Parrish (47:50)

Maybe.

Matt Norlander (47:50)

We got to give up on this.

Gary Parrish (47:52)

Explored all options.

Matt Norlander (47:53)

The straight seems a little dangerous these days. Maybe we should try the Suez Canal.

Gary Parrish (48:00)

All right. Second. Our first round. Second game in the bracket here. Who's calling me? Nope, sorry, I can't pick it up right now. All right. Villanova versus Utah State in the eight, nine. Seems to me Utah State's the overwhelming pick here. Do I just go counter here? Do I. I'm. I don't know. Should I do it? Should I flip a coin? Do I even have a coin? Gp who do you have in this one? Spoil it for me. Utah State or Villanova?

Matt Norlander (48:28)

You think a man gonna stay up till 2 o' clock every Tuesday watching the Mountain west and then pick against MJ Collins? What are you talking about? You know, I mean, I stay up with MJ Collins more than I stay up with my family. What are you talking about?

Gary Parrish (48:43)

I'm flipping it. Give me Nova. I've had Utah State. There's way too many people on Utah State. I'm. I'm running counter. So when this is Utah State, this happened, I think the past two times, the past two years on the show, there were some 8, 9, some 7, 10 where I had it. I was like, nope, I'm switching it. And I was Going to be wrong. This is gonna happen to me again. I'm stupid. All right. Wisconsin High Point. I. I picked High Point last night. Wisconsin's playing so well. High point is 92A KenPum. 30 and 4 on the season. Longest win streak in the country. 14 in a row. It's top five in the country and not turning the ball over and turning teams over. It's deep. It has not played a tough schedule. It's not a big team. It's got some shooting ability. One loss since December 14th. Gotta live a little. Gotta have some fun. I think Wisconsin's gonna probably win the game. But whatever, I'm sticking with it. 12 over 5. High Point gets it done. This game will be in Portland, by the way. So I'll stick there. And then I will go Arkansas to beat Hawaii just for fun. Over under Darius Acuff. 29.5 points in this game.

Matt Norlander (49:56)

GP over everything I always say about Darius. A cup is going to be over.

Gary Parrish (50:01)

Yeah. Something I don't know that I'd be. Except.

Matt Norlander (50:04)

Except here's the thing. They could be up 23 and you pull in with seven minutes to go.

Gary Parrish (50:10)

