Bracketology 2019: March Madness Predictions (Version 9.0)

Posted on March 3, 2019 by Jon Teitel

For today’s UTR Game of the Day between Manhattan and Quinnipiac – CLICK HERE

For today’s News, Notes, and Highlighted Games – CLICK HERE

We are only 2 weeks away from Selection Sunday as we continue to make our NCAA tourney predictions. Last March HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel correctly picked 66 of the 68 teams that made the tourney, 65 of which were within 1 spot of their actual seed, including 42 right on the money. He will spend the upcoming weeks predicting which 68 teams will hear their names called on March 17th. See below for his list of who would make the cut if they picked the field today and if you agree or disagree then feel free to tweet us. To see how we stack up with other websites (ranked 9th out of 127 entries over the past 5 years), check out: www.bracketmatrix.com

SEED: TEAM (CONFERENCE)
1: Virginia (ACC)
1: Duke (ACC)
1: Gonzaga (WCC)
1: Kentucky (SEC)

2: Michigan State (Big 10)
2: North Carolina (ACC)
2: Tennessee (SEC)
2: Michigan (Big 10)

3: Houston (AAC)
3: Purdue (Big 10)
3: LSU (SEC)
3: Kansas (Big 12)

4: Texas Tech (Big 12)
4: Marquette (Big East)
4: Virginia Tech (ACC)
4: Florida State (ACC)

5: Wisconsin (Big 10)
5: Iowa State (Big 12)
5: Kansas State (Big 12)
5: Nevada (MWC)

6: Maryland (Big 10)
6: Mississippi State (SEC)
6: Villanova (Big East)
6: Buffalo (MAC)

7: Cincinnati (AAC)
7: Iowa (Big 10)
7: Louisville (ACC)
7: Baylor (Big 12)

8: Auburn (SEC)
8: Washington (Pac-12)
8: Mississippi (SEC)
8: Wofford (SoCon)

9: Syracuse (ACC)
9: Ohio State (Big 10)
9: St. John’s (Big East)
9: Florida (SEC)

10: Oklahoma (Big 12)
10: VCU (A-10)
10: NC State (ACC)
10: Texas (Big 12)

11: TCU (Big 12)
11: UCF (AAC)
11: Alabama (SEC)
11: Arizona State (Pac-12)

12: Minnesota (Big 10)
12: Clemson (ACC)
12: Utah State (MWC)
12: Seton Hall (Big East)
12: Murray State (OVC)
12: Lipscomb (Atlantic Sun)

13: New Mexico State (WAC)
13: Yale (Ivy)
13: Old Dominion (C-USA)
13: Hofstra (CAA)

14: Vermont (America East)
14: UC Irvine (Big West)
14: South Dakota State (Summit)
14: Texas State (Sun Belt)

15: Radford (Big South)
15: Montana (Big Sky)
15: Northern Kentucky (Horizon)
15: Loyola-Chicago (MVC)

16: Colgate (Patriot)
16: Sam Houston State (Southland)
16: Norfolk State (MEAC)
16: St. Francis PA (NEC)
16: Prairie View (SWAC)
16: Iona (MAAC)

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Under The Radar Game of the Day: Manhattan at Quinnipiac

Posted on March 3, 2019 by John Stalica

For today’s News, Notes and Highlighted Games – CLICK HERE

Manhattan (9-20, 7-10 MAAC) at Quinnipiac (16-12, 11-6 MAAC) – 2:00 PM (ESPN+)

Today’s UTR Game of the Day takes us to Hamden, Connecticut where the Quinnipiac Bobcats will play host to the Manhattan Jaspers in the regular season finale for both teams. Quinnipiac will be looking to claim a share of the regular season title with a victory today; the best they can do is a #2 seed in the MAAC Tournament since Iona would win a tiebreaker between both teams. Quinnipiac also won their first meeting 63-59 on the road at Manhattan earlier this season. Cameron Young leads the Bobcats with 23.2 points per game.

Manhattan has been a bit of a spoiler in conference play so far – while they did lose their only game against current conference leader Iona, they did win at Canisius and at home against Rider earlier this season – this denied the Golden Griffins and Broncs a shot at a share of the conference title this season. With one of the slowest offensive tempos in the country (350th out of 353 teams), no Jasper averages in double figures in scoring this season. Their leading scorer (Pauly Paulicap) averages 8.5 PPG and 3.9 RPG this season.

