John Fanta's here to talk college hoops, and thanks to him, we were introduced to a "Fan That Barks" guy. But have you ever met a "Three-Point Stance at the Bar" guy? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Chapter 1: What unique sponsorships are featured in the episode?
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This is the Dan Levitar Show with the Stugatz Podcast.
This episode of the Dan Levitard Show with Stu Gatz is presented by DraftKings. DraftKings, the crown is yours. All right, time for some tourney talk.
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Chapter 2: Who is John Fanta and what is his perspective on college basketball?
We're bringing in college football expert John.
College football?
Or excuse me, college. Get your mind off the gridiron. My bad, it's hard. Well, I mean. Hardwood. John Fanta. is also a football enthusiast, but we have him here to talk about basketball. He might be interesting to talk to about the proposal that I just made to David Sampson because, John, welcome to the show. You're a Browns fan, right, sir?
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh. Come on now. We're the Cleveland Browns fan guy. Come on now. I'm waiting on my next quarterback here. I got the number two pick in the draft. Now, I don't know what we're going to do. I don't think Cam Ward's not going to be on the table for me, but hope springs eternal.
Do you want, are you one who wants Shador or would you rather go ahead and get Abdul Carter or I guess, or Travis Hunter is a possibility there also.
So you know what, guys? My belief system is always this. If you don't have it right at QB1, what does it really matter? But by the same token, at the number two pick, to me, Abdul Carter is such an overwhelmingly talented player that it's hard for me to pass him by. When at number two... There are real questions then about the value of Shador in that slot in the draft.
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Chapter 3: What are the major storylines in the current college basketball tournament?
If they go and get him, I'm good with it, guys, because I got to get that position right. And let's face it, I'm not saying that he is this, but a year ago we didn't have Jaden Daniels doing what he's doing. Yeah. And you can go right down the line of other cases in the National Football League. So I'm good with either route.
I really am. All right. Speaking of overwhelmingly talented, right now we got all one seeds, all chalk in the final four. And it's like, it's not just that they're one seeds. I think they're Four of the best, excuse me, four of the top ten Ken Palm teams ever in these Final Fours. Like, how excited are we? Are you one of these guys who wishes we had one Cinderella in here?
Or are you super excited about the overwhelming amount of talent and great coaching that we have in this year's tournament?
You know what, Dominic? My thing is, when I look at this lineup of teams, this is historic because the last time that we had it happen was 2008. And that's the only other time it's occurred. That being Memphis, Carolina, UCLA, and Kansas. Think about this. These four teams have a higher efficiency rating than 21 of the last 22 national champions. So I want to see the Clash of the Titans.
I want to see the best teams play each other. And it's going to be fascinating to see this weekend in San Antonio where you have Duke, the most efficient offensive team in the country, against Houston, the best defensive team in the country. Where you have Auburn in Florida, and for the better part of the year, Auburn was the number one team in the country.
They've been the number one the most weeks. But they lost the last time they met Florida, the only time they've met Florida this year. And it came at home inside Neville Arena. So there's a bunch of storylines. I truly believe this. We had it so good in the Cinderella Con the last couple of years. And while college sports is nuts and college basketball is wild, it's basketball, guys.
This is not like football in the trenches where the comparable to a Cinderella meets the heavyweight and gets blasted at the line of scrimmage, and it's not a game. I think that Cinderella's carriage has stopped at the BP or the Shell. They're getting the gas tank up. And in 2026, we're going to see that carriage run right back through. I do believe that. But let's not –
Deny that sometimes when Cinderella has made it this deep in the dance, at some point, they even turn back into a pumpkin in the tournament. These four teams make for quite the weekend in San Ant.
This Toasted Bracket update is sponsored by Jimmy John's. They're finally here and they're hot. Try the new Toasted Sandwiches at Jimmy John's. Order one today.
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Chapter 4: How do different coaching styles impact college basketball success?
We just kicked it off. They call it San Ant right now. Do you do a bracket? Do I do a bracket? What kind of question is that?
What do you mean? I didn't know if he did one. Does Maury read paternity test results? Oh, you're speaking my language. I love Maury. Do cows get milked? I mean, come on now.
How did you do this year? I guess that's more a better question. How did your bracket turn out this year?
Well, I had three of the final four. I wasn't going to go chalk, chalk, chalk, chalk. You know, I thought I did think it was funny that the people who did and everybody ripped them on. Look, you can't just go all chalk. But I did think the top of the country was overwhelmingly good. I thought Michigan State could end up making the magic happen and Izzo in his 30th year could get there.
I did okay. I thought UC San Diego was going to make a run in this tournament. You know, I talked with Dusty May about this. He's the head coach of Michigan. And he's like, when people say that the Cinderella thing is dead, he's like, UC San Diego was a possession away from beating us. Right. He's like, it's basketball, man.
Like, wait, I've been on the other side of that at Florida Atlantic when we made the improbable run. You just simply never know what can happen in this thing. And that's why, like, think about this, fellas. Shouldn't Texas Tech be in the Final Four? They were up by nine with 251 to go in the game. Up by nine with 251. You wonder how the hell they lose that. Yeah.