That's true. That could be on the table. Hawaii is your automatic bid champion out of the Big west and they won that late Saturday. This game is Thursday. There's no way in hell that team went back to Hawaii. So I'm curious what they. What the packing situation was there because they would have made no sense for them to hop on a plane and fly home Sunday and return. So they must have been. They had to legitimately pack for a week and a half long trip around. Gano, coach of the Bows. We'll see if they can do something. They get the benefit. Stay in the West Coast. Portland for. For the Hawaii Rainbow warriors there. Also in Portland, BYU will play the winner of NC State. Texas. North Carolina State. Texas. I will go Texas in that game. Sean Miller coached in it a year ago. Interesting note. Sean Miller had never coached a team that was truly on the bubble until last season. He's now had to do it two years in a row and has he has had the good fortune of breaking through two consecutive seasons. North Carolina State. It's got a variety of guys who. I had a note on NC State that I was going to toss you. You know what I'm saving it for? Save it for tomorrow. I'll go Texas to win that and then I'll take BYU and AJ DeBonsa to beat Texas. I think we mentioned this on the Sunday show. That would be Debons are going against his idols alma mater. I'll have BYU into the second round. Gonzaga over Kennesaw State. Big question with Gonzaga is Braden Huff, when is he going to be available and when he is, how effective is he going to be? So Gonzaga is a three and deservingly so. But I don't necessarily believe that it is a threat to get to the Final Four if it's not going to have Huff available. Kind of a tough deal there. They've done, they've been able to manage mostly without him but he's been missing for a bit here. Miami versus Missouri is going to be in St. Louis again. That's Missouri. A 10 in St. Louis. I'll still take the Canes. I, I, I like them in that matchup. I think they have more overall talent. Jay Lucas done a really good job in year one. I'll take Miami to move along and then obviously Purdue over Queens in the first round, back up to the top Arizona get past Villanova. It's a fun little battle to write into the bracket. By the way, you write out Zona, you write out Nova. It's very, very fulfilling. Real ones know what I'm talking about. Wisconsin, I have losing. So I'll have High Point Arkansas. How can I not take Arkansas? You know and sometimes the tournament has a way of doing this to us where we've got either a player or a team and going into it in the leading two or three weeks, they've just, the vibes are tremendous. They're looking good. You're like, how could I not possibly pick this team to win at least two or three games, right? Arkansas is an exact, an exact example of this. And if it didn't make the sweet 16, I would be fairly shocked. But sometimes the turn, that's what nature of the beast, man. So head on a swivel. I don't think it's an automatic the Hogs get there, but I'm, I'm writing them through regardless to get to, to get to the West Regional where I will be in a week and a half or a little less than that. I will take the Cougars of BYU to beat Gonzaga with the idea that Huff isn't playing. And the defense that I saw show up in the Big 12 tournament on BYU's behalf still gets it done. And that means back to back sweet 16 runs for Kevin Young. And then I'll have Purdue over Miami. Getting it done there, Braden. By the way, Braden Smith's gonna break the all time assist record. Bobby Hillary's record in the Queen's game. He needs two to set that record. That's an inevitability. Sweet sixteen I will go Arizona over Arkansas. Acuff buries Bradley, Pete, Malik, Thomas, Billy Richmond. The amount of talent on the floor in that game, please give it to me. I, I, I, I really, really want to see that game in the sweet 16. That could be as good and as entertaining as maybe any on the on the board here. GP and then yeah, this, here we go. This is, this is, this is how I just torch my bracket. I'm gonna go BYU over Purdue. I'm gonna stick with this. I'm gonna say debaza doesn't score under 30 in any tournament game. I'm going to say the the defense shows up in a significant way. Rob Wright pulls it together. I know there's no Richie Saunders. That's a problem. But you're going to see K. Bakeda hit a new level canard. Davis steps up, even shoots beyond his current averages from three point range. And the role players improve all the more. So I'm very aware that I could be picking a team that will lose to its first round opponent coming out of the first four. But gotta live a little, take a big swing and I will have the Cougars versus the Wildcats in the Elite Eight. I just so happen to see these two teams play each other in Provo back. Geez, GP that's been six, seven weeks. Arizona won that game. It was close. 86, 83. I will have Arizona winning that one again. And the Wildcats my first one seed into the Final Four.

Matt Norlander (54:51)

All right, I'll be quick. Or at least quicker. Arizona over Liu. Fins up. Wonderful story, but it ends right here. Villanova 04 against Yukon St. John's only two quadrant one wins zero in the year 2026.

Gary Parrish (55:12)

What did I do?

Matt Norlander (55:15)

They didn't beat nobody in forever and they barely beat anybody all year.

Gary Parrish (55:21)

Have I made a grave. I made a grave mistake?

Matt Norlander (55:24)

I mean who's picking Villanova? There are dozens of us. Okay, Collins, me and MJ Collins.

Gary Parrish (55:32)

I can't tell you how many nights baller man. I may change this pick back before we get to Thursday. I'm letting you know right now.

Matt Norlander (55:39)

