Episode
[41] 2025-26 College Basketball Preview
- Podcast
- X's and Joe's
- Published
- Oct 24, 2025
- Duration seconds
- 6874
- Processing state
not_requested
Actions
POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/x-s-and-joe-s-6715022/episodes/41-2025-26-college-basketball-preview/transcription-requests
Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/x-s-and-joe-s-6715022/41-2025-26-college-basketball-preview.md
Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.
Summary
Bob Moats and Mike Wiemuth are back to preview the 2025-26 college basketball season, diving deep into IU's transformed roster under first-year coach Darian DeVries and analyzing the landscape of college hoops in the NIL era. Even with football still riding high in Bloomington, it's time to turn attention to the hardwood. Segment 1: The Big Money Conversation The hosts discuss the seismic shifts in recruiting and compensation: Cignetti's $3 million raise and IU football's impact on the athletic department Ohio State reportedly paying Anthony Thompson $3+ million while their head coach makes $2.5 million Why IU's "whiff" on Thompson was actually smart strategy The psychology of the hot seat driving desperate roster decisions Segment 2: Indiana Basketball Deep Dive - The DeVries System Bob and Mike break down what makes DeVries' approach fundamentally different: Offensive Evolution Pick-and-roll revolution with multiple skilled ball handlers creating unpredictability Screener deception making the screener a weapon again The passing upgrade: Two players with 30%+ assist rates (first time in 15 years) Conceptual principles vs. rigid sets from the past decade The Defense Question West Virginia's top-20 defense proves DeVries can scheme effectively Tucker DeVries as a "free safety" goading turnovers Why size concerns about IU's bigs might be overblown Roster Construction Experience over elite talent: The sweet spot model in action Team chemistry from players who've already played together Translatable skills from mid-majors to high-majors Segment 3: Big Ten and National Landscape Purdue: Highest floor in the country but ceiling questions remain with Braden Smith's penetration limitations Houston: Kelvin Sampson's shocking three five-star haul after landing just two in 17 yea…