Mr. J.R. Smith Goes to College

Tipoff

During the preps-to-pros years, it was common to hear the argument for why talented high school players should get to the NBA as quickly as they can. ‘You can always go back to college, but you can’t go back to being 20 years old.’ Former NBA player J.R. Smith is here to prove the adage true. Smith, a 1st round pick in the 2004 NBA Draft, decided to bypass college glory at North Carolina for the NBA grind. After 16 NBA seasons, more than $90 million in career earnings, 2 NBA Titles, and a Sixth Man of the Year Award, Smith enrolled this fall at North Carolina A&T and has been granted eligibility by the NCAA to play on the golf team for the Aggies. Now, Smith spends his days sharing pearls of wisdom about life as a college student.

My conversation with Eric Devendorf about The Basketball Tournament (see Four Point Play, below), got me to think about the opportunities college basketball teams and the NCAA have with former NBA players that bypassed college or left with eligibility remaining to pursue their professional dreams. One way to honor the student part of student-athlete is to find ways to encourage former players to return to their colleges to finish their degrees. Imagine an exhibition tournament featuring Elton Brand, Luol Deng, and Jay Williams for Duke against Gilbert Arenas, Richard Jefferson, and Loren Woods for Arizona. There could be a women’s tournament as well with Rebecca Lobo and Sue Bird (whenever she eventually retires) of UConn headlining a team facing off against Candace Parker, Kara Lawson, and other Tennessee Vols greats.

The Basketball Tournament and the Big 3 demonstrate that an event, somewhat like the PGA’s Senior Tour Champions, could be a popular way to fill out the calendar for college hoops with direct tie-ins to the most popular NCAA teams. Now that name, image, and likeness has dispelled the notion that colleges must do everything in their power to preserve an outdated concept of amateurism, the possibilities are endless. Along the way, we might all better appreciate the realities of being college students again, like J.R. Smith.

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.

• We’ve got exclusive content here! Andre Dawkins is joined by the one and only Mike “Coach K” Krzyzewski on the Dawkins on Duke podcast. This marks the first podcast Coach K has done since he announced the 2021-22 season will be the final of his successful career. Dawkins and his college coach discuss the full timeline of that career, from the introductory press conference to the decision to finally leave the sidelines. Coach K noted that the game has changed for him recently and why now is the right time for him to call it a career.

• On Go Blu with Stu, “friend of the pod” and Michigan beat writer Brendan Quinn joins Stu Douglass has a season preview for the Wolverines as well as a recap of the saga of Emoni Bates and what it means for the future of Tom Izzo at Michigan State. Quinn and Douglass look at the early season lineup and schedule before discussing the importance of Eli Brooks for this Michigan squad. Brooks’ decision to return to Ann Arbor went without much notice in the offseason but could be one of the most important factors determining how far Michigan can go.

• We’ve got more exclusive content! Jeff Goodman sat down with high school standout Rowan Brumbaugh to share his college commitment. Brumbaugh is a point guard that has exploded on the scene over the summer. He discussed his game, his options, and his college choice. The final choices included Kansas, Maryland, Miami, Oregon, and Texas. Brumbaugh instead chose the Northwestern Wildcats and head coach Chris Collins. He explains his choice and how he hopes to beat those other teams.

The Field of 12

The first weekend of college football is in the books 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: Bryce Young is the REAL DEAL! A new Hesiman Favorite?

• The Trevor & Bryce Show: Can the Big 12 survive realignment? How will they replace Texas and Oklahoma?

• The B1G Show: BIG TEN EXPANSION! What is the best path forward now that the SEC is a super-conference?

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 in addition to producing compelling content for us at The Field of 68.

This week, we check in with Eric Devendorf, former Syracuse standout and host of the The Scorer’s Table podcast (Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you access podcasts).

1. How did it feel to win The Basketball Tournament (TBT) this year? And how did that experience compare with winning the legendary 2006 Big East Tournament?

• First off, the TBT does an incredible job of putting on a great tournament every year and this year was no exception. We had a great group of guys this summer and were able to make it in the Championship. Something amazing happened at the end of every game. Our guys were extremely tough. We didn’t shoot the ball that well, to be honest, and focused on rebounding and doing the dirty work. After 7 years, it felt incredible to win it. It was a very different experience as a professional, playing for money, winning the TBT. When I was a freshman at Syracuse, watching G-Mac (Gerry McNamara), it was amazing to be a part of that my first year of college. Being older, this one feels a little bit better, knowing we’ve been going hard at it for 7 years and finally getting it felt good.

1. In your podcasts, you’ve spoken with many former teammates and players that describe Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim, often in a combative or less than positive light. There was that time that Scoop Jardine almost got into a fight with Boeheim in the shower, for example. Although that ended with a hug and Jardine believing that Boeheim was one of the most loyal people in his life. You’ve known Coach Boeheim for a long time. What do you think drives him and how much longer do you see him on the sidelines?

• He’s one of the most competitive people I know. All he wants to do is win. That’s where guys bump heads. You’re going to bump heads sometimes with coaches, with other players. That’s just the nature of things. Scoop said that Coach Boeheim was one of the most loyal people he knows and that’s correct. He lets his guys play as long as they are playing hard. If you aren’t playing up to that standard, you’re going to be on the bench. He’s a super-competitive guy and does things just like I want to do them. I want to coach like that.

1. This is going to be a particularly Boeheim-filled year in college basketball. Coach Boeheim is sort of the last old guard coach out there in the limelight now that Roy Williams is retired, Coach K is doing his farewell tour, and Jim Calhoun and Rick Pitino are, shall we say, off the main stage. Then there are the Boeheim brothers, Buddy and Jimmy. How do you think the Orange are shaping up this season and do you think they will be a traditional Syracuse team that rides the bubble all the way until Selection Sunday?

• My expectation is to always make the tournament and this season is no different. There are a lot of shooters with Buddy and Jimmy, the Villanova transfer Cole Swider, Joe Girard, and the freshmen. Coach Boeheim is going to put them in a position to succeed and it is up to them to execute. A lot of the guys are a year older, a year stronger, and I expect them to make a run to the tournament again.

And one!

1. You’re a native of Bay City, Michigan, and before transferring to Oak Hill Academy in northern Virginia, you played for Bay City Central High School. While you are a local legend, I think we can both agree that you are not the most famous native. Let’s talk about Bay City’s biggest star, Madonna. If you had to pick one Madonna song to listen to every day for the rest of your life, what are you playing?

• You put me on the spot, I don’t listen to Madonna at all. She is from Bay City but just spent a hot second there and got up on out of there as fast as she could. I can’t say that I listen to Madonna at all.

Stay tuned for upcoming episodes of the Scorer’s Table podcast with Eric Devendorf. The podcast will feature other Syracuse players, coaches and alum, including a few stars from the 1980’s.

Around the Rim

We are trying something new this week. This section highlights some of the best writing on college basketball to hit the web. Consider these your extra credit assignments for fall semester. Leave a comment if you like what you see.

• Three Man Weave: Top 100 Players 2021-22

• Heat Check: How are teams with departed All-Americans replacing their stars?

• Sports Illustrated: ‘You’re Going to F---ing Pay Me’: Inside Dino Gaudio’s Explosive Conversation With Chris Mack