I spent too many nights up late with MJ Collins to pick against him now. Utah State over Villanova. V's down. Wisconsin High Point. I'll take Wisconsin to get out of that. But High Point is 92nd at KenPom. 30 and 4. Like it's a. I don't that that would be if I were like a middle of the Pack Power Conference team like the I'd rather play another middle of the Pack power conference team than than somebody that won 30 times. I I just, I don't like. I mean Wisconsin will be physically and all that stuff, but 30 and 4, a top 100 team like that's a, that's a real game. I'll take Wisconsin to get by him. Arkansas, Hawaii Acup is on a roll right now. I don't have Arkansas spoiler alert going to the Final Four. But he is the type of guard who could go on one of those Kimba runs, Shabazz Napier runs and get a team somewhere in the bracket further than the number next to its name suggest was the likely scenario. Certainly got him getting out of the first round. Acuff could he could take them anywhere. Byu, Texas. I've got Texas getting past NC State, then BYU over Texas. I'd like to get that game just because I like hearing Sean Miller talk about NBA players. He was great on Acuff. I'd like to hear what he says about DebonSA here. Gonzaga, Kennesaw State, the Braden Huff thing. Remember the initial timeline was four to eight weeks. We're past that. We're past the eighth and so this has not gone well. I think we talked about it either when I was in Spokane or right afterwards and I sort of noted I wasn't hearing good things about it. Hopefully he's back in uniform sometime soon, but I don't like the idea of. I mean, you will if he's healthy, you're going to play him. He's super talented, but just dropping somebody into a rotation after they've been gone for eight, nine weeks in a single elimination tournament. It's unfortunate that it's played out this way, but it's not going to cost him. In the round of 64. I've got Miami over Missouri. Jay Lucas gets his first win in the NCAA Tournament. Purdue over Queens. Don't mess this up. Purdue. Braden Smith's college career could not end with one of, with one of those. Now we're in the round of 32. I've got Arizona over Arkansas. That just that Arizona team, the Sweets, the Sweet 16. Oh, I'm sorry. Okay, I've got Arizona over Utah State. Okay, Arkansas over Wisconsin, then I'll get Arizona over Arkansas. We'll get back to there in a minute. I've got Gonzaga past byu. Debons is great. I just don't. And I know they won a game here or there in Richie Saunders absence, but broadly speaking, that has not been a very good basketball team since he went down. I will take Gonzaga to get past byu. I've got Purdue over Miami, back up Arizona over Arkansas. So Arizona into the Elite Eight. I've got Purdue still winning after securing the Big Ten tournament title over the weekend, advancing to the Elite Eight. And then I've got Arizona over Purdue, Arizona, my first one seed also in the Final Four. And if you were to ask me, and I know you didn't, but if you were to ask me of any of your Final Four picks or one seed picks, which one do you feel best about getting to Indianapolis? It is Arizona. I think that's the safest pick in this bracket to get to the Final Four based on caliber of team and caliber of possible obstacles along the way.

Gary Parrish (59:13)

You've got Purdue in the Elite Eight, and if it was five days ago, I don't think you would necessarily have Purdue in the sweet 16.

Matt Norlander (59:22)

I think I would always have him in the sweet 16 out of respect for the program. But, but, but I'm, I'm not somebody who can get all the way to the point where I just watched him win the Big Ten tournament. Now they're what they were supposed to be. That team was really bad defensively for an extended stretch and they, they have been better and can be better, but they're not going to turn into elite defensively all of a sudden. And that Duke, Michigan, Arizona trio, if we're talking about national championship contenders and, and that's what Purdue was described as heading into this thing like those teams are, are 1, 2 and 3 in all the metrics, but also specifically adjusted defensive efficiency, you, you got to be able to guard to win this tournament, I think, and I don't know that they guard well enough to win this tournament, but I do think they can play well enough to, to go to the Elite Eight and, you know, maybe even the Final Four. But that national championship goal, I'm not ruling anything out, but it's hard to see. I guess I'd put it that way.

Gary Parrish (60:20)

Yeah. As the couple folks in the chat pointed out as worth mentioning for our audio listeners, there are some, there are a couple teams here that can play some defense, but a lot of teams in this region are way more offensively focused. Like there are some teams that have some real lack of defensive prowess and you almost wonder if it's a race in that regard to see who gets out and gets to Indianapolis out of the region. But Arizona will definitely be by, by nature of it being Purdue at the 2, being Gonzaga at the 3 that's not at full strength and even like Arkansas. Good team but. But not, you know, it's a team with eight losses. Arizona is going to be the overwhelmingly popular pick to get to the final Four out of this region in your office pool. And it will be in my opinion the most popular one seed picked into the final Four. Let's go to the Midwest region, bottom right of your bracket. These games are going to be played in Buffalo, Tampa, Philly and St. Louis as they feed into Chicago for the regional. The regionals I should say. Michigan will obviously beat UMBC or Howard. We can have a little bit of fun with UMBC if it beats Howard in the first four. Getting given that's another 161 situation there. But and I'll be actually curious to see if UMBC wins. The line going to be bigger, wider than it was when UMBC defeated Virginia back in 2018. Georgia. St. Louis does feel. Talk about no defense. This feels like a race to 100. St. Louis actually has good effective field goal percentage. Defense at Louis has been slipping 28.5record but they, they know how to score. Like they are a very good second half team. They run good stuff. They can get, they can get to the tin. They've got guys who can shoot from deep. They rank second in three point percentage in the country. St. Louis does. Meanwhile Georgia. Let me pull this up right now real quick here. GP I think Georgia is second in points per game. Let me bring this up. Georgia right now.

