481 replies to this topic

[BSLZacKrull]

Recently started making my Top 25 for College Basketball for next season, and after it's looking likely that Jaylin Williams will not be returning to Arkansas, I'm very curious where they should slot for next season. Muss' is still doing his best bringing in a boatload of talent to this roster including the best Freshman class in the country. With that being said, Arkansas has had their fair share of struggles, especially to start the season which should be expected this season, with so many new pieces.  

[BSLZacKrull]

BSL: One Under the Radar Offseason Winner from Each P6 Conference

[BSLChrisStoner]

CBS Sports: College basketball rankings: Jaylin Williams stays in NBA Draft, Arkansas slips in preseason Top 25 And 1

https://www.cbssport...n-top-25-and-1/

[BSLZacKrull]

With Drew Timme back in the fold, there is a legitimate argument to be made that Gonzaga should enter the season as preseason #1 for the third consecutive season. Mark Few also got the announcements that Julian Strawther and Rashir Bolton will be returning to school, rather than going to the NBA. 

[BSLZacKrull]

One of the most polarizing teams heading into next season, should be Texas especially after the edition of highly touted Iowa State Transfer Tyrese Hunter. There is zero doubt Texas has more NBA talent on this team compared to years past. The issue is that this was a team that really struggled with their chemistry since the start of the last season, and adding more players expecting more big things may not be something that helps. 

[BSLZacKrull]

BSL: Evaluating the 5 Biggest College Basketball Offseason Decisions from the Past Week

https://baltimorespo...-the-past-week/

[BSLZacKrull]

BSL: Ranking The Best Teams in College Basketball Heading Into The NBA Draft

https://baltimorespo...-the-nba-draft/

[BSLZacKrull]

Duke Basketball Looks to be in a Great Position Heading into the John Scheyer Era

 

Around a year ago at this time, legendary Duke Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski announced his plans to retire at the conclusion of the 2022 season. With that announcement also came the news that Associate Head Coach and former Duke Point Guard John Scheyer will be replacing Coach K at the top of the bench. For all we know Scheyer might not be the best basketball coach and things might not work out. There have been plenty of coaches that have had a lot of hype and expectations going into their first year on the job and things fall apart at the seems. One thing is for certain though, and that is that Scheyer couldn’t have had a better offseason heading into his initial campaign as Head Coach. In his one year of preparation, anticipating becoming the next Head Coach of Duke, Scheyer has done everything he can to put himself and the Duke Basketball program in the best position to succeed. Scheyer was known as the primary guy to get some of the best Duke players in recent years to Durham including RJ Barrett, Zion Williamson, Paolo Banchero and more. The momentum has continued for Duke from a recruiting perspective even without the big- time name of Coach K bringing in the #1 ranked recruiting class in all of College Basketball.

 

 

Aside from the recruiting aspect, Scheyer made one move earlier this month that has the potential to not only help Duke in the long run but also has the potential to be a transformative hire that everyone else in College Basketball could follow. Duke decided to bring in Rachel Baker who previously worked for Nike, running their EYBL circuit and helping out Kevin Durant. Baker is now Duke’s “General Manager.” This is the first time any College Basketball program has directly hired someone to work with NIL.

 

 

In today’s world of NIL, and a lot of kids making their decisions based on the best deal they can get, many think that sooner rather than later, College sports could be shifting towards a model closer to professional sports. By making this hire, John Scheyer is saying that he basically needs someone on his staff to be the “money person” and help kid players, while his primary focus is on coaching and the X’s and O’s of the game. There are no prior guidelines for any current College Basketball Coach dealing with the NIL and the recruiting aspect of the game has taken a dramatic turn. So much so that it has definitely had a lot to do with the somewhat surprising retirements of Roy Williams and Jay Wright. Obviously Scheyer and his staff will still be working very hard in the recruiting aspect of the game, however it is Baker who will be in charge of the NIL and the funding behind it to get a lot of the players that Duke is looking for into the program.

 

           

Another aspect of this hire being so important for Duke is the fact that Baker worked with Nike and some of the best AAU teams in the country. Plenty of times in recent memories we will see schools hiring a great player’s family member or High School coach in order to improve their chances of getting that player on campus. Baker is someone that knows just about everyone at Nike, which is where the best players in High School Basketball are playing AAU. Already this offseason prior to the hiring of Baker, Duke has brought in Mackenzie Mgbako and Jared McCain for the 2023 class, which is already ranked the #1 class in all of College Basketball.

 

In the new world of College Sports, there are a handful of guys that may not necessarily be fans of the whole new model as it is making them change their style of recruiting and sometimes coaching. However, no matter how you feel about it, there are some people complaining about NIL and some people embracing it. John Scheyer is someone that clearly falls into the category of embracing the new era and seeing Duke on the floor next season will show us that.

 

 

The Blue Devils also added a much-needed veteran piece this past week, adding Illinois transfer Jacob Grandison. Duke will now have some experience surrounding the highly touted recruiting class as both Grandison and Point Guard Jeremy Roach have played in the biggest games College Basketball has to offer. Grandison averaged 9.8 points per game at Illinois last season, while shooting 41% from three. He was also a member of the 2021 Fighting Illini team, that won both the Big Ten Regular Season and Tournament Title, while earning a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Having these types of players on your team, especially when a majority of your players are Freshman, is super important. Grandison has been around a winning program for the majority of his career and knows not to get too high or too low.

 

 

Following the reclassification of NBA Global Academy product Tyrese Proctor, Duke has a legitimate argument as the #1 team in the country heading into the 2023 season. This is something you rarely see with a Head Coach that is yet to coach a game for his new school, however John Scheyer seems to be ready for this opportunity for the past year and has made the most of his first offseason in charge.

[Mackus]

F*** Duke

[BSLZacKrull]

Emoni Bates going to Eastern Michigan, has to be one of the more crazier stories of the offseason. From being a top 5 recruit initially out og High School to not having much interest from any of the Power 6 schools. it just shows you that no matter how talented you are, attitude and having the willingness to fit into a team is a vital part of success. 

[BSLZacKrull]

BSL: The Early National Championship Contenders in College Basketball Heading into 2023

[BSLZacKrull]

BSL: One Head Coach in Each Power 6 Conference with the most pressure in 2022-2023

https://baltimorespo...e-in-2022-2023/

[BSLZacKrull]

Was doing some research into each of the Power 6 coaches that just completed their first year on the job. That was a loaded cycle with Chris Beard going to Texas, Mark Adams going to Texas tech, Hubert Davis going to North Carolina, Mike Woodson going to Indiana and more. The Big 12 even hired Porter Moser who has Oklahoma in good position to get back to the NCAA Tournament this season. There were many very good coaches hired this past offseason. 

[BSLZacKrull]

BSL: Evaluating The 1st Year College Basketball Coaches After Their Initial Season

[BSLChrisStoner]

ESPN: UConn, UCLA move the needle in Way-Too-Early Top 25 men's college basketball rankings for 2022-23

https://www.espn.com...ankings-2022-23

[BSLZacKrull]

BSL: Evaluating the Biggest Multiple Team Events

https://baltimorespo...le-team-events/

[BSLChrisStoner]

CBS Sports: John Calipari explains why Kentucky's road game vs. Gonzaga in November will not be at The Kennel

https://www.cbssport...-at-the-kennel/

[BSLMikeLowe]

Looks like the money-grab in football is oozing it’s way into hoops. SEC Commissioner Darth Va….err, Greg Sankey, who is also co-chair of the NCAA transformation committee, says they want a “fresh look” at the structure of March Madness. It’s been rumored for months now they might be looking at slashing AQs and giving more bids to power conference teams.

Just for point of reference though, TV’s highest-rated Elite Eight game in the last tournament was…..UNC vs St Peter’s. That game even got higher ratings than 5 of 6 NBA Finals games.

 

Another possibility, they expand the field, but make all the mid-low major AQs play each other to get into the 64 team bracket.

[BSLChrisStoner]

CBS Sports: Bracketology: Early look at 2023 NCAA Tournament

[BSLChrisStoner]

CBS Sports: Candid Coaches: Who will be the best player in men's college basketball in 2022-23?

https://www.cbssport...all-in-2022-23/