🏀Men’s March Madness Bracket Preview Extravaganza: Picks, predictions for ALL 67 games ✍️

0:00Ion College Basketball is presented by Shipped. With Shipped, you can order same day delivery for everything you need for game day, groceries, decor, and so much more from local stores. Download the app or order now at Shipped.com. That's SHIPT.com. Ion College Basketball is also presented by Domino's Best Deal Ever. Right now, you can get any pizza with any toppings for one great price at Domino's. Let me say that again. Any pizza, any toppings for one great price. It really is their best deal ever. This March, it's never been easier to cash in on the action. The juiciest bet on the tournament. It's right here and all you need is beer. Voodoo Ranger presents Bet on 11. Grab a can of G-Force IPA, clocking in at a bold 11% ABV and bet that beer. Here's the play. If an 11C pulls off the upset, 1,100 fans also win cash for their next round of beer or hey, keep the cash. It's your money, so win or lose, you still win because you still got beer. Grab a can of G-Force IPA with 11% ABV and bet that beer at bet on 11.com. If an 11C advances, you've got a shot at a seriously

1:04juicy prize bet on 11 cash in on the chaos legal in all 50 states must be 21 or older to enter. Learn more at bet on 11.com 21 plus to enter. No purchase necessary full rules at bet on 11.com. Grab a can of G-Force IPA with 11% ABV then register that beer at bet on 11.com. If an 11C advances, you have a chance to win a juicy prize. Hey there, I am Gary Parrish. Welcome back, CVS Sports Ion College. Ask about podcast where we sometimes discuss camel fighting. Yo, no birds, leaky blacks. Matt Norlander is here with me. He's hiding behind a bracket. If you're watching on YouTube, honor Brandon Davies. Smash that like button. And if you haven't yet subscribed to the Ion College basketball podcast, please also do that wherever you subscribe to podcast like Apple and Spotify. Let's get into it. This is our annual bracket preview show,

2:12which is not to be confused with our annual bracket breakdown show. Two very different things. Sunday night equals bracket breakdown. Is it Monday? Monday afternoon equals bracket preview. And I want to start by. I think Tuesday we're going to have a bracket. Look ahead. First round look ahead. There's another one coming. Don't even know yet. I'll figure that one out when we're done with this one, but it's going to be different. We're giving you as much content as possible. Yeah, I think we've got to the point in the season where we're going to figure out the next thing when it's time to do the next thing right now. We just trying to get through this thing. So this is so let's take it one at a time bracket break down 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 cell. Yeah, I will say I heard from a few folks

3:15and it's it's split. I heard from I say few. I say four to agree with me to agree with you. So there we go. 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, parachute is an idiot. And then I saw man norlander is an idiot. And so they were, you know, and then I saw like I agree that I saw parachute's right. And then I saw norlander is right. So like, you know, a good conversation, I guess 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 pick and 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 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 she goes, how much of the call on you and did he that was like, I don't even look,

4:18I 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 that I ranked the one to 68 field. They put in graphic form. It looks beautiful. It 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 lean into the bit. 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 you need to hit for any reason. I just don't care enough. But 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

5:20of that, I got nothing to say. And yet every day I wake up and just strangers just call you the worst thing. I can't. I don't understand. I'm healthy for the planet, for sure. 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 at cbsports.com. Yeah. One of us will stick to the bracket that you might have seen on cbsports.com. One of us will definitely not be doing that. And one of us will just, you know, say opposite things that way he can, you know, always say he was not playing little sides. He had it right somewhere. You know, I'm going to make some slight tweaks today. And you know what? I'm going to probably make some more tomorrow. So you're going to get what I'm getting right here. As always, the cbsports app, cbsports.com, expert bracket picks, where I land, call it midday Wednesday. Then we're good to go. But I, and all seriousness, I think the majority of what you

6:21will hear me say on the show today is going to be what my final bracket is. I reserved the right to maybe tweak one or two more after this. Okay. So if there's one thing I know about how this works, you pick UMBC on the podcast. You pick Howard on the website. You can say, yeah, I had Howard. I had UMBC, whatever you want, whatever you need to say, you could say it. I know you, 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 worked. So here's what we're going to do. Start the east top left. Then we'll go counterclockwise. Eventually, we'll make a complete circle. And by then, we, we will have each pick 67 games. Some of them real, some of them hypothetical. And by the end, yes, you're going to know who we think's going to the final four, who we think's one of the national championship. My intention is to go 67 and oh, well, that won't be happening. You don't, you don't know. I do know. Don't put a ceiling on me. We'll actually bet my life on it. People have been putting a ceiling on me my whole life. People have been doubting my whole life. Now look at me. Look at me now.

