Bobby Reagan, Barstool Sports CBB Analyst

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Call 562-314-4603 for details. So let's talk all things March Madness right now with Bobby Regan of Barstool Sports. Reags, appreciate the time as always.

Thanks so much for doing this and how you been, my man? It's hard to say I've been bad when it's March, but I'm sick of fighting with everybody, with the committee and trying to voice, listen, I'm just a guy, right? Like I'm just a blogger, college basketball fan at heart. Arguing about the committee almost ruined Selection Sunday. I say almost because it's hard to do. We lived through a year where they did it alphabetically. That was like a three year process. We've lived through a lot of dumb things. Yesterday was one of the worst, if not the worst. Now I'm older, right?

Like I'm in my late 30s, so it's not like it's a new thing. It was one of the worst seatings and reasonings and inclusion of Virginia that I've ever seen in the tournament. Well, none of it made any sense to me. And it's funny, and I know it's on CBS, but UConn, they're like, oh, their road's easy. And I'm sitting there on my couch saying they're the number one overall seat. It seems like they got the toughest road out of any of the one seats.

They did. Like everyone was arguing whether or not Iowa State would be a one seat. They're not even the highest two seat. Like you're not allowed to have the highest two seat in the number one overall bracket. They revealed that right away and everyone just kind of went, okay, so who's the number two, number one overall two seat then? It makes no sense.

There's a shift, I don't even remember how many years ago, the shift of geographical preference. And I get it. The number one overall seat should, and it makes sense this year with UConn being able to have Brooklyn and Boston back to back. You should be rewarded for that.

You shouldn't be punished when you're the number one overall seat and you draw three champions from the next three best leagues. There wasn't flukes in there either. Iowa State has been really good all year. Auburn has been really good all year.

And Illinois has been really good all year. So it just makes no sense. Like I don't understand why they come out with these rankings after the bracket reveal. So you can see like the overall seed list.

Just put it where it makes sense. That's all we're asking for. Bobby Regan here with us from Barstool Sports. Great job covering college basketball all throughout the year.

Who's the one school? Because I'm not up in arms. Don't get me wrong.

A lot of it didn't make sense. I'm not going to sit here and say we need to expand the NCAA tournament. But who's the one school today when you look that they didn't get an invite that you say, okay, that school was the school amongst all the others that really got screwed the most? Honestly, there's like six because I don't understand how Virginia's in.

Right? Like the committee kept saying, well, we looked at non-conference schedule, strength to schedule, which first off is dumb because you have an overall strength to schedule. Then they said they looked at quality wins and road wins and neutral wins. Okay, so a win against Florida is really what's carrying the weight for Virginia. Like they lost a pit at home.

How is that rewarded? So, you know, you look and it's impossible to come up with one team because they gave all these reasonings. And it's like, you know, they even mentioned metrics. Well, Virginia's the lowest ranked 10-pump team. So, you know, I think Seton Hall, I think St. John's, I think Indiana State, I think Oklahoma to a degree. They all have legitimate gripes that in terms of left out versus in, they all should be in over Virginia. And what bothers me is we still don't know why. There was not one thing where they said Virginia was better than all these teams in this category and that was why.

So, you could come up with even more. I mean, you know, Providence to a degree, you know, I think Providence was the third of the three Big East teams if your ranking of who was left out. I would have had them above Virginia.

I just don't get it. The other thing that I don't get with the Big East is, okay, you have UConn who's the number one overall seed. Then you have Marquette who's a two and Crayton's a three.

I understand so many bids were stolen and it took some spots away that they thought that they would have. And going into Sunday, I said, all right, probably only one other Big East school gets in. But the fact they didn't even put one other Big East school in when they have three teams that are one, two and three, that's another thing that doesn't make any sense to me.

And only one of the first four out. It's not even like St. John's was considered. They weren't even close when you start really looking at it. And St. John's has, what, a net ranking?

It was 32 and Ken Palm of 25, which I don't. As Patino said, all those numbers, I guess, are fraudulent now. I said it today in a blog where, first off, what I hope this really does is change, and it won't because it's the NCAA, but they need to get rid of the 12 athletic directors who make up the committee. Those 12 athletic directors change every year. It's not always the same 12.

