College Basketball News

[GTNavyNuke]

I respectfully disagree that they left because they don't control the money anymore — they retired because the things that college sports used to be about (getting an education, creating long-term value for yourself, character development) are no longer present. It's just like Saban said after he stepped down; the recruits' mothers don't ask "are you going to care for my son" and "how are you going to help him grow" anymore, they say,"How much are you going to pay him". We would be naive to think that money in college hoops is new (case in point, the suspicious things around Duke and Zion) but it's also true that the sport has done a 180 in the past few years. College basketball is a wildly different sport than it was 15, 10, heck maybe even 5 years ago.

I don't blame those guys for wanting out. After all those years of hard work and winning, now they're relegated to negotiating with a bunch of 18 and 19-year-olds to keep them from entering the portal? Roy and K have earned the right to say no to that.

I went to a William & Mary presentation tonight and the Men's & Women's coaches there addressed this NIL & transfer issue. For W&M, they are selling the degree and have full scholarships. But NIL hasn't gotten there yet, the transfer portal has but not the full on NIL. The players they get are either going to stay or fleet up to Division 1 for the money. Its starting for men and probably later for women. But the key point they made (we've heard it), is that 4 years of W&M sets them up for 40 years of work.

There is still more "purity" at lower levels where it is more student athletes competing rather than mercenaries. But the mercenaries play better and provide more entertainment as well as alumni revenue for the schools.

Those coaches who have ethical problems with NIL could go down a level or two if they are called to coach.

Don't expect that to happen. So I'm tuned in with the @kg01 PoV.

 

[awbuzz]

Bottom line, college sports ain't what they used to be.

 

[kg01]

Bottom line, college sports ain't what they used to be.

They should be club teams with affiliation to the school.

The farce that this was academics needs to end.

 

[CEB]

I respectfully disagree that they left because they don't control the money anymore — they retired because the things that college sports used to be about (getting an education, creating long-term value for yourself, character development) are no longer present. It's just like Saban said after he stepped down; the recruits' mothers don't ask "are you going to care for my son" and "how are you going to help him grow" anymore, they say,"How much are you going to pay him". We would be naive to think that money in college hoops is new (case in point, the suspicious things around Duke and Zion) but it's also true that the sport has done a 180 in the past few years. College basketball is a wildly different sport than it was 15, 10, heck maybe even 5 years ago.

I don't blame those guys for wanting out. After all those years of hard work and winning, now they're relegated to negotiating with a bunch of 18 and 19-year-olds to keep them from entering the portal? Roy and K have earned the right to say no to that.

I respect your position as well. We just disagree on this one.

Those guys, Saban included, gamed the system for decades. To cry about the sport losing integrity or however they frame it, is disingenuous at best IMHO.

Roy, K, name anyone else. All dirty as the day is long for literal decades. It's amazing how many people bought their choir boy act. And, as I said, now that they don't control the money it's a problem for them.

On Bennett, I feel sorry for him. He seemed to be one of the good ones.

I’m gonna split the baby a bit…
@bucknellbison31 I think the noble goals of college athletics that you mention have been going (if not gone) for a long time. Big programs aren’t nearly as interested in those ideals as they would like you to believe. The rules imposed on transfers and amateur status allowed a lot of people to pay lip service to “education” of athletes… not sure that was really the case for most of them.

@kg01 I’ll stop short of accusing Saban or Bennett or any of them of actively skirting / exploiting the old rules (and subsequently taking their ball and going home with the rules changing). BUT I wholeheartedly feel that the old rules allowed them to turn a blind eye to the infrastructure that was in place to skirt and exploit the system. Now that it has landed squarely in the middle of their job description, that’s the type of “dirty work” they don’t want to do. In other words, it was ok when someone else was responsible for it.

 

[slugboy]

I’m gonna split the baby a bit…
@bucknellbison31 I think the noble goals of college athletics that you mention have been going (if not gone) for a long time. Big programs aren’t nearly as interested in those ideals as they would like you to believe. The rules imposed on transfers and amateur status allowed a lot of people to pay lip service to “education” of athletes… not sure that was really the case for most of them.

@kg01 I’ll stop short of accusing Saban or Bennett or any of them of actively skirting / exploiting the old rules (and subsequently taking their ball and going home with the rules changing). BUT I wholeheartedly feel that the old rules allowed them to turn a blind eye to the infrastructure that was in place to skirt and exploit the system. Now that it has landed squarely in the middle of their job description, that’s the type of “dirty work” they don’t want to do. In other words, it was ok when someone else was responsible for it.

With coaches like Saban, I would guess the transfer portal is a bigger deal than NIL. I think that if coach K could have someone in the AA or a collective line up funding for a player, and that player would stay until they got drafted and grind like they're told, he might still be coaching. Having to keep recruiting your own players is a lot of extra work.

 

[Root4GT]

I’m gonna split the baby a bit…
@bucknellbison31 I think the noble goals of college athletics that you mention have been going (if not gone) for a long time. Big programs aren’t nearly as interested in those ideals as they would like you to believe. The rules imposed on transfers and amateur status allowed a lot of people to pay lip service to “education” of athletes… not sure that was really the case for most of them.

