Eye On College Basketball

Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander kick off October season previews with the Big East. Storylines, predictions and more for a conference that needs a massive year in 2026-27.

(0:00) Intro + a trivia time right off the top!

(5:00) 5 Storylines for the Big East

(6:00) New commissioner, bigger budgets, crucial season

(11:30) Can UConn get to another Final Four? And how will Braylon Mullins handle the pressure?

(19:00) Can Marquette bounce back from an ugly 12-20 season?

(20:00) How will the St. John’s eligibility story play out?

(25:00) Big East Preseason Poll + End-of-season standings predictions

(40:30) Who is going to the NCAA Tournament? + Players of the year and more players to watch

• Theme song: “Timothy Leary,” written, performed and courtesy of Guster
• Eye on College Basketball is available for free on the Audacy app as well as Apple Podcasts, Spotify and wherever else you listen to podcasts.
• Follow our team: @EyeonCBBPodcast @GaryParrishCBS @MattNorlander @Boone @DavidWCobb @TheJMULL_
• Visit the ⁠betting arena on CBSSports.com⁠ for all the latest in ⁠sportsbook reviews⁠ and ⁠sportsbook promos⁠ for ⁠betting on college basketball⁠.
• You can listen to us on your smart speakers! Simply say, “Alexa, play the latest episode of the Eye on College Basketball podcast,” or “Hey, Google, play the latest episode of the Eye on College Basketball podcast.”
• Email the show for any reason whatsoever: [email protected]
• Visit Eye on College Basketball’s YouTube channel: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeFb_xyBgOekQPZYC7Ijilw⁠
• For more college hoops coverage, visit ⁠https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/

Matt Norlander sits down with new Big East Commissioner Tim Brosnan at 2026 Big East Media Day.

(0:00) Matt Norlander with Tim Brosnan at Big East Media Day (the better Brosnan)

(1:00) Why Tim ended up with this job - “it’s a passion play for me”

(3:45) What is the vision? What is achievable for this league in the near future?

(5:50) Why the Big East hasn’t instituted new rules like the other major conferences

(8:15) “This is crazy”

(10:10) Which commissioners has he conversed with early in his tenure as commissioner

(11:15) Why did Tim run towards this job in such an uncertain time?

(12:30) How does the Big East work on having an even bigger footprint in basketball?

(14:40) Seeing every school by the end of October

• Theme song: “Timothy Leary,” written, performed and courtesy of Guster
• Eye on College Basketball is available for free on the Audacy app as well as Apple Podcasts, Spotify and wherever else you listen to podcasts.
• Follow our team: @EyeonCBBPodcast @GaryParrishCBS @MattNorlander @Boone @DavidWCobb @TheJMULL_
• Visit the ⁠betting arena on CBSSports.com⁠ for all the latest in ⁠sportsbook reviews⁠ and ⁠sportsbook promos⁠ for ⁠betting on college basketball⁠.
• You can listen to us on your smart speakers! Simply say, “Alexa, play the latest episode of the Eye on College Basketball podcast,” or “Hey, Google, play the latest episode of the Eye on College Basketball podcast.”
• Email the show for any reason whatsoever: [email protected]
• Visit Eye on College Basketball’s YouTube channel: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeFb_xyBgOekQPZYC7Ijilw⁠
• For more college hoops coverage, visit ⁠https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/

Matt Norlander sits down with UConn's Braylon Mullins and Jayden Ross at 2026 Big East Media Day.

0:00 Matt Norlander with Braylon Mullins and Jayden Ross at Big East Media Day

0:30 The Braylon shot, the halftime speech and coming back against Duke

5:00 How has the shot changed Braylon’s life? + not actually winning the title

7:30 Embracing the journey ahead with a lot of new players

9:15 The pitch that got Braylon and Jayden to come to UConn

• Theme song: “Timothy Leary,” written, performed and courtesy of Guster
• Eye on College Basketball is available for free on the Audacy app as well as Apple Podcasts, Spotify and wherever else you listen to podcasts.
• Follow our team: @EyeonCBBPodcast @GaryParrishCBS @MattNorlander @Boone @DavidWCobb @TheJMULL_
• Visit the ⁠betting arena on CBSSports.com⁠ for all the latest in ⁠sportsbook reviews⁠ and ⁠sportsbook promos⁠ for ⁠betting on college basketball⁠.
• You can listen to us on your smart speakers! Simply say, “Alexa, play the latest episode of the Eye on College Basketball podcast,” or “Hey, Google, play the latest episode of the Eye on College Basketball podcast.”
• Email the show for any reason whatsoever: [email protected]
• Visit Eye on College Basketball’s YouTube channel: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeFb_xyBgOekQPZYC7Ijilw⁠
• For more college hoops coverage, visit ⁠https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/

Matt Norlander sits down with Marquette's Shaka Smart at 2026 Big East Media Day.

(0:00) Matt Norlander with Shaka Smart at Big East Media Day

(0:30) Is Shaka a Bears fan or a Packers fan?

