DJ Wagner: The Quiet Triumph of a Former Prodigy

November 28, 2025 By delgrecowilson in Uncategorized Tags: Arkansas Basketball, basketball, camden-high-basketball, College Basketball, Kentucky basketball, NBA, ncaa, Philadelphia basketball, sports Leave a comment

CAMDEN, NJ – In the high-stakes theater of modern college basketball, where narratives are written in highlight reels and legacies are judged by draft night, it is easy to miss a story of quiet, consistent triumph. The case of DJ Wagner, the once-heralded prodigy from Camden, New Jersey, is too often framed as a tale of unmet potential. The chorus of critics points to the fact that he did not explode onto the scene as a one-and-done superstar, that other guards have seized the spotlight at Kentucky and now Arkansas. But to view his career through this narrow lens is to misunderstand the very definition of success. DJ Wagner is not a disappointment; he is the model of a modern, successful college athlete, building a formidable and valuable career on his own terms.

The Myth of the “One-and-Done” and the Reality of Role Players

The burden of expectation placed on DJ Wagner’s shoulders was immense. As the third-generation McDonald’s All-American, his destiny seemed preordained. The blueprint, crafted by his fervent supporters, was simple: dominate from day one, lead the nation in scoring, and head to the NBA in a blaze of glory. When that did not happen, the narrative quickly soured.

What this critique ignores is the fundamental nature of elite team sports. At programs like Kentucky and Arkansas, the arrival of other talented players like Reed Sheppard or Boogie Fland is not a failure on Wagner’s part; it is the reality of competing at the highest level. The mark of a truly valuable player is not always his ability to dominate the ball, but his capacity to adapt and contribute to winning. Wagner has done exactly that. He has consistently been the player his Hall of Fame coach, John Calipari, trusts to start and play substantial minutes—71 starts in 72 career games. This is not a consolation prize; it is the ultimate sign of respect. Coaches who are paid millions to win games do not entrust key roles to players who do not help them achieve that goal.

A Competitor, Not a Statistic

To watch DJ Wagner play is to see a young man who has mastered the unglamorous essentials of winning basketball. In an era where offensive fireworks often come at the expense of defensive effort, Wagner takes ferocious pride in his work on both ends of the floor. He is a tenacious on-ball defender, a trait that never shows up in a headline but is priceless in the grind of a Southeastern Conference schedule.

Furthermore, his conservative, turnover-averse style is a strategic asset. While flashier players may generate more buzz, Wagner’s steady hand in the backcourt ensures offensive stability. His improved efficiency this season—shooting a remarkable 52.4% from the field—demonstrates a player who is refining his game, making smarter decisions, and growing into a more complete athlete. This is not stagnation; it is maturation.

Redefining Value in the NIL Era

The financial landscape of college sports has fundamentally changed, and any evaluation of a player’s career must account for this new reality. The old model of “one-and-done or bust” is obsolete. DJ Wagner, through his consistency and marketability, is projected to earn between $3 and $4 million in NIL compensation over his college career. This is not a footnote; it is a central chapter in his story. He is achieving significant financial prosperity while simultaneously earning a degree and developing his game in a world-class environment.

This financial success, coupled with his on-court reliability, positions him perfectly for a long professional career, whether in the NBA, the G League, or overseas. He is building a sustainable athletic livelihood, insulated from the volatility that often shatters the dreams of players who peak too early or are built on a less complete foundation.

The Camden Legacy: More Than Just Points

Finally, the criticism from his hometown of Camden, while born of a deep and admirable pride, misses a crucial point. Representing a city is about more than just box scores and draft position; it is about character, resilience, and integrity. Through the noise and the shifting spotlight, DJ Wagner has carried himself with a quiet dignity. He has been a leader, a teammate, and an exemplary ambassador for his family and his city. He has shown the young people of Camden that success is not a single, fleeting moment of glory, but a sustained journey of hard work, adaptation, and professionalism.

(L-R) D.J. Wagner, Milt Wagner and Dejuan Wagner after the Simon Gratz vs. Camden H.S.boys basketball game at Woodrow Wilson H.S. in Camden, NJ on December 20, 2019. Camden won 72-52.

DJ Wagner’s career is a success story of the highest order. He has navigated the immense pressure of his pedigree, adapted to the fierce competition of top-tier college basketball, and carved out a role that makes his teams better. He is financially secure, fundamentally sound, and on the cusp of a professional career. In the end, the most persuasive argument for DJ Wagner is not found in defying expectations, but in transcending them. He has chosen substance over spectacle, and in doing so, he has built a career that is not only strong but truly admirable.

“Buy” Games: The Unspoken Bargain That Shapes College Basketball

November 26, 2025 By delgrecowilson in Uncategorized Tags: basketball, Buy Games, College Basketball, College football, Coppin State basketball, football, MAAC Basketball, MEAC basketball, ncaa, Philadelphia basketball, Rider Basketball, sports Leave a comment

PHILADELPHIA, PA – In the carefully orchestrated ecosystem of college basketball, the early season schedule presents a curious paradox. While powerhouse programs from the Big 10, Big 12, Atlantic Coast and Southeastern Conferences rack up victories in their gleaming arenas, small schools from conferences like the MEAC, MAAC, and NEC often start their seasons with win-loss records of 0-7 or 1-8. These are not accidents of fate, but the result of a calculated, financial arrangement known as the “buy game”—a practice that is both a lifeline for the struggling and a cornerstone for the elite, revealing the stark economic realities of modern college athletics.

*Larry Stewart, Coppin State Head Coach*

In this unspoken bargain, high-major programs pay low-major counterparts anywhere from $70,000 to $120,000 to visit their home courts. The terms are clear: the visiting team gets a check; the host gets an almost guaranteed victory. For elite programs, these games are a strategic necessity, allowing them to pile up six, seven, or even eight Division I wins before entering the crucible of league play, padding their records and building momentum. For the low-majors, the calculus is different. As one financial officer at a mid-major program put it, “We run thin. There is not a lot of fat” . The revenue from these games—which can total as much as $600,000 for a school’s athletic department over a season—is not a luxury; it is a essential subsidy that keeps entire sports programs afloat

This financial lifeline, however, comes with a profound competitive toll, warping seasons, stymying coaching careers, and creating a distorted landscape where teams often have no true sense of their own identity.

The High-Major Calculus: Buying Wins and Building Brands

From the perspective of the nation’s basketball blue bloods, buy games are a rational and efficient investment. They represent a controlled environment to integrate new players, experiment with lineups, and build team chemistry without the immediate threat of a season-damaging loss. In an era where a missed NCAA tournament can mean a significant financial and reputational setback, these guaranteed wins help ensure that a team’s resume is robust enough to catch the eye of the selection committee come March.

Here’s a breakdown of how many teams from each of those conferences (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC) made the 2025 men’s NCAA basketball tournament.

Conference	Number of teams in 2025 NCAA Tournament
ACC	4
Big Ten	8
Big 12	7
SEC	14

The financial outlay, while substantial, is a manageable line item for Power 4 conference schools, which boast operating revenues averaging $97 million in the ACC, for example. For them, the cost of a buy game is easily offset by the revenue from a single home game, which includes ticket sales, concessions, and sponsorships. Furthermore, in the new world of revenue sharing and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL), where schools are directing $20.5 million annually directly to athletes, the pressure to maintain a winning program—and the financial windfall that comes with deep tournament runs—has never been greater. A successful season built on a foundation of early wins helps drive the brand engagement that underpins these massive financial operations.

*Khali Horton, Coppin State junior forward*

The Low-Major Struggle: Survival and Sacrifice

For low- and mid-major programs, the decision to be a “buy team” is a Faustian bargain, balancing financial survival against competitive integrity. The revenue from these games is often the difference between solvency and severe cutbacks. As detailed in a 2020 report, the University of Montana projected a $5 million shortfall in its athletic budget, making the $75,000 to $95,000 earned from a single buy game against a Power 4 school a critical part of its financial planning. This money is used not for luxuries, but for fundamental needs—subsidizing coaching salaries, funding travel for conference play, and paying for equipment

However, this financial lifeline comes at a steep cost.

The Psychological Toll: Teams are conditioned to accept losing as a prelude to their “real” season—conference play. This can be demoralizing for players and coaches who, despite their talent and preparation, are thrust into mismatches night after night.
The Physical Toll: The travel is often grueling. Montana’s team, for instance, sometimes endures trips through two or three airports to reach a game, or marathon 13-hour bus rides to save costs, all while facing the prospect of a lopsided defeat.
A System of Dependence: This model creates a dependency, making it difficult for these programs to escape their subordinate status. The financial incentive to schedule these games can outweigh the competitive incentive to build a balanced schedule that could lead to more wins and long-term growth.

