Takes

It is no longer possible to win a National Championship relying primarily on freshmen in the NIL/Portal era

Cal needs to change back because Jay Wright tonight said it the best because of NIL. These dudes are staying in college longer... You're gonna see good players stay in college for three and four years. And I just don't know if you can win with freshmen anymore because these... two of the starters on Oakland were 24 years old. We're starting three guys that are 18. That's a big difference.

Thursday and Friday of the NCAA Tournament are the best two sports days of the year

Tuesday, March 20th, and we are just 24 hours away from the best two days of the year... Thursday, Friday of, of the NCAA Tournament, because it's just all you think about the entire time.

Selection committees are bullshit and fans could do a better job

I'm convinced that all of these committees can be the job of the committees can be done better by like 75% of the fans... Just anyone who's been paying attention. I, I know for a fact I know college basketball guys who are way more informed about college basketball and who's good and who's bad than this stupid committee.

Kyle Neptune is not a good basketball coach and has to go

Kyle Neptune sucks at coaching basketball. You are not crazy. He got absolutely worked by Shaka Smart. The fact that he didn't call a timeout with 30 seconds left in the game... That guy is not a good basketball coach. Jay Wright would've won that game. It was disgusting... Kyle Neptune's gotta go.

Duke locking their Twitter comments after the NC State loss is the softest thing ever

It was also classic Duke, because after the game they did post the final score on Twitter. Yep. But they locked the comments. Yep. Classic, classic college shutting down free speech on in in America... I think it's better that they just don't post the final score than if they post it and then shut it down.

Duke is back to being the worst and perfectly hateable again

Duke is back to being the worst because goddammit, those guys are so hateable and they're right back to where they were. I was nervous... but just that scene choking on senior night against UNC. Those stupid fucking Cameron Crazies that pretend that they're the coolest, best fan base in the world... throwing shit at college players.

College basketball is better when Duke is the villain

College basketball is better when Duke is the villains. So I'm happy for the tournament. I'm excited. Shut everyone up.

I do not like the current state of free agency in college basketball

I'm not enjoying what goes on right now in college basketball... I may be looking at three guys returning next year and I gotta bring in 10. They all become free agents... it's just not something I like. I think Jay Wright got out of it because of that.

NIL should have no rules and operate like normal business with multi-year contracts

There wouldn't be any rules. I would have it operate just like normal business does... the schools could just pay the athletes directly... they would sign the players to multi-year contracts... It's really not that difficult. And that way the transfer portal's not as big of an issue.

There should be a 'free fight' rule allowing players to defend themselves against court-storming fans

I think like if there should be a rule that if you're a player and a fan comes at you, you can just go hog wild on 'em. Free the free fight rule that I've had for a very long time. Let the players have a free fight.

Rick Pitino is good for the sport of college basketball

You have to like Rick Pitino, he's good for college basketball. Show, I mean, win. Yes. I respect Rick when he's wearing the white suit. This guy doesn't understand that. We like Rick Pitino.

Indiana is scared to play Indiana State in basketball

Do you know that Indiana state, Indiana doesn't play Indiana state because they just embarrassed him every time they play him. Indiana State, I think last time they played 'em was like 2017 and they won by like 20. Damn. So Indiana's just scared of 'em.

Every Arizona fan is scared to play Wisconsin in the tournament

Every Arizona fan heard you say that and like, Max is the dumbest person ever. He doesn't know ball. Every Arizona fan is scared of Wisconsin. That's a fact... We whooped them twice in the Elite Eight to go to the Final Four.

Tom Izzo is an overrated basketball coach

We just squatted on a take and said, Tom Izzo is overrated. We don't actually believe it now, but just wait. 'cause the conversation's gonna happen. We wanna be the first ones to say it. Now I'm starting to believe it a little bit.

Villanova should be kicked out of the Blue Bloods to make room for UConn

Welcome to the Blue Blood Club. I think they kick Villanova out, right? And then they move [UConn in].

Jill Biden's White House invitation to Iowa is a classless move

Jill Biden invited LSU and Iowa to the White House. That's fucking bullshit. You cannot do that. Iowa lost. You know what that is? Classless move. Learn how fucking sports work. You point to your finger when you win a ring, you do the John Cena and then you get invited to the White House and the team they lost doesn't. That's how sports work.

