It has been a minute since we have done a weekly mailbag. In fact, it has been three weeks since our last mailbag. That was the same weekend season five of Yellowstone made its debut.
A lot has happened in that time. New Mexico State saw its rivalry games with New Mexico cancelled over some very unfortunate events. The NET rankings have come out for the first time in the 2022-23 season. And Sam Houston and Seattle both suffered their first losses of the season.
So, with that being said, let’s get to the mailbag questions presented via Twitter.
Will/should college basketball ever go to a 24-second shot clock?
— TheRustyMaverick (@TheRustyMav) December 4, 2022
Will/Should College Basketball Ever Go to a 24-Second Shot Clock?
This is a great question. I am not sure what the answer is to this. Perhaps a 24-second shot clock would be beneficial. But, perhaps not. It is all in the eye of the beholder. There are benefits to it and also things it may hurt.
Fortunately, I don’t make the big bucks and don’t really have a dog in that fight. I think it would be good to increase tempo in ball games. I’m a big fan of teams that get up and down the floor over the half-court mindset. And, if we are being honest, some teams are better when they are in transition rather than settling to run half-court offense. My biggest concern with a 24-second shot clock, though, is the creation of more one-on-one scenarios, more dribbling, less movement, less creativity. Since you have a shorter time to get up a shot, the likelihood of one-on-one situations increases as you try to get a bucket.
Sure, we see the pick-and-roll a lot in college basketball already. I get it. But, as we see in the NBA, there is a lot of standing around, watching one player dribble, and then taking a step-back 3 or some other shot. I like creativity, movement without the basketball, back door cuts, cross screens, and the ability to generate good looks at the bucket.
Can SFA get healthy by conference, assuming there are no new injuries?
— Melvin Bryan (@mbryan75949) December 4, 2022
Can SFA Get Healthy By Conference, Assuming There Are No New Injuries?
This is a loaded question for the weekly mailbag. But, one that I think all of us are wondering, as well.
The simple answer, we hope so. But, the more difficult answer is it is unknown. Jalil Beaubrun dealing with a foot injury is not good. The 6-9 center is a big body so you don’t want to rush him back. That can be a 6-10 week recovery period. And then you have to hope it’s fully healed and there is no hesitation.
Jaylin Jackson-Posey is out 4-8 weeks with the broken hand suffered in practice.
Latrell Jossell is unknown. He could be back this week or they may hold him out until WAC play begins with that abdomen strain.
Roti Ware was dealing with a strained calf coming into Friday night. And it appeared Ware suffered an ankle injury in the loss to Northwestern State. So, he is going to be day-to-day.
And Day Day Hall is playing with a bad shoulder that needs surgery. In fact, Kyle Keller said Hall can barely lift his arm above his head.
So, as you can see, I can’t really answer that. We all hope they do so they can be the SFA team we know. But, the roster is so depleted. And we haven’t even mentioned Montavious Murphy leaving the team before the season began. That left a huge hole in the roster, as well. And Robbie Armbrester is on a minutes restriction as he is dealing with plantar fascia.
Wild times in Nacogdoches.
Although highly unlikely, what would it take for the WAC to be a 2-bid league this year? It’s been a roller coaster in Non-Con but I think the WAC has a tiny tiny chance within the group of GCU, NMSU, SHSU or Seattle U.
— GCU???#FreeBG (@CanyonCrazyLope) December 4, 2022
What Would It Take for the WAC to be a 2-Bid League This Year?
Good question for the weekly mailbag.
Here is the long answer.
Sam Houston to win the rest of its non-conference games, maybe go 17-1 or 16-1 in WAC play and lose in the WAC title game. That, or maybe Seattle U and Sam Houston winning the rest of their non-conference games. And then both going 17-1 in league play and meeting each other in the WAC title game.
With where they are starting in the NET, Sam Houston and Seattle U are really the only hope for a 2-bid WAC. They also have Quad I opportunities remaining on their non-conference slates. New Mexico State has one at Saint Mary’s next week that could possibly vault them there. But, the losses to UTEP and UC Irvine hurt the Aggies. GCU doesn’t have any opportunities for a Quad I win unless North Texas moves up prior to the game on Saturday.
But, this is all speculation. And, I am not sure the team that wins the regular season crown will have fewer than three losses in league play. That’s just how deep the league is in 2022-23.
So, like you said in your tweet, there is a tiny, TINY chance. But a lot of things have to happen for that to become a reality.
Summer men’s and women’s basketball? Why? And should we be concerned that not all schools will be able to participate in a meaningful way if this is enacted?
— Katfans.com (@KatFansDotCom) December 4, 2022
Summer Men’s and Women’s Basketball? Why?
I like this idea that is being thrown around. More practices for teams, more opportunities to get better, and an opportunity to see what you really need to work on early on. The games would simply be exhibition games so they don’t count for or against you.
It is basically to fill a void when college basketball has very little presence per a Sports Business Journal article. Per Dan Gavitt, the NCAA senior vice president of basketball, these are exhibition games and schools and conferences would have the freedom to structure the summer schedule in different ways.
I like it. And I am in favor of it. I am not sure what schools would not be able to participate in a meaningful way. It says in that same Sport Business Journal that schools and athletes could opt out if the choose not to play. So, it appears if this is enacted, it will be a choice by the school/team/student-athletes.
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