Oakland (Michigan) basketball ushered Kentucky to an early exit in a big upset as March Madness gets underway. Kentucky coach John Calipari is one in four for his last five NCAA Tournament games and has been very vocal about the greater number of eligible teams being the reason for it. Is the addition of more schools in the tournament negating the “elite” status of the tournament, making it too big to be sustainable? Does it undermine the ability of top teams to get into the Final Four? As a big proponent of the “one and done” in college sports, this policy has resulted in a lot of success for Calipari in his career. But has it also contributed to those recent losses? And has the transfer portal become an equivalent of “one and done”?

On the winning side of that matchup, coach Greg Kampe was recognized after the win for his 40 years with Oakland. Is his penchant for getting along well with people the secret of his stability with the university? How many other coaches have shown such dedication and longevity with a single school?

A recent research poll named Caitlin Clark of Iowa the most popular player in college basketball in 2024, with LSU’s Angel Reese in second. Both Clark and Reese have declared for the WNBA draft, but played for several years at their respective schools first. Has this helped to propel them through the ranks as seasoned college players before heading to the pros? Would other athletes, as well as the teams they play for, benefit considerably if more players took the opportunity to refine their skills at the university level?

It’s been 49 years since John Wooden, arguably the greatest college basketball coach of all time, retired. Could he replicate his winning record today with the way the NCAA is now structured? Would he even recognize this current iteration, given the seeding changes, NIL, and the transfer portal to contend with, and how would it jive with his coaching method?

Email Fred and the Fantastics with questions and comments at sportsfred@aol.com