The Sacrifice: A Schedule Built on Blowouts

The brutal reality of this bargain is etched in the season records of teams like Coppin State and Rider University. Consider Coppin State’s schedule heading into its recent game against Rider:

vs Maryland: L 83-61
@ La Salle: L 87-59
@ James Madison: L 84-70
@ South Florida: L 100-50
vs Central Michigan: L 82-59
vs South Alabama: L 72-62
vs Central Penn: W 103-62 (a non-Division I opponent)
@ VCU: L 101-58

Rider’s path was similarly grim before the two teams met:

@ Virginia: L 87-53
@ Rutgers: L 81-53
vs Eastern: W 86-54 (a non-Division I opponent)
@ Texas: L 99-65
@ Houston: L 91-45

These are not just losses; they are systematic dismantlings. The differences in athleticism, strength, and size are so vast that the games become less a contest and more an economic exercise. For the players on the losing end, it is a grueling and demoralizing rite of passage, a season that begins with accepting defeat as a precursor to their “real” season in conference play.

The Coaching Conundrum: A Career Stuck in Quicksand

This system creates a particularly vexing problem for ambitious low-major coaches. Their career advancement depends on winning percentages and postseason success. Yet, they are forced to begin every season with a gauntlet of near-certain losses, cratering their overall record before they ever play a peer opponent.

How can a coach prove their program-building mettle when their team is structurally scheduled to start 0-7? The buy game phenomenon acts as a ceiling, trapping talented coaches in a cycle where achieving a strong winning percentage is a mathematical improbability. Their resumes are hamstrung from the outset, making the leap to a higher-profile job significantly more difficult, regardless of their actual coaching acumen.

An Ecosystem at a Crossroads

The buy game system is a microcosm of the broader inequities in college athletics, a landscape where the financial disparity is staggering. A single Power 5 conference, the SEC, generated $1.89 billion in revenue in 2018, a figure that eclipsed the $1.38 billion generated by the entire Football Championship Subdivision, a group of over 100 schools that includes many low-major basketball programs. This chasm is now being codified in new ways, as the advent of revenue sharing and large-scale NIL deals creates what some have called a “pay for play” tier, potentially relegating mid- and low-majors to a permanently lower competitive status.

The pros and cons from each perspective can be summarized as follows:

Perspective	Pros	Cons
High-Major Program	– Nearly guaranteed victories for record-building – Low-risk environment for team development- Protects lucrative postseason prospects	– Financial cost of guarantee payments – Risk of player injury in a mismatch- Can be criticized for lack of competitive scheduling
Low-Major Program	– Essential revenue for athletic department survival ($600k+/season) – Funds travel, salaries, and operational costs – Opportunity for players to compete in a high-profile environment	– Demoralizing starts to the season (0-7, 1-8 records) – Grueling travel and physical toll on players – Perpetuates a cycle of financial and competitive dependency

Yet, even as this system entrenches inequality, it is also being challenged by the same market forces that sustain it. Low-major programs are being forced to find creative revenue streams, from hosting concerts in their facilities to pursuing novel licensing deals for branded merchandise. Some analysts argue that the coming restructuring of college sports might, ironically, offer these schools a way out—freeing them from an unwinnable financial arms race and allowing them to refocus on their educational mission.

The Distortion: Who Are We, Really?

Perhaps the most subtle yet damaging effect of the buy game system is the competitive distortion it creates. When Coppin State and Rider finally faced each other, they did so with a combined 2-12 record. Their lone wins came against non-Division I schools.

They had no true idea how good or bad their teams were. How do you gauge your defensive schemes after being overwhelmed by Virginia’s size or Houston’s speed? How do you assess your offense after facing defenses with a level of length and athleticism you will never see in your own conference? The games against high-majors are so different in kind, not just degree, that they offer little actionable data for the games that ultimately matter—the conference matchups that determine a chance at the NCAA tournament.

An Uneasy, Enduring Symbiosis

Despite its clear downsides, this ecosystem is remarkably stable. The high-majors have no incentive to change a system that provides them with wins, revenue, and a soft launch to their season. The low-majors, trapped by financial necessity, cannot afford to walk away from the checks.

The buy game is the purest expression of college basketball’s economic hierarchy. It is a transaction that funds dreams at one school by monetizing the competitive hopes of another. For every check that clears, a season is warped, a coach’s record is tarnished, and a team is left to wonder about its own identity until it finally steps onto a court against an opponent its own size. The games will go on, the standings will tell two different stories, and the unspoken bargain will continue to define the sport, for better and for worse.

The Unforgivable Sin of Black Confidence: Angel Reese and Shedeur Sanders are Challenging a Deep-Seated American Taboo

November 25, 2025 By delgrecowilson in Uncategorized Tags: Angel Reese, art, Cleveland Browns, nfl, Shedeur Sanders, WNBA Leave a comment

By Delgreco Wilson

CAMDEN, NJ – In the high-stakes arena of American sports, where we claim to celebrate grit and triumph, we are witnessing the rise of a new generation of Black athletes who embody a potent, unyielding confidence. Angel Reese, the WNBA and former LSU basketball star known as “Bayou Barbie,” and Shedeur Sanders, the Cleveland Browns rookie and former star quarterback for his father Deion’s Colorado Buffaloes, are not just exceptional talents; they are cultural phenomena.

Their athletic prowess is undeniable, record-breaking, and thrilling. Yet, for all the celebration, a palpable undercurrent of disdain follows them. The comment sections boil over with vitriol; sports talk radio callers huff about “arrogance”; and a certain segment of the populace seems genuinely unnerved. To understand this visceral response, we need to excavate a term from the ugliest chapters of the American lexicon: the “uppity Negro.” While the phrase itself is now largely relegated to the shadows, the social control it represents is very much alive, and it is the most potent framework for understanding the backlash against these two young Black icons.

The Ghost in the Stadium: A History of “Uppity”

The word “uppity” is an old English adjective for someone putting on airs above their station. But in the American context, particularly in the antebellum South and the Jim Crow era, it was weaponized into a specific and terrifying racial slur. White supremacy required a rigid social hierarchy where Black people were expected to perform subservience—to be grateful, obedient, and to never, ever challenge their “place.”

An “uppity Negro” was anyone who violated this unwritten code. The crime wasn’t just success, but any behavior that suggested equality: a Black man owning a successful farm, a Black person speaking without the obligatory “sir” or “ma’am,” dressing well, or—most fundamentally—looking a white person in the eye with unflinching self-assurance. The accusation of being “uppity” was a tool of enforcement. It was a warning and a justification for punishment, a linguistic precursor to social ostracization, economic retaliation, or far, far worse. It was the mechanism for maintaining a caste system.

In the modern era, the explicit phrase is (mostly) taboo, but its spirit thrives in coded language. When a Black person in the public sphere is called “arrogant,” “cocky,” or “angry,” or when their achievements are dismissed as a product of “affirmative action” or mere nepotism, they are being subjected to the modern “uppity” accusation. The underlying message is unchanged: You are transgressing an unspoken social boundary.

A New Vanguard: The Unapologetic Reign of Reese and Sanders

Enter Angel Reese and Shedeur Sanders. Their rise has been rapid, dramatic, and steeped in a self-belief that refuses to be quiet.

During LSU’s 2023 national championship run, Angel Reese became a national lightning rod. After hitting a game-sealing shot, she famously trailed her opponent, pointing to her ring finger—a gesture signaling where her championship ring would go. The celebration was branded “classless” and “disrespectful” by many, while similar antics from white male athletes are often celebrated as “competitive fire.” Reese, a young Black woman, was not conforming to the passive, grateful archetype often demanded of her. She was, in the historical sense, refusing to perform subservience. She was owning her moment with a theatrical flair that said, “I belong here, and I will celebrate as I see fit.”

Shedeur Sanders’ confidence is of a different, but equally potent, strain. As the quarterback and son of Coach Deion Sanders, he operates with a preternatural calm and an unshakable belief in his own ability. He carries himself with the polish of a CEO, his demeanor often cool and unbothered even under extreme pressure. This is not the “grateful-to-be-here” athlete. This is an athlete who expects to win. When he led a last-second, game-winning drive against Colorado State, his post-game comment was not one of relief, but of expectation: “It’s just a regular operation, you know? We do it in practice all the time.” For critics, this isn’t seen as poise, but as arrogance. He is not waiting for permission to be great; he simply assumes it.

