Will’s Final Four takeaways: The gap between the Lobos and the big dogs of college basketball

Santa Fe New Mexican Sports Editor Will Webber has a lot on his mind after returning from the Final Four in Indianapolis — the uncertainty around the University of New Mexico men’s basketball team that will experience a major retooling this offseason, the expansive gap between UNM and the power programs that have the money to stay at the top of college athletics, and a hotel elevator ride that he and one unfortunate soul won’t soon forget. Will shares it all on the latest episode of “The Sports Den” podcast. He and fellow sports scribe James Barron offer their perspective on how the NIL era is making it more challenging for mid-major programs to compete with the big dogs of college basketball. In a watered-down Mountain West, they think it may even become more likely to see the UNM football team to make the College Football Playoff than the men’s basketball team to make the Sweet 16. The guys also talk about the roster turnover the basketball program is likely to see, and the players Eric Olen is likely prioritizing to try to convince to return. After the break, Will overshares a bit when discussing how his road trip diet of three-meat sandwiches and chili cheeseburgers resulted in an agonizing elevator ride for an unsuspecting hotel guest in Indianapolis. He also recounts his whirlwind experience covering the basketball bonanza in Indianapolis, from the intimate atmosphere of Hinkle Fieldhouse for the men’s NIT Final Four to the cavernous, expensive environment in Lucas Oil Stadium for the men’s NCAA Final Four.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.