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This week on Check the Net, Impact89’s College Basketball Podcast, join Colin, Kylee, and Eli as they preview the final 7 conferences and make predictions about who may be this year’s conference champions! This week’s episode features the Big Ten, WCC, Ivy League, WAC, CAA, Summit League, and NEC conferences!
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What is Check the Net on Impact 89FM?
Are you a fan of college hoops? Check the Net is a podcast that covers everything about the world of college basketball. Whether it is discussions regarding top teams and weekly rankings, updates on transfer portal and coaching news, or commentary on the latest major stories from around the game, Check the Net has got you covered. The podcast covers both men’s and women’s basketball across all Division I conferences. Check the Net is available through Impact 89FM’s website, as well as via all major audio platforms.
Welcome back to Check the Net, Impact 80 nine's men's and women's college basketball podcast. I am your host, Kylie Tabler, and I'm joined today by my best best friends, Colin Pearson and Eli Flickama. Aw.
Colin:That was good to hear. That was that was really good.
Kylee:Yes. We are back with, the, in my opinion, the best episode of this series.
Eli:It's gonna be the best one.
Kylee:It's gonna be fun.
Colin:I mean, we got more conference previews, but we only have 7 of them this week.
Eli:My bank.
Colin:Because we are just going to talk your your off
Kylee:About the big 10. 10. Like, we're talk for a good, like, 40 minutes of this episode about the Big 10.
Colin:Which means we gotta get going.
Kylee:Yeah. So let's start.
Colin:These next ones. The first six.
Kylee:We've got the West Coast Conference.
Eli:Oh, yeah. For all of our listeners, we ran out of geography, so these are just kind of all over the place.
Kylee:The last ones.
Colin:We're
Kylee:yeah. It's what was left over after
Colin:The big 10 is everywhere, and therefore And therefore, I
Eli:start with everybody else.
Kylee:Yeah. So for the West Coast Conference, we do have some conference realignment. So they add added Oregon State and Washington State are competing for this season and next season, and both are eligible for tournament auto bids, which I think is sleigh, I guess.
Colin:It's really interesting, that the West Coast Conference would agree to allow them to have a chance at their auto bids.
Kylee:I mean, you're bringing in 2 teams from the. I feel like telling them no is just like I mean, yeah. We're going somewhere else. Even though nobody wanted them, they're gonna
Eli:go They're full affiliate members, so you might as well have them.
Colin:That's true. Right. They are for
Kylee:the moment. Yeah. Gonna bring in some some revenue.
Eli:Yeah.
Kylee:They've got they've got bigger fan bases than a lot of the West Coast
Colin:Conference teams. And that Gonzaga Washington State game will, you know I
Kylee:mean, in your opinion, sure. But The money
Colin:will be flowing in Eastern Washington.
Eli:What? The WCC's previous biggest draw in Oregon was Portland?
Colin:Portland State.
Eli:Like, the uni no. Like, the University of Portland. Portland State's in the big sky.
Colin:Oh, you're right. Yeah. Portland. Portland. Yeah.
Kylee:Yeah. So super exciting stuff over here. So we'll start with the women's side then. Notable women's teams from last year. Gonzaga went undefeated in conference at 16 and o, and they had a 32 and 4 overall record.
Eli:30 2 team. Yep.
Kylee:They were a 4 seed, lost in sweet 16 to number 1 Texas. I mean, fair. And then Oregon State, a newcomer, was 12 and 6 in conference play, which was 4th in the Pac 12, and they had a 27 and 8 overall record. They were the 3 c in the tournament, had an elite 8 loss to number 1 South Carolina real, and, but they beat number 2 Notre Dame 70 to 65 in the sweet 16th, which, you know, begs the question, are they gonna come in and take over this conference?
Eli:No. I was gonna say
Colin:answer, I think Eli's gonna
Kylee:say Sums it up. Us here.
Eli:Tragically, Ozu has been gutted by the loss of power conference status. Almost all of their starters transferred. They had graduates. Yeah. This will never again be the team that beat Notre Dame in the sweet 16.
Kylee:Yeah.
Eli:Notre Dame has moved up since March, and Oregon State has moved way, way down.
Colin:But below West Coast Conference level even.
Eli:But on the other hand, Gonzaga pulled in a great transfer from Saint Mary's, another West Coast Conference team, to add to a championship level roster, as well as one of Yukon's only out transfers. And while SMC has also done the work to rebuild with contributor contributors from Idaho and Long Beach State, it's the Bulldogs by a mile. Undefeated in conference says so much.
Colin:Yeah. It's really impossible to pick against the Zags this year on the women's side. I mean, they they were the strongest team last year by a mile. And, you know, with Oregon State coming in, you thought maybe maybe Oregon State could challenge until you saw that transfer portal record where Yeah. Literally everyone left.
Colin:Oregon State's got no one left to compete.
Kylee:Yeah. No. I think it's it's interesting to think about how, oh, yeah. You know, Oregon State Washington State coming could, like, shake up dynamics. No.
Kylee:Like, unfortunately and, like, we're gonna kinda get into it a little bit on the men's side as well. I don't think that's gonna happen. Not at least this year, but I think it still will probably end up being a stretch for
Colin:next year too.
Eli:The Wazu women were a nonfactor in the Pac 12 last year.
Colin:Now that was in the Pac 12. But Very, very strong conference.
Eli:Not gonna change.
Colin:But that doesn't mean they're gonna compete against Gonzaga.
Kylee:I mean, if you're a good Pac 12 team, like and you're playing against great teams, it's like you at least take 1 or 2 games from those high level teams just because of how competitive the play is, and they didn't they didn't they didn't do that. Yeah. So it's just kinda like, I just don't think it's coming in to change anything else.
Eli:No. And like we talked about, kind of the same story on the men's side.
Colin:Very much the same story.
Kylee:So looking at A
Colin:little bit more competition. But
Kylee:A little bit more. But looking at kind of notable men's teams from last year, Saint Mary's went 15 and 1 in conference. They were 1st overall, 26 and 8 overall. They were 5 seed. They won the West Coast tournament, but lost the GCU in the round one of the tournament.
Kylee:I think we all predicted that one.
Colin:Which is interesting to note because Grand Canyon is coming into the West Coast Conference not this year, but next year.
Kylee:So funny. And
Eli:then with Seattle? Seattle. Yep.
Kylee:Slay. And then we have Gonzaga, who was 14 and 2 in conference. They were second in their conference overall, and then they had a 27 and 8 record overall. They were the 5th seed, and they made the sweet 16, beating RIP Collin McNeese Hey. And Kansas.
Kylee:And then Washington State coming in, 14 6 in conference, 2nd in Pac 12, 25 and 10 overall record. They are the 7th seed, beat Drake before losing to number 2, Iowa State. However, something notable to think about, they retained 3.7% of their playing time. That's it. So, rough.
Kylee:But, yeah, just kinda looking at all this, it's it's Gonzaga. Sorry. I didn't think they were gonna make it past Kansas last year. I think I might have picked them too, but I really just did not think they were going to. They didn't look that great during the season, in my opinion.
Kylee:They were kind of one of the in my the weaker Gonzaga teams that I've watched.
Colin:They're a little loosey goosey, if you will.
Kylee:Yeah. Like Their style
Colin:of play wasn't the same Gonzaga we've seen year after year.
Kylee:Mhmm.
Colin:But
Eli:Yeah. And they didn't win the conference.
Colin:But they were young.
Kylee:Didn't win the conference.
Colin:That's where it comes into play.
Kylee:Didn't have, like, this overpowering, like, big presence down low. Drew Timmy, I miss you. Like, didn't have, like, that kind of presence. They typically do. So it's just really interesting to watch them play.
Kylee:I mean, we watched them at the sweet 16 lose to Purdue, unfortunately, but I think I think they're taking the conference again.
Colin:Yeah. I mean, it it's really hard to argue with Gonzaga. They retained 81% of their men minutes from last year. And, you know, that's loosey goosey style of play does not, you know, stick around with the Mark Few team. That they were a young team last year, pretty fresh team, and so they're just gonna tighten right up.
Colin:And then they also added 2 major, major additions to the team. One of the top 3 point shooters in the country, from Pepperdine, Michael Ajay. He's a 47% 3 point shooter. They added him. They also added Kalief Battle from Arkansas, who averaged, almost 30 points and 7 rebounds in his last 7 games at Arkansas last year.
Colin:I mean, these are 2 star players who really are just easy additions for Gonzaga to fill in where they lost no one.
