Eye On College Basketball

The season is finally, officially here. Did you miss what happened Friday night? Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander have you completely covered, from the SEC going 13-0 to the suspensions revealed that are tied to the FBI investigation. Plus: standout freshmen debuts, and big concern for Indiana, West Virginia and Pitt fans.

Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander are now on a thrice-a-week schedule, and the two get at it right away with the crazy -- and scary -- story coming form China regarding LiAngelo Ball and two other UCLA freshmen that were arrested after allegedly shoptlifting at a Louis Vuitton store. When will they be released, and will they fly home with their team? Then, there's the eligibility -- or lack thereof -- of Alabama prized freshman Collin Sexton. Norlander explains what's on the table there, and how Sexton might not ever play for the Tide.

Gary Parrish's scoop on the man -- and the details -- that led Georgia Tech and coach Josh Pastner to self-report violations that's led to the suspension of two players is the subject of today's podcast. Parrish details how he got the story and lays out why this is an issue for Pastner. Co-host Matt Norlander explains why Pastner's job isn't in jeopardy and why the violations here speak to how we view, write about and talk about NCAA violations to begin with.

Auburn has announced indefinite suspensions to two of its four best players. That means a lot for the Tigers -- and for other schools. Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander kick off this episode by discussing that, then go into the latest round of embrassing decisions by the NCAA regarding academic eligibility. The duo also touches on Duke coming in at No. 1 in the AP preseason poll, and why that could backfire, then finish up by discussing Norlander's assertion that Wichita State joining the AAC now means there's a "Major 7" group of power college basketball conferences.

Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander touch on plenty in this hour-long episode. They start with Joel Berry's hand injury at UNC. It happened playing video games. And now UNC is going to be a much different team for at least a month. They also discuss Miami coach Jim Larranaga's recent comments about the FBI investigation and offer up their latest thoughts. From there, the guys discuss the roaring success that was the Missouri-Kansas exhibition game, then ask: Why can't these exhibition tours be an annual thing, and why can't Kansas get over itself and play Mizzou every year? Norlander and Parrish wrap the pod by talking for 15 minutes about Norlander's annual ranking of all 351 teams in college basketball. Who's surprisingly high? Who's maybe too low? There's a ton to unwrap.

The NCAA opted not to punish North Carolina on Friday. Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander discuss it from every angle. Each minute of this episode of the Eye on College Basketball podcast is dedicated to the North Carolina case. They explain why the NCAA didn't punish UNC even though the NCAA acknowledged student-athletes benefited from fraudulent classes for more than a decade. Parrish asked two reasonable questions: 1. If the NCAA had no case, why did the NCAA ever create a case? 2. Should the NCAA just get out of academics completely?

Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander have a litany of updates on where everything stands with the FBI, the NCAA, college basketball and the evolving fallout from the biggest story in the sport. The pair offers up context from conversations they've had with coaches and others in the past week, and ponder how much trouble head coaches like Bruce Pearl, Sean Miller, Andy Enfield and Mike Boynton could be in. There's a lot to discuss. They also delve into LaVar Ball's unusual decision to yank LaMelo Ball from high school altogether, opting to homeschool him for the next two years as he prepares to play basketball at higher levels. Norlander and Parrish -- huge music fans, as listeners well know -- close with some thoughts on the passing of Tom Petty, and share their most cherished musicians still making music.

The United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced early Tuesday that charges of fraud and corruption have been brought against four current college basketball assistant coaches. Managers, financial advisers and representatives of a major sportswear company have also been charged with federal crimes in a scandal that has rocked the sport. So, yeah, it was a crazy day. Matt Norlander and Gary Parrish discussed it from every angle in this episode of the Eye On College Basketball Podcast. Will Rick Pitino survive at Louisville? Should other programs not named yet be scared? How often do shoe companies buy players for schools? They got into all of it, and we think you'll enjoy their conversation.

