2023 Miscellaneous College News

[areacodes]

I suppose we can get on to 2023 with the miscellaneous college news thread.

B1G commissioner is leaving to become the President/CEO of the Bears.

Any guesses on who replaces him?

[HarryDoyle]

Jim Leonhard.

[LouisEly]

Assuming this thread is for both football and basketball.  ESPNU tonight had the 30-for-30 on Phi Slamma Jamma followed by the ESPN film "The Fab Five".  That got me wondering....

Who do you think is the best college team to not win the national championship during their tenure:

• The Fab Five (Webber, Howard, Rose, King)
• Phi Slamma Jamma (Olaijuwon, Drexler, Young, Micheaux)
• Other?

[nate82]

12 minutes ago, LouisEly said:

Phi Slamma Jamma (Olaijuwon, Drexler, Young, Micheaux)

The only right answer.  You have a hall of fame center and a hall of fame SG/SF.  How this team didn't win one is just crazy. 

[LouisEly]

As expected, the father of Devin Willock, the former University of Georgia football player killed in a crash in an alleged street race with former Bulldog Jalen Carter, has filed a $2M wrongful death lawsuit against the University of Georgia's athletic department.

Some interesting information that I wasn't aware of:

• The group had gathered at an Athens area strip club prior to the incident
• The driver of the SUV, which was leased by the University of Georgia's athletic department, had four speeding tickets over the last six years

A bit surprised that they're only asking for $2M if they think that they have a legitimate case.  But I'm not sure how you don't have a legitimate case if someone with four speeding tickets over the last six years is given access to a university-leased vehicle.  And the statement made by the Athletic Department... not exactly the tone that I would use when referring to an incident where a student died.

[Oxy]

On 2/13/2023 at 10:29 PM, nate82 said:

The only right answer.  You have a hall of fame center and a hall of fame SG/SF.  How this team didn't win one is just crazy. 

I do not disagree.  Just because it's fun to make lists though I'll put out the Flyin' Illini teams in the late eighties and the '05 Illini.

The 38-and-done '15 UK team had the highest efficiency margin in the KenPom era (since 2002 I think).  And of course they lost to a UW team that had the highest offensive efficiency in the KenPom era (by a significant margin).

[MrTPlush]

On 5/10/2023 at 6:55 PM, LouisEly said:

As expected, the father of Devin Willock, the former University of Georgia football player killed in a crash in an alleged street race with former Bulldog Jalen Carter, has filed a $2M wrongful death lawsuit against the University of Georgia's athletic department.

Some interesting information that I wasn't aware of:

• The group had gathered at an Athens area strip club prior to the incident
• The driver of the SUV, which was leased by the University of Georgia's athletic department, had four speeding tickets over the last six years

A bit surprised that they're only asking for $2M if they think that they have a legitimate case.  But I'm not sure how you don't have a legitimate case if someone with four speeding tickets over the last six years is given access to a university-leased vehicle.  And the statement made by the Athletic Department... not exactly the tone that I would use when referring to an incident where a student died.

Blaming the university is laughable. Unless these speeding tickets were 100mph+, I don’t see any reason the university should have believed the guy was at risk of reckless driving in the form of street racing/104mph.

They are probably asking for $2mil because:

A) The university has money to pay out. Suing the person actually responsible (well the estate) probably doesn’t have much money to give out.

B) Low enough where they might be able to just settle out of court and the university will just want to be done with it quicker.

[LouisEly]

13 hours ago, MrTPlush said:

Blaming the university is laughable. Unless these speeding tickets were 100mph+, I don’t see any reason the university should have believed the guy was at risk of reckless driving in the form of street racing/104mph.

You need to become more familiar with this because the driver of the SUV, a recruiting coordinator employed by the athletic department with a history of multiple speeding tickets, was allowed access to a university-leased vehicle.  SHE was the one driving the SUV that Willock was in.

As someone who once had a company car, having four speeding tickets over the course of six years would have gotten someone fired from the company I was working for.  The company that leases the vehicle is liable for the actions of the driver.  The legal term is "deep pockets".

[MrTPlush]

22 minutes ago, LouisEly said:

You need to become more familiar with this because the driver of the SUV, a recruiting coordinator employed by the athletic department with a history of multiple speeding tickets, was allowed access to a university-leased vehicle.  SHE was the one driving the SUV that Willock was in.

As someone who once had a company car, having four speeding tickets over the course of six years would have gotten someone fired from the company I was working for.  The company that leases the vehicle is liable for the actions of the driver.  The legal term is "deep pockets".

It is a money grab.

Is what it is, I would probably do the same. 

[wildcat83]

Mertz is going to get to air it out in the Florida offense.  Threw it 44 times for 333.  Those attempts and yards equaled 11 points and a QBR of 30 though.  

[Jim French Stepstool]

On 2/13/2023 at 10:11 PM, LouisEly said:

Assuming this thread is for both football and basketball.  ESPNU tonight had the 30-for-30 on Phi Slamma Jamma followed by the ESPN film "The Fab Five".  That got me wondering....

Who do you think is the best college team to not win the national championship during their tenure:

• The Fab Five (Webber, Howard, Rose, King)
• Phi Slamma Jamma (Olaijuwon, Drexler, Young, Micheaux)
• Other?

IMO, that Fab Five team had some dog in them. Very good, but I wouldn't put them on the short list.