The four teams that are here, and I alluded to the coaches earlier, two of them are 65 or over. Then the other two are 40 and under. With the changing dynamics in college sports, I think if you would have asked me, I would have said, you know what? Only young coaches.
From here on out, because of how this has all changed, what am I to make of the idea that Pearl and Sampson are in here with Golden and Shire?
A couple of guys who are willing to adapt and accept the fact that their team's on the clock from 2 to 5 every day and the other 21 hours of the day they're not because that's our world now. It just is. It's different. Different time, different place. And I think for a guy like Bruce Pearl, he figured out, you know what? My football program's one of the best things I got going.
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Chapter 5: What is the new tournament 'The Crown' and its significance?
John, that's really fascinating because, as you mentioned toward the end of your answer there, most older generation guys say, I can't coach them. I can't talk to these kids. I mean, I've talked to coaches and even NBA veteran players and say, man, I mean, if you talk to them the way you used to talk to us, like – You lose the kid forever.
So what is it about Kelvin Sampson, about Coach Izzo, about Coach Pearl, that they're still able to keep that old school style about them?
They recruit the families. They recruit the families. They tell the parents, here's what you're in for.
I know you got a hard out, so lightning round coming up real quick, okay? You ready? Great question, though.
It's a great question. Yeah, and I can give you an extra. I'll add an extra minute because you two have been fantastic. Oh, yeah.
you
It's Calvin Sampson because he's never won a national championship. I think when you haven't won a title, we're in this world, we're like, you have to back up your success with a ring. And it's like, well, it's six one-game tournaments, not one six-game. You've got to win six games in a row. He's preached his culture of toughness. People have given him flack at times for being limited offensively.
It'd be an amazing story. I think it's his best chance to get that elusive title.
What am I to make of this new tournament, the Crown? There's a whole other basketball tournament. The Crown is yours? Is that something that college basketball appreciates and respects already?
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Chapter 6: How is the NIL affecting college basketball dynamics?
I think it's going to have staying power, and it's in Vegas.
Broader than the tournament, we know about the NIL and the – The revenue sharing plan coming forward. The most recent articles that I've read suggest that the Big East is going to become a basketball power because of the disproportionate amount of money that they'll be able to spend on their basketball programs because they don't have to support football programs.
Is that something we should expect? So should next year's Final Four and the Final Four after that be all Big East teams or is there something else coming down the pike?
Yeah, that's crazy. That's crazy talking to me. It's SEC, ACC, and Big Ten coaches expressing and Big 12 coaches expressing this heavy concern because Big East programs are going to be able to dedicate more money from rev sharing. Okay, I'm sorry. SEC coaches have never made under-the-table deals. Yeah. Never pay cash? Come on now.
Let's get under the table.
The Big East is set for success. The Big East has always had a spot on the table. But whether they have, come on, three, four final, that's not going to happen to that degree. The conference is in a good place because it values basketball. And in college basketball, it's going to continue. They've got big personalities, big-time coaches with Patino, with Hurley, and so on.
That's what keeps the league going on top of its prioritizing of hoops. The SEC, the Big Ten, these other leagues, the concept, the idea, the thing put in the press that they're not going to have dollars, get the hell out of here. Let's go.
Way to go, John Fanta. Awesome appearance. Thank you so much, man. John Fanta did it. He's the man. Our first successful interview thanks to a great John Fanta.
enemy thank you guys thanks for not rejecting me started with a bark ended with a bar that's a great man he should have been here hawk should have been here why oh this is a brown scene oh yeah yeah absolutely um i want to commend you all no one referenced soda in that entire interview thank you so much good job guys
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Chapter 7: What humorous anecdotes and discussions occur in this episode?
Do you want to do Dan impressions of how he would have asked that question? Charlie?
Charlie's like, I can't do it on command. What? No, I, Dan, new respect for Dan. We all love and appreciate Dan. We are here. Trent Williams. There we go. Billy, we got an update on the search for Jason Mason.
Yeah, Jason Mason has been contacted. Ooh.
Hold on. Hold on. Time out. Jason Mason. You guys looked at a picture of Taylor that's like five or six years old. Saw someone in the background and said, get me. Is that how you're not even going to focus? His whole face is in the picture. How do you guys know who he is?
No, well, we were making fun. Dominique was making fun of. I was not making fun of Jason Mason. I was making fun of Taylor.
I mean, he used Jason Mason as a means to make fun of Taylor.
I mean, I was a little confused why he needed to have glasses on while he was running. That's a good point, man. Just like, I would assume that you want to drop all the weight that you can.
And like, I know that maybe you can't read small things, but you can see. You know why? Because he's not a nerd like y'all. He's looking in the stands like, okay, that one over there. All right, okay. Second row, I see you over here. Go ahead, buddy. Jason Mason. Why does he have his first name on it? Is it? I appear courtesy of myself, Jason. You're doing all the jokes we did yesterday.
It's good humor.
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