Arrivals and departures

Armando Bacot announced his return to North Carolina, while Kerr Kriisa and other notable names entered the portal. Plus, looking ahead to the Sweet 16 and more

Author

Mike Miller
March 23, 2023

Ah. Game day is here. Unless you're one of the people watching the NIT (congrats to UAB and Utah Valley!), you've been without college hoops for a few days now and are no doubt eager for the games to tip off tonight.

Soon enough. First, more coaching news and some good stuff is coming out of Chapel Hill.

1. Big news for UNC

After a few days of North Carolina players hitting the portal, this was a welcome sight in Chapel Hill (and everywhere else that bleeds Tar Heel blue).

Armando Bacot, a double-double machine and probably the only consistent part of UNC's forgettable 2022-23 campaign, will return for a fifth and final season. "I'm using my last year of eligibility," he told Jeff Goodman. "I felt it was the right decision for my future."

Roughly translated: I'm not about to end my career by missing the NCAA Tournament. Also, there's plenty of NIL money to seal the deal.

We've covered North Carolina's season ad nauseum, but I'll do one last summary for those living under a rock, or just like the way it sounds: UNC started the season atop the polls, never won more than five games in a row, finished 20-13 overall, 11-9 in a weak ACC and missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2010. 

It was not a happy time in Chapel Hill, further reinforced by the exodus this week. Four players entered the transfer portal: Puff Johnson, Tyler Nickel, Dontrez Styles and Justin McKoy. To be fair, none of them were starters; they only accounted for 11 percent of the minutes played last season, which means Hubert Davis has an incredible opportunity to upgrade at the wing position through the portal. (UNC has two incoming freshmen, combo guard Simeon Wilcher and power forward Zayden High.)

Regardless of who the Heels add, Bacot's return means Davis has a steady, consistent presence down low, and something they should maximize next season. Even with RJ Davis (probably) back in Chapel Hill, focusing on Bacot seems like the surest bet for a return to the NCAA Tournament. 

I mean, Bacot's a grown man who'll be playing against kids. And he knows it. Why not use it?

2. More from #portalszn

Given the rest of the portal activity on Wednesday, Bacot's decision felt like an anachronism. Per Verbal Commits, the total number of D-I players expected to transfer has surpassed 800. There were a few notable decisions, too. Let's take a peek.

This first one was a surprise. Guess we're gonna need to update the Field of 68 Shop.

Kriisa has been the face of Arizona basketball the last two seasons, for better or worse. The 6-2 point guard led the Pac-12 in assists, averaged 9.9 points per game and shot 37 percent from beyond the arc. He's a solid player and highly watchable, but he's also one of the sport's biggest wildcards. Kriisa can shoot a team to a big lead ... and also shoot them out of it.

Still, he'll be one of the more in-demand players. Some other notable entrants:

One important note: The NCAA released a memo indicating it would not allow waivers for players who wish to transfer after a coach's departure. That's some weak sauce, NCAA. If a coach leaves, let the players bail.

3. Notre Dame goes all in on offense

Mike Brey's Notre Dame teams were always a fun watch, at least for those of us who liked offensive movement and shooting. Not so much if you liked defense.

Transitioning to a new coach probably won't change that.

The Irish reportedly will hire Penn State coach Micah Shrewsberry, a move that'll keep them among the game's top offenses if Shrewsberry's two years in Happy Valley are any indication of what to expect. 

He went 37-31 in two seasons and is coming off a 23-14 campaign in which Penn State made its first NCAA Tournament since 2011. Penn State wasn't a big team, prized 3-pointers (47 percent of their shot attempts were from beyond the arc) and made them (38.7 percent, 7th-best in D-I), and never turned the ball over. Its best player, 6-4 Jalen Pickett, was a throwback guard, happy to post repeatedly post up and use "booty ball" to create scoring opportunities. Sounds exactly like the best teams Brey had at Notre Dame.

Shrewsberry, 46, also has extensive ties to the state. He grew up in Indiana, worked as an assistant coach at Wabash and DePauw, was the head coach at IU South Bend, then an assistant at Butler and Purdue before spending four years as an assistant with the Boston Celtics. That last part's an important selling point as well. Shrewsberry's ties to NBA players could be a differentiator for attracting players to South Bend.

The move is expected to be made official on Friday.

4. Previewing the Sweet 16, courtesy of the DTF podcast

It's always a strange Thursday juxtaposition from the NCAA Tournament's first week to the second week. Games start to tip by noon ET that first week, and there are quickly three to four at a time to monitor. It's a glorious sensory overload.

The second week? Well, there aren't any new brackets to complete. You've already done your research and probably know everything about the 16 remaining teams. Worst of all? You have to wait all day for the games to begin! What are we supposed to do until Michigan State-Kansas State tips off (6:30 pm ET on TBS)? Work? Chores? 

So let's do this. Let's just fire up three hoopheads discussing these matchups and hope that tides us over.

Rob Dauster, John Fanta and Terrence Oglesby are delighted about the point guard showdown for the Spartans and Wildcats — Markquis Nowell getting to play in front of his NYC crowd is a treat — and wonder how FAU will handle the defense/elbows from Tennessee (9 pm ET, TBS).

And out West? There's just as much to discuss.

UCLA vs. Gonzaga (9:45 pm ET, CBS) might be the best game of the Sweet 16, given the history of these two in the NCAA Tournament. (Remember this? And this?) It'll be a contrast of styles but feature no shortage of great players.

And the early game? Well, let's just say Rob will have trouble focusing on anything else.

If you need more than just those two videos, that's fair. Here's a list of other stuff to watch that'll get you ready.

5. Why can't anyone make a 3?

Teams struggled from beyond the arc during the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Actually, struggled might be kind. 

Teams were bad.

For the round of 64, teams made just 30.9 percent of their 3s. For the round of 32, just 30.7 percent. Those are as bad as any year in the tournament. 

Now, there are reasons why this could be happening. Will Warren analyzed four different factors that could be causing the poor shooting in his personal newsletter, Stats by Will (remains a terrific bargain). It includes thoughtful takes on shot selection, defense, and sample size. 

Also a factor? The ball sucks. And not only that, players and coaches hate how it feels.

Gonzaga coach Mark Few also told Goodman that: "The last thing we should be doing is playing with brand-new, slick basketballs. We need to have the ball inflated less and we'd see better shooting and less fumbling with the ball."

Here's an idea: Before any further discussion on NCAA Tournament expansion, let's be sure there's an NCAA-wide, always-agreed-upon rule about the ball used in games and how it's handled. Cool? Cool.

Cool customer

New Georgetown coach Ed Cooley is dreaming big. But how long will it take for him to build the Hoyas into a true national power again? LaVall Jordan and Kevin Sweeney, along with new Field of 68 host John Martin (welcome aboard, John!), discuss what fans should expect and the hurdles along the way.

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