For those of us of a certain age (51 and rising fast), the effort to find bright, exciting, up-and-coming young faces never gets old. So for the second consecutive year, The Athletic is publishing our list of 40 influential people in men’s college basketball who are under the age of 40. Our intent is to spotlight not only the most visible candidates (head coaches, broadcasters, players), but also a wide array of assistant coaches, writers, executives, administrators, bloggers, numbers crunchers and power brokers who give the sport its texture and flavor — and who themselves have a bright future.
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So it is in that spirit of renewal, what with Thanksgiving approaching and a fresh new season underway, that we present, in alphabetical order, our 40 under 40 for 2021. Let the names begin.
• Related: The 40 under 40 in women’s basketball
1. Steve Anderson, referee | Age: 39
Anderson is one of the few college officials with extensive professional experience, having reffed in the NBA from 2013-17. Prior to that he spent four years in the SEC and various other college leagues. Since returning to the college game four years ago, Anderson has worked primarily in the SEC and AAC. Last season, he was assigned to his first NCAA Tournament and reffed USC’s Sweet 16 win over Kansas. Beyond that, Anderson is FIBA certified and has been officiating international tournaments since 2012, including the bronze medal game at the 2016 Rio Olympics, and lately he has been working AAC football games as a center judge. That could put him on a path to working in the NFL someday, which he could do without giving up his college hoops duties.
2. Mike Boynton, head coach, Oklahoma State | Age: 39
Boynton had no prior head coaching experience when he was promoted from his assistant’s position following Brad Underwood’s abrupt departure in 2017, and he has had to navigate a lot of ups and downs the last four years. After struggling to sub-.500 finishes in the Big 12 his first three seasons, Boynton signed the nation’s No. 1 recruit, Cade Cunningham, only to see his team get hit with an NCAA postseason ban for violations committed by a former assistant. Cunningham came to school anyway, and Oklahoma State was able to play in the 2021 NCAA Tournament because the NCAA had yet to rule on the school’s appeal. On Nov. 3 the NCAA denied that appeal, rendering the team ineligible for the 2022 postseason. Now that the case is finally over, Boynton can use the ability he has shown to recruit good players and build a winning culture to lead Oklahoma State to brighter days.
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3. Jordan Cornette, ESPN | Age: 38
Talk about a two-way player. As a former three-year starter for Notre Dame, Cornette has the pedigree to be a game commentator and studio analyst, duties he performs for ESPN and the ACC Network. But unlike most every other analyst, Cornette also works extensively as a host for those networks on College Basketball Live, College Basketball Scoreboard and halftimes. (The shows he hosts with Jon Crispin and Dalen Cuff are some of the smartest college hoops conversations you’ll find.) In addition, Cornette serves as a college football studio host for ESPN and ACC Network, and he co-hosts a Sunday afternoon show on ESPN Radio with his wife, Shae Peppler Cornette.
4. Matt Cox, Ky McKeon, Jim Root, Three Man Weave | Ages: 31, 31 and 32
This trio of slightly-above-average pickup players started their website in 2015 shortly after they graduated college. They started by producing detailed previews of every Division I team and then gained further traction three years later when they leaned into the fast-emerging gambling space. In 2019, they launched a gambling show that was live-streamed on YouTube. That show has joined the The Field of 68 network for this season. Cox, McKeon and Root have accounting or business degrees, and for the first few years they kept their “real” jobs to pay the bills. The success of Three Man Weave has enabled all of them to devote themselves to the company full-time.
5. Rob Dauster, founder, Field of 68 | Age: 36
After graduating from Vassar in 2008, where he played for the basketball team, Dauster created the Ballin Is A Habit website in the hours he was away from his job as a bartender in Washington, D.C. As that site became popular, Dauster found work as a mainstream journalist and eventually landed a job covering college basketball for NBCSports.com. He was laid off during pandemic-related cutbacks in August 2020, and a month later he launched Field of 68. The company started with a few team-specific podcasts and has quickly expanded to include 24 basketball shows, six football shows and a nightly streaming college hoops show. Besides being the driving force behind the business, Dauster is a constant on-camera presence who imparts keen insights, strong opinions and valuable inside information to The Field of 68’s fast-growing audience.
