Coach K on the state of 2020 college basketball

[Alsacs]

Coach K on lack of vision in college hoops: ‘I wish the whole thing would change’

The state of the union for college basketball is simple – the scope of problems is much greater right now than the shine of the stars. Duke's Mike Krzyzewski sees that as clearly as anybody.

sports.yahoo.com

College hoops used to be more relevant.
Sadly the sport has become a 1 month a year sport nationally.
The NCAA Doesn’t care to improve its sport.

 

[Cusefan0307]

He has been part of the problem IMO.

 

[Eric15]

I'm not sure if its more a result of me just being older and busier with kids, or if its more because of the sport becoming inherently less interesting, but I just have no familiarity with college basketball players outside of SU anymore.

Like looking at the Wooden Award Finalists: Obi Toppin, Daniel Oturu, Filip Petrusev, etc. If you told me they were NHL defensemen I wouldn't know the difference.

 

[joct]

I'm not sure if its more a result of me just being older and busier with kids, or if its more because of the sport becoming inherently less interesting, but I just have no familiarity with college basketball players outside of SU anymore.

Like looking at the Wooden Award Finalists: Obi Toppin, Daniel Oturu, Filip Petrusev, etc. If you told me they were NHL defensemen I wouldn't know the difference.

Same here (and being older with kids) I can probably name 3 starters from each Big East team from 85-95, but can't name 5 current guys outside of SU. Not even that long ago only 1st rounders went early, now good but not great players are content to leave early and roll the dice with the D-league and such, talent is way down. 75 underclassmen in the last 2 years left early and went undrafted. Good for them I guess, if it is working out for them, and it is for some. But CBB talent is way down.

 

[OburgOrange]

He has been part of the problem IMO.

Amazing...Amazing. God bless America

 

[creatorsgam]

Wasn’t that long ago when local pundits here around the Triangle were declaring Duke and K’s recruiting dead.

Then he rose from the ashes and started grabbing top-10 recruits on the reg.

Wonder how that happened?

Those same pundits, on the low, question it from time to time... even today.

They know. We all know.

K is a fraud.

His boosters know the angles.

And that’s that.

 

[SU2NASA]

At one point, I believe, the B1G had a 37-5 home record in conference play. Good teams play bad teams, bad teams play good teams. That this isn’t near .500 is every sign of games being decided by officials.

It’s not that there’s necessarily more mediocrity, it’s that officials are deciding game outcomes. That’s how you get no ‘dominant’ major conference teams.

 

[Eric15]

At one point, I believe, the B1G had a 37-5 home record in conference play. Good teams play bad teams, bad teams play good teams. That this isn’t near .500 is every sign of games being decided by officials.

It’s not that there’s necessarily more mediocrity, it’s that officials are deciding game outcomes. That’s how you get no ‘dominant’ major conference teams.

This seems far fetched to me. I mean there were seasons when, for example, the Big East was insanely good getting like 10-11 teams in the tourney and the Pac-12 was a borderline one-bid league. Sometimes P5 conferences are awesome and sometimes they’re awful. This just happens to be a great year for the Big Ten.

 

[Newhouser]

Wasn’t that long ago when local pundits here around the Triangle were declaring Duke and K’s recruiting dead.

Then he rose from the ashes and started grabbing top-10 recruits on the reg.

Wonder how that happened?

Those same pundits, on the low, question it from time to time... even today.

They know. We all know.

K is a fraud.

His boosters know the angles.

And that’s that.

He is a fraud and I am not a fan but his comments here - inspired by trying to deflect attention or not - are true. College hoops has a watered down product, with a dwindling talent base and impacts society once a month. I think he is right about the NCAA and schools being stagnant as the NBA stays nimble. I also think his high school commentary is right. The sport is at a crossroads and the only ones who don't seem to notice are the ones who control it.

 

[cuseguy]

He is a fraud and I am not a fan but his comments here - inspired by trying to deflect attention or not - are true. College hoops has a watered down product, with a dwindling talent base and impacts society once a month. I think he is right about the NCAA and schools being stagnant as the NBA stays nimble. I also think his high school commentary is right. The sport is at a crossroads and the only ones who don't seem to notice are the ones who control it.

The problem is the NBA is also a total bore. I haven’t watched it in years. I apologize to all those who still watch it.

 

[Horn88]

I think he's right about all of it. There's an old saying "when you take things for granted, what you're granted gets taken". NCAA got lazy and greedy because they thought the players had 0 leverage and got caught sleeping when players adjusted.

I just have to laugh thinking about how many people you see on here or social media that don't want players to be paid and thought they had the trump card with "Nobody's making them play in college. If they don't like it go somewhere else." Well, they're going somewhere else now so be careful what you wish for.

 

[Bayside44]

The problem is the NBA is also a total bore. I haven’t watched it in years. I apologize to all those who still watch it.

No defense and 7 game series basically pre-determine everything. Plus the bad contracts, etc etc etc...and Jim Dolan.

 

[OrangeDW]

The problem is the NBA is also a total bore. I haven’t watched it in years. I apologize to all those who still watch it.

So how do you know it’s a to...nevermind.

 

[cuseguy]

So how do you know it’s a to...nevermind.

Oh, I have an answer. I determined it was unwatchable years ago when I tried to watch it and was...unwatchable. Now, when I attempt to give it anothrer try, it’s still unwatchable.

And, honestly, SU and college hoops is enough to quench my thirst for basketball.

 

[shantydaze]

From the article: Combined over the last two years, at least 85 college underclassmen went undrafted by the NBA.

I would be interested to know why this is. Bad advice? The player understanding he will not play in the NBA, but wants to make money overseas? The player being pushed out because coach needs the scholarship?

