Welcome to the latest edition of Talking Hoops With Ted Sarandis. The season is approaching, and while we look ahead in some respects, there is also some off-court news that we get into as well.
We start by looking at the preseason AP Top 25, which was released earlier in the day. Along the way, we elaborate further on No. 1 Kansas, the ACC led by Duke and the fascinating Virginia team, Villanova and Purdue.
From there, we talk about the FBI investigation, which has flown under the radar in the media but whose case has now gone to the jury. While it’s hard to read the tea leaves not only for the case but also for NCAA implications, the testimony doesn’t seem to paint a clear picture, making any guess at the outcome and eventual fallout even more of a fool’s errand.
We then got into news from the NBA G League, which will now offer $125,000 “Select” contracts to a handful of players every year as a bridge between high school and being eligible for the NBA Draft. While an interesting idea at first glance, there are plenty of questions as well, and the story of Darius Bazley suggests that this will not exactly be a home run.
Finally, we close by going in some depth on the Big East, which already looked interesting before St. John’s got some big news. The Red Storm will have Auburn transfer Mustapha Heron eligible immediately, which now gives them the best combination of talent and experience in the Big East. Is this the year Chris Mullin finally gets results and lands them in the NCAA Tournament? Also, how will the conference look after most teams lost a lot of production?
In addition, we elaborate in our closing thoughts about the sport’s larger issues, especially in light of an all-too-early start to the season and on election day. That means many eyes that are on TV screens will be paying attention to election coverage and not the Champions Classic, which is one more hit to the sport’s early-season TV profile.
We hope you enjoy the podcast and share it with your fellow college basketball fans. Be sure to tune in again soon as we preview the upcoming season.
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