Eye On College Basketball

We didn’t have a blockbuster weekend, but there are a few scores and plot lines to dive into. The pod opens with Kansas and Duke’s three-game losing streaks. How many times, ever, have these two blue bloods had three-game losing streaks at the same time? Then the guys get into Coach K’s viral moment with a student reporter (16:10) and discuss why some of the reaction was overblown. The weekend whiparound starts around the 32-minute mark, and then the mailbag (42:00) is bookended with Norlander having a little rapid-fire Q&A with GP for his 48th birthday. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Let’s have some fun. Today’s episode opens with Indiana’s highly significant upset at Iowa from Thursday night, and so there will be crow to eat. At the 14:30 mark, the guys then get to Norlander’s piece (link below) from Thursday that details the potentially messy situation awaiting college basketball in March: should conference tournaments be played? Norlander polled more than 40 coaches, and more than a quarter of them believe they should not be. There’s a lot to unpack here; we think you’ll enjoy this back-and-forth. The Final Four + 1 picks (43:45) are all Saturday games, with a quick tour on another five or six to be aware of beyond the ones the guys make picks on. https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/more-than-one-out-of-every-four-coaches-surveyed-say-conference-tournaments-should-not-be-held-this-season/ To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander open with Alabama's record-breaking win at LSU on Tuesday night. The Crimson Tide are a top-10 team at the moment, so let's get into it. After that, a few words on Pitt's win over Duke (16:30) and a quick tour of some other results from Tuesday night, like Purdue, Oregon State and Florida all getting Ws (24:00). On Tuesday, the NCAA announced the schedule for all rounds of the 2021 NCAA Tournament (28:30) and Norlander has more information to report, in addition to some rants about what could have been changed with the format this year. The guys wrap with a quick heads-up on a few Thursday evening games to keep an eye on (48:30). To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We know our Friday preview ep was shorter than usual, so we made up for it with our Sunday recap one. The guys open on Virginia, which had the most impressive win of the weekend. Then they get to Illinois (11:45) and try to answer why it’s falling short of expectations. The weekend whiparound (25:15) includes thoughts on Creighton, Pac-12, Gonzaga, Baylor, UNC, Louisville and more, and then the guys — probably for the last time this season — dedicate a little time to what John Calipari (40:40) said on Saturday. And a special elongated mailbag segment (50:20) this week, which includes interesting questions, fake stories and some D-I college hoops connections. As Norlander references on the pod, here’s a link to his weekend takeaways column, which you can read while you listen. Enjoy! https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/college-basketball-scores-takeaways-virginia-romps-michigan-fine-despite-loss-illinois-weirdly-unreliable/ To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The weekend is here. GP and Norlander open with some lingering thoughts from Texas Tech’s nice win at Texas, then touch on Indiana’s problematic home loss to Purdue on Thursday night (8:30) and discuss the NCAA’s one-year-only modification to the bracketing process (12:15), which is an improvement. And since it’s Friday, you know it: Final Four + 1 picks (19:00) for our favorite games. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michigan's powerful home win over Wisconsin on Tuesday night was so convincing, it's got us thinking that this is the best team in the Big Ten. The guys open on that, then get to Duke, Kentucky and Kansas (15:15) all losing, with thoughts on each of those games and why each loss was different. Also, on Monday, significant NCAA news came down when the D-I Council opted against recommending a vote on NIL rules and transfer rulers (35:30). Norlander provides a rundown on why, while Parrish levies an accurate attack against the NCAA over the stall on immediate eligibility for transfers. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The weekend wrap-up edition opens with Texas' last-second win at West Virginia, punctuated by Andrew Jones hitting the winning shot three years to the day from when his teammates found out he had leukemia. Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander then ask: Gonzaga and Baylor (12:15) or the field to win the 2021 NCAA Tournament? Then it's our usual Sunday night whiparound (25:00) wherein we touch on Kentucky, Alabama USC, Michigan State, Rutgers, UConn, Iowa and more. And then it's our biggest listener mailbag segment yet (43:00), with plenty of wonderful reviews and Qs to get to. Keep 'em coming! And here's Norlander's takeaways piece from the weekend, if you'd like to read while you listen: https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/college-basketball-scores-weekend-takeaways-andrew-jones-huge-shot-iowa-avenges-loss-kentuckys-revival/ To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What Illinois pulled off Thursday night against Northwestern was among the most unlikely second-half performances in college hoops history. We start there, then get to the other Big Ten scores from Thursday (11:00), in addition to general talk on the league and how a few teams are facing urgent games this weekend. This week, Norlander wrote up a story on 13-0 Drake (you can read it here), and that discussion starts about at the 19-minute mark. There’s a completely ridiculous tangent about an extinct animal embedded in the segment, but eventually the guys make their way to the Final Four + 1 (35:00), picking five games along with Norlander’s tour around the weekend of the other matchups to keep an eye on. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's been a while since we've led a pod with the UConn Huskies, but after that huge comeback road win at Marquette, it's where we start. Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander then get to the confirmation of the NCAA Tournament securing six venues in and around Indianapolis (16:45) for the 2021 NCAA Tournament. Norlander has more details, including a look at a potential schedule for the Dance. Off-the-court news this week (36:00) with WVU's Oscar Tshiebwe and Houston's Caleb Mills both transferring out of their programs. The pod wraps around the 44-minute mark with what to watch for Wednesday and Thursday night in college hoops. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We hope you got a lot of hoops watching in this weekend. The show opens with some … Leaky Black! Then moves to Texas’ 25-point win at Kansas and Kentucky’s season mayyyybe (18:45) getting saved by Dontaie Allen. The guys do a 20-minute whiparound at the 32-minute mark with the notable results from this weekend, touching on nearly 10 scores of note. The pod wraps (52:00) with some reader reviews. We love them — keep sending, and be sure to include some questions to spice it up going forward. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to 2021! Here’s our reward: a fabulously loaded Saturday, from noon until nearly midnight, of compelling college basketball games. Before Norlander and Parrish get to the Final Four + 1 picks and previews, they open with undefeated Michigan, then get to undefeated Tennessee (13:45). Also, Friday morning brought bad news for West Virginia (20:00): Oscar Tshiebwe has left the team, putting WVU’s Final Four aspirations in doubt. The stuffed weekend preview starts around the 24-minute mark. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Happy New Year’s Eve eve! We open this ep by talking Michigan State and whether it misses making the NCAA Tournament in 2021. Then GP and Norlander discuss Arizona (14:30) removing itself from the 2021 postseason and whether this plan should or could backfire on the Wildcats. At the 28-minute mark, Parrish’s podcast betrayal before discussing the games to know for Thursday night, New Year’s Eve (32:00), led by Minnesota-Wisconsin. And given this is the final episode of 2020, we have to wrap by looking back on the year. Norlander has the five biggest college hoops stories of the past 12 months, and there’s even a call to our listeners: send and share your favorite podcast moments from 2020, too. Because Parrish remembers almost none of them. Stay safe, stay happy, we wish you all a great start in 2021. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Northwestern is 6-1 with a 3-0 record in the Big Ten. Yes, we are opening the podcast talking NORTHWESTERN. Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander also discuss the Big Ten (10:00) and evaluate the league’s chances of sending at least 10 teams to the 2021 NCAA Tournament. Then it’s Gonzaga (19:30) and the likelihood it runs the regular-season table, but also why this would be a very good thing for college basketball (the convincing case made therein). The duo unexpected gets into a discussion about Seinfeld and VCRs, but Norlander steers it back on track by looking ahead to the games to know for Monday and Tuesday (42:15) before the pod wraps with some entertaining shoutouts to the listeners who left notable reviews (57:00) — so be sure to leave yours if you want some love on a future pod. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Merry Christmas, everyone, and happy holidays. Our Christmas Eve episode brings a lot of basketball and holiday cheer. We open with Indiana, then get to notable results from Wednesday (12:00) before moving on to discussing the Big Ten opting to play games on Christmas (21:00) and making our picks in the Final Four + 1 (29:00). The pod wraps with some Christmas chatter, like favorite holiday songs, family traditions (good or bad) and what are the top five days of the year? What's better: Christmas Eve of the first Thursday of the NCAA Tournament? Enjoy, we wish you and yours a safe, happy, grateful holiday. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

