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Tony Mitchell under an inspiring coach and quality nucleus.

1: One big problem with the NIL (aka pay for play) is that the universities are what draw the fans, not the players. People argue that "they deserve a piece of the pie", etc., but the big money comes from rabid fans and alumni of the schools, not from fans wanting to watch certain players. I wish they would form a minor league football and see how much interest there is...wait, we already have that. It's called the XFL, USFL, UFL and the players don't make much money ($5,500/wk) and there aren't many fans at the games. Put the Rengades in Alabama uniforms and the Stallions in Auburn uniforms and you'd sell out AT&T stadium. Why, because the players don't matter, the universities are what matter (as it pertains to attendance). Another example is the NBA D-League. What kind of money are those guys making? (I'll save you the Google search, they make $25K/yr). I have to assume that's peanuts compared to many of the NIL deals players are getting. If you want to get paid, go pro. Nobody is making you go to college to get a free education that will benefit you for the rest of your life. 2: I hate the argument that "coaches make big money and can leave for another job whenever they want to." See the last two sentences of the previous point. If you want to be able to do that, go pro. Make it your career just like the coaches have done. There are a very limited number of head coaching jobs at the college level and these coaches have put in LONG hours and worked their way up to the positions that they are in. Nobody was giving them millions of dollars when they were a GA busting their tail for nothing.

Recent Past With all the excitement over Tylor Perry we quickly forgot about the best player from our recent past. The stats and awards bear it out. In my mind the answer is Javion Hamlet. No other player has accomplished what he has. https://meangreensports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/javion-hamlet/4731 Imagine what he would have accomplished if the 2020 NCAA Tournament had not been cancelled. We won the Conference in 2020 and arguably that was the best team we have ever had.

This is 100% the best way to move this thing along. Even with all of the terrible rules in place. However, the legislators at schools that are alum of flagship universities wouldn't dare push this along in fear of their precious darling school possibly slipping into the cellar and possibly being victim to this relegation model. That's the challenge. Everyone knows relegation is the best and most purest form of parity that would create a somewhat even playing field over a long period of time. But 'they' don't want an even playing field. They want to show up to the poker take with a mountain of chips and bully the others. There is a tremendous amount of pride and ego associated with all of this.

That's right they'll shuffle them "DOWN" In this new world, who is SMU more aligned with? Rutgers, Vandy, NW and a few others? or Ohio St, Bama, Texas, USC (I didn't want to turn this into an SMU topic but you just can't seem to accept reality...)

But I don't see this a move down....more of a "not moving up" For this to take shape, you have to assume that the "highest official classification" is going to change. It's gonna be 30-40 teams. This isn't like going FCS in the '80s. It's not even close....the entire landscape has changed. NIL, transfer portal, ESPN, media.....nothing today resembles 1988. The "highest official classification" is just a label. It's unofficially the SEC/Big 10 now...even the Big 12 is not stable...P5 is going to P2. We have to stop thinking that because an Oregon State has "always been a Power conference school" that they will continue to be one. Boston College? SMU? LOL. The math has changed. Alabama, Ohio State and Texas are so far removed from the lower P5s and G5s that snow ball is moving at warp speed down the mountain. Them along with ESPN run college football now and what they want, they will get. I don't think Ohio State really cares about Washington St.... We (current G5 plus the P5 "hanger ons") aren't going to be able to keep up with this new world... I think this proposal is a new classification...not moving down to an existing one. Just my humble opinion....

word. missed that. then I hope it's Johnell Davis

St. John's is a top 5 Big East team (a "High Major" conference). They play big home games in MSG. It's a great landing spot for him. He'll get a ton of eyeballs on him there.

From the looks of things....maybe a PWO?

Two big names set to visit North Texas this week. 1. AAC Starter 2. NCAA Tourney Starter https://www.patreon.com/posts/north-texas-mbb-102974428?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link

Eventually, one of those four teams will be in the top group. The other three will be down with SMU and UNT

THE SPHERE IS 30-ISH SCHOOLS!!! The debate is should we continue with this charade or be proactive and put something together that could benefit the rest of the left overs. I happen to think a regional direction for the rest of us will be good...both in eyeballs and costs. Especially compared to what we have now. For crying out loud, Cal is going to North Carolina for conference games. That's dumb.

