OT: D1

[IUPbigINDIANS]

John Calapari to the Sweet 16 (while he's whipping off Lexington)

[Chuck Norris]

Next year I’m picking straight chalk until at least the Elite 8. Only possible exceptions are teams not in the SEC, B1G, or Big 12 that get top 3 seeds.

It’s not easy to make this tournament boring, but they really gave it a good shot this year.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Next year I’m picking straight chalk until at least the Elite 8. Only possible exceptions are teams not in the SEC, B1G, or Big 12 that get top 3 seeds.

It’s not easy to make this tournament boring, but they really gave it a good shot this year.

I was listening to a similar take on the radio this morning ... saying this was the most boring first weekend in decades.

The theory is the mega programs now get everybody. The mid-majors lack (sleeper) stars today. Those guys just get poached. They compared it to gym class in the 80s ... putting the 9 best kids in the class on one team and the other 9 on the other team.

Well, regardless, it should get a little more entertaining from this point on.

[Fightingscot82]

John Calapari to the Sweet 16 (while he's whipping off Lexington)

Most impressive is that this is a team that went 8-10 in the SEC. Unfortunately that also fuels the idea that the #3 team from the SEC deserves to be in over the #1 team from the Horizon.

[Fightingscot82]

I was listening to a similar take on the radio this morning ... saying this was the most boring first weekend in decades.

The theory is the mega programs now get everybody. The mid-majors lack (sleeper) stars today. Those guys just get poached. They compared it to gym class in the 80s ... putting the 9 best kids in the class on one team and the other 9 on the other team.

Well, regardless, it should get a little more entertaining from this point on.

There is no way for the mid-majors to build a program. Gonzaga would never exist in the current environment.

[IUP24]

I was listening to a similar take on the radio this morning ... saying this was the most boring first weekend in decades.

The theory is the mega programs now get everybody. The mid-majors lack (sleeper) stars today. Those guys just get poached. They compared it to gym class in the 80s ... putting the 9 best kids in the class on one team and the other 9 on the other team.

Well, regardless, it should get a little more entertaining from this point on.

The changes with the immediate eligibility through the usage of the portal, liberal application of hardship waivers and granting extra years of eligibility, and the multiple year window of players having an extra year of eligibility, it kept guys in the sport a lot longer. Players didn't age out, get asked to move on by coaches, or just hang them up like we used to see.

There was a window of 2 years where it seemed like balance had really started to creep into college basketball because some mid-majors (and mid-majors you would classify as being on the lower end of D1) created rosters filled with players who were old and had played a ton of games. It worked well in March against blueblood programs who had more talent, but were way younger.

Problem now is that those guys are no longer toiling around the dreg leagues of D1. They are climbing a ladder through 2-4 schools over a college career (like it or not) and are all eventually ending up in the P4 conferences. What we saw in say 2021-2023 has completely evolved to what we just saw this past weekend.

[Chuck Norris]

I was listening to a similar take on the radio this morning ... saying this was the most boring first weekend in decades.

The theory is the mega programs now get everybody. The mid-majors lack (sleeper) stars today. Those guys just get poached. They compared it to gym class in the 80s ... putting the 9 best kids in the class on one team and the other 9 on the other team.

Well, regardless, it should get a little more entertaining from this point on.

Yes, the hopeful silver lining is good games this weekend. Even worse than the lack of Cinderella this weekend was the lack of good games. We got a few yesterday, including the buzzer beater by Maryland that really ticked me off. Colorado State to the Sweet 16 was the only pick that could’ve helped me gain ground that looked like it was going to pan out.

[IUP24]

There is no way for the mid-majors to build a program. Gonzaga would never exist in the current environment.

Accurate. See the post I just added into this thread.

I kind of get a kick out of people who are dragging the ACC about how they have kind of fallen off the last 3-5 years in basketball. Follow the money. The SEC used to be a laughingstock in basketball but is now clearly the best conference. The B1G used to be good, but not as good at the top half as it is now. A bunch high-end guys playing in either of those two leagues transferred from ACC schools. Comparatively speaking, Pitt's roster is filled with mid-major transfers.

The SEC and B1G are filled with massive universities, with massive sized fan bases, and massive alumni networks. The footprint and profile of most schools in the ACC is smaller engineering and medical schools in metropolitan areas. Duke is a blueblood program, but it's a small university. Clemson is a very, very large university with a lot of money in the NIL coffers. Their basketball program used to stink, but they are arguably a Top-3 ACC program now that they can pay players. None of this stuff is a coincidence. And until this can get better managed (hopefully) through codifying the House settlement (hopefully in April), it'll continue to be what it is.

