5th Year Players Are Here To Stay (Maybe)

[Hunt for 7]

There's already so many kids being held back at least a year in middle school and high school so they can play D1 ball nowadays. I agree the Covid years sucked and it should be an extremely rare thing that 24-25 year olds are competing against 18 and 19 year olds. This will make it the norm.

I really don’t think everyone truly understands how much of an advantage a 23/24 year old man has against a 18/19 year old kid. No matter how much more upside the 18/19 year old has they give up so much in awareness and basic overall BBIQ as well as physicality.

It changes everything. In fact you could make the case that the only reason BYU seemed to always have good teams was because they had men playing against boys.

 

[JMick]

I really don’t think everyone truly understands how much of an advantage a 23/24 year old man has against a 18/19 year old kid. No matter how much more upside the 18/19 year old has they give up so much in awareness and basic overall BBIQ as well as physicality.

It changes everything. In fact you could make the case that the only reason BYU seemed to always have good teams was because they had men playing against boys.

An extra couple years in the weight room is such a massive advantage in and of itself. Nevermind the actual playing experience

 

[JonnyRI]

This is what is what my gut said but I couldn't pull it out consciously. Had I been given another year to do it perhaps.

Serious students who might have given up the pursuit of their sport might decide to pursue it now that they know they have a chance to lighten their yearly load.

Yeah, they are definitely doing this to help with course load and graduation requirements management

 

[superjohn]

An extra couple years in the weight room is such a massive advantage in and of itself. Nevermind the actual playing experience

Your muscle building peak is from 30-40 years old. We may see 30 somethings in college sports down the road.

 

[husky8273]

5 years is a big spread in age. Liam McNeeley is 19 years old. Cam Spencer wanted to come back one more year. He's 24 years old. My 24 year old self was much stronger than my 19 year old self. My gut says keep it at 4 and yes...they are supposed to be students and athletes. What's next, 17 year-olds playing against 25 year-olds?

yes

 

[ucp990411]

I actually had the opposite gut reaction. I'm not sure if I'll have the same opinion after I sit on it and think about it more.

But my initial thought, at least in terms of UConn, was this could really benefit the non basketball and football athletes. Those kids are already going to be playing pro somewhere, but if the other athletes are in school 5 years that gets them a good start on a masters degree which could really benefit them long term

You really think most of our football players will be playing pro football somewhere? And I wonder what the % of our mens basketball players actually play professionally after leaving UConn.

 

[uconn_jack]

Why not just base it on age then? Get rid of years of eligibility, redshirting, etc? Students can play until they turn 24 yo (but allowed to play through a season if they turn 24 during it).

 

[HooperScooper]

And I wonder what the % of our mens basketball players actually play professionally after leaving UConn.

100% of them or close to it since Calhoun got to UConn in 1986.

 

[J187Money]

From the interwebs:

"The official four-year graduation rate for students attending public colleges and universities is 33.3%. The six-year rate is 57.6%."

It is probably better for athletes, because they have tutors and all sorts of attention along the way. (ignoring those that go pro)

 

[ucp990411]

100% of them or close to it since Calhoun got to UConn in 1986.

If correct that would be very impressive.

 

[Chuck]

From the interwebs:

"The official four-year graduation rate for students attending public colleges and universities is 33.3%. The six-year rate is 57.6%."

It is probably better for athletes, because they have tutors and all sorts of attention along the way. (ignoring those that go pro)

I think most of the negativity is due to not liking another break in tradition, and the assumption that this will be abused (like every other NCAA rule).

But, J187Money's facts are what I was thinking of. There are a lot of kids that take more than 4 years (better not be my kids because I'm not paying!) to graduate. You mentioned all the tutors and attention the athletes get, but a Division 1 athlete has a ton of time commitments for their sport (especially High Major revenue sports) that a regular student doesn't have. I would think that a fifth year will result in more athletes graduating, and maybe with majors that they want but couldn't otherwise finish. Of course, schools will abuse this and we'll have 25-28 year olds playing, but that's a different issue.

 

[Huskyforlife]

The sport is better with 5th year players. Adding a 5th year should lead to freshmen being more patient hopefully. Obviously we can't add more and more years moving forward, but 5 feels like a good number.

 

[Matrim55]

The sport is better with 5th year players. Adding a 5th year should lead to freshmen being more patient hopefully. Obviously we can't add more and more years moving forward, but 5 feels like a good number.

