I certainly understand the Cooper's and All's of the world making the jump. It certainly isn't about playing time. But the rest of the transfers are most certainly about patience or the lack thereof--as in playing time. I may be way off but seriously doubt Northern Arizona or the like can offer an amount of money that would have lured a guy like Shaw away if he hadn't recognized the level of the guys coming in and the probability that the 2 minutes playing time he got in the final game last year would likely be repeated again this season.
Mid major college basketball is definitely the AAA of D1. Powell has acknowledged this and so do we. It will also determine the sport in the long term.
This is true. We may already be starting to see a long-term impact begin to take place. Top mid-major players leave after one season to get bigger paychecks, for which nobody can blame them. However, this prevents fans from building long-term attachments. Many mid-majors now lose about 80% or more of their core roster annually. This lack of loyalty to a school can be detrimental to building any campus culture among current students and longtime fans. Similarly, the constant shifting of schools in conference realignments adds even more uncertainty.
Nonconference games against Power 5 teams, such as last week's Kentucky game, have lost any appeal as they make the mid-major look like a joke similar to the Washington Generals in a Harlem Globetrotters show. [I wasn't disappointed that I couldn't watch the Kentucky game.] The last time Valpo played Kentucky, I believe seasoned fan favorite Alec Peters scored 23 points, which gave Valpo fans something to cheer and enjoy. Add the unknown each year even in conference play because of the constant turnover, plus maybe hopelessness after multiple seasons of losing, and the reality of falling attendance numbers with empty bleachers threatens to become a lasting symptom.
Interesting perspective at the following: https://www.heartlandcollegesports.com/2024/12/13/college-basketball-is-dying-do-the-ncaa-basketball-powers-that-be-care/
For years people have loved the players and watching them develop. Now, is it too much to ask to simply just love the team? In the rev share era. simply going to games can help.
Rez - Given all of the other alternatives for entertainment, I think the ask (just love the team despite almost complete turnover from year to year) is a pretty big ask for many fans. It is much easier to market around established players, whether they are Alec Peters, Ryan Broekhoff or (more recently) Cooper Schweiger. How does Valpo (or any other mid-major team) market in the age of NIL and transfers.
The solution to this seems extraordinarily difficult. A program could move to D2, but the better players there look to move to mid-majors. D3 is a different world and, of course, the quality of competition and national attention at D2 and D3 is dramatically less. I frankly just hate what most of this has done to college basketball.
I understand the mindset of "I want to love players and not the team", but frankly, I think Valpo fans were spoiled in the Drew (Both father and sons) era. For years you got...
- On Campus Tournaments
- High Quality Basketball
- Access to Players and coaches practically whenever you wanted (Within Reason)
- A Coaching Dynasty
Asking around, Valpo was one of the few places where you got access to 2 of the above let alone all 3... at least as a "commoner" (I really cant think of a better term) and not a big booster. You could go grab a coffee with coaches and players and develop connections on a personal level, and, in the same breath, go see high caliber basketball right in your own backyard without having to dish out loads of cash. Lots of other places didn't have the access that 2000s and 2010s Valpo fans were used to having. We just got too used to the guilty pleasures and now that we don't have them anymore, people feel lost.
Frankly, I don't see what is such a big ask about showing support for a team. The administration has made it very clear they aren't looking to nickel and dime you. They just want people to show up to games. The rest of the MVC is experiencing the same levels of roster turnover that Valpo is, and yet, their fans are willing to continue support of their athletes.
It's impossible to fault either Wright or Schwieger for leaving. Every single one of us would take a 10x+ raise to do our current job for a different employer.
I do wonder with Wright, though, if he'll struggle when he's not the go-to guard on offense. I'm not sure how well he fits as a role player. Will be interesting to monitor...
I concur with the other guys, though, outside of Wright and Schwieger. None of them went to significantly better programs than Valparaiso.
It's impossible to fault either Wright or Schwieger for leaving. Every single one of us would take a 10x+ raise to do our current job for a different employer.
I do wonder with Wright, though, if he'll struggle when he's not the go-to guard on offense. I'm not sure how well he fits as a role player. Will be interesting to monitor...
I concur with the other guys, though, outside of Wright and Schwieger. None of them went to significantly better programs than Valparaiso.
With Wright...and this may be what you're getting at...is that he's a streaky player. At Valpo he'd be given the leash to play himself out of it. Pitino may not have that long of a leash.
It's impossible to fault either Wright or Schwieger for leaving. Every single one of us would take a 10x+ raise to do our current job for a different employer.
I do wonder with Wright, though, if he'll struggle when he's not the go-to guard on offense. I'm not sure how well he fits as a role player. Will be interesting to monitor...
I concur with the other guys, though, outside of Wright and Schwieger. None of them went to significantly better programs than Valparaiso.
With Wright...and this may be what you're getting at...is that he's a streaky player. At Valpo he'd be given the leash to play himself out of it. Pitino may not have that long of a leash.
Exactly. He gets that type of leash when he's the best guard on the team. I'm not familiar with Xavier's roster, but I'm going to guess that he's not the best guard on the team. You let your stars do those things, not your role players.
For a lot of players, it’s also all about me and PT. Men’s college basketball, particularly the regular season before the gaming begins in March Madness, is on the downswing, thanks to the ineptitude of the NCAA academia good ole boys.
For a lot of players, it’s also all about me and PT. Men’s college basketball, particularly the regular season before the gaming begins in March Madness, is on the downswing, thanks to the ineptitude of the NCAA academia good ole boys.
Over time, I do think that the focus has been shifted more and more on NCAA Tournament results from a national landscape and coverage of the sport. Until the Super Bowl is over, college basketball has a more niche following.
All Wright had a nice game vs. Old Dominion. 20 pts 8-11 and 4-5 3pt
Cooper's been getting starters minutes at Wake but not starting. He's not putting up any big numbers but doing ok.
Ah, what could have been. But good for them.
Wake's lost two back to back vs legit competition to Michigan and TTech each by one point. Cooper didn't do much in the 2nd half vs TTech. Seemed to be more as a defensive presence (had 4 blks) than anything else.
I would imagine Coop is still experiencing P5 culture shock (Gee wiz, I can’t believe I’m actually here). He’s a young junior and it may take him some time in that environment to get some of his swagger back and really start asserting himself.
Wake Forest just beat Memphis with a very familiar play