Players that are good and potentially could develop into great are leaving. This is hurting the game more than the OADs.

The other part that is hurting the game, at least for me, is the scandal. Outside of my alma maters, I could not care less about college basketball. While I know it has always been dirty, at least it was hidden better. Then, when the ugly underbelly of the sport is partially exposed by an FBI investigation, there has only been one legitimate casualty - Pitino. Why put effort and energy into a rigged game?

 

[UpstateSM]

College basketball is fine, we do this every year. It will never surpass the NBA and people will always start paying attention when March Madness rolls around. As long as people have alma maters that they care about they will watch the sport to some extent.

Asking Coach K about the state of college basketball in general is stupid. He has no idea what the state of the sport as a whole is because he sits on a golden throne surrounded by 5 star one and dones. He's also senile so his opinion is useless to me.

With increasing salaries, continuously improving facilities for even the mid-major schools, growing TV revenue, and ease of recruiting with improved technology and means of networking I would think most coaches are content with where the sport currently is even if they won't say so because they have some sort of agenda to push.

If the recruiting scandals are enough to turn you off from the sport for some sort of "purity" reason then you probably should stop watching sports in general because, wait for it, people cheat on every level and more frequently than most people would guess. College basketball is just fine and will continue to be.

 

[reedny]

The "problem" this article sensationalizes is actually a solution, with only a modest sacrifice - the loss of a tiny fraction of talented kids who want to play for pay. We should send them off with a pat on the back, instead of imposing more restrictions or whining about a 'talent drain'. They have the right to explore expanding opportunities in the G-League and the NBA and yes, get paid. With any luck, in the next few years the players association might allow drafting out of HS again. All of that is a good thing, since most pro prospects have little interest in classes. Pretending they're college students has been a charade, made even more unsavory (and illegal) by the infusion of booster money. College hoops will survive (and be better off) without semi-pro pass-throughs.

Will there be a talent hit? Sure. The top factories won't have as many monster players. Boo Hoo. Not only will the vast majority of NCAA schools not be affected, I'd rather watch real student athletes competing (and going to class) than posers using college as an NBA audition. Let K and his ilk bemoan the failing Kentucky/Duke model. As a college hoops fan I'm not shedding any tears.

 

[DilemaCuse]

I think he's right about all of it. There's an old saying "when you take things for granted, what you're granted gets taken". NCAA got lazy and greedy because they thought the players had 0 leverage and got caught sleeping when players adjusted.

I just have to laugh thinking about how many people you see on here or social media that don't want players to be paid and thought they had the trump card with "Nobody's making them play in college. If they don't like it go somewhere else." Well, they're going somewhere else now so be careful what you wish for.

Bingo

25 years ago there was no G-League, players never thought of skipping college seasons for foreign pro leagues

The old CBA league wasn't desirable either

 

[Newhouser]

I think he's right about all of it. There's an old saying "when you take things for granted, what you're granted gets taken". NCAA got lazy and greedy because they thought the players had 0 leverage and got caught sleeping when players adjusted.

I just have to laugh thinking about how many people you see on here or social media that don't want players to be paid and thought they had the trump card with "Nobody's making them play in college. If they don't like it go somewhere else." Well, they're going somewhere else now so be careful what you wish for.

But you can't get better if you don't go to college...

 

[Eric15]

Oh, I have an answer. I determined it was unwatchable years ago when I tried to watch it and was...unwatchable. Now, when I attempt to give it anothrer try, it’s still unwatchable.

And, honestly, SU and college hoops is enough to quench my thirst for basketball.

I agree that the regular season can be a little arduous with how long it is, but the playoffs are going to be amazing this year. It's so wide open.

 

[Cusefan0307]

I wish the NBA went back to the style of play that existed from the mid 90's to mid 2000's when ISO ball ruled and the Knicks, Pistons, and Spurs would win 50 plus games a year with Derek Harper, Bruce Bowen, and Chauncey mugging people on the perimeter while averaging 91 points a game. Was SOOOOO exciting.

 

[Eric15]

I wish the NBA went back to the style of play that existed from the mid 90's to mid 2000's when ISO ball ruled and the Knicks, Pistons, and Spurs would win 50 plus games a year with Derek Harper, Bruce Bowen, and Chauncey mugging people on the perimeter while averaging 91 points a game. Was SOOOOO exciting.

Steph Curry would only average like 4 points per game if he had to play in the Golden Age 90s.

 

[OrangeDW]

Steph Curry would only average like 4 points per game if he had to play in the Golden Age 90s.

lol.

Probably like 20-22 ppg max though, because he’d have to dump the ball into Erick Dampier 20 times per game.

 

[bballbeadle]

College basketball is fine, we do this every year. It will never surpass the NBA and people will always start paying attention when March Madness rolls around. As long as people have alma maters that they care about they will watch the sport to some extent.

Asking Coach K about the state of college basketball in general is stupid. He has no idea what the state of the sport as a whole is because he sits on a golden throne surrounded by 5 star one and dones. He's also senile so his opinion is useless to me.

With increasing salaries, continuously improving facilities for even the mid-major schools, growing TV revenue, and ease of recruiting with improved technology and means of networking I would think most coaches are content with where the sport currently is even if they won't say so because they have some sort of agenda to push.

If the recruiting scandals are enough to turn you off from the sport for some sort of "purity" reason then you probably should stop watching sports in general because, wait for it, people cheat on every level and more frequently than most people would guess. College basketball is just fine and will continue to be.

What makes you say Coach K is senile? Just curious.

 

[OburgOrange]

The problem is the NBA is also a total bore. I haven’t watched it in years. I apologize to all those who still watch it.

You’re not wrong