re: Men's basketball is the only sport which has decreased in talent in the past 30+ years

It’s weaker than it was 30-40 years ago for sure but it’s actually stronger than it was 20 years ago IMO.

And it’s nice to see rare talent in cbb but we all know that it has a tendency to be poorly distributed which isn’t good for the game either. See college football.

You missed the point entirely. At least the way I read it. He didn’t dispute that more college baseball players went to mlb. He said the talent has gotten higher which it has. It is much much greater than 30 years ago. Not even a close comparison.

quote:

---

He said the talent has gotten higher which it has. It is much much greater than 30 years ago. Not even a close comparison.

---

And I'm saying I don't necessarily agree with that argument and I think the MLB draft and professional roster % numbers agree with me.

I do think that college baseball is more competitive across the board than it was in 1993 - that isn't up for debate. There are better facilities, more good coaching, more attention, etc. across a wide range of programs than in the early 1990s when it was only a handful of teams that invested in the sport (though a counter argument to that would be that a lot of that is actually just a shift from the West and the North to the Sun Belt).

I do not think that there is more elite talent in college baseball in 2023 than there was in the 1980s or 1990s. Just go back and look at MLB All-Star teams from the 1990s, MLB drafts, the best players in the CWS, etc from those years and you see a massive amount of talent that then became the best players in the best professional league on the planet. At BEST it's a draw to those years.

1995 All-Star Game
NL 1B Mark Grace - San Diego State
NL 2B Craig Biggio - Seton Hall
NL 2B Mickey Morandini - Indiana
NL 3B Matt Williams - UNLV
NL SS Ozzie Smith - Cal Poly
NL SS Barry Larkin - Michigan
NL OF Barry Bonds - Arizona State
NL OF Tony Gwinn - San Diego State
NL OF Jeff Conine - UCLA
NL Pitcher Tyler Green - Wichita State
NL Pitcher Denny Neagle - Minnesota

AL C Mike Stanley - Florida
AL 1B Frank Thomas - Auburn
AL 1B Tino Martinez - Tampa
AL 1B Mark McGwire - USC
AL SS Gary DiSarcina - UMass
AL 3B Kevin Seitzer - Eastern Illinois
AL DH Mo Vaughn - Seton Hall
AL OF Albert Belle - LSU
AL OF Kenny Lofton - Arizona
AL Pitcher Erik Hanson - Wake Forest
AL Pitcher Chuck Finley - ULM (NE La)
AL Pitcher Randy Johnson - USC
AL Pitcher Steve Ontiveros - Michigan


What is the big difference there? Look at all those guys from the West Coast, the B1G and the Northeast. Those kids don't go to those schools anymore - they come to the SEC and the ACC. So OUR college baseball is certainly better, but Seton Hall, USC, San Diego State, Michigan, Minnesota, Wichita State, etc are for the most part worse.

quote:

---

Baseball - gotten stronger with more players bypassing the draft (see Dylan Crews).

College football - always strong, but seems more talented than ever in a lot of ways.

Women's basketball - better than ever with more girls playing organized ball than ever.

Men's basketball - best players only play one season, at most. Many not playing at all. Only one of the top five projected picks (Miller) will play a minute of college ball.

Compare to the era when teams were filled with upper classmen who were also NBA talents. It's still fun to watch the games, but the talent is just not there.

---

Yep, that is why LSU sucked this year.

quote:

---

I do not think that there is more elite talent in college baseball in 2023 than there was in the 1980s or 1990s. Just go back and look at MLB All-Star teams from the 1990s, MLB drafts, the best players in the CWS, etc from those years and you see a massive amount of talent that then became the best players in the best professional league on the planet. At BEST it's a draw to those years.

---

That’s what I thought but was too lazy to research it….thanks SOG!

quote:

---

Also, college basketball is almost completely dunks, lay-ups (often missed) and 3s. Very rare is the medium jumper, which was a staple before the 3 line was instituted, and in my opinion a pretty move and shot.

---

It's the same as baseball and shifts/3 true outcomes. The best way to win the game in it's current state is to shoot 3s and make layups, just like the most efficient way to win in baseball until this season with new rules is to throw hard, never steal, shift and get on base.

Baseball, shockingly, did some things rules wise that change that calculation. We'll see if it changes the way teams play the game. Basketball may do something similar in the future if they decide this version of the game isn't what they want. But until they do, teams are going to play the way that gives them the best chance to win every possession to its max.

quote:

---

Women's basketball - better than ever with more girls playing organized ball than ever.

---

quote:

---

Mulkey Man

---

Of course.