CBS Sports Eye On College Basketball Podcast

It's our year-end podcast, one with a lot of hoop talk, specifically about the ACC. But some New Year's plans and best-of music chatter, too. Two of the smartest and sharpest guys in ACC territory join host Matt Norlander for 2012's ultimate episode. Jim Young and Joe Ovies have a great rapport -- one that might even rival Goodman and Parrish's Wednesday editions? You be the judge. Enjoy talk on all things Duke, UNC, Maryland, N.C. State, Jack White, Japandroids, Frank Ocean and ... giant acorns?

There is no national writer who knows UK vs. UL better than Yahoo Sports' Pat Forde. He's been to about 25 of of these games, and being based in Louisville, Forde knows the programs as well as any national scribe. He comes back on the podcast to look back on what's made the clash so great, what's on the table/on the line for Saturday's game, plus an examination of Louisville and Kentucky's seasons so far. Beyond that, Pat was the one who broke the Myck Kabongo news last week, so he goes into the details of that and his opinion on the reduced suspension (23 games). And I wonder: is it better as a writer to cover the Final Four or the BCS title game? I've never done the latter, so Pat clues me in.

To all who celebrate Christmas, we hope you had a good one. The podcast remains broadcast as schedule, meaning the Wednesday edition has Jeff Goodman and Gary Parrish back on to quibble with each other in between host Matt Norlander playing referee. In today's ep we look ahead to four really good games forthcoming this weekend, but also talk about that great Christmas night game between Arizona and San Diego State, in addition to forecasting which teams are most likely to turn it around -- or not grow all that much -- once the new year gets here.

We don't take the holidays off here. If you're travelling to and fro this Christmas season, take the time to listen to Monday's podcast, which brings back on CBSSports.com's Jeff Borzello. He and host Matt Norlander go over the big things that happened in hoops this weekend, plus look at which undefeated team will be the last one standing, which teams are now officially over and underrated. And of course, we must talk Christmas songs. The best and the worst. The ones you can't avoid, the ones people are now enjoying ironically. 'Tis the season for it all. Merry Christmas to you and yours.

As CBS Sports' lead college basketball color commentator, Clark Kellogg gets to guide you through a lot of games but you don't often hear him opine on bigger issues in hoops. That's why we love getting him on the pod. Clark's one of the nicest guys in the business, but this podcast takes a heated turn. Kellogg doesn't find much sympathy for Myck Kabongo's situation; listen to hear why. Beyond that, he addresses the first six weeks of the season so far, the big Kansas-Ohio State game he's calling this weekend, and why on earth he wore a straw hat to his commitment press conference in 1979.

With Jim Boeheim notching win No. 900 this week, we have to look back on his career and see where he stands among the all-time greats. There's a good horde who thinks Boeheim and Syracuse are overrated. Interesting. What about Jeff Goodman and Gary Parrish? It's Wednesday, so they're back on to talk about it with host Matt Norlander. Beyond Boeheim, the guys run through a slew of topics in the lead-up to Christmas.

Nate Silver's name became ubiqutious in the lead-up to the 2012 election. His Five Thirty Eight blog tracked the polling data from across the country and deduced long before that first Tuesday in November that Barack Obama would have a steady victory. This made him a sworn enemy to some and a nerd hero to others. But Nate's been on this pod before. He knows sports -- and he loves college hoops. He had a recent piece on realignment go up, so now that the presidential push has simmered, what better time to get him back on to discuss why he likes the Catholic 7 breaking up the Big East. Plus: drunken Nate Silver blackjack stories. I think that's tease enough.

The tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School has rightfully overtaken most everyone's attention in recent days. We couldn't have a podcast without addressing the issue, if only for a few minutes. The start is a quick dash of silence, and it's bookended with a 27-second silent outro, recognizing the 27 victims of the tragedy. Aside from the somber news, we do get to the hoops. USA Today's Nicole Auerbach is back on the show. She was at the Butler-Indiana game, and what a great distraction that was. She's also spent a lot of time with Xavier and Butler recently, so we've gotta look at how/when those teams could leave the A10 for the Catholic 7's new union. Plus: an infamous anniversary coming in college hoops this week.

New headlines and more decisions regarding the future of the demolished Big East are coming in by the hour. But the biggest piece of news is the Catholic 7's decision to detach from the league and start their own conference. How can that happen? When will it happen? This pod dives deep into that, but SI.com's Andy Glockner joins the show to talk other topics, too. We just can't stick to realignment, purely. So how about the odds Coach K retires with an unbreakable record? And what are Andy's biggest impressions of the season so far, now that we're more than a month in?

A Wednesday pod means Parrish and Goodman are back on the show. This one's festive, and by festive we mean plenty of insults, laments about Christmas traditions and the aforementioned two lambasting Norlander for his love of Christmas. After the holiday talk, the fellas discuss where we're currently at with the Big East, and why the league's viability is threatened. They also pick five teams to evaluate one month through the season, picking apart who should continue to win big and who might be trending down as we head into 2013.

This is a notable day in our podcast's history. I've long waited and hoped to get this man on the show -- and it's finally here. Bill Raftery is a rarity in that he's one of a handful of American sports broadcasters who's beloved by about 99 percent of sports fans. Find someone who doesn't like Raftery and you'll find someone who doesn't enjoy the whimsy nature of life. I brought Bill on to talk more about himself than any current college hoops story lines. Hopefully it's the first of many future appearances.

One of the sports blogosphere's biggest voices is Jason McIntyre, he of TheBigLead.com. He's been on the podcast before and he always brings an engaging fight to the fold. McIntyre joins Matt Norlander to debate why holding four games at once at Cowboys Stadium is a horrible idea -- or a really good one. Additionally, discourse is had over college basketball's start to its season, a second chance on picking Final Four teams, the forecast on Duke and bachelor party plans. Really good for a Friday listen, we promise.

We're always willing to do the podcast whenever, wherever, just for you. Today's ep was recorded after 1 a.m. in an empty Madison Square Garden. The troika talks the delicate UConn situation, the inability of Kentucky to win it all, Rick Majerus' Hall of Fame chances, Rick Barnes' security at Texas and N.C. State's overrated nature.

It was a heavy weekend in college hoops. Rick Majerus, the coaching great, died at 64. The sport is still reeling from the news, and this podcast delves deep into the complicated man he was. Host Matt Norlander brings back CBS Sports' Doug Gottlieb to get into the interesting, brilliant, funny, angry, complex and hypocritical facets of a man who was forced away from the game because he lived a lifestyle filled with too much food. It's one of our longest podcasts to date. The first half is dedicated to Majerus stories, and the second discusses everything from Kentucky's stumbles to UCLA's issues to Indiana vs. Duke and the sleeper teams sprouting up in the distance.

We really going to start panicking about Kentucky? Maybe we won't, but some Kentucky fans have. We were warned this might happen, so let's talk about it. CBS Sports analyst and Sports Illustrated's Seth Davis makes his 2012-13 season debut on the pod, talking UK, Duke, Michael Dixon's departure from Missouri and UCLA. If you don't already, follow the man on Twitter and be sure to check out his weekly Hoop Thoughts column on SI.com.