Note: Also be on the lookout for the debut of our Championship Week/Championship Fortnight video notebooks starting tonight; we will be posting those for the remainder of the season instead of the typical UTR Game of the Day articles.

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News, Notes, and Highlighted Games: Sunday, March 3rd

Posted on March 3, 2019 by David Griggs

NEWS AND NOTES

-Just a few weeks ago Tennessee was beaten handily at Kentucky.  Yesterday they returned the favor by blowing out Kentucky at home.  If these two teams meet in the SEC Tournament on a neutral floor, then we may actually see a decent game!  I think this puts the Vols back on the path for a #1 seed, but they pretty much need to win out.

-It wasn’t easy, but North Carolina survived at Clemson 81-79.  This keeps UNC high up on the seed list, and Clemson squarely on the bubble. There was also a scary moment just prior to halftime where UNC head coach Roy Williams had to take a knee because of what was described as vertigo; he did not return to the game. He should be back on the bench for UNC’s next game at Boston College.

-Michigan State lost to Indiana for the second time this year.  Michigan State has the ceiling of a #1 seed when you look at their resume, but with multiple losses to teams that may not even make the field then it makes it seem unlikely that they’re going to get one.  Indiana has a very interesting resume.  Their wins are fantastic.  It’s just that they have so many losses on top of that.

-UCF, who had been a bubble team, may not be anymore after picking up a HUGELY important win at Houston.  That completely changes the complexion of their resume.  Funny how picking up a road win against a protected seed can do that!

-Utah State also picked up a big win over Nevada, which will likely put them on the right side of the fence.  It was a home win, but it’s still a huge quality win, and Utah State has enough decent wins on their resume to get the committee to take them. There were also postgame fireworks from Nevada that resulted in broken glass in a fire extinguisher case (which, miraculously did not result in injury) and allegations of a Utah State coach shouting obscenities to Nevada coaches and/or players as they left the court. They had to leave through Utah State’s hallway to their locker room due to students and fans rushing the court postgame.

-Purdue didn’t just beat Ohio State.  They clobbered them!  Purdue may be the best team in the Big Ten right now. The Buckeyes did not have Kaleb Wesson in the lineup due to a suspension from the coaching staff, although it is not believed that he will be out indefinitely. If he does not return for whatever reason, yesterday’s performance was a major red flag for Ohio State.

-Kansas trailed for much of the game at Oklahoma State, but ended up getting the win, which was huge because coming into that game Kansas had won just two true road games on the season.

-Iowa was without coach Fran McCaffery yesterday, and judging by how they played it was as if no one else on the team bothered showing up either.  They ended up losing handily at home to a sub-par Rutgers team.

-Ole Miss suffered a road loss at Arkansas.  A win would have helped give them some stability, but the loss isn’t crippling. Ole Miss still looks to be in the 7-10 seed range.

-Florida did not do themselves any favors with a home loss to Georgia yesterday. It was the Dawgs’ second win in conference play all year, and it now adds a Quad 3 loss to the Gators’ profile. It doesn’t necessarily imperil them like Washington’s loss at Cal did – they still have games at home against LSU and on the road at Kentucky. Unlike the Huskies, their conference tournament also gives them more chances to improve their resume as well.

-One never knows what Texas is going to do.  Yesterday, they blew out a very good Iowa State team.  There are quite a few things on Texas’s resume that are flimsy, but I do think that they will ultimately end up making the field. Either a win at Texas Tech or even at home against a TCU team that is subpar on the road might solidify a bid for the Longhorns.

-Auburn picked up one of their biggest wins of the year with a home win over Mississippi State.  This is one that I think the Tigers really needed. They finish their regular season with a trip to Alabama and a home game against Tennessee – one or two more wins here may at least vault Auburn up to first-ballot status.

-Seton Hall is in a more perilous position after losing a double-overtime game on the road at Georgetown. Not only do the Pirates need a win at home against either Villanova or Marquette this week to at least stay above the bubble, they might need at least one win just to avoid having to play a first-round game in the Big East Tournament next week.

