Coach K on Future of NCAA Basketball

[Clonefan32]

https://sports.yahoo.com/coach-k-on-college-hoops-i-wish-the-whole-thing-would-change-084051665.html

I normally think Coach K is a bit of a blow-hard, but I thought his views on the future of college basketball are spot on. I also think this discussion is interesting in light of Coach Prohm's struggles. Situations like Wigginton, Lard and, to a lesser extent, THT or Haliburton, have really reduced the amount of high quality basketball players in the NCAA. Kids that would have stuck around 3-4 years and become stars in the past are now declaring with no real guarantee of NBA money.

As kids continue to find creative ways to skip college, and with the likelihood of the 1 year requirement being eliminated, it's going to be interesting to see what kind of quality the NCAA can keep up. I'm afraid the medoicore basketball we've seen this year might be the new norm.

 

[Cyclonepride]

I wouldn't call it mediocre overall just because the top teams aren't as good due to turnover. Sure, there are less dominant teams, and more upsets, but I don't see that as a bad thing.

 

[mb7299]

that was an interesting take by coach K, it definitely doesnt help that this year was a really bad freshman class as well. The selling of likeness should help in the future good on states pushing the issue because if they didnt the ncaa was going to drag their feet for a super long time.

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

Just my personal observation here but kids in general are less coach-able than say 20 years ago. I've coached a lot of youth sports and it is really frustrating how little kids want to work to get better. It just sucks because you can see the potential but the attitudes are just awful and it starts at a really young age.

 

[Sigmapolis]

Just my personal observation here but kids in general are less coach-able than say 20 years ago. I've coached a lot of youth sports and it is really frustrating how little kids want to work to get better. It just sucks because you can see the potential but the attitudes just are just awful and it starts at a really young age.

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

I stand by my statement.

 

[CyCrazy]

Just my personal observation here but kids in general are less coach-able than say 20 years ago. I've coached a lot of youth sports and it is really frustrating how little kids want to work to get better. It just sucks because you can see the potential but the attitudes are just awful and it starts at a really young age.

Say's every Boomer ever.

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

Say's every Boomer ever.

LOL I'm not a boomer...

 

[MeowingCows]

Want kids to stay, have to force them to. Gotta get the NBA to allow HS kids straight up, then also set that college kids have to stay 3 years like the NFL does.

 

[Sigmapolis]

Back in my day we only had 151 Pokémon.

 

[RonBurgundy]

Hard for me to take any whining by Coach K seriously as he gets Zion Williamson and other McD AA gift wrapped to his doorstep by Nike.

 

[awd4cy]

Combination of more kids leaving for the g-league and fewer kids going out for basketball at the youth level nationwide over the years. It’s finally all hitting the sport hard and no it’s not a good thing. I bet college basketball viewership has hit a low this year.

 

[Clonefan32]

I wouldn't call it mediocre overall just because the top teams aren't as good due to turnover. Sure, there are less dominant teams, and more upsets, but I don't see that as a bad thing.

I do think there's a big problem with the overall product. There just aren't many "stars" anymore. So many of these kids if they even have marginal success are willing to give it a go in the G-League.

I was in the car the other day and stumbled on the radio broadcast for the Wolves. I heard the names Trevon Duval, Ivan Raab, Wigginton and Tyus Battle. All dudes that could still be playing NCAA basketball but they left early.

 

[1UNI2ISU]

The baseball rule (right out of HS or you have to stay 3 years) makes so much sense but we know how the NCAA operates with logic.

Also doesn't help that after the lottery the NBA is purely a speculation and potential draft rather than production and skill.

 

[awd4cy]

I wouldn't call it mediocre overall just because the top teams aren't as good due to turnover. Sure, there are less dominant teams, and more upsets, but I don't see that as a bad thing.

Except it’s not just the top teams. It’s the middle tier teams too. Honestly, how many upsets have you seen this year in our own conference? I can only think of 1 really surprising one and that’s KSU beating WVU. Big 12 or college basketball in general just haven’t been appointment TV at all this year.

 

[Clonefan32]

https://sports.yahoo.com/coach-k-on-college-hoops-i-wish-the-whole-thing-would-change-084051665.html

I normally think Coach K is a bit of a blow-hard, but I thought his views on the future of college basketball are spot on. I also think this discussion is interesting in light of Coach Prohm's struggles. Situations like Wigginton, Lard and, to a lesser extent, THT or Haliburton, have really reduced the amount of high quality basketball players in the NCAA. Kids that would have stuck around 3-4 years and become stars in the past are now declaring with no real guarantee of NBA money.

As kids continue to find creative ways to skip college, and with the likelihood of the 1 year requirement being eliminated, it's going to be interesting to see what kind of quality the NCAA can keep up. I'm afraid the medoicore basketball we've seen this year might be the new norm.

It's far from just the top teams. 86 guys left early last year:

https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2019/06/official-early-entrants-list-for-2019-nba-draft.html

If you look it's far from isolated to the top tier teams. I would venture to say something like 80% of those guys aren't on an NBA roster and likely never will be.

 

[jbindm]

I'm not seeing his point about college football. The only difference I'm aware of is that the football programs get a minimum three years out of their stars before the NFL will allow them to enter the draft. That's not foresight; that's just the good luck of having the backing of a billion dollar enterprise.

 

[Mr Janny]

College basketball is a dinosaur in so many ways. People who argue in favor of the current amateur model tend to use the "if you don't like the NCAA rules, don't go to college" line, but the fact is, if enough players follow that advice, the NCAA shoots itself in the foot.

Playing college basketball doesn't add as much value to a player as it used to, and everyone knows it. And if the NCAA doesn't evolve, they're going to find themselves more and more irrelevant. That's why you see things like loosening restrictions on name and likeness deals. They have to sweeten the deal, or they'll be increasingly dealt out.

Additionally, I have a hard time believing that the NBA, which is clearly moving to allowing players to come right out of high school, is going to agree to a rule saying that if you go to college, you have to stay for 2-3 years. What's in it for them? Why would that be in their interest at all?

 

[Cyclonepride]

I do think there's a big problem with the overall product. There just aren't many "stars" anymore. So many of these kids if they even have marginal success are willing to give it a go in the G-League.

I was in the car the other day and stumbled on the radio broadcast for the Wolves. I heard the names Trevon Duval, Ivan Raab, Wigginton and Tyus Battle. All dudes that could still be playing NCAA basketball but they left early.

I think it will take a certain amount of time for the data from that recent trend to play out, and I think kids, and those giving advice to those kids, will start to see that the ability to jet for a lower level of pro basketball doesn't pan out all that well for the most part.

 

[coolerifyoudid]

In addition to the lack of star power, I feel like college basketball is just better when there are bigger names at the top. I love parity, but there is something to be said about having a quality product at the top with a good chunk of others in the mix.

I'll add my observation:

AAU seems to favor athleticism versus shooting prowess. I glanced over the top 20 teams in FG% over the last 20 years. In the early 2000s, you would see teams like Kansas, Duke, Ohio State, Oregon, Maryland, Uconn in the top 20. There was a higher percentage of "bigger name" teams represented. As I moved forward, the drop-off was noticeable. If you look at the current standings, the only 3 big name teams in the top 30 in FG% are Kansas, Duke and Gonzaga. The rest are all smaller conference teams.

I acknowledge that defenses are more stout in the larger conferences, and that attributes to a lot of that. However, with the way the game is evolving into a more "drive the lane or shoot a three" type of offense, I think the % of pure shooters is getting dangerously low. I've seen a decent number of ugly basketball games where shots are simply not going in for either team. It really makes it hard to watch.