Ngongba Cuts UCONN

[tzznandrew]

Given all the obvious facts Duke is still piling up 5* and we are getting the next level. We are clearly the better program not even close since the turn of the century.

How many games do we have on national TV or ESPN relative to Duke? How hyped are our games on the networks that drive sports media?

I'm also skeptical our NIL is as good as Duke's.

Here's the thing: if you're a one-and-done, you're only going to college because you have to. You want to be drafted highly and build a brand. Duke has more games on channels that people watch (as opposed to Fox Sports) and their conference is owned by the major sports network so they are always front and center.

The Big East is a fantastic basketball conference, and if you want to play great ball and develop into a pro when you are borderline, UConn looks like it's probably a better bet. If you have one year, why not be on TV constantly, talked about constantly, and play in the best rivalry the sport has (Duke-UNC). It's like you get the college experience squished into bite-sized form.

 

[willie99]

We rarely land burger boys, we've had very few five star recruits, we've NEVER land the number one ranked player, NEVER, and yet we've had the most titles in the last 25 years. C'mon man

Love the one you're with

Dance with who brought you to the party

We are family

Don't worry, be happy

Y'know all those schools that keep landing all those incredible classes wish they had our rings

 

[auror]

AHow many games do we have on national TV or ESPN relative to Duke? How hyped are our games on the networks that drive sports media?

I'm also skeptical our NIL is as good as Duke's.

Here's the thing: if you're a one-and-done, you're only going to college because you have to. You want to be drafted highly and build a brand. Duke has more games on channels that people watch (as opposed to Fox Sports) and their conference is owned by the major sports network so they are always front and center.

The Big East is a fantastic basketball conference, and if you want to play great ball and develop into a pro when you are borderline, UConn looks like it's probably a better bet. If you have one year, why not be on TV constantly, talked about constantly, and play in the best rivalry the sport has (Duke-UNC). It's like you get the college experience squished into bite-sized form.

Duke has 0 games on the major broadcast newtorks. They do have 3 games on The CW. After that, they have 10 games for sure on ESPN, and 2 games for sure on ESPN2. And then another 7 that are flexed between ESPN/2/U, definitely some of which will end up on ESPN since they're Duke. The rest are ACC Network (11).

We have 8* games this season on the major broadcast networks (7* Fox, 1 CBS). We have 11 games on FS1, which is in exactly as many households as ESPN, and 3 on FS2. We do have 2 on ESPN, 2 on ESPN2, 1 ESPNU. And 3 on CBS Sports Net.

I would argue we have more exposure this season than Duke.

 

[Samoo]

How many games do we have on national TV or ESPN relative to Duke? How hyped are our games on the networks that drive sports media?

I'm also skeptical our NIL is as good as Duke's.

Here's the thing: if you're a one-and-done, you're only going to college because you have to. You want to be drafted highly and build a brand. Duke has more games on channels that people watch (as opposed to Fox Sports) and their conference is owned by the major sports network so they are always front and center.

The Big East is a fantastic basketball conference, and if you want to play great ball and develop into a pro when you are borderline, UConn looks like it's probably a better bet. If you have one year, why not be on TV constantly, talked about constantly, and play in the best rivalry the sport has (Duke-UNC). It's like you get the college experience squished into bite-sized form.

I don't think being on television matters with NBA teams; the scouts beat the bushes and know where the good players are regardless of conferences. In this year's draft, only one of the top ten had the kind of network exposure you describe.

I'm also not that sure that where you play your college ball matters much for your brand in the long run - many of the best brands today (Dame, Luka, LeBron, Steph, Giannis) didn't go to an ACC school or a one-and-done factory. Flagg, like Wemby, will get attention regardless of where he spends the 9 months before the 2025 draft.

I think they are 17-year-old young men, one of the most fickle creatures on the planet.

 

[tzznandrew]

Duke has 0 games on the major broadcast newtorks. They do have 3 games on The CW. After that, they have 10 games for sure on ESPN, and 2 games for sure on ESPN2. And then another 7 that are flexed between ESPN/2/U, definitely some of which will end up on ESPN since they're Duke. The rest are ACC Network (11).

