CrimsonCast

Grace Ybarra and Galen Clavio react to Indiana men’s basketball’s suddenly nation-leading transfer portal class — and then the episode gets an in-show plot twist when Villanova guard Bryce Lindsey commits to the Hoosiers while they’re recording. They break down how Indiana got here (minutes + money + vision), what Darian DeVries and the staff are building with Markus Burton, Jaeden Mustaf, Darren Harris, Samet Yigitoglu, and Aiden Sherrill, and why this class looks fundamentally different—more size, more athleticism, more high-major experience, and more multi-year continuity. Then the show pivots to IU culture: Little 500 history and traditions, why the week is one of the best recruiting weekends in college football, and the behind-the-scenes quirks that make Little 5 such a uniquely Bloomington event.

Indiana’s portal run keeps adding the pieces it had to add — size, physicality, rebounding, and rim protection. Galen Clavio is joined by Bob Moats and Mike Wiemuth from X’s and Joe’s for another emergency crossover to break down Samet Yigitoglu’s commitment from SMU and the rapidly building momentum around Aiden Sherrill (Alabama) who committed shortly after the podcast aired.They explain why Yigitoglu is a major need-fill: a true 7-foot-plus center who rebounds on both ends, creates extra possessions with offensive boards, and gives Indiana a real interior presence it didn’t have last season. Then they pivot to the Sherrill discussion—why he profiles as a modern stretch-capable big who blocks shots, rebounds, and fits perfectly in Darian DeVries’ spacing and two-man-game world. The episode also zooms out to roster-building: why Indiana’s portal strategy looks far more “big-boy” this cycle, what adding multi-year pieces does for continuity, and what kinds of complementary players IU still needs to complete a functional 8–9 man rotation.

Indiana men’s basketball’s portal surge continues — and this one is a program-shifting add. Galen Clavio is joined by Bob Moats and Mike Wiemuth from X’s and Joe’s for an emergency crossover breaking down Markus Burton’s commitment to IU. The trio dives into Burton’s profile as a high-gravity scoring point guard, why he’s a completely different type of creator than Indiana had last season, and how his ability to draw fouls, finish, and hit shots changes the geometry of the floor for Jaeden Mustaf and Darren Harris. They also discuss Burton’s defensive value (especially his knack for getting opposing point guards into foul trouble), the injury context and eligibility outlook, and what this commitment signals about Darian DeVries and Kenny Johnson operating with a clear, targeted plan in the portal. Finally, they zoom out to roster construction: why adding multi-year “bridge” pieces matters, what types of bigs Indiana still needs to complete the build, and why this kind of recruiting win is exactly how a program raises its ceiling in the modern era.

Indiana men’s basketball finally has portal momentum — and it comes in a hurry. Galen Clavio is joined by Bob Moats and Mike Wiemuth from X’s and Joe’s for an emergency crossover episode breaking down Indiana’s first portal commitments: Jaeden Mustaf (Georgia Tech) and Darren Harris (Duke). They discuss Mustaf’s profile as a physical downhill guard/wing, why his ability to get into the lane matters in the Big Ten, and what his production looked like in a tough Georgia Tech context. Then, mid-show, the second bomb drops: Harris commits — and the guys unpack what IU is getting in a former top-50 recruit with shooting gravity, defensive competitiveness, and clear schematic fit with Darian DeVries and Kenny Johnson building the roster. They also talk lineup construction, the rumored next domino (Markus Burton) and how these pieces would change the speed and creation ability of IU’s offense, plus what this says about the staff’s Year 2 plan: raising the floor in athleticism/physicality first, then filling in the frontcourt to complete the build.

Grace Ybarra and Galen Clavio are back with a wide-ranging spring episode that starts with travel talk and Final Four week in Indianapolis — then shifts into the real headline: the college basketball transfer portal is open, and Indiana is staring at a roster rebuild in the NIL era. They discuss what Indiana knows right now (including Trent Sisley returning and the current roster math), what’s still uncertain, and why the portal market has become so difficult to “price.” The conversation turns into a deep dive on how coaches evaluate players across leagues and levels (including the growing wave of international pros entering college basketball), why fit matters as much as stats, and the uncomfortable truth: for a 20-year-old in 2026, the Indiana basketball brand doesn’t automatically close deals. Grace and Galen then shift to Indiana Football, and talk about the news that Fernando Mendoza is going to eschew attending the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh in favor of watching it from home. They close with a big-picture college sports discussion on SEC messaging — including the sudden push to eliminate the SEC Championship Game and what that says about playoff politics in the super-conference era.