Kylee:Yeah. They're just great additions to the team.
Colin:They're just great additions. It adds depth. It adds leadership. It's gonna be a fun team to watch.
Eli:Yeah. And like Kylie mentioned, the Pac 2 teams really just aren't gonna be factors in the West Coast Conference this year. Wazu is literally just Eastern Washington's team from last year. They have 4 incoming players coming down the road from Spokane. And, like, yeah, that was an Eastern Washington team that won the big sky by, like, 3 games.
Colin:Mhmm.
Eli:But this isn't the big sky.
Kylee:Yeah.
Colin:Yeah. The the West Coast Conference is a little stronger.
Eli:80 80% retention is so hard to argue with. And also this year, the West Coast Conference is moving to an 18 game conference schedule.
Colin:Yeah. That's really important to know.
Eli:And that's that'll only work in favor of a really veteran core, which Gonzaga has. And so I really, really look forward to Baylor Gonzaga opening night of college basketball.
Kylee:That'll be that's gonna be a follow-up. Good one. Yeah. Yeah. Definitely.
Colin:I have to pick Gonzaga in that one, but that's that's for
Kylee:another episode. That's for later on.
Colin:That's definitely going into another episode. Don't you worry. Shall we move on to the WAC?
Kylee:Yeah. The the WAC. The WAC.
Colin:We had a little bit of conference realignment. Stephen f Austin left left the WACC for the Southland Conference, which leaves us on the women's side without the 3rd place team. Cal Baptist won it last year, 18 and 2 in the conference, 28 and 4 overall. They were 15 seed in the tournament. Grand Canyon took second.
Colin:They were 16 and 4 in the conference, 20 4 and 8 overall. And, on the women's side, I have to pick. I I don't know who to pick, frankly. That's that's what I'm stuck with. Because Cal Baptist lost the top player of the year for the WAC.
Colin:Well
Kylee:Helen, you picked Utah Tech.
Colin:I did. Yeah. And so here's the thing. Grand Canyon has a new roster, and I'm sure you guys will talk about that because you guys both seem to pick Grand Canyon.
Eli:Uh-huh.
Colin:But realistically, Utah Tech moving up from d 2 was a pretty okay team in d 2. This will be their 1st year that they're able to qualify for the NCAA tournament. They were 4th in conference behind Stephen f Austin last year. They added Chardonnay Hartley from Niagara and Bree Crittendon from Eastern Kentucky, who are both star players on their teams. I think Utah Tech has a shot.
Colin:Grand Canyon has a completely new roster. Cal Baptist lost too many players. That's what I'm looking at right now.
Eli:I I believe in the antelope ex the great antelope experiment that Grand Canyon has going on here. I mean, yeah, they they completely rebuilt their roster, but they're rebuilding it with good high level players. They pulled in a senior and a junior from UNLV who played in a very talented Mountain West last year and
Kylee:put it together for several years.
Colin:Very true.
Kylee:Their un UNLV team was created last
Eli:year. Yep. I I could absolutely see GCU rebuilding around the 2 of them as a core and then expanding outward with some of the other transfers they pulled in from more low to mid major conferences. And I I believe in Grand Canyon to be innovative enough to pull past a Cal Baptist team that's gonna try to play the exact same basketball they played last year without their star player?
Kylee:Yeah. I am I am high risk, high reward mentality. So I feel like bringing in a lot of talent, again, it it could go well. It it could also not go well. But I think that they have, the structure and the foundation behind them to it's it's gonna work.
Kylee:I think it'll work out.
Colin:I think there's just too much risk for Grand Canyon. They're trying to build an entirely new team, and that doesn't just happen in 1 season.
Kylee:I mean, it could.
Colin:We've seen it over and over again where sometimes these star teams don't play out as well as you'd hope they would, like with LSU last year, you know? And so obviously I'm not trying to compare Grand Canyon to LSU, but
Kylee:I was just saying
Colin:I'm just saying that high risk, high reward. I don't know if it'll pay off, and so that's why I'm picking someone else. Utah Techs got my pick. On the men's side, though, Grand Canyon.
Kylee:I see. Yeah. Callan, is your philosophy sticking?
Colin:Well, yeah. A little bit. But mostly because Grand Canyon retains all of their players, it feels like. They were 1st in the conference last year, 17 and 3. They were 35 overall that
Eli:Stay with me now. 30 win team.
Colin:They beat number 5 Saint Mary's before losing to 4 Alabama in the tournament. Tarlton State was a solid second place with 64 conference record and 25 and 10 overall. But, realistically, Grand Canyon was the strongest team last year, retains a lot of people, and, you know, I think they're going back to back to back with some of their transfers too.
Kylee:Yeah. I agree. 2nd, yeah, if they're not like, that's the thing. If they retain most of their top, like, skilled team from last year, I don't see why there's not any reason why they wouldn't. I mean, listen.
Kylee:We've we've seen implosions. We watched it firsthand last year as MSU basketball fans, but, I just don't I feel like that was also kind of special circumstances.
Colin:Yeah. Some injuries, some other factors
Kylee:that went into that. Some. Yeah.
Eli:And Grand Canyon pulled in Travar Jackson from Charleston State and a great UT Arlington transfer to top off that 7 footer from Louisville. And they're the only team in the WAC that returns more than 50% of their possession from last year, and they're returning 64. So I I would look for the title race to be a little wider than just one game this year.
Colin:Yeah. Yeah. You mentioned that 7 footer from Louisville. Dennis Evans, is his name. He was a top 25 class of 2023 recruit.
Colin:He barely played at Louisville. He was just never played. No.
Eli:Because he was a freshman. Louisville.
Colin:He was young.
Kylee:Yeah. That's where, you know, your career goes. Just 1
Colin:And so he transferred away. He was incredible in high school. Obviously, top 25 in it in the class 23. So I think he'll also be a pretty star player for Grand Canyon eventually. Yeah.
Colin:Let's move on to the Summit League.
Eli:Yeah. We're we're tracking tracking East a little. We're on the plains now.
Colin:Yep. Just sticking with the Linear Summit League, because if you ever look at a map of the Summit League, it's a straight up and down line. Just up the line between Minnesota and the 4th.
Eli:Dakota Schools, and then it's Omaha, and then Kansas City, and then you go down to Oklahoma for Oral Roberts. And then you, like, jog at east a tiny bit for Saint Thomas in the Twin Cities. But, like, that's it.
Colin:Just a tiny bit.
Eli:It's a vertical line.
Colin:The Summit League is a straight line league. And, you know, on the women's side, it's gonna be a straight line team. You know? South Dakota State, 16 o in the conference, 27 and 6 overall. They were a 12 seed.
Colin:They lost to Utah in the tournament. And frankly, they're gonna be hard to catch up to. In the race in the tortoise and the hare, you know, you're supposed to stick the tortoise, obviously. But, the, the jackrabbits from South Dakota State aren't racing any tortoises, so I'm picking them again. They got they got no one I'm no one to race against.
Kylee:Floored right now by this. I am I am floored.
Eli:I mean, your metaphors completely convinced me, Colin.
Kylee:I was having my doubts.
Eli:Yeah. I was totally gonna pick Omaha or some yeah. But I mean, undefeated in conference is so hard to argue with and losing basically nothing to the transfer portal Yeah. Especially in a mid major conference and especially in a low profile mid major conference like the summit league. I mean, roll rabbits.
Kylee:Yeah. Yeah. Colin just moved me so much.
Colin:She did. That's sweet. You know, South Dakota State also won the conference. They were 15 seed. 12 and
Eli:4 in
Colin:the conference. 22 and 13 overall, so much less dominant. What do you guys have? I
Kylee:have a South Dakota state sweep.
Eli:Yeah. I'm with Kylie.
Kylee:South Dakota state sweep.
Eli:They they pulled in some Drake transfers from Wazu in Wisconsin to alleviate the effects of the near comprehensive decimation of their championship roster from last year. I think that that talent infusion should reduce the effect of that loss. Wazew and Wisconsin were both very good last year as we know.
Kylee:Who'd they pick up from Wisconsin? Do we know?
Eli:I don't have it written down. Like, what? Unfortunately, I don't think that'll be enough to power South Dakota State to a back to back. So, actually, I don't agree with Kylie.
Colin:But I
Eli:so I'm gonna pick I'm gonna pick Saint Thomas.
Colin:Interesting.
Eli:They are projected to have, by far, the most raw offensive power in the league. They got in some great low mid major transfers who were offensive standouts on their former teams, including a standout one from Green Bay. I yeah. They're the Tommies are the only team not in the line. They're out ahead of it.
