Eye On College Basketball

Latest Episodes:

Should Wendell Carter's mom really be 'pissed' at Coach K? Should Kevin Ollie lose millions? (6.27) Jun 27, 2018

Show notes

Matt Norlander and Gary Parrish open with discussing Wendell Carter Jr.'s mother's comments about how she was "pissed" when Marvin Bagley III reclassified, enrolled at Duke and caused her son to play a secondary role. After that, the guys discuss ... 18:45: Thanks to the late additions of Reid Travis and Ashton Hagans, Parrish has Kentucky ranked No. 1 in the CBS Sports Top 25 (and one). 24:20: And now there seems to be mounting pressure on John Calipari to deliver another championship to Kentucky. What's reasonable, and unreasonable, for fans to expect of coaches. 37:28: This UConn-Kevin Ollie situation isn't a good look for anybody. School officials are doing real damage to their reputation and the reputation of an alum who won them a championship in 2014. But will it save them millions of dollars? Yes, perhaps.

The players we love, ones we like, and who we're most dismissive of in the 2018 NBA Draft (6.14) Jun 14, 2018

Show notes

Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander have a 56-minute podcast entirely dedicated to the 2018 NBA Draft, including an opening debate about what is happening with Michael Porter Jr. Is a hip issue now affecting his stock? Norlander says he wouldn't draft him. Parrish is torn. They get into Deandre Ayton's case (is it so convincing?) as the top prospect, and try to predict two top-10 projected picks who will flame out. They also label the players slotted later in the draft who have the best chance to wind up as top 20 pros in this year's crop. That includes a couple of players who went from being lowly ranked in high school to becoming first round draft picks.

John Beilein is staying at Michigan and Bruce Pearl gets extended at Auburn (6.8) Jun 08, 2018

Show notes

John Beilein will probably retire at Michigan. The 65-year-old announced on Twitter earlier this week that he would be continuing to coach the Wolverines. So, no Detroit Pistons future there. At Auburn, Bruce Pearl was rewarded with a contract extension. During the season, many believed he wouldn't be able to keep his job. Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander discuss both of those coaching situations on today's episode, and they wrap up by bringing attention to a somewhat surprising move: Detroit Mercy hiring Mike Davis, who once took Indiana to the national championship game.

The Pistons would be wise to hire John Beilein; fallout from the final NBA Draft decisions (6.2) Jun 02, 2018

Show notes

It's a special Saturday offseason podcast, as Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander have in-depth discussions about the two most interesting developments in college hoops in recent days: John Beilein interviewing for the Detroit Pistons job, and the teams who benefited or were substantially hurt by players who left or stayed in the NBA Draft pool.

Why we've got Tennessee at No. 3; top two draft sleepers; multiple universe theory (5.24) May 24, 2018

Show notes

A slow week in college basketball has Matt Norlander trying to explain to Gary Parrish what multiple universe theory is, and why this very podcast might be part of a simulation of what we perceive to be reality. (You can thank NBA draft prospect Lonnie Walker for this, as the podcast explains.) The duo starts at the top of the episode by looking at potential preseason All-America choices for 2018-19. From there, the guys put Tennessee?s No. 3 ranking in the CBS Sports Top 25 (and one) into perspective. Weird to see Tennessee so high, but the Vols are a valid pick in the 3 spot. Norlander also provides his two NBA Draft sleeper picks, one of which is Lonnie Walker, which then opens up the conversation on, well, you?ll just have to listen to find out.

Coaches are lobbying to expand the NCAA Tournament again; will it work? (5.18) May 18, 2018

Show notes

Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander get into an issue that bothers both fo them: the idea that a 72-team NCAA Tournament is superior to a 68-team NCAA Tournament. But that's the proposal put forth by the ACC coaches. Will it catch steam? The guys give reasons for why it could die a quick death -- or gain steam. They also get into some results from this week's NBA combine, focusing their discussions on Donte DiVincenzo, Marvin Bagley III, Michael Porter Jr. and Jaren Jackson Jr.

Kentucky gets better, and somehow, so does Arizona; plus, a curious hire tied to FBI probe (5.10) May 10, 2018

Show notes

The headlines haven't stopped for college hoops. On this episode, Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander discuss: ? Condoleeza Rice's curious clarification on college players getting paid ? Kentucky getting better by earning a five-star commitment ? Arizona managing to keep its boat afloat and land a big pledge ? La Salle's new coach opting to hire a former Louisville assistant who was fired because of the FBI investigation

Romeo Langford, the program-changer for Indiana; why wasn't Donovan Mitchell this great at Louisville? (5.3) May 03, 2018

Show notes

Romeo Langford's Indiana commitment has that state as optimistic about the Hoosiers as it's been in more than a half-decade. Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander look at what Archie Miller's assembled -- and try to envision what IU will be like next season. Plus: Donovan Mitchell has been better as a rookie than anyone expected. In fact, he has no peer in recent years. No one has been this great after being a good-not-great college player. So what did we miss?

What the Commission on College Basketball got wrong -- and where it's right (4.25) Apr 25, 2018

Show notes

Wednesday morning brought a long-awaited reveal: a lengthy report compiled by the NCAA-appointed Commission on College Basketball. Condoleezza Rice was the chair, and she spoke in Indianapolis to assembled media and NCAA-related tastemakers in Indianapolis. Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander spend nearly an hour examining what was -- and wasn't -- addressed on Wednesday. For frequent pod listeners, some of their takeaways may surprise you.

Villanova's No. 1 ranking hangs in the balance; the top coaching hires of 2018; Penny vs. Calipari (4.20) Apr 20, 2018

Show notes

Don't worry, the guys aren't taking the offseason off. Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander are back for a 70-minute episode to discuss: ? Some NBA Draft declarations, and why many are destined to miss out on getting picked ? Villanova's interesting waiting game on Donte DiVincenzo and Omari Spellman ? The top 10 most notable coaching hires from the past month ? Who sets up as the best hire and which is most likely to fail? ? The fascinating recruiting battle between Penny Hardaway and John Calipari

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