The EvanMiya College Basketball Show is back for the 2026-27 season! Evan unveils the official EvanMiya.com preseason rankings with Kevin Sweeney (Sports Illustrated) and Jim Root (Three Man Weave), breaking down the top teams, top players, mid-major contenders, and some of the biggest questions facing college basketball heading into the season. The group discusses the unprecedented uncertainty surrounding fifth-year and international player eligibility, the teams most affected by those decisions, and the methodology behind EvanMiya's updated preseason computer model. They also dive into Florida, Duke, Illinois, Arizona, Gonzaga, UConn, Houston, Michigan State, Texas Tech, LSU, Kansas, UCLA and more, plus some of the most intriguing players and potential breakout candidates in the country. Evan also previews major upcoming updates to EvanMiya.com, including new player projections, team and player uncertainty tools, website upgrades, game predictions, and an upcoming API.

Chapters:

(00:00) Intro
(02:36) Kevin Sweeney and Jim Root join!
(03:09) Navigating the Offseason Challenges
(06:27) Eligibility Issues and Their Impact
(11:56) Team Rankings Methodology
(17:34) Top Preseason Players
(28:12) Teams 1-3
(36:13) Teams 4-7
(41:59) Teams 8-12
(48:09) Teams 13-18
(56:33) Rest of Top 30
(01:02:21) Best Mid-Majors
(01:10:04) Outro

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In this episode, Evan Miyakawa is joined by ESPN's Jeff Borzello for a transfer portal-focused offseason episode, the final installment before preseason content begins. The two open by surveying the 2026 portal cycle — roughly 2,500 Division I transfers, with elite talent slightly thinner at the top than last year — and assess the three biggest names still weighing the NBA draft: Allen Graves (Santa Clara), Tounde Yessoufou (Baylor), and Milan Momcilovic (Iowa State). The centerpiece is a five-player transfer portal draft, with both analysts building teams of who they expect to perform best in 2026-27. Picks include Flory Bidunga (Kansas to Louisville), John Blackwell (Wisconsin to Duke), Acaden Lewis (Villanova to Miami), PJ Haggerty (to Texas A&M), Isaiah Johnson (Colorado to Texas), Massamba Diop (Gonzaga), Stefan Vaaks (Providence to Illinois), Somto Cyril (Miami), Leroy Blyden (Toledo to Kansas), and Mustafa Thiam (Michigan). They also discuss underrated fits and standout team-level portal classes, with Borzello highlighting Missouri and Evan making the case for Xavier. In the second segment, Evan unpacks his updated roster retention study from his blog, breaking down how Michigan won a title with just 34% returning minutes and why Florida, Illinois, Michigan State, and Virginia stand out as high-retention contenders — while Louisville represents the contrasting top-10 roster built almost entirely from new pieces.

Chapters

(00:00) Jeff Borzello (ESPN) joins the show!
(02:24) Analyzing the 2026 portal cycle
(05:35) Biggest portal names still available
(12:48) Drafting our favorite portal additions
(34:11) Other favorite portal fits
(38:52) Missouri and Xavier portal classes
(41:28) Analytics Corner: Roster retention study

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In this episode, Evan Miyakawa breaks down some of his favorite transfer portal additions of the offseason using his proprietary player evaluation model at EvanMiya.com. He walks through how his projections are built—combining box score production, on-court impact, and historical data—and explains why defensive value and overall impact often lead to different conclusions than consensus rankings. Evan highlights a range of notable transfers, including Flory Bidunga to Louisville, Acaden Lewis to Miami, Sananda Fru to Marquette, Isaiah Johnson to Texas, Leroy Blyden Jr. to Kansas, Najai Hines to UConn, Miles Byrd to Providence, and Zoom Diallo to Kentucky, while also discussing broader themes like freshman-to-sophomore leaps, the importance of multi-skill versatility, and how certain player archetypes tend to translate better when moving up levels.

Chapters

(00:00) Key metrics for evaluating players
(05:05) Flory Bidunga to Louisville
(08:26) Acaden Lewis to Miami
(11:01) Sananda Fru to Marquette
(15:22) Isaiah Johnson to Texas
(17:08) Leroy Blyden to Kansas
(19:23) Najai Hines to UConn
(21:15) Miles Byrd to Providence
(24:25) Zoom Diallo to Kentucky 
(28:13) Comparison to Alex Wilkins

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The transfer portal is exploding—and so are NIL prices. In this episode, Evan Miyakawa breaks down a “Transfer Portal 101” guide to how teams are navigating the modern roster-building landscape, including why the NIL market is up 65% year-over-year and how that’s impacting decisions across college basketball. He dives into the economics of the portal, explaining why centers are being overpaid, why point guards may actually be the best value right now, and how supply and demand is reshaping roster construction. Evan also highlights key player archetypes to target (like sophomore breakout candidates) and ones to be cautious of (like high-volume scorers without well-rounded skill sets). If you want a clear, data-driven understanding of how teams are spending millions to build rosters in today’s game, this episode is for you.

