Conference Previews - 13 seeds

These are the last of the conferences who will have no shot at an at large.

Conference: Sun Belt

Rank: 16

Conference Champion: Georgia State

Potential At-Large: Louisiana

Conference: Summit

Rank: 15

Conference Champion: South Dakota State

Potential At-Large: None

Conference: Colonial

Rank: 14

Conference Champion: Northeastern

Potential At-Large: None

Conference: MAC

Rank: 13

Conference Champion: Buffalo

Potential At-Large: None

Conference Previews - 14 and 15 Seeds

Conference: Southern

Rank: 24

Conference Champion: UNC Greensboro

Potential At-Large: None

Conference: Horizon

Rank: 23

Conference Champion: Northern Kentucky

Potential At-Large: None

Conference: America East

Rank: 22

Conference Champion: Vermont

Potential At-Large: None

Conference: Ohio Valley

Rank: 21

Conference Champion: Belmont

Potential At-Large: None

Conference: Big West

Rank: 20

Conference Champion: UC-Irvine

Potential At-Large: None

Conference: Ivy

Rank: 19

Conference Champion: Harvard

Potential At-Large: None

Conference: WAC

Rank: 18

Conference Champion: New Mexico State

Potential At-Large: None

Conference: Southland

Rank: 17

Conference Champion: Stephen F. Austin

Potential At-Large: None

Conference Previews - 16 Seeds

Just think, 12 months ago these were all after thoughts but now, after UMBC's not so shocking win over Virginia any, and all of these teams have a chance.  Especially if they draw Virginia again!

Conference: MEAC

Rank: 32

Conference Champion: North Carolina Central

Potential At-Large: None

Conference: SWAC

Rank: 31

Conference Champion: Grambling State

Potential At-Large: None

Conference: Northeast

Rank: 30

Conference Champion: St. Francis (PA)

Potential At-Large: None

Conference: Big South

Rank: 29

Conference Champion: Radford

Potential At-Large: None

Conference: Atlantic Sun

Rank: 28

Conference Champion: Lipscomb

Potential At-Large: None

Conference: Metro Atlantic

Rank: 27

Conference Champion: Rider

Potential At-Large: None

Conference: Patriot

Rank: 26

Conference Champion: LeHigh

Potential At-Large: None

Conference: Big Sky

Rank: 25

Conference Champion: Montana

Potential At-Large: None

8 Days

We are 8 days away from the start of the College Basketball season.  I'm getting excited and they are finally doing it right by opening up with some solid games.  Duke vs Kentucky will be the headliner in my mind.

Conference previews start tomorrow!

I’m Shocked To Find Gambling Here!

Middle-aged, white sports journalists are shocked to find out top recruits in “amateur” basketball might be getting paid to attend major universities. And they’re very angry about it.

The sham of amateurism has permeated the American sports landscape for far too long. This isn’t just a college thing. High school football across sections of this country has gotten so large, reports of multi-million dollar stadiums and use of instant replay don’t shock the system. Youth travel teams have become big business. Ask yourself this, who are the ones truly profiting from all this? 

We can argue it’s “for the kids”.  It’s hard to be against “the kids”, but let’s not delude ourselves. There’s money to be made off their talent and this perverse notion of community pride that comes from local sports teams being good. Academic success or a state title in football? I know which is preferred.

Per usual, the idea of “doing it the right way” has been the rallying cry of many, especially amongst certain fanbases that think they’re above the cesspool. Nah, you’ve been knee deep in it for years exploiting young athletes for financial gains for your institution of choice and/or fandom and pride. Kid gets hurt or leaves? Eh, they’re replaceable or a villain.

Remarkably, the answer seems to be Roy Williams or Coach K condemning the cheaters from some quarters. That they need to be the leaders. I can’t comprehend how naive or stupid that is. If you don’t think either have had “help” along the way in their journey, you might be the stupidest person alive. On top of that, you’ve made them who they are with your placing them on a pedestal for decades. Spare me the self-righteousness now.

