First and foremost, blaming the players is misplaced. All of the narratives in the media painting this player movement era as a reflection of some problem with the determination and dedication of players is silly. Players maximizing their value and being able to find the right fit is a good thing. Particularly for the players who may not have a long and lucrative pro career, they are being presented with an opportunity to pack all they can into a short period of time. Just about every person would make the same decision if they had an opportunity to make life changing money or pursue a dream to its fullest. Throughout the tournament this year it was cool to see former mid major players get a chance to compete for a national title. Michigan winning the title while returning only 34% of their minutes is a perfect reflection of this new era. This change is hitting programs regardless of resources or prestige. For every program across the country, retaining players is a huge challenge.
Suddenly, there is an entirely new approach to team building while also requiring a while new area of expertise needed to navigate this era properly. Programs everywhere are hiring general managers as business savvy, working with agents, and an understanding of the non-basketball side of things becomes crucial. Resources certainly help in getting players into a program but are less important on the retention side of the equation. For coaching staffs, building team culture has new challenges around every corner. Who gets paid and how much is now a huge part of the team culture. It is a difficult balance to strike and puts a strain on any locker room. Some programs have made the adjustment smoothly and others are trying to find their footing in the new normal. The demands on coaches have increased exponentially and at some point there will need to be some correction the other way.
For college basketball fans, this is a hard shift. It will certainly never be the same again and the change might be so significant that when it comes out the other side, it might be unrecognizable. With the current structure and a potential 76 game tournament implemented next year, the college game might be fundamentally different from here on out. Getting excited about players in the moment, instead of looking to the future or remaining fans of a player on their new team and taking pride in being a small part of their journey is likely a new part of college basketball fandom.
Two things can be true at the same time. Players being able to move and find the right fit while being compensated is ultimately the right system. At the same time, the current system has flaws and there is likely a better way to balance player empowerment and an effective college basketball structure.
Specifically for the Vermont program this offseason, this is their first foray in the full breadth of the NIL/Portal era. They had been able to stave it off through a strong tradition and individual sacrifices, but now they will face the same challenges that many programs across college basketball are already familiar with. It is tough to see players go, especially before the roster begins to fill up again. This will certainly be the coaching staff's most difficult offseason and does feel like the end of one era while hopefully beginning another. This is the first time there will be no passing on of the tradition and values from one group to the next. The lower resources in the Vermont program make the portal process very challenging for the coaching staff but for the first time there are huge opportunities for playing time to offer prospective players. Once the program gets to the players committing stage, that will be the true test of what this next phase will bring. If nothing else, the next few months will be fast and furious for the Vermont program. It will be very interesting to see whats next.
