Will Big 5 split from NCAA basketball?

[SJHooper]

I think it is much more likely that the NBA beefs up the NBDL and hurts college basketball interest that way. With that as a threat to the potential revenue of both the P5 teams and schools like us, I think they stand together and keep the NCAA Tournament pretty close to what it currently is.

Can't see the D league ever attracting lots of buzz. College hoops is way more entertaining and there are legit rivalries, cinderella stories, and anything can happen. The D league is like minor league baseball…it will just never catch on seriously. I agree that the NCAA Tourney isn't going anywhere.

[stever20]

Yeah I just don't see the NBDL ever really taking hold- though I do kind of wonder if as some of the veteran coaches start leaving like Coach K, Williams, Pitino, Izzo, etc. if that could change things...

Also, the thing you wonder is if Mounday- the kid who was going to SMU but wound up not going- if he has all sorts of success this year- if that changes the model to some degree for the higher level players. Play overseas for a year, get a shoe deal, and then go into the draft the following year. He could be a real game changer.

[Professor_Bulldog]

That ^^^^

Plus, why would the NBA funnel any more resources to the d league when their have a free minor league with a built in media hype machine already in place through the ncaa

[marquette]

Yeah I just don't see the NBDL ever really taking hold- though I do kind of wonder if as some of the veteran coaches start leaving like Coach K, Williams, Pitino, Izzo, etc. if that could change things...

Also, the thing you wonder is if Mounday- the kid who was going to SMU but wound up not going- if he has all sorts of success this year- if that changes the model to some degree for the higher level players. Play overseas for a year, get a shoe deal, and then go into the draft the following year. He could be a real game changer.

Been done. Brandon Jennings. Turned out ok for him (selected 10th in 2009 draft). Didn't have a big impact.

[stever20]

Yeah I just don't see the NBDL ever really taking hold- though I do kind of wonder if as some of the veteran coaches start leaving like Coach K, Williams, Pitino, Izzo, etc. if that could change things...

Also, the thing you wonder is if Mounday- the kid who was going to SMU but wound up not going- if he has all sorts of success this year- if that changes the model to some degree for the higher level players. Play overseas for a year, get a shoe deal, and then go into the draft the following year. He could be a real game changer.

Been done. Brandon Jennings. Turned out ok for him (selected 10th in 2009 draft). Didn't have a big impact.

I think a couple things with Mounday. 1st off, he could be the #1 pick in the draft. Also, I don't remember Jennings getting a shoe deal prior to it. Mounday has already signed with Under Armour. I think it's a bit of a difference.

[DeltaV]

Reading through this thread, I'm noticing that we're all thinking like basketball fans, not P5 presidents and executives. We think that fans will prefer to watch, say, Villanova vs. Gonzaga instead of Penn State vs. Alabama.

I doubt the P5 presidents think that way. I think the money, power, and prestige has gone to their heads to the point that they think that their name recognition would save them, and that casual fans really will watch Penn State basketball, and that people would be excited by, say, Penn State upsetting Pitt (I pick on PSU because I grew up in state college, and I think state high could fill more seats than Penn State for basketball).

I think our best hope is to remain strong, and that the power five, when they go 4x16 for football, decide to keep a few other basketball leagues around to have, say, 128 teams to draw from for a 64 team ' march madness'. We would possibly be forced to go to 16 to match, but at least we'd still be in the game.