The Root of the Discomfort: A Challenge to the Racial Order

So why does this confidence cause such disconcerting feelings among many white Americans? The reasons are buried deep in the national psyche.

First, it is a direct challenge to white supremacy and entitlement. The ideology of white superiority depends on Black inferiority. An unapologetically confident, successful Black person who does not seek approval or defer to white sensibilities shatters this foundational myth. It challenges an unearned sense of entitlement to social deference.

Second, it creates profound cognitive dissonance. For generations, racist stereotypes have depicted Black people as lazy, ignorant, or simple. Figures like Reese and Sanders—articulate, strategic, and dominant—force a confrontation with these stereotypes. The easiest psychological escape from this dissonance is not to abandon the stereotype, but to pathologize the individual as an exception who is “getting above themselves.”

Finally, it represents the erosion of a controlled identity. The “uppity” Black athlete is the antithesis of the “good Negro”—the humble, non-threatening, and subservient figure who “knows his place.” By defining their own identities—Reese with her “Bayou Barbie” glamour and trash-talk, Sanders with his CEO cool—they refuse to be controlled by white expectations. This act of self-definition is, in itself, a radical and threatening act in a framework built on their subjugation.

A Playbook for the Next Generation

For young Black athletes who will inevitably find themselves navigating these same treacherous waters, the path forged by Reese and Sanders, though rocky, provides a crucial blueprint.

Own Your Narrative. Do not let others define you. Angel Reese leaned into the “Bayou Barbie” persona, turning criticism into a brand of empowerment. Control your story on social media and in interviews.
Let Your Work Ethic Be Your Shield. The most unassailable defense is undeniable excellence. The vitriol aimed at Shedeur Sanders often evaporates in the face of a perfectly thrown fourth-quarter touchdown. Performance can silence critics when logic and reason cannot.
Find Your Community and Mentors. The weight of this scrutiny is immense and unfair. Building a support system of family, trusted coaches, and peers who understand the unique pressures of being a Black athlete in the public eye is non-negotiable for mental and emotional survival.
Understand the History. Knowing that the backlash is not really about you, but about a deep-seated historical anxiety, can be a source of strength. You are not the problem; you are confronting a legacy of control that long predates you.

The visceral response to Angel Reese and Shedeur Sanders is not a simple story of sports rivalry or personal dislike. It is a modern manifestation of an ancient American anxiety. Their confidence is interpreted as a threat because it is one—a threat to a racial hierarchy that has, for centuries, demanded Black submission. They are not just playing games; they are, with every pointed finger and coolly delivered quote, expanding the boundaries of what a Black athlete is allowed to be. And in doing so, they are forcing America to confront the ghost in its stadium.

A Philly Basketball Reunion in the Heart of the Former Confederacy

November 24, 2025 By delgrecowilson in Uncategorized Tags: Big 5, College Basketball, Coppin State basketball, Philadelphia basketball, VCU Basketball Leave a comment

RICHMOND, VA – In the echoing concourses of the Stuart Siegel Center in Richmond, Va., a near-capacity crowd roared for the home team, Virginia Commonwealth University. The spectacle was modern college basketball: a hyped-up student section, a relentless pace, and a Rams program that has become a national brand. Yet, for those with a discerning eye for the game’s deeper currents, the most compelling story was not on the court, but on the sidelines. It was, improbably, a story of Philadelphia. As Coppin State battled VCU, six men with the City of Brotherly Love etched into their sporting DNA patrolled the hardwood—a poignant testament to both the enduring export of Philly hoops intellect and a glaring institutional failure back home.

A City’s Storied Legacy, A Modern Exodus

Philadelphia has long considered itself, and rightfully so, a center of the basketball universe. From the pioneering Tarzan Cooper to the sharp shooting Paul Arizin, the monumental Wilt Chamberlain, the poetic Earl “The Pearl” Monroe, the relentless Lionel Simmons, the prolific Kobe Bryant and the current phenom Jalen Duren, the city’s pipeline of talent is the stuff of legend. Yet, this rich history has rarely translated to a southern collegiate migration, with a few notable exceptions like Gene Banks (Duke) and Rasheed Wallace (North Carolina). Philadelphians, it seems, often make their mark elsewhere. Tragically, this now includes their coaches, while the college game in their own city languishes.

The Palestra’s Fading Echo

The streamers that once rained down after the first basket at the Palestra feel like a relic from a different century. The Big 5, that once-sacred round-robin, is a shadow of its former self, with programs struggling to fill arenas and recapture the city’s imagination. The intense passion that once defined the college game here has largely decamped to the overheated gyms of the Catholic and Public Leagues, where high school basketball now serves as the true keeper of the flame. Yet, despite this local decline, Philadelphia continues to produce a long line of coaches who understand the game’s grit and nuance.

The Sidelines of Richmond: A Who’s Who of Philly Hoops

And so, we found them in Richmond. Coppin State was led by Head Coach Larry Stewart, a product of the Philadelphia Public League’s Dobbins High, who carried that Philly swagger to become an NBA player and a Coppin legend. His bench included his brother, Stephen Stewart, another Public League alum, and Terquin Mott, who began his collegiate career in the Big 5 at La Salle. Across the floor, VCU’s staff was equally Philadelphian. Head Coach Phil Martelli, Jr., and his brother, Jimmy, literally grew up in a locker room at St. Joseph’s, weaned on the parochial intensity their father, Phil Sr., embodied for decades. Completing this brotherhood was Ryan Daly, whose grandfather and father built their own legacies within the city’s Catholic League and on Hawk Hill. The connection even extended to the court, where three Philly kids—Coppin’s Baasil Saunders and Nelson Lamizana, and VCU’s Ahmad Nowell—saw action, proving the city-to-Richmond pipeline remains open for players, too.

*Stephen Stewart, Coppin State Assistant Coach*

A Lopsided Score, A Resonant Symbol

The final score—a 101-58 VCU rout—was not competitive. But the result was almost irrelevant to the night’s deeper narrative. For one night, the Yankees had taken full control of the basketball world in the former capital of the Confederacy. Here was a collective basketball IQ, forged on Philly’s blacktop and in its legendary leagues, being deployed over 250 miles from City Hall. The irony is as thick as a winter coat in February: these men, steeped in the very culture that could revitalize the city’s moribund Division I programs, are plying their trade anywhere but there.

The Case for a Homecoming: Tradition as a Strategic Asset

The case for their return is not one of mere nostalgia; it is a strategic imperative. Philadelphia is a unique town for collegiate athletics. The six programs, with the possible exception of Villanova, are not in a position financially to compete with Power 4 schools in the bidding wars of the NIL and transfer portal era. They cannot simply buy talent. They have to sell something else to prospects and their families: an identity, a legacy, a home. That something else must be the tradition of Philadelphia basketball and the lifelong love and support of its fiercely passionate community—a love that was on full display, of all places, in Richmond, Virginia.

The six Division I programs in Philadelphia have lost their connection to the lifeblood of the city’s basketball ecosystem. Who better to rebuild the walls than those who know the foundation? Who better to recruit the next Jalen Duren or Lionel Simmons than a Larry Stewart, who walked the same path from the Public League to professional glory? Who better to instill a forgotten identity than a Martelli, whose name is synonymous with Philadelphia basketball resilience? Or a Ryan Daly, whose family tree is rooted in its very soil? These coaches wouldn’t just be drawing up plays; they would be selling a birthright, something no other program can offer a young recruit from Philadelphia.

An Indictment and a Path Forward

The exodus of this coaching talent is a quiet indictment of the city’s athletic departments. It reveals a failure to recognize that the solution to reclaiming Philadelphia’s college basketball soul may not be in a flashy, out-of-town hire, but in embracing the proven, passionate individuals it has already produced. The passion was in Richmond last night. The knowledge was on those sidelines. The players who could be the cornerstones of a local revival are already here, playing in those packed high school gyms. It’s time for Philadelphia’s programs to look south, to look within, and finally bring that Philly fight back home where it belongs.