Yes, I am aware of all that, and remember when they were very good back in the 80's or so. But, as you said, they haven't been very great lately, and had pretty much fallen off the radar until a long-past-his-prime Pitino went there.

returning (so far) 1. Rondel Walker - 6'5" 180 Sr., wing 2. Matt Stone - 6'4" 200 Sr., wing 3. Moulaye Sissoko - 6'10" 250 Sr., post 4. Terrance Dixon - 6'8" 235 Jr/Soph?, post (scholarship?) 5. Alex Cotton - 6'5" 195, Fr., wing transfers 6. Johnathan Massie (Longwood) - 6'6" 190 Sr., wing ... 11.3ppg, 5.2rpg, 35% 3pt% 7. Jasper Floyd (Fairfield) - 6'3" 195 Sr., guard ... 9.5ppg, 5.9rpg, 4.1apg, 2.4 steals/game (9th in nation) 8. Latrell Jossel (SFA) - 6'1" 185 Sr., guard ...12.9ppg, 2.3apg, 37% 3pt% 9. Brock Vice (Creighton) - 6'10" 245 Fr., post ...redshirted '23-24 season freshmen 10. Tyron Mason (Plano) - 6'6" 185 Fr., wing if we assume Dixon is on scholarship. there should be three more to play with. apparently 2 D1 transfers are on campus this week. there's not a ton of size, but a lot of length on the wings which could make up for not having a legit 4. Floyd's numbers present him as a true PG...no clue on Jossel, but looks more like a scorer...I think either way, we need bare-minimum one more ball-handler. Vice/Dixon are both pure wild-cards...I'd say at least one more 6'8"-6'10" player no matter what...if either/both can contribute next season, then my last ship goes to another scoring guard...if not, go big

Ain’t nobody leaving the Big 12 for a bizarrely configured ACC. You’ll get American squads but not Big 12 peeps. GMG

Would like to see an association with the MWC. This could give us some separation from the C-USA and MAC they can form their own group. Both could have playoffs and a championship.

Time to consider how much our piss-poor NIL and attendance issues resonate with the players.

Forget it, if NT moves down from D1. Competitive or not; being in the highest official classification has benefits. NT was in a league like this in the old 1aa days, and it was a nightmare in terms of coverage, support, and financially. I don't see any rationale why an official separation between P and G teams should happen. The P's already get most of the money and coverage. What do they have to gain?

Some musings. First, G5 realignment for efficiency? HAHAHAHA yeah that's been bandied around and ain't no one ever bit on it. I'm very happy with what Sun Belt West looks like, odds are a shuffle gives me something I don't like especially since every let's draw a pretty conference on map nerd out there is convinced Arkansas State belongs in a Texas alignment when its basically same distance to Atlanta as Denton and there's a LOT of schools closer than UNT, the closest G5 in Texas. Now as to a playoff. To quote former Sun Belt commissioner Wright Waters when someone asked him if the flavor of the day G5 consortium idea would work, "You only need one network to love you." If you can get CBS, Fox, NBC, or even ABC/ESPN on board to go all-in and carry the bulk of this tournament on over-the-air TV on Saturdays, then it's going to deliver better audiences than virtually every G5 v G5 bowl game that ever existed. Bundling a 7 game or 11 game or even 15 game tournament is going to be more efficient and more marketable than TV rights to a bunch of single game bowls and same for sponsorships. Financially it is more cost effective to send Toledo to Jonesboro on Friday to play Saturday than to send A-State and Toledo both to Montgomery and make them both spend four nights there. You will sell more tickets presumably to UNT hosting Utah State in Denton than you likely sell for the same game in Tucson or Albuquerque. The finances start making sense fairly easily. Here's the critical element to me. Third Saturday in December has long been G5 Bowl-a-Palooza on TV, that's now first weekend of the CFP with one game Friday and three on Saturday. If ESPN bothers to put any bowls that day, they get swamped and they are probably on ESPN2 or ESPNU. Fourth Saturday is likely to be flooded with games like the Liberty Bowl and Alamo Bowl P4 vs P4 games. Again if G5 get that slot, it's probably ESPN2 or ESPNU. Maybe get to play bowl games the Saturday after New Years but the competition isn't just NFL, it's NFL playoff football. The likely outcome is the Texas Twister Tyler Texas Bowl pitting AAC #6 and MAC #3 is going to be played a 2pm on Tuesday before Christmas or such. G5 is likely getting shifted to more weeknight bowl games and maybe more weekday games during work hours. If that's what's coming down the pike, then fine. Find me a network that will commit to Saturday over-the-air broadcasts in addition to cable channel broadcasts during the four Saturdays that CFP isn't playing. Probably best scenario is play one week, take a week off then play the next two in consecutive weeks in a 7 game format. No rocket science involved, top team from each G5 (so four champs plus whomever from the league getting a CFP berth) and three at-large based on whatever arbitrary and senseless ranking one cooks up or if 12 then 7 at-large. Bowls pretty much fade out and coaches getting laurels for 6-6 and 7-5 not so much any more.