We have 8* games this season on the major broadcast networks (7* Fox, 1 CBS). We have 11 games on FS1, which is in exactly as many households as ESPN, and 3 on FS2. We do have 2 on ESPN, 2 on ESPN2, 1 ESPNU. And 3 on CBS Sports Net.

I would argue we have more exposure this season than Duke.

Yeah, I think we're going to disagree in terms of exposure. ESPN may be in a terminal decline, it seems, but for the time being they still control the sports narratives, particularly CBB. It's where the hype comes from, and if you're only doing one year, getting that narrative I think helps.

While Fox Sports may be in as many households as ESPN, we all know there's a difference in viewership numbers just in terms of games, not getting into the rest of the talking head shows, etc.

 

[tzznandrew]

I don't think being on television matters with NBA teams

It's not about NBA teams or scouts. It's about building a brand and being known going into the league.

 

[jibsey]

With the talent in their roster let them be villains, makes it fun to see them fail(we hope). I couldn’t believe the number of posts from people here a while ago who hated other programs more than they hated Duke.

 

[auror]

Yeah, I think we're going to disagree in terms of exposure. ESPN may be in a terminal decline, it seems, but for the time being they still control the sports narratives, particularly CBB. It's where the hype comes from, and if you're only doing one year, getting that narrative I think helps.

While Fox Sports may be in as many households as ESPN, we all know there's a difference in viewership numbers just in terms of games, not getting into the rest of the talking head shows, etc.

Yes, we may disagree. To me it's less about the 11 FS1 games being equivalent to the ESPN games (we agree, they're not), and more about 8 regular broadcast TV games which are in the "primetime" of the college basketball week being so much better than being on ESPN. Like a lot of people are going to watch some B1G game on CBS in the early afternoon, then Kentucky Alabama on CBS and then UConn Nova primetime on Fox. Or UConn-Marquette before Michigan St/Michigan, both on Fox. Meanwhile Duke is lost in the shuffle playing on ESPN2 both days.

The talking heads and podcasts feature those Sat/Sun afternoon network games as the games they pick against the spread, the games they preview on the Friday episodes/articles, etc., because a lot of those hype guys work for those networks (CBS-Parrish/Norlander and Fox-Fanta) and the performance of those weekend afternoon games is important to the networks. ESPN isn't the biggest in the game in college basketball media anymore. Who is the biggest college basketball personality for ESPN? Bilas? He's on the way down. Greenberg? Love that he's a Hurley guy but who cares.

 

[LStudfellow]

Great is quite the stretch. We have used it to fill in holes. But this will be quite the jump. Hurley has shown the ability to adapt and I expect him to do the same here.

"Great" is quite the stretch? Last years' transfers played an integral role in us winning the National Championship.

Therefore, no other team in the country did better in the transfer portal than Danny Hurley in the 2022 off season. NO ONE.

So yeah... I consider that GREAT, since you can not get any better than that. And unlike so many others, I use hyperbolic terms like "great" much more judiciously.

Danny gets An A+ for his use of the transfer portal. Again, they helped us win the title. Period. End of story. That is the definition of great in my book.

 

[Gurleyman]

Same way Kentucky has the last 10 years.

Hey. You need to give Duke some credit too! Zion, Barrett and Reddish were 3 of the top 4 recruits in the country and hyped as part of the greatest class ever. That group was life and death with Tacko Fall’s UCF in the second round, needed a miracle to survive, and came up short of the FF to Michigan State.

Zion, Tatum and Kyrie won 6 NCAA games - alas they played in different seasons. Ingram also flamed out early. Banchero reached the FF but lost to an 8 seed.

in fairness, the Jahlil Okafor team did break the mold in 2015 - mostly since Jones and Allen had clutch performances that were outliers (for KY, Anthony Davis shot 1-10 in the championship while Doron Lamb was clutch)