Matt Norlander (62:12)

Oh no.

Gary Parrish (62:13)

They have dropped 89.8. They're down to seventh. There was a, there was a good chunk of the season where Georgia was scoring more per game than anyone in the country. And if it wasn't Georgia was actually Miami U. I will go slew here but I don't love it. George has got some, got a couple of dudes canon catchings. To me he's just, he's already a good player but like he's going to hit another level. And then Wilkerson's good as well. I will go slew there. Tech versus Akron. I'm going to go Tech. This is the kind of game that I feel like I usually fall into a trap with Texas deserving five. I think that's, that's, that's fine for them. Three and three since Toppin went down in the midst of that Arizona State loss on the road. Still a really good three point shooting team. And it's not just Anderson. Donovan Atwell is even better from beyond the arc. Jalen Petty can hit from deep. If you get some Good contributions out of Lawan Watts there. I just. McCaskin's a really good coach. Gross is as well. Like, for sure. 29. 5 team top 70 at KenPom. Like, Akron can win the game. They have one loss since January 3rd. But I will. I will go with Tech. It's. It's got. I don't know, man. It's got. It's got so much more to me physicality. It's not like immensely bigger, but it's got. Akron's a smaller team. That. That being said, that team, they've got. They've got a lot of experience. That's a fun one there. I'm gonna go Alabama to beat Hofstra. I reserve the right to change my mind on this. Since we've gone live, Tuscaloosa police say Holloway is go. Aiden Holloway, who was arrested, you know, early on Monday, I suppose will be charged with first degree possession of marijuana. Not for personal use. He was caught with essentially a pound, maybe a little more than a pound, Which. That's a. That's a felony. It's a class C felony. There's this. This thing with the tax stamp. I'm out of my element. Donnie. I don't even know, but he is out. He had five thousand dollar bond. The question is, will he be available? Will he even travel with the team? Alabama's got to get on a plane to fly to Tampa. I don't know. I'll take him to beat Hofstra for now, but I genuinely want to see how this story evolves over the next 24 to 48 hours. It's a wild one, man. I mean, you got a player busted for having a whole. It's in Alabama, like, having a whole bunch of. Whole bunch of marijuana. Just a. Just a huge stash. I mean, college basketball, it never ceases to amaze Paris. Like, this was the thing where, like, a lot. Just a busy Monday, right? Not as busy as it has been, but we're just. We're getting stuff together. We're prepping, we're doing hits, all this. And you see this hit the timeline, and you're like, hold on. What. Am I reading this correctly? Is this actually happening? Of all the programs, it's Alabama. What is happening? What is this charge? And it's a felony. I don't know. I. I would assume if a felony charge is against you for allegedly, like, if, as if I'm reading this correctly, this is this. It was for. It was not for personal use. So by nature of that definition, you're looking to Distribute what?

Matt Norlander (65:33)

Are you about to have a party? One of the two. You either. You are either distributing slash selling.

Gary Parrish (65:40)

I'm assuming that wasn't for medical use. I'm guessing we don't have a glaucoma situation with Alabama starting point guard.

