Don't mess with the best

Coaches agree when it comes to NCAA tourney format - don't touch a thing. Plus, Wyoming grabs another SoCal player, Rhode Island transfer delayed, and more.

September 13, 2022

We’re just over three months into our revamped newsletter for the Field of 68, and want to thank everyone for subscribing. We’ve seen solid growth, tried some formats and ongoing sections, and will continue to experiment as the season nears.

On that note, we’re planning some backend changes soon — a platform switch and the occasional reader survey — and would love any feedback you have about The Daily. Drop us a line at [email protected]. Change can be tough (see our first headline), so we want to get it right.

Let’s get to the news.

THREE POINTERS

1. Change the NCAA tourney? Coaches say NO.

Yes, that’s an all-caps NO because it was an overwhelming response to a simple question posed by CBS Sports: Should the NCAA Tournament change to an all at-large format?

It has been a topic much of the summer, ever since Jeff Goodman reported in July that SEC Commissioner and NCAA Transformation Committee Co-Chair Greg Sankey hinted at the notion. The possibility of not having small or some mid-major schools included in March Madness? College hoops Twitter didn’t like it.

Well, neither do the coaches. Ninety-seven percent of the 100 coaches CBS polled said the tourney should stay as it is: 68 teams, with automatic at-large bids allocated to each conference.

Ninety-seven percent. Nothing has an approval rating like that.

Among the selected quotes highlighted, this one hits all the key points:

“If [Sankey] does that, March Madness the way we've known it won't be the same and overall we'll lose interest. Our fan base doesn't give a shit about UConn losing to Oklahoma in the first round. The run Saint Peter's made was historical. They love that. Loyola Chicago, they love those stories. That makes March Madness March Madness. If they change that, they better start paying the athletes a salary because you pretty much have farm league teams. College would turn into G League. And then what's next for mid-majors? A 'mid-major national championship'?”

One coach suggested the NIT would be ripe for tinkering by expanding to 64 teams, which would make sense. It’s already moving away from NYC to Las Vegas for 2023. If the goal is to create another NCAA product that can generate a massive media deal, start with the NIT. Don’t mess with the perfect tournament.

2. Cowboy up!

Apparently, Wyoming opened a California pipeline this summer when it added three Southern California transfers (Ethan Anderson and Max Agbonkpolo from USC and Jake Kyman from UCLA) because Monday brought in yet another SoCal product.

Makaih Williams is a 6-foot point guard from Castaic Southern California Academy who’s rated as a 3-star prospect, per 247. He chose the Cowboys over Ole Miss, San Francisco, and Montana, among others. Williams also becomes Wyoming’s first 2023 commit.

“It was just Coach [Jeff] Linder showing me his guards that he’s developed and turned into great players,” he told 247. “He showed that he knows how to adjust to his team and he is a great coach overall. Watching them practice and play showed me that I can fit right into what they are doing and also thrive in the system.”

That’s a solid recruiting pitch. Linder coached three guards — Jordan Davis, Andre Spight and Jonah Radebaugh — at Northern Colorado who now play professionally, while Wyoming senior Hunter Maldoando will be the next in line.

3. Rocky Rhode

Anthony Harris’ time at Rhode Island won’t officially start until at least 2023.

Harris won’t enroll at URI because of academic concerns and is expected to miss all of the Rams’ non-conference schedule. The North Carolina transfer and former top-100 recruit in the class of 2019 battled foot injuries for his first two seasons in Chapel Hill before sitting out most of 2021-22 for undisclosed reasons.

Harris played in 35 games during his UNC time, averaging 3.5 points per game.

New coach Archie Miller told the Providence Journal he expects Harris to be ready for conference play and is expected to fulfill academic requirements at a junior college.

“Anthony is a key part of what we are building at Rhode Island, and we will continue to work with him and support him in every way possible. Our plan is to have him here with us before the new year.” 

THE DTF PODCAST

The year of big recognition

Look, we’ve promoted The Almanac in every Daily since announcing it three weeks ago (you can still get it for just $15.99 with promo code HOOPS, but not for much longer). That’s not stopping anytime soon.

But we are zigging a bit today thanks to the DTF podcast where Rob Dauster, John Fanta and Terrence Oglesby discuss the return of the big men, and their impact on the game beyond simply ensuring casual fans are familiar with players.

FWIW, I’m with Terrence: Wings are what wins titles.

Subscribe to The Field of 68 on YouTube here and subscribe to the DTF podcast here.

THE FAST BREAK

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