6. Kim English, head coach, George Mason | Age: 33
It hasn’t taken English long to announce his arrival as one of the nation’s hottest up-and-coming coaches. George Mason hasn’t been to an NCAA Tournament since 2011, yet in his first season as head coach, English has the Patriots off to a 4-1 start that includes a road win at then-No. 20 Maryland. As a senior at Missouri, English was the second-leading scorer for a team that won an SEC tournament title and earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. After playing professionally for three years in the NBA and overseas, English worked as an assistant at Tulsa and Colorado for two years each. Then he moved on to Tennessee, where he was instrumental in helping Rick Barnes bring in the recruits that revitalized that program.
7. John Fanta, Fox Sports | Age: 26
With his enthusiasm, quirky humor, smart takes and colorful wardrobe, Fanta has established himself as one of college basketball’s most popular young broadcasters. He is entering his fourth season doing play-by-play for Fox Sports and is the host of Big East Shootaround, a weekly digital show that airs on Big East Digital Network as well as Twitter and YouTube. Fanta gives equal attention to the men’s and women’s game, having also called the Big East women’s tournament on FS1 and FS2. He also hosts a podcast and a nightly show for The Field of 68.
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8. Dana Ford, head coach, Missouri State | Age: 37
Ford is entering his eighth season as a head coach, and his fourth at Missouri State. He played at Illinois State from 2002-06, and after brief stints as an assistant at Winthrop, Chipola College, Tennessee State, Wichita State and Illinois State, he was hired as head coach at Tennessee State in 2014 at the age of 30. Ford took the team from winning five games his first season to 20 in his second, after which he was named the OVC’s coach of the year. That success has continued at Missouri State, which under Ford’s leadership has finished in third place in the Missouri Valley Conference twice in the last three years.
9. Tate Frazier and Mark Titus, Titus & Tate podcast | Age: 28 and 34
Unlike his podcast partner, Mark Titus, Tate did not play college basketball, not even as a little-used walk-on, but he did earn a broadcast journalism degree at North Carolina in 2015. After graduation he was hired by The Ringer just as it was being created, earning his chops as a producer of The Bill Simmons Podcast among many other shows. He also took his turn in front of the microphone with Titus as they made their “One Shining Podcast” into an informative and hilarious must-listen for college basketball fans. Frazier and Titus have since left The Ringer and renamed their podcast “Titus & Tate.” Frazier has also created a production company called Figures which is releasing a documentary this week on the legendary Five-Star Basketball Camp. As a walk-on guard at Ohio State from 2006-10, Titus scored a grand total of nine points and played 48 minutes. His hilarious “Club Trillion” blog caught the eye of Simmons, who invited Titus to contribute to ESPN.com and later to Grantland. After graduation, Titus authored a book about his time in Columbus titled “Don’t Put Me In, Coach: My Incredible NCAA Journey from the End of the Bench to the End of the Bench.” Though he is best known for his wildly popular podcasts with Frazier, Titus will also be calling games for Fox Sports this season. His most meaningful work came when he disclosed in a 2015 Reddit AMA that he suffers from depression. Titus has since talked and written openly about his mental health challenges, and his Club Trillion Foundation has raised thousands of dollars to provide financial relief to non-scholarship athletes in every sport.
10. Todd Golden, head coach, San Francisco | Age: 36
Golden’s Dons scored one of last season’s first big upsets when they knocked off then-No. 4 Virginia during Thanksgiving week. The team spiraled down the stretch to finish 4-9 in the West Coast Conference, but Golden’s third year is off to a promising 5-0 start with wins over Davidson and Nevada. Golden is considered an analytics maven, a reputation he acquired while working at Columbia and USF as an assistant under Kyle Smith. Golden played at Saint Mary’s and then professionally for two years for Maccabi Haifa before starting his coaching career. He also spent two years working as an assistant to Bruce Pearl at Auburn.
11. Robbie Hummel, Big Ten Network and ESPN | Age: 32
Major sports networks are generally loathe to share talent, but Hummel has proved to be so valuable that he is able to work for BTN and ESPN. He also calls games for Westwood One radio and added podcasting duties this season for The Field of 68. The Valparaiso, Ind., native is still fondly remembered for his career at Purdue, where he is fourth on the school’s all-time rebounding list (862) and ninth on the scoring list (1,772). After a five-year pro career with the Minnesota Timberwolves and various overseas clubs, Hummel embarked on his broadcasting career. He still plays three-on-three basketball competitively, winning a gold medal at the 2019 3×3 World Cup in Amsterdam.