The Pac-12?s scheduling approach to Arizona-UCLA is nonsensicalWhy would the Pac-12 have a scheduling formula that doesn't maximize the number of interesting games that can be played? More specifically, why aren't UCLA and Arizona forced to play each other twice every regular season no matter what just like Duke and North Carolina are forced to play each other twice every regular season no matter what? Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander dive in. Also, Rick Pitino recently said he thinks the one-and-done rule will soon be gone. Is he right? Your favorite college hoops podcast duo closes with a discussion on Mitchell Robinson's decision to leave Western Kentucky for good -- and the NBA consequences.

A change in transfer protocol could be coming college sports ... eventually. Most coaches are against it. Which makes them somewhat hypocritical, according to Parrish and Norlander. The two have a long convo on that, then recap why the NCAA was ripe for criticism -- but some of it misguided from media members. They wrap by talking through how the NCAA managed to clear Marvin Bagley III so quickly for eligibility at Duke.

Gary and Matt are back with an hour-plus Labor Day weekend episode that starts with a long, detailed debate about why LaMelo Ball could be the person to challenge, and potentially change, how the NCAA views amateurism. The pair also discusses the results from their Candid Coaches series on the most powerful people in college basketball. Plus, stories and remembrances of Jud Heathcote and Rollie Massimino, two national championship-winning coaches who died earlier this week.

Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander go an hour-plus on this week's episode to flesh out why Mitchell Robinson's Western Kentucky journey is over, and why he's unlikely to ever play in college. They also offer up the pros -- and cons -- of the 3-on-3 tournament that's been proposed for the Final Four, then get into a number of questions that were posted on CBSSports.com this week in regard to their annual Candid Coaches survey series. Plus, some Mayweather-McGregor discussion caps the episode.

So how big is Marvin Bagley's commitment to Duke? Matt Norlander and Gary Parrish discussed that at the top of this episode. And one thing they both made clear is this: Folks should slow down on the "Bagley will play for Duke this season" tweets. He probably will. But it's remains reliant on the NCAA, in simple terms, accepting his transcript and certifying his amateur status. Then they talked about Bagley's potential impact at Duke. Will he be a great player or merely a great prospect? Are we talking about a First Team All-American? And, finally, we tackled the biggest question, which is this: Is Duke really the favorite to win the 2018 title?

It may be the middle of the summer, but your favorite podcast duo is not taking a break. Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander cover four topics in this episode: Missouri's NCAA Tournament expectations for 2017-18 now that Jontay Porter is joining the roster; Arizona's top-ranked class for 2018, and what's to come for the Wildcats; college basketball's seemingly permanent problem with attendance; and the head coach that came very close to dying in July.

Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander are back from Las Vegas, and they start by addressing why LaVar Ball commands so much media attention -- and why what he did in Las Vegas warranted coverage. Beyond that, the two recap their Vegas experience, including anecdotes from coaches, on what made 2017 different. From there, they get into the mess at Western Kentucky, and detail an arrest with a Dayton player, who got drunk and arrested -- and subsequently beat up in his jail cell.

Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander are in Las Vegas, and what a ridiculous scene they saw unfold on Wednesday night. LaVar Ball and LaMelo Ball's AAU team went up against YouTube phenomenon Zion Willamson, and it was such a frenzy, it has vets and coaches of the summer circuit saying it was the biggest event they'd ever seen. Plus, the crowd got so big, LeBron James was advised to not sit courtside after he showed up to the event.

Gary Parrish is back from his trip to the Peach Jam, and he discusses with Matt Norlander the biggest stories from that annual event. Will the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2018, Marvin Bagley III, actually maneuver his way into college hoops this upcoming season? Plus, Norlander gives a full rundown on the major adjustment the NCAA made to its selection and seeding process for the NCAA Tournament, and explains why more change is coming within a year.

Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander chat for 50 minutes about LaVall Jordan's challenge at Butler, Mark Few's DVR problems, a great Brad Stevens story with the Celtics, Mo Bamba's situation with Texas (truths and myths) and why fireworks are terrible.

Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander give their rearview mirror insights on the 2017 draft, lay out which college players look like top-10 picks for 2018, and discuss the likelihood that the NBA can/will change its draft rules. If the "one-and-done era" will soon be a thing of the past, will whatever comes next be any more morally or philosophically fair to the college players?

Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander discuss the reputation now-NBA champion Kevin Durant had coming out of college. Parrish reminds listeners just how unbelievable Greg Oden was to make it sensible for Portland to pass on Durant. Then they transitioned into a conversation about Ohio State's coaching search that settled on Chris Holtmann. Then, a discussion on Butler's coaching search that settled on LaVall Jordan. Is Jordan right pick, and what level of a job has Butler become in the past decade?

Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith has made the borderline unprecedented decision to part ways with 13-year Buckeyes coach Thad Matta. Why did it come to this -- in early June? Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander share their opinions on the firing, then get into deeper analysis on why this move makes for a possibly dangerous precedent. After that, the duo goes guy-by-guy in looking at realistic candidates to get this newly opened gig.

Did Hamidou Diallo make the right decision by returning to Kentucky? Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander discussed that -- and the deadline to withdraw from the NBA Draft in general -- at the top of this episode. They touched on Diallo, Purdue's Caleb Swanigan, North Carolina's Tony Bradley, etc. And that led into a conversation about the updated CBS Sports Top 25 (and one). Why Arizona No. 1? Who should be higher: Kentucky or Duke?

Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander find themselves with plenty to talk about. They start with Mo Bamba's commitment to Texas, then move on to Missouri establishing a top-10 class. The two programs are in very different stages, however. Plus, the two entertain the idea that Kentucky and Duke should tweak their recruiting philosophies. After that, they hit on NBA Draft stay-or-go predictions, and get into the pros and cons of all LaVar Ball has done to help and hurt his family's name.

Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander sit down for a 40-minute pod to discuss Kevin Knox committing to Kentucky, Hamidou Diallo potentially never playing for UK, and why this probably means UK isn't a top-five team heading into next season. They also chat on the Valley getting Valpo and what the Horizon will do next, and close up with a discussion on how other schools should try to be like ... DePaul. Plus, a quick chat on their favorite TV shows as of late.

The 137 college underclassmen who declared for the NBA Draft are not stupid or misguided or delusional or whatever other negative adjective you might've heard. They're merely taking advantage of a system in place that presents little to no downside to them doing what they're doing. Matt Norlander and Gary Parrish talked about it at the top of this episode. They also also discussed the winners and losers of the early entry deadline. And UNLV's recruiting class. They close with thoughts on their friends who were laid off this week at ESPN. The entire network took a big hit -- but especially college basketball.

Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander discuss Grayson Allen's decision to come back to Duke for his senior season. Is it the right call? What were the factors that dictated his choice? They also argue that Nigel Williams-Goss absolutely made the right decision in leaving Gonzaga, then take the NCAA to task for being hypocritical in doubling back on the stance to have postseason events in the state of North Carolina.

Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander discuss the pair of big decisions that boosted college hoops on Thursday: Miles Bridges returning to Michigan State, Allonzo Trier returning to Arizona. Both mean their teams are now consensus top-five squads for next season. Beyond that, is Tubby Smith essentially doomed after all that's happened in the past two weeks?

With the season complete, Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander share their appraisals of the UNC-Gonzaga title game, but also the year on the whole. They also get into the Way Too Early Top 25 (and one), plus discuss the mess at Memphis, Patrick Ewing taking the Georgetown job, and some of the most debatable going-pro decisions made by college players in the past week.

Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander recap Saturday's semifinals, set the table for the final game of the 2016-17, offer their predictions, and bring on an old friend of the podcast. It's more than a cameo, it's an all-out guest appearance. A true throwback episode. We think you'll enjoy. Be sure to listen before the title game tips.

Because Parrish and Norlander love you all, here's a late-Friday podcast from Phoenix to prep you for Saturday's national semifinals.

