Gonzaga, Gallagher Iba, Belmont Murray State discussed on CBS Sports Eye On College Basketball Podcast

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15 tip is that fog Allen. And then your two 25 tip is that Gallagher iba. That would be incredible. But it's just not going to happen. We occasionally do get these games around these college campuses, or at least nearby, and we just take what we can get. I'm just glad they kicked it out of football stadiums until we get to the final four. Take the wins where we can get them. What have we got next? Well, we have next is Sam from Boise and he's got he's got a little high hopes here. He's right. I was thinking about Gonzaga and how they've been able to rise above their mid major conference and become a perennial national power. What mid to low major programs do you see having the potential to do similar? As a Grand Canyon student, I have to make the Homer case as a wax school, there isn't a super dominant program that we have to get over and it only a few years we have become one of the three to 5 best programs in the conference. We're in Phoenix, which will help with ratings and recruiting and we don't have a football team, which could potentially help retain price drew and any future coaches because they get priority in funding and attention. We are also a big school with one of the best environments in the country. Big hopes. Big hopes. I don't know if we've done something like this on a mailbag before. I have gotten this question. I get it annually. So I wanted to include this one. Gonzaga's outlier. There are no other schools. It's not going to happen. One of one, one of one in college athletics. Wichita state flirted with being Gonzaga light. How's that going these days? There can't be programs that can uplift their profile, which to us they did that. We've seen it with Belmont Murray state making the jump to the Missouri valley, butler went to the big east. Dude named Brad coach in order to help make that happen. Creighton is obviously done similar and has done well. But those programs still aren't Gonzaga. Again, one of one. And we've even seen with Gonzaga because of its success, the quasi pickle it even finds itself in with league association right now. Dennis Dodd reported last week that the big 12 was having meetings just to discuss the Gonzaga as a potential member. And I know that's kind of got Gonzaga's fans attention right now. My understanding, my impression is that Brett yore Mark, the commissioner of the big 12, is certainly very interested in adding Gonzaga. And I think the athletic directors need to be convinced. And my opinion is that they would not just, if they expand again, they aren't going to 13. They would go to 14 minimally, I think. And I believe they would add at least one more basketball first type of school west of the Mississippi if they did that. Someone did lob me a name, but I'm going to keep that to myself and this was some months ago. We'll see if that winds up actually being possible. I don't know if Gonzaga will go to the big 12 or not. I know Gonzaga wants to upgrade its spot overall. I think it should go to the PAC 12. I think the pack 12 has to figure out some things and soon on that front because it's going to add San Diego state. What's the other team? A lot of buzz around SMU. Could you add Gonzaga as a 13th member for basketball? Because there's no football. It's certainly intriguing, but the powers that be at Gonzaga are trying to figure out what they can do, and this is going to be something that I think really gets legs this year in 2023 because of the rights deals that are set to come up here and what, you know, conferences need to figure out big dream is probably not dead, but I still have, you know, that's still a tough sell for presidents in that league. And are they going to take all the schools? So I don't know. That wasn't directly your question, but if you can tag I think it's kicking around the old noggin there. But no other school is going to repeat this model. They're one of one and they will never be repeated again. What have we got next? Andrew, from Somerset, New Jersey week as you know, we had to get the Rutgers folks in here. He brings up season ticket holder and alumni of Rutgers grew up one mile from campus and never left. You failed to mention Rutgers biggest win this year. It wasn't against Purdue. It was against UMass Lowell. Okay. Our bad will never happen again. We love our audience. Next. All right, Mike from Boston. He asked which mid majors are best built to do damage in the field of 68 this year. Who are the mid major players to watch as we head to February and March. There's still a lot of candidates out there. And I could give you 20, but I don't want to do that. Okay, let me give you I'll give you about 5. 5 teams not named FAU or Charleston Charleston now again. I might need that auto bit at this point. UAB? What if the USA was too big? Jelly walker, keep an eye on them. Southern mist has done really well for itself. Kent State or Akron, I'm going to give you more than 5, because either one that comes out of the Mac. There can say it's got sincere carry and he's a guard capable. I think I'm having the composure to do damage in March. Eastern Washington has won 14 in a row out of the big sky. It's got the longest win streak in the country now, trivia time your Friends on that one. Keep an eye for EW. It's actually showed itself well in the tournament over the past 7, 8 years. And almost got there season ago, was doing well in the so con and has some real players there. Those are teams names to know. I don't know if Chattanooga will get to turn them out so calm but Jake Stevens is I think he's second in PER in the country to Zack Edie. He has been a monster. And he was expected to be. He transferred to Chattanooga followed his coach, Dan are all from VMI. Tucker devries at Drake is good Tucker debris would be a power conference player if his dad was not coaching a tree. So if they get in out of the Missouri valley keep an eye on them, max asimus is back to his old ways or Roberts is certainly tracking to dance again out of the summit and that team is really clicking. Paul mills group, ace miss is a ball of fun, plenty of our listeners are all too familiar with him after the damage he did a couple of years ago. Darius McGee is another one who's just been around for a while if liberty breaks through. Out of the a sun expect expect some real damage. And then Aaron Estrada has been playing well as of late for hofstra. If Charleston doesn't get there out of the CAA, if hofstra does shout out to the flying Dutchman, Aaron Estrada is certainly a mid major name to no. Next. All right, we got my man Jack asking a very, very sad question because as we talked about beheim giving, again, on Sunday, that beheim may need to go. He asks, Florida state is trending towards their worst season in 20 years. And no way do I want Hamilton to leave FA FSU or college basketball on this kind of note. Hamilton has been a great coach with a storied career, and as a fan of the sport, I was hoping he might get another shot at the limelight by attorney run in March. But at the end of the day, he's a 74 year old coach struggling mightily with while the college basketball landscape around him changes. Might we see Leonard Hamilton join K Roy Wright in the near future? Plenty of speculation if this is going to be Leonard Hamilton's last season. I would not like to see him go out with such a whimper of a campaign. But

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