College Basketball’s Early Surprises & Growing Concerns

Let's get to the college game here. Coach, what's been the biggest surprise for you so far in the early part of the college basketball season? Who surprised you the most? I mean, you know, you could throw Virginia maybe in there. I know the normal names on there. That was the first name that popped in mind. Thank Illinois' offensive production is really changing. I think there's a bigger thing, Dan. you There's two things really that jump to me. One. Is the scheduling, you know, like there's very few nights, very if any, we've only been at this for over a week now, much. but every night there's a game that you're like, wow, right? Florida State, Florida, all of these teams taking on games. Now, is that a byproduct of an expanded NCAA tournament where they don't feel the threat? Of being excluded if they lose one of these early games, that's one. And that's to be celebrated. The scheduling is to be celebrated. My son's team at VCU went to Memphis. And when I heard about it in the summer, I was like, wow, are you sure? Second game of the year, that's the way to go? I don't overstep in that area. But, man, it was a terrific, terrific game. That's one. The other side is. And I say this with The great deal of trepidation, some of these games are empty. Indiana Syracuse played last night in an NBA arena, 17,000, and they announced 5,000 people. Are we at a point where we've started too early that there's an oversaturation, and I mean this somewhat tongue-in-cheek, are the Indiana people like, well, we have a big football game coming up Saturday, whoever they play. You're You're the defending national champs. You're going to have a big game every Saturday. I am concerned that we are so, we're starting so early and we're playing so many more games, but look around. I mean, in Philadelphia, Dan, in the greatest building that there is for college basketball, Penn's Palestra, they had two single games on Sunday. Richmond Temple played in front of 1,200 people, and Penn State Pitt played in front of 2,000 people. Um, I, I do have a concern. I, uh, and, and I don't want to be, you know, and I'm, I'm not an alarmist. I don't want, it's not a nine alarm flat, uh, fire at this point, but it is something to watch. Oregon state called out their, their fan base. Oh, uh, Miami of Ohio coming off a 30 and one year last year called out their fan base. Uh, man, I just hope that's not where we, where it's just elite. And even I'm not sure, are these elite games going to draw when they're at neutral sites? Coach, are you a fan of the 76 expansion for the games, for the teams? I mean, because what you're saying right now is like they're diluting the product right now. So you're not a fan of what we're seeing with 76 teams now being an expansion to the tournament. No, I don't like it. And there's a myriad of reasons, Dan, for me. It would be. I think. Selection Sunday to Thursday's opening games, college basketball dominated the landscape in a crowded sports landscape, dominated. Because Monday, 24 hours, for 24 hours Monday, 24 hours Tuesday, there was arguments over the 69th team, there was arguments over seeding, and then the ball goes in the air for the first four, and now it's all basketball all the time. Well, now that's gone. Teams are going to get selected six o'clock on Sunday night, and then you have people sprinting all over. So you diffuse people's attention because now it's my team in that area. That's one. Two, the idea that the regular season is going to be minimized now and that the 11th place team in the SEC knows they're getting in. If they have a 500 record, they're getting in because the They're not tricked. The numbers are the numbers. If you play this level of schedule, you're going to have power in numbers, and the selections are really a numeric study. I think that the expansion did do this. The outlier will no longer be an outlier. So you will not get into the end of last season, if everybody remembers back. Miami of Ohio is not going to make the tournament. That, I'm Joe Public, that doesn't make any sense to me, right? They played the schedule that was in front of them, they won every game, and you're telling me they're not going to get a chance?