The College basketball landscape is about to see a massive transformation in the upcoming season. The NCAA has officially introduced the 5-in-5 college eligibility rule, which means any college athlete will only have five years to compete.
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As this new rule comes into play, the reigning women’s NCAA basketball champion, UCLA Bruins’ head coach, Cori Close, shared her thoughts.
“Well, it affects a lot of things,” Close said, according to Aaron Heisen. “It affects the numbers; it affects how many transfers we’re going to go about. It affects how freshmen view your current team because there could be players that they thought like the 27 class that they thought were graduating that could be staying.”
“It’s actually changed everything. So, I think we’re just going to have to think in another way that freshmen are losing opportunities because with all that ambiguity, you’re probably going to go, ‘Okay, what are we going to have?’ and whatever we don’t have, we’ll fill through the portal, and it’s just a really hard thing.”
Under the new rules, the eligibility clock starts either at the athlete’s 19th birthday or the full-time college enrollment, whichever comes first. Under the new system, unnecessary redshirting procedures will also not be permitted. This includes even in the case of an injury. However, exceptions can be made for cases like military service or pregnancy
The most important factor that emerges from this system is the continuity of the senior players. Now, five years is a long time for any basketball player, and entering a program for that period requires a long-term blueprint.
On the surface, these long-term plans can lead to roster stability for programs. But on the other hand, it can be a bit severe for freshman players. For instance, with better stability, demand for players will slacken. And as Close said, even if the needs arise, they can always look towards the transfer portal.
This can lead to fewer opportunities for some young players in the circuit. To sum it up, Cori Close can expect stability as each season progresses alongside this new rule. Meanwhile, Close will also have to be extremely nuanced in her strategic roster planning.
“I think just trying to be strategic, learn the rules, and then I just call it a puzzle, right. With the five-in-five, maybe some of your pieces changed that you didn’t think you were going to have,” Close added in her press conference.
Additionally, Cori Close will also have to be immensely cautious in injury management. Without the comfort of redshirting, injured players will lose a season, and they won’t be able to preserve it.
Nevertheless, it’s a fresh start for the UCLA Bruins and Cori Close, who are looking to build this program again from scratch.
Cori Close Makes Her Feelings Known on Her Program’s Massive Roster TurnoverThe
Champions Bruins, will have a fresh challenge when they enter the new season. The likes of Lauren Betts, Kiki Rice, Angela Dugalic, and Gabriela Jaquez, who were the guiding forces of this program in the last few years, have all departed for the WNBA.
They also helped this program become the NCAA champions for the first time in its history. But next season, the Bruins will be without all of them. It has created a major void in the program, which will be difficult to replace. But Cori Close isn’t losing sleep over it, as she oozed confidence in her latest assessment.
“This is a new art project, this is a new identity, this is a new chance,” Close said, as per On3’s Bruin Report. “The standards don’t change, but the way in we go about is going to be unique to this team and that’s really fun to explore.”
For the upcoming season, Cori Close’s program has seen some major additions. KK Bransford, Addy Brown, Bonnie Deas, and Denovyn Hunter are some of the major talents that will suit up for the Bruins.
Furthermore, they also have talented returners like Sienna Betts and Lena Bilic who will form the program’s leadership group. All in all, it will be interesting to see how Close manages this entire group with new rules in place.