-And what about Georgetown now? The Hoyas are now tied for third place in the Big East with Xavier and St. John’s (although they would be the #4 seed at the moment) after their Senior Day victory against the Hall. They finish their regular season with road trips to DePaul and Marquette. They would certainly be in the thick of the discussion if they could win at Marquette.

-Butler is now on life support after losing big at Villanova yesterday. They would be seeded ninth in the Big East tournament if the season ended today. They are only one game above .500 and have their final two games at home against a white-hot Xavier team and on the road at Providence. They must win those two games to have any at-large hopes, and they need to have a good Big East tournament run as well.

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES

-SAINT JOHN’S AT DEPAUL (Big East).  The Johnnies are relatively safe, but they’d really be helping themselves out if they avoid a loss to a non-tournament team like DePaul.

-NOTRE DAME AT LOUISVILLE (ACC).  Louisville is in a bit of a tailspin (having lost five out of six games after a win at Virginia Tech to start the month).  This is a winnable game against a non tournament team that they need to win for their mental health as much as anything else.

-TULANE AT TEMPLE (American).  If Temple is going to land inside the bubble then they absolutely have to hold serve in games like this.  A loss would probably mean that they need the auto-bid in order to make it.

-CREIGHTON AT MARQUETTE (Big East). Marquette is on pace to get a protected seed and just needs to hold serve in games like this in order to stay on that pace.

-MICHIGAN AT MARYLAND (Big Ten).  Both teams are obviously safely in, and Maryland will almost assuredly get a protected seed.  Maryland is looking to bounce back from a rather surprising loss to Penn State.  A home win over a team like Michigan would certainly qualify as a bounce back.

-WASHINGTON AT STANFORD (Pac Twelve).  Washington is coming off a loss to Cal which crushes their resume, but they should still make the field as long as they can win out until the conference tournament.

-ARIZONA STATE AT OREGON STATE (Pac Twelve).  Arizona State is a schizophrenic bubble team.  A road win in a game like this would certainly help them.  At this point it has a ‘must-win’ feel to it for the Sun Devils.

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Under The Radar Game of the Day: Radford at Campbell

Posted on March 2, 2019 by John Stalica

For today’s News, Notes and Highlighted Games – CLICK HERE

For Jon Teitel’s interview with Historical Basketball League CEO/Co-Founder Ricky Volante – CLICK HERE

Radford (20-9, 12-3 Big South) at Campbell (18-11, 11-4 Big South) – 2:00 PM EST (ESPN3)

Today’s UTR Game of the Day takes us to Buies Creek, North Carolina – home of the Campbell Fighting Camels. They will play host to the Radford Highlanders in a game that will determine the #1 seed in the conference and home court advantage during the conference tournament. Campbell won the first meeting in Radford 68-67; in that game, Chris Clemons scored 39 points and hit the game-winning 3-point shot as time expired. As for the remainder of conference play. only Winthrop has managed to win on Campbell’s home floor.

Radford currently leads the conference by a full game, but because of the aforementioned loss against Campbell, today becomes winner-take-all for home-court implications until at least the semifinal round (the highest remaining seed would actually host the Big South Championship). The Highlanders started 10-1 in conference play, but two losses in their last four games (at Charleston Southern and at home against Hampton) have put them in today’s position. Ed Polite Jr. averages 13.5 PPG and 9.9 RPG for the Highlanders.

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News, Notes, and Highlighted Games: Saturday, Mar 2nd

Posted on March 2, 2019 by David Griggs

SURVIVAL BOARD UPDATE (click here to view)

-New Hampshire out with a loss at UMBC

-Denver out with a home loss to Omaha OR a Western Illinois win at South Dakota State.  If Denver wins and WIU loses, WIU is out instead.

-Columbia is out with a loss at Yale

-Two of UT-Martin, SIUE, Eastern Kentucky or Tennessee State will be eliminated in the OVC.  The tiebreakers make my head hurt bad to even look at, so just check back after all OVC games are done Saturday night.  The only one thing that is certain is that the loser of today’s Tennessee State at UT-Martin game is out.  The winner could, however, be out as well.

