Tag Archives: sports

The Next Crown Prince of Harrisburg Hardwood: Why Shakur Starling is Central Pennsylvania’s Must-See Prospect

December 7, 2025 By in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , Leave a comment

PHILADELPHIA, PA – In the constellation of American basketball talent, certain places have become fixed stars, producing a rhythm and a archetype of player as reliable as the changing seasons. New York City guards carry a certain swagger, Philadelphia guards a specific mental and physical toughness. And in recent years, a new locus has emerged, a crucible for backcourt talent that demands the attention of college basketball’s power brokers: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Shakur Starling, Central Dauphin junior guard

This is not a fluke, but a tradition being built in real time. It’s a lineage defined by Chance Westry and Malachi Palmer—elite guards who honed their games here before taking the well-trod path to national academies and, subsequently, the bright lights of the Big 10, ACC and Big East. Their departures created a vacuum, a question of who would next assume the throne. The answer is already here, and he is not following the same script. His name is Shakur Starling, a junior guard at Central Dauphin High School, and he is poised to become the most compelling recruitment story in the region, a prospect whose substance may ultimately outshine even his considerable flash.

The Harrisburg Guard: A New Archetype

To be a Harrisburg guard in 2025 means something. It carries a weight and an expectation. It means you are battle-tested in gyms where space is a luxury and physicality a given. It implies a defensive tenacity, a chip-on-the-shoulder grit forged in the crucible of Mid-Penn Conference play. Westry and Palmer established this brand—long, athletic, versatile perimeter players who could dictate the terms of a game on both ends.

Shakur Starling is the latest model, inheriting and evolving this prototype. He has assumed the mantle as “the guy” in Harrisburg, not through self-proclamation, but through a quantum leap in performance over the past year. His game is a testament to the area’s burgeoning reputation, but his story, rooted deeply in family and faith, suggests a different kind of journey—one that will unfold not at a distant basketball factory, but right here at home.

Shyheim Starling (l), freshman guard and Shakur Starling (r)

A Foundation of Character, A Profile of Excellence

Before the first crossover dribble is admired, one must understand the foundation. Starling is, by every account, poised and unfailingly respectful—a young man who looks adults in the eye and understands the weight of “please” and “thank you.” This is not incidental. It is the direct product of an exceptional upbringing by his parents, who are raising Shakur and his three brothers with a clear emphasis on faith, academics, and accountability.

This bedrock character is his first and most persuasive selling point. He is an outstanding student from a family deeply grounded in their faith. In an era of transfer portals and fleeting commitments, a prospect like Starling represents stability. It is why he already holds an offer from John Griffin at Bucknell University, a Patriot League institution that prizes scholars as much as scorers. One can confidently project that nearly every Ivy and Patriot League program will soon enter the fray, seeing in Starling the ideal marriage of academic readiness and athletic promise.

The Game Travels: From Central Dauphin to the EYBL

Do not, however, mistake this strong academic and moral profile for a limited game. Starling’s talent transcends zip codes. He has already proven his mettle on the Nike EYBL circuit, the most competitive grassroots basketball arena in the country, playing for Baltimore-based Team Melo. This is critical. It demonstrates his skills are not merely a product of local competition; they translate against national, elite-level peers.

Starling knocks down a 3 pointer in tough loss to Bonner

On this stage, his athleticism announces itself without subtlety. He possesses a quick-twitch explosiveness and open-floor speed that are innate—you cannot teach a player to get off the ground as he does. In transition, he is a runaway train, capable of finishing through contact and with the acrobatic body control to convert seemingly impossible circus shots at the rim. Defensively, his combination of that athleticism, a strong motor, and high effort makes him a nightmare. He has the tools to be a lockdown, multi-position defender, the kind of “two-way potential” that jumps off the screen to college coaches.

The Blueprint for a High-Major Future

From a purely basketball perspective, Starling is just beginning to scratch the surface. At Central Dauphin, he often operates as an off-guard in half-court sets, using his athleticism to slash and attack. His ability to go through high school bigs is already notable. Yet, the roadmap to becoming a high-major standout is clear.

First, the ceiling of his offensive game will be determined by the consistency and range of his three-point shot. He is solid now, but to transition from an athletic slasher to an elite “3-and-D” wing—the most coveted commodity in modern basketball—requires making that significant leap. Second, to become a primary ball-handling playmaker at the next level, his decision-making must continue to evolve, learning patience and picking his moments within a system.

