Bumo! Get yo brackets in! Hide yo kidz!

@bskeet kind take. well done.

Lehigh is about as bad as us on an epicly bad day

These boozer twin commercials are very much Beavis and Butthead.

I always wished Jeremy’s mom had named him Justin

@crimsonblu22 The details were exposed when Sypher was charged with extortion in 2009. She was accused of demanding a house, cars, and tuition money for her children. Sypher allegedly later demanded $10 million from Pitino, leading to federal charges.

In 2011, Sypher was sentenced to 87 months in prison after being found guilty of extortion and lying to federal agents. Pitino, meanwhile, apologized for the incident but decided to stay on as Louisville's coach.

Lol

Im ready for Flory to throw Zubys shot into the cheap seats.

Into Flory B’s keyyyyy

Theres a place called Blockomo

Cal Baptist’s gonna go

To get packed on the ball

Lay down in Blockomooooo

https://x.com/cbssportscbb/status/2033643969251299399?s=46

@bskeet agree totally. I thought it was interesting that there are plenty of programs without a GM on your list. Of those programs, it sounds like Golden has some outside help, and the other programs have a strong connection between coach and players. I think Self has lost that connection with the players for whatever reason. When we were winning, it wasn't a problem, but when we weren't it became one. I don't really blame anyone here, it's just what it is.

@drgnslayr lol. Look what you made drgnslayr do Bill. Got him all bolded and stuff! (great points, I completely agree)

@bskeet i just unleashed Claude on the GM question a little bit… spoiler: several of those schools also dont have a gm.

The Comparative Picture

Here’s what the research surfaced about the programs on your list:

Programs with a Formal GM

• Duke — Rachel Baker was hired in 2022 when Scheyer took over, bringing Nike and NBA experience. Duke had the best recruiting class in the ACC heading into that season.
• UConn — Tom Moore had been serving in a dual assistant coach/GM role and shifted to full-time GM duties in 2025. He’s an internal guy — a long-time Hurley assistant who knows the culture.
• Arkansas — John Calipari brought Woolard, a long-time Kentucky staffer, over to Arkansas and named him general manager when he took the job.
• Michigan — A Dusty May confidant maintained assistant coach duties while doubling as Michigan’s general manager.

Programs without a GM

• Florida — Won the 2025 title without a formal GM. Their staff includes a Director of Basketball Operations and a Director of Basketball Strategy & Analytics, but no GM title. Todd Golden handles roster construction personally through collective “Florida Victorious.”
• Houston — No GM. Sampson has been blunt about budget limitations: “We have a poor athletic department. We’re poor… The way our recruiting is going, we have to stop at some point because we don’t have enough money.” Their success is coach-culture-driven.
• Arizona — No GM. Uses a traditional DOBO structure. Lloyd noted he was surprised by the scale of the NIL market explosion in 2025, navigating it without a dedicated front-office hire.
• Purdue — No GM found. Matt Painter’s model is built on development and in-state loyalty.
• Gonzaga — No GM. A new assistant AD/coaching role was created to handle NIL and financial literacy education, but nothing resembling a traditional GM structure — fitting for a small private school with a lower NIL budget.
• Kansas — Self explicitly chose not to hire a GM, instead promoting Jeremy Case to associate head coach and Lexi Price to Director of Operations.

---

The big pattern: The GM trend is real, but Florida’s 2025 championship and Houston’s title-game run prove it isn’t required. What the GM schools share is a willingness to treat the program like a franchise — separating roster/cap management from coaching. What the non-GM successes share (Florida, Houston, Arizona) is a head coach personally engaged in the NIL/portal process, often with elite-level cultural buy-in from players. Kansas sits awkwardly — declining to build the infrastructure while also struggling on the court lately, which makes Self’s choice more scrutinized.

@mayjay said in Selection Sunday + Bracket Challenge:

On the other hand, it is quite sobering to note that Cal Baptist has been to as many Final Fours as Mizfuck U has. So maybe the equivalence is closer than I thought.

Yow! Gettin saucy with it!

@MR11 i’m still very high on his ceiling and I think hes a good kid. If we are going to do anything this post season he is going to be a part of it.

Wish we were having this conversation 2 months ago.

@kjayhawks2.0 i think the answer is nuanced. We were better without him at one point, but the lack of depth with this roster and the short rotation of usage of that depth and the Big 12 grind… all of that contributes to a “no” from me if the question is “would we be better now?” We would have gotten the brakes beaten off of us down the stretch, imo. Also our off season would have been a crisis if he hadnt signed with us. Flory would have left and im not sure who we sign with a bare cupboard. I dont put this BS on DP.

@wissox83 hey, Bob Huggins' exit was a total dumpster fire, so at least it can't possibly be that bad haha

@kjayhawks2.0 i dont think he will be a huge draft bust. Hes very intelligent afaict and i think he will be a competent pro for many years. I dont think the team quitting can be put on him. Thats coaching. Floor is a very good role player imo. But a lot of your points have merit.

My hope is that the transition plan has already been in motion for some time now, Self bows out gracefully with all parties in agreement about the process and he sticks around, helps with continuity, and gets immortalized by the KU faithful as our greatest coach ever.

From ashes, we rise! its that time of year again people! I believe our bracket challenge will live here: https://fantasy.espn.com/games/tournament-challenge-bracket-2026/group?id=79e234d0-3658-3ff8-8cfc-77aac741fc93