The EvanMiya College Basketball Show

Evan is joined by college basketball insider John Fanta for a jam-packed episode reacting to an incredible night of college hoops! The guys break down Michigan State's statement win over Duke in the Champions Classic, Kansas' dominant performance against Kentucky, and Texas Tech's impressive victory over Illinois. They discuss what these results mean for each team's ceiling, which early-season hot starts they're buying into most, and why Virginia, UCLA, LSU, St. Louis, and others are turning heads. Plus, Evan dives into the analytics to highlight some of the most impressive lineup combinations across the country just one week into the season, and John shares some of his most awkward moments covering college basketball. It's an episode full of big performances, early-season takeaways, and plenty of reasons to be excited about the college basketball season!Chapters(00:00) Intro(01:35) John Fanta joins!(03:18) MSU can win a title(06:48) What went wrong for Duke?(09:24) Texas Tech has an elite ceiling(17:13) Quentin Coleman is the real deal(20:39) Kansas is a class above UK(24:23) Kentucky: Something is missing(29:18) Confidence rank Duke, MSU, Illinois, KU, Tech(37:11) Virginia, SLU, UCLA, LSU standouts(41:34) Awkward Press Conference Moments(48:12) I was wrong about Vandy(49:34) Jake Hall and New Mexico(51:12) Analytics Corner: Best Lineups(58:35) Closing Remarks and Future ShowsConnect with the show:Visit EvanMiya.comFollow on Twitter/XSubscribe on YouTubeFollow on InstagramFull Show ArchivesMerch

College basketball is officially back, and we've already had plenty of action to break down! Evan is joined by Brian Rauf of Basket Under Review to discuss the biggest storylines from the opening games of the season, including UCLA's impressive upset of No. 5 Arizona, Florida's dominant win over Miami, Memphis taking down Iowa State, BYU's explosive offensive performance against Ohio State, and Oklahoma's shocking loss to East Texas A&M. They also discuss Gonzaga's early-season questions surrounding Davis Fogle, the teams and players who made the biggest impressions, and why this could be the year we see Cinderella and mid-major programs make a bigger impact on the college basketball landscape. Plus, Evan and Brian share their dumbest career injuries and look ahead to what's coming next in the college basketball season.Chapters(00:00) Intro(02:03) Brian Rauf joins the show!(02:52) ND vs Nova in Italy(05:05) UCLA massive win over Arizona(11:57) Gonzaga > Purdue(16:45) Stunners: OU loses, Memphis beats ISU(22:26) Concerns for North Carolina(25:59) BYU, Rob Wright look awesome(28:38) Florida beats Miami(33:54) Stock up: Illinois, Vandy(39:42) Mid-Majors winners: Murray St, App State(42:24) Stock up: Boumtje, West Virginia(43:54) Cinderella might be back this year(54:28) Listener contest winnerConnect with the show:Visit EvanMiya.comFollow on Twitter/XSubscribe on YouTubeFollow on InstagramFull Show ArchivesMerch

The 2026–27 college basketball season is almost here, and Evan Miyakawa is joined by CBS Sports' Isaac Trotter for a comprehensive preseason preview! Evan and Isaac break down their Final Four picks, draft their top candidates for National Player of the Year, debate the biggest storylines heading into the season, and highlight the mid-major teams and players who could make some noise. They also discuss the hype surrounding Duke's incoming talent, why Florida could be one of the most dominant teams in the country, which contenders have the pieces to make a deep March run, and plenty more. Plus, stick around for a new listener contest with a chance to win free EvanMiya.com merch. The season is almost here, and it's time to get ready for another wild ride in college basketball!Chapters(00:00) Intro(01:57) Isaac Trotter joins the show!(03:15) Biggest national storylines(08:44) National player of the year draft(30:51) Final Four Picks(43:32) Hot takes we hope are wrong(54:09) Best mid-major teams(01:06:38) Listener contest!Connect with the show:Visit EvanMiya.comFollow on Twitter/XSubscribe on YouTubeFollow on InstagramFull Show ArchivesMerch

On this episode of The EvanMiya College Basketball Show, Evan is joined by Ryan Hammer of the Blue Blooded Podcast for a preseason bandwagon episode, highlighting three teams each that they’re especially excited about heading into the 2026-27 college basketball season. Evan makes the case for St. John’s, Texas Tech, and other teams with intriguing upside, while Ryan shares his picks and explains why Miami, Florida, Illinois, and others are worth watching. They also debate how much stock to put into preseason exhibition games before turning to Evan’s new incoming player projections model, which evaluates high school recruits, international prospects, and Division II transfers. Plus, they discuss the growing impact of returning college talent, emerging players to watch, and what the numbers reveal about this year’s incoming class.New Incoming Players Projections ModelChapters(00:00) Intro(02:46) Ryan Hammer joins the show!(03:25) Preseason bandwagon rules(06:24) Evan's 1st bandwagon pick(14:47) Ryan's 1st bandwagon pick(21:31) Evan's 2nd pick(29:33) Ryan's 2nd pick(38:09) Evan's 3rd pick(48:35) Ryan's 3rd pick(55:03) Do preseason exhibitions matter?(01:05:24) New incoming player projections modelConnect with the show:Visit EvanMiya.comFollow on Twitter/XSubscribe on YouTubeFollow on InstagramFull Show ArchivesMerch

What can history tell us about the 2026-27 college basketball season? In this preseason case study episode, Evan Miyakawa dives into five years of historical data to uncover what different roster builds and team characteristics can tell us about this year's biggest contenders. Which teams should you be excited about, and which deserve a little more skepticism? Evan breaks down teams with elite talent but limited roster continuity, the programs with the deepest benches, teams relying heavily on one superstar, and squads entering the season with a new head coach. Featuring analysis of Duke, Louisville, Texas, Arkansas, Baylor, Vanderbilt, Michigan State, UConn, Texas Tech, Michigan, North Carolina, LSU, and more, this episode uses EvanMiya's preseason analytics to explore each team's potential floor, ceiling, and NCAA Tournament outlook. Plus, get a preview of what's coming next on The EvanMiya College Basketball Show as the new season approaches.Chapters(00:00) Intro(00:36) Case studies (right after the intro animation finishes)(02:17) Teams with loaded rosters, little retention(11:06) Teams with deep benches(16:21) Teams with one star player(24:33) Teams with new coaches(31:05) OutroConnect with the show:Visit EvanMiya.comFollow on Twitter/XSubscribe on YouTubeFollow on InstagramFull Show ArchivesMerch

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) OutroConnect with the show:Visit EvanMiya.comFollow on Twitter/XSubscribe on YouTubeFollow on InstagramFull Show ArchivesMerch

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 studyConnect with the show:Visit EvanMiya.comFollow on Twitter/XSubscribe on YouTubeFollow on InstagramFull Show ArchivesMerch

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 WilkinsConnect with the show:Visit EvanMiya.comFollow on Twitter/XSubscribe on YouTubeFollow on InstagramFull Show ArchivesMerch

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 scorersConnect with the show:Visit EvanMiya.comFollow on Twitter/XSubscribe on YouTubeFollow on InstagramFull Show ArchivesMerch

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!Connect with the show:Visit EvanMiya.comFollow on Twitter/XSubscribe on YouTubeFollow on InstagramFull Show ArchivesMerch