Colin:Yep. Oh, wow. Or they're they're stuck behind. You know? You never know.
Kylee:Sorry. It was Isaac Lindsey.
Colin:Isaac Lindsey from Wisconsin. Alright. Well, I'm also picking a different team because, and I'm staying in line for this one, but Kansas City kept 71% of their minutes from last year. Coach Menzies is building an incredible program. And, all of their recruits and all of their players just have incredible things to say about this coaching staff in the atmosphere in Kansas City.
Colin:This is truly a team. I have a quick quote here, that the coaching staff have true connections with the players, and it feels like a close knit family. And I don't remember which player said that, but, truly, like, that's the kind of program that just builds on itself and is able to, you know, find themselves ahead of the pack when it comes to a conference that's really up for grabs with South Dakota State losing some players. And, like, Kansas City was still a good team last year, and they're gonna be even better this year. So give me the ruse, Kansas City.
Eli:I mean, if the Detroit Tigers can make the ALDS with the power of friendship, maybe Kansas City in the Summit League. Okay. But they also have good basketball. You know? There's there's country.
Eli:Detroit has great pitching. Yeah. Yeah. That's
Colin:what I'm saying. You know, you gotta have the talent with the power of friendship, and Kansas City has it.
Kylee:Okay,
Colin:Colin. Let's move on to the Ivy League.
Eli:The truly the best conference we're talking about today, the Ivy League.
Kylee:Hands down.
Colin:More interesting
Eli:Top to bottom
Kylee:by far. Yeah.
Eli:Yeah. I'd take any Ivy League team over Penn State any day.
Kylee:That's honestly kinda real, to be fair.
Colin:I can't argue with that. UPenn. You know?
Kylee:That's my Pennsylvania
Eli:school. Why why why don't Pennsylvania State University and the University of Pennsylvania play every year, you guys? Why is this, like, a big football rivalry?
Kylee:State rivalry game. Does UPenn have football? Maybe. I doubt it. I think it's
Colin:a hockey rivalry, isn't it?
Eli:Does Penn have hockey? Hockey?
Colin:I thought Penn had hockey.
Kylee:Anyway, so some notable women's teams from last year. Princeton and Columbia tied for 1st, 13 and 1 conference records. Columbia was a 12 seed in the first four. Unfortunately, lost a 4 by, Vandy. Princeton was a 9 seed and end up losing 6353 to West Virginia.
Kylee:I think it was insane that they gave 2 Ivy League teams bids last year. It was But I loved it.
Eli:They just were incredible.
Colin:I mean, who Yeah. What would what else would you do? You know? Columbia won the tournament, but Princeton was clearly dominant, had the upset with in the year before. I mean, what what else do you do?
Eli:Princeton won the tournament.
Colin:Oh, Princeton won the tournament. Sorry. Columbia
Kylee:Yeah. Columbia got that large bid. Yeah.
Colin:Yeah.
Kylee:I it's I think it's just interesting that the women's side is so much more forward on giving out multiple bids to these smaller conferences than the men's team, minus, you know, the Mountain West
Colin:No big big. They really aren't, though. That was the only time.
Kylee:I know, but that's more than we saw with
Colin:We saw 2 in the a 10.
Kylee:Oh, whoop dee doo. Whoop dee doo da the a 10.
Eli:That's just because we had a bid stealer.
Kylee:Yeah. Columbia had been in
Colin:a lot of bids dealers.
Eli:Didn't win the tournament.
Kylee:Yeah. That was. Yeah. Any that happens, it's bid Steelers and people that and the teams that end up in the tournament that are from the same conference, it's because they have, like, a, like, a good record anyway or they beat in some of these power.
Eli:Like Dayton or
Kylee:Yeah. That's the yeah. Exactly. This is this is different.
Colin:Okay.
Kylee:This is progression.
Colin:Well,
Kylee:This is like this this should have been Drake Indiana shape.
Colin:It it should have been. A whole another story. Onto our picks. Under the picks. Yeah.
Colin:I it's obviously between Princeton and Columbia. You know? Mhmm. Caitlyn Chen has gone to Yukon from Princeton, and so I am picking Columbia.
Kylee:Yeah.
Colin:I do think that Princeton will still be good next year because they're really not losing that much other than Caitlin Chen.
Eli:Mhmm.
Colin:But Caitlin Chen was such a strong player.
Eli:She was huge for them.
Colin:I think Columbia's taken it.
Kylee:Yeah. I think that if the Ivy League doesn't have the absolute dumbest role in the world that no graduate students can continue to play basketball like, they do, like, other conferences have. Because if you're you can't grad transfer and you can't play
Colin:That is true.
Kylee:At the Ivy League.
Colin:Yes.
Kylee:I think if they get rid of that rule, then, you know, it'd be better.
Eli:Have multi bid Ivy every year.
Kylee:Every year. Correct. Well, that's fine. But that's what I'm but I You
Eli:can get your master's degree at an IV school.
Kylee:Yeah. Exactly. But no. I I'm going with Columbia also. Yeah.
Eli:Yep. Same reasons. I'm picking Columbia. We we talked about Caitlin Chen's potential impact at Yukon a couple episodes ago and how great she's gonna be in the big east.
Colin:She's gonna be really, really good there.
Eli:But I totally see the Lions building on the huge program momentum and excitement of getting an at large bid as a Navy League team and fueling that into a Seoul conference championship that they don't have to share with anyone and going right back to the tournament.
Kylee:Yeah. Because I remember when they were, like, watching the bracket reaction, they did not think they were
Eli:gonna be a big I I watched that video too. Yes.
Kylee:And it was just it was really great to see it. So n c, double a, learn.
Colin:Yeah. Like, on the men's side, learn. Learn. Why was Princeton not in the tournament this year?
Kylee:They hate we they hate small conferences.
Colin:Auburn sits here and upsets number 4 Auburn in the tournament as a So
Kylee:or Yale.
Colin:Sorry. Yale upset number 4 Auburn as a 13 seed, in the tournament.
Eli:So think of what Cornell and Princeton could have done.
Colin:Cornell and Princeton
Kylee:3 bid Ivy League.
Colin:Especially could have done it just like they did last year making a run-in the tournament.
Kylee:Yeah. Because they won 2 games with it.
Eli:Yeah. They went to the sweet 16. It was awesome. It was amazing.
Colin:And, frankly, they shouldn't have been a 15 seed last year, and they should have been in the tournament this year. And so the disrespect on the men's side for the Ivy League.
Eli:Mhmm.
Colin:But, yeah, Princeton won it, 12 and 2 conference record, 24 and 5 overall record. Cornell was tied for 2nd with 11 and 3 conference record and 22 and 8 overall record. And then Yale won that conference tournament, also tied for 2nd with Cornell.
Eli:Also, Ivy League teams play way fewer games than almost every NCAA sport they participate in. Like, Ivy League Hockey doesn't start for, like, several weeks even though everybody else is already playing hockey.
Kylee:Mhmm.
Eli:If Princeton had played, like, 10 more games like everybody else does, they would have been a 30 win team.
Colin:Played 29 games.
Eli:They would have been a 30 win team if they played the amount of basketball games everybody else does.
Kylee:Yeah. Agreed.
Colin:And, you know, it's the same with all those other schools. You know? Yeah. Gale ended up playing a few more because of the NCAA tournament. But, like, it this is these are teams that deserve
Kylee:More recognition.
Colin:More recognition.
Kylee:In the tournament, which is why I'm picking Princeton.
Eli:It's why we're all picking.
Kylee:It's why we're all picking Princeton. I mean on.
Colin:Suit yourselves.
Kylee:Oh, you're not? Okay. But yeah. No. Like, building on the momentum that they've had the past couple years, and I think especially not making into the tournament when they definitely should have.
Kylee:Like, they were one of the schools that should have had an at large bid. They're gonna build off that, and they're gonna keep it.
Eli:I I think they're gonna buckle down on some of the key mistakes that kept them out of the tournament last year, kept them out of that auto bid slot. I do think the league is gonna be a bit more competitive this year from upstart challengers like Brown and Columbia and especially Yale trying to build off that momentum from last year. Yeah. But I still think Princeton's gonna take it by a 2 ish game margin. I I do think it'll be a little closer.
Eli:I think Princeton's gonna have, like, an 11 and 3 record, and everybody else will be having around 9 and 5.