San Diego State players struggle with free throws because they are too muscular from living on the beach

My theory on San Diego State... They're both too jacked up. Yeah, because they live on the beach in San Diego. So they're like, I gotta have guns swell when I go outside all the time. They're too strong and they don't have any touch on their fellow shots.

The 'class' debate in women's basketball is actually good for the sport

I actually think this is a win though for women's basketball because seeing all these people upset online, that's just fans upset that their team lost. And if they're upset, their team lost, they cared enough. And that's good for women's basketball because at the end of the day, it's kind of like... how this game works. If you are a sports fan, you are psycho.

Jerome Tang going into the FAU locker room was the classiest move a coach could make

Jerome Tang stole my heart going into the FAU locker room after the game and coaching him up and telling 'em how proud of him that he was. I just think that's the classiest move a coach could ever make.

Tom Izzo is not overrated

Is Tom Izzo overrated? [PFT: Yeah]. Here's not He's ready to, he's not. He's not. But he, but we did get a little salty Tom Izzo after he said that they had some lucky shots.

Without Zach Edey, Purdue wouldn't have even made the NIT

My takeaway was that Zach Edey, without Zach Edey Purdue would not have made the tournament. They probably wouldn't have even made the NIT. Zach Edey was the only one doing anything.

John Scheyer lost because he wore a black sweater instead of a gray one

The game was decided well before that, before the boys even stepped on the court because Scheyer wasn't wearing the sweatshirt. They were wearing the same sweaters, different color black... The gray one was way better.

Tom Izzo is the most underrated coach because he became so overrated

I think Tom Izzo's underrated. I think he's underrated as a head coach for a while. He, he got so overrated that now he became underrated... I'm gonna be the first person to say it. So when the discussion eventually happens, I was there before all you guys.

Virginia's 2019 National Title was a fluke

Virginia's upset loss to Furman further proves 2019 national title was a fluke... Do they suck? I don't even think their national title counts anymore.

UCLA is America's team because they are the most fun blueblood to root for

I think UCLA is America's team. They're the most fun blueblood to root for. They're kind of scrappy underdogs right now. Not only with their head coach, but also they've lost a lot of players of injuries.

There is a 'wedgie' conspiracy involving the balls or rims in Des Moines

There's a scandal of foot in March Madness this year in Des Moines... There were five six wedgies today, four of which occurred in the Des Moines, Iowa gym. So either the balls are stickier, the rims are harder. Maybe the balls are a little bit smaller... there's something different this year.

The Duke vs. UNC rivalry is officially dead without Coach K

One casual take I had watching the Duke UNC game was no, no, that rivalry is dead. Dead. Over. Coach K killed it. [He] shouldn't have retired.

The college basketball chaos on Saturday was triggered by Fran McCaffrey's stare down with the referee

I think Saturday we got the chaos all because of Fran McCaffrey's stare down. It was from that point on the day, just went off the fucking rails. There's nothing like a good old fashioned coach just staring at a referee so close and neither one of them was gonna walk away.

North Carolina only made the 2022 title game because of the name on their jerseys

I really think that if North Carolina's team last year was wearing different jerseys, they would not have gone to the national championship games. If they were wearing like a mountain west jersey, they would've lost the first round. Exact same group of guys... it's just the laundry they're wearing is different.

Houston is 'the new Gonzaga' of college basketball

Houston as a program is sort of like the new Gonzaga where they have gotten over the hump... the way you look at a Houston team at this point in the season is the way you would look at a Gonzaga team where you're like, yes, they're beating the shit out of everyone... but I don't know about the schedule.

Duke is officially back after snapping their losing streak against North Carolina

Who's back is Duke? They snap their losing streak. Their two game losing streaks [against] North Carolina over the weekend... they're one and oh in the post coach K era against North Carolina.

The Big 12 is the toughest conference to win on the road

When I first got to Baylor, Roy Williams said, toughest league to win on the road, you gotta win your home games. And I think that's so true in the Big 12... it is really hard to win on the road in the Big 12 and there's no feeling like when you get a road win.

A 'motor' is the most important attribute for a basketball recruit to have

I think it's something a lot of coaches wish more players had nowadays and that's a motor. And if a guy really plays hard, competes every possession, they're gonna get better.