Galen took to the YouTube Live on Wednesday at about noon to talk about the opening of the transfer portal and some early questions surrounding how Indiana will go shopping for players, how the matchmaking happens, and why it may be important for the Hoosiers to land a star early. He also talks about the timing of portal signings and why it's important for IU fans to not panic if nothing happens immediately.

Galen Clavio went live to talk about the college basketball world. We recap the Final Four games, talk about the UNC job search, look ahead to the transfer portal opening, and discuss the different budgets and approaches that teams will be taking over the next few weeks.

Galen Clavio and Scott Caulfield recap an unbelievable moment for Indiana football: IU’s Pro Day airing live on NFL Network, with Fernando Mendoza slinging it, and a roster full of legitimate NFL prospects getting the kind of spotlight the program rarely — if ever — enjoyed before the title run. They discuss what it means for recruiting, why this roster’s depth of pro talent is a sea change for Indiana, and how Mendoza’s one-year impact on the university is almost impossible to overstate. Then the conversation shifts to early spring-ball vibes, including the viral Nick Marsh gold cleats story and what it says about Curt Cignetti’s standards — plus Cignetti’s perfectly timed response to a TCU coach’s “turnovers” jab about Josh Hoover. Finally, they close with a quick Final Four in Indianapolis preview and thoughts on the matchups (Illinois/UConn and Michigan/Arizona) heading into the weekend.

Galen Clavio breaks down what fans need to know as the men’s college basketball transfer portal officially opens on April 7—and why it already feels like players are “in the portal” before the window even opens.He explains how portal announcements actually happen (agents, reporters, and early relationship networks), why early “schools linked to a player” lists are often incomplete, and how roster building has become a fast-moving market where the top budget slots get filled quickly. Galen also walks through why stats can mislead when players jump levels, why fit matters as much as production, and why not every outgoing transfer is a bad sign—many are simply market tests or better-fit searches in a world of mostly one-year deals.

We recap the two Elite 8 games from last night, look ahead to the games today, discuss more in coaching search land for college basketball, and talk about early impressions from Indiana football spring practice.

On this episode, Galen Clavio recaps the Sweet 16 games and preview what's coming up in the Elite 8. Plus we discuss North Carolina's job opening, the transfer portal, the attractiveness of certain jobs, and the way that program-building at the college level is changing now that GMs and player personnel directors are essential figures instead of luxury hires.

Galen Clavio breaks down the Sweet 16 field through an analytics lens—using Bart Torvik’s T-Rank to explain what the remaining teams do best, which statistical profiles tend to win in March, and where the most important “Four Factors” edges show up (shooting, turnovers, rebounding, and free throws). He also highlights how the contenders differ stylistically (elite balance vs. offense-first vs. defense-first), why certain matchups may come down to variance (especially three-point volume), and finishes by comparing those Sweet 16 trends to Indiana’s statistical profile this season—what IU did well, and what ultimately held them back.

Grace Ybarra and Galen Clavio recap the strange lull after the first weekend of March Madness (and the real “basketball saturation → emptiness” hangover), then dive into Grace’s on-site coverage from St. Louis for the NCAA Tournament’s first and second rounds. They break down the wild Kentucky–Santa Clara finish (and the officiating/clock controversy), share behind-the-scenes locker room stories from Purdue, and react to the now-iconic moment of former IU big man Malik Reneau grabbing concession food in full uniform after Purdue’s win.From there, the conversation pivots back to Indiana: what it feels like for IU fans to watch the tournament from the outside again, why the portal timing creates a dead zone for non-tournament teams, and why comparisons to other first-year coaching successes are tough—but inevitable.

Galen Clavio recaps a fascinating Sunday in the NCAA Tournament — a day that pushed back on the early top seed dominance and offered some encouraging signs for the Big Ten. He runs through the biggest results (including Alabama’s blowout, Arizona surviving, Iowa State’s statement, UConn’s best version showing up, Purdue advancing, Tennessee’s win, Saint John’s rock fight, and Iowa’s stunner), then zooms out to the bigger question Indiana fans can’t avoid: why does IU keep watching other programs level up while Indiana sits at home? Galen discusses the new NIL/portal reality — how it’s more “democratic” than people admit, how money still matters but smart spending matters more, and why the Iowa Sweet 16 run under first-year coach Ben McCollum stings in Bloomington. The conclusion is clear: the next few weeks are pivotal for Darian DeVries and Indiana basketball, because the program needs a roster with real identity, energy, and cohesion — not just hope.

Galen and Scott do a special live CrimsonCast, talking about the lack of upsets in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, the most intriguing games of the second round, the UNC job potentially coming open, and a bunch of other college basketball topics.