[IUP24]

Most impressive is that this is a team that went 8-10 in the SEC. Unfortunately that also fuels the idea that the #3 team from the SEC deserves to be in over the #1 team from the Horizon.

The general theme of complaining about the first two rounds basically proves everything I argued about on the football side for months regarding the expansion of the CFP. People had no interest in seeing a fair and equitable playoff football field (wanted only programs who they wanted to see and considered a "brand"), and now a few months later people are upset that the tournament they enjoyed for their entire life has been ruined because the other item they advocated for (players getting a cut of the pie) has ruined the chance of the little guy having a shot.

I get it's not an apples to apples conversation. There are variables and some nuances. But the larger point is people always root for the little guy in basketball in March, but they wanted to do everything within their power to shout from the mountain top as to why the little guy should not be allowed to participate in football. We're upset that Akron didn't beat Arizona on Friday and make a run, but we were willing to do everything to spread messaging that SMU had no business in the CFP over another team who also would have lost, like South Carolina or Ole Miss. You don't get to have it both ways.

This isn't directed at anyone. I'm speaking in generalities about the larger point. Because what I'm reading here about no low seeds or mid-majors advancing seems to be a common item that people are upset about in the annals of social media and beyond.

[Chuck Norris]

Ben McCollum headed to Iowa and his star player Bennett Stiritz is coming with him.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

The HC at Washburn (plays Nova SE next) is getting a lot of buzz for several jobs.

The Drake opening is enticing. McCollum was there
briefly and quickly springboarded to the ($$$) BIG (Iowa).

The big jobs get all the attention but it's the aftershocks I find most interesting. It trickles the whole way down.

I'm still shocked nobody has come calling for Ben Howlett. He's the perfect age. His resume is elite.

I'd certainly put him right with Calhoun.

[Chuck Norris]

The HC at Washburn (plays Nova SE next) is getting a lot of buzz for several jobs.

The Drake opening is enticing. McCollum was there
briefly and quickly springboarded to the ($$$) BIG (Iowa).

The big jobs get all the attention but it's the aftershocks I find most interesting. It trickles the whole way down.

I'm still shocked nobody has come calling for Ben Howlett. He's the perfect age. His resume is elite.

I'd certainly put him right with Calhoun.

I came across a very interesting and in depth article about Jim Crutchfield that was written a few months ago. Apparently he was a finalist for a not very good D1 job about 12 years ago and the dealbreaker was that the school wanted him to hire three assistants and he only wanted to hire two for the price of the three. He was told he doesn’t understand the landscape of D1 college basketball. By his own admission, he is a very unorthodox basketball coach. He has no interest in networking and watches almost no basketball on his own time. Obviously his protégés are their own people and I’m not sure how closely they follow his lead outside of running his system, but there might be somewhat of a stigma among D1 decision makers about going with a Crutchfield guy because they don’t do things the way most of the people in suits think they should be done.

Of course, Howlett might have no interest in moving up, I don’t know. Jordan Fee obviously moved on from Gannon to be a D1 assistant so it would seem he has aspirations at that level. It’’ll be interesting to see who gives him his shot.

For all the back and forth we have with the WL crowd and the eye rolling we sometimes do about their allegiance to “the system”, Crutchfield is a really interesting guy. And it’s really admirable how he just does his thing and doesn’t particularly care what anybody thinks about it.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Some say the WVU job taking so long (8 days is a long time for those jobs) may be related to Nova Southeastern still playing.

That would be something.

Don't totally rule it out. It's getting buzz in the Twitter world and from some media.

[Chuck Norris]

Some say the WVU job taking so long (8 days is a long time for those jobs) may be related to Nova Southeastern still playing.

That would be something.

Don't totally rule it out. It's getting buzz in the Twitter world and from some media.

Everything I’m seeing is leaning toward Ross Hodge of North Texas getting the job. He has a relationship with the AD. North Texas is still alive in the NIT.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Everything I’m seeing is leaning toward Ross Hodge of North Texas getting the job. He has a relationship with the AD. North Texas is still alive in the NIT.

That couldn't be any more boring of a hire.

The WVU boards aren't real thrilled with old Ross.