The raw materials, however, are undeniable. As one evaluator noted, “The athletic prowess is there as far as just speed, explosiveness… When he gets to college, when you have more space, he is going to be a problem for four years.”

Starling matched up against Bonner-Prendie star guard Korey Francis

A Different Path, A Loyal Legacy

This is where Shakur Starling’s story diverges from his predecessors. His deep commitments to family, church, school, and teammates make a late transfer to a national academy highly unlikely. Unlike Westry and Palmer, we are likely to see this recruitment play out in real time, in the gym at Central Dauphin. This loyalty is rare, and it adds another layer of allure for college coaches seeking a program pillar, not just a transient talent.

The time for passive interest is over. Coaches from the CAA, Atlantic 10, and, yes, the Big East, should be making their pilgrimages to Harrisburg now. They will see a top-tier mid-Atlantic prospect whose best basketball is emphatically ahead of him. They will see a scholar-athlete whose character is as polished as his crossover. And they will see the next chapter in the story of the Harrisburg guard—a chapter defined not by departure, but by legacy; not just by athleticism, but by an unwavering foundation.

Shakur Starling is more than a prospect; he is a statement. He proves that in today’s nomadic basketball landscape, a crown prince can choose to build his kingdom at home, and in doing so, become an even more compelling figure for the programs wise enough to see the complete picture.

The Case for Korey Francis: The Mid-Atlantic Region’s Most Underrated Court General

December 7, 2025 By in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , Leave a comment

PHILADELPHIA, PA – In the era of basketball as personal branding, where elite high school prospects migrate to national academies and highlight reels are currency, a counter-narrative is quietly building in the Philadelphia suburbs. His name is Korey Francis, a junior guard at Monsignor Bonner & Archbishop Prendergast Catholic High School. To the casual observer scanning national rankings, he may not yet register. But to watch him play—to truly understand the fabric of his game—is to witness one of the finest, most complete guard prospects in the nation. He is not a product of the assembly line; he is a testament to the enduring value of loyalty, intelligence, and old-school grit.

Korey Francis, Bonner-Prendie junior guard

A Player Without a Position, A Team Without a Ceiling

At Bonner-Prendie, Francis is a basketball paradox listed at guard. Under the shrewd guidance of Coach Billy Cassidy, Francis morphs from game to game, even possession to possession, into whatever his Friars need to win. With a roster featuring smaller, quicker perimeter players, Cassidy deploys Francis as a point guard, shooting guard, small forward, and even a burly power forward. He initiates the offense, posts up smaller defenders, switches onto bigs defensively, and crashes the glass with the tenacity of a forward. This positional fluidity isn’t a gimmick; it’s a master class in basketball utility. Yet, when the clock winds down and the outcome hangs in the balance, the ball inevitably finds its way to Francis’s hands. He is the calm in the chaos, the team’s true north.

The Anatomy of a Floor General

Projecting Francis to the next level clarifies his ultimate destiny: he is a cerebral, classic point guard. His strengths read like a manifesto for purists who believe the game is won between the ears.

His court vision and playmaking are elite. He pushes the ball with purpose, not panic, and sees passing lanes before they materialize. He is a quarterback in high-tops, running the offense with a veteran’s poise, his primary objective being to make his teammates more effective. His physicality is his signature. At a sturdy 6’3″, he leverages his strength like an NFL fullback, using a deft handle and a decisive first step to get a shoulder into defenders, creating space to barrel into the lane. Once there, he is a maestro of the “penetrate-and-pitch” game, finishing through contact or dishing with perfect timing.

Furthermore, he is an exceptional rebounder for a guard, a skill that instantly triggers transition opportunities. Defensively, his strength and intelligence allow him to guard multiple positions, effectively switching onto both bigger and smaller opponents. This is not a flashy scorer hunting shots; this is a conductor orchestrating a victory.

The Measurable Questions and the Intangible Answers

The scouting report will rightly note areas for growth: his three-point shot is inconsistent, and he lacks the blinding, elite athleticism commonly associated with top prospects in leagues like the SEC or Big Ten. He is a worker, not a wow-er.