It’s bracket time.In this episode of CrimsonCast, Grace Ybarra and Galen Clavio preview the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, going region by region through the bracket, breaking down upset picks, best bets, dangerous mid-majors, and which teams they trust most to make a deep March run. They also debate how much “vibes” should matter versus predictive metrics, identify underseeded and overseeded teams, and make their Elite Eight, Final Four, and national title picks. The conversation includes picks on teams like Duke, Houston, Arizona, Michigan State, Gonzaga, VCU, Arkansas, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Iowa, Vanderbilt, and more — plus some strong takes on which popular upset picks are worth fading. By the end, both hosts land on Arizona as national champion, with a full bracket path laid out along the way. If you’re filling out your bracket, looking for upset logic, or just want a smart and entertaining March Madness preview, this one has you covered.

It’s tournament time, and Crimson Cash is diving headfirst into the chaos. Scott and James break down NCAA Tournament betting strategy, talk through upset trends, build a bracket live on the show, and mix in the usual combination of sharp betting angles, Big Ten bias, and unhinged March energy.In this episode, the guys dig into how often double-digit seeds really hit, whether blindly betting every underdog is genius or insanity, and which teams they actually trust when the bracket tightens up. They also build out a full bracket live, talk survivor-pool strategy, throw out a few tournament bets they like, and close with an early look at Big Ten college football win totals, including Indiana’s eye-popping number.Topics in this episode:NCAA Tournament betting strategy and historical seed upset trendsWhy 12-over-5 gets the headlines, but 11-over-6 matters tooScott’s all-underdog betting system and whether it actually worksDraftKings-style bets on tournament upset outcomesOhio State and Wisconsin as early teams James likesA full live bracket build with Final Four and title picksSurvivor-pool thoughts and Sweet 16 futures anglesLive-betting advice for March MadnessEarly Big Ten football win totals, including Indiana at 10.5Join the conversation with your bracket picks, biggest upset calls, and favorite tournament bets in the comments. And if you’re riding with Crimson Cash all tournament long, subscribe and follow along for more picks, reactions, and betting talk.Crimson Cash is a proud part of the Back Home Network.TIMESTAMPS / CHAPTERS00:00:44 NCAA Tournament time begins00:03:28 Tournament betting strategy and seed upset history00:05:03 Scott’s all-underdog betting system00:10:47 Betting the 12-over-5 and other upset markets00:11:27 Ohio State, Wisconsin, and early parlay/survivor thoughts00:13:00 Live bracket build begins00:30:37 Big Ten football win totals, including Indiana at 10.500:33:34 Sweet 16 futures, live betting, and final betting adviceNote: timestamps may not appear as clickable links for every listener depending on platform/app.

Indiana men’s basketball is officially done for the season — and now the real questions begin.In this episode of CrimsonCast, Galen Clavio and Scott Caulfield react to Indiana narrowly missing the NCAA Tournament, examine the decision to turn down The Crown, and break down what it says about the current state of the program. They also dive deep into the realities of roster building in the portal era, comparing Indiana’s approach to other programs and asking what has to change for the Hoosiers to finally build a tournament team. This episode covers IU’s weak bubble case, the frustration of coming up just short, the marketing and fan-engagement problems around ending the season quietly, the financial conversation surrounding Indiana basketball, and a detailed look at how first-year coaches across college basketball built NCAA Tournament teams through the transfer portal. If you’re trying to understand where Indiana basketball goes from here — and why this offseason feels so important — this episode lays it all out.

What do FanDuel’s newly released over-under totals say about the Indiana Hoosiers in 2026?In this episode of CrimsonCast, Galen Clavio breaks down Indiana football’s projected win total, how it compares to the rest of the Big Ten, and what the national title odds suggest about the Hoosiers’ place in the college football landscape. From Indiana’s favorable schedule to the respect Curt Cignetti’s program is getting from oddsmakers, this is an early look at how Vegas views IU heading into the new season. Galen also examines where teams like Oregon, Ohio State, Penn State, Notre Dame, Miami, Texas, and others stack up in the betting market — and what those numbers reveal about conference strength, public perception, and playoff expectations.

Galen Clavio and Scott Caulfield react to Indiana men’s basketball’s Big Ten Tournament loss to Northwestern and the frustrating reality that the season is effectively over — despite a late-February moment when IU still looked like a solid NCAA Tournament team. They break down how the Hoosiers struggled in the games that mattered most, why the roster construction left almost no margin for error, and how the end-of-season slide creates an offseason problem: there’s little continuity to carry forward, which makes it harder for fans to stay emotionally invested in “portal season” hype.The episode also zooms out to the big picture: how Indiana has quietly performed like a lower-tier Big Ten program over a full decade, why the “turning down postseason tournaments” conversation reflects where the program actually is, and what needs to change—culture, roster fit, and expectations—if IU wants March to feel like Indiana again.