The 30 for 30, "I Hate Christian Laettner" is great.

[Saltydog]

No doubt one of the most clutch players in NCAA history. Laettner may have had a pretty face but make no bones about it, he was a tough guy and would stick it to your ass every chance he could.

[Bo Darville]

And he did stick it to their ass. It's funny listening to guys like Jalen Rose dog Laettner when they couldn't carry his jockstrap on a college basketball court.

[msstate7]

Watching this reminds me of how good college basketball used to be.

[Bo Darville]

Watching this reminds me of how good college basketball used to be.

100% agree

[Howboutdemdogs]

C. L. Was tough as a Nickle Steak. And would back up his trash talk.

[thunderclap]

Watching this reminds me of how good college basketball used to be.

Yep. Requiem for the Big East did the same thing.

[msstate7]

So what ruined it? Letting players leave after 1 year?

[Homedawg]

Watching this reminds me of how good college basketball used to be.

So true. It's just a shell of what it use to be. Sucks.

[starkvegasdawg]

So what ruined it?

Rick Ray

[msstate7]

Rick Ray

Stop it. College basketball as a whole isn't as good.

[DownwardDawg]

Rick Ray

Hahaha!!! Outstanding post!!!

[turkish]

Rick Ray
You win the interwebs for today, my friend.

[ShotgunDawg]

So what ruined it? Letting players leave after 1 year?

In 1995, Kevin Garnett announced that he would forgo college to enter the NBA draft, and in 1996 Kobe Bryant and Jermaine O'Neill did the same. Once those players entered the NBA draft and had success, the flood gates began to open.

Once the flood gates of high school players entering the NBA draft reached a point of ridiculousness, the NBA instituted the "One & done" rule in 2006. Once the "One & done" rule was instituted, all the talent began to funneled to about 5 schools in the country, since those 5 schools needed replace numerous starters each year.

IMO, college basketball began to erode in 1995 when the best players began to go straight to the NBA rather than college. It was further eroded when the "One & done" rule was instituted because it allowed fewer good players to filter down the food chain of schools. If Kentucky has to replace their point guard every year, then they are likely going to get the number 1 point guard every year since depth chart is no longer a concern to the recruit. However, if Kentucky recruits the number 1 point guard in the country and he has to stay 3 years, then Kentucky isn't likely to get the number 1 point guard for the next two recruiting class. Thus allowing more talent to filter down the food chain of college basketball and eventually landing at schools like MSU, Ole Miss, etc...

I'm not really sure what he answer is for college basketball, due to the threat and profitability of playing oversees. The NFL & MLB can institute any rule they please because there are no alternative leagues that compete with those leagues. Thus prospects have to play by their rules. Basketball & soccer are different. The NBA is easily the best league in the world, but some of the European leagues pay very well, and are good places for young players to make money if the NBA won't let them play yet.

[Dawg61]

In 1995, Kevin Garnett announced that he would forgo college to enter the NBA draft, and in 1996 Kobe Bryant and Jermaine O'Neill did the same. Once those players entered the NBA draft and had success, the flood gates began to open.

Once the flood gates of high school players entering the NBA draft reached a point of ridiculousness, the NBA instituted the "One & done" rule in 2006. Once the "One & done" rule was instituted, all the talent began to funneled to about 5 schools in the country, since those 5 schools needed replace numerous starters each year.

IMO, college basketball began to erode in 1995 when the best players began to go straight to the NBA rather than college. It was further eroded when the "One & done" rule was instituted because it allowed fewer good players to filter down the food chain of schools. If Kentucky has to replace their point guard every year, then they are likely going to get the number 1 point guard every year since depth chart is no longer a concern to the recruit. However, if Kentucky recruits the number 1 point guard in the country and he has to stay 3 years, then Kentucky isn't likely to get the number 1 point guard for the next two recruiting class. Thus allowing more talent to filter down the food chain of college basketball and eventually landing at schools like MSU, Ole Miss, etc...

I'm not really sure what he answer is for college basketball, due to the threat and profitability of playing oversees. The NFL & MLB can institute any rule they please because there are no alternative leagues that compete with those leagues. Thus prospects have to play by their rules. Basketball & soccer are different. The NBA is easily the best league in the world, but some of the European leagues pay very well, and are good places for young players to make money if the NBA won't let them play yet.

Excellent post! I think the only way for basketball to fix itself is for team basketball to start winning over the supremely talented teams. The Gonzagas and Northern Iowas of CBB need to be beating the Kentucky, Duke style teams consistently. Team basketball has to become the best recipe for success. Head coaches need to step up their strategy and figure out something new that beats the mega talented teams. It's like the NASCAR offenses in college football. What will stop them is the defensive coaches stepping up their game.

[thf24]

I think you're dead on Shotgun. There's also the factor of the emergence of AAU. The quality of coaching is steadily eroding due to the growing number of teams, and it's creating generations of players with little to no fundamental base due to being allowed to get by on athleticism alone. They get to college and struggle to find a niche because they can't match up in terms of size at the positions they had been playing and don't have the skill sets needed for their natural positions.

[Political Hack]

Rick Ray

I damn near spit my coffee out. outstanding.

[Coach34]

Rick Ray


That was hilarious

[Bama_Dawg]

Rick Ray

FTW!

I think its the one and done rule. You get powerhouse teams that can recruit the biggest HS Seniors, promise a run deep into the tourney and then they can go to the NBA. Rinse, repeat.

It should be 3 years on campus if you enroll in college before you can turn pro in any sport. We really need to harmonize this across sports.