Matt Norlander (65:47)

Listen, I ain't gonna. I ain't gonna speak on that, but, I mean, that's either a party or you're distributing one of the two. In all seriousness, and I'm not trying to bring up old stuff, I'm just trying to provide context for the conversation we're having. Keep in mind, Brandon Miller never missed any time for the incident he was involved in a few years ago. You can Google that if you want. And you know, Nate Oates is, like, on the record. Different. Different topic, but is on the record making it clear. This year when he was justifying enrolling Charles Bediaca, he more or less said, my job is to win basketball games. That's what I'm here to do. That, and that's why I get paid. And if you apply that same logic to this, what do you do?

Gary Parrish (66:42)

And we'll find out soon.

Matt Norlander (66:44)

Let me just. So there's no wiggle room. If this were my alma mater, I would not want this young man representing us on a national stage in the same week where he got a felony charge. And I want to be clear. It's also 2026. I got.

Gary Parrish (67:02)

Yeah, there's also that. I got.

Matt Norlander (67:05)

Yeah, I got no problem. It's 2026. I got no problem with weed anymore. I got no problem with a young person smoking any more than I got a problem with a young person drinking. Like. Like, I. I don't care. But, like, if my adult son got busted with a pound of weed in his apartment, I would be like, yo, man, I ain't mad that you had weed. Really? But, like, a pound. What are you doing? Like what. Like, what are you doing? And like, you put yourself at real risk by just making a poor decision. It's one thing to have a bag, you know, a bag of edibles. It's another thing to have a fellow. Something that could. Could be leading to a felony charge. So, listen, I'm not gonna preach. I was young, too, and made tons of poor decisions. But you are a basketball player getting ready for the NCAA tournament, and you have created, with a poor decision, at best, a poor decision. You've created a negative headline for your university and put your coaching, your athletic director in a really bad spot. They can do whatever they want. I. I promise I won't care one way or another too much. But I, I think if I were running the program, I, I don't, I don't think he would play, at least not in, I don't know, I'd have to talk it through. But this is, this is not ideal, let's just put it that way.

Gary Parrish (68:28)

I initially thought this was for, like, some minor possession, and so my instant reaction was like, he's going to play and why wouldn't he? It's 20, 26. What are we doing? And then you learn what's actually happening here. It's like, okay, that does change the, the perspective on a little bit. Just one hell of a headline, man. Of all the schools. Okay, Tennessee going to play the winner of SMU and Miami. I, I, I'm not. When I got home late, GP after we podcasted, I flipped on bracket breakdown on CBS Sports Network. Watched a good 30, 45 minutes as I tore through, and I did hear you talk about this game. We are in lockstep. Sure. Pick SMU Now, I'm not talking you. I'm talking everyone listening like they're a seven and a half point favor. I get it. I'm gonna lean into the story. Like, if we're, if we're wrong, who cares? Like, I'd love to see it happen. So I'm going to pick Miami to beat smu and yeah, what the hell, why not? I don't care. I'm taking Miami to win a game. Josh, click him over. Yep. Miami beats Tennessee. That is a long shot. I am very aware Miami is going to need to shoot better than 40 from 3, and Tennessee will destroy that team on the offensive glass. It will be carnage. But stranger things have happened. We once saw the smallest team in the country beat a team that was the number one seed with Zach Edie. So it wouldn't be the biggest shocker. Nevertheless, we'll lean into it and, and have a little fun. I will take Virginia to get past Wright State with Ryan Odom. Man, what a start for that team in that program in year one. 29 wins and almost certainly going to get to 30. That's good stuff for, for the Wahoos. Kentucky, Santa Clara. I'm still here. I'm still here as I was 24 hours ago. I got no idea on this game. I got no idea whatsoever. I, I think I've got Santa Clara in my CBS bracket. Yeah. Let's go, Gales. Gails.

Matt Norlander (70:20)

Let's

Gary Parrish (70:22)

save Mary's. Let's go, Broncos. Let's go, Clara. Get it done. All right. Santa Clara into the second round and then Iowa State back up to the top. I'll go Michigan over Slew. I will go.

Matt Norlander (70:38)

Whoo.