Chapters

(00:00) Transfer Portal 101
(01:56) NIL Market is up 65%
(05:25) Front Office Suite tool for teams
(11:26) Is the market sustainable?
(14:09) Bigs are being overpaid
(17:47) Where teams can find value in the portal
(21:08) The Vandy and Nebraska model
(22:32) Freshman to Sophomore leap
(25:25) Teams are overvaluing volume scorers

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Michigan is your 2026 national champion, and in this season finale of The EvanMiya College Basketball Show, Evan Miyakawa is joined by analyst Eric Fawcett to break down how the Wolverines captured the title and what made their roster construction so dominant. The episode dives into Michigan’s 69–63 championship win over UConn, the tactical battle between Dusty May and Dan Hurley, and the defensive switching scheme that helped shut down UConn’s offense. Evan and Eric also revisit Michigan’s semifinal blowout of Arizona, discuss Terris Reed’s incredible tournament run for UConn, and examine how players like Elliot Cadeau and Yaxel Lendeborg powered Michigan to the title. The show wraps up with a look at the future of roster building in college basketball, including NIL economics, the transfer portal market, and why elite big men are becoming the most valuable commodity in the sport.

Chapters

(00:00) Eric Fawcett joins the show!
(01:34) Michigan wins the national title
(10:54) Xs and Os title game battle
(17:15) Standouts: Cadeau and Yaxel
(25:51) MIchigan dominates Arizona
(33:41) UConn beats Illinois in semis
(41:21) How rosters will be built this offseason
(56:59) Recapping bracket performance
(59:15) The Front Office Suite tool at EvanMiya.com
(01:02:54) Best moments from Indianapolis
(01:07:12) Listener contest winner!

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The Final Four is set, and it's one of the more loaded group of teams we’ve seen in years. In this episode of The EvanMiya College Basketball Show, Evan Miyakawa is joined by Carter Elliott of Sleepers Media and former Michigan player Ant Wright to break down how Arizona, Michigan, UConn, and Illinois reached Indianapolis and preview the biggest matchups of the weekend. The show begins with one of the most unforgettable Elite Eight finishes in tournament history as UConn stunned Duke with Braylon Mullins’ last-second three, followed by a deep dive into Illinois’ impressive run behind freshman star Keaton Wagler. Later, Evan and Ant Wright analyze Michigan’s dominant tournament performance, the rise of Yaxel Lendeborg, and the heavyweight clash awaiting them against Arizona. Evan closes the show by examining the analytics behind both Final Four matchups and explains why the Michigan-Arizona game could ultimately decide the national championship.

Chapters

(00:00) Carter Elliott (Sleepers Media) joins!
(01:46) UConn's improbable win over Duke
(12:22) Duke blows a lead... again
(18:21) Illinois is in the Final Four!
(23:21) Iowa's magical run ends
(26:51) UConn vs Illinois preview
(34:10) Arizona's dominant run to a Final Four
(41:47) Michigan is a juggernaut (with Ant Wright)
(46:01) Arizona vs Michigan preview
(55:42) Listener contest!

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The first weekend of the NCAA Tournament delivered drama, buzzer-beaters, and one of the wildest finishes we’ve seen in years. In this episode of The EvanMiya College Basketball Show, Evan Miyakawa is joined by John Martin of Field of 68 and ESPN’s Myron Medcalf to break down the biggest moments from the opening rounds and preview every Sweet 16 matchup. They discuss Iowa’s stunning upset of defending champion Florida, Nebraska’s thriller over Vanderbilt, Duke’s uneven path to the Sweet 16, Texas’s surprising tournament run, and whether the era of Cinderella is really disappearing in modern college basketball. Plus, Evan revisits his bracket strategy from last week’s show to see how the analytics-based approach is holding up after the first two rounds.

