UNC basketball legend Tyler Hansbrough Opens Up About Toughest Obstacle With Nil in College Basketball
College basketball is in a much different place than it was when Tyler Hansbrough was dominating on the court as a member of the UNC basketball program.
Seeing a player wear the same uniform for a four-year college career has now become rare, as the transfer portal provides student-athletes with the opportunity to essentially pick up and leave as they choose. Now, it’s more common to see student-athletes suit up for two (or even three) different schools instead of what we grew so accustomed to- players sticking with their respective schools and spending multiple seasons at that university.
Now serving as a sports broadcaster on various platforms, Hansbrough often has the ability to discuss his beliefs on the current state of college basketball. On a recent appearance on the Green Light with Chris Long podcast, Hansbrough had this to say about the transfer portal and how it’s hurting the sport of college basketball.
“I think the Cinderella stories in 2008 – when there was no NIL or portal – and all four number one seeds made it to the Final Four. I like to see the best teams in the Final Four – I think that’s the way it should be. But the transfer portal, to me, in college basketball – I just think there’s too much change for kids. I think it’s kind of hurting the game. I love basketball and I love to see high-quality basketball – I’m not sure the kids are getting coached like they used to when I was in school just because kids leave the portal and it’s hard to really develop a kid.”
Development is certainly an issue in today’s game, as it’s very difficult for coaches to juggle development while keeping kids happy. In the past, we’ve seen many occasions where players are slowly thrown into the mix, earning more playing time as their career moves along.
Now, if a student-athlete isn’t playing the amount of minutes they aim for, they can just pick up and go.
You can even make the case that the majority of teams won’t ever have future stability. Just because you recruit a student-athlete out of high school doesn’t mean they will stick with your program for the long haul, as the “one-and-done” option, along with the transfer portal, make it nearly impossible to really map out how long a player will stay with a respective program.
Hansbrough believes the change is hurting the game, and he makes very valid points to support his beliefs. High-quality basketball is the ultimate goal, but is it even possible with the pressures that coaches (and student-athletes) now face?
The short answer is no. The transfer portal adds an element that makes this nearly impossible for coaches to be able to properly coach their current rosters.
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