Pitino: Strongest College Basketball in 50 Years

0:00On March 7th, as the college basketball regular season wraps up, Duke Michigan and Arizona stand out as top contenders for number one seeds in the first true. NCAA Tournament St. John's Coach, Rick Patino, says these teams have the talent to go all the way, but no single squad is dominating the pack. The rise of name, image, and likeness deals plus the transfer portal has spread talent more evenly across programs. Patino highlights how international players are elevating the game even further, especially with new revenue sharing from recent settlements. Teams like Duke, Illinois, Tennessee, and North Carolina brought in standout players from overseas this year. Patino, who coached in Greece for Panethanicos in the Euro League, notes that college now offers better pay than many pro leagues abroad for. Up and coming talent, that influx has made the sport deeper and more competitive, benefiting both college and the NBA. Patino prays the squads like Yukon and Illinois for their coaching and depth, putting them

1:02in the title mix too. With conference tournaments and selection Sunday approaching, Patino calls this the strongest college basketball he's seen in his 50 plus years, coaching, rivaling the errors of stars like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Walton when top players stuck around longer.