Dan Patrick Says Blueblood Programs Are 'Killing' March Madness Cinderella Stories

Thanks to the transfer portal, the landscape of men’s college basketball is drastically changing, and that was a topic of discussion on Friday’s episode of "Don’t @ Me with Dan Dakich."

Dakich and sports broadcasting legend Dan Patrick discussed this year’s March Madness tournament, specifically how few upsets there were from smaller schools. While that could be attributed to many factors, one can certainly say that the transfer portal is creating an unfair advantage for bluebloods who can take the best players from mid-majors and bolster their own rosters.

Read: Wild Stat Shows Incredible Impact Of Transfer Portal, NIL On NCAA Tournament

"I think that blue bloods are stealing the mid-major’s ability to be a Cinderella. They’re already swooping in and getting these players, and they smartly go after a few big-time freshmen (in recruiting) and build their roster from there," Patrick said.

He added that this approach allows top-tier programs - like Auburn, Houston, and Florida - to create long-term continuity. For example, whether the players come from recruiting or transferring, you could get 2–3 years of chemistry with a group of some of the best players in the game.

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RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 23: Cooper Flagg #2 of the Duke Blue Devils attempts a shot against VJ Edgecombe #7 of the Baylor Bears in the second round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Lenovo Center on March 23, 2025 in Raleigh, North Carolina.  (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

While you could certainly implement this strategy - to some extent - in years past, it is all the easier with the nature of today’s portal.

"They’ve gotten guys who maybe aren’t blue chips, but they stay, and you’ve got juniors or seniors playing in the tournament," Patrick said.

This is one of the many reasons why there were so few upsets and why all four No. 1 seeds made the Final Four. Dakich said he’s not necessarily worried about the lack of upsets (since all this chalk could be an anomaly), but he is worried that the first two rounds of the tournament had a lot of games that weren’t close. 

"I don’t care about the upsets, I don't really care about that. The games were routs though…you can’t compete if you don’t have seniors and your best players are leaving after their sophomore year," Dakich said.

What are your thoughts on this year’s tournament? Not enough upsets? Is the chalk just fine? Let me know: john.simmons@outkick.com.