7:24I mean, look at me now. I mean, if you can pull off 60 wins, it's going to be all time or stuff. I'm going 67 and oh, don't put a ceiling on me. I've been doubted before. It's the guy who once said you come and never lose again. I didn't think they were the way the Yukon 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 want to do? Anyway, I put on going 67 and now, but you can go first in the east if you want to. Let's bring up that bracket. Josh, if you're watching on YouTube, you can produce interactive stuff as we go along here. Right into the east, we go. That is our interface, by the way. That's the UX for the bracket stuff at cbsports.com on the cbsports app. We will have, 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

8:27in this podcast description after the fact, if need be, go ahead and send folks a link. If there'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 crowded entries to pass few seasons. Let's do it again. Let's get rolling. I will compete against anybody in a bracket challenge except Miami, Ohio. I'm not going to play them. I'm not going to play. I refuse to let them. It is against NCAA rules for people that play for Miami and coach at Miami to participate in our bracket games. I think we're good to go there. All right. Let's go to the east. Duke versus Sienna. You know, where I'm going here, we don't need to talk too much about it. Duke, it's done. It moves on along. Ohio State TCU. You got the Hornfrogs, a team that has had some really nice wins the season, some interesting losses. Hornfrogs are 43 at Kenpom, Ohio State going into this game. But guys, 26. There's a market difference there. TCU's got some good defense to it. I love David Punch. He's a sophomore, 67, super smart forward. He's really the guy that if TCU is going to win this game,

9:31I think can have a huge, huge impact. 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. There's excellent, excellent range overall. In Christophe Telly, he's been getting better as the season has been going along 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 Iowa is going to land as a 13. They get there as a 12. Ben Jacobson is 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 going to go J-Hawks. Now, Cal Baptist has a player who was the February USBWA mid major player of the month in Dominic 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 you can actually get going 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

10:33that far. GP, you good with that? Kansas got to go out to San Diego and Cal Baptist taking a quiz bus ride there. You good with that? I don't love it. I mean, you really put and build self at an incredible disadvantage against Rick, against Rick Croy. That's correct. Rick Croy. So I'll coach, by the way, might be in the mix of pepper nine. 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? This is so, this to me has scone 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. Hodgons, a very good coach. I am truly torn what to do here. I just don't want to go. I hate going all chock. All right,

11:40I'm going to stick with USF. But if Louisville wins this game by 14, I'm going to be furious. Pat Kelsey. Do I even have the glasses? Yeah, I do. I got to listen. Don't think, I don't think I can't go Pat Kelsey at a moment's notice here. But I'm going against them. Look up GP. Look at us. Look at us. You and me. Who thought? We're twins. We're basically twins now. There we go. I'll go South Florida. I'm doing it reluctantly. I swear, I will not change this pick. But 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 date and 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 don't hesitate here, which means I'm probably

12:44going to be wrong. Nothing will ask me UCF. And then I will take Yukon over Furman. Furman. So hot right now, but not hot enough. Bob Rich'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 Debler. But even with the inter-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 devil sweep. Zubie edge of four 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 those are in San Diego as a reminder. And then South Florida Michigan states last that I had South Florida. Do I want to stick with this? This is a Michigan State team

13:51that was almost a two. South Florida doesn't have a top 60 offense in the country. It is good on the offensive glass. West Enis is a very solid guard. I like the match up there just in general with Jeremy Fears. This game's in Buffalo. There'll be Michigan State fans to show up plenty. Boy, GP. What do I do? MSU's drop two in a row. But it was at Michigan understandable by 40 UCLA. This is Nizo on a two-day turnaround. He's using his loop against Tom iso here. Get on with it. And I hate this though. Am I really going to do this just chalk nonsense? No. Give me the bulls. I'm going to be wrong, but whatever. Put them through. Put them through. Bulls on parade. Let's go. We're doing it. Give me the bulls on the sweet 16. How many people out there going that Zesty?

14:52Come on now. And then I will go Yukon over UCLA. Nick Cronin goes one in one in the eastern time zone in the entirety of the 2526 season. Here we go. I'm going to stick with this one. A battle between the two best bigs in college basketball. Camp Booser. Zubie edge of four. It's Rick Patino. It's John Shire. Game would be in DC in the East Regional. I'll take St. John 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 now 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,

15:56good value play here in your office pool. They got, they got a coach who knows a thing or two about winning a 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 Yukon. It's all you. All right. Yukon in the final four out of the East region for Norlander. I'll keep us moving a little a little. Yeah. And you know, you know, I'm going to be long. I'm fine with it. I'm sitting, you know, I could just sit here and, you know, text people and stuff. I'm fine with it. Don't worry about Duke, Sienna, fun coaching matchup. John Shire, Jerry McNamara, two guys who are famous college basketball players, both one national champion chips, both scored more than 2,000 points. Quick question. 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're both one national titles, but it's Syracuse. There's not as many legends as there is at Duke. Which one would you rather be? I think, and I'd be happy to be corrected by Syracuse fans or Duke fans, but it feels like