In 70-71, Southern Cal had a team led by Paul Westphal that came a point or so from having 5 double-digit scorers in its' starting five & went 3 or 4 deep, pretty rare for the time. They lost twice, both to nat'l champ UCLA. Ineligible for the NCAAs as the tourney only took conference champs at that time.

[BrewerFan]

2 hours ago, Jim French Stepstool said:

IMO, that Fab Five team had some dog in them. Very good, but I wouldn't put them on the short list.

In 70-71, Southern Cal had a team led by Paul Westphal that came a point or so from having 5 double-digit scorers in its' starting five & went 3 or 4 deep, pretty rare for the time. They lost twice, both to nat'l champ UCLA. Ineligible for the NCAAs as the tourney only took conference champs at that time.

I just think about that UNLV team that rolled Duke and then Duke came back to beat in...I don't remember what years, '91 and then '92?

I don't know CBB like that, but that team had Larry Johnson, Stacy Augmon, Anthony and then I thought at least one other College Superstar. Undefeated and blowing everyone out that year.

[LouisEly]

Duke saved the biggest upset for the last game of the weekend. 

[Samurai Bucky]

13 hours ago, LouisEly said:

Duke saved the biggest upset for the last game of the weekend. 

Didn't Clemson have the ball 1st and Goal at the 1 twice and not score?  Ball security be damned!

[nate82]

Apparently there are rumors that the B1G Ten football championship game may move to Las Vegas?  The B1G Ten has also denied this but there still isn't an agreement of where the game will be played after the 2024 season. 

[Jim French Stepstool]

51 minutes ago, nate82 said:

Apparently there are rumors that the B1G Ten football championship game may move to Las Vegas?  The B1G Ten has also denied this but there still isn't an agreement of where the game will be played after the 2024 season. 

They played the B10 hoops tourney in NY, and that was before the entire landscape changed over the past year or two. So save for the southeast, I think anyplace could be on the list for the FB title game. Myself, I feel the geographic bloat the league is experiencing makes it imperative to be more centrally located. I'd like to see the BTT & football title game both stay in Indy, with maybe the BTT played in Chicago from time to time. Do I expect this? No.

[nate82]

21 minutes ago, Jim French Stepstool said:

They played the B10 hoops tourney in NY, and that was before the entire landscape changed over the past year or two. So save for the southeast, I think anyplace could be on the list for the FB title game. Myself, I feel the geographic bloat the league is experiencing makes it imperative to be more centrally located. I'd like to see the BTT & football title game both stay in Indy, with maybe the BTT played in Chicago from time to time. Do I expect this? No.

I wouldn’t mind if it rotated to Indy, Minnesota, Vegas and maybe Chicago if the Bears get a retractable roof with their new stadium.  I also wouldn’t be against the Rose Bowl hosting either.

[owbc]

Why do they even need a championship game? Almost all of them have been a joke and now they are going to be for what? A possible (but not guaranteed) bye in the playoff? 

[BrewerFan]

31 minutes ago, owbc said:

Why do they even need a championship game? Almost all of them have been a joke and now they are going to be for what? A possible (but not guaranteed) bye in the playoff? 

I think the blowouts just stand out more. They've been some outstanding B1G Title Games. The Badgers vs PSU when they came back and beat them 42-39. MSU knocking off OSU in a tight battle. 

 

But the answer is obviously TV money...and with the two top teams playing, not just East vs West, it's going to be that much bigger. Mich vs OsU could play. One of the biggest rivalries in sports. Hopefully Fickell is able to build on what he did at Cincy and take the Badgers on step further so they're in there and competitive.

That bye is going to be a massive advantage. So no, it's not necessary with all the changes, but given that they'll never give up the TV money it generates, at least it looks like it'll be a lot more fun in the future.

I'd also say it's similar to the SEC Championship the past several years. It didn't really need to be played, but it was fun to watch.

[homer]

 

 

[yourout]

2 hours ago, homer said:

 

 

It takes an exceptional idiot to do what he did. World class.

[MrTPlush]

People kind of clowned Texas and Oklahoma for going to the SEC…yet Texas has now beat Alabama at home (after narrowly losing last year).

Also, since Wisconsin fans tend to hate Bielema…his face was meme worthy most of the other night as Kansas dominated them. If you haven’t yet, I invite you to watch Kansas’ offense. It’s pretty exciting to watch. Lance Leipold has made an incredible football culture there.

[LouisEly]

Tucker is just suspended without pay for now.  Hasn't been fired yet, but that's likely coming.

[Jim French Stepstool]

I wish WSU was playing some other B10 or SEC team the other night, because if they were I would've really gotten into the incredible amount of energy & enthusiasm they showed. After Washington & Oregon left the league & they were hung out to dry, that whole program, student body, fan base & community really bought into giving the big middle finger to all of this league-jumping, posturing & enticement of schools based on market size. They turned it into a crusade. Don't know exactly what it accomplishes but it was fun to see........that is, it would've been if they were playing Minnesota.

[yourout]

9 hours ago, Jim French Stepstool said:

I wish WSU was playing some other B10 or SEC team the other night, because if they were I would've really gotten into the incredible amount of energy & enthusiasm they showed. After Washington & Oregon left the league & they were hung out to dry, that whole program, student body, fan base & community really bought into giving the big middle finger to all of this league-jumping, posturing & enticement of schools based on market size. They turned it into a crusade. Don't know exactly what it accomplishes but it was fun to see........that is, it would've been if they were playing Minnesota.

With only a 35k seat stadium and the way the college football landscape is evolving they simply aren't big enough.