But to focus solely on these metrics is to miss the forest for the trees. Francis is only a junior, with ample time to refine his jumper—a project far more achievable than instilling the innate feel for the game he already possesses. More importantly, his perceived “lack of elite quickness” is mitigated by a high basketball IQ that allows him to anticipate and dictate, rather than simply react. He wins with positioning, strength, and savvy, assets that translate to any level of competition. He is, in essence, D1-ready in the categories that are hardest to teach: leadership, physicality, and clutch decision-making. His “Iron Man” durability and unflappable demeanor under pressure are the bedrock of his value.

The Loyalty and Leadership of a Throwback

In an age of transactional basketball, Korey Francis’s story is profoundly refreshing. While peers of his stature have left Philadelphia for the national academy circuit, Francis has remained fiercely loyal to Coach Cassidy and Bonner-Prendie. This commitment speaks to a character often absent from the recruiting discourse. He is not just building a team; he is building a community.

Off the court, Francis embodies the ideal of the scholar-athlete. A straight-A student and the elected president of his class, he demonstrates that elite competitiveness and academic excellence are not mutually exclusive but mutually reinforcing. This discipline and intelligence are palpably evident in his play. He processes the game like an honor student, solving defensive schemes in real time.

The Verdict: A Prospect Worth Betting On

The modern basketball landscape is littered with athletic marvels whose games lack soul and structure. Korey Francis is the antithesis. He is a throwback to a time when the point guard was an extension of the coach, tasked with elevating everyone around him.

Yes, he must continue to extend his shooting range. Yes, he will face athletes at the next level who can match his strength. But to bet against Korey Francis is to bet against intelligence, against leadership, against an unwavering will to win. He is not just a mid-to-high major Division I point guard prospect; he is the prototype of a player who wins championships because he makes the complex simple and his teammates better.

In the noisy, hype-driven world of high school basketball, the steady, commanding drumbeat of Korey Francis’s game is a sound more and more college coaches are beginning to hear. They are listening to the future of a program—a leader who doesn’t just play the game, but truly understands it.

The Lost Art of the Philly Guard: Why Micah Waters Embodies What College Basketball is Forgetting

December 7, 2025 By in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , Leave a comment

PHILADELPHIA, PA – In the cramped, sweat-stained gyms of Philadelphia, where the echoes of a hundred years of basketball history still reverberate, a certain archetype has been forged. It is not always the flashiest, nor the one chasing the highest point totals. It is the guard who understands that defense is a language, unselfishness is a creed, and winning is the only statistic that truly endures. From the legendary playgrounds to the hallowed Big 5 floors, this player has been a constant: gritty, intelligent, and indispensable to any winning effort.

Micah Waters, Friends Select senior guard

Today, that mold is perfectly embodied by Friends Select School senior Micah Waters. And in a just basketball world—the one that existed even a decade ago—his phone would be ringing with Division 1 scholarship offers. But we are not in that world. We are in the era of the transfer portal and NIL, a paradigm shift that has left exemplary high school prospects like Waters in a dangerous limbo. In the rush to recruit experienced college veterans or chase viral highlights, college coaches are overlooking the foundational players who build programs. For any low- to mid-major program seeking not just a transient talent, but a culture-defining pillar, a trip to Center City Philadelphia to evaluate Micah Waters is not just advisable—it is urgent.

More Than a Prospect: A Philadelphia Story

To understand Waters’ game is to understand his roots. He is the son of the late Micah Waters, Sr., a long-time Philadelphia Police officer who himself played for the famed West Philadelphia Speedboys before suiting up for Cabrini University. This is not incidental biography; it is the bedrock of his identity on the court. He plays with the discipline, responsibility, and communal pride of a public servant’s son. He plays, as those classic Philly guards do, not for stat sheets, but for the final score. His intelligence and high character are repeatedly noted by coaches and teachers, the marks of a young man who would represent a university with integrity.

Ten years ago, a player with this pedigree, this makeup, and his tangible skills would have been a coveted get for a slew of programs. Today, he waits. He is a casualty of a new calculus that undervalues the steady, winning player in favor of the transfer with immediate, if sometimes fleeting, experience. It is a system that risks discarding diamonds before they are ever polished.