Gary Parrish (70:39)

Man. I've got Tech versus Bama in this spot right now. I. I'm going Texas Tech right now. I guess subject to change, but for the purposes of this show right now, yes, I will go. I will go Texas Tech to the sweet 16. And then I'll have Virginia moving along to the regional semis beating Miami. And then I will have Iowa State moving along as well, getting past Herb Sendex team and then man, I did not want. What do I have here? It's too much chalk. Whatever. All right, give me Michigan, Michigan. And then I give me Iowa State to get past Virginia and then I will go Iowa State, which I've had from the get go my final four teams. I won't change. I think I'm going to stick with this. I'll go down with the ship. I'll go Iowa State to Indianapolis.

Matt Norlander (71:32)

All right. Michigan obviously advances out of the round of 64. I've got him playing St. Louis in the round of 32. I've got St. Louis over Georgia, but St. Louis is like kind of like went from this incredible story.

Gary Parrish (71:49)

I know.

Matt Norlander (71:51)

And like four and four in their past eight. I know there's a total flop last

Gary Parrish (71:56)

year in the tournament. I think they played Gonzaga. They were a no show. Now it's a little bit of a different team, but I kind of can't get that out of my head.

Matt Norlander (72:02)

I'll take Texas Tech over Akron and Alabama over Hofstra. Then yeah, I've got Tennessee knocking out whoever it plays. Miami Ohio, smu like you said. I don't know that outside of like the national championship contenders, anybody has more pressure on them to in this tournament than Miami Ohio. Just in terms of perspective, there's going to be a whole the army of folks who can't wait to tell them they were never any good, that they never belonged if they, if they don't win a game. And so I'd like for them to not have to hear that for the rest of their lives. So I'll take Miami Ohio for the sake of the story over smu. But then I've got them eliminated in the round of 64 by Tennessee. I've got Virginia over Wright State, Santa Clara over Kentucky. That's going to be one of those that's going to sound like a big upset. It's not like those teams cost different amounts of money, but they're not really different caliber of teams based on the way They've played through 19 weeks of the season. I told you earlier, I'm going to have three WCC teams in at least the round of 32. That's. That means I had to get Santa Clara past the Wildcats in the round of 64. I've got Iowa State over Tennessee State circling back, Michigan over slu. I've got Alabama over Texas Tech in the bracket that I filled out. But given that Holloway news, I'll flip that to Texas Tech, Texas Tech over Alabama. I've got Virginia over Tennessee, Iowa State over Santa Clara, then Michigan over Texas Tech, Michigan to the Elite Eight, Iowa State, Virginia should be terrific. But I got Iowa State getting past the Cavaliers. Then I've got Michigan over Iowa State, another one seed. So my final four is St. John's Houston, Arizona, Michigan, two one seeds, a two seed and a five seed.

Gary Parrish (73:59)

I like that you got the five seed there. Something about the Midwest to me, that region, I'm smelling chaos and I didn't have it in my picks, but I'm smelling a little bit of something there. Okay, let's get to our Final Fours. Actually, before we get to our Final Four, one quick thing. Whole bracket, take a look at, take a look at it which even though it's not likely and I want to dive into this a little bit more on tomorrow's podcast. Which team. How about which team that is 12 or worse. Do you give the best chance to get to the sweet 16? 12 or worse. I'll go first because I've got South Florida right now, so that doesn't count there in 11. I think of all of them on the board because we get, we typically we get this in a given tournament. We didn't get it last year. Arkansas was a 10, was the only double digit seed. I think among you got to be a 12 or worse. I'm taking into their, their potential matchups with this as well. Parrish, I feel like the answer is McNeese. If they can get past Vandy, I could see them matching up well with Nebraska. There are 12 in the south in the bottom left of your bracket. This is admittedly some dart throwing, but off the top of your head, which one do you think might be, might be the team to do it.