Colin:Yeah. So here's my take. Princeton obviously has been on top since around that 2020, 2021 season. And I wonder if they're gonna fall this year. I agree.
Colin:Crazy conference deserves multiple bids for the next few years. The Ivy League is insane at basketball right now. And the thing about it is I think they actually keep players and develop them, which is why they're so good.
Kylee:And that's partly a academics.
Colin:What a crazy concept. You know?
Eli:And partly less reliance on the transfer portal.
Colin:Yeah. And then they build the teams around them. But with that said, I do think Princeton gets a tournament bid. I think they win the Ivy League Conference tournament because they're gonna be angry at Yale stealing it from them last year. But I think Cornell is gonna sneak in and take the regular season.
Kylee:And so
Colin:I'm picking Cornell off. You know, they were second in the conference last year. They got none of the recognition, so they're kinda the, you know, the silent, warriors out here.
Kylee:Mhmm.
Colin:But they were such a strong team last year that retains a lot of lot of good talent. And so Yeah.
Kylee:Yeah. The Ivy League is gonna be very, very fun and interesting this year.
Colin:Yeah. Let's go to a league that's not gonna be fun or interesting. No offense to this league.
Kylee:It No. No. Full offense. Full offense.
Eli:This episode's sickos conference.
Colin:I'm sorry. The Northeastern Conference. Conference realignment has Mary Mac and Sacred Heart both leaving for the m, double a, c. Those were conference champions last year.
Eli:Yeah. We we talked about them. They leave you. They were
Colin:also joining this conference, and that is Chicago State, notoriously one of the worst teams in college basketball on men's and women's side. Women's had one win last year.
Kylee:Fire.
Colin:And Mercyhurst moving up from d 2 who, you know, can't qualify for the NCAA tournament because of that. But, they can still win the Northeastern Conference.
Eli:And might.
Kylee:Just guys, they left the scrubs.
Eli:Just for note.
Colin:Because they are d 2. Now were they good d 2? Not really in basketball.
Kylee:Then how did they why'd they move up?
Eli:Football. No.
Colin:Because they play they
Eli:play FCS Football.
Colin:Oh, you're right. I think it was football. Yeah.
Kylee:Oh, okay. That makes sense.
Eli:Moves up if they don't have football these days.
Kylee:Yeah. Which is whatever.
Colin:But, anyway, so that that is the Northeastern Conference we're looking at right now. It's a conference with no conference champions from last year, no tournament bids from last year, and the notoriously worst team historically in college basketball joining
Eli:And
Colin:and a d two team joining.
Eli:Almost league wide roster decimation.
Colin:And and, yeah, every good player is
Kylee:going from the NEC, which is real to be fair.
Colin:On the women's side, the 2nd place team, Le Moyne, is really the only notable team. They were 14 and 2 last year.
Eli:And wasn't Le Moyne d 2, like, 3 years ago?
Colin:They have an 18 and 15 overall record last year, and then they proceeded to lose all of their top players still. So realistically, it's a wide open conference. There's no one
Eli:18 win team.
Colin:But there's team nobody. Team. And so I'm going to say congratulations to Mercyhurst.
Kylee:Oh, you're given you're given the d 2 team?
Colin:The d 2 team. And, I think I'm giving them my bid simply because I have to pick someone. We've yet to see them compete in d one. They had an 11 game win streak last year and competed well against, Gannon, who was a one seed in the d two tournament last year. And, frankly, Gannon could be any one of these teams in this conference.
Kylee:Why isn't Gannon? No football. Wanna wanna.
Eli:So where is Gannon?
Colin:I'm in Pennsylvania somewhere, I believe. Pennsylvania or upstate New York.
Eli:Anyway, I'm as we talked about, most of this conference was decimated in the off season, and Merrimack and SHU took almost all the remaining roster talent with them, the the m double a c. Lemoine and Saint Francis, especially on the women's side, were destroyed with the Dolphins losing nearly all their production to Graduation of the Portal. I'm gonna pick
Colin:mascot.
Eli:Fairleigh Dickinson or FDU, who we all know from their big men's upset a couple years ago.
Kylee:Yeah.
Eli:But they saw a lot less roster turnover, and I think they'll be able to weather the upheaval and build on an a solid 11 and 5 conference record from last year.
Kylee:Yeah. I agree. Also, Gannon is in Erie, Pennsylvania.
Colin:Yeah. As it turns out, I was
Eli:just looking at that. Where Mercyhurst is.
Colin:Yes. It is. They are approximately a 3 mile 2.8 miles away from each other.
Eli:The NEC needs both of them then.
Kylee:Yeah. Not rivalry. Bring in.
Colin:Gannon. Gannon does have football.
Eli:Bring in Gannon.
Kylee:Our petition, Gannon to the NEC.
Eli:Oh, we'll make posters.
Kylee:Yeah. Literally. Yeah. I agree with with Eli. Honestly, I could go without picking any of these teams because I don't think that any of them are gonna do are gonna it's not gonna be fun basketball.
Kylee:I'm sorry.
Eli:Any any see basketball players and coaches, if you're listening, we're sorry.
Kylee:I mean, I gotta keep it real, though. Like
Colin:It's gonna be the same on the men's side.
Kylee:Like, when you're bringing the, like, historically one of the worst basketballs
Eli:you lost your 2 good teams. I'm so sorry. Into your tournament, like, like, come on. Like Hey.
Kylee:They didn't they beat Northwestern last
Eli:year Yes.
Kylee:On the men's side? I believe so. Who did?
Eli:Chicago State. They upside by the state.
Colin:Oh, yeah. Northwestern on the men's side. Yes.
Kylee:Right? Was not working.
Colin:Also, Farley Dickinson was a 16 seed beating a 1 seed 2 years ago.
Kylee:That was
Colin:But they just lost everyone, including their
Kylee:top coach.
Eli:Yeah. Their coach went straight to Iona.
Kylee:They got, you know, demolished. But
Eli:So so we're going on the bench. Side.
Colin:Again, no tournament bids. Mary Mack won it last year. Central Connecticut State was tied for 1st with Mary Mack last year. 13 and 3 in the conference, 20 and 11 overall. Wagner was 6th, 7 and 9 in the conference, 17 and 16 overall.
Colin:And, actually, they made the tournament as a 16 seed, not Meramec. I forgot about that. They won in the first four versus Howard.
Eli:Nice. 17 win team.
Kylee:17 win team. It's a whack. 7 and 9 in conference.
Colin:They were a conference they they were their conference's auto bid.
Kylee:That's so
Eli:easy. You retained a tournament bid.
Colin:Yes. We're proud of you. It was a 17 and 16 team, but you'd, with a losing record in your conference.
Eli:Tournament win. But a tournament win.
Kylee:But a tournament win.
Colin:First four tournament win over time.
Eli:That NCAA money.
Colin:So Yeah. With that said, also, a quick note, Chicago State notoriously one of the worst teams in college basketball, like we've been saying. Their projection of 4th in the NEC this year.
Kylee:Guys, this is why I just don't wanna pick teams. Like, let me let leave, like, my spreadsheet blank. So Leave it blank. I don't care if I lose points.
Colin:Give me give me Wagner who made the tournament last year. 6 of their losses were by less than 5 points, so that's easy to fix. It's a bet it's frankly a Blake blank slate conference with and, Donald Copeland, the Wagner coach, is an established coach. So, realistically, that's all I got. I'm yeah.
Colin:Those those reasons it because
Eli:They bought it each time. Apparently.
Kylee:What? Wagner. Yeah. Colin convinced me for real. That's that's in conclusion.
Kylee:Again, this might be just horrendous of me to sit here and say, but, like, I I don't know. I don't know. I can't wrap my head around not good basketball.
Eli:I'm No. I
Colin:hear you got.
Kylee:I'm,
Eli:I'm gonna read what I wrote down, verbatim.
Colin:Okay. Mhmm.
Eli:One second, please. Central Connecticut state fans rejoice. Merrimack is gone, replaced by some upstarts from Pennsylvania who think they deserve to be d one. Demolish the Chicagoan upstarts and avenge yourself against the Staten Islanders. Claim your destiny, which is a tournament championship win and a first round loss to some big twelve team.
Kylee:Yeah. Woo hoo. I'm about to change I'm changing my vote to Eli because
Eli:Go CCSU.
Colin:For delivery. Central Connecticut State. Alright.
Kylee:Alright. Can we be done with the NEC?
Colin:Let's be done with the NEC. Coastal Athletic Association.
