2024-25 College Basketball Thread

[da man]

Oof. Feel like this will be the first of many.

Saint Francis University Announces Move from NCAA Division I Athletics to Division III Athletics - Saint Francis University Athletics

Today, Saint Francis University announced a decision by its Board of Trustees that directs the president and the leadership team to pursue a reclassification of

sfuathletics.com

Athletics Transition | Saint Francis University

www.francis.edu

Is this a bad thing? I've thought for a long time there are too many schools in Division I and a bunch of those smaller programs should drop down a level.

 

[micropolitan guy]

It's also a reason that the mid-majors are not making any waves in the tournament. Their best players now play for a Power team.

Microville Tech's best player just went into the portal. To his credit, he stayed for this season (his third0 after half the team bailed because of the drop to the WCC, but still ... hard to be a fan of about 320 MBB teams because you know you're nothing but a triple-A franchise for the big boys.

 

[DanOregon]

It does have to be a hard calculation for some players. Take the bigger NIL check but get fewer minutes, maybe come off the bench after starting, or stay where you can play and have a shot at the next level (Admittedly, the next level for most of these guys is Europe). A guy from MicroTech might make 50 percent more in NIL dollars, but unless you are the second or third highest paid, it doesn't "motivate" the school to play you.
I am fascinated by how these portal deals get done. Largely, an agent fronts the player $X and then negotiates for $X - PLUS THEIR CUT and the player goes where the agent tells them to go.

 

[dixiehack]

I think I read where Wisconsin said it is not going to devote much, if any, NIL money to WBB. That would certainly impact the candidate field.

I've got to imagine this is how it is going to be for the non-revenue sports unless you are a dynasty-level program with fanbase to match. So LSU baseball or Oklahoma softball will probably have access to NIL funds that 98 percent of the competition does not.

 

[BTExpress]

Disappointed they didn't include "has a player who delivered the gun in a fatal shooting" to the chart.

In any event, I think all this coach wrangling makes things clear: Root like heck for Rick Barnes.

 

[BYH 2: Electric Boogaloo]

Disappointed they didn't include "has a player who delivered the gun in a fatal shooting" to the chart.

In any event, I think all this coach wrangling makes things clear: Root like heck for Rick Barnes.

Damnit BTE you are ripping all the joy out of my Tennessee jokes!!!!

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

Oof. Feel like this will be the first of many.

Saint Francis University Announces Move from NCAA Division I Athletics to Division III Athletics - Saint Francis University Athletics

Today, Saint Francis University announced a decision by its Board of Trustees that directs the president and the leadership team to pursue a reclassification of

sfuathletics.com

Athletics Transition | Saint Francis University

www.francis.edu

That's what losing to Alabama State gets you.

 

[HappyCurmudgeon]

The first-ever Crown Basketball Tournament just released its field. $500K in NIL money goes to the winner. It's a field with very solid names.

College Basketball Crown bracket 2025: Tournament schedule, dates, times as USC, Villanova headline field

The bracket is set for the inaugural College Basketball Crown tournament

www.cbssports.com

 

[DanOregon]

I don't know what kind of attention it will get, but it will be interesting considering the portal is open, players are already leaving.

 

[franticscribe]

It does have to be a hard calculation for some players. Take the bigger NIL check but get fewer minutes, maybe come off the bench after starting, or stay where you can play and have a shot at the next level (Admittedly, the next level for most of these guys is Europe). A guy from MicroTech might make 50 percent more in NIL dollars, but unless you are the second or third highest paid, it doesn't "motivate" the school to play you.
I am fascinated by how these portal deals get done. Largely, an agent fronts the player $X and then negotiates for $X - PLUS THEIR CUT and the player goes where the agent tells them to go.

Posh Alexander makes an interesting case study. He was Butler's starting point guard last season and would've been again this year. But late in the transfer window, he ends up deciding to leave for Dayton, which purportedly gave him $500k was more than what Butler could do (supposedly about $300k).

He ended up coming off the bench for the Flyers and minutes went down as the season went on.

I can't blame him for taking the money, especially as a young father, but I firmly believe if he had stayed and started at Butler, he would have done a lot more for his overseas earning potential.

Also, Butler not being able to match Dayton was embarrassing, but AD Barry Collier, who retired after last season, was stuck in the 1980s on his thinking with NIL and transfers.

 

[Della9250]

The first-ever Crown Basketball Tournament just released its field. $500K in NIL money goes to the winner. It's a field with very solid names.

College Basketball Crown bracket 2025: Tournament schedule, dates, times as USC, Villanova headline field

The bracket is set for the inaugural College Basketball Crown tournament

www.cbssports.com

This is why everyone was like, what the heck this NIT field is trash

 

[DanOregon]

I do wonder how each school is playing it. Do they tell the team, 80 percent of the take for you, we're holding back 20 percent for future NIL?