Matt Norlander (75:22)

Okay, so there's two. Let me be clear. I don't think any, I don't think anybody seated 12th or worse will be in the Sweet 16. But best chance to do it best look at a team like Akron because in the round of 64 you get a Texas Tech team without J.T. toppin. I know they've still been good in moments without JT Toppin, but they're still without their best player. And then in the round of 32, if you win that one, you could play shorthanded Alabama, or at least Alabama dealing with some distractions, so perhaps that's set up for them. The other one, again, not predicting it, but could I see it? High Point getting past Wisconsin, and then, you know, every once in a while, John Calipari has gotten caught early in an NCAA tournament. Again, I'm not predicting it, but if you're looking for 12 seeds or worse, High Point, Akron might make some sense. So here's what we're going to do. Norland, are you going to give me your teams that are going to advance to the title game? You're going to give me your national champion, and then we're going. We have to. I'm sorry. Then we're going to take one more break and then come back. Then I'm going to give you my. My teams that'll play for the title and my national champion. And then. And then we'll. We'll shout out Devin Downey. And I'm. Then I'm gonna take a nap, probably, if we're being honest. How's that sound?

Gary Parrish (76:35)

And for everyone watching on YouTube, they're gonna get to see Chat GP as you got dubbed last night in the chat. We're gonna get to hear Chat GP

Matt Norlander (76:42)

Oh, I hope so.

Gary Parrish (76:43)

Yeah, I hope so.

Matt Norlander (76:45)

I'm really looking forward to that. Do you realize every time we do that, I go, let's hear a word from our partners. And then I go, I rip my ear out, go down here so that I don't have to deal with it. I don't want to deal with it.

Gary Parrish (76:55)

It's too good. All right, let's bring up that bracket again. Josh, if we could. My Final Four. This will not change, I guess. I promise. I hope. I think I've got Yukon in Houston on the left side of the bracket, playing in Indy. Those are a couple of two seeds. I'll take the Cougars to get it down against the Huskies and win and get back to the national title game. If we get. If we get Dan Hurley and Kelvin Sampson and matching wits in that game, that would be outstanding. Now, yeah, by virtue of this, I have. I have Huskies three times in four years making the Final Four. And I. And I do admit, like, that's. With the way that UConn has looked coming down the stretch. It's a little bit harder for sell again. I just think it happens to be a good value play to get him to the Final Four. As always, we'll see. And I'm very, very willing, able and ready to be wrong on the right side. I've got Arizona against Iowa State and what do we have here, folks? What do we have in this incredible, unforgettable, epic season that we've got and been gifted with so far? I have not by intention, it's just I filled out the bracket and then I realized on the desk last night, look what I've got. I've got a rematch of probably the best game of the entire season, which just went down last Friday in Kansas City. Arizona 82, Iowa State 80. Jaden Bradley with the buzzer beater. Incredible play up and down the floor, both sides. Milan Momcilovich had eight three pointers in that game. We saw Jaden Bradley be an absolute stud. Anthony Del Orso had his career high. I've got these teams squaring off again in the Final Four. Cyclones fans, I know you're thrilled I got you to the Final Four. At least I would think. But I got you losing here. I got Arizona getting it done. So I have yet another Big 12 matchup and yes, I have another battle between Houston and Arizona. This is a rematch of the Big 12 championship game. It would be the third matchup between these two teams, not just this season, but when it happens it would be the third time and I think seven weeks span. Arizona won at Houston back in February. It won against Houston by five in the title game, but I don't have them going 3, 0, give me the Cougars to win the national championship and beat Arizona in a classic. Kelvin Sampson gets his title and gets I guess avenges fulfills after a year ago being one shot away. They get it done here. I find Houston to be one of the best value plays as a 2 seed to pick to win your office pool. You're going to see a lot of people going with Duke Casuals that don't know about the Foster situation. You'll see a lot of people pick Florida because they won the title a year ago. They're going to see Florida with the one next to its name again and that's going to obviously make plenty of sense why they're going to do that. You're going to see Arizona because Arizona is going to be the most popular title pick of any team in this bracket. And you'll see Michigan because Michigan's a huge brand from the Big Ten that's on TV a lot. And has won a lot of games in high profile fashion by destroying other teams. They're all viable. They can all win the national title. In my opinion, Houston is just as capable, has the experience, has the talent, has the coaching. So why not take a shot? Give me the Cougars to cut down the nets.

Matt Norlander (79:57)

Norlander, with Kelvin Sampson at the age of 70, getting a national championship. So my final four is of course, St. John's Houston, Arizona and Michigan. Yes.

