Five years ago, Zion Williamson captivated the nation. The next season, Obi Toppin was a daily highlight reel, turning Dayton into an unlikely title contender. In 2021, Gonzaga made a run at the sport’s first undefeated season since 1976.
Now, men’s college basketball has hit a regular-season slump. The best players are forgotten by fall. The best teams make no mark on history — the past two national champions (Kansas, UConn) suffered a combined 14 losses in their title seasons.
The men’s side will suffer from these issues even more in upcoming years with the G League Ignite and Overtime Elite presenting the nation’s most talented teenagers with attractive options their predecessors never had.
The sport already had been without bankable stars for much of the one-and-done era. Unlike in the 20th century, it is obvious that the best players in the country aren’t the best players you could be watching.