Amen. It gives guys like Cam & Tristen, who were ignored, the chance to prove themselves at a lower level then make a move to a big platform for multiple years. Which gets them paid, gets them a degree, and gets them on track to, perhaps, a master's.

It also will prove to be a better proving ground for the 5-star freshmen of the world, who'll be going up against grown men more often.

Nothing but wins across the board IMO. Nice to see the NCAA do something right.

 

[HooperScooper]

But, J187Money's facts are what I was thinking of. There are a lot of kids that take more than 4 years (better not be my kids because I'm not paying!) to graduate. You mentioned all the tutors and attention the athletes get, but a Division 1 athlete has a ton of time commitments for their sport (especially High Major revenue sports) that a regular student doesn't have. I would think that a fifth year will result in more athletes graduating, and maybe with majors that they want but couldn't otherwise finish.

They definitely have more time commitments than the average student. But they are also there during 2 summer sessions each year so they take classes then to lighten the load during the fall and spring semesters. Unless they're ambitious like Okafor and Karaban and use the extra time to graduate early.

 

[superjohn]

Amen. It gives guys like Cam & Tristen, who were ignored, the chance to prove themselves at a lower level then make a move to a big platform for multiple years. Which gets them paid, gets them a degree, and gets them on track to, perhaps, a master's.

It also will prove to be a better proving ground for the 5-star freshmen of the world, who'll be going up against grown men more often.

Nothing but wins across the board IMO. Nice to see the NCAA do something right.

This has nothing to do with education and this is another dangerous idea for the future of college athletics. This will make college sports even more professional than they already are. At some point the NFL and NBA are going to drop the hammer on college sports if they keep making things more and more professional.

I don't have the numbers in front of me but there isn't a problem with college athletes graduating the way the system is currently.

 

[Matrim55]

This has nothing to do with education and this is another dangerous idea for the future of college athletics. This will make college sports even more professional than they already are. At some point the NFL and NBA are going to drop the hammer on college sports if they keep making things more and more professional.

It doesn't have anything to do with education, but it clearly would have benefits in that regard. Intended or not.

Just in general, tho, I think it makes for better hoops, and baseball, and football, and soccer. So I like it!

 

[RuffRuff]

And then you have stuff like this happening…

 

[Huskyforlife]

And then you have stuff like this happening…

Legendary ESPN reporter Brody Sheetz, only he gets these type of scoops.

 

[auror]

Legendary ESPN reporter Brody Sheetz, only he gets these type of scoops.

Legendary ESPN reporter Brody Sheetz, who "works for On3". lol.

 

[Hunt for 7]

You really think most of our football players will be playing pro football somewhere? And I wonder what the % of our mens basketball players actually play professionally after leaving UConn.

My guess is that 90% of the players who have played significant minutes at UConn since Hurley became coach are playing professionally. Maybe not in the US but somewhere. I did some research may not be exact but since Hurley started in 2018 the only players I could find that played significant minutes and did not play professionally is not a long list.
Gaffney- no, Akok Akok -no, Diggins-no. Some of the fringe players, Gilbert-yes in Poland, Polley-yes, Alleyne yes in Poland, Joey C still in G league. But you get the picture. If you end up playing minutes as part of a rotation for a Dan Hurley UConn team, you will more than likely be earning a pay check by playing professionally somewhere.

 

[HooperScooper]

And then you have stuff like this happening…

Is Brody Sheetz a cousin of Simon Charles?

I hope you didn't fall for this. Lol

 

[RuffRuff]

Is Brody Sheetz a cousin of Simon Charles?

I hope you didn't fall for this. Lol

And to think somehow this guy has 5.3k followers, even without a PhD in female anatomy.

 

[ucp990411]

My guess is that 90% of the players who have played significant minutes at UConn since Hurley became coach are playing professionally. Maybe not in the US but somewhere. I did some research may not be exact but since Hurley started in 2018 the only players I could find that played significant minutes and did not play professionally is not a long list.
Gaffney- no, Akok Akok -no, Diggins-no. Some of the fringe players, Gilbert-yes in Poland, Polley-yes, Alleyne yes in Poland, Joey C still in G league. But you get the picture. If you end up playing minutes as part of a rotation for a Dan Hurley UConn team, you will more than likely be earning a pay check by playing professionally somewhere.

I agree about rotation players playing professionally but the comment was “ 100% of the players or close to it since Calhoun became coach in 1986 have played professionally”. That is what I was questioning

 

[superjohn]

And then you have stuff like this happening…