OT: NCAA Tournament 2025

[nattybry]

Yeah sucks kinda! Colorado St. was the last chance to be a Cinderella and they almost had it. Now it’s just a bunch of Power Schools and my bracket is crap, so I no longer care!

 

[Minerinciter]

 

[Rocketsr]

Too many predictable games, not really that many upsets, no Cinderellas, and hardly any close games or buzzer beaters. It’s been one of the most boring tourneys in a long time.

That is how the media likes it though. They got the tournament they wanted. They do not like Cinderella's and Mid Majors doing well. They want to put more teams from the Power Conferences in. Even their talk of expansion is putting more of them in.

It will be interesting how the TV numbers are this year with so few upsets. If the numbers are good, then they will think it as a justification to put even less Mid Majors in.

It really sucks because the NIL and Portal have killed the smaller schools. Every single year all the best players leave and they just start over. Maybe we are headed to 2 leagues just like football.

All three of the big-time players that led Florida Atlantic to the Final Four in 2023 are now in the Sweet 16. Vlad Goldin (Michigan), Johnell Davis (Arkansas), and Elijah Martin (Florida). Also Nic Boyd who was a starter portaled out last year to SDSU. This is an example of how you cannot keep your team together and basically just have to start over again.

Got me thinking that if UTEP ever did have great success, the best players would just portal out and UTEP would just start over every single year.

 

[UTEPfan1966]

That is how the media likes it though. They got the tournament they wanted. They do not like Cinderella's and Mid Majors doing well. They want to put more teams from the Power Conferences in. Even their talk of expansion is putting more of them in.

It will be interesting how the TV numbers are this year with so few upsets. If the numbers are good, then they will think it as a justification to put even less Mid Majors in.

It really sucks because the NIL and Portal have killed the smaller schools. Every single year all the best players leave and they just start over. Maybe we are headed to 2 leagues just like football.

All three of the big-time players that led Florida Atlantic to the Final Four in 2023 are now in the Sweet 16. Vlad Goldin (Michigan), Johnell Davis (Arkansas), and Elijah Martin (Florida). Also Nic Boyd who was a starter portaled out last year to SDSU. This is an example of how you cannot keep your team together and basically just have to start over again.

Got me thinking that if UTEP ever did have great success, the best players would just portal out and UTEP would just start over every single year.

You are spot on. More "major" conferences means more money to them.

 

[Lil_Train]

That is how the media likes it though. They got the tournament they wanted. They do not like Cinderella's and Mid Majors doing well. They want to put more teams from the Power Conferences in. Even their talk of expansion is putting more of them in.

It will be interesting how the TV numbers are this year with so few upsets. If the numbers are good, then they will think it as a justification to put even less Mid Majors in.

It really sucks because the NIL and Portal have killed the smaller schools. Every single year all the best players leave and they just start over. Maybe we are headed to 2 leagues just like football.

All three of the big-time players that led Florida Atlantic to the Final Four in 2023 are now in the Sweet 16. Vlad Goldin (Michigan), Johnell Davis (Arkansas), and Elijah Martin (Florida). Also Nic Boyd who was a starter portaled out last year to SDSU. This is an example of how you cannot keep your team together and basically just have to start over again.

Got me thinking that if UTEP ever did have great success, the best players would just portal out and UTEP would just start over every single year.

I think it was Dave Campbell that mentioned there were zero all conference Texas G5 football players that returned to their previous school this year (either due to eligibility or transfer).

In today's landscape, G5's are essentially 1 year JUCOs. At least in JUCO, most of the players are there for two years as non qualifiers who are required to graduate from the JC before leaving. For both basketball and football, each year will be a rebuild. I was a bit surprised that some of the higher end CUSA basketball guys ended up returning last year (McHenry-WKU and Porter-MTSU), but those are more exceptions than the norm. It is also a reflection of the transfer market for guards versus big men.

As for UTEP, I do think guys like Terrell, Camper, and maybe Jones are players that probably need to be prioritized for next year. However, I don't think anyone would mistake these guys for Boum, Kennedy, and Williams. Has Golding brought in a first team all CUSA player in his time at UTEP? I can't think of any off the top of my head.

 

[utep2step]