12. Kevin Kruger, head coach, UNLV | Age: 38
In 2006, Kruger became one of the first players to take advantage of the grad transfer rule by leaving Arizona State to play for his father, Lon, at UNLV. In 2019, Kruger left his father’s staff at Oklahoma to come back to UNLV to work as an assistant for T.J. Otzelberger. When Otzelberger left in March to take over at Iowa State, Kruger was promoted to replace him. As a player Kruger was always soft-spoken but intensely competitive, and he is bringing that combination to his new job. UNLV has a storied history, but it hasn’t been to the NCAA Tournament since 2013, and the last time the Runnin’ Rebels made it past the first weekend was in 2007, Kruger’s lone season there.
13. Jai Lucas, assistant coach, Kentucky | Age: 32
John Calipari revamped his coaching staff in the off-season, but he kept Lucas in his role as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. Lucas brings an invaluable pedigree to the job, beginning with his status as a former McDonald’s All-American who played point guard at Florida and Texas. Lucas played professionally for two years before returning to his alma mater in 2016 to work for Rick Barnes. After Barnes got fired, Lucas was retained by Shaka Smart, and then left for Kentucky in 2020 to be Calipari’s special assistant and recruiting coordinator. Two months later, Lucas was promoted to his current role. Lucas brings youthful energy to the gym and the recruiting trail, and his value to the program will only increase as he acquires more experience.
14. Ulric Maligi, assistant coach, Texas | Age: 37
Maligi’s value to his boss, Chris Beard, was evident when Beard brought him from Texas Tech after Beard was hired by Texas last April. Aside from the four years he spent at Howard, where he was a student manager for the basketball team, Maligi has spent his entire career cycling through jobs in his home state of Texas. It started with a one-year stint at UT Arlington, and was followed by gigs at Stephen F. Austin, Houston, SMU, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, and now Texas. Maligi also spent the 2015-16 season working in Houston as national scouting director for John Lucas.
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15. Bashir Mason, head coach, Wagner | Age: 37
Mason was the youngest Division I head coach when Wagner first hired him, but that was nine long years ago. He has since established himself as one of the top mid-major coaches in America, having won three NEC regular-season championships and coach of the year awards in the last six years. Mason played for UConn coach Dan Hurley in high school, spent four years at Drexel as a point guard, and later coached for two seasons under Hurley at Wagner. He took over the top spot in 2012 when Hurley was hired away by Rhode Island.
16. Sean May, assistant coach, North Carolina | Age: 37
Roy Williams’ decision to retire didn’t just allow Hubert Davis to move into the head coach’s chair, it also allowed May to be promoted to assistant coach after spending the last four years as North Carolina’s director of basketball operations. May is best known to Tar Heel fans as the Final Four Most Outstanding Player for the 2005 NCAA championship team. He was selected by the Charlotte Hornets with the 13th pick in the NBA draft, and after playing four years with the Hornets and one with the Sacramento Kings he played another five seasons overseas. May returned to his alma mater in 2015 and bided his time until he could assume full-time coaching and recruiting duties.
17. Jay McAuley, head coach, Wofford | Age: 38
When Mike Young was hired by Virginia Tech in 2019 after 17 years at Wofford, McAuley, who had been Young’s associate head coach the previous two seasons, was the natural choice to replace him. McAuley was previously an assistant at Furman, so he knows the Southern Conference well, and he did a superb job guiding the Terriers through the COVID-19 pandemic last season en route to a second-place finish. Wofford has had six 20-win seasons and played in six NCAA tournaments the last 12 years, and that success is likely to continue with McAuley in charge.
18. Monica McNutt, ESPN and CBS Sports Network | Age: 32
A self-described “Jane of all trades,” McNutt has quickly emerged as a ubiquitous, authoritative, fun-loving voice on all things hoop. A former guard at Georgetown from 2007-11, McNutt has earned a roster spot on ESPN’s NBA coverage as a studio analyst and sideline reporter. She is also a studio regular for MSG’s coverage of the New York Knicks, a game and studio analyst for women’s basketball at ESPN, and a studio analyst on men’s college basketball for ESPN and CBS Sports Network. In the past, McNutt has called men’s Big East games for FS1, and she is currently a regular panelist on ESPN’s “Get Up” and “Around The Horn” shows.