The VCU Blueprint: How the Martelli Hire Is an Antidote to College Basketball’s Chaos

November 22, 2025 By delgrecowilson in Uncategorized Tags: A10 Basketball, basketball, Big 5, College Basketball, football, ncaa, Philadelphia basketball, sports, VCU Basketball Leave a comment

by Delgreco Wilson

RICHMOND, VA – The tectonic plates of college athletics have shifted irrevocably, creating a landscape that is both exhilarating and unnerving. The confluence of name, image and likeness (NIL) compensation and the transfer portal has ushered in a form of rampant, year-round free agency, where roster-building is a high-stakes puzzle and the very concept of player loyalty is being tested. In this volatile new world, a program’s success is no longer just about the X’s and O’s on the whiteboard; it’s about constructing a culture so compelling, a vision so clear, and relationships so authentic that players choose to stay and build within it, rather than simply pass through. Many, like Philadelphia’s six Division 1 college basketball programs, have struggled to adapt.

The proud tradition of Philadelphia’s Big 5, once a vibrant tapestry of city-wide basketball passion, is being systematically unraveled by the harsh realities of the modern NCAA. In this new era, defined by the transfer portal’s relentless churn and the financial allure of Name, Image and Likeness deals, the foundational pillars of local recruiting and program continuity have crumbled. The result is a stark and unprecedented decline: for the first time in the consortium’s storied history, no Big 5 program has danced in the NCAA tournament for three consecutive years. These schools, from Saint Joseph’s to Temple, are now caught in a debilitating cycle, struggling to retain burgeoning talent while finding themselves outgunned in the bidding wars for the transfers who could save them. The very model that built these giants of the mid-major world has become a relic, leaving them to fight a existential battle on a playing field tilted decisively against them.

It is against this backdrop of existential change that Virginia Commonwealth University’s hiring of Philly born and bred, Phil Martelli Jr., as its head men’s basketball coach must be viewed. This was not merely a search for a tactician; it was a search for an architect for a new era. In Martelli, and in his strategic assembly of a staff featuring his brother Jimmy and rising star Ryan Daly, VCU has not just found a leader. Drawing from the pool of young Philadelphia coaching talent, it has established a coherent, persuasive, and uniquely qualified command structure designed to thrive amid the chaos. These young men were literally born and raised in the A10. This hire represents a potent blueprint for sustainable success in modern college basketball: a fusion of deep-rooted cultural understanding, proven program-building, and unbreakable personal trust.

Navigating the New Frontier: Culture as the Ultimate Competitive Edge

The transfer portal giveth, and the transfer portal taketh away. In an age where a star player can be lured away by a more lucrative NIL collective at a moment’s notice, the intrinsic value of a program—its identity, its sense of family, its proven path to development—has never been more critical. This is the very heart of VCU’s bet on Phil Martelli Jr.

He is not a mercenary coach; he is a native son of the Atlantic 10. He understands that at a program like VCU, you cannot simply outspend the power conferences. You must out-care, out-develop, and out-connect. His life’s work, from his playing days on the storied courts of St. Joseph’s to engineering a historic turnaround at Bryant, has been about fostering deep, authentic relationships. In the “NIL and free agency” era, this is not a soft skill; it is a strategic imperative. Players today are not just athletes; they are partners and stakeholders in the program’s journey. Martelli’s genuine, grounded approach is precisely the antidote to the transactional nature that threatens to consume the sport.

As VCU Vice President and Director of Athletics Ed McLaughlin stated, Martelli has “clearly lived his entire life amid college basketball legends but has made his own path and paid his dues through hard work, good character and a devotion to developing young men into the best versions of themselves through sport.” This focus on holistic development, on building men rather than just players, is the cornerstone of a culture that can withstand the siren calls of the open market.

The Visionary: Phil Martelli Jr., A10 Native and Modern Program-Builder

Phil Martelli Jr. is the perfect synthesis of old-school values and new-school methodology. His upbringing as the son of a St. Joseph’s coaching legend provided him with an innate, cradle-to-present understanding of the A-10’s competitive soul. He didn’t just study the conference; he was raised on its sidelines, absorbing its rhythms and rivalries. As a player, he was a co-captain on the 2002-03 St. Joseph’s team alongside Jameer Nelson and Delonte West, experiencing the pinnacle of A-10 success and NCAA Tournament glory. He knows the recruiting battles in Philadelphia and the DMV, the grind of the conference schedule, and the specific breed of tough, intelligent player who thrives in this environment.

But his record at Bryant proves he is no traditionalist clinging to the past. He is a self-made architect of success. Arriving as an assistant in 2018, he was a key engineer in the Bulldogs’ first Division I NCAA Tournament berth in 2022. When handed the reins as head coach, he didn’t just maintain success; he elevated it, leading Bryant to both the America East regular season and tournament championships in 2025, earning an NCAA Tournament bid and securing a second straight 20-win campaign. For this, he was deservedly named the 2025 America East Conference and NABC Mid-Atlantic Coach of the Year.

His teams won with a dynamic, modern, up-tempo offensive system that ranked third and sixth, respectively, in the country in adjusted tempo. His 2024-25 squad averaged a blistering 81.8 points per game. This style is a powerful recruiting and retention tool in itself, offering the kind of exciting, pro-friendly basketball that attracts and motivates today’s players. Furthermore, his well-rounded apprenticeship—from being the youngest full-time assistant in Division I at 22, to an NCAA Tournament appearance at Niagara, to a crucial stint in the NBA G-League—provides him with unique credibility when advising players on their professional pathways. In an era where players are focused on their next step, a coach who can speak the language of the pros is invaluable.

The Cornerstone: Jimmy Martelli, The Keeper of the Flame and Bridge to the Future

In his brother, Jimmy, Coach Martelli has an associate head coach who is the ultimate force multiplier, a cornerstone ensuring the entire structure remains stable. Any coaching transition risks the erosion of a program’s intangible identity. At VCU, that identity—a specific brand of relentless defense, communal toughness, and city-wide pride known as “Havoc”—is its most valuable asset. Jimmy Martelli is its living archivist.

*Jimmy Martelli, VCU Associate Head Coach*

For six formative years, from 2017 to 2023, he served as the director of operations under Mike Rhoades. In that role, he was not a bystander but an integral part of the machinery that produced two Atlantic 10 regular-season titles, a tournament championship, and three NCAA Tournament appearances. He understands the daily rhythms, the operational expectations, and the very soul of Ram Nation. He knows what makes a VCU player tick. This is not knowledge that can be learned in a manual; it is absorbed through years of immersion. His presence guarantees that the foundational principles of VCU basketball remain intact, even as the leadership and tactics evolve.

Crucially, Jimmy is not just a link to the past. His recent two-year stint at Penn State showcased his evolution into a dynamic, forward-thinking coach capable of thriving in one of the nation’s toughest conferences. He helped the Nittany Lions set a program record for scoring (79.1 points per game) and fostered a defensive identity that ranked near the top of the Big Ten in steals and forced turnovers. More impressively, he proved himself as an elite recruiter, serving as the lead recruiter for the highest-ranked recruiting class—and the highest-ranked individual recruit, Kayden Mingo—in Penn State history. This demonstrates a critical capacity: the ability to sell a program not named “VCU” to blue-chip talent, a skill that will translate powerfully back in the A-10.

The head coach-assistant coach dynamic is inherently one of professional trust. The Martelli dynamic elevates this to something far more potent: unshakeable personal and philosophical trust. Having literally grown up in the same household, under the tutelage of a legendary A-10 coach, Jimmy and Phil Jr. share a basketball language and a core set of values forged over a lifetime. This eliminates the typical feeling-out period and inherent friction of a new staff. Jimmy can speak with a candidness to his brother that no other assistant could, facilitating smoother, more honest decision-making. In the high-pressure crucible of a first-time head coaching job in a passionate market, this built-in, trusted confidant is an invaluable asset.

The Firebrand: Ryan Daly, The Embodiment of the Underdog Spirit

Completing this strategic trifecta is Ryan Daly, a coach whose personal narrative is a recruiting pitch in itself. If a culture needs an engine of intensity, Daly is that engine. His story is one of perpetual overcoming. As a Philadelphia Catholic League Player of the Year, he was inexplicably overlooked by the city’s prestigious Big 5 programs. This snub became his fuel. He accepted a scholarship at Delaware and exploded onto the scene, becoming the fastest player in the program’s history to score 1,000 points. When he transferred to his family’s ancestral home at Saint Joseph’s, he didn’t just play; he dominated, leading the Big 5 in scoring for two seasons and cementing himself as one of the most prolific scorers in modern Hawks history. Daly doesn’t just preach perseverance; he is a living monument to it.

