With the college basketball starting earlier of late, there’s not the same opportunity to be reflective before the season on Hoopville’s anniversary. On Thursday, November 7, Hoopville will officially be 18 years old, but there will be game action to talk about. With that in mind, now is as good a time as any for what had been done on November 7 before.
As we enter season 19 of Hoopville, I’m constantly reminded of how special the college game remains, even as it changes to seemingly make it less distinguishable from the NBA. The shot clock is down to 30 seconds, the three-point line moves back this season, and more experiments with rule changes that make the game less unique are considered all the time. At times it can be easy to forget a simple line that has often been used to explain how college players haven’t performed as expected in the NBA: college basketball is a different game.
The game itself has been changing from a stylistic standpoint, and in college we have seen that for some time. For a solid decade or so, a center in college has usually been about 6’8″ or 6’9″, what has often been considered power forward size. Many teams run a four-out, one-in system at the offensive end, with more schools than ever wanting stretch forwards.
What remains through all of the changes is that the game is enjoyable and full of great stories. The feel is different from the pro game, especially nowadays when the NBA off-season has become talked about almost as much as the games, as if the games are now secondary. College basketball is a 12-month-a-year deal, especially with transfers and even coaching changes happening at unexpected times (like Patrick Beilein resigning from Niagara recently for personal reasons, and we extend our best wishes to him at this time), but it doesn’t have the subplots the NBA has.
What also remains is that this can be seen at all levels of the sport. The power conferences get much of the coverage, understandably, but you don’t have to go far to find great stories to follow and that happens before March. Conference tournaments bring out many of those stories, especially with unexpected champions that move on to the NCAA Tournament, but these stories emerge even sooner than that. A number of smaller conferences will have great races for the top spot as usual, and although conference realignment has robbed us of some great rivalries, others remain along the way.
Recent weeks have also seen something else happen: two old coverage channels have returned. Last year in this space, I lamented the end of City of Basketball Love; that is now back up and running. Additionally, I caught wind that the Mid-Majority has returned as well, another non-trivial development. Mid-major college basketball has been a large portion of our coverage over the years, and I have often credited Kyle Whelliston in the years I reflected on covering over 100 games (oh how that seems like so long ago!)
So as we begin season 19, for once I can look at positive developments in our space. It’s great to see more coverage of this great game, and we’re geared up to do that again as the games beckon. We hope you share this excitement.
Side Dishes
We inadvertently skipped over the Mountain West during our look ahead to the conferences, certainly a glaring omission. It was not our way of saying that the conference isn’t what it used to be a few years ago, when it was routinely a multi-bid conference and even put five teams into the NCAA Tournament one year. Look for Utah State to be the favorites, though San Diego State and New Mexico are capable of pushing them and Boise State, the new-look Nevada and steady Fresno State have potential as well.
South Alabama and UT Arlington should lead the way in the Sun Belt, with both schools bringing a lot of momentum into this season. South Alabama has a solid Player of the Year candidate in Trhae Mitchell to lead an experienced cast, while UT Arlington was a pleasant surprise and brings back much of its cast. One would be wise to not dismiss the likes of Georgia Southern or Texas State, the former of who lost an all-time great player but returns an experienced cast.
New Mexico State should again rule the WAC, as they have for some time now. The Aggies are the signature program of the conference and should remain so, with emerging Grand Canyon the most likely to give them a run for their money and Seattle U also potentially in the mix.
Picking the West Coast Conference is usually pretty easy, and this season is no different. Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s lead the way, with both having the potential to be NCAA Tournament teams if they don’t win the conference tournament. BYU also looks to have rebuilt with new head coach Mark Pope, so the Cougars should give both a run for their money although they appear to be a notch below them.
Tonight’s Menu
We have one more night without college basketball action, but that doesn’t mean things are idle. Stay tuned for one more podcast looking ahead to the season tomorrow in addition to the Morning Dish for the day that includes all the games slated to go.