Gary Parrish (80:09)

We only agree on one team. Two teams. Sorry. Houston and Arizona.

Matt Norlander (80:13)

You know how I feel about my Red Storm, but you also know I do.

Gary Parrish (80:17)

You say you claim to hate them.

Matt Norlander (80:19)

No, that's old. No, we're back together now. We're back together. We got back together.

Gary Parrish (80:23)

This usually works out well. Volatile relationship.

Matt Norlander (80:26)

You didn't. You didn't hear. You didn't hear. We got back together. We went through counseling. We went. We. We got some help. Yeah, we needed to get some help. Okay? But we. We're on good terms now. All right? It was bumpy. Everybody knows it was bumpy. But we're on good terms now. We're back together. Me and the Red Storm. You know how I feel about my Red Storm, but you also know how I feel about my Kelvin Sampson. I'm taking Houston over St. John's the red storms, magical run. It ends right there. On the other side. I've got Arizona and Michigan, 21 seeds. These are two of the three teams that have been at the tip top of the sport basically the entire season. I could see either one winning. I've got Michigan advancing. I've got Michigan and Houston playing for a national championship. And if I could write it, I think the best story you could write in this NCAA tournament, outside of Bob

Gary Parrish (81:25)

Richie, we do not have the same title winner, do we?

Matt Norlander (81:30)

I think the best story would probably be Bob Ritchie getting it done for Furman. All right? But short of that, give me shot. Clock off, down to. We're in Indy. Houston's got the ball. Emmanuel Sharp comes off a. Kingston Flemings finds him and he pulls true buzzer beater bang Jay Wright style. After not being able to get a shot off in the final seconds of the title game a year ago, Emmanuel Sharp buries it. Houston national champion Kelvin Sampson, national champion Emmanuel Sharp. Most outstanding player in the final Four, Kingston Flemings, future Memphis Grizzly.

Gary Parrish (82:22)

Okay, didn't need that part, but okay. Do we dare dream? Yes, we do.

Matt Norlander (82:28)

Yes, I'm dreaming.

Gary Parrish (82:29)

That would be as storybook as it possibly gets in a tournament and in a sport that empowers Such incredible stories to happen. We'll see if we're. See if we're right. You and me, same title winner. Feel like three or four of the past six tournaments we have actually been on the same page with some of these title picks. I could be entirely wrong, but that's

Matt Norlander (82:49)

we either gonna be the smartest podcast or the dumbest podcast.

Gary Parrish (82:51)

And I'm ready for both.

Matt Norlander (82:53)

I'm pretty sure I know which one. Either way, I'm pretty sure I know which one.

Gary Parrish (82:59)

We're gonna be back tomorrow with another one. So with that in mind, that's a show.

Matt Norlander (83:03)

Yes. Ain't nobody else get to hear my voice. The rest of the night I will not talk even if I go to dinner. I'm just gonna text my orders. No talking for me. Gotta rest my voice. Rest my voice for March. You know, real tv. People actually do like rest their voice and stuff. Yeah, I don't.

Gary Parrish (83:23)

I don't rest.

Matt Norlander (83:24)

I don't rest my voice at all. I'm gonna try tonight. Shouts to Devin Downey. Shouts to Chester, S.C. shouts Terry Teagle. He's a legend. Hulk and Larnell, thank you guys once again for watching and listening to the Ion College Basketball Podcast. You're not subscribed. Please go subscribe anywhere. You subscribe to podcasts, Apple and Spotify, more of us than there are of them. That should be reflected in the comments. So do that and we're going to talk to you again on Tuesday.

Gary Parrish (83:49)

Tuesday, I think so I. We'll figure it out Tuesday or Wednesday, I don't know. It's coming one way or another. I don't know when it's coming.

Matt Norlander (83:58)

That's what she said.

Gary Parrish (84:00)

Okay.

Matt Norlander (84:01)

All right, we'll see you at some point. Real soon.

Gary Parrish (84:03)

Bye. Bye.

Matt Norlander (84:13)

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Gary Parrish (84:16)

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Matt Norlander (84:20)

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Matt Norlander (84:34)

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