College Basketball Needs a Schedule Czar

Tipoff

The young college basketball season has been a smashing success on the court. This week alone, the women’s #1 and #2 teams faced off on Monday while the men’s #1 and #2 teams did the same on Tuesday night. In just two weeks, this season has included marquee matchups, early season tournaments with top teams, and the roar of the crowd from the fans back in the stands. And yet, hardly anyone outside of the die-hards have paid attention. You can blame the schedule.

Kevin Sweeny of Sports Illustrated blames the timing of the games (see Around the Rim below). Last night’s game between Gonzaga and UCLA on the men’s side is a perfect example of this. The game began at 10:00 p.m. Eastern on a Tuesday night. This was the most anticipated matchup of the season, a repeat of the instant classic Final Four matchup from April. But it was scheduled when many on the East Coast - the most populated part of the country - were getting ready for or already were in bed. Many other key matchups this season, like UCLA vs. Villanova and the upcoming Duke vs. Gonzaga game have a similarly late tipoff.

The problem is deeper than the late starts. The schedule is disjointed. The first day of the season, November 9th, featured the Champions Classic with Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, and Michigan State playing in prime time. It was a big event. The next day? Peanuts. Only two ranked teams played that day and many programs were playing non-Division 1 opponents. It was a snooze-fest. As the NCAA reconsiders its structure and governance, it should give attention to the schedule as well and take a more active role in helping to feed the fans the big games - and at times they can watch - consistently throughout the season. The college basketball schedule is another example of the glaring lack of leadership and vision for the sport at the highest levels.

The Mixtape 

The Field of 68 team puts out lots of great content each week. Let’s take a look at some of the highlights.

• Can anyone beat Gonzaga? Late this morning, the Zags knocked off their second top 5 team by 20+ points by dispatching UCLA 83-63. The next up on the schedule is Duke, late on Friday night. On Field of 68 After Dark, Jeff Goodman, Rob Dauster, and former Iowa State head coach Steve Prohm preview the next top 5 team to take on the Bulldogs. Let’s just say that, for the Blue Devils, not getting blown out might prove they are Final Four contenders.

• The happiest man in America might be John Fanta, “Mr. Big East.” Fanta, a new conference convert Terrence Oglesby, and Mr. Husky himself, Rob Dauster breaks down the results of the Gavitt Games where the basketball-only conference dominated the Big Ten and the rest of college basketball. Fanta is so dedicated to the Big East that he flew to Providence, Rhode Island just to bask in the history of the conference. The trio discuss the implications of conference dominance in November.

• One team flying under the radar a little is Arizona, who knocked off Michigan late on Sunday night in Las Vegas (see Tipoff above and my gripes about the schedule). New Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd is doing his best Roy Williams impersonation. Williams, the now-retired head coach, took a talented roster constructed by Matt Doherty and turned them into National Champions in just a couple of years at North Carolina. Is Tommy Lloyd about to do the same for the Wildcats with players recruited by Sean Miller? Robbie Hummel - demonstrating extreme dedication by broadcasting from the Las Vegas airport - and Jeff Goodman discuss Arizona, Robbie’s Purdue Boilermakers, and more.

The Field of 12

The college football season is in high gear and the Field of 12 is on the scene. Here is a brief sample of the new network from the makers of Field of 68.

• Field of 12 After Dark | Ohio State rolls, Georgia cruises, and more!!!

• SEC Primetime with Starks & Stoern | INSTANT REACTION! DAN MULLEN IS FIRED BY FLORIDA!

• One on Ones with Cory Sensabaugh and Harry Douglas | Michigan CAN MAKE THE PLAYOFFS! Oklahoma’s loss opens the door for them!

Four Point Play

Each newsletter throughout the summer, we’ll check in with one of our podcast hosts and see what they’re up to besides producing compelling content for us at The Field of 68.

This week, we checked in with Curtis Sumpter, former Villanova standout and host of the Blueblood on the Mainline podcast (Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you access podcasts).

1. One of the most controversial debates in college basketball is deciding who is and isn’t a “blue blood.” Your podcast proudly states that Villanova is a blue blood - it is right there in the title. What does that term mean to you and why would you want Villanova to be a blue blood?

