Takes

Loyola Chicago is a team of destiny in the NCAA Tournament.

Are we willing to call [Loyola Chicago] our team of destiny yet? Because I'm inching them towards that spot.

Tom Crean will never have an FBI scandal because he is 100% above board.

There's zero chance that Georgia gets caught up in an FBI scandal with Tom Crean. Because that guy is above board 100%.

Don't bet every game of the NCAA Tournament if you want to win money.

You survive March Madness by not betting every game... You can't bet every game and beat these guys. The lines are too tough.

Virginia is the best team in college basketball but losing DeAndre Hunter is a massive blow

I think [Virginia] were definitely the best team in college basketball... But this injury does matter a lot. DeAndre Hunter was one of the guys that made me optimistic about this Virginia team versus their teams of the past. He's by far their most talented player.

Xavier is the weakest #1 seed and lucky to be there

Xavier's definitely the weakest one seed. I don't love teams that don't play defense in March... Xavier feels like one of those teams to me that their defense is going to come catch up to them. They're going to look really bad.

Villanova will go to the Final Four if they survive the second round

Villanova got a great draw if they can just get over the second-round hump... If you're asking me, is West Virginia better than Villanova, the answer is clearly no. I think it's Villanova.

Purdue is the Toronto Raptors of the NCAA tournament

The Purdue Boilermakers are the Toronto Raptors of the tournament. No matter how good they look in the regular season... they feel like the most unthreatening two-seed in the world.

Marshall will pull a first-round upset over Wichita State

I'll call my shot. I'm going to take Marshall over Wichita State.

CBS ruined Selection Sunday by using alphabetical order for the bracket reveal

The Selection Sunday show was fucking terrible. They had alphabetical order, which was so stupid. We basically sat there like, what's going on? And then three or four times said, wait, is that team in or out? Because you just keep missing teams and there's no bracket. Then they make you wait for the bracket. Then there's technical difficulties. Fuck everything. They ruined one of the best things in sports.

The new TBS Selection Sunday format is stupid and ruins the bubble watch excitement

The Selection Sunday Show by TBS... They basically said... we're actually going to reveal the entire field. And then reveal the bracket at the end of the show. So basically ruin all the bubble watch. ... Literally every single person in America just wants to see the fucking bracket.

John Beilein is one of the best coaches in college basketball

John Beilein's an unbelievable coach. I do not root for Michigan, but John Beilein is one of the best coaches in college basketball. I'm comfortable saying that.

The NCAA should allow players to use their likeness and change the one-and-done rule

They're going to change a couple things. They may let players use their likeness. They may change the one-and-done rule... until the NCAA says [to coaches] you commit a major violation, you are banned from coaching college basketball... nothing's going to change.

Michigan will likely win the Big Ten tournament

Well, Michigan's playing better than anybody... I'll say they're playing the best... Back to the Big Ten term, don't be surprised if Michigan doesn't win it. Michigan's damn good right now.

Kentucky fans will be fine with John Calipari if he reaches the Sweet 16 this year

Probably Sweet 16. You get to the Sweet 16, considering how bad they were most of the year, I think fans would be completely fine.

Virginia is susceptible to in-game lulls because they don't get to the free throw line enough

Virginia because I really like them but they've got that reputation that they don't commit a lot of fouls well they don't get fouled very much either so like they're not shooting very many free throws and on those nights when you're not making your shots you've got to have something else that you can go to.

Gonzaga is currently undervalued and capable of a deep tournament run

My initial reaction to that question [dark horse] would be Gonzaga. I think they are really good. I think they can go to the bench. I think Rui Hachimura is a potential breakout star... I really like their team.

Villanova will be a championship threat once they get Phil Booth back

When they get [Phil] Booth back, and now that the freshmen have been able to play these minutes... I wouldn't want to have to deal with them. They can beat you so many different ways.

Oklahoma and Trae Young will not make the Final Four because of their defense

Is Trae Young, like, can Trae Young take Oklahoma to a Final Four? No, I don't think [so]. One, I don't think the defense is good enough... In a single elimination, they just don't play good enough defense.

Villanova is clearly the best team in the country

I think [Villanova] is clearly the best team in the country, and they have like six guys who would start on virtually any team, which is kind of incredible to think about.

Rick Pitino will lose his $38 million lawsuit against Louisville

Rick Pitino, he is suing Louisville for $38 million. Is he going to win? No.

I am going to love hating Grayson Allen this college basketball season

Grayson Allen is back. Hating Grayson Allen is back. He played all 40 minutes [against Michigan State]. He scored 37 points... and I am going to love hating Grayson Allen this year.

The FBI investigation caught coaches off guard because they thought they were only breaking NCAA rules

I guarantee none of these coaches realized they were breaking actual laws. They thought they were just dealing in the fantasy land of NCAA fake rules. ... They'd lose a scholarship. I guarantee all these guys that are arrested are like, what the fuck? This is a real law?

Duke is dirty but Mike Krzyzewski is too powerful to be caught

Duke, so here's my fear with Duke. Duke is dirty as hell... Krzyzewski is such a godfather and has this figured out so well. Like, I think it's impossible to get to him. And I'm sort of worried it's impossible they'll ever get to Cal, too.

The Louisville scandal is brazen because it happened one month after they were put on probation

The part that really affects Louisville is basically an Adidas guy met with a Louisville assistant coach... one month after Louisville had agreed to their probation with the NCAA. One month later, they have him on tape in a hotel meeting with Adidas and saying he needs $100,000 to get a player to Louisville.

