The EvanMiya College Basketball Show

The EvanMiya College Basketball Show is back for the 2026-27 season! Evan unveils the official EvanMiya.com preseason rankings with Kevin Sweeney (Sports Illustrated) and Jim Root (Three Man Weave), breaking down the top teams, top players, mid-major contenders, and some of the biggest questions facing college basketball heading into the season. The group discusses the unprecedented uncertainty surrounding fifth-year and international player eligibility, the teams most affected by those decisions, and the methodology behind EvanMiya's updated preseason computer model. They also dive into Florida, Duke, Illinois, Arizona, Gonzaga, UConn, Houston, Michigan State, Texas Tech, LSU, Kansas, UCLA and more, plus some of the most intriguing players and potential breakout candidates in the country. Evan also previews major upcoming updates to EvanMiya.com, including new player projections, team and player uncertainty tools, website upgrades, game predictions, and an upcoming API.Chapters:(00:00) Intro(02:36) Kevin Sweeney and Jim Root join!(03:09) Navigating the Offseason Challenges(06:27) Eligibility Issues and Their Impact(11:56) Team Rankings Methodology(17:34) Top Preseason Players(28:12) Teams 1-3(36:13) Teams 4-7(41:59) Teams 8-12(48:09) Teams 13-18(56:33) Rest of Top 30(01:02:21) Best Mid-Majors(01:10:04) OutroConnect with the show:Visit EvanMiya.comFollow on Twitter/XSubscribe on YouTubeFollow on InstagramFull Show ArchivesMerch

In this episode, Evan Miyakawa is joined by ESPN's Jeff Borzello for a transfer portal-focused offseason episode, the final installment before preseason content begins. The two open by surveying the 2026 portal cycle — roughly 2,500 Division I transfers, with elite talent slightly thinner at the top than last year — and assess the three biggest names still weighing the NBA draft: Allen Graves (Santa Clara), Tounde Yessoufou (Baylor), and Milan Momcilovic (Iowa State). The centerpiece is a five-player transfer portal draft, with both analysts building teams of who they expect to perform best in 2026-27. Picks include Flory Bidunga (Kansas to Louisville), John Blackwell (Wisconsin to Duke), Acaden Lewis (Villanova to Miami), PJ Haggerty (to Texas A&M), Isaiah Johnson (Colorado to Texas), Massamba Diop (Gonzaga), Stefan Vaaks (Providence to Illinois), Somto Cyril (Miami), Leroy Blyden (Toledo to Kansas), and Mustafa Thiam (Michigan). They also discuss underrated fits and standout team-level portal classes, with Borzello highlighting Missouri and Evan making the case for Xavier. In the second segment, Evan unpacks his updated roster retention study from his blog, breaking down how Michigan won a title with just 34% returning minutes and why Florida, Illinois, Michigan State, and Virginia stand out as high-retention contenders — while Louisville represents the contrasting top-10 roster built almost entirely from new pieces.Chapters(00:00) Jeff Borzello (ESPN) joins the show!(02:24) Analyzing the 2026 portal cycle(05:35) Biggest portal names still available(12:48) Drafting our favorite portal additions(34:11) Other favorite portal fits(38:52) Missouri and Xavier portal classes(41:28) Analytics Corner: Roster retention studyConnect with the show:Visit EvanMiya.comFollow on Twitter/XSubscribe on YouTubeFollow on InstagramFull Show ArchivesMerch

In this episode, Evan Miyakawa breaks down some of his favorite transfer portal additions of the offseason using his proprietary player evaluation model at EvanMiya.com. He walks through how his projections are built—combining box score production, on-court impact, and historical data—and explains why defensive value and overall impact often lead to different conclusions than consensus rankings. Evan highlights a range of notable transfers, including Flory Bidunga to Louisville, Acaden Lewis to Miami, Sananda Fru to Marquette, Isaiah Johnson to Texas, Leroy Blyden Jr. to Kansas, Najai Hines to UConn, Miles Byrd to Providence, and Zoom Diallo to Kentucky, while also discussing broader themes like freshman-to-sophomore leaps, the importance of multi-skill versatility, and how certain player archetypes tend to translate better when moving up levels.Chapters(00:00) Key metrics for evaluating players(05:05) Flory Bidunga to Louisville(08:26) Acaden Lewis to Miami(11:01) Sananda Fru to Marquette(15:22) Isaiah Johnson to Texas(17:08) Leroy Blyden to Kansas(19:23) Najai Hines to UConn(21:15) Miles Byrd to Providence(24:25) Zoom Diallo to Kentucky (28:13) Comparison to Alex WilkinsConnect with the show:Visit EvanMiya.comFollow on Twitter/XSubscribe on YouTubeFollow on InstagramFull Show ArchivesMerch

The transfer portal is exploding—and so are NIL prices. In this episode, Evan Miyakawa breaks down a “Transfer Portal 101” guide to how teams are navigating the modern roster-building landscape, including why the NIL market is up 65% year-over-year and how that’s impacting decisions across college basketball. He dives into the economics of the portal, explaining why centers are being overpaid, why point guards may actually be the best value right now, and how supply and demand is reshaping roster construction. Evan also highlights key player archetypes to target (like sophomore breakout candidates) and ones to be cautious of (like high-volume scorers without well-rounded skill sets). If you want a clear, data-driven understanding of how teams are spending millions to build rosters in today’s game, this episode is for you.Chapters(00:00) Transfer Portal 101(01:56) NIL Market is up 65%(05:25) Front Office Suite tool for teams(11:26) Is the market sustainable?(14:09) Bigs are being overpaid(17:47) Where teams can find value in the portal(21:08) The Vandy and Nebraska model(22:32) Freshman to Sophomore leap(25:25) Teams are overvaluing volume scorersConnect with the show:Visit EvanMiya.comFollow on Twitter/XSubscribe on YouTubeFollow on InstagramFull Show ArchivesMerch

Michigan is your 2026 national champion, and in this season finale of The EvanMiya College Basketball Show, Evan Miyakawa is joined by analyst Eric Fawcett to break down how the Wolverines captured the title and what made their roster construction so dominant. The episode dives into Michigan’s 69–63 championship win over UConn, the tactical battle between Dusty May and Dan Hurley, and the defensive switching scheme that helped shut down UConn’s offense. Evan and Eric also revisit Michigan’s semifinal blowout of Arizona, discuss Terris Reed’s incredible tournament run for UConn, and examine how players like Elliot Cadeau and Yaxel Lendeborg powered Michigan to the title. The show wraps up with a look at the future of roster building in college basketball, including NIL economics, the transfer portal market, and why elite big men are becoming the most valuable commodity in the sport.Chapters(00:00) Eric Fawcett joins the show!(01:34) Michigan wins the national title(10:54) Xs and Os title game battle(17:15) Standouts: Cadeau and Yaxel(25:51) MIchigan dominates Arizona(33:41) UConn beats Illinois in semis(41:21) How rosters will be built this offseason(56:59) Recapping bracket performance(59:15) The Front Office Suite tool at EvanMiya.com(01:02:54) Best moments from Indianapolis(01:07:12) Listener contest winner!Connect with the show:Visit EvanMiya.comFollow on Twitter/XSubscribe on YouTubeFollow on InstagramFull Show ArchivesMerch