• It was created by the first host, Jason Frazor. He thought about it as brotherhood. I interpreted it as being part of the Villanova family, the core values of Villanova athletics. To me, it means everyone coming together and being part of the same family. It means unity and supporting one another, being part of that community.

1. Let’s focus on this year’s team. It is clear that this Villanova team can play with some of the best teams in the country. They were leading both UCLA and Purdue late before collapsing down the stretch in both games. Is that just how the ball bounces or cause for concern?

• I don’t think there are causes for concern. They were in the games. It is just a different dynamic with the team this year. There are two super seniors that have a ton of experience. There are guys that are still trying to figure out their role. You have Brandon Slater, a senior, taking on a new role. He is being looked at as trying to be a major contributor this year. Everyone has to get on the same page more consistently, I believe they will figure it out. We always do.

1. The Big East has had a great start to the season. Villanova was the unquestioned leader of the conference in the preseason. Other teams in the conference have had big wins, like Seton Hall over Michigan and Marquette over Illinois. Do you still see a wide gap between Nova and everyone else in the Big East?

• I think everyone has gotten better. They have benefited from that extra year of eligibility. Some teams, like VIllanova, have had players that had success and left early. I think we have enough leadership on the team to be competitive. There is no concern there. The league is going to be tough. At the end, Villanova will be right there fighting with the other top teams.

And one!

1. College basketball fans are in mourning over the loss of Jay Wright’s signature look. The best-dressed man in sports ditched his bespoke suits during COVID and, along with the rest of the Big East coaches, adopted a more casual look on the sideline. I, for one, was surprised he decided to ditch the pinstripe suits. Coach Wright was your head coach at Villanova. Tell me something else that surprising about him.

• People have a perception of him, the way he caries himself and how he dresses, he is just a regular normal guy. He is very humble. The success does not get to his head. He is appreciative of everyone that has been through the program, the ones that came through in the past. He loves the process. He said in his Hall of Fame speech that Villanova is his dream job.

Stay tuned for upcoming episodes of the Blueblood on the Mainline podcast with Curtis Sumpter. Upcoming guests include former teammate Christian Charles.

Wednesday Superlatives

Each week, we will shine a light on a team and an individual player that has captured the hearts of the world of college basketball.

• Team of the Week: ArizonaLet’s be honest, you didn’t stay up late into Sunday night to start watching the Roman Main Event championship match between Arizona and Michigan. You slept through a dominant Arizona win. The Wildcats under new head coach Tommy Lloyd put on a show, handing preseason top 10 team Michigan their second loss of the young season in an 80-62 final score. The Wildcats are a talented team full of length and surprising experience. Much of the roster stayed in Tucson after Sean Miller was fired. Junior center Christian Koloko led the way against the Wolverines, scoring 22 points to go along with 7 rebounds and 4 blocks in his matchup against All-American Hunter Dickinson.

• Player of the Week: Trevion WilliamsThe Purdue Boilermakers entered the season ranked in the top 10 amid talk of competing for an elusive Final Four berth. Part of that ranking was based on returning former Big Ten First Team member Trevion Williams. Instead, the big man is coming off the bench behind 7’4” sophomore Zach Eady. No matter. Instead of sulking, Williams is leading. In a thrilling win over UNC on Saturday at Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut, Williams scored 20 points in just 13 minutes of action. Then on Sunday, he was seen on the bench in the final minutes waving his arms like an\ windmill in a hurricane as Eady dunked it to seal the win over Villanova. Williams sacrificed his spot in the starting lineup this season after being a starter most of the past two seasons. He wasn’t just a starter, though, he was a star. His attitude and sportsmanship this season shines bright and is key to keeping that Final Four dream alive in West Lafayette.

Around the Rim

This section highlights some of the best writing on college basketball to hit the web. Consider these your extra credit assignments for fall semester.

• Sports Illustrated | College Basketball Needs Its Showcase Games in Showcase Time Slots

• New York Times | No. 1 South Carolina Gets a Statement Win Over No. 2 UConn

• CBS Sports | Overreactions from the first week of college basketball season: ACC, Big Ten, Pac-12 deal with reality checks