16:56Jerry, the coaching thing might change it because like John Shire is about to be, but not a hundred. John Shire's coach. Yeah. I think Jerry McNamara as a player resonates more at Syracuse than John Shire as a player resonates at Duke. 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 a tee on the show. Obviously, but one of these guys coaches Duke and the other one coaches Sienna, so like, although they could be coaching against each other next season, we'll wait and see how that goes. You think it's going to go that way? I think there's a chance. How about this? I'll say 50 percent during McNamara is the next Syracuse coach right now. Yeah, I've been peppering my Syracuse colleagues up here. They're, they're eager to find out. Ohio State TCU. I'm going to take the book, guys. Bruce Thornton in the NCAA tournament, so we never have to do that thing where can you believe he led the school and scoring, but never played in the tournament? He's going to play in the tournament. I think he's going to win, but TCU is six of one in the past seven. Sort that data. Top 30 in the

18:00country in that stretch. St. John's over Northern Iowa. Johnny's are 19 and one in the past 20, two 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 Koi's so, Rick Koi's so close to home. I don't, you know, 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 feel that 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 playing 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 a, 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,

19:04North 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, Phil and Elfia? This game. It's of course. He's gonna, he's microne and complain about the statue of liberty. Now he's going to complain about the statue of Rocky. Imagine, imagine you, you go to Philly and you decide you want to do the, like you climb the steps, you get it all on video, 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 win. Now 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 Kronin standing over there by the statue, just pissed off, just mad as hell at the whole thing. And then down there, cussing out the Liberty Bell. He goes and looks at the Liberty Bell and says, uh, over under 0.5 Liberty, 0.5 Liberty Bell mentions by Mic Kronin for the entirety of the trip. Are you raising your, are you raising your Bell at me? Are you, are you raising your Bell at me?

20:07Are you raising your Bell at me? I think it gets one Liberty Bell reference, be it day before a media availability. It's, we're getting it something to know. Are you raising your Bell at me? What, what if he takes, what if he takes issue with the Liberty Bell? Are you raising your Bell at me? And be amazing. We're all rooting for something like this. Let's be honest. There is no way you feel like a win-a-game in the Eastern times on that's crazy. This is a setup. All right. This is a setup. Johnny Dawkins to the round of 32. You confirm it. You confirm it. You know how, you know how I feel about Bob Richie. But, uh, I actually don't, but we can keep it moving. Let me tell you how I feel about Bob Richie. You kind of advances. All right. So now we back up. This is where we've got to get interesting, buddy. Sounds like Bob Richie is GP's Nico Madvette if you follow me. 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

21:08Thornton. Man, you had a hell of a career. St. John's and Kansas taking the red storm. 19 and one in the past 20. I don't trust Kansas. You put him in Allen Fieldhouse. Anything can happen. You take him 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 overluable Yukon over Central Florida. Now we're in the sweet 16. Oh, buddy. I don't know if you heard. This is one dude. He had St. John's number one in a precinct. He got up to a rough start. Yeah. That's close to five. By the way, just so we're all clear. That coach 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 for the sweet 16 me in my red storm against the number one overall. The number one overall seed in the NCAA tournament. Come on, Duke.

22:10But 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. I don't agree. Oh, no, this is terrible. Did I maybe spend four 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 Yukon, 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. I think that's a squirrel.

23:10And I'm well aware of what I'm doing to myself. Squirrels, squirrels, squirrels, person squirrels, squirrels, squirrels. I think that's a squirrel. What do we got? I know how this is going to go. I've walked this path before. But Rick Patino and St. John's will get past Yukon 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 one. Rick Patino, with a team he used to hate, but it now loves because that's what 19 and one can do to our relationship. The Red Storm go to the final four out of the East region as a five seed. Rick Patino continued to make his case. It's not only one of, but arguably the greatest college basketball

24:11coach of all time and would perhaps have the accomplishments to back that up if he had never been learned away to that evil NBA. The world is a vampire. All right. Wow. You actually did it. Five seed St. John's to Indianapolis. Isn't it just more fun this way? Isn't it just more fun? 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 to know. We just learned that's not going to happen. He'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 half time. That's why shipped is there for you on game day. Where they're 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