Kylee:Yay. The car. Which
Colin:which was formally
Kylee:I'm sorry, guys. I'm really tired.
Colin:Antonio. Kylie needs I
Kylee:need sleep.
Colin:Some sanity.
Kylee:Yeah. Yeah.
Colin:We're all losing our minds. This is why we're taking next week off. This And and Kylie's birthday.
Kylee:My 21st birthday, everybody.
Colin:So, obviously, we're taking next week off. Yay. And I'll be in Detroit.
Kylee:And Colin's not solo running with me because he's not a real friend.
Colin:Yeah. I'm so sorry.
Kylee:But, anyway
Eli:Don't don't tell the others that you're actually getting an Eli solo episode.
Kylee:Eli's breaking into
Colin:this I am just gonna talk about women's soccer. You are Eli, you are welcome too. Wow.
Kylee:Now I'm also not selling a soccer, though, they would Eli.
Colin:Is a podcast for that.
Eli:Anyway, in the KA
Kylee:The KA.
Eli:Last year's notable women's teams were SUNY Stony Brook or just Stony Brook, who was 16 and 2 in conference and 28 and 5 overall. But the tournament bid went to Drexel Yeah. Who was 7th in the conference with a 10 and 8 record and was 19 and 15 overall and earned a 16 seed. Not in the first four, though. So go, Drexel.
Colin:Yeah. So, Kylie, you have Drexel. Why why is that?
Kylee:Tournament bid.
Colin:Fair enough. Yeah. Yep. Eli?
Eli:I also have Drexel because remember Deja Evans from Albany? I do remember. She's a Drexel dragon now. Yeah. Stony Brook lost 2 veteran contributors to Tulane.
Eli:They both left together for New Orleans and really did not do a good job of replacing their combined, like, 20 points per game from the portal. So give me a Philadelphia basketball team looking to translate tournament success into regular season results.
Colin:Yeah. And, I'm picking someone different just to be different. Monmouth was pretty strong last year. I believe 3rd in the conference, but they added 3 big transfers, including a top 3 point shooter from, Saint Peter's named Rachel Cole. And so I'm picking Monmouth.
Colin:It's a pretty open conference again with Stony Brook losing their top view. And Drexel, frankly, just didn't impress me with their conference record last year.
Eli:Go Dragons.
Colin:You know, they may have won the tournament.
Kylee:The tournament.
Eli:But that Also didn't convince Dragons. Like, come on. That's so fun.
Kylee:What even is Monmouth or whatever? What even is
Colin:there, man?
Eli:Some kind of bird.
Kylee:So lamer than a dragon.
Eli:Yeah. Dragon food.
Kylee:Yeah. That's what I'm hearing.
Colin:They are indeed the hawks. Lame.
Eli:Boring. Their
Kylee:last pet's name is
Colin:Shadow, and I do kinda love them.
Kylee:I think they're better. Does anyone know where Monmouth is? No. But I know we play them our 2nd game of the season.
Colin:New Jersey.
Eli:Woah. Woah. I was gonna guess New Jersey.
Colin:Yeah. Love good New Jersey teams. So that's that's what I've got there. On the men's side, though, College of Charleston was frankly one of the best teams in the country last year. They were 1st in their conference.
Colin:15 3, but offensively, they were one of the best teams in the country, statistics wise. Sorry.
Kylee:Yeah. No. They've got an they've got insane scoring.
Colin:Yeah. It's 27 and 8 overall. They were a 13 seed in the tournament, lost a 109 to 96 to Alabama. Insane.
Eli:Like They they were a very popular upset pick here in in They
Colin:were indeed.
Eli:Yeah. They
Colin:were indeed. Yeah. Because of their offense. But, of course, Alabama's offense was just as
Kylee:No defense. Only offense.
Eli:Yeah. Yeah. So what I'm hearing is the SEC should be adding the Colts.
Kylee:That's what I'm saying.
Colin:A second note on that, they traded coaches with Louisville. Their new coach is Chris Mack, Louisville's old coach, who was really good for Xavier a few years ago, but obviously hasn't done very good at Louisville.
Kylee:No one does good at Louisville.
Colin:And Pat Kelsey went to went to Louisville from Charleston. So they they did a full coach swap.
Eli:Interesting.
Colin:Which, you know, is a choice. I'm not sure. I would have taken Louisville's old coach, but tell it to Charleston, why not?
Kylee:If he was a good coach for listen.
Colin:Louisville great coach for Xavier.
Kylee:The Twilight zone. Like, it is Exactly. It is an entirely different dimension in the in the realm of men's college basketball. So, like, I take whatever that guy did over at Louisville with a grain of salt
Colin:That's that's fair. With a grain
Eli:of salt. He just needed to get away from the Ohio River. Like, Cincinnati to Louisville, he needs to go to the coast. He just wanna
Kylee:get away. You know?
Colin:And then Drexel was 2nd in the conference, 13 of 5. A 20 and 12 overall record isn't bad. Yeah. Personally, I really like the look of Tosin this year. Charleston got a new coach.
Colin:Almost every other team in the conference retained, like, next to no one. Tosin retained 82% of their playing minutes from last year, and that's, you know, pretty important to me, especially in a conference that has that much turnover right now. I think, you know, the guys out of our Baltimore area are gonna make a run a little bit in that conference.
Eli:A conference with this many teams. The CIA has 14 basketball members, and I think they have more football members. Like, they have 2 football affiliates.
Kylee:Yes. Power conference level.
Eli:The FBS power conference numbers, at least by last year's standards.
Kylee:Yeah. They need more now.
Eli:Look. Charleston might have a new coach who is flying in from Louisville, so scary, and a completely new roster.
Kylee:Running from Louisville.
Eli:I I think they have enough championship pedigree as an institution that it's hard for me to pick against them. But that said, a completely new team does mean a brand new team culture regardless of the institutional culture. Mhmm.
Colin:But I play defense this year. I
Eli:That's
Kylee:what I'm saying.
Eli:I think a guy who's coached at Xavier in Louisville will be able to blend players from the Big East and the a ten and the SoCon, which is who Charleston got in the transfer portal.
Kylee:Yeah. No. Fair. I'm gonna I'm gonna back that up with, I mean, the consistency
Colin:written down consistency is key, and Charleston is anything but consistent right now.
Kylee:They've been consistently going to the tournament.
Colin:With a different coach and a different roster.
Kylee:But still but still, I'm telling you, like, it's culture. It's it's Charleston culture. And I think, yeah, maybe this new coach will legitimately make them play defense.
Colin:That's a
Kylee:who's that? Add some defense on there. Sprinkle a little bit.
Colin:They've been doing fine without it.
Kylee:So That is also very true. So he might not even try to adjust anything. It it's just gonna be it'll be interesting to see what what happens, but I I can see a Charleston.
Colin:Are you guys ready?
Eli:So ready. So excited.
Colin:40 minutes into this episode.
Kylee:We only have 20 minutes to talk about the big 10.
Colin:Which means we have 20 minutes to talk about the big 10. Only 20? You guys, we could talk about it for as long as you want, but, like, we're gonna try to keep it shorter.
Eli:Prepare for 60 minutes of big 10 content.
Kylee:Yeah. Literally just scrap this episode unless yep. We should
Eli:have had the big ten to have its own episode Next week? Honestly.
Kylee:No. I'm just kidding. Next week,
Eli:me talking about the big ten by myself.
Kylee:Kylie birthday celebration next week, and then I can talk about the big ten.
Colin:Who wants to listen to Eli for an hour? Me.
Eli:Also, Kylie does.
Kylee:I do. I would do it. I do it all
Colin:the time, so it's not that much.
Kylee:Wow. I mean, I listen to all of you for multiple hours at the Itz own Campout, Ayo.
Colin:Yeah. The Itz own Campout was a lot of fun last Friday.
Eli:Also, Kylie and I won at Euchar.
Kylee:We did win at Euchre.
Colin:They crushed me.
Kylee:The Midwest card game go hard.
Colin:Yeah.
Kylee:Alright. Anyway
Eli:2 non Michiganders beat the 2 Michiganders at Euchre. I don't
Colin:wanna hear
Eli:that. It was hype y'all.
Colin:Big 10 basketball.
Kylee:So excited conference.
Colin:From the West Coast.
Kylee:Stop.
Eli:Big 10 after dark.
Colin:It's been weird in football. It'll be even weirder in basketball when we have Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Washington in the big 10 for basketball. I personally wanna quick mention travel and time zones are gonna play a big role in wins and losses
Kylee:this year. Absolutely.
