College basketball; getting worse?

[kso_FAN]

There has been plenty of discussion about how "bad" the Big 12 is this year, but also how bad college basketball is in general. Stats nerd @BPredict actual did a statistical study of the game and its progress and came up with some interesting results in this article. Here are his charts, though he has some interesting thoughts in his analysis as well.

[puniraptor]

Officials are getting worse causing shittier and uglier play across the sport.

(Just one theory!)

[kso_FAN]

Officials are getting worse causing shittier and uglier play across the sport.

(Just one theory!)

Meh. They are just calling fewer fouls.

I honestly think complaining about officiating is overrated. I've watched the game closely since the early 90s, I don't think officiating has gotten a lot worse during that time.

JMHO.

[star seed 7]

Officials are getting worse causing shittier and uglier play across the sport.

(Just one theory!)

Meh. They are just calling fewer fouls.

I honestly think complaining about officiating is overrated. I've watched the game closely since the early 90s, I don't think officiating has gotten a lot worse during that time.

JMHO.

because they call less fouls, nearly every foul looks like it could go either way because they just let the exact same thing slide on the last possession.  people get frustrated with the inconsistency i think.

[Cire]

Did you see KU$ foul numbers as posted on gpc!!!

[hemmy]

That was an interesting read. I love the quotes from the old-timey dumbass coaches.

[cfbandyman]

Hey _Fan, just out of curiosity cause I'm not sure but how long has Div. 1 been 346 (or more) teams in Division I basketball, and if that's not a factor behind this? I wonder if as time goes on the proliferation of more teams at the top level have, in general, created a situation where more teams has caused a sort of watering down affect in college basketball? So yes, it has gotten worse, but mostly because there are more teams running around that create more opportunities for talent to diffuse around a ton of teams mixed with lesser talent rather than just a few. I mean, given a general stability in the size of the talent pool over time if there were less teams in Div. 1, then each one of those teams would on average more talented players (given how it is the top level of college athletics), and more talented player generally = better teams.  IDK, just a thought.

[michigancat]

Interesting. I think "better" is pretty subjective and just about any old-timer wishing for the way it was really gets on my nerves. (This applies to almost any subject fwiw)

[SabiNation]

Does anybody else think that oscar/Gottlieb combined looks like Fred Hoiberg?

[06wildcat]

DNR the article, but does he address the FG% in it? It trends down after the introduction of the 3-point line until it hits a new level that basically has remained the same. Why FG% and not EFG%?

Also, this is a down year for the Big 12/college in general but the game is still interesting, and might be even more interesting this year to casual fans with the lack of a dominant team.

[bones129]

Does anybody else think that oscar/Gottlieb combined looks like Fred Hoiberg?

 

[The Tonya Harding of Twitter Users Creep]

Do you guys know if its possible for no team to win the championship this year and they just have a push until next year when the winner gets to claim 2 ships? Kinda like skins in golf, you know?

[wetwillie]

I don't like statistics, I like subjective gut feelings and my gut says college basketball is much better than ever.

[_33]

I don't like statistics, I like subjective gut feelings and my gut says college basketball is much better than ever.

I would love to kick your gut in the balls.

[wetwillie]

I don't like statistics, I like subjective gut feelings and my gut says college basketball is much better than ever.

I would love to kick your gut in the balls.

I bet you would, bad person

[EMAWzified]

It's bad enough that KU with no point guard or power forward is considered a threat to win the national title.

[Rage Against the McKee]

I don't like statistics, I like subjective gut feelings and my gut says college basketball is much better than ever.

Your gut is correct, and I think the statistics support it.

[j-dub]

Officials are getting worse causing shittier and uglier play across the sport.

(Just one theory!)

Meh. They are just calling fewer fouls.

I honestly think complaining about officiating is overrated. I've watched the game closely since the early 90s, I don't think officiating has gotten a lot worse during that time.