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27:19All right, Norlander. We're settling this right now. We're doing a pizza topping draft. A full-on pizza draft. Two loaded pizza builds, just $9.99 each with Domino's best deal ever. I am ready, GP. All right. I'll go first. Let's go handmade pan crust, pepperonis, extra cheese, jalapenos, onions, and garlic parmesan sauce, please. Garlic parmesan sauce. Okay. I'm going thin crust, red sauce, spinach. You know what? Give me some banana peppers too. Then crust. It's the four seed of all pizzas I stand by it. See, this is why this deal is perfect. Everyone gets exactly what they want, especially for a watch party. You can build all the large pizzas you need, customize each and every single one and keep the whole crew happy for just $9.99 each. Any toppings, any combo. That's why this is Domino's best deal ever with Domino's best deal ever. You can get any pizza with any toppings for just $9.99. Prices higher in some locations. Select this online only offer from $2.23 to $4.6. Size availability varies by crust type, max seven toppings,

28:22six for New York style and pan crust. Stuff crust is extra. Excludes, exhale, and specialty pizzas. Minimum purchase required for delivery, prices, participation, delivery area, and charges may vary. Let's keep it moving. We're going to the south. I think we go to the south. Check out that south region. Let's bring it up on the screen. I'll take a tour through it, try and move a little bit more quickly if that's OK by you. We can't say we're going to move a little more quickly and then go slow. All right. It also might happen. Honestly, that's part of the show. You know, we sound like a recently hired basketball coach. We're going to play fast. We're going to get up now. Yeah. And then they come out and they're like 289th in tempo for their entire career. And Jake comes in and Tony Bennett on the show right now. I think he's like Tony Bennett. Tony Bennett getting a new job and being like, we're going to play fast like we always get up and down the court. It's like, hold up. You're not the fact. You're not the play fast guy. You're great. You're not the play fast guy. I'm going to try to be the play fast guy. I'm going to get in my native oats a little bit going forward, but you didn't handle however you want.

29:22And again, I think the plan is for our Tuesday show to have a little more of an in-depth look at at some of the first round stuff. So we can keep it moving. I'm not trying to get in depth. I don't I don't like getting in. I will be ready. I'll have notes and nuggets. Okay. I don't really want to get in notes and nuggets. I got you. I got you tomorrow. Okay. Florida is going to move along in the first round over Prairie View or Lehigh. I'm going to take I'm going to 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 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 a reminder, got the, got the short end of the stick as a five and with the difficult 12s there. Comma doors, I just think with the way they've been playing, the offense that they have. McNeese is a McNeese 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

30:27to 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 taken Nebraska. I'll take Nebraska as well. We need to see this program finally experience an instant double tournament win. I think it will. I have to note though, the playing Troy, this team did make the tournament a year ago. It wasn't that competitive. It lost a Kentucky. If you've forgotten, it's got 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. We've seen an 11 see the VCU matched up against a blue blood from the ACC on the six line before. That was 07 shafts to Eric Mainer. VCU was a very trendy pick. And they won. I remember I because I picked them that year too. I'll do it. I'll do it here as well. A film artillery junior's team has won loss since January 10. It was that St. Louis.

31:33It'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 six. Why not? 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 like each other at all. St. Mary's is a defensive grinding team that is more than OK beat and you 62 to 57. It's the best free throw shooting team in the country. By the way, St. Mary's is in between Mikey Lewis and Paulus Morowskas. Those are two guys that 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 the way they work on the floor as a unit. Meanwhile, A&M

32:36up and down the floor full court press. You know, will launch without abandon loves to take the three. You're really diving into the resume. They don't have a lot of really good wins against NCAA tournament level teams. I will go, I will go gales on 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. Go on up back to the top. Give me the gators over Clemson for sure. And then Vandina Braska 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, McNeese and Braska Troy, what 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, Nickel and Co, to get it done. Mark Bienton gets to the sweet 16 bottom half. I'll take Illinois

33:39over 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 up and up in Florida in the SEC semis. They won 91 74. And 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, you plenty of intrigue with it. They played 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

34:42versus Houston. Oh, boy, that is a grown man varsity game Houston with its defensive capabilities. And then you've got the Kingston Fleming's factor against Keaton Wogler. Please give me this game. Please. 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 it. It gets it done. It's not just Wogler. Merkovich is a really good player. Thomas Loffa V-Sitch is, you know, among the better bigs in the country, 7-1, like a real present to their kind of Boswell. He can do a lot defensively Boswell and Fleming's 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.

