The pre-portal era: Load up on freshmen who are going to stick around for as long as their college careers last. You look for guys who can be DEVELOPED. Sure, you look for guys you think will fit your system. And if you can get OADs or 2ADs you grab them - but you are happy to get guys who need a year or 3 before they become stars. Think Roy Williams as coach and Brice Johnson as player.

The portal era: Get what you can get out of HS, but don't count on them sticking around to be developed - especially if you can't give them good PT. So don't waste a lot of effort on lower-ranked players - or even top-ranked payers if they aren't ready to play right out of the gate. Instead, focus on portal players who have proved themselves, fit your system, and can deliver immediately. Other than working them into your system, minimal development required.

Is that a fair sketch? Will that continue, or will the portal settle down in time?

Does that shift apply to all schools, or just top tier schools? Does the portal effectively turn lesser schools into glorified junior colleges or prep schools, mere stepping stones to the portal?

If you are a Brice Johnson, looking at riding the bench for a while at UNC while Iron Men from the portal get nearly all the minutes, would you be better off at, say, Davidson, being developed by a solid coach and then transferring after a year or 2?

ODDS
-10.5 Purdue
Over/Under 147.5


11

NC State Wolfpack​

26-14

TBS
4/6
6:09 PM

1

Purdue Boilermakers​

33-4


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NCAA College Basketball Odds, Betting Lines & Point Spreads

NORTH-CAROLINA Odds: Schedule, Matchups, & Stats - VegasInsider​

Posted Apr 5, 2024
A judge in North Carolina on Thursday denied Florida State’s request to dismiss the ACC’s lawsuit against the school, which is trying to sue its way out of the league with a complaint in its home state. Florida State is challenging the ACC’s exit fees and the validity of a contract called a Grant of Rights that binds league members together through their media rights. (Associated Press)

Posted Apr 5, 2024
Something akin to the psychological concept of diffusion of responsibility is killing college athletics. When nobody is accountable for antisocial behavior—such as discreetly destroying and/or destabilizing conferences—bad things go unchecked. The entire industry is crying out for help, but nobody is willing to act. Everyone is waiting for someone else. (Sports Illustrated)

Prediction Contest Results Through Elite 8 (Grand Prize)

Now that coverage will pick up starting Saturday, as we will again have access with the main media back in town after the hoops Heels were eliminated, simple question here:

What two things most interest you over the next few weeks on each side of the ball?

We will have basically two healthy weeks to dive into the team, so what matters the most to you/

Posted Apr 5, 2024
Something akin to the psychological concept of diffusion of responsibility is killing college athletics. When nobody is accountable for antisocial behavior—such as discreetly destroying and/or destabilizing conferences—bad things go unchecked. The entire industry is crying out for help, but nobody is willing to act. Everyone is waiting for someone else. (Sports Illustrated)

A byproduct of all the lawsuits that have effectively ended all NCAA transfer rules. Now players can transfer multiple times and be immediately eligible each time.

I don't blame him one bit. He only has one year of eligibility left (thanks to Huggins screwing over his redshirt year by playing him 11 minutes at the end of the season.) He's a great teammate and I'm sure he'd like to play significant minutes in his final college season.

His alley oop from Trimble was the best alley oop we saw all season. I'm sad to see him go because he's probably the next most physical center we had besides Bacot.

He leaves USC for this job.

He hasn't been as successful as many expected.


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Will post my thoughts on mainly miscues from the Alabama game. A lot of defensive miscues throughout the game. And some very frustrating transition defense failures. There's a lot so I'll split by half.

Start with a positive. Set play on the first offensive position. Usually for RJ to run off this down screen to DHO. But it was for Cadeau instead. Got him some confidence.
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I didn't like how we defended screens under the free throw line. IMO, this should be a switch because there isn't a lot of space from ball to basket. RJ certainly can't go over here. Bacot at the least needs to jam the guard.
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Cadeau slightly out of control closeout. Allows Estrada to go left (he's left handed). RJ with an overhelp and tries to do too much. Open 3. Bad all around. But Cadeau needs a better closeout.
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I thought Trimble was pretty bad defensively all game. First of all, all of the help is towards the middle and he gets beat baseline. He gambled a couple of times for steals and Estrada easily gets past him for an open jumper.
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Horrendous zone defense against the underneath out of bounds. Wrong team to do it against. Sears makes a big time shot, but at best, Sears gets a 1-on-1 on Washington. Thankfully we didn't go zone afer this.
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Seth leans to what I think might be a fade screen for his primary man??? His man rejects the screen. Seth recovers ok. But typically on DHO at this angle, it's a switch. No communication between Withers and Trimble. Easy slip which Alabama eventually converts.
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Seth gets beat backdoor due to faceguarding Sears and leans to a screen. You have help on the screen. You don't have help on the baseline. Easy reject/backdoor from Sears. Easy bucket.
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Where is Bacot on this DHO? Absolutely nowhere to be found. Drop coverage against the wrong team. Practice 3.
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Repeat Bacot. This time, 0 help off a screen for Alabama's best player/shooter. Cormac Ryan also shouldn't be going over this screen. You'll always be in a trail position then.
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Washington plays drop coverage down to the charge circle. Layup line for Sears.
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Terrible transition defense here from Cormac Ryan. You need to get the ball going towards your help (middle). You can't let it get to the baseline because there's no help here. Why is he leaning into the screen here? You have help with Cadeau on the screen?
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Better from Bacot on this ball screen, but still too late.
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