North Carolina lost at NC State on Tuesday night, bringing to light an unfortunate possibility: the 14-19 team last season might mean UNC struggles to make the 2021 NCAA Tournament. The guys also touch on Kansas (12:15) and its runaway home win over West Virginia. Looks like everyone underestimated KU heading into the season. As for Kentucky (20:30), the news gets worse as John Calipari takes the unusual action of publicly criticizing a player -- and asking him to temporarily step away from the team. On Tuesday, more great Keyontae Johnson news (35:30), as the Florida star left the hospital. The pod wraps with some quick holiday talk, focusing in on Festivus and few airing of grievances. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Gonzaga reminded everyone that it’s the best team in the sport with its double-digit win over No. 3 Iowa on Saturday, so the guys start there — and make quick mention of the CFP committee’s final rankings. Then we must get to 1-5 Kentucky (18:15), off to its worst start in more than 90 years. And after that, a weekend whiparound of sorts (34:30), with thoughts on Creighton-UConn, Providence-Seton Hall, Marquette-Xavier, Illinois-Rutgers and a few other items, too. Plus, we bring back the Apple Pods reader reviews (56:00) and Northwestern’s upset of Michigan State happens just as the pod wraps. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's not good that the biggest discussion topic off a huge Big 12 Thursday game is the officiating. But that's the case with Kansas' 58-57 win at Texas Tech Thursday night. GP and Norlander start there, then get into the myths and facts about Billikens (14:00). Oh by the way: Saint Louis is 6-0. After a conversation that goes in many directions, it’s time for the Final Four (and one), with picks and previews for the weekend (27:00). Included is talk on Gonzaga-Iowa, Louisville-Wisconsin, UNC-Kentucky and Indiana-Butler, among others! To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Might the Big East be the trendsetter in college hoops? Matt Norlander had a report — which you can read here as you listen to the pod — that quoted league commissioner Val Ackerman and got into the topic of whether or not the Big East (and other power conferences) could ultimately decide to play league games in controlled environments in January, February or March. The guys extend the Big East chatter with thoughts on Marquette (19:30) and its upset win at Creighton. On Tuesday we got great news about the health status of Florida’s Keyontae Johnson (27:15), and on Tuesday night Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer (31:25) became the winningest coach in women’s basketball history. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On Saturday morning Florida’s Keyontae Johnson collapsed in the first half of UF’s game at Florida State and was rushed to the hospital. The latest update as of our recording time was that Johnson remains in "critical but stable condition." The pod starts there, and we of course send only our very best to Keyontae and his loved ones in wishing for a quick recovery as soon as possible. Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander also discuss Missouri’s three-point win over Illinois (16:15), bringing Mizzou to 5-0 and legitimately to a level of top-20 status in the sport. What’s more, the guys touch on some housekeeping items from the weekend (25:05) like Clemson, Cade Cunningham, cancellations — with a focus on Kentucky now having its worst start in 36 years. They wrap with Nate Oats’ Saturday evening apology to Coach K (41:00) and why Oats’ words were not surprising, and if anything, promptly appropriate. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Duke will not play Gardner-Webb, meaning it has canceled the remainder of its nonconference schedule. The pod opens with that, plus gets into Alabama coach Nate Oats taking aim at Mike Krzyzewski's comments about considering a temporary halt to the college basketball season. There's a lot to unpack there, so here we go. The guys also give some love to San Diego State starting the season 5-0 and picking up where it left off in 2019-20 -- its undefeated run. And the Final Four + 1 is back! We pick and preview the five best games of the weekend, plus give a heads-up on another half-dozen tips of note scheduled for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Come on in and prep for a good weekend of hoops. We hope this finds you well! To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You were locked in to a big Tuesday night of hoops, so we’ve got you covered here on a Wednesday. The opener of the pod discusses Duke’s issues — Parrish still has the Blue Devils ranked — and Illinois totally looking the part of top-five team. There was also Mike Krzyzewski’s criticism of even playing college basketball right now; the guys touch on that, too. Then it’s time to talk Iowa (20:00) over North Carolina and Kansas (27:05) over Creighton. Maybe even a little Rutgers, too? Sure! Michigan State-Virginia has been postponed unfortunately, but there’s still a good Wednesday night slate and one very good game to know for Thursday. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

