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Post by Bevo on Mar 8, 2019 14:17:13 GMT
Try as I might, I'm having a VERY hard time this year being interested in College Basketball...
I mean, I watch UK play... maybe, that's my problem. They're difficult to watch. A lot of talent, but... also a lot of bonehead playing. I still think they're good enough to make it to the Final 4, or at least to 8. But, the handwriting is on the wall. The way to beat Kentucky is: Get PJ Washington in foul trouble, early... Sadly, that doesn't seem to be all that hard to do.
Maybe, it's the scandals that are hanging over the sport? LSU is dominating the SEC this year with a phenom frosh that, allegedly, his coach has been recorded during discussions about the "terms of their bid" for him? The game is completely crooked. Totally absolutely morally bankrupt, and everyone knows it. The FBI knows it, supposedly has PROOF... and yet, nothing seems to be happening? Maybe that's it?
Or, maybe... it's just because, NOTHING THAT HAPPENS RIGHT NOW MATTERS?? Everyone knows NCAA men's BB is all just one big tourney, that hasn't started yet. And, even in the tourney... nothing that happens can really be taken as 'real'... It's likely that the NCAA will VOID all the results on 4-10 years.
I'm not sure... but, I do know: Seldom have I ever cared less. I don't even know if I'm going to watch UK vs Florida this weekend? I think I'm going to paint my grand-daughters new bedroom instead.
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Post by doc on Mar 8, 2019 14:32:46 GMT
I feel pretty similar, basically because I know the teams I root for - Ohio State and Xavier - need to win their conference tournaments to make the tournament and the chances of that happening are none and none.
I also am just sick of hearing about Duke and Zion Williamson; it's not the kids fault but all the sports outlets have fixated on him so much that you actually know when he goes to take a dump. Coach K sold out to compete with UK and I root against him every opportunity I have. I'm no fan of UNC either - what they did with that academic scandal was an embarrassment - but I'll be cheering for them tomorrow night when they play Duke.
They need to let the kids like Zion go directly to the NBA, playing a year and biding their time in college is such a fraud. I know the NBA is trending in that direction but it may take a couple years to get it in place. Make it happen now. The players who are getting paid should be allowed to go straight to the NBA and then maybe there would be no need for the FBI to clean up this crooked sport.
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Post by Bevo on Mar 8, 2019 17:02:17 GMT
I have always HATED the "one and done" rule.... I Think it's about to go away, maybe even before next year. But, I don't see anything getting better for college basketball. Players will still all be evaluating whether to jump to the NBA at the end of every year. The only difference will be, we won't even get the ONE year from the best players.
I wish, there was a way to have players decide, right out of HS... but, if they commit to a college, be required to stay AT LEAST 2 years. 3 years would be even better, but.... I could live with 2. There is just NO continuity with the 1 and done. The players aren't here long enough for me to even learn their names.
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Post by doc on Mar 8, 2019 18:44:43 GMT
I wish, there was a way to have players decide, right out of HS... but, if they commit to a college, be required to stay AT LEAST 2 years. 3 years would be even better, but.... I could live with 2. There is just NO continuity with the 1 and done. The players aren't here long enough for me to even learn their names. I don't know why they can't. Baseball and football do it that way, although allowing a HS football player to go directly to the NFL would be a disaster.
It is interesting that with a couple exceptions, the teams that wind up winning the NCAA tournament are teams that have upperclassmen who have learned to play together and accept their roles on the teams. Xavier had a heavily weighted senior team last year and nabbed a #1 seed. Tennessee this year is similar.
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Post by Bevo on Mar 8, 2019 21:13:09 GMT
I wish, there was a way to have players decide, right out of HS... but, if they commit to a college, be required to stay AT LEAST 2 years. 3 years would be even better, but.... I could live with 2. There is just NO continuity with the 1 and done. The players aren't here long enough for me to even learn their names. I don't know why they can't. Baseball and football do it that way, although allowing a HS football player to go directly to the NFL would be a disaster.
It is interesting that with a couple exceptions, the teams that wind up winning the NCAA tournament are teams that have upperclassmen who have learned to play together and accept their roles on the teams. Xavier had a heavily weighted senior team last year and nabbed a #1 seed. Tennessee this year is similar.
After watching the UK experiment for a few years, I think it's clear... It's REALLY hard to win the NCAA Tournament with just a bunch of freshmen. Damned near impossible. Calipari has been able to recruit fantastically good players, year after year, only to have them move along to the NBA. Good for them. Not so great for UK. Can be entertaining, I guess... But, there is simply too much difference, physically, between 18-19 year olds and 22-23 year olds. And, you just cannot teach "teamwork" and "playing within a system" in a couple of months... especially not to a bunch of kids who are primarily focused on not getting hurt.
Frankly, it's making it hard for me to be a fan. I just can't get any kind of 'fan connection' with a player who's only around for 4-5 months.
Calipari came right out and said, he's "more concerned about the players and their development" than he is about Kentucky's BB program. Admirable, but.... He's getting PAID by the University. I would like to think he owes them something too.
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