OT: D1

[IUPbigINDIANS]

High Point certainly proved they belonged — upset one of the better teams in what obviously was a strong Big 10 this season and gave one of the SEC's best, Arkansas, all they could handle. Santa Clara's loss to Kentucky was about as big a fluke as it gets.

If the Big 10 doesn't do well in the Sweet 16, I'll wait for the annual chorus of it's a lousy league because they can't win the championship. Meanwhile if Duke wins the title nobody will say the ACC is a crap league, even though they have one team in the final 16 while the B1G has six.

The one key item the media doesn't talk about is major D1 basketball is awful today compared to even 10 years ago.

Even the best teams are literally rebuilt every off-season. There's no continuity, development, etc.

If the, say, Top 10 teams this year played the Top 10 teams from a decade ago, I think it would be a slaugther.

The quality of major D1 basketball is way, way down.

[WVSU1995]

The two head coaches from the 2017 D2 National Championship game are/did do well in the NCAA Tournament.

Iowa's Ben McCollum has his team ready in Tampa and upset the #1 seed and defending national champion Florida Gators.

Jerrod Calhoun came close to defeating #1 seed Arizona. Calhoun now takes the head coaching position at the University of Cincinnati.

[IUPHawks24]

The one key item the media doesn't talk about is major D1 basketball is awful today compared to even 10 years ago.

Even the best teams are literally rebuilt every off-season. There's no continuity, development, etc.

If the, say, Top 10 teams this year played the Top 10 teams from a decade ago, I think it would be a slaugther.

The quality of major D1 basketball is way, way down.

I would disagree. Players can paid 7 figures to stick around at the top programs. Unless you're a Top 20 pick, you very well can make more money in college (but delay your timeline to get to a second NBA contract).

The transfer rules and $$$ are hollowing out D2/LM/MM programs, but the top of college basketball is as good as it's ever been, from what I'm watching.

[Chuck Norris]

The two head coaches from the 2017 D2 National Championship game are/did do well in the NCAA Tournament.

Iowa's Ben McCollum has his team ready in Tampa and upset the #1 seed and defending national champion Florida Gators.

Jerrod Calhoun came close to defeating #1 seed Arizona. Calhoun now takes the head coaching position at the University of Cincinnati.

Cincinnati is a nice job and the Big 12 is certainly formidable. But I’m a little surprised Calhoun didn’t wait out something a little bigger. Obviously that opportunity will still be there if he continues at his current trajectory for another year or two.

Edit: Cincinnati is his Alma mater even though he spent most of his college days, and all his playing days, at Cleveland State. Makes a little more sense I suppose. And the money is quite good.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

The Pitt basketball saga only gets better.

In a fairly rare move, Capel was apparently forced to fire his younger brother (assistant coach Jason Capel).

Associate head coach Tim O'Toole was also fired.

[Ship69]

The one key item the media doesn't talk about is major D1 basketball is awful today compared to even 10 years ago.

Even the best teams are literally rebuilt every off-season. There's no continuity, development, etc.

If the, say, Top 10 teams this year played the Top 10 teams from a decade ago, I think it would be a slaugther.

The quality of major D1 basketball is way, way down.

Perhaps overall, but the top half-dozen teams this year are pretty strong units. I think they'd be successful in any era. But the teams who can't continually bring in blue-chippers to replace the ones they lose are in big trouble.

[Chuck Norris]

The B1G is having quite a tournament so far. Three teams got through to the Elite 8 and it could be 5 by the end of tonight.

I’m sure Ben McCollum had a ton of D1 job offers before he finally jumped and I was certainly surprised he stayed at Northwest Missouri as long as he did, but he obviously made the right call of when to leave and where to go. He could win a lot at Iowa for a long time, but he could very well be commanding one of the absolute top programs in the country before too long.

[IUP24]

High Point certainly proved they belonged — upset one of the better teams in what obviously was a strong Big 10 this season and gave one of the SEC's best, Arkansas, all they could handle. Santa Clara's loss to Kentucky was about as big a fluke as it gets.

If the Big 10 doesn't do well in the Sweet 16, I'll wait for the annual chorus of it's a lousy league because they can't win the championship. Meanwhile if Duke wins the title nobody will say the ACC is a crap league, even though they have one team in the final 16 while the B1G has six.

