The NCAA has achieved what everyone predicted, a tournament where any mid-major presence is only early window dressing but eliminated by the time the competition reached the serious level of the sweet sixteen and the greater income or national exposure that entails.
"For the first time in NCAA tournament history, the Sweet 16 will be comprised of only four conferences, the fewest ever, and it is the four biggest leagues: ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, and SEC. Some incredible matchups await, but we are lacking mid-major/Cinderella flavor, which is a bummer." —Matt Norlander, CBS Sports
"NIL is the death of mid-major Cinderella runs...." —Jay Williams, ESPN
"If this continues, it will be the death of college basketball." —Stephen A. Smith on no Cinderella teams in this year's Sweet 16
Roger went all in on trying to do what he could to keep his stars even without NIL Money. Minutes upon Minutes, Scholarship for a brother, letting certain people shoot through dry spots or bad spells and it got him not just them still leaving but also: The brother also leaving, less development time for his players on the bench, and less time or opportunities for others to work through their own slumps. I'm not saying that's why everyone is leaving but it does make me wonder. Now, you have to play the people most likely to get you wins so it feels like a damned if you do , damned if you don't situation either way. Maybe money fixes some of this. But I really don't know how you get basketball out of this death spiral other than waiting on and hoping the bubble pops sooner rather than later. Only 1 seed lower than a 6 in this year's sweet sixteen and it's power conference dominated...
It's all about the Benjamins. That is a fact regardless of what a particular individual who is leaving might say. This is not going to change anytime soon or in the future. It's here to stay.
I really don't know how you get basketball out of this death spiral other than waiting on and hoping the bubble pops sooner rather than later. Only 1 seed lower than a 6 in this year's sweet sixteen and it's power conference dominated...
Yes, another signal that the new transfer portal and NIL have had a negative influence. The NCAA has achieved what everyone predicted, a tournament where any mid-major presence is only early window dressing but eliminated by the time the competition reached the serious level of the sweet sixteen and the greater income or national exposure that entails. Even John Calipari, who has benefited maybe the most among coaches, said yesterday he was beginning to regret the current state of college basketball when he was reminded of the ridiculous situation that the transfer portal begins today, while all these teams are still playing.
The immutable law of unintended consequences.
I really don't know how you get basketball out of this death spiral other than waiting on and hoping the bubble pops sooner rather than later. Only 1 seed lower than a 6 in this year's sweet sixteen and it's power conference dominated...
Yes, another signal that the new transfer portal and NIL have had a negative influence. The NCAA has achieved what everyone predicted, a tournament where any mid-major presence is only early window dressing but eliminated by the time the competition reached the serious level of the sweet sixteen and the greater income or national exposure that entails. Even John Calipari, who has benefited maybe the most among coaches, said yesterday he was beginning to regret the current state of college basketball when he was reminded of the ridiculous situation that the transfer portal begins today, while all these teams are still playing.
The immutable law of unintended consequences.
Some would argue the consequences weren't very unintended.