19. Wes Miller, head coach, Cincinnati | Age: 38
When Miller made this list last year as the head coach at UNC Greensboro, we projected him as likely to land a high-major job in the near future. That happened in April when he was named as John Brannen’s replacement at Cincinnati. Miller played for North Carolina from 2003-07, and if Miller’s previous record in Greensboro is any indication, it’s only a matter of time before he wins big in the Queen City. During his 10 seasons with the Spartans, Miller led the team to three Southern Conference championships and two NCAA Tournament appearances.
20. Jordan Mincy, head coach, Jacksonville | Age: 35
Mincy worked in a lot of different places before Jacksonville hired him as head coach in March. The Memphis native was part of two MAC championship squads at Kent State and graduated in 2009 as the league’s all-time leader in games played (135). He started his coaching career as a graduate assistant at South Carolina, and over the next 11 years he worked at Kent State, Charleston, Toledo, Louisiana Tech and Florida. He spent six years in Gainesville before moving north to take over a Jacksonville program that hasn’t played in the NCAA Tournament since 1986.
21. Bryan Mullins, head coach, Southern Illinois | Age: 34
This is a big year for Mullins as he enters his third season as head coach at his alma mater. The Salukis finished fifth and ninth, respectively, in the Missouri Valley Conference the last two seasons, but they return all five starters and should be more competitive this winter. Mullins was an associate head coach at Loyola Chicago when the Ramblers reached the 2018 Final Four. A native of Downers Grove, Ill., Mullins led the Salukis to the 2007 Sweet 16 as a sophomore. He was twice named Academic All-American and was also a two-time Valley defensive player of the year.
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22. Kyle Neptune, head coach, Fordham | Age: 36
Neptune was an assistant at Villanova last year when he made this list, and it was clearly a matter of time until he got his first head coaching gig. On March 30, Fordham hired Neptune to revitalize a program that has won just 11 games in the Atlantic 10 over the last four years and hasn’t played in an NCAA Tournament since 1992. Neptune has his work cut out for him in the Bronx, but after eight years as Jay Wright’s assistant, he is ready for the challenge. Neptune is also a Brooklyn native, so his local ties should pay big dividends in recruiting.
23. Darris Nichols, head coach, Radford | Age: 35
Nichols played for Bob Huggins at West Virginia from 2004-08, and he worked under Huggins as a graduate assistant for one season, so it’s no surprise he is quickly moving up the coaching ranks. He also spent seven years working for Mike White, first at Louisiana Tech and then for the last six years at Florida. Radford has been a strong mid-major program of late, winning two Big South regular season titles the last three years and a conference tournament title in 2018. That success propelled Mike Jones into the job at UNC Greensboro, so if Nichols can keep the momentum going he should have his share of options in the years ahead.
24. Greg Paulus, head coach, Niagara | Age: 35
Paulus was named Niagara’s interim coach in October 2019 when the team’s head coach, Patrick Beilein, resigned for personal reasons. A month later, the school appointed Paulus to be the permanent head coach, and he is starting to come into his own as he enters his third season at the helm. Paulus is no stranger to western New York. He was an All-American high school quarterback and point guard at Christian Brothers Academy in DeWitt, and was given the state’s Mr. Basketball award in 2005. After playing for Duke, Paulus spent a season as the starting quarterback for Syracuse’s football team. Resuming his basketball path, Paulus worked as an assistant at Navy, Ohio State, Louisville and George Washington before Beilein brought him to Niagara.
25. Richard Pitino, head coach, New Mexico | Age: 39
Though still young as compared to many of his peers, Pitino has already been a head coach at three schools and been fired once, by Minnesota last March after eight seasons there. Pitino was unemployed for less than 24 hours before New Mexico snatched him up, and he is trying to rebuild a program that has a proud tradition as well as one of the most iconic home arenas in the sport, The Pit. Prior to getting his first head coaching job at FIU, Pitino worked as an assistant at five different schools, including two stints with his father, Rick, at Louisville, so he brings a wealth of experience and preternatural wisdom into his new job.
