NEWS AND NOTES (Wow, it feels good to say that again!!)
-For Chad Sherwood’s Patriot League Preview – CLICK HERE
-For All of Chad Sherwood’s Conference Previews, all of the Hoops HD Preseason Podcasts, and all of Jon Teitel’s Preseason Interviews and Articles – CLICK HERE
-We will be recording our Conference Preview Podcasts and Preseason Podcasts tonight beginning with the ACC. It will be posted tomorrow so be on the lookout for it.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL IS HERE!
We’re still over two weeks away from the second Friday in November, which will mark the start of the regular season, which is when things really kick off (SEE THE COLLEGE HOOPS COUNTDOWN CLOCK HERE). There are typically more games that first day than on any other day of the season, and although many are not competitive or interesting, there will be enough exciting finishes on that first night to make it feel like college basketball is totally back. Until then, we have exhibition games, the first of which is tonight between Carroll College and Idaho, which tips off at 10pm, EDT. That game will be streamed on BIG SKY TV
It is not a game that counts, and it is a game that would be of very little interest even if it did count, and one of the teams is not div1, but for the first time since Villanova played North Carolina in the national title game last April, we will be able to watch two college basketball teams play each other. It is also the point at which we have the longest expanse of college basketball ahead of us. With the exception of November 10th, there will be at least one college basketball game every day until the Monday after Selection Sunday, and depending on how some of the other tournaments’ schedules work out, we may have a game that day as well. So, college basketball is back!! Sort of.
In looking at the rules for exhibition games, teams are basically allowed to play two competitions, and have two different types of competitions they can choose from. One is to play a regulation game that is open to the public against a non-div1 team (ie div2, div3, NAIA, etc). The other is to have a closed practice or scrimmage with another team that’s div1. Many schools do one of each. Some do two open exhibition games. Some do two closed scrimmages.
While I have no problems with those options, I do think there should be additional options. One would be to play open exhibition games against against non-college teams. This used to be allowed. Organizations like Athletes in Action fielded teams of former college and pro players, and although they had many different teams, the top level team was actually pretty good. I believe there was one year back in the 1990s (I forget which, and am too lazy to look it up) where the top AIA beat three teams that ultimately ended up making the Elite Eight. The Harlem Globetrotters played in some of these games, and actually managed to beat some of the better college teams. National teams and foreign teams would come over and play. So, schools that wanted to (and I realize that not everyone did) could schedule a competitive and interesting game. This was so much better for the players and the fans than watching a team crush a div2 team typically is.
Another option should be for schools to have open exhibitions against other div1 schools. I’ve heard several reasons as to why this is a rule, and all of them are bad. If Dayton and Marquette want to play a closed scrimmage then that’s fine, but if both Dayton and Marquette decide they want to play a game and open it to the public, that should be fine too. Most other team sports (men’s soccer, women’s soccer, etc) allow for open exhibitions against other div1 teams. The reason other sports do it is because it makes complete and total sense to allow schools to do it. Yet, in basketball, it’s not allowed.
I have no problems with teams that want closed scrimmages. I can see the advantages in that. Teams get three hours and they can work on situational stuff. You can play multiple games. I’ve heard of teams playing three twenty minute games, or five twelve minute games, or whatever. There is no rule as to how they need to be structured. I have no problems with the open scrimmages against lower division teams. It’s great for those lower division teams, and it gives schools a chance to maybe build up their bench and work on their weaknesses. But, why should those be the only two options?? If two div1 schools want to play each other and want to open it to the public, shouldn’t they be able to?? If they want to schedule a game against a foreign team or a non-college team, shouldn’t they be able to??
But, the one thing I like about exhibition games, and it really is the ONE THING, is that for the first time in six-and-a-half months we finally get to see two college teams play each other. It may be far less satisfying than when the actual regular season starts, but at least it’s something. And yes, I will be watching Carroll College take on Idaho tonight. Me, and probably a dozen others.
For a list of all open exhibition games – CLICK HERE