The Basket Under Review Newsletter - July 10, 2026

Another day, another lawsuit in college sports.

A Hamilton County (Ohio) judge has granted a preliminary injunction in favor of 15 student-athletes suing the NCAA for another year of eligibility. The lawsuit stems from the NCAA's recently passed age-based eligibility policy, giving student-athletes five years to play five seasons.

As part of the injunction, the athletes were granted permission to enter the transfer portal outside the NCAA's designated window. Former Utah State guard MJ Collins, who is among the 15 athletes granted eligibility, took advantage of the moment, committing to Cincinnati shortly after the injunction was announced.

The NCAA released a statement in response to the injunction:

The court's decision today is wrong, and we will immediately seek all avenues for reversal, including a stay of the court's order pending appeal. The court disregarded over a century of precedent and substituted its own judgment, on a limited factual record, for the collective expertise of the nation's leading higher education institutions.

The latest developments are another twist in one of the most chaotic offseasons in college sports history. The NCAA continues to face backlash about the implementation and timing of these rule changes, causing roster uncertainty for players and coaches alike.

In NCAA Tournament news, Wichita will be the second host site of the newly expanded opening round of the 2027 and 2028 men's tournaments. The games will be held at InTrust Bank Arena, which has a capacity of 15,000.

To account for an expanded field, the NCAA is also adjusting the guidelines for what constitutes a "bubble team."

The NET’s strength of schedule and WAB are calculated from the perspective of an average bubble team. In each of the first two seasons of WAB, that baseline was the team ranked 45th in NET. After studying recent history and considering the additional teams in the tournament, the new baseline will be 55.

In addition, the Men’s Basketball Committee voted to remove the provision that prohibited a school from playing at a site where it is serving as the tournament host.

Teams continue to add players to their rosters the old-fashioned way.

Marcus Spears, Jr., the No. 1 player in the class of 2027, is reclassifying to 2026 and committing to Texas. The 6'9" forward is the son of NFL veteran Marcus Spears. He is set to join a Texas roster whose transfer portal class is ranked second at EvanMiya. The Longhorns are projected to be a top-10 team heading into next season.

Serbian forward Nikola Kusturica committed to UCLA. The 17-year-old wing averaged 24.6 points & 6.9 boards at the U17 World Cup and is widely regarded as a contender to be the No. 1 pick in the 2028 NBA Draft. Because of his age, Kusturica can spend two years playing college basketball.

College basketball is coming to a tennis court (??) near you this fall.

Credit One Stadium, a tennis facility in Charleston, South Carolina, will host a doubleheader on September 27. The LinkU Invitational features Vanderbilt vs. Virginia and Charleston vs. The Citadel in the outdoor event.

The Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio, will host a doubleheader on October 7. The CareSource Invitational features Dayton vs. Xavier and Cincinnati vs. Ohio State. The CareSource Invitationals support mental health awareness, focusing on the foundational message "It's OK to not be OK."

Teams are allowed up to four preseason games this fall, giving them flexibility to get creative with matchups and generate NIL revenue. We're still holding out hope for a game on an aircraft carrier.

Links, news, and notes:

Pitt and Penn State will meet at The Palestra on November 8.

UConn will play Illinois at the United Center on December 4.

Check out Marquette's non-conference schedule.

Conference USA released its league schedule.

West Coast Conference commissioner Stu Jackson was named Vice Chair of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee.

Murray State will play Tennessee State in The Field of 68's Opening Day Marathon.

New content at Basket Under Review

Tuck Clarry examines Texas' roster build in year two of the Sean Miller era.

Joey Loose's Mount Rushmore series concludes with the SEC. Who are the best players from each program since 2000?

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Upon Further Review

Inside Steve Lutz’s quest to bring Oklahoma State back to glory

A weighted vest is draped over Steve Lutz as he swings the door open, leaves Oklahoma State’s basketball facility and plans a walk that will isolate him from everything related to his program for the next hour. Lutz isn’t hiding as much as he’s retreating and processing

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Champions Rewind: 2013 Louisville Cardinals*

In our Champions Rewind series, we’ll look at the seasons of past National Champions, breaking down both their offensive and defensive systems. This week, we’ll look at the 2012-2013 Louisville Cardinals, who won the championship before having to vacate it 5 years later. To address the elephant

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How Chris Wright used an Outback Steakhouse job and a few historical turnarounds to become a Division I head coach

It’s the Fourth of July and Outback Steakhouse is swamped. Dishes clank, chatter is loud, workers run and work, not losing their composure. All the while, Chris Wright isn’t breaking a sweat while handling his business. “What’s wrong with you, man?” Wright’s manager said with a

Basket Under ReviewJoey Dwyer

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