35:43Home court advantage. Home court advantage. Last season's national title game on an elite eight stage cougars with the benefit of the arena and their backyard. Get it done and make it all the way to Indianapolis. Home court advantage. Home court, looking forward to seeing home court advantage come into play for the two seed over the one seed. All right. I'm told that I'm sorry about that. Yeah, some of the chats corrected me. Florida won the game at Vandy, not in Gainesville. Might be sorry about that. Back check. Appreciate it. All right. All right. Florida advances. No matter the opponent that goes without saying. Clemson Iowa two teams like Iowa's three and seven. They're past 10. Clemson's four and six in their past 10. But somebody's got to win. 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 teams would be like, you know what? At least we're able to salvage it and get a win in the tournament before getting wrong by Florida. Okay. Let's say Clemson with the sour taste and and Iowa with the salvage. Yeah. Iowa advances. Shout out to Bennett Sturts. Vanderbilt

36:46McNeese Bill Armstrong 28 and five. First year at McNeese. Okay. Question. Yep. Does this count as a Scott Drew coaching tree? He was at Baylor for one year. That's a good question. I'm going to say no. We give Josh Paster to John Calipari. Was that one year? Yes. I'm going to say yes. But he's Scott. He's got a gruel. Let's still. Are you sure? Text Scott. Ask out what he thinks. No, let's ask Bryce. This is Bryce. I don't care. I assume Bryce would not care whether Bill Armstrong is considered part of the Scott Drew tree or how much does not. He couldn't care less. Okay. Could not care less. Vandy five and two in their past seven. I'll take the common orders to get past McNeese. Nebraska Troy Scott Cross. Great story. Fired at UT Arlington. Doing great things at Troy. But I mean, not very, very, very surprised if he's not the coach at Georgia Tech, by the way.

37:52And how much do you fill up your 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 are remember correctly in real time, it was seem confusing. Yeah. 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 16 and one of their past 17. I'll take VCU straight up. I just think it's, I know I don't 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 around to 64, but in my quest to go 67 and 0, I will take the Rams over to Carolina. I got Illinois over pin, but she has to frame McCaffrey for even being in this position. By the way,

38:55he's already interrupt. Yeah. If Fran McCaffrey wins this game, he's one in eight 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 eye on college basketball podcast for a full hour. So that is his punishment. Just sit there and just sit there silently. He will, he will, he will speak when called upon. Okay. He'd always speak when spoken to. Yes. I like that. That's kind of the way I like to do shows. Yeah. Fornelli, we fully expect your team to win and to uncomfortably. But we got to see it first. That is a TNT tip Thursday night, approximately 925 out of Greenville. By the way, I got Saint Mary's over Texas A&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 Vandal. I know. That's a top five. I might be a top

39:58five moniker in the bracket, by the way. The Fandals is great. Love it. 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 Sturch is just one dude. And Florida's got a lot more bit. Florida's got a lot more players. The caliber of Bennett Sturch than Iowa does. I always got like one Bennett Sturch caliber player. Florida's got more than one. The game is advanced. Vandy, Nebraska. Come on, Fred Hoyberg. Get you a second win. Go and get you two. Go ahead and get you two. Nebraska not only gets its first win in the end of my turn. It 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 Hoyberg 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. One versus two in the South

40:59region final. Florida playing at an incredible disadvantage that I fundamentally think is unfair. loses to the Houston Cougars. Calvin Samson back in the final four. Calvin Samson two wins away from a national championship. Florida fans complaining all night about why they had to play a road game as the one C 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. That's the left side of the bracket. We we agree on the the team out of the South. We both got the coups and part of 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 comments sections where all the Houston fans are yelling at me even though Houston's like my favorite team. Now I got Houston fans yelling at GP. Don't you know Houston had to play Purdue and Indian. Yes,

42:00I know. We said it in the stupid clip. Okay, but there's 18 people who type it in the comments without recognizing. No, ignore the comments without wreck it. Hey, this guy covers college basketball. He probably is aware that Houston played Purdue last season. Let him get ahead. All right, let's go. 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. I'm Jake. This is Gary Parrish. I have a confession that confession is that sometimes yeah, I hit an afternoon wall. Say in between doing the I own college basketball podcast and you know, walk into the broadcast center for a night in studio. I realize 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 from five hour energy. They seriously taste like a handful of classic rainbow candy, bright juicy and fun. But with a caffeine kick built in,

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46:14West region top right of your bracket these games are going to have San Diego portland and St. Louis feed into the regional all right love to see that Josh just as we're absolutely cooking with gas on this live episode on a Monday afternoon love to see it everyone watching right now smash that like button like your Brandon Davies there's more of us that should be reflected in the number of likes as we go along here I will go Arizona obviously moving along but I do love that we have Rod Strickland coach in the L.I.U. in the sharks they got to take the circuitous route by the way sharks that's a long you got to take what canal we going through that the Suez you go if you go from Long Island you got a swim there is a shark we go into the Suez Canal the only one I know about now is that straight we're all the war come close yeah yeah yeah I know man by the way wow I am I am atrocious Suez Canal is between Africa and Asia that is awful by me man that's straight boy that seems like in him that's a wild scene up in that straight it is the Panama Canal you have

