“College basketball is on an island.” – Coach Alan Major in conversation with Fran Fraschilla
Who better to talk to about the practical and essential changes college basketball needs to make in order to evolve and keep up with basketball globally? In today’s game, college basketball is just one of the options that exist before entering the NBA. It wasn’t that long ago that this sport was the only option. International basketball, the G League, and Overtime Elite are other options for graduating high school players. And the thing is, each one of those alternatives is growing fast.
The international game is clearly having an impact, as some of the best NBA players did not play college basketball, including Nikola Jokić and Luka Dončić. Now, none of these other options has March Madness, but the NCAA Basketball Tournament is only three weekends in March and early April. While it is an opportunity for players to make a name for themselves (see Ja Morant) and for collegiate sports programs to rake in cash, college basketball needs to change.
As we look for solutions, we talk with former college basketball coach at St. John’s and Manhattan and the leader of covering international basketball, Fran Fraschilla. Fran Fraschilla talks about coaching in college basketball, the 24-second shot clock, and more.
More about Fran Fraschilla, an international hoops junkie | ESPN press room | X
This SportsMatterz episode is from the podcast conversation titled: Leading Through Adversity with Coach Alan Major and Fran Fraschilla.
Welcome to SportsMatterz, a SportsE+ Podcast Series bringing you focused content on a significant thought or topic related to the world of sports, entrepreneurship, and athlete mental health.
And if you’re interested in being featured in a future SportsMatterz podcast:
Hit us up | Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, or email us!
Useful web pages from this episode:
More content related to how college basketball needs to change:
- The Future of College Basketball – Where Is It Headed?
- College Basketball Has Dramatically Improved in 2026
- Trey Wertz of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish & Langston Wertz Jr of The Charlotte Observer
- Transfer Portal Craziness
- Thad Matta on Ohio State and Butler Hoops | A Podcast Interview
Let’s Connect:
That’s a wrap:
- Thank you for listening to this SportsMatterz episode: “College Basketball Needs to Change with Fran Fraschilla”.
- Follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts
- Follow this podcast on Spotify
- Intro Music, “escape” was provided by Pluto Tracks.
- Check out more from our content platform: SportsE.
Eric Kasimov is the founder of SportsEpreneur, part of the KazSource media network. Since launching the platform in 2015, he has hosted over 500 podcast episodes, written and published more than 1,500 articles, and advised business leaders, founders, and creators on building authority through media strategy.
Through his brands — KazSource, KazCM, SportsEpreneur, and QuietLoud Studios — Eric leads teams that produce podcasts, develop brand platforms, and help companies grow through modern content ecosystems. He also scaled KazSource Insurance into a seven-figure boutique agency, providing the foundation for the broader media network he operates today.
His work has been featured in Forbes, Axios, and Front Office Sports, and his podcasts have included conversations with top founders, investors, and athletes turned entrepreneurs.