Live from Arizona! Well, halfway. Parrish is still in Memphis; he gets into Phoenix on Thursday. Norlander was at his cousin Eric's house (and shoutout to Aunt Nancy!) as they discuss their season-end awards, including First Team All-Americans, Freshman of the Year, Player of the Year and Coach of the Year. The guys open with Kentucky fans sending alleged death threats to an official who worked Kentucky's Elite Eight loss on Sunday night.

Nobody had this Final Four, but it's a pretty interesting one nonetheless. The blueblood and the new blood. Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander recap everything from Chris Chiozza's buzzer-beater Friday night for Florida to Luke Maye's last-second shot to send UNC to the Final Four for the 20th time. South Carolina is the Final Four, and shoutout to Devan Downey. Also: Norlander explains how he missed out on meeting Paul McCartney, but not Darius Rucker. And Parrish debates getting a Devan Downey tattoo.

Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander look back at Thursday night's fun foursome of games, and make their picks for who will go to the Final Four. They also run down the realistic candidates for the Georgetown opening. Also, they debate leaving their spouses to move to Winthrop together to start a new life, raising little Devan Downeys.

With the Sweet 16 set to begin, Parrish and Norlander give their predictions and opinions on each game, plus touch on storylines in each region. But this is an unusual podcast. It's the fist one interrupted by housekeeping, and Norlander has a laughter breakdown thanks to a tweet he sees at one point in the episode. From there, things get even sillier. At the end, the guys touch on LSU hiring Will Wade and VCU hiring Mike Rhoades to replace Wade at VCU.

After a riveting first weekend of the NCAAs, Parrish and Norlander are enthralled with the Eye on College Basketball Podcast Sweet 16 special: Baylor vs. South Carolina. Shoutout to Terry Teagle, shoutout to Devan Downey! And yes, they cover the entire bracket with a look back at so much that went down over the weekend. Plus, the coaching carousel is spinning fast and the knock down some myths about the Syracuse and Indiana situations. It's one of the longest episodes of the season, and there's a lot to get to, so dive in.

With the tournament in full bloom, Parrish and Norlander look back at Thursday and recognized that, OK, it wasn't all that wild. But it also sets up a really fantastic Saturday. The guys preview all eight games, plus give their opinion on what Indiana should now do with its head coaching vacancy. Is Steve Alford going to leave UCLA for his alma mater? There is a case for and against.

Parrish and Norlander go through the bracket and run through their thoughts on why they're picking the way they're picking. You'll notice some interesting facts, trends and coincidences with some of the games and potential matchups, too. Additionally, they discuss the coaching carousel at the end. Must-listen before Thursday's games tip.

Let's not waste any time. A full-fledged, hour-long bracket evaluation. And pointed words to the committee about Duke not being a 1 and Wichita State being a 10 and how to fix this process forever going forward.

Josh Jackson did another dumb thing, got suspended and watched his Kansas teammates lose to TCU in the Big 12 Tournament quarterfinals without him. He cost the Jayhawks in a very real way. So Matt Norlander and Gary discussed that, touched on Duke-North Carolina in Brooklyn. That?s Friday night. Tickets are expensive. Meantime, Norlander spent part of this week writing about the plane crash that killed Illinois State assistant Torrey Ward and six others two years ago. He spoke to ISU coach Dan Muller, widows and others connected to the tragedy. We spent a few minutes on that. Then we closed by discussing Derek Kellogg?s firing at UMass. He made one NCAA Tournament in nine years. Wasn?t good enough, it seems. So a pretty good Atlantic 10 job is now open.

Josh Jackson will be suspended for KU?s first Big 12 Tournament game because of the improper way in which he handled a traffic incident. So add that to the list of troubling Kansas headlines this season. Matt Norlander and Gary Parrish talked about that at this top of this episode. Then they dove into Championship Week, talked some coaching vacancies and predicted the league tournament champs for the ... ACC Big East Big Ten Big 12 Pac-12 SEC

Can Illinois State get an at-large? Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander discussed that at the top of this episode of the Eye on College Basketball podcast. They followed that conversation with a conversation about Missouri?s opening. They close the episode discussing the good things and the bad things about league tournaments for one-bid conferences.