47:19no doubt Suez the Suez Canal 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 a question I've got Arizona winning the game for the record has anybody thought about trying to like can we just move the oil through the Suez Canal would that work maybe we should have to give up on this board all options the straight seems a little dangerous these days maybe we should try the Suez Canal all right second our first round second game in the bracket here who's calling me I'm sorry I can't pick up right now all right um Villanova versus Utah State in the eight nine seems to me Utah State the overwhelming pick here do I just go counter here do I I don't know should I do it should I flip a coin do I even have a coin

48:23GP who do you have in this one spoiler for me Utah State or Villanova but you you think I'm going to stay up to two o'clock every Tuesday watching the mountain west and then pick against MJ Collins what are you talking about you know me night I stay up I stay up with MJ Collins more than I stay up with my family what are you talking about 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 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 eight nine some seven ten 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 um Wisconsin high point I picked high point last night Wisconsin's playing so well high point is 90 to a Ken POM 30 and four 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 um it's deep it has not played a tough schedule

49:28it's not a big team it's got some shooting ability one loss since December 14 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 uh just for fun over under deris a cuff 29.5 points in this game GP over everything I always say about deris a cup is gonna be over yeah oh I was something I don't know that I'd be here except except here's the thing they could be up 23 and you pulling with seven minutes to go that's true that could be on the table uh Hawaii is your automatic bid champion out of the big west and they won that late Saturday this game is Thursday uh 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 uh they must have been they had to legitimately pack for a week

50:32and a half a long trip or on 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 uh Hawaii uh rainbow warriors there um also in Portland BYU will play the winner of NC State Texas NC State Texas I will go Texas in that game uh Sean Miller coasted into the 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 a has had the good fortune of breaking through two consecutive seasons uh NC State um it's kind of a variety of guys who I had a note on NC State those going to toss you you know what I'm saving it for save it for tomorrow um I'll go Texas to win that and then I'll take BYU in age of debons uh to beat Texas I think we mentioned this on the Sunday show uh that would be debons are going against his idols Alma Mater I'll have BYU into the second round uh Gonzaga over Kenna saw state big question Gonzaga is is Braden Huff um when is he going to be available and when he is how effective is he

51:35going 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 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 um 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 uh real one's known 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

52:37like how could I not possibly pick this team to win at least two or three games right Arkansas is an exact and exact example of this uh and if it didn't make the sweet 16 I would be fairly shocked but sometimes the tournament that's what nature of the beast man so uh held 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 uh 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 uh still gets it done and that means back to back sweet 16 runs for Kevin Young and then I'll have Purdue over Miami uh getting it done there Braden spit by the way Braden spits gonna break the all-time assist record uh Bobby holey's record in the Queens game he needs two to set that record that's an inevitability sweet 16 I will go Arizona over Arkansas a cuff buries Bradley Pete Malik Thomas Billy Richmond

53:40the amount of talent on the floor in that game please give it to me uh I I really really want to see that game uh 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 this is how I just torched my bracket I'm gonna go BYU over Purdue I'm gonna stick with this I'm gonna say debats uh doesn't score under 30 in any tournament game I'm gonna 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 gonna see Kebuketa hit a new level Cunard Davis steps up even shoots beyond his current averages from three point range um and the role players uh 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 it's got a little the 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 uh back G's GP that's been six seven weeks Arizona won that game it was close 8683

54:46I love Arizona winning that one again and the wildcats my first one seed into the final four all right I'll be quick or at least quicker Arizona over L.I.U fins up wonderful story but it ends right here um Villanova oh and four against Yukon St. Johns uh only two quadrant one wins zero in the year 2026 what did I do they ain't be nobody in forever and they barely beat anybody all year I did have I made it have I made a great I made a grave mistake I mean who's picking Villanova there are dozens of us okay me me an MJ Collins me an MJ Collins I can't tell you how many nights he's up all our man I may change this pickback before we get to Thursday I'm letting you know right now I spent too many nights up late with MJ Collins to pick against him now Utah State over Villanova these these down

55:47Wisconsin high point I'll take Wisconsin to get out of that but high point is 90 second at Kenpon 30 and four like it's uh I don't that that would be if I were like a middle of the pack power commerce team like the I'd rather play another middle of the pack power conference team then then somebody that won 30 times I just I don't like I mean Wisconsin will be physically even all that stuff but 30 and four top 100 teams like that's a that's a real game I'll take Wisconsin to get by him Arkansas Hawaii a cup 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 she passed Napier runs and get a team somewhere in the bracket uh further than the number next to its name suggests was the likely scenario um uh certainly got him getting out of the first round a cuff could he could take them anywhere uh BYU Texas I I've got Texas