 

HIGHLIGHTED GAMES

-MICHIGAN STATE AT INDIANA (Big Ten).  This game is intriguing for a couple reasons.  Michigan State is still in contention for a #1 seed, and one of the two games that Indiana has won since January 3rd was at Michigan State.

-LSU AT ALABAMA (SEC).  Alabama is a bubble team who gets to host LSU, who is a likely protected seed.  It’s a huge opportunity for the Tide to really help boost their resume.

-KANSAS AT OKLAHOMA STATE (Big 12).  With so few road wins, this is low hanging fruit that Kansas simply must be able to pick up.  They’ve won just two true road games, and if they can’t beat a team that’s as far outside the NIT as Oklahoma State appears to be, then it’s a huge problem for them ending up as a protected seed.  Then again, they’re just one game out of first place.

-NC STATE AT FLORIDA STATE (ACC).  To say that NC State’s profile is flimsy is like saying Duke’s profile is good.  There just isn’t a whole lot there, and they could REALLY use a in like this, on the road, against a really good team.  I still think Florida State could end up as a protected seed, but they need a strong finish.

-PENN STATE AT WISCONSIN (Big Ten).  Wisky is cruising into the NCAA Tournament and is basically just playing for seeding the rest of the way.

-OLE MISS AT ARKANSAS (SEC).  Ole Miss should land in the NCAA Tournament barring a ridiculous collapse, and will likely end up wearing white in the Round of 64.  This isn’t the easiest road game to win, but they’re certainly capable of doing it, and even if they don’t they’re still in relatively good shape.

-PITTSBURGH AT VIRGINIA (ACC).  Virginia will in all likelihood end up as a #1 seed.  They haven’t lost to anyone outside of Duke and that isn’t likely to change today.

-KENTUCKY AT TENNESSEE (SEC).  If Kentucky can win this one, I don’t see how they fall off the #1 line even if they go out early in the SEC Tournament.  It would be their best win of the year on paper.  It goes without saying that it won’t be easy.  Tennessee will have a ton of energy behind them, and they also still have hopes of landing on the #1 line.

-OHIO STATE AT PURDUE (Big Ten).  Ohio State is coming off a blowout win against Iowa, which certainly helped their confidence as well as their profile.  They have a tough road game today against a Purdue team that’s on pace to end up as a protected seed.

-WOFFORD AT SAMFORD (SoCon).  If Wofford wins this one, I think they’re in the NCAAs regardless of what happens in the SoCon Tournament next week.

-BUTLER AT VILLANOVA (Big East).  Nova seems to have righted their ship after picking up a big win against Marquette.  They need to hold serve at home today in order to keep their resume from collapsing.  I think they’re pretty much a lock and are just playing for seeding at this point, but it’s still important that they finish strong.

-IOWA STATE AT TEXAS (Big 12).  This is a hugely important game for Texas.  The Horns have some great wins, and they’ve played a tough schedule, but they also have a lot of head-scratching losses and an overall record that would be a near historic low for an NCAA Tournament team.  This game has a very pivotal feel to it.  It’s also important to Iowa State, who still has a path to a protected seed if they can pick up some more solid wins between now and the end.

-WEST VIRGINIA AT OKLAHOMA (Big 12).  There are games that are big because they’re opportunities at big wins, and then there are games that are big because they would be damaging losses.  This is the latter for Oklahoma.

-MIAMI FL AT DUKE (ACC).  Duke is the best team in the country when they’re at full strength, but even if they’re not at full strength they should be able to win this game.  Losing at Virginia Tech without a key player isn’t damaging.  Losing at home to Miami, with or without a key player, is rather damaging by #1 seed standards.

-UCF AT HOUSTON (American).  The rest of the staff likes UCF more than I do.  If UCF can win this game, I will totally concede the point.  This is a game that would put them in the field.  As for Houston, they are good enough to win out, and if they do I can’t see them doing any worse than a #2 seed.

-TEXAS TECH AT TCU (Big 12).  This is a big game for both teams who are in very different places.  Texas Tech is on the fringe of getting a protected seed and could use a nice road win.  TCU is right on the bubble, and could use a win, period.

-MISSISSIPPI STATE AT AUBURN (SEC).  Both teams are likely tournament teams, but both resumes have a lot of room for improvement.  Auburn basically has a smattering of decent wins but no really good ones, and Mississippi State has a few good wins but would certainly look a lot better with a road win like this one.

