Lamenting the state of MAC basketball...

[Flipper]

You also have more D1 teams...over 30 new D1 programs since 2000. You have far more "one and dones" so more colleges are searching for more players...transfers are far more common place so rosters are in an almost constant state of flux. I think all of thes factors contribute to one degree or another.

While players have become more bulky...I'm not sure there more athletic than they were in the past. Sure..that block Zion made the thernight was impressive, displayed a lot of explosive power in a relatively small area (in terms of where he launched). I don't know that a guy with his mass is going to be able to function at the same level athletically for 35 minutes a night as a guy who weighs 50lbs less. More muscle needs more oxygen...more muscle creates more lactic acid...these are limiting factors athletically.

Go back and watch some 80's NBA action on Youtube. The players were less bulky so they were more functional athletically and they actually had room to move in the lane

[Antimob]

Absolutely right.

The conference RPI for the MAC currently stands at 9 out of 32, behind only the Power 5, the Big East, the AAC and the Gonzaga led WCC. Can anyoone explain how the conference 20 years ago was appreciably better than those other conferences currently above us now? An NBA journeyman here or there or marginal differences in seeding make little difference. We're 9th best now so how were we better then? Were we 4th, 5th? Sports Illustrated magazine isn't writing as many magazine stories? OK, but now there's dozens of other media outlets and the vast majority of their content has migrated to SI.com. The landscape has changed and some are trying to pretend it is the same.

The comparative argument also doesn't hold water but let's assume it's true. We had a car 20 years ago that could go 70 MPH compared to others that go 80 MPH. Now our new car can go 115 MPH while others can go 130 MPH. Boy does our new car suck!

Find someone with misplaced nostalgia and a gnawing inferiority complex and you'll find a MAC basketball fan over 40.

[naandre]

Yes almost every team having an NBA journeyman on the roster is by definition better then having no NBA talent, journeymen or otherwise. The 115 mph race car loses it's race by more than the 70 mph car so again, it is by definition a worse race car. This isn't nostalgia, its data.

[BleedOrange]

There is a slight uptick in MAC basketball, but it has been in a loooonnnngggg relative drought.

FACT: MAC basketball currently is far inferior to where it was in the 90's. It's just that simple. Antimob, I'm sorry, you are simply making arguments for argument's sake and not dealing with facts. You're simply dead wrong.