Friday is roundtable day at Rivals, and this week’s topics are both interesting and wide-ranging. Rivals national analysts Rob Cassidy and Jason Jordan are joined by contributor Houston Wilson of CavsCorner.com and PantherLair.com to field a trio of questions dealing with everything from Louisville’s coaching hire to next week’s McDonald’s All-American Game.
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1. HOW DO YOU VIEW THE FIT BETWEEN LOUISVILLE AND NEW HEAD COACH PAT KELSEY?
Cassidy: I have no idea if he’ll win there or not because coaching hires are becoming increasingly difficult to project thanks to the sport’s quickly changing landscape. What I do know is that fans seem ready to support a charismatic guy that will say the right things in press conferences and work tirelessly on the trail. Those are boxes Kelsey checks.
Fan support seems more important than ever in the NIL era thanks to collectives and the overarching manner in which players are compensated. The Cardinal fan base has talked itself into Kelsey as a long-term solution, but this is a group of people with well-deserved PTSD from one of the most disastrous hires in recent history.
Kelsey needs to start his first season well because those that support him have been beaten down to the fact where they still feel on edge. If he gets off to a slow start in season one, the tide could turn more quickly than it should thanks to everything that has unfolded in the past two seasons.
Jordan: He’s obviously a winner coming off back-to-back CAA regular season and tournament titles and two NCAA tournament appearances, so he knows how to win. Conventional wisdom says adding resources should enhance that, but he’ll need talent in what proved to be the top league in college basketball this season and most seasons. The Kenny Payne stench will be strong, so he’ll have to win a few portal wars early on. The long-term projections will depend heavily on early success. He’ll need the fans because at this point they’re not going to be overly willing to wait.
Houston: I think Kelsey is exactly what the Louisville program needs as he is going to bring a lot of energy and passion from day one. Kelsey had success with getting talent at Charleston so I don’t expect that to be an issue at Louisville. Charleston also has a strong NIL effort so he is familiar with how to work with that at the major conference level. I am not predicting that Louisville is going to make the NCAA tournament immediately but with Louisville's resources, the connections Kelsey has and the overall success he has shown at previous stops, Cardinals fans should have a lot to look forward to which is something that has not been the case recently.
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2. THE NBA’S G LEAGUE IGNITE IS OFFICIALLY DEAD. HOW WILL YOU REMEMBER THE FAILED EXPERIMENT?
Cassidy: I don’t really have strong opinions on the defunct program, but it’s pretty funny to me to look back on the discussion that surrounded its announcement because it was treated as a death blow to college basketball. I think its existence probably helped get NIL rules passed more quickly, so it served its purpose on that front. I’m in favor of anything that helps get athletes paid, so I guess it was a net positive for the sport.
Still, I really wish I could rewind time and get the chance to see high-level prep prospects such as Scoot Henderson, Jalen Green and Ron Holland play and develop in college. As a college hoops fan, I feel a bit robbed from that standpoint, but I feel terrible for any employees that are out of jobs because of its downfall.
Jordan: Only for the way it began and the hype surrounding “the new option” for high school stars. Ultimately, NIL killed the G League because March Madness is undefeated and the marketing associated with college basketball is on another planet when compared to the G League. The boost it gave players was minimal and it could be argued that said boost would’ve been enhanced in college.
Houston: To be honest, I just looked at it as another option instead of college but something that didn’t ever have the same type of momentum that playing college basketball does. Once NIL emerged as an option, the G League started to struggle because prospects could now receive money while going to college. There seemed to be some question marks at the time about the structure and development of the G League so I don’t really believe people are that upset that it is no longer a thing.
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3. THE MCDONALD’S ALL-AMERICAN GAME IS NEXT WEEK, WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO MOST?
Cassidy: Watching Cooper Flagg’s last big moment as high school prospect is a big thing for me due to the fact I’ve covered him for so long and have sky-high expectations for him as both a college player and a pro, but I’m also stoked to see Auburn signee Tahaad Pettiford on this kind of major national stage. Pettiford is one of the most charismatic kids I’ve ever covered and has the type of game that matches his big personality.
Pettiford’s confidence, versatility and ability to have fun on the floor has always resonated with me because his type of disposition feels like it has become rare as high school basketball has become more corporate. There are few moments when Pettiford isn’t smiling, and there are few players more exciting to watch when he’s going well. His big personality tends to make covering events a little more fun, and I’m hoping to get a chance to thank him for that next week in Houston.
Jordan: I definitely want to see the matchup everyone’s been waiting for between Cooper Flagg and Ace Bailey. No. 1 vs. No. 2. Flagg hasn’t done anything but strengthen his position this season and Bailey has made the strongest case to dethrone him. Whether they admit it or not, they both know this weekend and next week could potentially weigh heavy on the minds of NBA executives as they prepare for next year’s draft. Flagg will also have the Chipotle Nationals event following McDonald’s on his mind. Bailey is arguably the most confident player in the country. All factors that will make for must-see TV.
Houston: Obviously whenever Cooper Flagg is present at an event and on national television, it is a major storyline itself but I am going to go a different route. I am interested to see which players on the opposing West Team step up and try to take away the spotlight. Now, this will not be an easy task because Flagg is that good but the West Team has a lot of talent. Some potential options in my opinion are Ace Bailey, V.J. Edgecombe and Dylan Harper.