-VCU AT RICHMOND (Atlantic Ten).  We’ve been saying this for a while, but if VCU wins out they should make the field even if they don’t win the conference tournament.

-RUTGERS AT IOWA (Big Ten).  This should be a winnable home game for Iowa.  Then again it took a lucky shot at the buzzer to win it for them the first time these two played.  Iowa will also be without their coach, which really shouldn’t hurt them too badly.

-NORTH CAROLINA AT CLEMSON (ACC).  North Carolina looks to be destined for the #2 line, but still has a path to a #1 if they can win out and win the conference tournament, which isn’t impossible. Clemson is right on the bubble and a win like this could go a long way in them landing on the right side of the fence.

-AIR FORCE AT WYOMING (Mountain West) (Front Range).  We at Hoops HD Love the…..next game…

-SETON HALL AT GEORGETOWN (Big East).  Seton Hall has some really big wins, but some really questionable losses.  They should make the field, but they could use some stabilization to get them there, and a road win like this would really help.

-BAYLOR AT KANSAS STATE (Big 12).  K State is in first place and in contention for a protected seed.  Baylor is on pace to land in the top half of the bracket.  Both teams are pretty much just playing for seeding at this point.  We haven’t locked Baylor in just yet, but they’re virtually locked in.  They’d pretty much have to lose all their remaining games to miss the field.

-MEMPHIS AT CINCINNATI (American).  Cincinnati may be the quietest 24-4 team from a multi-bid league in the entire history of college basketball.  Memphis has been playing a lot better so the Bearcats don’t want to overlook them, but they’re on pace to land in the top half of the bracket and do more in the NCAA Tournament than just have a cup of coffee.

-NEVADA AT UTAH STATE (Mountain West).  If Utah State can win this game, then I think they make the NCAA Tournament.  If they don’t, then they’ll need to win the Mountain West Tourney.  Nevada is just playing for seeding at this point.

-GEORGIA AT FLORIDA (SEC).  We now have Florida inside our bubble, and as long as they can hold serve in games like this they should make the field.  They’ll chances at big wins between now and the end to help boost their resume even more.

-GONZAGA AT SAINT MARY’S (West Coast).  This is a big rivalry, but this year it appears to be an even bigger mismatch.  Gonzaga crushed them in the first game and despite being on the road it could end up being very much the same result tonight.  SMC is 14-2 at home, and they do have a Net that’s in the top 40.  If they were to somehow win this game it would get the committee’s attention, and it may earn them some serious consideration, but without it I just don’t think there’s enough there for the Gaels.

UNDER THE RADAR

-ARMY AT BUCKNELL (Patriot League).  There is a three way tie for first place in the PL.  Bucknell could end up with home court advantage all the way through, or they could end up only getting to host a quarterfinal game.

-COLGATE AT LAFAYETTE (Patriot League).  Colgate is another team that’s locked into that tie.

-NORTHERN KENTUCKY AT GREEN BAY (Horizon League).  NKU is tied with Wright State for first place.

-FURMAN AT CHATTANOOGA (SoCon).  We have Furman on the bubble.  If they can win this and win a couple of games in the SoCon Tournament I think the committee will take a serious look at them.

-RADFORD AT CAMPBELL (Big South).  HUGE game.  These are the top two teams and the winner gets home court advantage in the conference tournament.

-NEW MEXICO STATE AT CHICAGO STATE (WAC).  New Mexico State has already clinched first place, and will face their quarterfinal opponent this afternoon.

-HOFSTRA AT DELAWARE (Colonial).  If Hofstra wins they are the outright first place team.

-UNC GREENSBORO AT MERCER (SoCon).  UNCG may get a look from the committee if they win this game and play their way into the SoCon championship game, but chances are they’ll need the auto bid.

-WESTERN ILLINOIS AT SOUTH DAKOTA STATE (Summit League).  If South Dakota State wins they clinch first place outright.

-BRADLEY AT LOYOLA CHICAGO (Missouri Valley).  Loyola is tied with Drake.  A win gets them at least a share of first place.

-HOWARD AT SAVANNAH STATE (MEAC).  Savannah State is looking to finish their final season at the div1 level strongly.