A Tenacious Blueprint: Defense as a Destructive Force

The foremost argument for Waters’ scholarship-worthiness begins on the defensive end. In an offensive-centric age, he is a throwback lockdown artist. Scouts label him an elite, tenacious man-to-man defender, routinely tasked with shadowing an opponent’s top perimeter scorer. With long arms and anticipatory instincts, he is a disruptor in passing lanes. But his defense is more than steals; it’s a form of mental attrition. He is adaptable, capable of guarding multiple positions, and plays with a physical grit that sets a tone for his entire team. In the playoff crucible or on the Under Armour Circuit with Philly Pride, Waters has proven his defense travels and intensifies against high-level competition. This skill alone—the ability to neutralize another team’s best guard—is a standalone, roster-worthy talent.

Purcell Coles, Friends Select Head Coach

The Modern Complementary Offensive Skill Set

Offensively, Waters is not a heliocentric, ball-dominant creator. That is not his role, nor is it the role of the classic Philly guard he emulates. His value lies in high-efficiency, high-IQ play that perfectly complements primary scorers. He is a streaky but potent three-point shooter, particularly deadly as a spot-up weapon in the offensive system of coach Purcell Coles, where his understanding of spacing and timing shines. He is a strong finisher in transition, leveraging his defensive efforts into easy baskets. His high basketball IQ allows him to move within complex offensive schemes—he is noted to have a strong grasp of systems—ensuring he is always a productive, rather than a disruptive, offensive piece.

The Grit and The Growth: A Leader’s Profile

Perhaps the most intangible, yet critical, asset Waters possesses is his demeanor. He is described as a vocal leader, playing with a palpable toughness and a winner’s mentality. This is the glue that holds teams together through conference play and tournament pressure. Yes, that intensity can occasionally boil over, leading to unnecessary fouls—a noted area for growth. But coaches consistently prefer to temper a fiery competitor than to ignite a passive one. His occasional struggle to create his own shot off the dribble is a fair critique, defining his ceiling as a primary option. But that misses the point. His ceiling as a program-changing role player—a defensive stopper, a clutch shooter, a culture-setter—is immensely high.

A Perfect Fit for the Right Program

Micah Waters’ ideal role is clear: a gritty, defensive-minded wing who spaces the floor, excels in transition, and provides veteran-like leadership from day one. He is the ultimate “winner” archetype who makes players around him better through effort, intelligence, and selflessness. He would thrive in fast-paced, perimeter-oriented offenses that value defensive accountability. For a coach looking to build a sustainable program, not just rent a one-year scorer, Waters represents the kind of foundational player around which successful teams are constructed.

Micah Waters after hearing he has fouled out against Penn Charter

The current model of college athletics, with its frenetic portal churn, is a reality. But it shouldn’t be an excuse for myopia. There is immense value in identifying, recruiting, and developing a young man of character, toughness, and specific, winning skills. Micah Waters isn’t just a collection of strengths and weaknesses on a scout’s sheet. He is the continuation of a Philadelphia basketball legacy, a coach’s son in spirit, and precisely the kind of dependable talent that becomes the heart and soul of a successful college program.

The gym doors at Friends Select are open. The proof of a hundred years of basketball wisdom is on the court, waiting to be seen. It would be a profound shame—and a missed opportunity—if the new era of college basketball meant overlooking a young man who so perfectly embodies the timeless virtues of the old one.

DJ Wagner: The Quiet Triumph of a Former Prodigy

November 28, 2025 By in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , 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 in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , 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.

Flash Burton, Rider sophomore guard

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. 

ConferenceNumber of teams in 2025 NCAA Tournament
ACC4
Big Ten8 
Big 127 
SEC14 

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.
Kevin Baggett, Rider Head Coach

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:

PerspectiveProsCons
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.

Zion Cruz, Rider senior guard

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

November 22, 2025 By in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , 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. 

Phil Martelli, Jr., VCU Head Coach

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.

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

November 14, 2025 By in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , 1 Comment

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

Deuce Jones, La Salle guard

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.

Dasear Haskins, St. Joseph’s wing

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.

Bryce Lindsay, Villanova guard

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.

Aiden Tobiason, Temple guard

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.

Fran McCaffery, Penn Head Coach

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.

Darris Nichols, La Salle Head Coach

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 in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , 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”.

La Salle forward Jerome Brewer

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.

Adam Fisher, Temple Head Coach

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.

Bob Jordan, Temple Assistant Coach

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.


Temple star guard Aiden Tobiason

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.

Darris Nichols, La Salle Head Coach

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 in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , , 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.

Phil Martelli and Mark Bass

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.”

Tumar Alexander and Mark Bass

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.

###

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 in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , , 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.

Phil Martelli

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.

###

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