**NCAA Basketball Thread**

[SmoothD41]

I still love college basketball. I will say I am watching less (besides IU) this year than I have in a while, but I think it's just because of other obligations than anything else. I do think that replay/heading to the monitor absolutely kills momentum and the whole block/charge thing is still really messy. B1G refs seem particularly awful this year.

[SmoothD41]

Originally Posted by mthawk07

Increased turnover because of the one and done rule. Before that rule, you had teams full of juniors and seniors who had played together their entire careers. Now we have a bunch of freshmen wunderkinds trying to learn on the fly and a sloppy product being the result. Tournament is still hot fire regardless.

This, too. I freaking hate Purdue, but they are an absolute joy to watch this year if you get a chance. A bunch of juniors and seniors that you can tell have played well over 100 games together. And they play harder than any team I've seen in quite some time.

[seekupig]

Originally Posted by thebridge15

the virginia vs duke battle for the acc should be interesting

as should the Kansas vs Big XII battle.

[mthawk07]

Originally Posted by SmoothD41

This, too. I freaking hate Purdue, but they are an absolute joy to watch this year if you get a chance. A bunch of juniors and seniors that you can tell have played well over 100 games together. And they play harder than any team I've seen in quite some time.

Teams like that are lethal in March.

[SmoothG]

The pac12 is really bad. Maybe 1-2 bids. Lol asu.

[YouNeverKnow25]

so now everybody thinks williamson is going to clemson. interesting. better there than duke.

[BruceW]

Originally Posted by YouNeverKnow25

so now everybody thinks williamson is going to clemson. interesting. better there than duke.

I think that’s been the consensus for a little while. I have a buddy from the area and he knows Zion (a little bit) and people around him and he has thought it’d be Clemson. Allows him to use that one year to stay close to home and to be the man without having to play with other one and dones etc.

[kydmb99]

If Williamson goes to Clemson, it will pretty much confirm that Cal has lost something when it comes to recruiting. He's definitely not recruiting at the level he was, albeit still very good.

[YouNeverKnow25]

I knew the SC local theme was there but for as long as I followed it, that was leading him to scar.

[thebridge15]

I had heard from scar and clemson people around here for a bit now that he's almost 100% going to clemson

obviously anecdotal, but it's recruiting, so what isn't

[BruceW]

Originally Posted by kydmb99

If Williamson goes to Clemson, it will pretty much confirm that Cal has lost something when it comes to recruiting. He's definitely not recruiting at the level he was, albeit still very good.

I disagree. I think it just shows that other coaches have adapted, and some kids don’t want to share the limelight. Also, some kids don’t want anything to be difficult either. Playing at a UK or Duke for Cal or K isn’t easy and some kids don’t want to go through the tough parts.

[kydmb99]

Originally Posted by BruceW

I disagree. I think it just shows that other coaches have adapted, and some kids don’t want to share the limelight. Also, some kids don’t want anything to be difficult either. Playing at a UK or Duke for Cal or K isn’t easy and some kids don’t want to go through the tough parts.

Well okay but it doesn't seem to be affect Coach K's recruiting. Kentucky doesn't have an elite NBA prospect on it's roster this year and probably won't next year. Honestly, I'm okay with it if it means we have some more talented veterans but Calipari has absolutely lost something in recruiting... I do think the "You don't need to go to Kentucky to get to the NBA" is one of the main reasons.

[BruceW]

Originally Posted by kydmb99

Well okay but it doesn't seem to be affect Coach K's recruiting. Kentucky doesn't have an elite NBA prospect on it's roster this year and probably won't next year. Honestly, I'm okay with it if it means we have some more talented veterans but Calipari has absolutely lost something in recruiting... I do think the "You don't need to go to Kentucky to get to the NBA" is one of the main reasons.

Yea, your last point is probably the best one. I don’t want to sound too homer-ish, but it’s a possibility that when Cal and K make similar pitches of how they will prepare the kid to be a one and done, that the kids just prefer K and Duke over Cal and UK. I mean, Cal is great and so is UK, but maybe those guys are more drawn to K and Duke?

Anyways, its tough to even know for sure bc UK had 3 really good ones last year in Monk, Fox, and Bam. I think Knox will get there he’s just not quite there yet. I look at him and see him being similar to a Jayson Tatum, but not quite mature and rounded enough in his game. I think he needs one more year in school, even though he wont do it. But it’s not like we are seeing a 3-4 year trend of this for them.