So what that does is two things. One, you never know what they truly value because it changes year to year. Two, they're athletic directors. Sure, have two to three athletic directors part of the 12-person committee. Have full-time people that know the sport and can look at just besides a sheet and go, okay, this happened because of this. This team is that. It's not the 36 best for the at-large.

It's the 36 most deserving, which kind of gets lost in the arguments because you sit there and go, well, this team is better than that. It's like, well, that might be true, but the whole point of the at-large is deserving teams, which that's the other part of the debate. But you need people that are truly locked in year round.

You need people to do this full-time. You can't have 12 athletic directors come in, change year after year, because coaches don't know what matters when they head into the season. Talking to Bobby Regan, when we get into the bracket now, I know talking to you through previous years, whenever everybody is on one team, you are usually not. With UConn, though, if anyone usually asks me, UConn or the field, and it's one team and then 67 other teams, field, field, field.

But I felt this way now for almost two, two and a half months. I can't pick against UConn. Will you pick against UConn, though?

I will. I mean, listen, I think UConn is the best team in the country, but best team in the country doesn't win this tournament often. It's not like a regular occurrence. I mean, you look back throughout the last 15 years and it's maybe three, four of the best team in the country heading into the tournament that won. I will pick against UConn. History tells me to pick against UConn.

Will you pick against them to get to the Final Four, though? So I keep trying to figure out how. I can't. And I want to just because, again, history says it's so hard not only to go back to back in the title games, but back to back to Final Four.

It's hard to do. You still have to win four in a row. Who's beating them? Who do you trust coming out of the bottom half of the bracket? Do you think they really stumble against Auburn, assuming seats hold? So I think UConn makes the Final Four, but I'm going to pick against them to win it. I just don't know who because UConn's the best team in the country. I'm not saying to get to a Final Four, but you maybe look at maybe one of the top four teams, if it's someone outside of the top four.

What are your thoughts on Mark Pope's squad with BYU? They're tough because when they are shooting the ball well, they rely so much on the three-point ball. And I'm not saying that's a bad thing.

It's all schematic. We've seen teams win that way. We've seen teams lose that way. But when they shoot the ball the way they do, and when they are having one of those nights that they did against Kansas or they've done in the past this season, they can beat anybody because, Zach, three more than two.

It's pretty simple math there. However, we saw it in their loss in the Big 12 tournament. They went down early big because they couldn't score. And that's the fear with the BYU team of, hey, we play fast, we play reckless, we shoot a ton, our defense isn't awesome, but we can outscore the majority of the country. All it takes is one bad shooting night and you lose. So I wouldn't be surprised if BYU, I mean, I could see BYU giving them a challenge, playing it close. If they win, then, yeah, they probably shot the you-know-what out of the ball. But I could also see them losing in the first round just because of their style of play. Talking to Bobby Regan, let me move over to the Midwest.

So I like the one in the two-seat here just from a storyline. Purdue with Matt Painter, struggles in the NCAA tournament. I know we just had Dalton connect on, but his coach, Rick Barnes, struggles in the NCAA tournament. So I will not pick Purdue. I will not pick Tennessee to go to the Final Four. I have more confidence in Tennessee than Purdue. Who's the team, when you look at that Midwest, that you have the most confidence in to get to the Final Four?

Ugh. No one? I'm going Creighton, I think.

That's what I think I'm going to go with. Sure, but they don't make Final Fours. Right? It's not like McDermott. But they still lost in the Elite Eight. And you could say they, quote, choked that game away. You know, that's kind of how, like everyone says that about Purdue. Well, they were one of the most ridiculous plays in the NCAA tournament history away from making a Final Four when Virginia had that missed free throw, full court pass, Diakite forces overtime. Then we're talking about, oh, Painter's going back to the second Final Four in five years.

Instead, like, and I'm looking at it now just to make sure, because the Midwest is the one that I really, really can't figure out. I think Gonzaga is a really good team. They've been playing well. I know they lost to St. Mary's in the title game, but they've been playing well. But it seems like everyone likes McNeese in the first round because of, we'll wait. That's kind of why I lean to Gonzaga.

Like, I think, you know, it's kind of my contrarian view of everything, especially upset picks. Everyone, 12 over a five, it happens to be McNeese. Gonzaga dudes just made it to Sweet 16. That's what I think they're going to do. I think they're in the Sweet 16. I like them more than Kansas and Sanford in the same quad because we don't know about Kansas itself. Right now, if you tell me Dickinson and McCullough are completely healthy, are we really counting out self from just making another Final Four? Yeah. And a few years ago, everyone was kind of counting them out and almost talking about they ended up winning a national championship. Right. And it's like, yeah, they don't have depth, but they have five really good players.

