MBBALL Follow the Money

[citygriz]

Noticeable to me is that two powerhouse basketball conferences--the ACC and the Big East--put a grand total of one team into the Sweet Sixteen. The other fifteen teams? From three conferences: The SEC, the Big 12 and the Big Ten.

And why is that? Because thanks to football, that's where the money is. And in the era of NIL, money rules everything.

My Tarheel bud is dismayed that North Carolina spent so much money on Bill Belichick, fearing that would cut into the money for the basketball program. But for the visionaries among the athletic directors, the writing is on the wall, in dollar signs. And those dollars signs translate into football. Except for the Big Dance, there's just not the money in college basketball that there is in college football, especially now that the big schools have expanded their playoff schedules.

Most noticeable to me among the mid-major teams that made the tournament: The lack of good big men. Sawyer is a terrific player for his size but now against Wisconsin you're up against two seven footers, of a caliber you have not seen in your own conference. Drake is a wonderful basketball team but couldn't handle a big of the caliber of JT Toppin, a likely first round draft choice.

So be it for mid-majors at the Big Dance. We just need a donor of the caliber of Phil Knight. Then we'd have the big men of our choice.

 

[Griz til I die]

While what you said is true, I do think this years tournament is an anomaly. CSU was a buzzer beater away from making it, New Mexico pushed Michigan State hard, Gonzaga nearly came back, St. John's was close, etc. I think it's unlikely the SEC ever gets 14 teams in the tourney again, in large part because I do think the ACC will be improved next year. Hell it'd be hard for them to be any worse than they were this year. Plus I wasn't a huge fan of some of the matchups that the mid majors got this year. While we are seeing those with the most NIL rise to the top, I also think this was just an odd year in College Basketball. I predict things will balance out next year.

 

[citygriz]

While what you said is true, I do think this years tournament is an anomaly. CSU was a buzzer beater away from making it, New Mexico pushed Michigan State hard, Gonzaga nearly came back, St. John's was close, etc. I think it's unlikely the SEC ever gets 14 teams in the tourney again, in large part because I do think the ACC will be improved next year. Hell it'd be hard for them to be any worse than they were this year. Plus I wasn't a huge fan of some of the matchups that the mid majors got this year. While we are seeing those with the most NIL rise to the top, I also think this was just an odd year in College Basketball. I predict things will balance out next year.

Good points. Hope you're right.

 

[HelenaHandBasket]

Hate to say it, but I think this season will be more the norm and there will be fewer upsets by big number seeds moving forward. Any good mid-major will get picked clean every year deleting the strength that allowed these schools to have success.

 

[Griz til I die]

Hate to say it, but I think this season will be more the norm and there will be fewer upsets by big number seeds moving forward. Any good mid-major will get picked clean every year deleting the strength that allowed these schools to have success.

While that is true, there's always kids that are gonna come down as well. There's obviously some reason why a kid was good enough to get recruited by a P5. Not all of them will make it in the end and will just wanna play. The portals a 2 way street. We'll see how things go in the future.

 

[rocklobster]

I'm personally not going to go all cynical and think that mid majors are dead. I will say, however, that because of NIL, players no longer have a need to be one and done. It changes everything. That's the negative. The positive is that because players are sticking around, than maybe the player movement may not be as much. Players will go after the money, but maybe the money won't be there because the money I won't be there. The bottom line is, most of the NIL money will go to football. Some players will get more NIL money than others, and some will get more than others; and most won't get any at all. Really. The bottom line will end up being that these players want to play. It's a terrible new system, but it's the way it is. The Griz will keep getting players and have to rebuild, but with great coaching and recruiting, they'll make the tournament. There will be another Gonzaga and Butler and Saint Mary's, but it just didn't happen this year.

 

[UncleRico]

Hate to say it, but I think this season will be more the norm and there will be fewer upsets by big number seeds moving forward. Any good mid-major will get picked clean every year deleting the strength that allowed these schools to have success.

I don’t want you to be right. But you probably are. But also younger high level players might consider a place like UM for first couple of years. Then add high level veteran D2 players and maybe smart good players that didn't get into rotation at bigger schools and you have possibilities. Look at Kai for Griz and Cook for EWU this year. It will be more of a challenge for sure. But if we keep guys like Travis and Cobb UM will get players.