[YouNeverKnow25]

kentucky loses to carolina in the elite eight and has one year that's just good and not great, and all of a sudden cal can't recruit anymore and actually nobody really cares about college basketball at all

[Balor3012]

heard Zion is actually going to Siena from some of my sources there

[kydmb99]

Originally Posted by BruceW

Yea, your last point is probably the best one. I don’t want to sound too homer-ish, but it’s a possibility that when Cal and K make similar pitches of how they will prepare the kid to be a one and done, that the kids just prefer K and Duke over Cal and UK. I mean, Cal is great and so is UK, but maybe those guys are more drawn to K and Duke?

Anyways, its tough to even know for sure bc UK had 3 really good ones last year in Monk, Fox, and Bam. I think Knox will get there he’s just not quite there yet. I look at him and see him being similar to a Jayson Tatum, but not quite mature and rounded enough in his game. I think he needs one more year in school, even though he wont do it. But it’s not like we are seeing a 3-4 year trend of this for them.

I don't know. Clearly that didn't used to be the case as I think for Cal's first 6-7 years he was outrecruiting Coach K pretty consistently. That's changed.

Knox has talent but he's not a very good basketball player. Some team will take him in the first round but I could easily see him being like James Young and flaming out in a few years.

I'm not saying Cal isn't still recruiting at a very high level but he's also swinging and missing on elite recruita pretty consistently now. Just not totally sure what's changed... but we're seeing the results on the floor this year.

[kydmb99]

Originally Posted by YouNeverKnow25

kentucky loses to carolina in the elite eight and has one year that's just good and not great, and all of a sudden cal can't recruit anymore and actually nobody really cares about college basketball at all

I don't know why you keep droning on about this besides the fact that you always have to make some attempt at being witty. I've literally never said Cal can't recruit anymore, it has nothing to do with North Carolina, and I've noticed the regular season being completely irrelevant for several years, even when UK was elite. I'm very sorry I brought it up.

Also, I follow UK recruiting very closely. Cal has missed on a lot of recruits lately. Just think it's interesting and I don't know, maybe worthy of a discussion in a thread dedicated to college basketball. Will run it by you first next time.

[Rodey]

I think Zion goes to Duke.

[BruceW]

Originally Posted by kydmb99

I don't know. Clearly that didn't used to be the case as I think for Cal's first 6-7 years he was outrecruiting Coach K pretty consistently. That's changed.



Knox has talent but he's not a very good basketball player. Some team will take him in the first round but I could easily see him being like James Young and flaming out in a few years.



I'm not saying Cal isn't still recruiting at a very high level but he's also swinging and missing on elite recruita pretty consistently now. Just not totally sure what's changed... but we're seeing the results on the floor this year.

Well for most of those years K was not about recruiting one and dones. He would specifically tell kids he did not really want them to only stay for one year. Kyrie was the first time he decided to give it a shot, and then once UK won with Davis etc the landscape truly began to change and he knew he had to accept it.

He still doesn’t fully support one and done and he wants the rule changed, but he knows that it’s to their advantage to get those kids.

[BruceW]

Originally Posted by luccic12

heard Zion is actually going to Siena from some of my sources there

Damn. That’ll be the team to knock Duke out early next year then.

[YouNeverKnow25]

still keeping it up!

[kydmb99]

Popularity of college basketball and discussions about recruiting are off limits in the college basketball thread unless you want YNK to burn you with stupid GIFs

[Balor3012]

Vandy has more top 11 recruits locked up for next year than Kentucky. Should fire Cal immediately.

[kydmb99]

Originally Posted by luccic12

Vandy has more top 11 recruits locked up for next year than Kentucky. Should fire Cal immediately.

Doesn't matter. Tyler Herro will be the new non-trippy Grayson Da God

[BruceW]

Originally Posted by kydmb99

Doesn't matter. Tyler Herro will be the new non-trippy Grayson Da God

Grayson Da 16% from 3 last 3 games...

[Balor3012]

UCONN sucks ass

[mthawk07]

Looking like Nova, UVA, and Purdue are separating themselves from the field.

[Balor3012]

I know that Purdue is good but I'm going to convince myself they'll get beat by a 16 seed

[Foreverford05]

Originally Posted by mthawk07

Looking like Nova, UVA, and Purdue are separating themselves from the field.

Oh don't worry, the uva collapse will come. Just give it time.

[Balor3012]

Also seems like WVU will be the only team that can catch Kansas