Orbs are in.
President Trump flew halfway across the world to gaze upon this Orb, to welcome its words into his heart, and to ask it questions that only The Orb can answer.
The Orb is not for most mere mortals to consult. It is a protected secret, a lasting fragment from the Garden of Eden and the Tree of Knowledge. You, reader, are not deemed worthy of The Orb. We, however, are your conduit onto The Orb, and we have consulted its font of wisdom to answer the most important questions facing the world of mid-major basketball.
Bask in the glory of the orb.
Mid-Major Madness: Orb, what is the world of mid-major basketball to do in the face of these transfers? Year after year, teams and entire conferences are ransacked by attrition. This seems unsustainable. What are we to do?
ORB: THeRE iS nO WaY to SToP tHE FLow oF pEOplE InTO GReeNeR PASTurES. WheN The OpPORTUniTY aRIsES To BEtTer ONe’S StATIon IN LifE, OnE WiLl AlWAYs JUmP At iT. IT iS yOUR PiTIFuL nATuRE aS LEsSer BEiNGS. ThE OrB DOeS NoT MEaN OFFeNSE. ThE ORb JUsT ReVEALs ItS UNDersTANDInG oNtO YoU. If hUMAnS WiSH tO REvERsE THe TiDE, peRHApS tHE HUmAnS ShouLD FOCuS oN MAkING tHE EXperIENcE sO GReAT ThaT NoOne WOUlD wAnt tO LEaVE oNe PLaCe FoR ANOtHER. Or YoU SHoUlD hIRE RiCK StaNsBury.
MMM: Oh wise, and all knowing Orb, what is the A-10 going to look like next season? Dayton lost its coach Archie Miller when he left for Indiana. Will Dayton be able to continue its great run? Or is it time for other teams to assume the crown as class of the A-10?
ORB: PoWeRs WaX And POWERS wane. iT Has bEeN tHis wAy From tIME IMMEMORIAL. dAYTON is nOT In AN eNviabLe POSitIOn. LITTle TALeNt ReTURns. thEy WILl deal wItH a TrAnSitIOn Of pOweR At tHe tOp. theiR nEwcomErS are uNTEsted. tHOuGh THe COmPETITioN maY NoT be aS STroNg aS it HAS bEen in thE PasT, PerhaPS iT IS TiMe To reAlIzE tHaT ThIS DYNAsty has seEN itS BeSt dAys. ThE ORB BElIeVeS in RhOdE isLand. DAYToN wiLL rEsTRuCtuRe ITSELF aND perHapS IT wiLL ReTUrn tO iTS PasT gloRY. BUT the ORB DOES not hAVe hIgH HOpes.
MMM: Oh Orb, what are we to make of UNLV? They bring in two top-100 level recruits and the top junior college transfer in the nation? Are the Running Rebels finally back? Will Las Vegas again become relevant in the world of collegiate basketball?
ORB: thE oRb LauGHs aT YoUr hUmAns iNaBILITY To REMEMbeR thE PAsT. The OrB SuPpoSEs tHERe iS NOThIng YoU can dO aS iT Is sImpLy yOuR NatuRe. bUT thE OrB rEMEmBeRs preViOus PiLGRims ASkiNg THE sAMe QUEstiON Time AND timE AGaIN. PeRhapS You sHOuld tHInK bacK On STEVEN zIMMeRMAN, anOTHeR whO WaS OnCe bILLed as THE saVIOR Of YOUr lAS veGaS. PERHAPS ThIS BAND wiLL be ThE oNE tO Flip TheiR fORtunEs. BUT RaW taLent ALoNe IS nEVer enoUgH. thE ORB APprECiATES youR oPtimiSm. tHe oRB MAY EVEN EnviSIoN CAuTIouS optImISm As A rEASoNaBlE MiNDseT. BuT tHE oRB WilL noT Hold iTS bReATH waitING FOR a great RESuRgeNCE.
MMM: Western Kentucky has seemingly come from nowhere to the top of the mid-major world without a game being played. So much talent has come through that program in such a short time. But one could be excused for thinking that Rick Stansbury maybe isn—
ORB: DO YOU dAre to QUEStIon THe INTegriTY oF richArD STANSBuRy, cOnduiT To thE oRB in tHiS LIfe anD THe NExt?
MMM: Wait, no, just—
ORB: THE ORB dOeS NOT conDone SUCh BeHaviOR. thE Orb WILL nOT ALLOw YOu tO bASELEsSLY BESMIrch The naMe of Stansbury. LeAVE HERe. yoU HAVE lost yOuR pRivIleGE tO COnsuLt the orb. yOU MaY reTURn nO More.