Former Villanova coach Jay Wright believes the blueblood period in males’s school basketball is already over.
“I believe it’s [over], nice level,” Wright responded when the query was posted to him on USA Right now’s Sports activities Critically.
That is fairly the assertion, as 5 of essentially the most prestigious blueblood packages—UConn, North Carolina, Kentucky, Duke and Kansas—are all within the Related Press High 25 ballot. UConn is coming off a season wherein it received the nationwide title and hasn’t been ranked outdoors of the highest 5 because it was No. 6 within the preseason ballot.
Wright’s reasoning, although, relies on the switch portal altering the panorama. Earlier than the switch portal, he detailed how a participant at a blueblood faculty would possible wait it out on the program so that they wouldn’t have to sit down out a complete season in the event that they modified faculties. However gamers can now switch to a different program as soon as as an underclassman with out having to sit down out a yr.
“The switch portal and NIL has actually made it attainable for anyone to speculate sufficient to be a blueblood,” Wright stated.
Jay Wright says the 'Blue Blood' period in Males's Faculty Basketball is formally over. Right here's why: pic.twitter.com/gvy3XkGfiX
— USA TODAY Sports activities (@usatodaysports) March 14, 2024
Since 2000, these 5 blueblood faculties have received 13 of the 23 nationwide titles performed (the 2020 NCAA match was canceled as a result of COVID-19 pandemic). If followers have been to depend Villanova as an extra blueblood, then they’d add two extra titles in that span.
Solely time will inform if Wright’s perception is correct.