Watch this

ESPN and Theater Sports Network will televise ACC college football games and six bowl games in theaters this season. This is a cool experiment, especially if you’re someone who wants the biggest screen possible to watch your team. I’m wondering if it peels off the bar audience, the home audience, or some of the stadium goers.

Let's get to some college hoops news.

1. All the stars are closer

It’s gonna be quite a night in Chicago when the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame inducts its Class of 2023.

It’s a loaded class, headlined by Mike Krzyzewski, Chicago native and star of The Bear, Season 2.

What? Not digging the Chicago theme? Fine. I’ll go more traditional.

The loaded class is headlined by Coach K, who won 1,200 games, five national titles, went to 13 Final Fours, won 15 ACC Tournaments, and has a great argument as the greatest college basketball coach of all time.

Also being inducted are

• Johnny Dawkins, who was the first star for K at Duke, and was NPOY in 1986

• Herb Magee, who nearly won as many games as Coach K in 54 seasons at Thomas Jefferson University

• Tom Konchalski, a legendary scout whose reports were essential for any coach

• North Carolina legend Tyler Hansbrough, the 2008 NPOY and 3-time consensus All-American

The Field of 68 will have a special episode for tonight’s ceremony, so be sure to watch starting at 5:30 pm ET on YouTube or Twitter.

I’m hoping Psycho T (who talked about his honor back in May), stops by to give Jeff Goodman another beatdown in ping pong, but he probably won’t have time. It would make for magnificent viewing, though.

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2. Calipari wants the focus on freshmen (again)

Just like most of the 2010s, Kentucky enters the 2023-24 season with the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class. But, unlike most of the 2010s, that doesn’t mean as much as it used to with the onus on older, more experienced players.

Reaching Final Fours and winning nattys with freshmen? That’s a lot harder than it used to be. Just ask John Calipari.

"We've got 26- and 27-year-olds playing 18-year-olds," he said Tuesday on ESPN.

Like much of what Coach Cal says, there’s some truth to it, but you need to wade through the hyperbole. There are some older players on prominent teams. Kansas has a 25-year-old (Nick Timberlake). Memphis has guys who will turn 25 this season. But there isn’t a roster filled with 26- and 27-year-olds.

I get it. You bring in four 5-star prospects, you don’t want them playing against men. You want them playing against other teenagers. But let’s pump the brakes.

Especially when it comes to other comparisons.

"It is one-and-done, too," Calipari said of the portal. "Everybody was mad about a young player coming in and only staying one year. Well, now we're doing it with older players. It's the same as one-and-done."

Hm. I’m trying to remember if Calipari’s had any teams that thrived thanks to transfers. Like maybe one with a NPOY who transferred in?

3. What to make of minutes continuity?

All that said, Calipari isn’t necessarily wrong. If continuity is key to a successful college hoops program, there isn’t an overwhelming amount this season at the power conferences.

Cue the tweet.

As Jim wrote, it’s no surprise to see the Ivy League leading the way. Transferring from an elite academic school usually isn’t a smart decision. Beyond that, the ASun, Mo Valley and CAA all boast fairly good numbers for a time when seemingly everyone transfers.

And the Big Ten is markedly higher than the next closest power conferences, the ACC and Pac-12.

The leagues that most think will be the best conferences this season — the SEC, Big East and Big 12 — are all 45% or lower for returning minutes, and 43% or lower for highest returning possession minutes. (Of course, there are notable outliers.)

Teams such as TCU, Virginia, Gonzaga and FAU had more than 66% of minutes continuity last season, and all four had solid to excellent seasons.

Still, returning players isn’t quite as important as who you return. Last season, UConn’s minutes continuity was only 33.2% (per KenPom), ranking it 248th overall. But they brought back the right players (Adama Sanogo, Jordan Hawkins and Andre Jackson), added important transfers (Tristen Newton, Joey Calcaterra) and impact freshmen (Donovan Clingan, Alex Karaban).

If only there was a way to get more context around these numbers and have a better understanding of how this will play into the overall 2023-24 season.

Wait, I’ve got it. Try this.

Passing grade

Kentucky’s summer wasn’t ideal. The Wildcats have a stellar incoming freshman class — what else is new? — But at one point they didn’t have any players with college experience on the roster. Now that it’s almost September, John Calipari snagged a couple of crucial transfers and the Wildcats look like they could be a Top 25 team. So how does Jeff Goodman grade their offseason?

Subscribe to The Field of 68 on YouTube here and subscribe here to AFTER DARK

Links as you prep for Hurricane Idalia.

• UConn’s non-con schedule has plenty of highlights (and creampuffs).

• Alabama finalized its non-con schedule. Kudos for playing at Creighton.

• A pair of high-major assistants are vying for a G-League gig.

• You probably need more John Fanta in your life.

Thanks for reading The Field of 68 Daily! If you have a news tip or feedback, email us at [email protected].