*Ryan Daly, VCU Assistant Coach and Jadrian Tracey, Senior Guard*

His brief but impactful track record proves he can translate his personal grit into team success. In his single season alongside Martelli at Bryant, he was instrumental in the Bulldogs’ America East championship run, directly helping to develop Earl Timberlake into the conference’s Player of the Year and Barry Evans into the Newcomer of the Year. At UAlbany, he helped engineer a top offense and was credited with recruiting and developing All-Conference players. His nomination as one of Silver Waves Media’s Top 100 Rising Stars was a recognition of this burgeoning reputation as a developer and recruiter.

Daly’s deep, almost poetic ties to the Martelli legacy add another layer of cohesion. His grandfather, Jim Boyle, played for the legendary Jack Ramsay on Hawk Hill and was the head coach at Saint Joseph’s who hired a young Phil Martelli Sr. as an assistant. Daly’s own father, Brian, played for Martelli Sr. Now, he joins the staff of Martelli’s son, closing a multi-generational circle. This shared history creates an environment of profound understanding and shared purpose. Daly’s energy, authenticity, and undeniable credibility make him a formidable recruiter who can connect with players on a visceral level, selling the VCU dream because he has lived a version of it himself.

*Ryan Daly and Philly Sophomore point guard, Ahmad Nowell*

In a sport destabilized by constant change, VCU has chosen not to fight the chaos, but to master it through stability, identity, and trust. VCU joined the A10 in 2012, yet their relative newcomer status, the program has a deep and profound understanding of the A10 culture. By hiring Phil Martelli Jr. and empowering him to bring his brother and Ryan Daly, the Rams have built more than a coaching staff; they have built a familial command structure designed for the modern game. They have invested in a cohesive unit that provides the cultural stability, tactical modernity, and authentic relationships today’s players seek. In the turbulent new world of college athletics, that is not just a smart hire; it is a profound and powerful statement of identity. The Martelli era in Richmond isn’t just beginning; it’s coming home.

The Dangerous Conflation of Profit and Principle: Stephen A. Smith and the Crisis of Black Political Commentary

November 17, 2025 By delgrecowilson in Uncategorized Tags: news, politics, democracy, history, writing, Stephen A. Smith, Black Politics, Coonin, philosophy Leave a comment

by Delgreco K. Wilson, M.A.

CAMDEN, NJ – When the logic of the market replaces the ethics of democracy in political discourse, we all lose.

In the annals of American sports commentary, few declarations have been as revealing as Stephen A. Smith’s famous professional mantra: “I wake up every day asking, ‘how can I make my bosses more money?’ and then ‘how can I get some of it?'” This philosophy has propelled him to the pinnacle of sports entertainment, culminating in a recent ESPN contract worth over $100 million for five years. But when this same transactional worldview—where value is measured exclusively in revenue and influence is calibrated for profit—extends into the realm of political analysis, it threatens to degrade our democratic discourse and undermines the particular responsibilities of Black public figures in an era of political crisis.

Smith’s foray into political commentary and his openness to a 2028 presidential run have made him a lightning rod in Black intellectual circles, where his commentary is increasingly viewed as vacuous at best and dangerously aligned with MAGA interests at worst. The controversy surrounding him represents more than just another celebrity dabbling in politics; it exemplifies the dangerous convergence of entertainment and governance in modern America and resurrects painful historical questions about the pressure on Black figures to seek validation from white-dominated institutions.

The Profit Motive in Political Commentary: When Everything Becomes a Business

Stephen A. Smith’s business philosophy, however successful in sports entertainment, becomes profoundly problematic when applied to political analysis. The fundamental incompatibility lies in their core values: democratic discourse requires truth-seeking, principled argument, and concern for the common good, while market logic prioritizes profit, audience growth, and personal brand expansion. Smith has explicitly acknowledged his lack of political expertise, telling The Washington Post, “I’m certainly not an aficionado by any stretch of the imagination… Most Americans are not aficionados. They don’t know all the intimacies and intricacies of every single issue”. Yet rather than humbly acknowledging these limitations, he presents them as a credential of authenticity.

This approach has tangible consequences. Political analysis driven by entertainment values gravitates toward sensationalism over substance, conflict over consensus, and viral moments over nuanced truth. Smith’s commentary follows this pattern—loud, confident, and often lacking in policy depth. As journalist Carron J. Phillips noted in The Contrarian, “Politics, like elections, have real-world consequences. Thick skin is mandatory in the political landscape. And, given recent examples, Smith hasn’t proved he can take a punch in this arena”. The same performance that works for sports debate becomes irresponsible when discussing issues like tariffs, foreign policy, or civil rights.

Smith’s political rise reflects what happens when celebrity status masquerades as expertise. His appearance in presidential polls and his serious consideration of a 2028 run—despite having never held office or demonstrated deep policy knowledge—speaks to our degraded political landscape. As Bill Whalen, a former media consultant for Arnold Schwarzenegger, observed, “The question is, what does Stephen A Smith believe in at the end of the day?… Where is Stephen A Smith on abortion? Where is he on DEI? Where is he on quotas and affirmative action? Where is he on crime? Where is he on spending? The list goes on. You just don’t know”.

Historical Context: The Burden of Seeking White Validation

To understand the strong reaction to Smith’s political commentary within Black communities, one must appreciate the historical burden of what it has meant for Black Americans to navigate white-dominated institutions and seek acceptance within them. This dynamic is not rooted in any inherent trait of Black people but in powerful structures created by centuries of oppression:

The Legacy of Slavery and Jim Crow: For centuries, Black people were systematically dehumanized, with the slave master’s approval often meaning the difference between better treatment and brutal punishment. Under Jim Crow, access to resources, justice, and safety frequently depended on being deemed “respectable” by the white power structure.
Respectability Politics: This strategy emerged whereby marginalized groups attempted to police their own members to align with dominant culture’s values, hoping this would grant them social mobility and rights. The unspoken promise was that if Black people acted “properly,” they would be seen as more human and deserving by white society.
Gatekeepers of Opportunity: Throughout American history, the primary gatekeepers of economic, political, and cultural power—CEOs, university admissions officers, publishers, Hollywood executives—have been overwhelmingly white. Gaining validation from these gatekeepers often appeared the most direct path to economic mobility, educational access, and cultural representation.

Against this historical backdrop, Stephen A. Smith’s approach reads to many critics as a modern manifestation of these dynamics—a Black public figure gaining platform and reward through amplifying viewpoints that align with white conservative interests rather than community needs.

Stephen A. Smith’s Political Evolution and Black Opposition

Smith’s political positioning has evolved into what he describes as a “fiscal conservative and a social liberal” who is “utterly disgusted” with the Democratic Party. While he claims the mantle of an independent thinker, his commentary consistently aligns with MAGA talking points that have drawn criticism from Black intellectuals and community members.

Table: Stephen A. Smith’s Political Positioning and Community Response

Smith’s commentary on Black voting patterns has been particularly contentious. He has lamented what he calls Black voters’ “unconditional loyalty” to Democrats, arguing that this “disenfranchises” the community by reducing its political leverage. While this argument contains a strategic logic, many critics note that it ignores the historical reasons for Black alignment with Democrats—including the party’s support for civil rights legislation and the Republican Party’s embrace of voter suppression tactics and politicians with white nationalist ties.

The backlash against Smith reflects a broader rejection of what many see as his transactional approach to racial justice. His commentary often frames political choices in terms of market-style negotiation rather than principles of justice or historical solidarity. This approach strikes many Black critics as not just politically naive but historically ignorant of how racial hierarchy actually functions in America.

The perception of Smith as aligned with MAGA interests intensified when Donald Trump himself endorsed a potential Smith presidential run, saying he’d “love to see him run” and praising his “great entertainment skills”. For many Black observers, Trump’s endorsement confirmed Smith’s alignment with political forces that have shown consistent hostility to Black civil rights and democratic participation.

Conclusion: Beyond Transactional Politics

Stephen A. Smith’s extension of his profit-first philosophy into political commentary represents a dangerous narrowing of democratic possibility. It reduces citizenship to a transaction and political discourse to entertainment. The strong negative response from Black intellectual circles reflects not just disagreement with his specific positions but a profound understanding of what happens when community interests are subordinated to personal brand-building and revenue generation.

The challenge for Black communities—and for American democracy broadly—is to resist the siren song of transactional politics that measures value primarily in ratings and revenue. What makes Stephen A. Smith’s political commentary so concerning is not that he holds conservative views, but that his entire approach to politics appears to mirror his approach to business: everything is a negotiation, every principle has a price, and the highest value is expanding one’s own platform and profit.