So is the Big Ten the wackiest conference or what? Gary Parrish discussed that with Matt Norlander at the top of this episode, including Wisconsin?s struggles, Northwestern?s amazing win over Michigan and the interesting Big Ten Coach of the Year race. The guys also looked ahead to an interesting weekend: Duke-North Carolina, and a possible MVC Tournament title game between Wichita State and Illinois State.

Three teams have a college basketball-best 10 top-50 RPI wins. Butler Villanova Duke You might be surprised by Duke?s place on that list given everything the Blue Devils have endured this season. Matt Norlander certainly was when Gary asked him about it at the top of this Eye on College Basketball podcast. After that discussion they talked about Kentucky clinching at least a share of the SEC title and Purdue clinching at least a share of the Big Ten title, at which point I also made my case for Caleb Swanigan to continue to lead the National Player of the Year race. They closed by previewing VCU-Dayton and some of Wednesday night?s bubble games -- most notably Marquette at Xavier. If Dayton beats VCU, the Flyers will secure an Atlantic 10 title for the second consecutive year.

Gonzaga lost. At home. To BYU. So Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander lead with that at the top of this episode of the Eye on College Basketball podcast. Then discussed UCLA?s win at Arizona that has the Bruins in contention for a No. 1 seed -- and Kentucky?s win over Florida that basically secured a third straight SEC title. Then we looked ahead to North Carolina-Virginia. And Oklahoma State-Iowa State. And more.

Maurice Watson was a legitimate National Player of the Year candidate guiding a top-10 team and leading the nation in assists six weeks ago. Now he?s recovering from ACL surgery, suspended from Creighton and ... facing a felony sexual assault charge. Matt Norlander and Gary Parrish discuss. Also: Syracuse?s at-large resume, Villanova?s loss to Butler, Chris Holtmann?s future and North Carolina?s chances of becoming a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. And a preview of Saturday?s biggest games.

Would the NCAA Tournament selection committee really leave Wichita State out of the Field of 68 if the Shockers are 29-5 on Selection Sunday and in need of an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament? Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander discussed that at the top. Also covered: Is Florida now better than Kentucky? Plus, a preview of three important games coming Wednesday night.

Would the NCAA Tournament selection committee really leave Wichita State out of the Field of 68 if the Shockers are 29-5 on Selection Sunday and in need of an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament? Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander discussed that at the top. Also covered: Is Florida now better than Kentucky? Plus, a preview of three important games coming Wednesday night.

Kansas winning a 13th straight Big 12 title is basically in the books after Saturday's win at Baylor. Why isn't this achievement universally appreciated properly? Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander discuss that at the top of this episode of the Eye on College Basketball podcast -- as well as Bill Self's Hall of Fame candidacy. They then talk about North Carolina's destruction of Virginia and John Calipari's defense of Mark Gottfried and Mark Fox before closing with previews of Monday night's Miami-Virginia game and Tuesday night's South Carolina-Florida game.

Are NC State fans bananas? Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander discussed Mark Gottfried's firing at the top of this episode of the Eye on College Basketball podcast, then spent a few minutes dispelling myths about this great Gonzaga team. They also previewed the weekend -- specifically Saturday's Kansas-Baylor and Virginia-North Carolina games.

How wild was Kansas' comeback win over West Virginia? Are the Jayhawks guaranteed to win a 13th straight Big 12 title now? Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander discuss those things at the top of this episode of the Eye on College Basketball podcast, then turn their attention to Mark Gottfried's situation at NC State. Is he really done? If so, is it reasonable for NC State to be done with him? After that, the conversation looks ahead to Duke-Virginia and Maryland-Northwestern. Parrish and Norlander offer predictions for both.