JMHO.

everytime _FAN says "JMHO" after (in the nicest way possible mind you,) telling someone they're an idiot - i chuckle a little. except when he's talking to me 

[bigwillie20]

It's bad enough that KU with no point guard or power forward is considered a threat to win the national title.

Probably the worst #1 team in the history of college basketball 

Still think know Michigan would beat them by 20

[WillieWatanabe]

Officials are getting worse causing shittier and uglier play across the sport.

(Just one theory!)

Meh. They are just calling fewer fouls.

I honestly think complaining about officiating is overrated. I've watched the game closely since the early 90s, I don't think officiating has gotten a lot worse during that time.

JMHO.

everytime _FAN says "JMHO" after (in the nicest way possible mind you,) telling someone they're an idiot - i chuckle a little. except when he's talking to me 

effectively the _FAN mush. very devastating.

[cork_sniffer]

the players are better, bigger, stronger, and faster as a result of the explosion of the games popularity domestically and internationally leading to a talent pool feeding college basketball that is somewhere between 3 and 5 times the size that it was just 15 years ago.  there is more player turnover (early departures and transfers) and less coaching time (20 hour rule + more games).  offenses and defenses are far more complex than ever now that most coaches have 50 to 100 set plays instead of running motion with a handful of sets. 

to the untrained and/or biased eye basketball looks down but in reality the game itself has never been better in many ways.  If the refs started calling the game like they did 15-20 years ago and let offenses run without so much contact then we'd see an explosion in scoring.  but with the bigger stronger players the refs seem less inclined to call basic contact such as holding and bumping cutters and body'ing up shooters.  the result is lower scoring and more physical games that makes it seem like there is less talent out there.   It's not that they don't call enough fouls or need to call less fouls it's what over time is being allowed in the normal course of a possession that has changed the game so much. 

[kso_FAN]

the players are better, bigger, stronger, and faster as a result of the explosion of the games popularity domestically and internationally leading to a talent pool feeding college basketball that is somewhere between 3 and 5 times the size that it was just 15 years ago.  there is more player turnover (early departures and transfers) and less coaching time (20 hour rule + more games).  offenses and defenses are far more complex than ever now that most coaches have 50 to 100 set plays instead of running motion with a handful of sets. 

to the untrained and/or biased eye basketball looks down but in reality the game itself has never been better in many ways.  If the refs started calling the game like they did 15-20 years ago and let offenses run without so much contact then we'd see an explosion in scoring.  but with the bigger stronger players the refs seem less inclined to call basic contact such as holding and bumping cutters and body'ing up shooters.  the result is lower scoring and more physical games that makes it seem like there is less talent out there.   It's not that they don't call enough fouls or need to call less fouls it's what over time is being allowed in the normal course of a possession that has changed the game so much. 

Great post.

[michigancat]

I wish there were fewer set plays.

[8manpick]

the players are better, bigger, stronger, and faster as a result of the explosion of the games popularity domestically and internationally leading to a talent pool feeding college basketball that is somewhere between 3 and 5 times the size that it was just 15 years ago.  there is more player turnover (early departures and transfers) and less coaching time (20 hour rule + more games).  offenses and defenses are far more complex than ever now that most coaches have 50 to 100 set plays instead of running motion with a handful of sets. 

to the untrained and/or biased eye basketball looks down but in reality the game itself has never been better in many ways.  If the refs started calling the game like they did 15-20 years ago and let offenses run without so much contact then we'd see an explosion in scoring.  but with the bigger stronger players the refs seem less inclined to call basic contact such as holding and bumping cutters and body'ing up shooters.  the result is lower scoring and more physical games that makes it seem like there is less talent out there.   It's not that they don't call enough fouls or need to call less fouls it's what over time is being allowed in the normal course of a possession that has changed the game so much.

I think the bolded part is a bit overstated, but the rest of your post is very insightful.

[MakeItRain]

less early departures, more transfers. With the change to the recruiting calendar the transfer number should go down unless the NCAA enacts that stupid ass 2.6 GPA transfer rule.