I have no idea why anyone even cares enough to get into the pissing match of comparing conferences anymore. It's a stupid debate and discussion. And it means nothing anymore. So the B1G has a bunch of teams in the Sweet 16 and the Elite Eight? They have the most money. They should.

The portal and the NIL component has made this stuff a ridiculous argument. Some B1G program having a big year with a bunch of transfers from the ACC and the Big 12 shouldn't be the qualifier as the conference being elite. These are reconstructed rosters every year from programs who have the money to buy their way to the 2nd weekend and beyond. That's all this is anymore.

[IUP24]

I would disagree. Players can paid 7 figures to stick around at the top programs. Unless you're a Top 20 pick, you very well can make more money in college (but delay your timeline to get to a second NBA contract).

The transfer rules and $$$ are hollowing out D2/LM/MM programs, but the top of college basketball is as good as it's ever been, from what I'm watching.

I think the premise of his comment is that the sum of the parts for the sport is less than it was 10 years ago. I think people genuinely "enjoyed" watching college basketball years ago, but don't anymore (I'm in that camp personally). I think people would turn on South Florida playing Cincinnati on a random Tuesday night and be entertained. I think people would turn on the TV the first couple days in March and see the quarterfinals of the America East conference tournament and stay tuned in. I just don't think people like to consume basketball like that anymore. We can argue about what philosophy is "better," but I think that's where college basketball is at currently.

But like football, there's a lot of media conditioning (because of the money all of these multimedia groups have put towards the major conferences and programs) to help drive this top-heavy era of modern college athletics and force it down people's throats as "better" because its the larger, preferred brands. People are free to watch what they want or consume it all how they choose, it's just not for me or what I preferred.

[Ship69]

I have no idea why anyone even cares enough to get into the pissing match of comparing conferences anymore. It's a stupid debate and discussion. And it means nothing anymore. So the B1G has a bunch of teams in the Sweet 16 and the Elite Eight? They have the most money. They should.

The portal and the NIL component has made this stuff a ridiculous argument. Some B1G program having a big year with a bunch of transfers from the ACC and the Big 12 shouldn't be the qualifier as the conference being elite. These are reconstructed rosters every year from programs who have the money to buy their way to the 2nd weekend and beyond. That's all this is anymore.

All the P4 schools spend quite a bit on basketball. I'm not sure it's a crucial difference that one might be spending $18 million vs. another's $14 million is a crucial difference. Kentucky spent more than any school outside Duke and got pulverized by Iowa State. The standout point guard on the Illinois team was barely recruited by P4 schools. Heads-up recruiting and sound roster development still make a difference.

[Chuck Norris]

I’ve watched the Duke-UConn finish at least a dozen times. Still can’t believe it happened.

[Fightingscot82]

I’ve watched the Duke-UConn finish at least a dozen times. Still can’t believe it happened.

Was running some errands and got in when Duke was up by 13. Kept it on and my son told me that UConn was coming back and within 8. Big deal. Finish up and sit down and its a 3 point game. Unbelievable. My bracket's wrecked now but I'd have this every time.

[bballfan03]

I’ve watched the Duke-UConn finish at least a dozen times. Still can’t believe it happened.

Yeah, UCONN was 3-21 from 3 before Karaban and Mullins hit theirs. Karaban was 0-5 and Mullins was 0-4.

[Chuck Norris]

Was running some errands and got in when Duke was up by 13. Kept it on and my son told me that UConn was coming back and within 8. Big deal. Finish up and sit down and it’s is m a 3 point game. Unbelievable. My bracket's wrecked now but I'd have this every time.

UConn is my champion so I turned the game off in frustration when they fell behind big. Turned it back with about 5 minutes to go. To get that steal AND hit a shot from that distance might be the greatest March Madness finish ever.

And the Duke radio call is priceless. The guy is understandably morose when the shot goes in but starts calling for a technical on UConn because somebody left the bench, as if that call would ever be made in that situation. It was so Duke.

[TheBigCat2192]

St. Bonaventure is reportedly hiring Mike MacDonald away from Daemen. He previously coached D1 for Canisius from 1997-2006.