Stephen A. Smith serves as a versatile commentator for ESPN, covering a wide range of topics. However, a seasoned college basketball analyst and former colleague, Jeff Goodman, suggests that Smith may not be well-versed in the current college basketball landscape.
The ongoing 2025 NCAA Tournament has highlighted the dominance of power conferences, with all 16 remaining teams hailing from major conferences. This has ignited a debate on whether changes in collegiate sports, particularly the rise of NIL and the transfer portal, have effectively diminished the chances of mid-major “Cinderella” teams making deep tournament runs.
The cast of ESPN’s First Take addressed this issue in a recent show, where Smith opined that a future lack of upsets in the NCAA Tournament could lead to the “death of college basketball”. “If this continues, it will be the death of college basketball,” Smith stated.
Goodman expressed skepticism about Smith’s insights, sarcastically noting that Smith is “weighing in on a sport he probably hasn’t watched in a decade.” He shared this sentiment on X, highlighting the disconnect between Smith’s commentary and his actual engagement with the sport.
Love that this guy is gonna weigh in on a sport he probably hasn’t watched in a decade or so. https://t.co/AUdb2ac6G0
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) March 25, 2025
Goodman raises a valid point; unless discussing promising NBA talent like Cooper Flagg, Smith’s commentary on college basketball often remains limited until NCAA Tournament season rolls around. Interestingly, Goodman’s public criticism of Smith is notable, given their previous five-year working relationship at ESPN from 2013 to 2018.