West Virginia is a basketball school

I asked Scott this question, I'll ask it to you too. West Virginia, a basketball school or a football school? Basketball school. I think that's tradition.

Kentucky is definitively a basketball school, regardless of football's success

What John Calipari said is not incorrect. He just shouldn't say it out loud. They are a basketball school. Like you can't change that. This would be saying like if Notre Dame basketball won a national championship, they wouldn't be a basketball school. No offense to the football program, Kentucky. When you think Kentucky, you think basketball, that's just a fact.

A bitter rival winning a championship the year after you erases your own title

I think that if you're bitter rival wins a championship the year after you do it, almost erases your [shine]. Clearly because you don't get, you have zero time to gloat over it. None. No. It's like it's never happened.

Tom Izzo is officially overrated

The take that I've probably been wrong about, Tom Izzo being overrated. I wanted to be the first person to say that Tom Izzo is overrated. So I think I accomplished that. And then I've been waiting that out. It's starting to look more and more like it's correct adjacent.

Bill Self has the second-best active coaching resume behind Rick Pitino

Does Bill Self now, out of all the active coaches, have the second-best resume only to Rick Pitino? This second one for Bill Self puts him in rarefied air and it cements everything that he's done at Kansas. He has more wins than Jay Wright. He has gone to the tournament 23 straight years, and 12 out of those 23 he's gotten to at least the Elite Eight.

Coach K's legacy is forever stained by losing his final home game and final tournament game to North Carolina

Coach K's legacy is also forever stained. If Bill Self lost two important games to end his season this year, we would put that as a big dock. He would not be in the Rick Pitino [tier]. Pitino remains unstained.

Coach K's legacy is completely tarnished because he lost his final game to UNC

Coach K is dead... He died as he lived, a loser. Calling Coach K a loser legacy, he's completely tarnished... He is deceased. His legacy is tarnished forever. It can't get worse than what happened.

Duke might not be a 'Blue Blood' program without Coach K

Is Duke a blue blood? Are they a program that had one good coach? I'm talking about Vic Bubas who... went to the Final Four. Take away the Coach K era, what has Duke done?

Coach K's career would be a disappointment if it ends with a loss to UNC

The perfect ending would be if [Coach K] were to lose against his arch rival, UNC. You'd have to say his career would be a disappointment if it ended—legacy tarnished.

Villanova should officially be considered a basketball Blue Blood

If you look at, you mentioned Bluebloods, these are four. I would even say Villanova might be a blue blood... I would take away one drop of blue blood from Kentucky, like Elizabeth Holmes, and I'm giving it to Villanova.

Drew Timme does not have the killer instinct

I'm going to say it right now. Drew Timme doesn't have the killer instinct. I love that [drop step] move. But yeah... [Chet Holmgren] got in foul trouble and they kept just going right at them.

Eric Musselman is the most innovative coach in the Sweet 16

There's no question. It's Eric Musselman and it's Eric Musselman versus the field. I mean, he he's, he he's very unique... he's going to find different ways to guard you and they don't panic. That's the thing about Arkansas.

Scott Drew's tweet about how hard it is to repeat is 'major loser energy'

Scott Drew tweeted it, which I feel like is just major loser energy. He tweeted a graphic... showing all the national champions... that either didn't qualify for the tournament after they won the title, or they didn't get very far... That's a weird thing to do. You let your fan base say that because it is hard to repeat.

Kentucky's blue blood status should be on the hot seat

I actually think that we should not talk about coach Cal being on the hot seat as much as we should just put the status, the blue blood status of Kentucky on the hot seat. What have you done for me lately Kentucky?

Any SEC team that finished .500 or better in the league deserves a tournament bid

any team in our league that finished 500 or better deserves to be in the tournament. I've been in the big 12. If our resume was on the board in the big 12, we would be right in the middle of the whole thing.

You cannot win in the NCAA tournament with bad guard play, regardless of your center

You cannot win if you got a great center and you got bad guard [play]. You got to have really good guards. If you don't have good guards, it's hard to win a game, let alone in the NCAA tournament.

Gonzaga will become the 'new Duke' if they win the title

Gonzaga becomes the new Duke if they win. They really do... Mark Few is not as likable as I think Zag fans think he is... I think in Gonzaga not winning the title is actually great for college basketball.