I fixed it for you and added SMU when the ACC folds!

My initial reaction is “Please let this happen.”

Well that eliminates one game I can go to. Senior ceremony is also going to be after the second game tomorrow. Hate that weather is getting in the way of this most accomplished senior class in our softball program's history.

Tyreek Smith RS-SR6-8205 Trinity Christian School(Cedar Hill, TX) Just entered the portal today. We need a power forward. This would be his 4th school. He was a starter for Smut this season.

Oh there's no question SMU (along with several others) are not going to be in the Power 2. The point I'm making is there will still be access to a playoff system for the Big 12 and ACC "leftovers". Same will not be true for the G5.

Javion was my pick as well followed closely by Mitchel, just to see what he could accomplish under a good coach.

The ACC will be picked apart just like the PAC was. Big12 will help in the raiding, just as they did with the PAC.

Odufuwho?…. Odufuwa!

Coach Hodge, Forte and team are doing great.

Anyone know if the AD does exit interviews with players to understand their motivation for leaving...or maybe even an inquisitive journalist could do some digging? Are there any common themes, do they change over time or is each case unique?

Well, if you're going that route I'd argue they aren't a stand alone city either given many people do both them and Santa Fe since they're about an hour away from each other. Throw in all the other places that aren't too far away like Taos, the National Forest, etc. and there's plenty to see and do in that part of the country.

6'3" guard who gets you 6 boards a game, a 2:1 assist to turnover ratio, 87 steals last season (Rubin, our best on-ball defender, had 127...for his career). yes please.

The 1AA playoffs only work because there are home games involved for higher seeds in each round. Using minor Bowls or neutral sites would add huge costs plus more travel and kill attendance.

I think you are vastly underappreciating what A-Scott brought to the table

Money is in playoffs and championships. Get it done.

Will people care, though? Is there a market for this? Is Buffalo vs Coastal Carolina going to fill up At&t in Dallas for the G5 national championship? Will the game Crack even 3M viewers? On the surface it appears to be an ok idea. But reality might set in and a move like this might push people away more than it brings them together.

I wonder where he’ll play his senior year?

This is click bait. Congrats on it working. Got my TL talking for a bit. I am not unemployed or 22 years old anymore so I have had a hard time caring very hard.

SMU was not even the most egregious cheater in the SWC in the 80's. The governor aspect made it more salacious but as far as being "an artform" all the boosters in the SWC did the same shenanigans. They called it internally as the OPEC Conference. B/c that's where the price of players was set. Everyone knew what was going on and everyone was turning each other in for doing exactly what they were doing themselves. Truly the wild west.

Oh, listen, I cannot believe yall haven't sued the NCAA of billions of dollars. For back pay for killing your program. Yall just laid the groundwork for how painful a Death Penalty is to a program, so fine upstanding programs like Baylor, who saw players rape and kill people, as well as Penn State. who looked the other way at pedophilia in their own facilities by coaches, never got a deserved death penalty. But I will also say that nobody else had a payroll that involved the governor of a state to keep this all under wraps. Yall made it an artform...

Farrar looked good at the spring game. Trust in Cobbs.

This is like saying the quality of food at Taco Bell has increased significantly over the past four years...it's still subpar.

Recent Records/Success: 22-23 Season UNM: L 1st round of NIT NT: Won the NIT 21-22 Season UNM: 13-19 NT: 25-7; L 2nd round of NIT 20-21 Season UNM: 6-16 NT: 18-10; Beat #3 Purdue in opening round of NCAA before falling to VIllanova 19-20 Season UNM: 19-14 NT: 20-11 Post seasons cancelled.

I was one that said it was a lateral move. My comparison is on court success. We should fill the SP and it should be rocking C.J. must like ugly women and limited access for fun as well.

Also, attendance at games is not required, in fact it's discouraged.

I have no doubt, that NT's style of play; hurts recruiting. Many if not most of players, care more about their personal stats. than wins. With NIL and players going to the highest bidder, I believe it is even more important for NT to keep their defense first game. NT is not going to get the super stars or even be able to keep the players that they develop. Play solid defense first basketball and keep the slow game to grind out wins. Hodge does direct a quicker more offensive game than McCasland did in his era at NT.

just making sure @Andrew knows this option exists

Good luck to Rubin @ Michigan. Thanks for the memories. Just curious why he just didn't walk on at Michigan from Yates HS if he loved the history and family feel so much. Had a very good career at Yates but Michigan wasn't around when only UTEP, UNT and Nichols State came calling.