Colin:And the East Coast schools are gonna have a huge advantage over the West Coast schools there for time zone wise.
Kylee:I mean, unless they're traveling to the West Coast, they're 3 hours behind us. If you're playing an 8 o'clock game, you're playing 11 on a your body's on 11 o'clock schedule.
Colin:Yeah. I mean, that's true.
Kylee:So I think they're at a disadvantage.
Colin:But I'm also looking at the noon games on Saturdays and going, okay. All these West Coast 9 AM basketball. A 9 AM basketball.
Kylee:Affect all the teams in the conference.
Colin:It really is except for Nebraska.
Kylee:Whatever. Whatever, Nebraska.
Colin:But, you know, Nebraska's gonna fall apart anyway, so it doesn't really matter.
Eli:Woah. Shots fired.
Colin:On the women's side, let's let's go there first.
Eli:9 9 returning tournament teams.
Colin:That is insane.
Kylee:I love it.
Colin:However, we've got a lot of turnover on these teams. Starting with number 1 seed Iowa, who was second in the Big 10 last year Mhmm. Big 10 tournament champ, 15 and 3 in the conference, 34 and 5 overall.
Eli:Say it with me now. Caitlin
Kylee:Clark 30 win team.
Colin:30 win Caitlin Clark
Kylee:Well, there
Colin:who is gone this year in the WNBA And drove the fever
Eli:straight to the playoffs. Yeah.
Kylee:And there are multiple players from that Iowa team who have since graduated slash went to the WNBA as well.
Colin:As and their coach has retired.
Kylee:So, Not the same Iowa team.
Colin:Not the same Iowa team. Number 1 USC from the Pac 12. Also, 2nd place in the Pac 12. 13 and 5 in the conference. 29 and 6 overall.
Colin:They were in the lead 8 team. Then we had 2 2 seeds, Ohio State and UCLA. Ohio State was first in the Big 10. UCLA tied USC for 2nd in the Pac 12. We're looking at 4 seed Indiana from last year, who tied Iowa for 2nd in the Big 10 last year.
Colin:We had 6 seed Nebraska. We had 9 seed Michigan State, 9 seed Michigan, and 10 seed Maryland.
Kylee:A lot of teams.
Colin:That is a lot and a lot of turnover. So once the start in
Eli:the big ten last year.
Colin:Yeah. Michigan State finished 4th in the big ten last year.
Eli:Robin.
Kylee:Yep. She 8.
Colin:Frankly, I would pick them as second of the big ten this year. I can based off the sport shooting.
Kylee:I'm not picking them as second, but they're definitely gonna be a 3rd or a 4th team in the
Eli:I guess we do have MSU made now. Big
Colin:Yes.
Kylee:Big 10.
Eli:Thanks, Ohio State.
Colin:Look. We have And we're tall. Players. We're very tall. Tall.
Colin:Watching us at Midnight Madness the other night, we were playing very, very well. Our shooting was on point nonstop, like, every
Eli:3 days. Emma Shumate made, like, 7 threes in 10 minutes Yes. You guys.
Kylee:Mhmm. Yeah. Very impressive. Yeah.
Colin:That was in a scrimmage, like, you know
Kylee:Unfortunately would be fun. Unfortunately, I'm not picking us to win the big 10, but
Colin:Who are you picking?
Kylee:Because you
Colin:don't have anyone
Eli:written down.
Kylee:Because I'm here to yap, and it's better if I just yap off the dome.
Colin:But Kylie, what you got?
Kylee:Yeah. So I am gonna take USC. It it's really hard, and I hate the new no the the no newcomers, I have to do it. Like, I have to break it for only the women's side of the big ten. Like, I have to break it because of the talent that's coming in from UCLA and USC specifically.
Kylee:Yeah. I think those are my 1 and 2 teams in the big ten this year, unfortunately, for us.
Colin:I mean, Juju Watkins is insane I mean for USC.
Kylee:Iraffin Kiiriathan
Eli:from Stanford. They got Talia Van Olhoven from Oregon State.
Colin:Yeah.
Eli:I'm All 3 of them. Watkins who averaged, like, 28 points per game last year. And now she's a sophomore. Now she has seniority. She has leadership.
Eli:She has experience.
Kylee:Mhmm.
Eli:I unfortunately think they'll be taking the Trojan War rivalry game against us in LA on February 19th.
Kylee:Oh, no.
Eli:But I can't wait for some early tests for them versus Notre Dame at home and against UConn in Hartford.
Kylee:That'll be those will be great games, Sawad.
Eli:Yeah. We've got some great women's nonconference games this year. We Like, all the contenders are playing each other in, like, November.
Kylee:And it's really interesting because women's basketball as a whole this year is so much different than what it was last year. All of our all of the big name players that we've grown to love watching playing college basketball, they're all gone. They're all in the WNBA with the exception of pitchbackers and Juju Watkins. But I think it leaves room for all of these kind of either, like, upstart players that are in for, like, the first, like, this is their freshman year or these players that have kind of been waiting in the wings to get this opportunity. I think it really leaves that, the door open for them.
Colin:And that's gonna be really cool.
Eli:Hannah Stalke is still at Iowa. Right?
Colin:Yes.
Kylee:Yes. Hannah Stalke is a huge good this year,
Eli:you guys.
Kylee:At Iowa. Yeah. I just don't think she has a supporting cast.
Colin:Yeah. That's that's really awesome.
Kylee:And Caitlin Clark not only was a great scorer, she was a very great passer and found Hannah Stalke so
Eli:off. Incredible.
Kylee:So if she can get somebody that can if she has somebody that can get her the ball like that, I mean, she's gonna put out big numbers again.
Colin:But she has to have someone that gets the ball.
Kylee:Big enough numbers to beat u USC, UCLA, probably I know Colin's looking at Indiana, probably Indiana, Michigan State.
Eli:Holland is not picking an LA school.
Colin:Yeah. So here's the thing. I am ignoring UCLA and USC. My my reasoning there
Eli:is that So he's picking. He's gonna finish 3rd.
Colin:So here's the thing.
Kylee:Yeah. Basically.
Colin:The Pac 12 style of play is just different from the Big 10 style of play.
Kylee:Yeah.
Colin:And I don't know how it'll fit in, and I wanna be different.
Kylee:So You kinda wish to be fun and unique.
Colin:I I do. I like being unique. And, you know, not knowing how the Pac 12 style of play fits in here, especially considering, you know, we watched a lot of those, Pac 12 teams fall earlier on in the women's tournament last year. 2 big 10 teams. So I just wonder how strong that those teams actually are.
Colin:Obviously, USC is going to be an insanely good team. Not questioning that. But I wonder if that, Pac 12 schedule is gonna feel or that Big 10 schedule is gonna feel a lot different than that Pac 12 schedule, and it's gonna take some adjustment.
Eli:Mhmm. Especially when you're getting on a plane to Wisconsin every 10 days.
Colin:Yeah. Like, it's it's just gonna be very different, and I don't I think those teams are gonna have to take some adjustment time. I think they're gonna lose some early on. I think they're gonna be incredibly strong by the end of the season, but I think those early losses might cost them the conference regular season, which is where I think Indiana, has me. They added Carolyn Strickland from Tennessee.
Colin:She was a center, insane center for Tennessee. And, I cannot pronounce, her name. Shea from Penn State, one of the guards filling and I think those 2 yeah. Chesky. Sure.
Colin:That sounds right, actually. Yeah. They're filling in kinda for those 2 players who left. Mackenzie Holmes was a star center for Indiana last year, and Sarah Sarah Scalia was a 3 point record holder and a guard for, Indiana last year. Coach Bourne's really a great coach, been consistently strong.
Colin:Iowa's out of the picture. I think it clears the way for Indiana to make a move, surprise some people this year. And that's that's where I'm at. You know, UCLA and USC, I'm counting on some early season losses on the road.
Kylee:I just don't think I don't think that'll negatively impact other conference record.
Colin:I think it will enough, and that's that's where I'm at.
Eli:I disagree. Does does Indiana play the LA schools at home?
Colin:That is a great question.
Kylee:Yeah. That all
Colin:that That's worth looking up.
Eli:Indiana plays Stanford at home. That's fun.
Colin:That'll be a fun game. I'm gonna tune into that one. They
Eli:Indiana plays UCLA at home and USC at home.
Colin:Yeah. So Indiana's Indiana's taken that one. Yeah. That's that's my take. Indiana.
Kylee:Yeah. That's a take. No. I'm playing.