As we navigate the complex political landscape of 2025 and look toward future elections, the need for authentic representation grounded in community accountability has never been more urgent. The alternative—a political discourse dominated by entertainment values and personal profit motives—threatens to complete the corrosion of our democratic institutions. Black communities’ rejection of Stephen A. Smith’s political brand represents not closed-mindedness but a hard-won understanding that some things—justice, representation, human dignity—should never be put on the auction block.

In Philadelphia’s BIG 5, College Basketball’s New Reality Bites Deep

November 14, 2025 By delgrecowilson in Uncategorized Tags: basketball, Big 5, College Basketball, ncaa, Philadelphia basketball, sports 1 Comment

PHILADELPHIA, PA – For the legendary Big 5, success is no longer measured in championships, but in survival.

The stained-glass windows of the Palestra, college basketball’s most venerable cathedral, have looked down on decades of Philadelphia basketball lore. They’ve witnessed the intensity of John Chaney stalking the sidelines, the perfection of Saint Joseph’s 2003-04 regular season, and the raw passion of one of sport’s most unique rivalries. For generations, the Philadelphia Big 5 operated within a coherent, predictable universe where tradition mattered, coaches built programs over years, and players became four-year legends on Hawk Hill and North Broad Street.

That world is gone.

The past five years have witnessed what philosopher Thomas Kuhn termed a “paradigm shift”—a revolutionary, non-cumulative break from the old order. The emergence of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) compensation and unlimited transfers with immediate eligibility has not merely reformed college basketball; it has created an entirely new ecosystem. The NCAA’s old model of amateurism lies in ruins, dismantled by Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s blistering concurrence in NCAA v. Alston, which declared, “The NCAA is not above the law”.

The question now haunting Philadelphia’s basketball temples is no longer which team will win the city championship, but what constitutes success when the rules of competition have been fundamentally rewritten.

The Shattered Paradigm: Free Agency and Finances

The old paradigm of college athletics was built on stability—the “amateur ideal” where athletes were “student-athletes,” transfers were heavily restricted, and the NCAA maintained absolute control. This framework provided a predictable environment where programs could build through patient development of high school recruits and coaches could construct cultures that lasted decades.

The new paradigm operates with entirely different principles:

Year-Round Free Agency: The transfer portal has created a marketplace of immediate eligibility, where rosters turn over annually
Financial Competition: NIL collectives now determine recruiting outcomes as much as coaching reputations or facilities

Transactional Relationships: Concepts like “loyalty” and “program building” have been redefined in a world where players must be re-recruited each offseason

This violent rupture has created what Kuhn would call “incommensurable” worlds—the old and new systems are so fundamentally different that stakeholders literally “see different things when they look at the same object” . An “offer” from a school once meant an athletic scholarship; today, it represents a complex package of scholarship, NIL money, and branding opportunities.

Philadelphia’s Pain: Three Years in the Wilderness

The human cost of this revolution is nowhere more evident than in the Big 5’s unprecedented three-year NCAA tournament drought. For the first time in the rivalry’s storied history, no Philadelphia team has danced in March for three consecutive seasons—a stark indication of how dramatically the competitive landscape has shifted.

*Joe Mihalich, La Salle Special Assistant to Head Coach*

The following table illustrates the challenging preseason outlook for the Big 5 programs according to recent analyses:

The bleak projections reflect the harsh new reality: in a landscape dominated by programs that can leverage financial resources and transfer portal appeal, most of Philadelphia’s teams are fighting with one hand tied behind their backs.

Villanova’s Blueprint: Competing in the Power 6

Villanova stands alone as the only Big 5 program with reasonable aspirations of national relevance. The Wildcats benefit from competing in what analysts now call the “Power 6”—the six basketball conferences that consistently outperform others in NCAA tournament seeding and wins. The Big East has earned at least five NCAA tournament bids in three of the past five seasons, providing Villanova with multiple pathways to the Dance.

Under first-year coach Kevin Willard, the Wildcats are attempting to leverage their substantial resources—including a robust NIL collective and national brand recognition—to compete in the new paradigm. The program has become a destination for transfers like Bryce Lindsay (James Madison) and Tyler Perkins (Penn), players who can provide immediate production.

Yet even Villanova faces headwinds. The team was picked 7th in the 11-team Big East preseason poll. As one analysis noted, the Wildcats are “relying on players who are stepping up in class, such as Lindsay… or first-year players who have talent but not experience”. In the new paradigm, success requires not just recruiting talent, but constantly rebuilding rosters in an increasingly transactional environment.

Temple’s Storied History Meets Hard New Reality

For Temple, the paradigm shift has been particularly brutal. This is a program with 33 NCAA tournament appearances, 5 Elite Eights, and 2 Final Fours—a legacy built over decades by coaching legends like Chaney, who took the Owls to 17 tournaments in 18 seasons.

That historical success now means little in the new ecosystem. Temple has made just two NCAA appearances in the past 12 seasons, and this year was picked 9th in the 13-team American Athletic Conference. The AAC typically receives only 1-2 NCAA tournament bids per season, creating a brutal competitive environment where even strong conference records may not be enough for at-large consideration.

Coach Adam Fisher acknowledges the rebuilding challenge, noting that last season “things could go wrong… they did” with injuries, suspensions, and departures. In the new paradigm, “rebuilding” no longer means developing freshmen over four years, but aggressively working the transfer portal to replace departing talent—a challenge for programs without the NIL war chests of Power 6 competitors.

Saint Joseph’s: The Middle-Class Squeeze

Saint Joseph’s exemplifies the “middle-class” programs caught between historical success and current realities. The Hawks have 21 NCAA tournament appearances, an Elite Eight, and a Final Four in their history, with legends like Jack Ramsay and Phil Martelli accounting for two-thirds of those tournament trips.

*Steve Donahue, St. Joseph’s Head Coach*

Yet the program has zero NCAA appearances in the past decade, and despite winning 22 games and a second straight Big 5 title last season, home losses to teams like Central Connecticut and Princeton crushed at-large hopes. This season, the Hawks were picked 7th in the 14-team Atlantic 10, another conference that typically receives only 1-2 NCAA bids annually.

The September resignation of Billy Lange created additional instability, though successor Steve Donahue has talent to work with, including La Salle transfer and reigning A-10 Rookie of the Year Deuce Jones. Donahue believes this is “the most athletic team he’s ever coached”, but in the new paradigm, athleticism alone cannot overcome the structural disadvantages facing mid-major programs.

Penn’s Ivy League Transformation

The Quakers represent one of the most fascinating case studies in adaptation. Despite being picked 7th in the 8-team Ivy League, some analysts believe Penn has the best chance among the city’s programs (outside of Villanova) to make noise this season.

The reason? First-year coach Fran McCaffery—the winningest coach in Iowa history—and his ability to leverage the transfer portal, landing former five-star recruit T.J. Power from Virginia. The Quakers also return standout Ethan Roberts (16.8 points per game).

McCaffery’s hiring signals that even Ivy League programs, with their strict academic requirements and no athletic scholarships, must compete aggressively in the new marketplace. As one analysis noted, “If Roberts plays well and Power is healthy and Penn quickly adapts to McCaffery’s style, the Quakers could sneak into the No. 4 spot in the league” and then “anything is possible” in the Ivy League tournament.

La Salle and Drexel: The New Reality’s Hard Edge

For La Salle and Drexel, the new paradigm has created near-insurmountable barriers to national relevance.

La Salle, with its 12 NCAA tournaments, 2 Final Fours, and a National Championship, has played in just one NCAA tournament over the past 34 years. First-year coach Darris Nichols has brought “youthful enthusiasm and renewed energy” to the program, but the Explorers were picked 13th in the 14-team A-10. As one analysis bluntly stated: “It is a really long way to go from being picked one spot from the bottom of the A-10 to winning the conference title”.

Drexel faces similar challenges in the CAA, a one-bid league where the Dragons were projected 10th of 13 teams. The transfer portal has been particularly unkind to Drexel, with standouts like Yame Butler (Butler), Kobe Magee (Florida State), and Cole Hargrove (Providence) all departing for bigger programs—and presumably, bigger paydays. This talent drain from mid-majors to power conferences represents one of the most significant consequences of the new paradigm.