-COPPIN STATE AT NORFOLK STATE (MEAC).  If Norfolk State wins then they clinch at least a share of first place.

-PRAIRIE VIEW AT ALABAMA A&M (SWAC).  Prairie View has a two game lead with four games to go.

-COLUMBIA AT YALE (Ivy League).  Going into Friday at the time this is being written, Yale has a one game lead with just four games to go.  Depending on how things play out they could be clinching at least a share of first place today.

-STONY BROOK AT VERMONT (America East).  These are the top two teams, one game separates the two, and Stony Brook holds the tiebreaker.  The winner of this game will, in all likelihood, clinch home court advantage throughout the entire conference tournament.  If Vermont wins, then they win the league outright.

-TEXAS STATE AT SOUTH ALABAMA (Sun Belt).  Texas State has a one game lead in the standings with just two games to go.  A win clinches at least a share of first place.

-UC IRVINE AT UC RIVERSIDE (Big West) (RiverVine Cup).  A win for UC Irvine clinches an outright first place finish.

-BELMONT AT SEMO (Ohio Valley).  Belmont is on the fringe of the bubble and should have a chance if they win this game and their first conference tournament game.

-AUSTIN PEAY AT MURRAY STATE (Ohio Valley).  Murray State locks up a bye into the semifinals with a win.

-SOUTHERN UTAH AT MONTANA (Big Sky).  Montana is trying to hold on to a one game lead with four games to go.

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This could be Historic: HoopsHD interviews Historical Basketball League CEO/Co-Founder Ricky Volante

Posted on March 1, 2019 by Jon Teitel

For Today’s UTR Game of the Day, as well as the daily News and Notes – CLICK HERE

CLICK HERE for our latest Hoops HD Bracket Rundown

Even as we enter the greatest month of the college basketball year there is still plenty of drama to deal with. On the court recently we have seen a coach cussing out the refs, games being decided by stuffed animals thrown onto the court, and Cal actually win a game. Off the court we have seen a Hall of Fame coach accidentally kill a guy, 2 other coaches facing subpoenas in the FBI corruption case, and the Ivy League refusing to let the Palestra host the Ivy tourney for the foreseeable future. I do not know if anyone can save this sport but 1 man who wants to offer other options is Ricky Volante, CEO/Co-Founder of the Historical Basketball League. The HBL is a new league that plans to give college basketball players the chance to receive some financial benefits/economic freedom by getting paid to play basketball during the summer while also receiving a scholarship to attend college during the fall/spring. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Mr. Volante yesterday about how the league came about and his vision for the HBL’s inaugural season in 2020.

Your day job is as an attorney who focuses on legal issues related to professional/amateur sports: what is your favorite case that you have worked on so far? I generally work in sports/film/music but my practice is mostly on the transactional side. There have been a few interesting transactions I have done: I was representing 1 of the best CrossFit athletes in the world and had to work on the breakup with his agent. So much of it had been done on handshakes/verbal agreements that we had to walk back the past 5 years of life to figure out what had happened.

You are also an Adjunct Professor at the Harvard Extension School and Case Western Reserve University School of Law, where you teach a variety of classes: what are some of the keys to “Representing the Professional Athlete”? We focus on the 4 stages: pre-professional, early team-controlled years, mature free agent years, and retirement. We look at how everyone should interact with each other and the importance of having a financial planner. The key is to be as prepared as possible and keep your athlete from exposure in a negative way. You need both short-term benefits and a long-term vision.

What does David West bring to the table as COO of the HBL? He is heading up a number of initiatives at the moment: 1st and foremost is identifying players for the summer of 2020. He is also engaging the basketball community: his word carries a lot of weight due to his reputation as a “pro’s pro”. He gives more structure to our approach on the basketball side of things. He was the 99th ranked prospect in his own state coming out of high school, but then became national POY at Xavier and a 15-year NBA veteran. David can look at a young player and understand what it takes for them to be successful in the NBA, which is something that even some of the best college coaches in the country cannot.