(1:30) What does a tough season do for Shaka Smart’s perspective?

(2:30) When did Shaka know last year was going to be bumpy?

(4:15) Getting Sananda Fru on campus (and why Shaka likes the intensity of the portal)

(7:05) How can this Marquette team be different from any other Marquette team?

(8:15) What is the right cocktail of things for Nigel James Jr. this season?

(9:30) The state of college basketball in 2026: eligibility, PCSA and more

• Theme song: “Timothy Leary,” written, performed and courtesy of Guster
• Eye on College Basketball is available for free on the Audacy app as well as Apple Podcasts, Spotify and wherever else you listen to podcasts.
• Follow our team: @EyeonCBBPodcast @GaryParrishCBS @MattNorlander @Boone @DavidWCobb @TheJMULL_
• Visit the ⁠betting arena on CBSSports.com⁠ for all the latest in ⁠sportsbook reviews⁠ and ⁠sportsbook promos⁠ for ⁠betting on college basketball⁠.
• You can listen to us on your smart speakers! Simply say, “Alexa, play the latest episode of the Eye on College Basketball podcast,” or “Hey, Google, play the latest episode of the Eye on College Basketball podcast.”
• Email the show for any reason whatsoever: [email protected]
• Visit Eye on College Basketball’s YouTube channel: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeFb_xyBgOekQPZYC7Ijilw⁠
• For more college hoops coverage, visit ⁠https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/

Matt Norlander sits down with Villanova head coach Kevin Willard at 2026 Big East Media Day.

(0:00) Matt Norlander with Kevin Willard at Big East Media Day

(0:15) The goodies about going to play a game in Rome, the Pope and the upcoming experience

(3:30) How did Kevin build the roster this offseason? + biggest surprise

(5:10) Guard play is the key for Villanova

(7:20) Why the season ended when Matt Hodge went down in the St. John’s game

(8:15) The still-new gig at Villanova (and being a wise-ass)

(9:45) Why the Big East will be better this season + non-conference schedule opportunities

• Theme song: “Timothy Leary,” written, performed and courtesy of Guster
• Eye on College Basketball is available for free on the Audacy app as well as Apple Podcasts, Spotify and wherever else you listen to podcasts.
• Follow our team: @EyeonCBBPodcast @GaryParrishCBS @MattNorlander @Boone @DavidWCobb @TheJMULL_
• Visit the ⁠betting arena on CBSSports.com⁠ for all the latest in ⁠sportsbook reviews⁠ and ⁠sportsbook promos⁠ for ⁠betting on college basketball⁠.
• You can listen to us on your smart speakers! Simply say, “Alexa, play the latest episode of the Eye on College Basketball podcast,” or “Hey, Google, play the latest episode of the Eye on College Basketball podcast.”
• Email the show for any reason whatsoever: [email protected]
• Visit Eye on College Basketball’s YouTube channel: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeFb_xyBgOekQPZYC7Ijilw⁠
• For more college hoops coverage, visit ⁠https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/

Matt Norlander sits down with Xavier head coach Richard Pitino at 2026 Big East Media Day.

(0:00) Matt Norlander with Richard Pitino at Big East Media Day

(0:15) Remember, Richard, you are under oath

(2:00) Why knowing everyone’s budget might fix some stuff

(2:25) Eligibility questions - what’s up with Filip Borovicanin’s current status?

(4:00) Let’s talk about the roster

(5:35) The reality of the first 18 months at Xavier relative to expectations

(8:40) Is the tournament the clear expectation this year for the Musketeers?

(10:10) How is the conference safeguarding from another down year?

(12:05) Pitino is all over Norlander’s still-gotta-get-there list - what makes those places special?

• Theme song: “Timothy Leary,” written, performed and courtesy of Guster
• Eye on College Basketball is available for free on the Audacy app as well as Apple Podcasts, Spotify and wherever else you listen to podcasts.
• Follow our team: @EyeonCBBPodcast @GaryParrishCBS @MattNorlander @Boone @DavidWCobb @TheJMULL_
• Visit the ⁠betting arena on CBSSports.com⁠ for all the latest in ⁠sportsbook reviews⁠ and ⁠sportsbook promos⁠ for ⁠betting on college basketball⁠.
• You can listen to us on your smart speakers! Simply say, “Alexa, play the latest episode of the Eye on College Basketball podcast,” or “Hey, Google, play the latest episode of the Eye on College Basketball podcast.”
• Email the show for any reason whatsoever: [email protected]
• Visit Eye on College Basketball’s YouTube channel: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeFb_xyBgOekQPZYC7Ijilw⁠
• For more college hoops coverage, visit ⁠https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/

Matt Norlander sits down with Creighton's Alan Huss at 2026 Big East Media Day.

(0:00) Matt Norlander with Alan Huss at Big East Media Day

(0:20) Alan gets his high-major chance, taking over McDermott at Creighton

(3:00) Two preseason all-league mentions in year one - who stirs the drink this year?

