Who benefits most from larger rosters?

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Let’s dive in.

1. Exploring ideas of larger rosters across hoops

Managing a college sports roster is about to get more interesting.

Part of the House v. NCAA settlement includes a report that scholarship limits across all sports will expand. For basketball, that means growing from 13 to 15, starting in the 2025-26 academic year. That may not seem like a lot, but it could have an interesting ripple effect.

Which coaches are most likely to use all 15 scholarship spots?

Purdue coach Matt Painter is among those who could use it for this upcoming season. A 6-man incoming recruiting class opened the door for experienced players to explore other programs. That’s just one example. Teams who traditionally have large classes, such as Duke, Ohio State, or UCLA, this would allow them to have the option to redshirt more incoming freshmen.

Other likely coaches would include:

• Eric Musselman, USC

• Dana Altman, Oregon

• Mark Pope, Kentucky

• Buzz Williams, Texas A&M

• Penny Hardaway, Memphis

What about redshirting players?

There’s a chance that this practice becomes more prevalent, even without the previous transfer restrictions being in play. The combination of the extra COVID season phased out and expanding rosters could allow more flexibility when it comes to player development.

Mark Few of Gonzaga was one of the most effective coaches when it comes to developing players after their redshirt years. Colgate transfer and Patriot League POY guard Braeden Smith will sit out next season, and step into the lead role once Ryan Nembhard graduates. I’d expect schools in the Mountain West, Atlantic 10 and the AAC to load up on players and try the development route.

Programs who might use a deeeeep bench

Even with larger rosters, most teams will still feature 7-8 man rotations. But there will be some exceptions, such as Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton (if he’s still around). He’s the type who’d go 12-deep is possible.

Coaches of foul-prone or aggressive teams could benefit.

Keith Urgo (Fordham) or Dennis Gates (Missouri) typically have aggressive defenses that require lots of guards in case of foul trouble. One also wonders if the Blue Blood programs will bring in deeper benches simply because there’s more opportunity for scholarship players to say they’ve been at a Kansas or a North Carolina.

Lastly, expect other pipelines, such as junior college or the international route to benefit as well. Even if the high-majors snag mid-major players in the portal every year, there’ll be more room to find more hidden gems. All it takes is to find one star out of nowhere to change a team and a coach’s fortunes.

2. Big 12, SEC won’t start shrinking tourneys

There’s a logistics question when it comes to conference expansion and conference tournaments.

Does everyone still get a shot?

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