26. Roger Powell, assistant coach, Gonzaga | Age: 38
Mark Few is developing quite a coaching tree at Gonzaga, and when Tommy Lloyd left last spring for Arizona, that brought more responsibility and visibility to Powell, who joined the staff two years ago. Powell was a standout forward at Illinois from 2001-05 and then embarked on a six-year pro career, mostly in the CBA and overseas. Prior to Gonzaga, Powell spent five years as an assistant under Bryce Drew at Valparaiso, and then worked for three seasons as associate head coach under Drew at Vanderbilt.
27. Bob Richey, head coach, Furman | Age: 38
Under Richey’s direction, Furman has become one of the top mid-major programs in America. The Paladins have been ranked in the top 100 nationally on KenPom.com during each of Richey’s first four seasons there. Two years ago, Richey had the team ranked in the AP’s Top 25 for the first time in school history. The Paladins were picked to finish second in the Southern Conference in the league’s preseason media poll for 2021-22. Richey previously spent six seasons as an assistant at Furman before taking over in 2017 after Niko Medved left for Drake.
28. Jon Rothstein, CBS Sports | Age: 38
He is best-known for his chronically repeated aphorisms (“We sleep in May”), but Rothstein’s Twitter feed, which has more than 267,000 followers, is the closest thing the sport has to an official transaction wire. He reports prolifically on injuries and lineup changes, points out rising stars and emerging trends, and he aggressively breaks news on the coaching hiring-and-firing front. Rothstein especially shines during his studio work at CBS Sports and CBS Sports Network, where his inside information, photographic memory, and prodigious appetite (which is on display when he sits down with coaches for the network’s “Food and Basketball” series) make him a staple of the network’s coverage. Rothstein also hosts a year-round weekly podcast called College Hoops Today, posts articles at a blog of the same name, and sells merchandise whose proceeds partly go to Mission Continues, a charity which supports veterans.
29. Kellen Sampson, assistant coach, Houston | Age: 36
Sampson was recognized on this list last year as the designated heir apparent to his father at Houston. Five months later, the Cougars were in the Final Four. Now, Houston is back in the top 25, which shows that this program is built for sustained success. Given that Kelvin Sampson is only 66 and showing no signs of slowing down, it is possible that another school could try to lure Kellen away before his dad is ready to call it quits.
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30. Jon Scheyer, head coach in waiting, Duke | Age: 34
Scheyer’s situation at Duke has changed just a little bit since he made this list in 2020. On June 2, the school announced that Scheyer will become the next head coach when Mike Krzyzewski retires after this season. In the meantime, Scheyer has gotten a tremendous head start by signing the nation’s top-ranked recruiting class, which includes three players in the top 10 of 247Sports’ national composite rankings. Needless to say, taking over for Krzyzewski is a big task, especially for someone who has never been a head coach before, but Coach K was also 33 when he was hired by Duke in 1980, and the program is in monumentally better shape now.
31. Kelvin Smith, Executive Associate Commissioner and General Counsel, Big 12 | Age: 35
Smith’s undergraduate degree from Stanford and law degree from Harvard set him up for a quick rise through the sports business. After working for a couple of law firms, he joined Learfield, a prominent collegiate sports marketing company, and then moved to the Big 12 in the fall of 2017. Smith’s primary role is to oversee the league’s relationships with its media partners, which involves monitoring scheduling, overseeing production and conducting rights negotiations. Smith was also integral to the Big 12’s recent deal with ShotTracker to provide in-game analytics for its teams and broadcasters. Smith’s acumen and relationships, especially on the basketball side, will be critical to the Big 12’s ability to navigate the rapidly shifting landscape of conference realignment.
32. Jordan Sperber, Hoop Vision | Age: 28
Hoop Vision’s stated goal is to help its audience “watch the game smarter,” and Sperber has been bringing that to bear since he launched the company as a blog and Twitter feed as a high school junior in Delmar, N.Y. Sperber has one of the most most popular paid Substack newsletters, his YouTube channel has 44,000 subscribers, and his @hoopvision68 Twitter account has nearly 34,000 followers. Sperber’s technical knowledge in both basketball and video production yields some of the most enlightening content available. He attended Villanova but was not involved with the basketball program, and he later developed his hoops chops on the basketball staffs at Nevada (grad assistant) and New Mexico State (video coordinator).