56:48getting past in C state then BYU over Texas I'd like to get that game just because I like here in Shaw Miller talking about NBA players he was a great on a cuff um I'd like to hear what he says uh um about the Bonsa here Gonzaga Kennesaw state the Brayden Huff thing remember the initial timeline was four to eight weeks were past that were past the eight 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 sometimes soon but I don't like the idea I mean you will if he's healthy you're gonna 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 uh 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 Brayden Smith College career could not end with one

57:51of with one of those now we're in the round of 32 I've got Arizona over Arkansas um that just that Arizona team uh well you 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 DeBonza's great I just don't and I know they want 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

58:56do 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 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 so I think I would always have the sweet 16 out of respect for the program but but but 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 one two and three in

59:59all the metrics but also specifically adjust to defensive efficiency you've 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 put it that way 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 for 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 being Purdue at the two being Gonzaga at the three that's not a full strength and even like Arkansas good team but but not you know it's 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

1:01:04Midwest 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 given that's another 16 one situation there but and I'll be actually curious is 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 like talking about no defense this feels like a race to 100 St. Louis actually has good effective field goal percentage defense and St. Louis has been slipping 28 and five record but they they know how to score like they're 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 and three point percentage in the country St. Louis does meanwhile Georgia I pull this up right now real quick here GP I think Georgia is second end points per game

1:02:09let me bring this up Georgia right now oh no 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 UM I will go slew here but I don't love it a Georgia's got some got a couple of dudes uh Ken of catchings at to me he's just he's already a good player but like he's going to hit another level um and then Wilkinson's good as well I will go slew there tech versus Akron I'm going to go tech this is the kind of game I feel like I usually fall into a trap with uh techs of deserving five I think that's that's that's fine for them three and three since top and went down in the midst of that Arizona state loss on the road um 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 uh if you get some good uh contributions out of law on Watts there I just Macassan's a really good coach Grocer as well like for sure 29

1:03:13to five team top 70 at Ken Palm like Akron can win the game they have won 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 and it's not like immensely bigger but it's got Akron's a smaller team uh that that being said that team they've got they've got a lot of experience that's a fun one there um I'm going to go Alabama to beat Hofstra reserve the right to change my mind on this um since we've gone live Tuscaloosa police say Holloway is going in Holloway who was arrested you know early on Monday I suppose um we'll 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 um that's a that's a felony it's a classy felony um 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 $5,000 bond the question is will he be

1:04:20available 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 of all so over the next 24 to 48 hours um it's a wild one man I mean you've got a player busted for having a hole it's in Alabama like having a whole bunch of whole bunch of marijuana just a just a huge stash I mean go go like basketball it never ceases to a maze bearish like this was the thing we're 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 you're like hold on what am I reading this correctly is this actually happening of all the programs is Alabama what is happening what is this charge and it's a felony I don't know 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

1:05:23for it was not for personal use so by nature of that definition you're looking to distribute what are you about to have a party one of the two you either you are either distributing slash selling or I'm assuming that wasn't from medical use I'm guessing we don't have a glaucoma situation with Alabama starting point card listen I hang on 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 Oats is like on the record different different topic but is on the record making it clear this year when he was justifying enrolling Charles Betiaca he more or less said my job is to win basketball games that's what I'm here to do

1:06:28that and and that's why I get paid and if you apply that same logic to this what do you do hey let me just so there's no wiggle 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 no problem it's 2026 I got no problem with weed anymore I got no problem with a young person smoking anymore than I got a problem with a young person drinking like I don't care but like if my adult son got busted with a pound of weed in his apartment I would be like

1:07:29oh man I ain't mad that you had weed really but like a pound what are you doing 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 fell something that 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 have created a negative headline for your university and put your coaching athletic director in a really bad spot they can do whatever they want I promise I won't care one way or another too much but I think if I were running the program I don't I don't think you 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 I initially thought this was for like some minor possession and some

1:08:31my answer reaction was like he's going to play and why wouldn't he it's 2026 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 um of all the schools okay um Tennessee gonna play the winner of SMU and Miami I'm not when I got home late GP after we podcasted I flipped on bracket breakdown on CBS Sports Network watched a good 3045 minutes as I tour through and I did hear you talk about this game we are in lockstep sure pick SMU and I'm not talking you I'm talking everyone listening like there are seven and a half points 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 I'm so I'm gonna 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 percent from