It’s time for us as a nation to understand the business of sports and quit the sham of amateurism. It’s time for kids that want to be in sports either as players or in any capacity to be given the tools and resources at young ages to do so. That means money going to them, not just to those around them and the organizations they have to partake in. It’s time to end the NCAA and big college sports. It’s time for real developmental leagues and academies. It’s time to adopt an European model when it comes to youth and sports.

If the end all solution you want is to retain the “amateur model”, then you want the Ivy League model. If not, don’t hold your nose up when the exploited, disadvantaged financially want their cut. And don’t hold your nose when institutions who swim in cash from “amateur sports” cut corners to sustain success. Losing with pride equals losing your job. And who leads the charge? The same middle-aged white journalists aghast at the court case they’re witnessing. 

Send Big Ten Football Into The Sun

What a league.

Maryland? Coach on paid leave for a player dying under his watch with reports of improper care and attention.

Penn State? Alum and fans still fighting to reinstate Joe Paterno’s 409 wins and the Paterno kids spouting off defending Urban Meyer.

Purdue? Yeah, even Purdue. Millions pouring in from the cash cow TV deals and they don’t have proper medical equipment to deal with serious injuries on a football field. Plenty of money for Jeff Brohm, though.

Michigan State? Larry Nassar and a football program with a head coach that views discipline as a nuisance toward players accused of assault.

Minnesota? Football players threatening to boycott Bowl exhibitions to stand up for sexual abusers. A head coach oblivious to it all.

Wisconsin? A head coach and media fine with a player being investigated for sexual assault practicing with the team until that darn DA ruined this poor kids life. Oh, a two-game suspension for his roommate who thought it was so hilarious, he took pictures of the victim. Tough leadership from Paul Chryst. 

And Ohio State? Well, I guess the head coach takes pills that makes him forget things like his WR coach beating on his wife. What can you do?  Nothing.

Leaders and Legends, my ass. Hard to do but this league surpassed Notre Dame as the biggest frauds in college athletics. If you think the SEC bagmen and “academics” are a bigger issue, I can’t help you. Hypocrisy runs amok in flyover country.

Kurly’s Preseason Top 10

Now that the transfer and NBA exploratory stage are over, here is my Top 10, the only one you need.

10. Villanova - I didn’t necessarily have an epiphany, but I now believe Jay Wright is the best coach in college basketball. Couple two national titles and player development, argue with me about that.  

9. Michigan - The second best coach resides in Ann Arbor. Forget Sparty, forget Maryland, by the end of the regular season, Michigan will be the best team in the Big 14.

8. Tennessee - They might be the best team in the SEC but we’ll get to why I have them here for the moment. They’ll be a year older and have most of their minutes back. Falling back seems highly unlikely.

7. Kansas State - They’ll be an interesting team to watch but they return so much. We have to remember they took advantage of a region that lost all its top seeds but unlike South Carolina of 2017, this team shouldn’t fall backwards.

6. Kentucky - Rumors abound Reid Travis is going to end up in Lexington as a grad transfer. If that’s the case, Kentucky is a legit title contender. Plus, we’ll all be cheering for Tyler Herro.

5. Duke - Freshman heavy again, Duke’s season will hinge on what kind of defensive team they become. It is a very intriguing mix in Durham.

4. North Carolina - Luke Maye is my early choice for POY and this Tar Heel squad added some five stars as well. I think we’re due for a Tobacco Road heavy Final 4. It’s been far too long.

3. Nevada - Nevada added a five star freshman to the Martin twins who are returning. They should roll through the Mountain West. How they get seeded will be the big question for them next March but with Eric Mussleman on the bench, it may not matter.

2. Kansas - This should be Bill Self’s best chance at a second national title since all the others. They add oodles of talent. This includes traditional transfers who had a season to acclimate. 

1. Gonzaga - They bring back two NBA caliber players and add one of Europe’s best prospects in Filip Petrusev, a skilled big. Zach Norvell should have a huge season and will be a potential All-American.