'The Early Edge: A Daily SportsLine Betting Podcast' debuts on Thursday, December 10. Download and subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher and whenever else podcasts are found to get the first episode in your feed as soon as it is released! Looking for the best picks against the spread, sharp action on the total and props you can take to the ticket window? Join Jonathan Coachman on the Early Edge as he speaks with the best handicappers to preview every day’s biggest games in 10 minutes or fewer. From primetime picks to off-the-radar locks, Early Edge is bringing you the best bets in a quick, informative and easy to digest podcast. We promise to keep it short, sweet and to the point as SportsLine’s best experts come together to put some green into your pocket. Early Edge is in your feed every single day by 11 AM ET, don’t lay a wager without listening to our SportsLine experts. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The two biggest headlines from Sunday in college hoops were Kentucky looking terrible against Georgia Tech and dropping to 1-3 for the first time since 2000-01 … and Gonzaga announcing it is going on COVID-19 pause through Dec. 14. The pod opens with a discussion on why alarms should legitimately be hit for UK right now. Then GP and Norlander get to Gonzaga (19:30) halting for a bit and discuss the nature of college basketball cancellations we should expect on a daily basis for the entire season. More: Villanova over Texas (38:15) amounts to the biggest win by any team in college basketball so far this season. The guys chat that, a history-making 40-0 run by Ohio and tie some threads together from the recent previous podcasts. And we wrap with a few binge-worthy TV recs as of late. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We have quick reactions to Saturday's huge and unfortunate news: Gonzaga-Baylor was called off due to two positive COVID-19 test results in Gonzaga's program. The details of how it happened, when it happened and a layout of the potential scheduling routes that will allow for these teams to play each other again later this season. Mark Few and Scott Drew were publicly ambitious Saturday afternoon about getting this game in THIS season. Here's Parrish's column on the matter as well. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On Saturday afternoon on CBS, Gonzaga and Baylor will face off, marking the 43rd time in history college basketball has a 1-vs.-2 game. Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander open the first 25 minutes of the podcast by previewing that game but also going over Gonzaga's win against West Virginia and Baylor's win over Illinois on Wednesday night in the Jimmy V Classic. Then they touch on Texas (28:30) winning the Maui Invitational, which sets up another huge game: Sunday's home tilt against Villanova. For maybe the first time in the history of KenPom, which dates back almost 20 years, the top four teams play each other in a two-day period in the regular season. We don't gloss over Iowa's Luka Garza (39:00) and wrap the pod with a few more games to know on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The weekend preview pods are back! To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tuesday night's Champions Classic saw Michigan State win at Duke and Kansas win an ugly game over Kentucky. The pod opens with MSU-Duke chatter before transitioning to UK-KU (10:00). With Norlander back from Bubbleville, he shares some initial impressions on potential No. 1 2021 pick Evan Mobley (22:30), who played for USC on Tuesday in a huge win over BYU in Bubbleville. Norlander also gives a rundown on the success of Bubbleville so far and why it can work. (As promised, here's the piece, if you'd like to read it.) From there, the pod goes in a bunch of weird directions which we think you'll enjoy. Anyone remembers pogs? To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Virginia, Villanova and Kentucky have all lost as top-10 teams through five games of the season. Texas Tech took a surprising defeat as well vs. equally good Houston on Sunday. Today's episode recaps the biggest events of Saturday and Sunday, plus gives a look ahead to the most interesting games of Monday and Tuesday, let by the Maui Invitational, which is taking place in Asheville, North Carolina. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Gonzaga has looked incredible on the court through two games, beating KU and Auburn. But the outstanding play has been overshadowed some due to the fact GU has multiple COVID-19 positives in its program. That didn't stop Gonzaga from playing Auburn on Friday. The guys get into that mess of a topic and then discuss Gonzaga's impressive 2-0 start. From there, Virginia getting knocked over by San Francisco (23:15) and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl having arguably the best two-game start of any player are discussed. Norlander also goes behind the scenes to show how Villanova agreed to stick around Bubbleville and surprisingly pick up another game, plus the guys give their initial tidbits and goodies on a few other results from the first 2.5 days of action. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Say no more. We have finally made it. Get ready and bask in the regular season by listening to the pod as you watch games all day and all night long. Allons-y! To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's been the longest offseason in 40-plus years in college basketball, but the week has finally arrived. The season will start Wednesday. There will be games -- and plenty of postponements and cancellations. On Monday, we learned Duke and Arizona will not play their season-openers due to COVID-19. Even the news of Rick Barnes testing positive broke mid-podcast. The guys discuss the logistics around starting the season this week and all the entanglements. They also get to Auburn, which is not expected to be good this season, self-imposing a postseason ban for 2021. Gary Parrish said this practice should no longer be part of the equation in the penalty process for the NCAA. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mark Few has never before had Gonzaga at No. 1 heading into a season, but that is now the case. We wrap up our preseason top 10 series with an episode dedicates to the Zags -- and a peek around the WCC while we're at it as well. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Baylor as a top-two team heading into the season? We're a long way from Bill Henderson. Bill who? BILL HENDERSON! Just listen to the pod -- we're less than a week to the start of the season, people! To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There seems to be a clear top three in college hoops heading into the season. The order they should go in is however you prefer. We discuss Villanova in the 3 spots, as that's where Gary Parrish has it in his preseason rankings. Norlander thinks this is the top team in the sport. Let's have at it. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After being credibly accused of physical and verbal assault of multiple former players, student-athletes and an assistant coach -- and denying the physical assault in October -- Gregg Marshall stepped down Tuesday as coach of the Wichita State men's basketball program. This emergency pod provides context as to why WSU felt it necessary to pay Marshall $7.75 million to leave, discusses if Marshall will return to coach in college, and ends with the initial list of candidates to replace him in 2021. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tony Bennett has brought Virginia to a plane of existence UVA fans could have never imagined six or seven years ago: the Cavaliers are expected to be one of the 10 best teams in college basketball almost every season. Here's why Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander both size up this seasons' Virginia squad as a Final Four contender. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The 2021 NCAA Tournament will be held in one general location, with that location hopefully being the greater Indianapolis area. What is and isn't doable, what has and hasn't been decided, what should and shouldn't happen: Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander give you 30 minutes of reaction to Monday's big news. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello, and let this be your first notice that college basketball starts NEXT. WEEK. Our countdown series continues with an examination of Gene Wilder's alma mater: Iowa. Parrish has the Hawkeyes ranked fifth, Norlander has them 10th. The AP Top 25 has Iowa fourth, its highest preseason ranking in history. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Wednesday night is the 2020 NBA Draft. It's never happened in November and never been so close (only ONE WEEK) up against the start of the college basketball season. If you're looking to get a sense of who will be picked -- or who SHOULD be picked -- in the first round, Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander mock out the lottery and the rest of the top 30 picks on this episode. They also give insight to the names rising and falling, and include a few more players just outside the first round of this mock who probably work their way into the top 30 on Wednesday evening. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Illinois doesn't get many seasons like this anymore. Preseason top-10 expectations and boasting two of the 20 best players in the sport. Brad Underwood enters his fourth season in Champaign with a chance to win the Big Ten at Illinois for the first time in 16 years. Here's all you need to know about a team getting a good dose of preseason hype -- and who Norlander and Parrish are higher on than the preseason metrics. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kansas was securely the best team in college basketball in 2019-20. That's probably the No. 1 reason why the Jayhawks, who have a roster that's far from stacked the way other KU teams have been stacked in the past 15 years, nonetheless finds itself ranked No. 7 in our preseason countdown. As Norlander promises on the pod, here's a link to our Top 100 And 1 players list, which published Wednesday. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Duke is No. 8 in Gary Parrish's preseason Top 25 And 1. Norlander's got Duke No. 12. KenPom rates Duke No. 3 heading into the season. It's an interesting team with plenty of questions, but on today's episode the guys give the case for and against Duke as a Final Four contender for the season ahead. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander lay out the case for Creighton as a top-10 team (though Norlander has it No. 11 in his 1-357 rankings) and why the Bluejays are looking at school history. Greg McDermott's done a stellar job guiding CU from Missouri Valley pillar to Big East power player in the past seven/eight seasons. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We begin our top-10 countdown series with an examination of the under-hyped Wisconsin Badgers, who are Final Four contenders thanks to so many quality players returning from a team that would have been the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten tournament last March. Greg Gard's doing quite well for himself after all. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Cassius Winston was a highly rated point guard prospect coming out of high school. He went on to a stellar four-year career at Michigan State. No 2020 NCAA Tournament may have dinged his draft stock, but in this episode Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander explicitly make the case for why Winston should be taken in the mid-to-late 20s of Nov. 18's draft. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Houston Cougars are looking like the best team in the American Athletic Conference. Memphis isn't far behind. But then? Well, it's going to get interesting. This is a big year for the American, which loses UConn. It's still a major-seven conference, but that distinction isn't promised for the years to come. What teams will be in the NCAA Tournament mix? Our final league preview is here. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

OK, it's settled. The Big East by far the most unpredictable league Nos. 3-8 in college basketball. Our latest podcast episode takes an informative scan of every team in the conference. Parrish and Norlander only agree on the placement of four teams. Villanova is the best, that's clear. Creighton is right behind. Then? Hey, UConn is back here, and they've got good potential. As Norlander notes, his 1-357 has now published in full. You can read the top tier, No. 1-68, right here. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Let's chat now about the SEC, which has NCAA Tournament contenders in Tennessee, Kentucky, Florida, Alabama, LSU ... and then who? There's a lot to be determined there, a lot of intrigue. Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander fill you in in the fifth of our seven conference preview eps. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander do not agree on the best team in the Pac-12 this season. In fact, they might disagree more about this league than any other. That's a great thing for Pac-12 teams, because it means the conference is again built to put a minimum of five teams into the NCAA Tournament and a maximum, most likely, of seven. Which seven? What are the tiers? Should Arizona State be the pick? We hope you get out and vote on this Election Day, and if you are, and if this podcast helped pass the time while waiting in line, we're happy to have provided some info and entertainment. Five stars and nice comments, you know what to do! To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Big 12 has seven of its 10 teams in position to be NCAA Tournament-good this season. But there seems like there's a top half and a bottom half, though. Who's in the top five beyond Baylor, Kansas and West Virginia? Well it's Texas Tech and Texas, clearly. But are the Longhorns really a sleeper team to win the league? There is a case. Also, the conference could have the best player in America: Oklahoma State's Cade Cunningham. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After seven straight years of producing at least one top-10 pick, John Calipari's Kentucky program is looking at a second straight year of not getting a Wildcat taken in the top 10. This was a wild streak to begin with, but no shame in it ending. If there's one guy who has a distant shot, it's combo guard Tyrese Maxey. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices