2020-21 College Basketball thread

Could just be the continuation of a general trend. It's harder to monopolize the talent in basketball - one star like Carmelo Anthony can carry you to a national title, with the right supporting cast, whereas depth in college football seems to be the advantage Alabama has over the field. Mid-major teams continue to improve, despite power conference teams refusing to schedule them. And if you're a talented high school prospect, it's easier for you to find a school that'll give you a big and/or proper role, thanks to transferring and more player movement.

 

The lack of fans have been more noticeable in CBK games more than anything IMO. Thinking about the upcoming mid-major tournaments and how I much enjoyed the atmosphere at the smaller arenas/gyms because of the fans.

 

Plus ESPN has used the empty gyms as an excuse to say “Fuck it” and stick games in any old time slot they fancy. Duke-Notre Dame was something like a 4:30 Eastern tip yesterday.

 

Without fans making noise, the refs aren’t being cursed out be coaches of said teams and aren’t being intimidated. Mikey K can’t tell a ref you’ll never fucking work a day in Your fucking life again if you call that shit against my children.

 

Texas Tech's Chris Beard lit into the refs in the final minute of the Red Raiders' loss to West Virginia and got tossed. They sure heard him loud and clear.

 

I can see that being worth a few points here or there, but not enough for Duke to be a game below .500 entering Valentines weekend. And Kentucky has the worst chemistry I’ve seen since going out with Kelly F. for homecoming in 1995.

 

This I don't mind so much since I'm working from home 85% of the time. Kind of nice to mix in a random live game in between watching back t0 back episodes of Divorce Court.

 

It's obvious they're trying to maximize the TV slots and making clear that they see an advantage for not having to accommodate fans.

The funny part to me is watching Duke games in Cameron without fans. It has turned Cameron into just another gym.

What makes no sense to me are schools who aren't allowing fans playing in large arenas, anyway. If you're NCSU, why play at the ESA when Reynolds will work just as well? (Chapel Hill, I get ... both arenas are on campus, though the guys could just as easily play at Carmichael). Georgetown is playing in its campus gym. So is St. John's. If the floor and expanded bench areas are as good as your large-arena option, just stay there.

 

See I thought I’d feel the same way since I love weekday matinee games during Championship Week. But tuning into a mid-winter game at 2 pm just feels depressing, like I’m watching a closed circuit feed of a scrimmage or one of those junior college games I was covering 20 years ago. Just doesn’t do it for me.

 

Re: State and Name du Jour Arena: Contractual obligation, I suspect.

 

Yeah. That was my guess, too.

But what makes little sense is that the arena is run by the Centennial Authority, which was a governing body created by the North Carolina General Assembly. The group that operates the ESA is named "Gale Force Sports & Entertainment, LLC." Dead giveaway, eh? It's pretty obvious who runs the place and it's NOT the university.

 

Kind of a bummer that State redid Reynolds -- and apparently did a great job -- but had to cap the size at less than 6,000.