How did co-founder Andy Schwarz’s consulting work for the plaintiffs on the Ed O’Bannon lawsuit against the NCAA lead to his involvement with the new league? It absolutely did. He was the non-testifying expert in the White v. NCAA case before getting involved in the O’Bannon case. He looks at it purely as an economist and tries to figure out how to break up the monopoly of the NCAA. Litigation was not providing wholesale changes: it was just chipping away pieces of it. He is 1 of the 2 citizen co-signers of a legislative bill in California regarding the payment of college athletes but it is a slow drawn-out process. We got connected around the time that the O’Bannon case was wrapping up and now we have the HBL.

Why are you specifically focused on HBCU schools, and what kind of backlash do you expect from North Carolina A&T season ticket holders/Florida A&M basketball coaches/etc.? We have pivoted away from the HBCU-exclusive model. We were going to start club teams on HBCU campuses but we experienced some of the resistance that you mentioned. Now our teams are entirely independent of the traditional model but the tie-in is that all of our players have to be bona fide college students. We have several teams located near HBCU campuses but there is no direct link.

Why do you want a league that pays college athletes, and do you really think that an 18-year-old kid who makes $150,000/summer is going to spend the majority of his year in a classroom? We think it is the right model because it is fair/equitable. There is no other profession in the US where we tell 18-year-olds who want to get paid for their work that they have to go overseas. The original mission statement of the NCAA was to protect student-athletes…but that was back in 1906! We do want them to be successful as both a student and an athlete. While there are a number of guys who might choose not to attend school in the fall/spring, there are only 10-15 guys every year who are 1-and-done so the overall percentage will be 10% of the league at the very most. The majority of our guys will be excited for the athletic/academic opportunity.

Why will your athletes need a 5-year scholarship if they are raking in the dough every year? We are providing the scholarships to them because the basic essence of receiving fair value for your services is a good idea in a perfect world. If you are a computer science student and can run/sell a company as a result of an app that you created, that is great…but athletes should not be treated any differently. We do not require them to attend a 4-year school: they can do a 2-year school, an online program, etc. If a player is interested in film, he can attend a film school instead of a traditional college.

How will viewers be able to follow the action if you do not sign a traditional broadcasting deal, and is the fact that you will offer your games via a streaming service mean that you are targeting younger viewers? This is not a hard/fast rule but generally if you are over 40 years old you value the institution more than the player. That group of people will be hard for us to get because we do not have institutional involvement, but viewers under age 40 do not place as significant a value on the school as on the individual. You see it in the NBA: if a star player changes teams than many fans will follow the player to his new team so millenials will be easier to convince. We are focused on having a streaming agreement for our league-wide deal and are also exploring local regional sports networks for each market.

How did you pick the cities for the inaugural season, and why are you going with NBA rules rather than college/other rules? There were several factors: high-density areas so that players have the maximum # of choices, cities where 18-year-olds would enjoy living, and places with marketability for corporate sponsors/partners. To a lesser extent we tried to pick up-and-coming cities that were not over-saturated with pro sports (like Austin/Richmond, compared to a place like Dallas). 1 of our biggest criticisms in terms of player development is that NBA teams have to guess if a college player can run a 24-second offense or has the skill-set to make a 3-PT shot from NBA range. We want our players to be prepared for the NBA as well as possible and David understands how to best prepare them to take that next step. It is a really timely question: Sports Illustrated’s recent mock draft includes Nassir Little of UNC, who started the year in the top-4 but has since dropped to around #8. The comments regarding his drop were that his skill-set did not translate well into the college game, which makes no sense because the NBA only cares whether his skill-set is developed for pro basketball!

What are the biggest differences between your league and the G League, and what kind of response do you expect from the NCAA either in the courtroom or on the court? We get asked about the G League a lot. From our standpoint, my understanding is that they will only offer a few select contracts on an annual basis, with everyone else getting around $36,000/year. We might be competing with them for a handful of players, but on the whole we are focused on a larger pool of players who might not reach the NBA in the long run because there are only so many available spots. We will start with 120-144 players but what we are doing is complementary to the NBA as we prepare players to take the next step. That argument goes totally out the window with the NCAA, as there will be considerable overlap/competition between them and us. However, as an attorney I am hard-pressed to find any angle they can take against us. We have been very methodical with our model to avoid any legal action: in the long run I think that it will simply come down to who has the better offer to make to players.

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