I've yet to watch a former Pac12 team vs. a B1G/B12 team and feel like it's a conference game.
***2025-26 Mens College Basketball Thread***
- Thread starter BigJCy
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I've yet to watch a former Pac12 team vs. a B1G/B12 team and feel like it's a conference game.
BS. It’s tremendous for players. I could agree it’s bad for student athletes, but as far as training for a future professional basketball career, exposure on TV and brand building, NIL opportunities, etc, it is far superior to what college basketball was decades ago.
What percent go onto professional bball playing careers? Why is it more likely with 4 or 5, 20-team conferences? Why would NIL opportunities be less with fewer, smaller, geographically aligned conferences?
I don't know the answers to any of these questions.
More TV exposure == More $$$
More $$$ == better coaches and players in the league
Better coaches and players in the league == better competition
Etc == etc
The NCAA estimates that about 20% of men's basketball players play professionally after college.
www.ncaa.org
If you restrict it to players on major conference teams, I would guess that % is a good bit higher.
Basketball is somewhat unique here among major sports with the wealth of opportunities to make a decent living playing professionally, outside of the hyper-selective top-tier pro league.
Estimated probability of competing in professional athletics
Estimated probability of competing in professional athletics
www.ncaa.org
If you restrict it to players on major conference teams, I would guess that % is a good bit higher.
Basketball is somewhat unique here among major sports with the wealth of opportunities to make a decent living playing professionally, outside of the hyper-selective top-tier pro league.
At this point Auburn and Duke are shoo ins for 1 seeds I think. So I want Auburn to beat any team vying for a 2 or 1 seed. Beat the Gators today.
Yeah a 1 seed for us is a long shot but these games can help in the long run.
Yeah a 1 seed for us is a long shot but these games can help in the long run.
I still want Duke to lose because (i) pure spite, it's Duke, and (ii) the ACC is so sh*tty that if they drop say three or maybe even two more games depending who it is, that could knock them off the 1-seed line.
Maybe his complaint is legit if the AAC found some magic formula for putting together its conference schedule. But I would be surprised if road trips in the AAC weren't tough with Temple, ECU, Cincy, UCF and USF. Maybe teams should have travel partners and play 2 home/2 road to limit travel.
I am not a fan of these large conference because the below just looks like a jumbled mess of teams, with a singular story line. Who finishes first among the 16, 17 or 18 teams. I'm a fan of divisions. They could alleviate some travel and create interest around separate division champs and cross division games.
Hate Iowa, but them winning today helps us in multiple ways. That said I expect a Fran fade in the final five minutes.
I have a good feeling about Duke losing at Clemson. Tough place to play and Duke has flirted with losing to some subpar teams recently.
It’s gonna take a big fade today. Wisconsin is god awful. They look like ISU vs KSU. Just can’t do anything.
Bucky's a bit of a feast or famine type of team.
I wouldn't like that matchup in the tourney.
