The "star system of the NBA" has reached college basketball (and football) through the able guidance of ESPN. Clarke to Duke already?
Build up certain programs so the viewership will be brought in to see the teams anointed as the best to watch. Probably a contributing factor to no penalties for "ole Roy" and his merry band of fraudsters. Get the ratings now and worry later about the long term effect of the Power Five killing off all the competition and likely losing many of the viewers who are alums or supporters of the majority of schools not deemed worthy.
It's fascinating how ESPN, influenced by Vitale, deified Calipari and Valvano and is now doing the same to possibly an even greater degree with Coach K. The little vignettes they produced featuring him and showing the reverence his former players show for him that are shown during half time breaks prompt me to change the channel as soon as they start.
Then, there's the round table of K, Williams and Boeheim (the jewelry broker, afro fraudster and academic genius) they've shown repeatedly. I keep waiting for them to ask those guys if it worries them that a school with four national championships (UConn) may bring dishonor to the college game because of Ollie's violations.