Shoe companies should be allowed to pay college athletes

I actually think this should be allowed, to be quite frank with you. I think the shoe companies are the ones who should be able to pay.

Louisville will likely have to take down their 2013 championship banner

The sanctions just came down... Five ACC games. And it looks like they might have to take down the banner for the 2013 championship team. We don't know yet.

The NCAA basketball championship plaque looks like an employee of the month award

I had three that plaque they give the NCAA basketball champion, which just looks like employee of the month plaque. Like J.D. Power Associates giving Audi their award for best foreign car.

Ohio State's unrealistic coaching wish list is a strategic 'anchoring' move

This is a great move by OSU, though, because if you just throw out the wish list that's just insane, everyone's like, okay, well, that's crazy. And then you get one of those second-tier guys that you probably were a third-tier. Yes, it's called anchoring. Anybody who's negotiated knows this. You ask for way, way more than you should get, then you'll get a little bit more than you deserve.

I want to coach at a championship level again

Well, I want to coach. But I want to coach. I want to go to a championship capacity type program... having the job taken from us like that [at Indiana], I mean, I've never let it get in and take my nerve or create doubt that I can't do this at the highest level.

Coach K is using bizarre 'freshman roommate' pitches to recruit Zion Williamson

This is a weird move by Coach K. He's telling Zion Williamson, at a school like Duke, it's tough to get in. So he said, you never know who you could be living with. You might be on the hall with a person who will be the president one day or a brain surgeon.

College athletes should be allowed to profit off their own likeness

I do think that a player should be able to profit off their own likeness in some form or fashion. ... Put the money in a blind trust? ... Pay them after they get out of college?

The biggest difference for the 2017 Gonzaga team is their commitment to defense

They play defense. For years, we were always really good offensively, obviously, and we weren't terrible defensively, but we really didn't completely buy into it. I think that's the biggest difference that this team does is they rotate... overall, the attention to detail on defense has just made it a difference.

I'm taking Gonzaga -7 and North Carolina in the Final Four.

I've got Gonzaga winning. Minus seven? Yeah. And then I've got UNC.

Oregon is a bad matchup for North Carolina due to a lack of size

I do think North Carolina is going to win. I think they're the better team. And they're a bad matchup for Oregon... [Oregon] has athleticism. They do not have—they have a little length. A lot of athleticism. No size.

North Carolina was the favorite to win the NCAA Tournament from the start of the year

I thought they were the favorite at the beginning, honestly. I thought for the whole year, since I saw them at Maui in November, that Carolina was the best team.

If North Carolina plays well, they will win the National Championship

I just think Carolina's got too many weapons. If Carolina plays well, they win. For them to lose, they're going to have to play less than well, less than their best.

Gonzaga will beat South Carolina in the Final Four because of their scoring depth

I favor Gonzaga because they've got so many more scorers and shooters. You know, South Carolina's not been a great offensive team all year... otherwise, I like Gonzaga to win the game.

Coach K will retire in four or five years

My guess is like four years or so, four or five, but you never know... Four to five years. I don't know, but that's my guess.

A broadcaster will not get a Power 5 head coaching job like Oklahoma State

I just don't see places like Oklahoma State, like Power 5 Jobs, going to broadcasters like us. I would find that kind of hard to believe, but you never know.

Oregon is a 'Team of Destiny' because of the Chris Boucher injury

Don't sleep on Oregon because remember, Oregon takes on Michigan's Team of Destiny and Oregon had the big injury to [Chris] Boucher right before this tournament started... when you lose someone, that's a big Team of Destiny situation.

North Carolina is the best team left in the NCAA tournament

I would say if North Carolina plays a perfect game, they're the best team left in the NCAA tournament.

South Carolina will upset Baylor in the Sweet 16

I think South Carolina is real. I think they're not a fluke. I think they're on a mission... I think that I would call for an upset here. I think South Carolina is the bet here.

Florida will beat Wisconsin in the Sweet 16

I'm going to lay the number with Florida. I think Florida's going to prevail here.

The ACC is soft

The ACC is dead... The ACC is soft. Sucks, and they're soft.

The Big Ten is back

The Big Ten is back.

Brad Underwood is a great hire for Illinois

That is a great hire, man. That dude is a ball coach. He's offense... I think he's a great hire. Absolutely great hire for Illinois.

The 'head coach in waiting' model is dead at Syracuse now that Jim Boeheim has an extension

They just announced that [Jim] Boeheim gets another year. So Mike [Hopkins] said, you know what? I'm going back home... They just announced a contract extension for Boeheim. So Mike said, hey, I'm going back out west.

Vanderbilt's late-game foul against Northwestern was the dumbest move since Chris Webber's timeout

Northwestern advances on the dumbest foul since Chris Webber. Yeah, that's pretty bad. Dumbest move since Chris Webber called the timeout in the national championship game. Boneheaded, just complete brain fart. What happened, I'm sure you all saw, but Vanderbilt was up one and Matthew Fisher Davis decided to foul with 10 seconds left. 45 feet past half court from Northwestern's basket and they end up losing by one. Unbelievable move.

Brad Stevens is definitely not going to the Indiana job

Maybe going back to Indiana. Dream job? I'm so excited for it because he's not going to go to Indiana. Anyone with a brain knows that. But it's going to get written. It's going to get some buzz.

Duke isn't a good team, they just have good players

Duke is back to being back. But we're conveniently ignoring that Duke was down 15 in all these ACC tournament games... Duke is not a good team. They have good players, but they're not actually a good team. And SMU is a good team. So it wouldn't surprise me to see SMU win.