Lincoln Riley headed to USC

[cawacko]

As I said above, different era, too much money at stake now, and some schools in the SEC now will go further, they’ll have no concern over new rules nor following them.

Look at SEC basketball, a dozen years ago they had one team competing on a national level, maybe a second for a year or two, but now, half the league is in the top twenty rankings. Suddenly kids with urban backgrounds are finding Alabama intriguing? There is a reason for that, and it ain’t what the school can offer academically. And this is what you are competing against be it basketball or any other sport that draws the big bucks

The world isn't static, things change. The SEC has won one NCAA basketball title the last 12 years. Having a couple of teams ranked in the Top 25 means little, especially in these days when the top players only stay a year or go play in one of the various pro leagues. (Look up Oakland kid Jalen Lewis who just turned pro at age 16.) Hell, look at what Andy Enfield has done with our hoop teams. Elite 8 last year and sent a number of players to the league over the past six years.

Your argument has evolved from USC can't win because our University doesn't spend the money to we don't cheat enough. I get the impression you follow the sport from a 30K sq.ft. level and not what the real drivers are.

[archives]

The world isn't static, things change. The SEC has won one NCAA basketball title the last 12 years. Having a couple of teams ranked in the Top 25 means little, especially in these days when the top players only stay a year or go play in one of the various pro leagues. (Look up Oakland kid Jalen Lewis who just turned pro at age 16.) Hell, look at what Andy Enfield has done with our hoop teams. Elite 8 last year and sent a number of players to the league over the past six years.

Your argument has evolved from USC can't win because our University doesn't spend the money to we don't cheat enough. I get the impression you follow the sport from a 30K sq.ft. level and not what the real drivers are.

I am just comparing SEC basketball from where it has always been to where it has become today in such a short period of time, which coincidentally matches the ever increasing money in the NCAA tournament.

I never said it was about having the money, as a precious poster added, the Ivies have the money, but rather what you are willing to do with the big money you have, and yes, cheating is necessary to reach that top half dozen, you saying USC would have no problem in cheating?

[Minister of Truth]

But only three since then, and if you take out Florida State, there are only six up until that time, point being out of the 130 or so colleges playing Division I football there are only a half dozen or so that realistically can win the championship.

Think of it like Nascar, their may be forty cars staring the event, but only five or six that stand a chance of winning, again, as in college football, it comes down to money and what you are willing to do with the money

So, don't use the start of the CFP as a benchmark when it doesn't support your argument.

[Minister of Truth]

Sure they will, he will have the finances and desire to do anything necessary to load the roster with several potential quarterbacks, rest would be just fitting one to the gasmen plan. There is a reason Alabama will get five star recruits to sign with them even though they know they will ride the bench for two or three years and could start elsewhere

You don't think competent coaching matters, which is why you have nothing to say about Saban, Meyer, Sweeney, or Fisher. Basically, you should never talk about sports, ever.

[Minister of Truth]

I am just comparing SEC basketball from where it has always been to where it has become today in such a short period of time, which coincidentally matches the ever increasing money in the NCAA tournament.

I never said it was about having the money, as a precious poster added, the Ivies have the money, but rather what you are willing to do with the big money you have, and yes, cheating is necessary to reach that top half dozen, you saying USC would have no problem in cheating?

SEC basketball sucks. You have KY and FL, which have always been good, and then you have everyone else.

[cawacko]

I am just comparing SEC basketball from where it has always been to where it has become today in such a short period of time, which coincidentally matches the ever increasing money in the NCAA tournament.

I never said it was about having the money, as a precious poster added, the Ivies have the money, but rather what you are willing to do with the big money you have, and yes, cheating is necessary to reach that top half dozen, you saying USC would have no problem in cheating?

Auburn and Tennessee have had a few good seasons but you're acting like its sea change in college hoops when its not the case. Freaking Baylor just won the national title. Gonzaga has been among the best for 20 years now. I don't know that you follow this stuff all that closely.

[archives]

You don't think competent coaching matters, which is why you have nothing to say about Saban, Meyer, Sweeney, or Fisher. Basically, you should never talk about sports, ever.

Sure it matters, but would any of those individuals have had as much success elsewhere where the school actually follows the rules? Having assistance from multi million dollar coaching staffs, unlimited recruiting resources, and an Administration that doesn’t care what you do would usually makes any coach look good

[cawacko]

You don't think competent coaching matters, which is why you have nothing to say about Saban, Meyer, Sweeney, or Fisher. Basically, you should never talk about sports, ever.

