Eye On College Basketball

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04/07: LIVE! from Minneapolis -- Parrish and Norlander preview and pick Saturday's Final Four games Apr 06, 2019

Show notes

Who will play for the national championship on Monday night? It should be a pretty interesting Saturday on the way to finding out. Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander open this episode -- in the same room, recording face to face; a podcast rarity! -- by discussing why Minneapolis is such a solid Final Four city. First impression, funny stories, all of it. Then, it's on to discussing Virginia vs. Auburn (18:00) and Michigan State vs. Texas Tech (29:45).

04/02: Kentucky gives John Calipari a lifetime contract; Tom Izzo says he needs to win another title; top Final Four storylines Apr 03, 2019

Show notes

Don't worry, we've got some Final Four chatter for you on this pod, but the episode starts with the biggest college hoops news of the past 24 hours: Kentucky and John Calipari have agreed to a lifetime deal for the coach, meaning he'll be there for essentially as long as he wants as coach -- and then will be an advisor/emeritus whenever he decides to retire. This is all in the wake of UCLA pursuing/botching its courting of Cal to Westwood. Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander open with thoughts on that, thoughts on what UCLA was doing -- or not -- and recap Cal's first decade with UK. From there, they talk Tom Izzo and Michigan State (23:00) and whether a second title is needed to validate his Hall of Fame career. The guys then run the gamut on Final Four storylines (30:00), including which is the best, and close with Norlander giving honor to the great Rick Byrd (36:00), who retired this week after winning more than 800 games.

03/31: That was probably the best Elite Eight in NCAA Tournament history, and it includes the end of Zion Williamson's Duke career Apr 01, 2019

Show notes

Here's a Final Four almost no one had: Virginia, Michigan State, Auburn and Texas Tech. Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander open with their initial thoughts on the national semifinalists, then gush and give their reactions to arguably the best Elite Eight in history. They start with where Norlander was at -- Louisville -- with Virginia's comeback/OT win over Purdue (10:00), then move on to Auburn beating Kentucky (28:00), Texas Tech beating Gonzaga (37:15) and Michigan State beating Duke (45:00) and ending the college careers of Zion Williamson, RJ Barrett, Cam Reddish and, almost certainly, Tre Jones.

03/30: Duke's getting lucky, sure, but let's also get into how enjoyable that Sweet 16 was Mar 30, 2019

Show notes

To start, Parrish and Norlander open with Duke barely escaping -- again -- thanks to a bunny missed at the buzzer. Virginia Tech almost had it. But you know who's to thank for Duke moving on? Tre Jones. From there, the guys preview Duke-Michigan State (8:45), then talk the West/Gonzaga vs. Texas Tech (13:20), the South/Virginia-Purdue (21:00) and the Midwest/Kentucky vs. Auburn (33:40).

03/27: Our picks — straight up and vs. the spread — for the Sweet 16 games; coaching carousel hirings, firings and rumors Mar 27, 2019

Show notes

Tuesday got the college hoops coaching carousel whizzing, so before Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander resume their NCAA tourney convo, they open by talking the biggest jobs that are available and the ones that have closed or will close in the coming days. They touch on Nebraska, BYU, Arkansas, Iowa State, UCLA, Alabama and more. Then it's onto the predictions and previews for every regional semifinal, starting with the games in the West (24:30), then the South (33:30), the East (41:00) and the Midwest (47:00).

03/25: See ya, Cinderella; this is the strongest Sweet 16 field in NCAA Tournament history Mar 25, 2019

Show notes

A chalky run of results in the first two rounds of the NCAAs have Parrish and Norlander recapping and reflecting on the best, and most overlooked, moments of the first weekend. The guys start with their thoughts on the first two rounds, then move along region by region. They start with the East (11:00), which of course leads on Duke's escape from UCF. From there, it's to the West (22:00), then the South (32:00) and they close with the Midwest (42:00).

03/23: NCAA Tournament whiparound: First round breakdown, second round previews and picks Mar 23, 2019

Show notes

OK, we had a fun but not insane first couple of days of the Big Dance. So will the weekend make up for it? It's quite possible. Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander go region by region and recap the biggest games, stories and moments for Thursday and Friday. They open with the West, because that's where Norlander saw Murray State's Ja Morant in person in Hartford on Thursday. After that, it's onto reflections and predictions in the East (21:30), the South (34:00) and, to wrap the pod, the Midwest (46:00).

03/20: Matt Norlander and Gary Parrish pick every first round NCAA Tournament game straight up and against the spread Mar 20, 2019

Show notes

A one-off episode that's different from the usual Eye on College Basketball ep. Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander open with some thoughts on Rick Byrd and Belmont, which won over Fran Dunphy and Temple to move on in the First Four on Tuesday night. And from there, beginning at the 11:40 mark, the guys go through all 32 first round games and make their picks for which teams win and which teams cover. It's an entertaining episode with a lot of insight. No better way to gear up for the start of the first round than this, we promise.

03/17: MEGA NCAA TOURNAMENT BREAKDOWN, PREDICTIONS, ANALYSIS PODCAST Mar 18, 2019

Show notes

No teases needed. THIS EPISODE IS THE GOODS. Complete NCAA Tournament reaction, analysis and everything you want for the morning after Selection Sunday. Here's how Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander sort through the bracket on this episode: the opening is first impressions about what the committee did and anything that stands out in a major way. The nitpicking is next (16:00), and then comes the region-by-region analysis. East is first (26:15), then West (36:30), then South (43:00), then Midwest (56:30). The pod wraps with Final Four and title picks (1 hour, 7 minutes).

03/15: Zion Williamson is destroying every expectation we have for him; setting the table for Selection Sunday Mar 15, 2019

Show notes

Zion Williamson's return to Duke was probably the best return from injury in a single game in college basketball history. He went 13-of-13 from the field and put on maybe the best statistical performance by a Duke player since Christian Laettner. The guys open on that, then get to talking Duke-UNC predictions and the 1 seed situation that's at stake Friday and Saturday (11:00). From there, a quick chat on the Big 12, Texas and West Virginia (21:30), and a wrap-up on the bubble, the Big East and why St. John's fans have to feel uncertain (28:00).

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