So I can't figure out the Midwest. You know, I think Purdue gets it. Their guard plays a lot better. You know, the bracket does kind of set up nicely for them. And no one will pick them, too. That's why it kind of plays games with your mind specifically. That's the thing. Nobody wants to pick it. Outside of everyone on CBS last night, I couldn't.

I know that you have a lot of people connected to the game. You're rooting for Matt Painter. People should want to root for Matt Painter. But I can't walk into this tournament with any confidence he gets the job done. But the thing is, in this, in their bracket, these 16 teams, you can't pick any of them because no one wants no one wants to pick any of these guys. UConn should be the one seed in this. And that should have been. I agree.

I agree. And I think, listen, it pains me to say it because I am a I'm a Kentucky guy. Tennessee is really good. But UConn should be running to the table to trade with with Purdue.

The region, by the way, that I love the most is the south. I love what Sampson's done at Houston. I know the colic injury is going to be big. It looks like he's going to play with Shaka Smart. You got Duke. I know that they're they're not great, but that's still Duke. This is and Kentucky, too. They're getting hot at the right time or they were right before the tournament.

Like that south region. I'm going to pick your Wildcats to get to the final four. But man, that's the one that I'm most intrigued by.

And any answer you give me probably wouldn't surprise me. I hate that everyone's picking Kentucky. I've seen way too many people talk about. And I tweeted out last night when the bracket came out, I was like, don't fall in love with the bracket. Don't fall in love with the bracket, because the draw is nice for a Kentucky run. Like they they play their best against fast paced teams like their best wins. Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee. Teams that want to get up and down. I know that sounds weird because Tennessee, but that's who they are this year. They struggle against teams that, you know, slow it down like the A&M's of the world with with good guard play that can break Kentucky down defensively.

And then just beat you up on defense. So that's, you know, obviously you get Houston and that's exactly who Houston is. And you're trying for a big tourney, you would think too, right? Yeah, but you take the chance for that to be the Elite Eight matchup if you're like as a Kentucky fan.

That's that's fine. Like, okay, maybe maybe mayhem happens. Houston loses in the Sweet 16 or something. But yeah, I mean, I think, you know, similar to what we said with the stories of the coaches in the south. Shaka, you have coaches that need a run, right? Shaka needs a run. He hasn't had one since VCU. Hal needs a run because it's a civil war in Kentucky right now, if you mentioned his name. Shire needs a run because everyone's going in another four seed. What if we lose in the second round again? You know, we're Duke.

That's not supposed to happen. You know, I don't think Samson needs a run. He made a Final Four, but it was, you know, the people that hate Houston or want to diminish what they've done.

They'll say it was the bubble run. How do we look at that tournament? So it's an interesting because you have the names with Kentucky, Duke, Houston, Wisconsin. You know, names we're used to seeing on the bracket and second week in teams. But I think every coach needs a run.

So to me that you're right. It is the most intriguing because you have, I think, probably legit four or five Final Four teams in that bracket. How about the West two? You have one final run for Baycott, you know, Arizona. Scott Drew's still there with Baylor.

Bam. I don't like the direction they're trending in as we enter this tourney. Who's the squad in the West that you go? Okay, that's the team. I'd be most surprised if they don't make it to the Final Four.

I think it's Arizona. This is this is the best team that Tommy Lloyd. We're agreeing with everything.

That means we're both going to have a lot of egg on our face for the first weekend. I know. But it's like, again, I say coaches that need runs.

Tommy Lloyd is getting bounced early now. Yeah. Right. Like he lost to Princeton, didn't get out of the first round or the first weekend two years ago. So you have a Final Four in Arizona.

If you get there, you're sitting real nice thinking you have home court advantage and everything like that. This is a team that was talked about as in the same breath of what we now consider the top three versus the field. Right. So Arizona, they were there for the longest time. They need a run. You know, I like them.

You look at the draw. I think there's no reason for them not to be in the Sweet Six team. And then we get Caleb Love against UNC too. That was the storyline. It's the storyline that everyone wants. One of the I mean, one of those two teams will not be there.

