Former cal commit. Avoided the debacle that is cal basketball and is now going pro at U of A

As soon as he announced the transfer, I knew that this was the outcome.

Just another indication that most players don't give a damn if a school is corrupt/academically problematic. They just want to play for winning programs which are supported by faculty/students. Sometimes it is hard to admit those things which are right in front of our noses.

I don't particularly want to disrespect Baker's thinking, but just a quick look
at Miller-world's returnees at SG shouldn't fill him with great confidence that
he'll be seeing 20 or so minutes a game even after sitting out a season (I assume he
is sitting out.....or did he a special dispensation?)

https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/arizona/2019.html

I guess they have been told there will be no probation. Or they don't care.

oskidunker said:

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I guess they have been told there will be no probation. Or they don't care.

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The university has made it very clear that they don't intend to take any action on their own. So, the only way action is taken against Miller or the program is via the NCAA's investigation and conclusions. And we all know what a crapshoot that is. Plus, the NCAA doesn't do anything quickly.

Is anybody simple getting turned-off by all this? At this point I'm just so much more interested in the NBA. If I'm going to watch professional players, I would rather watch the better guys.

wifeisafurd said:

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Is anybody simple getting turned-off by all this? At this point I'm just so much more interested in the NBA. If I'm going to watch professional players, I would rather watch the better guys.

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Agreed. However, I have a soft spot for Cal. If I want to watch good basketball - its the NBA. But if I want to go to Berkeley, spend some time with friends, grab a Top Dog and catch some college hoop, the Dubs just aren't good enough. That is why I support taking a few steps back and...

• Letting the top players go pro instead of college.
• Drastically reduce the impact of television both financially and on the game itself. But keep March Madness.
• Do not allow coaches to paid more than the highest paid professor or administrator
• Focus should be on the in person game experience
• Change the focus of officiating away from drama and towards the flow of the game
• Eliminate the 4 minute time outs
• Move the three point line to the International distance

yeah, its a pipe dream. But maybe if one out of seven of those happen in the next three years, I'll be OK.

The problem with letting kids go pro is that basketball lacks the infrastructure to accommodate all of the players who might prefer to do that. Baseball has it. But the NBA has just used the college game rather than developing their own system. The net result is tons of kids playing college basketball who have zero interest in the college experience or getting a college education. Letting kids go straight from HS to the NBA and its tiny developmental system helps; but until there are massive infrastructure changes, colleges will continue to be where kids not interested in an education have to go to advance their basketball career.

BeachedBear said:

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wifeisafurd said:

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Is anybody simple getting turned-off by all this? At this point I'm just so much more interested in the NBA. If I'm going to watch professional players, I would rather watch the better guys.

---

Agreed. However, I have a soft spot for Cal. If I want to watch good basketball - its the NBA. But if I want to go to Berkeley, spend some time with friends, grab a Top Dog and catch some college hoop, the Dubs just aren't good enough. That is why I support taking a few steps back and...

• Letting the top players go pro instead of college.
• Drastically reduce the impact of television both financially and on the game itself. But keep March Madness.
• Do not allow coaches to paid more than the highest paid professor or administrator
• Focus should be on the in person game experience
• Change the focus of officiating away from drama and towards the flow of the game
• Eliminate the 4 minute time outs
• Move the three point line to the International distance

yeah, its a pipe dream. But maybe if one out of seven of those happen in the next three years, I'll be OK.

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I love this. Beached for NCAA Commish (is that even what it is?)!

I can see Kentucky hiring away a top professor and paying him 5 million a year so they can justify Calipari's salary.

TheSouseFamily said:

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The problem with letting kids go pro is that basketball lacks the infrastructure to accommodate all of the players who might prefer to do that. Baseball has it. But the NBA has just used the college game rather than developing their own system. The net result is tons of kids playing college basketball who have zero interest in the college experience or getting a college education. Letting kids go straight from HS to the NBA and its tiny developmental system helps; but until there are massive infrastructure changes, colleges will continue to be where kids not interested in an education have to go to advance their basketball career.

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That's not a problem caused by "letting kids go pro" though. If the NBA eliminates its current age limit kids who are good enough to get drafted will go pro instead of pretending to be students for one semester. Kids who aren't good enough will have to spend enough time in college to develop, which means they at least have to pay a bit more than lip service to being a student in most places. Better that than the current system.

Bluesaxe - I think we're in agreement. Getting rid of one and done's is a good thing. It helps with the problem and I completely support that; it just doesn't solve it. It will still leave a ton of players who envision a career in basketball using the college system for their development despite not having any interest in being a real college student. If the NBA had the developmental infrastructure of MLB, the college game wouldn't have half the problems it does today. The NBA has zero interest in investing that kind of money and the colleges benefit from the financial windfall from media and fan interest. So there's really no element that will initiate and drive change.

Many of us lament how divergent the mission of a university and the mission of a basketball program have gotten, but that's a weak force compared to the other forces in play and not enough to bring about meaningful change, unfortunately.

oskidunker said:

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I guess they have been told there will be no probation. Or they don't care.

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Should they care?

The LSU coach was reinstated after the FBI taped him talking to a fixer about a "strong azz offer" made to one of LSU's existing players a few days before he committed to LSU.

The Kansas coach texted his adidas fixer, "Just got to get a couple real guys" and two five star players signed with KU soon thereafter.

Arizona has to be thinking that Miller is more likely than not to skate away free, just like Wade and Self.

BearSD said:

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oskidunker said:

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I guess they have been told there will be no probation. Or they don't care.

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Should they care?

The LSU coach was reinstated after the FBI taped him talking to a fixer about a "strong azz offer" made to one of LSU's existing players a few days before he committed to LSU.

The Kansas coach texted his adidas fixer, "Just got to get a couple real guys" and two five star players signed with KU soon thereafter.

Arizona has to be thinking that Miller is more likely than not to skate away free, just like Wade and Self.

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Agreed. I think what this reflects, is how much the schools and boosters value the reputation of the school as an academic institution. LSU, Kansas, UofA and Kentucky do not have much academic reputation to protect, so why should they care? UNC pretends to care a bit and look how that turned out. Cal, Stanford and a few others probably care more than most, but both have still had their scandals as well. I could see them not hiring a Sean Miller or parting ways with him under the current circumstances. But UofA - their reputation IS THEIR Basketball program.