Yeah, not good. But he obviously sees Underwood recruiting all these other big guys. If the thought is they can just constantly reload via the portal and with Euros it's a bad one. Johnson was a premium in-state recruit. They should own recruiting in Illinois. But they won't if they don't play the guys who come.

_________________
The Court will accord substantial deference to the government's immigration policies, particularly those that implicate matters of national security.

Well it’s possible he is just dipping his toe in the pool and with the current NIL situation it’s hard to fault anyone for playing the field. I’m with you on this JORR - he is an Illinois kid, you need to do whatever to keep him. He is REALLY good. Reloading every year is eventually going to catch up to you.

Tre White to the portal.

_________________
"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

LOL Tre white 4 schools in 4 years. This one I’m not too surprised or worked up about.

Looks like Morez is gone. His father was saying some weird shit about the program.

Weird because he committed as a sophomore in high school.

_________________

Morez Johnson is a force down low. Some program is going to be pretty happy to land him.

Seems like a Big XII or even an SEC type player. They'll miss him. I think I am officially tired of the portal. Tired of seeing a brand new team every year.

_________________

I agree. I don't begrudge the players for making the best deals they can and I don't think they should be expected to enrich schools and coaches in exchange for "scholarships" that don't really teach them anything. But as an alum and a fan, why am I supposed to care about the university's team? Even if they win a national championship, it's just a bunch of mercenaries wearing the same logo as the one on some of my old t-shirts.

At this point, college basketball is just a minor professional league. At the risk of triggering Brick, I don't really understand why it should exist. Of course, I understand why it does: $$$$$$$$$.

_________________
The Court will accord substantial deference to the government's immigration policies, particularly those that implicate matters of national security.

Underwood abuses the portal though. Just keep some players. It's not hard.

_________________
You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

I don't know if NIL has anything to do with it, but level of play is up. Duke is the best team I've seen in quite a while. The bonus is they aren't half as gay as they used to be.

My personal GOAT was the Runnin' Rebels. A bunch of mercenaries.

I know they didn't go to class but at least they all played for three or four years.

_________________
The Court will accord substantial deference to the government's immigration policies, particularly those that implicate matters of national security.

As sure as the sun comes up in the East, the shit is going to hit the fan if they think they can cap wages unilaterally, without collective bargaining.

It's pro sports now. There's no finessing it. Name, image, and likeness isn't what is happening.

I agree. That's why big time college athletics should end. If we need to have college sports it should be like the high school model. No scholarships. No money. More like intramurals. "Hey, that guy Rick in the computer science department is 6'6", he should jump center for Purdue."

_________________
The Court will accord substantial deference to the government's immigration policies, particularly those that implicate matters of national security.

100% agree. 100% that won't happen.

If you are in college, go to class. Bargain it. If you are in college, you get one transfer. Bargain it. And so on and so forth. It can be done. The best thing about capitalism, it's nimble enough for negotiation. Hell, maybe the NFL can get involved. God knows they have a huge stake being the sole league without a minor league.

It's possible that more and more people get sick of the portal and NIL. With college tuition going up and the Feds and states putting in less and less, more and more people are already bitter. Students are getting sick of having new teams every year (in the past week, I've read a few student-written editorials lamenting the lack of emotional investment in one-and-done lineups) while they participate in Hunger Games at halftime for a thousand dollars off tuition.

The word team has zero meaning. That's fucked up. I am not saying to go back to the other way, where you are basically a slave, but this is fucked up. Swing the pendulum back a little. Or better yet, get rid of college sports if this is how it is going to be.

_________________

It is basically becoming what the NBA and all pro sports have been for some time.

There is no real rhyme or reason to why you should root for a particular team unless you have money on them.

It's just a random assortment of players who have no affiliation with the school or the city.

I suppose there is some value if you are a basketball junkie or just want to scout the next crop of professional players, but the school affiliations are virtually meaningless.

March Madness will always sell because of the gambling aspect, but even that may start to wane if every year is straight chalk like it has been this year.

^

_________________

I'm at an age where sports simply don't and can't mean as much to me as they once did. But I have to say, I haven't been as emotionally invested in a team as I've been in DePaul Prep basketball since the 2005 White Sox run to the World Series.

I don't think I could feel that way about an Illini team full of transfers and one-year players.

_________________
The Court will accord substantial deference to the government's immigration policies, particularly those that implicate matters of national security.

I think being a sports fan, after a certain age, is partially an attempt to reclaim the feelings of our childhood when we were unburdened by the rationalization now needed to enjoy a certain team.

Once you get older, you start to think about the business of it and why you root for a particular organization, and it just gets less fun from there.

Plus, you start to realize the players are younger than you, and eventually that they could be your kids or grandkids, and that just makes it less enjoyable (at least for me).

The other day, I felt a bit of melancholy about the fact that Jason Richardson's kid plays for Michigan State.

For me, I think gambling is another attempt to relive my childhood and to contrive some sort of rooting interest in any of these teams.

And this is now all magnified by the fact that the players on the teams are loosely affiliated with the school they play for.

I was a HUGE fan of those Vegas teams. Stacey Augmon is still one of my all time favorite players.

_________________
Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

Agree with all of that. Things seemed so much more stable as a kid.

Chet Lemon going to the Tigers was jarring to me. Greg Maddux on the Braves seemed off. Now people transfer from Michigan to Ohio State, Illinois to Indiana, and so on.

And as JORR says, I am starting to care less about sports--especially if it is not personally meaningful.

I'm so old I can't even enjoy the cheerleaders. I start wondering about their moms, though.

_________________

Natural progression unless you're a stud like Denis.

That's an Underwood problem though. He doesn't have to replace everyone every year. He chooses to do so. Outside of coaching changes very few are doing that large of a change of roster.

_________________
You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Yes they are. Did you see the Sweet Sixteen teams?

_________________

The worst part of all of this is letting these "students" play for 5,6,7,8 years.

_________________

I know. I'm like, go away already. What's the Utah's QB's name? Jesus, go on a Mormon mission already.

I know it really messed up baseball players getting scholarships.

_________________

pfft. Try getting one in 1978.

Are you wet yet?

_________________
The Court will accord substantial deference to the government's immigration policies, particularly those that implicate matters of national security.

Most had transfers. Most had many multi-year players though. MSU had two transfers and a bunch of multi-year guys.

Underwood just chooses to cut his whole team after the season is over to get one year rentals.

_________________
You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!