MBB OGT: #5 FLORIDA at #7 Alabama -- March 5, 2025 -- 7 PM [ESPN2]

Plus, Sears has never been called for a foul. In 3-4 years, 0 fouls on Sears.
I jest but it sometimes feels like that. He is a great player for sure but come on…

 

It’ll come back to you when you get drunk again…..its Science

 

I was blinded by science.

Or it might have been the bourbon.

 

I read CJ Moore’s bracket analysis in the Athletic today, and he addressed the question of why so many teams are killing it in the metrics. One is a reason we’ve discussed: teams are more metrics focused, with teams taking fewer and fewer two point jumpers for example. The other is a reason we hadn’t considered:

Two reasons for that dominance: a funneling of the best mid-major players to high-major programs via the transfer portal, and an all-time season of offensive efficiency across the country, with the teams at the top scoring at historic rates.​

2025 NCAA Tournament bracket picks: Why CJ Moore has Florida topping Duke for national title

 

The Athletic also had a good article on the how the committee over the years worked with metrics sites to replace RPI with NET.

To your point...is this the last group of COVID sixth-year players? These SEC rosters aren't blue chip heavy but are old man heavy.

 

Yes, but now all the juco transfers get an extra year, and they’re currently considering giving everyone else one too.

 

Agreed. I know I've talked about how team composition has entirely changed with NIL/portal, plus the extra covid year. 4th and 5th year guys who would ordinarily be in the G-league or overseas are getting paid as much to stay in college. International guys are coming here to contribute off the bench. Lots of overlooked recruits (especially in the 2021-2023 classes due to covid) have proven what they can do at smaller schools, then moved up with more experience and confidence. Just look at the the elite rosters--with the exception of Duke, mostly all are veteran teams with a majority of kids either recruited out of high school and multi-year portal adds.

You used to give a kid a year or two to prove himself, then recruit over him. Transfers were guys who couldn't make it at their current school. Now, there is far more of a commitment to developing your own kids and keeping them in school with NIL. And if you return a critical nucleus, the augment the roster with veteran transfers who have played a lot of ball, you can do so much more schematically. The game is slower for these kids, they play better together, they know the system and pick up the opposition quicker. College hoops is more entertaining than I ever remember, in part because it is played at such a high level.