Colin:It's a little bit of a riskier pick, but I'm I'm gonna take it. You know?
Kylee:I don't necessarily think it's a bad pick at
Colin:all, though. It's a riskier pick, but it's Yeah.
Eli:I get it.
Colin:It's just not the most out here.
Eli:Justified it. I know.
Kylee:I mean, Indiana has been a sleeper, like, very, very skilled team the past couple years.
Colin:I mean, they tied Iowa in the big ten last year. Yeah. Like
Kylee:Yeah. I mean, they've been, like, you know, silently very, very good. So
Colin:Their sweet 16 loss to South Carolina last year was by 4 points. Yeah. Indiana, they're a strong team that
Eli:Very strong.
Colin:Replaces everyone that they lost with some even better talent. Mhmm. That's just gonna be a good team. On the men's side, we only had 7 teams.
Kylee:That's still too many.
Colin:Well,
Kylee:after a rough big 10 year last year, that's too many. Might I
Eli:remind you? Grabbing 1?
Colin:Yeah. Only one addition, and that is an 11 seed, Oregon, who won the Pac 12 tournament, and that's the only way they made the big or the NCAA tournament.
Eli:West Coast Schools. Step it up.
Colin:They did win a tournament game, though. So that's a whole another story.
Kylee:They they did they did beat out a couple of the teams that were in the big 10.
Colin:They they absolutely did. They did. Yeah. So they they got, hot at the end of the season there. But let's start with, number 1 seed Purdue, 1st in the big 10.
Colin:17 and 3 overall, naturally. 345.
Kylee:They're not getting my
Eli:They're not getting
Colin:my national champion runner-up. 3 3 seed Illinois, they were 2nd in the big 10. 29 and 9 overall, they were the big 10 tournament champ. 5 seed Wisconsin was 5th in the big 10 because of a late season fall
Kylee:off. Real. Yeah. Hardcore.
Colin:Major late season falloff.
Eli:They made the big 10 championship game though.
Colin:They did make the big 10 championship game, which is the only reason they got that 5 seed. They would have been a 7 or 8.
Kylee:Oh, yeah. Otherwise,
Colin:8 seed Nebraska tied for 3rd in the Big 10 by beating Wisconsin. 9 seed Northwestern tied for 3rd in the Big 10 by beating Wisconsin. 9 seed Michigan State, and this is 8
Eli:seed in
Colin:the Big 10.
Kylee:Oh, god.
Eli:And then
Colin:10 in conference, 2015 overall. One of the worst records in
Kylee:the tournament.
Eli:Tournament win, though.
Colin:But a tournament win over Mississippi State and, frankly, a very close game versus UNC.
Eli:Who is the real MSU? We are.
Kylee:We are.
Colin:And then, of course, 11 seed Oregon, 4th in the Pac 12, 12 and 8 conference record, and a abysmal Pac 12. But they were the tournament
Eli:champ. Terrible.
Colin:And the Pac 12 was pretty bad.
Kylee:The Pac 12 was bad, like
Eli:They had Arizona. That was
Colin:about it. Was it? Yeah.
Eli:Was you? Who's dead now?
Kylee:Yeah. Who who is just not? So, They'll they'll return when the they got Pac twelve's getting revived. So
Eli:they'll Gonzaga
Colin:Right. San Diego State. Like
Kylee:Yeah. Those
Eli:It's a good thing the West Coast Conference is adding Seattle and Grand Canyon because they need them.
Kylee:They're gonna lose Gonzaga and Saint Andrews, probably.
Colin:Probably added them with the thought of this is we're losing Gonzaga. We are going to need someone. Let's do it now rather than later.
Kylee:Yeah. But okay. Colin, I need to boo your take first because I'm you need yo. Go ahead.
Colin:Yeah. Go ahead. So, Zach Eady's gone, but I think,
Kylee:Rejoice. College basketball fans, rejoice.
Colin:Here's my thing. Do I think Purdue wins? And the the question is that. And, somehow, they found another insane big man. Their roster is incredibly strong still.
Colin:They keep almost everyone else. Yeah. But Zach, he was insane as a freshman too.
Kylee:He was not. Zach, he did not play until his junior year.
Colin:Oh, sorry. No. Who was their tall guy at that time?
Eli:Don't have that. He's Canadian. But he
Kylee:was not a yeah.
Colin:They had a no. They're tall guy.
Kylee:Their really good tall players don't end up developing until their junior year.
Colin:But, I mean, Purdue's other players are just really strong too.
Kylee:They could yeah. They retained a lot of their roster.
Eli:Purdue is still very talented.
Colin:Yeah. And that's and Zach E is gone, so I feel less bad rooting for them.
Kylee:Why? Why? So Braden Smith's still there.
Eli:You cannot sit with us anymore.
Colin:And so I think I think Purdue's got what it takes to 3 p. But will they let me do more research and get back to y'all who are reading this way too early? And, frankly, I did more research. No.
Kylee:You didn't.
Eli:You did
Colin:not. And I don't know if any other team could beat them because the big ten looks kinda bad this year. I disagree. I think that's look bad.
Eli:It just looks even.
Kylee:It looks it looks way better than we did last year.
Eli:Different things. Yeah.
Colin:Yeah. And, you know, Purdue's got the experience there. And so that's I'm taking Purdue as much as I hate to say it.
Kylee:That's so barf barf
Colin:in my mouth. I hate it. Okay. Kylie, who do you have then? No.
Kylee:I need I need blank on the face. Next. I'm done. Go ahead.
Eli:So the Torvik projections have 3 big 10 teams tied at finishing 12 and 8 in the conference, and the team in last place, Penn State, finishing at 8 and 12.
Kylee:Which is insane.
Eli:Yeah. So a 4 game gap in an 18 team conference.
Kylee:Insane.
Eli:Every team is ranked between 17th 74th nationally, which is, like, 50 teams. And all 18 Big 10 teams are in there.
Kylee:Crazy.
Eli:I mean, this conference, it's gonna be a much more even affair this year, even though I think they're being a little optimistic because I really don't see Washington or Minnesota winning many more than 6 conference games. But
Colin:Never know.
Eli:When when the talent is elite like it is in the big 10 across the board, I think, like Colin mentioned, travel is gonna have a much more outsized effect on these game results like we've seen happening in football thus far this season. Almost every big 10 team that's going on the road to the other coast has lost. Yeah. So as such, I'm gonna pick Illinois. They're one of the most talented teams in the big 10.
Eli:They're returning from their big 10 tournament win last year.
Kylee:Mhmm.
Eli:And they're they're in central time. They're centrally located within the old 14 members of the Big 10, so they're not gonna have a lot of stress in those travel games. And I I just think that's gonna be a huge advantage over teams like UCLA or very popular pick, Rutgers.
Kylee:Yeah. I So Yeah.
Colin:I I wanna quick mention, you know, I I don't mind your pick. Illinois is a good team as well. And like you said, very even conference. Your diss on Washington interests me because Washington just hired Utah State's head coach Danny Sprinkle, and their transfer portal looks quite strong. I was actually considering Washington.
Kylee:They're still predicted
Eli:by in the big ten.
Colin:No. Oh, then then
Kylee:what are we talking about here?
Colin:I did consider them for briefly because of Danny Sprinkle and because of some of their transfers. So they're still a good team.
Kylee:They're still predicted in the bottom 5 or 6 in the comp.
Eli:They they've they've got great, mountain west level talent, but that doesn't win you the big ten.
Colin:Their ceiling is a 6th seed, I think.
Eli:And their floor is a losing record.
Kylee:Yeah. So Colin's got a lot of optimism. Okay.
Eli:For Washington.
Kylee:Yeah. For Washington of all season. Us. Not for our own homegrown boys up in here. Okay.
Eli:The boys in green and white.
Kylee:I'm so very, very torn about who I'm supposed to be picking because Illinois lost everyone. They lost almost all of their Yeah. Notable players from last year. So it's a really for me, it's a really hard ass to pick them.
Colin:Yep.
Kylee:I'm a Purdue hater for life, so I will never be picking Purdue.
Colin:Fair enough.
Kylee:I think that, Braden Smith is gonna have to put this team on his back more more more so this year because what we saw last year in the tournament against Yukon, without Zach Eady, they would have scored 10 points in that entire game against the Yukon. Yeah. Yeah. Fair enough. Once because
Colin:But Yukon was good. So
Kylee:But everyone at Purdue was cold. They made maybe 1 or 2 outside shots.
Eli:Freezing.