Redefining Success in the Athlete Empowerment Era

In this new world, the criteria for a “good season” must be recalibrated for all but the elite programs:

For Villanova: Success means NCAA tournament appearances and Sweet 16 runs—maintaining status as a national program capable of competing with college basketball’s financial elite
For Temple: Given conference constraints, an NCAA tournament appearance represents a major achievement, requiring either a conference tournament championship or a spectacular regular season
For Saint Joseph’s: Realistic success means NIT victories and consistent competitiveness in the A-10, with NCAA appearances representing extraordinary rather than expected outcomes
For Penn: An NIT appearance would signal remarkable progress, particularly given their preseason projection, and would validate their aggressive adaptation to the new landscape
For La Salle and Drexel: Simply reaching the NIT would represent significant achievement, indicating program momentum in an era where mid-majors struggle to retain talent

The tectonic plates of college sports have shifted, and Philadelphia basketball sits directly on the fault line. The Palestra still stands, but the games played within its hallowed halls are governed by new rules— both written and unwritten. The paradigm has shifted, and in this new world, survival itself constitutes a form of victory.

College Athletics’ Revolution: How a Paradigm Shift Is Redefining the Game

November 12, 2025 By delgrecowilson in Uncategorized Tags: Big 5, College Basketball, College football, football, Grassroots Basketball, history, ncaa, Philadelphia basketball, sports 1 Comment

PHILADELPHIA, PA – The tectonic plates of college sports have shifted, and the landscape will never be the same.

For decades, the world of college athletics operated as a coherent, predictable universe. It was a system where the term “student-athlete” was sacrosanct, amateurism was the guiding creed, and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) was the unquestioned governing authority. This model, however, has not merely evolved. It has been violently upended. The past five years have witnessed what the philosopher of science Thomas Kuhn would term a “paradigm shift”—a revolutionary, non-cumulative break from the old order, driven by legal challenges that shattered the NCAA’s foundational principles.

*Temple alum and former NBA player, Marc Jackson announcing the La Salle vs Temple matchup*

The emergence of name, image, and likeness (NIL) compensation and unlimited transfers with immediate eligibility has not reformed the system; it has created a new one, fundamentally altering the nature of college sports, especially football and men’s and women’s basketball.

The Kuhn Framework: How Revolutions Unfold

To understand what is happening in college sports, one must first understand Kuhn’s theory of scientific revolutions. In his seminal 1962 work, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, Kuhn argued that scientific progress is not a linear, cumulative process. Instead, it occurs through violent ruptures he called “paradigm shifts”.

A paradigm is a framework of beliefs, values, and techniques shared by a community. For a time, it provides model problems and solutions in a process Kuhn labeled “normal science.”

But eventually, anomalies—observations the prevailing paradigm cannot explain—accumulate, leading to a period of crisis. This crisis deepens until the old paradigm is overthrown and replaced by a new, incompatible one. The new paradigm is “incommensurable” with the old; they are so different that proponents of each see the world differently, use different definitions, and fundamentally talk past one another. This is not a change in degree, but in kind. It is a gestalt switch, where a drawing that was once seen as a duck is now seen as a rabbit, and it is impossible to see both at once.

The Age of ‘Normal Science’ in College Athletics

For the better part of a century, college athletics existed in a prolonged state of Kuhn’s “normal science.” The dominant paradigm was the “amateur ideal.” Its core tenets were simple and universally accepted within the industry:

*Camden resident and Big 5 fan, Hunner Cotton*

No Pay-for-Play: Athletes were “amateurs” who could not be compensated for their athletic performance beyond the cost of attendance

Limited Mobility: Transfers were heavily restricted, often requiring athletes to sit out a year of competition, thereby discouraging movement

Institutional Control: The NCAA and its member institutions held absolute power to set and enforce the rules

This paradigm was not merely a set of rules; it was a worldview. It defined the very product. As Kuhn might have observed, it told everyone in the system—administrators, coaches, athletes, and fans—how to think and behave. It provided a stable, predictable environment where seasons unfolded with rosters fans could recognize from year to year, and where the NCAA’s authority was as assumed as the rules of gravity.

Accumulating Anomalies and the Onset of Crisis

The facade of this stable world began to crack under the weight of mounting anomalies. The commercial reality of college sports—the billion-dollar television contracts, massive coaching salaries, and lavish facilities—increasingly clashed with the amateur ideology.

*Joe Mihalich, Special Assistant to the Head Coach at La Salle University*

The sight of athletes, particularly in revenue-generating football and basketball, generating immense wealth without sharing in it became an undeniable contradiction.

This set the stage for a crisis, triggered by a series of legal challenges that acted as Kuhn’s “extraordinary research”. The courts became the laboratory where the old paradigm was tested and found wanting.

The Alston Decision: The pivotal blow came in 2021 from the U.S. Supreme Court in NCAA v. Alston. While the case specifically dealt with education-related benefits, Justice Neil Gorsuch’s majority opinion unequivocally declined to grant the NCAA “immunity from the normal operation of the antitrust laws”.

Justice Kavanaugh’s Concurrence: The true harbinger of revolution was Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s blistering concurrence. He called the ruling a necessary “course correction” and laid bare the anomaly at the system’s core: “Nowhere else in America can businesses get away with agreeing not to pay their workers a fair market rate on the theory that their product is defined by not paying their workers a fair market rate,” he wrote. “The NCAA is not above the law”.

This judicial dismantling of the NCAA’s legal shield created a state of deep crisis. The old paradigm was no longer tenable, and the search for a new one began.

The Revolution Unleashed: A New World Order

The collapse of the old model under legal pressure has rapidly given way to a new paradigm, characterized by two revolutionary changes:

Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL): Since 2021, athletes have been allowed to profit from their fame through endorsements, appearances, and social media promotions. This was the death knell for pure amateurism.

Unlimited Transfers with Immediate Eligibility: Following relentless antitrust lawsuits from state attorneys general and the U.S. Department of Justice, the NCAA’s transfer restrictions have been eviscerated.

Athletes can now enter the transfer portal multiple times and play immediately at their new school, creating a system of year-round free agency. 

The following table contrasts the core elements of the old and new paradigms in college athletics:

This new system is not merely an adjustment. It is a fundamental redefinition of what college sports are.

Living in Incommensurable Worlds

The chasm between the old and new paradigms is so vast that they are, in Kuhn’s terms, incommensurable. Stakeholders are effectively living in different realities.

Different Standards: Concepts like “loyalty” and “team-building” now have entirely different meanings. A coach bemoaning a player’s lack of loyalty, based on the old standard of a four-year commitment, cannot communicate with a player operating in a new world where loyalty must be re-earned by the program year after year through NIL offers and playing time

Different Worlds: Coaches now navigate a “transactional culture”. As one soccer coach lamented regarding new roster limits, the focus is on “hit[ting] on virtually all of the 5-6 commits each year,” turning recruiting from an art of potential into a science of immediate ROI . Meanwhile, athletes see themselves not just as students, but as entrepreneurs managing their own brands.

Communication Breakdown: The same words mean different things. An “offer” from a school once meant an athletic scholarship. Now, it is a complex package of scholarship, NIL money from a collective, and potential branding opportunities. When administrators, coaches, athletes, and fans use the term “college sports,” they are, quite literally, talking about different things. 

The View from the Palestra: A Case Study in Revolution

The human cost of this revolution is etched into the history of Philadelphia’s Big 5. For more than six decades, the rivalry between LaSalle, Pennsylvania, St. Joseph’s, Temple, and Villanova was a unique institution in college basketball, a frenetic and beloved intracity competition housed in the musty, hallowed halls of the Palestra.

Big 5 basketball as it existed for generations is dead.

The paradigm shift has turned its teams into annual collections of mercenaries. This year’s rosters at Temple, Villanova, and La Salle are not built through years of patient development and freshman recruiting classes. They are assembled through the transfer portal, featuring 12 to 15 new players who are, in effect, paid free agents. The continuity that allowed for deep, city-wide narratives and enduring player legacies has been shattered. The old-timers who cherish the traditions of the Palestra and the new-age fans who track transfer portal rankings now inhabit incommensurable worlds, looking at the same court but seeing entirely different games.

The Uncharted Future

Where this new paradigm will ultimately lead is still uncertain. The revolution has created winners and losers, bestowing newfound wealth and freedom on some athletes while creating instability and uncertainty for others. The core challenge of this nascent paradigm is its sheer chaos—a lack of uniform regulation, concerns over the exploitation of young athletes, and the erosion of any semblance of a level playing field.

Thomas Kuhn taught us that paradigm shifts are not about progress in a moral sense, but about the replacement of one worldview with another. The old paradigm of amateurism is gone, discredited by the courts and abandoned by the culture. The new paradigm of athlete empowerment and free agency is still crystallizing, its final shape unknown. The revolution is complete. The incommensurable has arrived. The games will continue, but they will never be the same.