33. Patrick Stacy, founder, Jam Basketball Intelligence | Age: 26
Stacy began his deep dive into basketball analytics as a student volunteer at Loyola Chicago. After graduation he went to work as a financial analyst for a technology company, but he missed basketball so much that he made himself available for free consulting work. He crunched numbers for Arkansas, Loyola and Houston Baptist, and in April he decided to go all-in on the sports analytics business by launching JBI. Stacy’s company is designed to bring NBA-level scouting and analytics to the college game. JBI’s client list now includes several Division I men’s teams, including Kansas, as well as college women’s teams across all three divisions. Stacy’s analytics are especially helpful for coaches who are looking to evaluate players in the transfer portal quickly and accurately. He has also done some work in the past for the Chicago White Sox.
34. Brian Thornton, WAC commissioner | Age: 38
When Thornton made this list last year, he had just been hired as the AAC’s associate commissioner for basketball. He wasn’t in the job long, because on Nov. 4 he was named the commissioner of the WAC. Thornton is a rare conference commissioner whose background is primarily in basketball. He played at Vanderbilt for two years and then transferred to Xavier, where he was twice named the Atlantic 10’s student-athlete of the year and was voted first team all-conference as a senior. Thornton spent a few years trying his hand at coaching on the staffs at Xavier, Furman, Winthrop and Ball State before taking a job in 2019 with the NCAA’s basketball development department.
35. Drew Timme, junior forward, Gonzaga | Age: 21
Much like Iowa center Luka Garza a year ago, Timme entered the 2021-22 season as the prohibitive favorite to win national player of the year. Unlike Garza, Timme is playing for the nation’s No. 1 team which, despite playing in a mid-major conference, has become a juggernaut program that has accomplished everything except win an NCAA championship. After leading Gonzaga to the brink of an undefeated season last season, Timme entered the NBA Draft but decided to return because he was not guaranteed to be a first-round pick. Now he is the mustachioed face of college basketball, a label he more than justified by going for 37 points, seven rebounds and three assists in a win over Texas on Nov. 13. If Timme is able to win national player of the year while leading the Zags to that elusive national championship, he will permanently etch his name into college basketball lore.
36. Cody Toppert, assistant coach, Memphis | Age: 38
Toppert isn’t as well-known as two of his bench mates, Larry Brown and Rasheed Wallace, not to mention Tigers head coach Penny Hardaway, but he is highly respected as a player development guru and has a pedigree that few college coaches can match. Toppert played for an Ivy League school (Cornell), spent seven years traveling the world as a journeyman pro, and then spent a season as an assistant and Director of Player Development with the Phoenix Suns. Toppert also spent a year as a head coach with the Northern Arizona Suns of the NBA G League.
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37. Drew Turner, Vice President and COO, Collegiate Sports Associates | Age: 31
Turner’s father, Todd, founded CSA in 2010 after spending three decades in athletics administration, including four stints as a Division I athletic director. CSA has since become one of the most prominent search firms in college sports. Drew has helped to elevate the firm even further since joining up in 2019. As COO, Turner manages the day-to-day operations of CSA, which last year conducted 51 search and consulting projects — nearly double its previous annual high. Prior to that, Turner was associate athletic director for development at Old Dominion and worked in athletics fundraising at Duke and South Carolina. He is also the president and co-founder of Collegiate Sports Connect, a digital platform which will launch later this year and is designed to help schools identify potential job candidates.
38. Drew Valentine, head coach, Loyola Chicago | Age: 30
When Valentine was promoted on April 3 to replace Porter Moser, who left for Oklahoma, he could have been on a 30 Under 30 list. Valentine had a birthday the following month, but he is still the youngest head coach in Division I men’s basketball. Yet, he is eminently qualified after spending two years as a graduate assistant at Michigan State, two years as an assistant at Oakland, his alma mater, and then four years working for Moser at Loyola. Valentine is energetic, intelligent and mature for his age, and a really good basketball job got even better when the school recently announced it would be joining the Atlantic 10 next season.
40. Will Wade, head coach, LSU | Age: 38
On March 9, 2019, when LSU indefinitely suspended Wade following revelations he had been caught on an FBI wiretap apparently discussing NCAA rules violations, it seemed unlikely that he would have his job for much longer. Instead, the school reworked his contract and reinstated him a month later. As the case winds its way through the NCAA’s interminable enforcement process, Wade continues to recruit good players and win a lot of games. The Tigers finished second in the SEC in 2020, and last year they finished third and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
(Illustration: John Bradford / The Athletic: Photos: Andy Lyons, Grant Halverson / Getty Images)