Give a hoot

The Final Four games don't start for another two days, but The Field of 68 is already in Houston, hanging out, talking hoops. If you're here for the games or to enjoy the Final Four atmosphere, stop by any of our live shows this week. (All times local)

• Thursday: Noon-2 pm at Little Woodrow's Eado, 8-10 pm at Bayou Music Center

• Friday: Noon-2 pm at Little Woodrow's Eado, 8-10 pm at Bayou Music Center

• Sunday: Noon-2 pm and 6-8 pm at McIntyre's

Let's get to Wednesday's news.

1. How can FAU make the title game?

Florida Atlantic has 35 wins this season, more than any other D-I team. Yet, the perception is that the Owls are a plucky underdog playing over its head.

That's not the case.

They have already defeated one defensive juggernaut in Tennessee, which ranked first in defensive efficiency all season but struggled to score. San Diego State is similar — a tough, defensive-minded team with a massive disparity in offensive efficiency (74th) and defensive efficiency (fourth.) The Aztecs held their first four tournament opponents to 64 or fewer points, including two dynamic offenses in Alabama and Creighton. How will FAU adjust this time around?

FAU stars Johnell Davis (17.3 ppg during NCAAT) and Alijah Martin (12.5 ppg during NCAAT) always show up. But how will the other guards fare? Bryan Greenlee, Nick Boyd and Michael Forrest are integral parts of the Owls' dynamic guard attack, but their defense will be even more important.

The Owls' backcourt depth is the key. It eventually overwhelmed Alabama and Creighton and will have to do the same with San Diego State. Even if the Aztecs slow down the game and force FAU to take shots from beyond the arc, that's playing into FAU's strengths. On the season, 44 percent of its scoring comes from deep, and they hit 3s at a 36.5 percent clip.

No team has shot better than 23 percent against SDSU during the Big Dance, though. This could be the first.

Let's also have the DTF crew weigh in.

2. The sport's newest villain?

If you think that college basketball is better when larger-than-life personalities and easily recognizable people are the faces of the sport, well, then you probably think the sport needs a foil. A heel. A villain.

Could that be UConn coach Dan Hurley?

It's certainly not Hurley right now, not when he's in his first Final Four, as his story arc — from struggles as a college player to years as a head coach culminating in a rebuild of UConn — is an admirable and inspiring tale.

But Hurley's sideline antics (yelling at officials and berating them), paired with his bravado, make him a candidate for fans' ire. Rob Dauster, Greg Waddell and one-time college hoops "villain" Tyler Hansbrough explain.

My take? Hurley is a villain to opposing Big East fans. They probably already don’t like UConn, and when his program is more energetic and in tune with the game than anyone else in the gym, that ramps up their hatred.

I don’t think college hoops will have another villain like Coach K or Jim Boeheim for a LONG time. Those two went at the media, they went at fans, they went at anybody who voiced an opinion counter to their own.

Hurley is different — unless you’re wearing black and white checkered uniforms.

3. The coaching carousel turns

Mike Rhoades officially departed VCU for Penn State on Wednesday, creating an opening in one of the better coaching spots in college sports. I mean, look at this run of coaches since 2002:

Who's next in line?

That would be Ryan Odom. After two seasons with Utah State, where he went 44-26 with an NIT and an NCAA Tournament berth, Odom is headed back to the East Coast — where has already established himself as a winner.

He was 97-60 at UMBC — and gave the world the first 16-1 NCAA Tournament upset over Virginia. His style will be different than Rhoades, who prioritized pressure defense and grinding out wins if needed. Odom's Aggie teams were among the nation's most efficient offenses and usually had shooters all over the floor.

The best coaches can adjust their style according to who's on the roster, so it's an interesting change of pace for Odom to have a team of limited shooters and a bevy of defensive-first players.

Other coaching news:

• Amir Abdur-Rahim parlayed a successful rebuilding job at Kennesaw State into a job at South Florida. "AAR" won one game in his first season at Kennesaw State. Three seasons later, he increased that total by 25 and took the Owls to the NCAA Tournament, nearly beating 3-seed Xavier in the round of 64. The South Florida job is in a great area with resources, and Abdur-Rahim has the coaching prowess to turn the Bulls into a consistent winner.

• After Utah Valley's NIT run ended, Cal made it official with coach Mark Madsen. He was 70-51 in four years at Utah Valley and was the WAC coach of the year this season

• Temple's coaching search finally concluded: The Owls hired Penn State assistant Adam Fisher after several other coaches were part of the search. "I am truly honored and humbled by the amazing opportunity to become a part of the Temple family," Fisher said.

• Army hired Butler assistant Kevin Kuwik.

• Texas A&M-Corpus Christi will promote interim coach Jim Shaw to head coach.

• Lafayette did the same with Mike McGarvey.