I miss Micheal Brooks, John Pinone, Mo Martin, Rodney Blake, Howie Evans, Lionel Simmons, Mark Macon, Tim Perry, Mike Vreeswyk, Jameer Nelson, Rap Curry, Bernard Bunt, Jerome Allen, Matt Maloney and Rashid Bey on the court.

I miss John Chaney, Fran Dunphy, Bruiser Flint, Phil Martelli, John Giannini and Rollie Massimino on the sidelines.

Naaaaah… I can’t lie… I don’t miss Rollie.

Girard College Taps St. Joseph’s University Hall of Famer, Mark Bass, a Proven Program Builder, as New Boys Basketball Head Coach

October 15, 2025 By delgrecowilson in Uncategorized Tags: basketball, College Basketball, featured, football, Girard College, Grassroots Basketball, news, Philadelphia basketball, sports, Trenton Basketball Leave a comment

PHILADELPHIA, PA — Girard College announced on October 9, 2025 that it has hired Mark Bass, a Mercer County basketball legend with deep ties to the Philadelphia region and a storied history as both a player and coach, as the new head coach of its boys’ basketball team. Long-time St. Joseph’s University coach Phil Martelli introduced Bass to his Girard College team in an emotional and intimate gathering. The appointment signals an ambitious new direction for the program, entrusting it to a figure renowned for his tactical acumen and a proven record of rapid turnaround.

Bass brings over 24 years of coaching experience to the role, most recently serving as an Assistant Coach for Prep and Development Basketball at the South Kent School, a Connecticut-based incubator for elite talent. His hiring is seen as a coup for Girard College, securing a leader with a demonstrated ability to elevate teams to championship contention.

“We are thrilled to welcome a leader of Mark Bass’s caliber and character to Girard College,” said Tumar Alexander, Girard College Vice-President of Operations. “His philosophy extends far beyond the basketball court, emphasizing the development of student-athletes as scholars and citizens. His record of success, both immediate and sustained, makes him the ideal person to build a proud and successful future for our boys’ basketball program.”

Bass is not merely a coach; he is a part of the area’s basketball fabric. A member of both the Mercer County Sports Hall of Fame and the St. Joseph’s University Basketball Hall of Fame, he remains the all-time leading scorer for Trenton Catholic Academy (formerly McCorristin), where he led the team to back-to-back state championship games.

His legacy continued at St. Joseph’s University, where he starred as one of the deadliest shooters in the program’s history and a key part of its 1996 NIT finals team. After a professional stint in China, Bass returned to his alma mater, embarking on a 20-year tenure as an assistant coach—the longest in St. Joseph’s history—where he was instrumental in developing NBA players such as Jameer Nelson, Delonte West, and DeAndre Bembry. He also helped lead the Hawks to another NIT final as a coach in 2005.

It is his most recent high school head coaching performance, however, that provides the clearest blueprint for what Girard College can expect. In 2021, Bass was hired to resurrect the Trenton Catholic Preparatory Academy program, a decision hailed at the time as an “absolute no-brainer.”

The results were instantaneous and profound. In his first season at the helm, Bass engineered a dramatic resurgence, leading the Iron Mikes to a Mercer County Championship and, for the first time in 12 years, a South Jersey, Non-Public B title. His team finished the season ranked No. 4 in the state by NJ.com.

“In the program’s first year under coach Mark Bass, Trenton Catholic Preparatory Academy plays with a toughness on the defensive end that figures to make these Iron Mikes a lethal threat,” wrote Greg Johnson of The Trentonian in a mid-season assessment.

*Mark Bass and Guy Moore, Girard College Director of Athletics*

John Castaldo, Bass’s own high school coach at McCorristin, praised the hire at the time, noting, “He returns to his alma mater with a wealth of basketball knowledge… His skills in developing and nurturing relationships are outstanding. He has always been an individual of high character and moral integrity.”

Bass’s expertise is further honed by his role as a Head Coach for the prestigious WeR1 Basketball Club on the Under Armour Association circuit, where he has continued to develop top-tier amateur talent.

“I am incredibly honored and excited to join the Girard College community,” said Bass. “This is a special institution with tremendous potential. I look forward to building a program that the entire Girard family can be proud of—one that competes for championships while upholding the highest standards of excellence, discipline, and sportsmanship. The work begins now.”

Bass holds a Bachelors degree in Marketing from St. Joseph’s University and Master’s degree from Rider University. He officially assumes his duties on October 20, 2025.

About Girard College 

Girard College is a landmark independent boarding school in Philadelphia, providing a full-scholarship, holistic education for academically capable students from families with limited financial resources, serving grades 1 through 12.

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In a Shifting Basketball Landscape, Phil Martelli’s “Philadelphia Coaching Academy” Partners with Black Cager Fall Classic to Reclaim the Art of Coaching

October 6, 2025 By delgrecowilson in Uncategorized Tags: AAU Basketball, basketball, Big 5, Black Cager Scouting Service, College Basketball, education, Grassroots Basketball, Philadelphia basketball, sports, writing Leave a comment

PHILADELPHIA — In an era defined by the seismic influence of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) advisors, sports agents, and the directors of national basketball academies, a new initiative is aiming to return the focus of youth basketball to its foundational element: teaching the game.

The Philly Coaching Academy, a venture from P and J Enterprises founded by former Saint Joseph’s University and former Michigan associate head coach Phil Martelli, has been named an official sponsor of the upcoming Black Cager Fall Classic. The partnership signals a concerted effort to address a growing void in the development of basketball coaches at the grassroots level.

The announcement comes amid what many insiders describe as a paradigm shift in youth and scholastic basketball. The insertion of substantial student-athlete compensation has fundamentally altered the player development process, creating an ecosystem where financially motivated “handlers” and the allure of national programs often overshadow the core mission of instruction and mentorship. Consequently, less time, energy, and resources are being devoted to cultivating the next generation of skilled coaches.

“In today’s environment, the term ‘coach’ can be diluted. A true coach is a person who trains, instructs, and guides a team to improve their skills and performance, with winning as a byproduct of that process,” said Martelli, a Hall of Fame inductee of the Philadelphia Big 5 and one of the most respected figures in the sport. “We are determined to identify and develop good, ethical, and effective youth and scholastic coaches who embody that definition.”

To that end, the Philadelphia Coaching Academy has been created specifically for coaches operating at the CYO, middle school, recreational, and travel team levels. The academy’s goal is to equip these coaches with the tools to plan and execute efficient, effective practices. The curriculum will be delivered through four standalone sessions, each featuring on-court demonstrations of drills presented by Martelli and other prominent high school coaches.

Delgreco Wilson, founder of Black Cager Sports, expressed strong support for the partnership, drawing from his long-standing observation of Martelli’s career.

“I’ve been fortunate to witness Martelli’s entire coaching journey. More than any other coach I’ve encountered, Martelli has been an open book. His practices were always accessible,” Wilson said. “He is the right guy to teach young Philly men and women how to be professional youth and scholastic basketball coaches.”

As part of the sponsorship, a coach from every high school participating in the Black Cager Fall Classic will be invited to a exclusive Zoom webinar with Martelli. Furthermore, the head coach of two participating Fall Classic teams will receive full certificates to attend a session of the Philadelphia Coaching Academy.

Wilson emphasized the critical timing of this initiative, stating, “Martelli is absolutely the right guy, and this is definitely the right time to focus on actually teaching and coaching the game of basketball. We’ve seen the business side expand rapidly; now it’s time to reinvest in the craft of coaching itself.”

The collaboration between the Philadelphia Coaching Academy and the Black Cager Fall Classic represents a significant step toward reinforcing the instructional backbone of the sport, ensuring that the coaches guiding young athletes are as developed and dedicated as the players they mentor.

About the Philadelphia Coaching Academy:
Founded by Phil Martelli through P and J Enterprises, the Philadelphia Coaching Academy is dedicated to the education and development of basketball coaches at the youth and scholastic levels. Through a series of intensive, practical sessions, the academy provides coaches with the fundamental principles of practice planning, skill development, and team instruction.

About the Black Cager Fall Classic:
The Black Cager Fall Classic is a premier showcase event presented by Black Cager Sports, featuring top high school basketball talent from the Philadelphia region and beyond. It serves as a critical platform for player exposure and development at the onset of the school year.

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Media Contact:
Delgreco Wilson
Managing Editor, Black Cager Sports
blackcager@gmail.com

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