Kylee:Like, Zach Eady had 30, 40 points that game, and he was the reason why they weren't getting absolutely decimated. So unless this Purdue team can be more consistent because there are many times where they were completely off last year
Colin:Yep.
Kylee:And Zach Eady was the one to get them through those games because of his scoring, his scoring, his rebounding, and his presence in the in the paint. So that's why I'm very hesitant to pick them. And without that big presence, because I know they have another big guy, he's still a freshman, and there's a very big learning curve going from, you know, high school, like, age like, basketball to college, especially in a big power conference. So that's why I feel as if I can't pick that those 2 teams. I'm not picking Wisconsin's gonna be garbage.
Kylee:I'm just looking at, like, the teams that were, like, tournament teams last year. Wisconsin's not gonna be good. Nebraska's not gonna be good. Northwestern's not gonna be good. It's it's very hard.
Kylee:I don't wanna pick newcomer UCLA either even though they're predicted to be a very strong team.
Eli:So who are you picking?
Kylee:I'm not picking MSU either. I love us, but I'm not picking us. So
Colin:I'm Minnesota?
Eli:Michigan?
Kylee:No. I'm not I'm gonna pick
Colin:Michigan will be an interesting
Kylee:one this year. Is predicted anywhere from, like, 9 to 7.
Eli:Michigan's gonna be a tournament team this year. I can and will predict that, but I don't think they're winning.
Kylee:Top of the big ten.
Colin:They are Florida Atlantic last year.
Kylee:No. They're not. They brought 1 Florida Atlantic player from last year.
Colin:Okay. But does the major
Eli:play style? FAU from last year.
Kylee:Is I mean, there's still there's still a learning curve there. I I am going to pick Indiana. Valley. Because they're they're also predicted anywhere from I think it's, like, 2 to, like, 5, I think, in the big ten right now. Again, a lot of these predictions are kinda wacko because they have Michigan State predicted at 2 or 3 in a lot of these.
Kylee:And I'm just like, I love us.
Colin:I would We're we're live for that.
Kylee:However I think we're a 4 or a 5
Eli:having seen us. We watched our men's and women's teams scrimmage on Friday, last Friday, and I think Emma Schmidt would put up, like, 25 points on our men's team. I'm gonna be so for real.
Kylee:Yeah. Yeah. So just kinda looking at issue. Looking at this. So, you know, I mean, the players they've picked up, they picked up some people.
Kylee:They picked up a transfer for portal addition from Rice. They picked up, Omar Barlow from Arizona
Eli:Oh, yep.
Kylee:Who was a was a very key player for them last year. They picked up Luke Good from Illinois. They picked up Conan Carlisle from Stanford, and they returned Trey Galloway, Malik Renaud, and, a former blue chip recruit, Mackenzie Mbaku. I think that they they've got a chance. And, like, this article saying it's, like, a make or break thing for Woodson, which they have not been producing.
Kylee:Like
Colin:That is very true.
Kylee:Like, they have been completely
Colin:agree with that.
Kylee:So I think that that's gonna be some extra motivation, especially them not making the tournament the past, what, few years, I think.
Eli:Yeah. It's been a couple.
Kylee:It it's been a
Colin:2 or 3.
Kylee:Yeah. So and I think that when you're at Indiana, you have those expectations. I think they're gonna put out some pretty good games this year. But at the same time, it's the big ten, and I think it it's gonna be a toss-up for any team.
Colin:Yeah. And I
Eli:mean Indiana is a football school now.
Colin:Yes. What what's going on there?
Eli:Shout out to the 6 and o Indiana Hoosiers.
Kylee:I think and I think the media is inflating Rutgers a lot.
Colin:That yeah. Rutgers is getting all agree with that.
Eli:Hype that we got last year.
Kylee:And look what happened to us.
Colin:Yeah. Rutgers didn't make the tournament last year, and I do think they will be better. They might make the tournament.
Eli:I mean, don't they have, like They have a 2 of the top 3 recruits in it?
Kylee:Have a lot of
Colin:Yeah.
Kylee:Recruits. And I think the dangerous thing about recruits is you never know how they're gonna play on, like, that big college.
Eli:Like, it worked out for USC and Juju Watkins, but is it gonna work out for Rutgers?
Kylee:It didn't work out for Bronnie James at USC At all. Or Isaiah Collier at USC. Sorry. Those are just like the
Eli:Yikes.
Colin:The 2 in your head there.
Kylee:The 2 in my head there for real.
Colin:Were were you looking at USC as well there, Kylie?
Kylee:No. I was oh, no. No. No. I was not.
Colin:No. USC, you know, they're new coach. They're gonna take some adjustment.
Kylee:Yeah. It'll it'll be the new coach. It'll
Colin:New players.
Eli:When is the Golden Eagles? Trojan War this year.
Colin:I'm not honestly sure.
Eli:Do we play them? I assume we play them.
Kylee:Oh, yeah.
Colin:I think so. Men's basketball, we
Eli:play everyone. Also in LA on February 1st.
Kylee:Like, I wish it was here.
Eli:I want the Trojan War at home. That's okay.
Kylee:Yeah. I think We'll build
Colin:them a horse next year.
Kylee:Be interesting.
Eli:I guess the real Trojan War was in Troy, so it makes sense that we're going on the road.
Kylee:I will say the top 15 teams are gonna be playing in the big ten tournament, and that leaves 3 teams out. So So
Eli:who do we think it's gonna be?
Kylee:Penn State. And? Minnesota.
Colin:And? USA. No.
Eli:I think it's Penn State, Minnesota, and Washington.
Colin:Washington with Danny Sprinkle doesn't feel like a bottom 3 team.
Kylee:Who who do we have in the big ten anywhere? Oh, maybe Iowa. Oh, I didn't realize Sanford's coming back.
Eli:Yeah. Peyton Sanford's coming back.
Colin:Yeah.
Kylee:Maybe And
Eli:he's still really good.
Kylee:It might be a Northwestern, unfortunately. I
Colin:think Nebraska has lost too much. Frankly, I think Nebraska's gonna be that team out.
Kylee:Yeah. It it's unfortunately, it's gonna be a very big toss-up, and I think it's gonna be, one of the homegrown, big ten teams. They're they're all 3 gonna be homegrown big ten teams not making the tournament this year, which kinda
Eli:You think all 4 West Coast School of
Colin:the Year? Did you say Penn State and Nebraska are homegrown big 10 teams?
Kylee:Well, from la from last season.
Eli:Okay.
Colin:They're I
Kylee:think you're being extreme.
Eli:They feel big they feel big tenerer.
Colin:That's true.
Eli:Also, Penn State's been a big ten team since the nineties.
Colin:Yeah. Okay.
Kylee:Yeah. They're more they're more homegrown than, you know, the West Coast schools.
Eli:But Maryland and Nebraska are still less homegrown than everybody else.
Kylee:Correct.
Eli:Yeah. And Rutgers.
Kylee:Correct. But yeah. No. I think there's
Colin:a Rutgers plays the Big 10 West Football.
Eli:They joined the same time Maryland did.
Kylee:Yeah. Yeah. I just yeah. It it's gonna be very, very interesting in the big ten. That's that's for sure.
Kylee:Folks just
Colin:be a wild conference.
Kylee:Yeah.
Colin:Should we close it out?
Kylee:Yes. Oh my gosh. I forgot about this. Yeah. So thanks for listening to this week's episode of Check the Net on Impact 89 FM.
Kylee:Let us know what you think by connecting with the station on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram at w d b m and at Impact 89 FM. This will be our 2nd basketball season, and we're very excited. We are taking a break for next week. We mentioned that already in the episode, but, We're
Eli:all done with conference predictions.
Kylee:All done with conference predictions. We did it.
Colin:4 weeks, 31 conferences. We made it.
Kylee:A lot of stuff to talk about.
Colin:We're gonna review those at some point at the very end of the season and just laugh at our picks.
Eli:And and we're gonna score them. We're gonna see who was the most right.
Kylee:Yeah. And the following in the week following, however, we are gonna be having some special guests, some of my friends who wanna learn about basketball.
Colin:Spoil the surprise of, like, what this no. Let's not. Okay. Let's not spoil the surprise.
Kylee:We we have a fun episode coming up right after Fall Break. Some special guests coming in, and I think it'll be very, very fun and near and dear to my heart. But yeah. So this season's madness is only just beginning, and we cannot wait to talk about it more in 2 weeks on Check the Net. Have a good day, everybody.
Colin:Thanks for listening. Bye.