Thank you. Was Alabama not spending money when they had Mike DuBose, Dennis Franchoine, or Mike Shula? Did they only start when they hired Saban? In college football you do need buy in and support from the University but coaching plays a HUGE role.

[archives]

Auburn and Tennessee have had a few good seasons but you're acting like its sea change in college hoops when its not the case. Freaking Baylor just won the national title. Gonzaga has been among the best for 20 years now. I don't know that you follow this stuff all that closely.

Appears I shouldn’t have went into basketball, although I still can’t see why those kids from an urban background suddenly are attracted to southern rural schools, but the common denominator is the same as football’s

Gonzaga has the tradition, does Auburn or Alabama

[cawacko]

Appears I shouldn’t have went into basketball, although I still can’t see why those kids from an urban background suddenly are attracted to southern rural schools, but the common denominator is the same as football’s

Gonzaga has the tradition, does Auburn or Alabama

Until recently Gonzaga had ZERO tradition and still has never won a national title. Mark Few has built an incredible program (because coaching matters which you choose not to discuss). Not every (black) kid comes from an urban background. And for those that do getting out of the City is important to some (USC loses L.A. kids whose families want to them to get away from City life).

Alabama earned a 2 seed in hoops last year. Teams have good years, it's not impossible. Thought they got some local stud to stay home. Again, not uncommon.

[Flash]

Not true, not all about having the money, but what you are willing to do when you do have the money, the Ivies refused to cross the bridge a long time ago

That was my point. It is not just the money.

Some of the schools which do a good job of recruiting end up losing the best players to the pros after a couple of years. Now, we have players leaving high school early because they can earn money through merchandise.

[Minister of Truth]

Until recently Gonzaga had ZERO tradition and still has never won a national title. Mark Few has built an incredible program (because coaching matters which you choose not to discuss). Not every (black) kid comes from an urban background. And for those that do getting out of the City is important to some (USC loses L.A. kids whose families want to them to get away from City life).

Alabama earned a 2 seed in hoops last year. Teams have good years, it's not impossible. Thought they got some local stud to stay home. Again, not uncommon.

LOL, prior to about 1999, Gonzaga had produced John Stockton, and then Adam Morrison, who was really good in college, but disappeared in the NBA. But, since Archives views 20 years as an eternity, Gonzaga somehow has a tradition of excellence.

[cawacko]

LOL, prior to about 1999, Gonzaga had produced John Stockton, and then Adam Morrison, who was really good in college, but disappeared in the NBA. But, since Archives views 20 years as an eternity, Gonzaga somehow has a tradition of excellence.

Haha. I don't even know if the school ever made the NCAA tournament prior to the mid '90's. They were known as the school John Stockton went to and that was it. Zero history.

I don't know Archives's age but I feel like he said he has a couple of grown kids so it's not like someone from Gen Z who has only known Gonzaga to be good.

[Minister of Truth]

Haha. I don't even know if the school ever made the NCAA tournament prior to the mid '90's. They were known as the school John Stockton went to and that was it. Zero history.

I don't know Archives's age but I feel like he said he has a couple of grown kids so it's not like someone from Gen Z who has only known Gonzaga to be good.

Hell, I always look at the sad state of the UW. From the turn of the 20th Century to the 2002 Rose Bowl, the Huskies could be proud of the fact that they were never a bad team. They only had the single 1991 championship, but, there was never a dry spell in terms of quality, which is impressive. Today, kids who have only known the 21st Century UW view it very differently. Especially after the 2008 Crapple Cup, when the 0-11 UW faced the 0-11 WSU.

[cawacko]

Hell, I always look at the sad state of the UW. From the turn of the 20th Century to the 2002 Rose Bowl, the Huskies could be proud of the fact that they were never a bad team. They only had the single 1991 championship, but, there was never a dry spell in terms of quality, which is impressive. Today, kids who have only known the 21st Century UW view it very differently. Especially after the 2008 Crapple Cup, when the 0-11 UW faced the 0-11 WSU.

A buddy I grew up with played on that '91 Washington team. That team was monstrous. UW had some success under Chris Peterson including making the playoffs, but yeah it's really ebbed and flowed.

The school has some history and is right in the heart of a major metropolitan area but has struggled to be consistently good.