1:09:34three 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 would have start for that team in that program in year one 29 wins and almost certainly gonna get the 30 that's good stuff for for the Wahoo's 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 think I've got Santa Clara in my CBS bracket yeah let's go Gales Gales let's see 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 whoo man I've got tech versus Bama in this spot right now

1:10:46I'm going Texas tech right now I guess subject to change but for the purposes of the 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 her Sunday's 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 all right Michigan obviously advances out of the round of 64 I've got to play in 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

1:11:48incredible story now and like four and four in their past eight I know there's a total flop last year in the tournament I think they played Gonzaga they were in no show now it's a little bit of a different team but I kind of can't get that out of my head I'll take Texas take 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 army of folks you 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 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

1:12:50Virginia 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 slew 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

1:13:53Houston Arizona Michigan two one seeds a two seed and a five seed and 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 four actually before we get to our final four one one quick thing a 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 in 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 and was the only double digit seed

1:14:54I think among you got to be a 12 or worse I'm taking into their their potential matchups with this as well parish 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 and the bottom after your bracket this is a bit at least in dart throwing but I just off the top of your head which one do you think might be might be the team to do it okay so there's two let me be clear I don't think any I don't think anybody seeded 12 or worse will be in the sweet 16 but best chance to do it look at the team like Akron because in the round of 64 you get a Texas tech team without JT top and I know they've still been good in moments without JT top and but they're still without their best player and then in the round of 32 if you win that one you could play short-handed 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 a high point getting past Wisconsin and then you know

1:15:59every once in a while the John Calapari 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 nor liner you're 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 will play for the title and my national champion and then and then we'll we'll shut out Devin Downey and then I'm going to take a nap probably if we're being honest how's that sound and for everyone watching on YouTube they're going to see chat GP as you got dead last night in the chat we're going to get to hear chat GP oh I hope so yeah and I hope so I'm really looking forward to that you realize every time we do that I go let's hear a word from our partners and then I go rip my ear out go down here but I'll have to deal with it I don't want to deal with 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 and Houston

1:17:06on the left side of the bracket playing in Indy there's 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 Calvin Samson and and matching which in that game that would be outstanding now yeah and by virtue of this I have I have Huskies three times and four years making the final four and I and I do admit like that's with the way that Yukon has looked coming down 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 Jane Bradley with the buzzer beater

1:18:12incredible play up and down the floor both sides Milan Momchilovich had eight three pointers in that game we saw Jane Bradley be an absolute stud Anthony Delorso had his career high I've got these teams squaring off again in the final four Cyclone fans I know you're thrilled I got you 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 match up 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 match up 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 him going three and no give me the cougars to win the national championship and beat Arizona in a classic Calvin Samson gets his title and gets I guess Avengers 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 2C to pick to

1:19:19win 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 a 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 big 10 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 nor lander with Calvin Samson at the age of seven beginning a national championship so my final four is of course St. John's Houston Arizona and Michigan yes we only agree on one team two teams sorry Houston and Arizona you know how I feel about my red storm but you also know I do you say you claim to hate them no that's old no we're back together now

1:20:20we're back together we got back together and this usually works out well volatile relationship you didn't 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 in the red storm you know how I feel about my red storm but you also know how I feel about my kelvin's hamson I'm taking Houston over St. John's the red storms magical run it is right there on the other side I've got Arizona and Michigan 2-1 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

1:21:23outside of Bob Richey we do not have the same title winner doing I think the best story would probably be Bob Richey get 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 a manual sharp comes off a Kingston Fleming finds him and he pulls true buzzer beater bang J. Wright style after not being able to get a shot off in the final seconds of the title game a year ago a manual sharp berries it Houston national champion kelvin samson national champion a manual sharp most outstanding player in the final four Kingston Fleming's future Memphis grizzly okay didn't need that part but okay do we dare dream yes we did I would be

1:22:29as 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 and we're ready for both I'm pretty sure I know which one either way I'm pretty sure I know which one uh we're gonna be back tomorrow with another one so with that in mind that's a show yes hey 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 of voicing stuff yeah I don't I don't rest I don't rest my voice at all I'm gonna try tonight Shasta Devon Downey Shasta Chester South Carolina Shasta Territigo he's a legend hook and

1:23:32lar now 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 podcast Apple and Spotify more of us than there are them that should be reflected in the comments so do that and we're gonna talk to you again on Tuesday Tuesday thanks I'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 that's what she said we'll see at some point real soon monster energy everybody knows why monster zero ultra that's the OG it kicked off this whole zero sugar energy drink thing but ultra is a whole line I'm now you've got strawberry dreams blue Hawaiian sunrise in vice guava and they all bring the monster energy punch so if you've

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