Chapters

(00:00) John Martin (Field of 68) joins the show!
(02:05) Iowa takes down the reigning champs
(09:14) Nebraska Vandy instant classic
(13:28) Duke's first weekend struggles
(17:16) Texas Sweet 16 + Purdue game
(20:38) Arizona Arkansas preview
(25:11) Michigan Alabama preview
(28:38) Iowa State Tennessee preview
(31:03) Is Cinderella dead?
(44:26) Myron Medcalf (ESPN) joins!
(45:45) St. John's thriller over Kansas
(50:28) Duke St. John's preview
(54:24) High Point's magical run
(59:15) Kentucky thriller over Santa Clara
(01:02:38) VCU topples UNC + Hubert Davis future
(01:06:37) UConn MSU preview
(01:09:33) Houston Illinois preview
(01:12:12) Nebraska Iowa preview
(01:15:18) Grading my bracket value picks
(01:18:39) Other notable results from the weekend
(01:23:47) Tournament weekend highlights

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In this special bonus episode of The EvanMiya College Basketball Show, Evan Miyakawa officially fills out his 2025 NCAA Tournament bracket and walks through every pick from the first round to the national championship. Before diving into the selections, Evan explains the statistical strategy behind how he builds his bracket each year, including avoiding narrative-driven picks, leveraging tournament probability simulations, identifying bracket value compared to public pick distributions, and applying his “10% rule” for realistic outcomes. Evan then goes region by region through the bracket, highlighting key upset opportunities, controversial value picks, and the teams he believes are most likely to make deep March Madness runs, ultimately revealing his Final Four and national champion.

Yahoo pick distribution: https://tournament.fantasysports.yahoo.com/mens-basketball-bracket/pickdistribution.

Chapters

(00:00) My bracket strategies

(07:45) Picking the East region

(11:28) Picking the West region

(15:44) Picking the Midwest region

(20:16) Picking the South region

(25:20) Final Four picks

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WE HAVE A BRACKET! This special episode of The EvanMiya College Basketball Show breaks down the entire NCAA Tournament bracket with a full regional preview and deep analytics insight. Evan Miyakawa is joined by Terrence Oglesby, Isaac Trotter, Brian Rauf, and Jim Root to analyze all four regions of the bracket, including Duke’s challenging path in the East, Michigan’s favorable draw in the Midwest, Florida’s dangerous South region, and Arizona’s matchup-filled West bracket. Evan also dives into the key analytics that can shape your bracket, including the title favorites tier, under-seeded teams with bracket value, kill shot momentum data, and which programs historically play up or down to competition. If you’re filling out a bracket, this episode covers everything you need to know heading into March Madness.

Chapters

(00:00) Initial bracket reactions
(03:53) East Regional w/ Terrence Oglesby
(21:38) Title Favorites
(25:12) Midwest Regional w Isaac Trotter
(42:32) Underseeded Teams + Bracket Value
(45:55) South Regional w/ Brian Rauf
(01:03:07) The Kill Shot
(01:08:30) West Regional w/ Jim Root
(01:27:55) High Ceiling / Low Floor

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With Selection Sunday just days away, this episode of The EvanMiya College Basketball Show dives deep into the chaos of Championship Week and the rapidly evolving NCAA Tournament picture. Evan Miyakawa is joined by Seth Davis of Hoops HQ and CBS to break down the weekend’s biggest games, debate which teams are built for deep March runs, and analyze how this year’s unusually weak bubble could shape the field. Later in the show, legendary bracketologist Joe Lunardi joins to go full bracketology mode, discussing which teams are safely in, which programs are sweating out conference tournaments, and what the committee may prioritize as Selection Sunday approaches. Evan also reveals a mid-major Cinderella team he believes could cause real problems in the NCAA Tournament.

Chapters

(00:00) Seth Davis (Hoops HQ) joins the show!
(04:56) Florida moves ahead of UConn for 1-seed
(09:16) Wisconsin's dark horse potential?
(12:19) Miami goes 31-0!
(17:20) Louisville's tourney outlook
(19:50) Teams to watch: UCLA + Ohio State
(22:38) Mid-majors who could make noise
(25:21) Weakest bubble we've ever seen?
(32:31) A cinderella with HUGE upset potential
(37:50) Joe Lunardi (ESPN) joins the show!
(39:03) Auburn's resume
(43:27) Miami OH vs Auburn
(52:21) Cincinnati's resume
(57:02) Texas, Missouri, and A&M
(59:56) Indiana's resume
(01:02:41) Virginia, Arkansas, Saint Mary's
(01:12:06) Purdue's vexing tourney outlook
(01:14:02) Duke's injuries + expectations
(01:15:33) Michigan and Ohio State wins
(01:16:48) My conference tourney prediction

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