(5:20) How will Creighton look different under Alan compared to Greg?

(6:45) Creighton’s biggest non-conference opportunities

(9:30) What is it like inside the program and practice right now?

• Theme song: “Timothy Leary,” written, performed and courtesy of Guster
• Eye on College Basketball is available for free on the Audacy app as well as Apple Podcasts, Spotify and wherever else you listen to podcasts.
• Follow our team: @EyeonCBBPodcast @GaryParrishCBS @MattNorlander @Boone @DavidWCobb @TheJMULL_
• Visit the ⁠betting arena on CBSSports.com⁠ for all the latest in ⁠sportsbook reviews⁠ and ⁠sportsbook promos⁠ for ⁠betting on college basketball⁠.
• You can listen to us on your smart speakers! Simply say, “Alexa, play the latest episode of the Eye on College Basketball podcast,” or “Hey, Google, play the latest episode of the Eye on College Basketball podcast.”
• Email the show for any reason whatsoever: [email protected]
• Visit Eye on College Basketball’s YouTube channel: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeFb_xyBgOekQPZYC7Ijilw⁠
• For more college hoops coverage, visit ⁠https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/

Matt Norlander sits down with Georgetown head coach Ed Cooley at 2026 Big East Media Day.

(0:00) Matt Norlander with Ed Cooley at Big East Media Day

(1:05) Georgetown was picked 10th, that would surprise Year 1 Ed about Year 4

(2:30) The long road of rebuilding the Hoyas + summer development

(3:55) How has Cooley evolved as a coach since leaving Providence?

(6:00) How to fight education falling by the wayside more and more

(6:50) The latest on Georgetown’s eligibility cases + Ed advocating for Vince Iwuchukwu

(10:20) The message to the fanbase in a critical season

• Theme song: “Timothy Leary,” written, performed and courtesy of Guster
• Eye on College Basketball is available for free on the Audacy app as well as Apple Podcasts, Spotify and wherever else you listen to podcasts.
• Follow our team: @EyeonCBBPodcast @GaryParrishCBS @MattNorlander @Boone @DavidWCobb @TheJMULL_
• Visit the ⁠betting arena on CBSSports.com⁠ for all the latest in ⁠sportsbook reviews⁠ and ⁠sportsbook promos⁠ for ⁠betting on college basketball⁠.
• You can listen to us on your smart speakers! Simply say, “Alexa, play the latest episode of the Eye on College Basketball podcast,” or “Hey, Google, play the latest episode of the Eye on College Basketball podcast.”
• Email the show for any reason whatsoever: [email protected]
• Visit Eye on College Basketball’s YouTube channel: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeFb_xyBgOekQPZYC7Ijilw⁠
• For more college hoops coverage, visit ⁠https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/

Matt Norlander sits down with Dan Hurley at 2026 Big East Media Day.

(0:00) Matt Norlander with Dan Hurley at Big East Media Day

(0:15) A whole Arrested Development debacle + TV shows and YouTube TV struggles

(5:50) Silas Demary Jr. is sick, but he’s the preseason POY in the Big East

(7:10) How is practice going? What’s happening on the floor right now?

(8:15) Braylon Mullins and his sophomore season

(10:00) Najai Hines is the next UConn big

(12:05) Dan on the Protect College Sports Act

(15:00) Thoughts on Providence and St. John’s trying to get G-League players

(17:10) Where does Dan land on potentially capping athlete earning abilities?

(20:00) Dan Hurley vs. a referee, but make it Halloween

• Theme song: “Timothy Leary,” written, performed and courtesy of Guster
• Eye on College Basketball is available for free on the Audacy app as well as Apple Podcasts, Spotify and wherever else you listen to podcasts.
• Follow our team: @EyeonCBBPodcast @GaryParrishCBS @MattNorlander @Boone @DavidWCobb @TheJMULL_
• Visit the ⁠betting arena on CBSSports.com⁠ for all the latest in ⁠sportsbook reviews⁠ and ⁠sportsbook promos⁠ for ⁠betting on college basketball⁠.
• You can listen to us on your smart speakers! Simply say, “Alexa, play the latest episode of the Eye on College Basketball podcast,” or “Hey, Google, play the latest episode of the Eye on College Basketball podcast.”
• Email the show for any reason whatsoever: [email protected]
• Visit Eye on College Basketball’s YouTube channel: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeFb_xyBgOekQPZYC7Ijilw⁠
• For more college hoops coverage, visit ⁠https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/

St. John's head coach Rick Pitino sits down with Matt Norlander at Big East Media Day

(0:00) Matt Norlander with Rick Pitino at Big East Media Day
(0:45) The unknown of roster building this offseason and having the full roster
(3:00) Differences between this roster and the last couple of seasons
(4:30) The defense: "I think this team has more gifts on offense"
(5:00) Tounde Yessoufou
(6:15) Rick's appetite for coaching in this era of CBB + Protect College Sports Act
(12:10) A moment to remember Kenny Klein