WTKA Roundtable 3/19/2026: Wears Speedos, Shoot Threes

Things Discussed:

• Howard preview: Their center isn't a center, but he's mini-Yaxel.
• Takeaways from BTT: Brian/Craig/Sam: The Purdue game was just a ref show—Oscar Cluff is a a) Buffalo, b) Oaf, c) deliberately running guys over and cheating on screens. Michigan doesn't have enough galoots.
• Seth: I've moved on. Biggest concern is Michigan vs Wisconsin: bringing too much help to the rim when we have some five-out teams (Saint Louis!) in the first weekend.
• Georgia and St. Louis. Georgia is soft—they have a shot-blocker and a lot of guards who can get their own points. Robbie Avila looks like Seth Fisher—he looks like a gumnut out there—but he's very skilled, especially at setting his guys up. I really like their four, Amari McCottry.
• Yaxel, take over man! Lots of opportunities to get him vs a mouse in the house and they didn't make the read. Michigan seemed to want to use Rez in that spot instead and he didn't have an inspired week.
• Pickin upsets: UNI over St. John's? Can slow the game to a grind. Kinda think NDSU? They've rediscovered the lost art of the defensive-invariant floater—not saying I am picking a 14 over a 3 but that's the one.
• Craig: Anyone notice they got Hurley, Izzo, and Cronin all in the same corner of the bracket? Poor Johnny Dawkins: what did I do to end up with these guys?
• Going further than their seed: Arkansas and Acuff. He's going to be a lottery pick, Arkansas paid for him and it was worth it. Calipari teams are kids at the start of the year (when they played MSU) but by the Tourney they're not freshmen anymore. OT: [BREAKING NEWS: Cade Cunningham will be out 8-10 weeks with a collapsed lung.]
• Billy Donlon in at EMU. Why did he leave Michigan? Not saying.
• In break: Does Michigan get an NIL discount? Champions Circle doesn't want to say so but yeah, when the money is close it's about lifestyle.
• Texas should get a Tournament ban for getting in last year and this year. Their best nonconference win: NC State. Bubble was terrible this year but that doesn't mean a mid SEC team should get in.
• Miami University is the perfect Tournament invite: They understood the assignment.
• Whom to invite instead of bubbly major conference teams? Mid-majors who won their conferences.
• Illinois in the Final Four? Yeah, they've got size and Wagler can shoot them to Indy (I had Nebraska taking out Florida). Houston takes such ugly shots, Illinois will make them uglier. Who can expose their frontcourt? Well, Florida.