• Cal State Northridge fired Trent Johnson after two rough seasons.

• George Mason is reportedly focused on former Patriots player and current Maryland assistant Tony Skinn.

4. No slowing in the transfer portal

There are nearly 1,200 players in the transfer portal, and Wednesday featured some notable names who could be impact players at new locations.

Indiana has to figure out life without Trayce Jackson-Davis, so it unsurprisingly made a frontcourt portal move by bringing in All-MAC selection Payton Sparks. Sparks averaged 13.3 points and 8.7 rebounds while leading Ball State to a 20-12 record. He's not huge but does boast a chiseled 6-9, 240-pound frame.

Is he the passer Trayce Jackson-Davis is? No. Is he the rim protector TJD is? No. Is he TJD? No. But can Sparks be a serviceable player at the Big Ten level? Absolutely. He'll likely split time at center with Malik Reneau. But expect the Hoosiers to grab a few more players before the portal closes.

In other portal news:

• Ismael Massoud, a 6-9 forward who shot 41 percent from deep, will transfer from Kansas State.

• Marcus Domask, a super senior stretch four, will leave from Southern Illinois. He averaged 16 points, six boards and three assists and made the All-MVC first team.

• Stetson added Treyton Thompson from Minnesota. The 7-footer is a former top-175 recruit who can play a massive role for the Hatters.

• The Pitino mass exodus continues, as starting guards Posh Alexander (10 ppg, 3 rpg, 4 apg) and Dylan Addae-Wusu (9 ppg, 4 rpg, 2 apg) will enter the portal with two years of eligibility remaining.

• Stat-stuffing point guard Ta'lon Cooper (9 ppg, 4 rpg, 6 apg) will transfer to South Carolina, while Pepperdine transfer Mike Mitchell Jr (11 ppg, 4 rpg, 5 apg, 44 percent from three) will replace him as the Gophers' starting point guard.

• Clemson brings in Air Force transfer Jake Heidbreder, one of the best shooters in the portal. He averaged 14 points on 39 percent shooting from deep this season.

• Former top-100 recruit, Dom Harris, is out at Gonzaga after playing sparingly.

• Portland's second-leading scorer Moses Wood entered the portal. The 6-8 forward shot over 40 percent from deep this season.

• Tulane's leading scorer Jalen Cook, who averaged 19.9 points and 4.9 dimes, will transfer and test the NBA Draft waters. He'll likely end up in college for the 2023-24 season.

5. The biggest final four X-factor?

We discussed how Florida Atlantic could win, but let's look at the final headline more broadly.

Matt Bradley is San Diego State’s only player averaging double-figure points, but he’s struggled in the past three games, shooting just 6-for-27 from the field, 0-for-6 from 3, and he finished the game against Creighton on the bench.

That's atypical. Bradley is the Aztecs' best pure scorer. His mix of strength and shot creation made him their top bucket-getter for the past two years. And now, he's in the Final Four in his final college season. It's safe to assume he'll be doing everything he can to get SDSU the win.

Consider this: San Diego State beat Creighton when Bradley contributed just two points. How do you beat the Aztecs if Bradley figures out the scoring?

Bradley has scored 20-plus points in 15 games at San Diego State; the Aztecs are 12-3 in those games. He’s the difference-maker in this Final Four because he turns a mediocre offense dangerous.

Just saying ... don't crown UConn yet.

A C-USA showdown for the NIT title

Vegas will see contrasting styles tonight.

It's the fast-paced UAB Blazers (29-9) vs. the slow tempo of North Texas (30-7).

Offensive-minded Jelly Walker against the ball control of Tylor Perry.

It'll also be the fourth time these teams have met this season; North Texas holds a 2-1 edge. For some added intrigue, it will reportedly be the final game for Grant McCasland at North Texas. He's expected to be the next coach at Texas Tech. And in case you hadn't heard, Conference USA is 17-1 in postseason tournaments this season. Charlotte already won the CBI. Another crown comes tonight. What's next? (9:40 pm ET on ESPN2)

Closing window

Forget the naysayers. Gonzaga's ridiculous run over the last seven years — 223-24 overall, two Final Four appearances, never fewer than two NCAA tourney wins — is incredible for any program. But given the talent it has had in Spokane, did the Zags miss an opportunity to win a title? The AFTER DARK crew discusses.

Subscribe to The Field of 68 on YouTube here and subscribe here to AFTER DARK.

Links as you begrudgingly watch Opening Day.

• A rundown of the NIL Congressional hearings from Thursday.

• If college athletes become employees, the Patriot League might end up ditching sports.

• There was pushback on that though: One leader says the NCAA doesn't need Congress to solve this issue.

• NBA Draft entrants: TCU's Mike Miles | Tosan Evbuomwan | Dariq Whitehead | LJ Cryer

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