Every time every time we have that storyline, one of those one of the two will fail. I want to pick Carolina to lose in the second round. I think the most vulnerable one seed. But man, Mississippi State, Michigan State are just so gross. Like that's that's the worst game of the first round. Which means they'll probably win.

Yeah. By the way, Bobby, what is give me like two or three upsets that you like in the first round, like teams that you're like, OK. They're under seed and you think you're going to be able to be better. So I originally was going to put Baylor as a Final Four team until I saw their potential second round matchup. I love New Mexico.

I absolutely love New Mexico. I think it's ridiculous that they stole a bid by winning the Mountain West. They should have been in regardless. They have high level talent. I think New Mexico could be a second weakened team.

I like you know, the other ones are pretty obvious. I think Grand Canyon got a nice draw against St. Mary's. They match up well there. And then you get Alabama who can't guard me, you and three people off the street.

So and I love Kelsey. He's a madman at Charleston. Yeah, right. So but I think I think Grand Canyon has a nice draw for a potential second.

We can run. Remember, not saying it matters, but last year that bottom left bracket was mayhem the entire time, too. It kind of has that same feel this year.

And then you look around like. I think there's going to be a lot of upsets the first round, but I think the elite eight will see like a lot more ones and twos there. I could see mayhem early and then kind of like, OK, everything settled down. That's just kind of the way the season's been going. I mean, you know, you look at that Wisconsin, Duke, James Madison, Vermont quadrant. Would anybody be surprised if James Madison's in the sweet 16? Like they already have a win on the road at the big 10. We obviously know that with Michigan State. You know, I'm curious by I'm really curious by FAU because they had the run last year in the regular season. I didn't think they played to what they were capable of.

I wonder if that's a squad with how many guys they return, if when the lights come on, they just pop off. But then once again, you got Yukon coming up around the 32. I'm not I don't care how much I love Dusty May. I'm not picking them to beat Yukon. And everyone said that. And then they go to the American tournament and lose to Temple my school. Right. No offense.

Temple sticks. Trust me, I know. Except that I had to donate one hundred fifty bucks to the NIL collective because I guaranteed a dollar for every point and then two dollars if they ended up winning.

So I give one hundred fifty bucks on this weekend. I also wonder, too, everyone screamed about FAU last year being grossly underceded as a nine. And then they make the run this year. It's egregious that they're an eight.

Like, I don't even know if you should have made the torment if you're looking at most deserving teams. They have a lot of bad luck. Yeah. So I almost wonder if they're just going to hold serve and like, hey, last year we were underceded, made the run this year. We're overseeing it. We'll just lose the Northwestern.

And then everyone just stop yelling at us. So it seems like is this safe to say this is your final four. You're going Yukon, Arizona, Kentucky and then Purdue.

Is that what you're doing? I'm taking my heart. Heart is begging Kentucky.

How do I pick against Houston now? So I think it's going to be like Houston. Part of me wants to say Gonzaga.

OK. Just like there's there's got to be mayhem somewhere. Right. So maybe maybe it's Gonzaga. And then I think I do think Arizona gets there.

And then, yeah, I keep trying to pick against Yukon. But yeah, it's not going to be for one seeds. I'd be shocked if it's three, one seeds. I think you see kind of what we've been seeing of, you know, one or two top two seeds, three or four seed and a five seed, something like that. And I wouldn't be surprised if we see it again this year. But, you know, obviously not have all four or five, nine seeds in the final four last year. So who wins it all then?

Who are you going with? I want to say Houston. OK. Like it's just they.

Is there really that big of a I don't think there's that big of a difference between them and Yukon. And I know Houston has injuries right now, but it's kind of all led to this moment. Right. Like they make the final four. There are one seed last year. That's kind of been the theme the last few years.

Right. Like self-conserved with the second tournament, the second title. Drew gets one. Bennett gets one. It does it just kind of feel like it's going to be Houston.

But Hurley gets one last year. Like it just. Are we due for this run to keep continuing or. And I think that's the biggest storyline is does the next coach approach.

He's good for all these now and all time. Great. Yeah.

Yeah. He is Bobby Regan. Make sure you give him a follow at Barstool Riggs. We'll be following him all throughout the NCAA tournament. Does a great job covering college basketball all throughout the year. Bobby, always great to connect with you this time of year. Thank you. All right. Thanks, man.

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