@kg01 I’ll stop short of accusing Saban or Bennett or any of them of actively skirting / exploiting the old rules (and subsequently taking their ball and going home with the rules changing). BUT I wholeheartedly feel that the old rules allowed them to turn a blind eye to the infrastructure that was in place to skirt and exploit the system. Now that it has landed squarely in the middle of their job description, that’s the type of “dirty work” they don’t want to do. In other words, it was ok when someone else was responsible for it.

Bennett generally did not recruit the type of player that would have generated huge NIL money to come to UVA. His program was base on good players developing over time and learn to play his defense.

 

[cpf2001]

Funny about constantly recruiting your own players - it’s new for college sports but it’s mostly reality for “real world” jobs. Just not many of us who think we can get paid way more overnight elsewhere. I think as time goes by and people get more of a feel for who can get paid what where it will calm down some, lots of crazy expectations right now.

Collective bargaining and multi year contracts would help restore a lot of sanity, though.

 

[MtnWasp]

Nothing is what it used to be. The older I get the more sensitive are my perceptions of how things change over time.

Some look at all change as corruption, others see it as an opportunity. Some were better adapted for the way things were, some find themselves blossom under the new conditions.

In the face of change that we can't control we are all left with a choice: to move with the cheese or fall out. Bennett chose to fall out.

Bennett made a LOT of money as an ACC coach. I don't think he retired because he felt bad about all the money he made. I don't know if he is a martyr for the values of a bygone era or just a hypocrite. I just think he burnt out early.

We are in a time of upheaval but it is all part of the process of establishing a new economic structure. A system that is less chaotic is going to happen, it is just going to take some time.

 

[g0lftime]

Bennett generally did not recruit the type of player that would have generated huge NIL money to come to UVA. His program was base on good players developing over time and learn to play his defense.

He wanted kids to come and graduate. These days you develop a kid into a good ACC player and another team uses NIL to get them. He also had some remarks about agents. Some good and some not so good. No longer between the coach, player and family. Now agents are involved.

 

[1979jacket]

I respectfully disagree that they left because they don't control the money anymore — they retired because the things that college sports used to be about (getting an education, creating long-term value for yourself, character development) are no longer present. It's just like Saban said after he stepped down; the recruits' mothers don't ask "are you going to care for my son" and "how are you going to help him grow" anymore, they say,"How much are you going to pay him". We would be naive to think that money in college hoops is new (case in point, the suspicious things around Duke and Zion) but it's also true that the sport has done a 180 in the past few years. College basketball is a wildly different sport than it was 15, 10, heck maybe even 5 years ago.3 years aGO

I don't blame those guys for wanting out. After all those years of hard work and winning, now they're relegated to negotiating with a bunch of 18 and 19-year-olds to keep them from entering the portal? Roy and K have earned the right to say no to that.

TRY 3 YEARS AGO

 

[UgaBlows]

Maybe we can finally beat Uva with him gone, i respected him as a coach but hated playing his teams and watching them play other teams

 

[slugboy]

Bennett was one of the coaches that would recruit talented players he liked that fit his system and focus on developing them over time.

The game feels more like the Lakers and free agency now.

 

[kg01]

Totally unrelated note on Armando Bacot.

I know we all knew Bacot wasn't ever considered a top NBA prospect but I figured he'd be able to hang around on a roster.

Dude just got cut by MEM. Didn't even keep him around as a big body off the bench. Guy couldn't stick at all? Sheesh.

 

[g0lftime]

Totally unrelated note on Armando Bacot.

I know we all knew Bacot wasn't ever considered a top NBA prospect but I figured he'd be able to hang around on a roster.

Dude just got cut by MEM. Didn't even keep him around as a big body off the bench. Guy couldn't stick at all? Sheesh.

He made more with NIL money and that's why he stayed another year. A little surprised he isn't a bench player but he didn't have much of an outside shot. Somebody might pick him up for that purpose or ends up in Europe or China.

 

[AUFC]

Bacot is just a ****tier version of Zach Edey who the Grizzlies spent a Top 10 pick on. I almost wonder if they brought him in for workouts/preseason just so Edey wouldn't get complacent.

Dude honestly looked pretty checked out at UNC once the NIL checks started hitting. Losing Brady Manek probably hurt a bit too.

 

[kg01]

He made more with NIL money and that's why he stayed another year. A little surprised he isn't a bench player but he didn't have much of an outside shot. Somebody might pick him up for that purpose or ends up in Europe or China.

But a guy like Andre Drummond still has a role just as a big body. Not every big has to be an outside threat.

Bacot seems to have sold himself short by getting satiated by NIL money.

 

[TampaBuzz]

But a guy like Andre Drummond still has a role just as a big body. Not every big has to be an outside threat.

Bacot seems to have sold himself short by getting satiated by NIL money.

For his sake, I hope Bacot has some very good, and honest, financial advisors!

 

[ESPNjacket]

 

[jbix80]

Man, that’s really sad.

 

[tbglover]

R.I.P. What I have seen has said that it was complications during surgery. And he's leaving behind his wife and their 3 children. It's sad to hear for someone relatively young who was also looking like a rising star in his profession.