I'm too young to know for sure, but consider an analogy from bookselling:
Past: There used to be one book store in town. If you enjoyed reading, the bookseller probably knew you on a first-name basis. He knew what books you bought in the past, and what you might like to buy in the future. He knew your book preferences better than even you did.
Present: Then came Barnes and Noble. Their goal was to have every book you could want in one place, taking away the need for individual attention. But the best the chains could do was put "staff recommendation" cards next to certain books, and you certainly don't care that "Staff Member Jennifer" enjoyed the latest John Grisham novel. The individual attention went away.
Future: Then Amazon changed everything. Amazon's search algorithms are so advanced that it can recommend products for you better than you can search for them. It does exactly what the individual bookseller used to do, but at scale.
A lot has changed in the last thirty years of bookselling, but human beings still want to be treated like individuals. They want to be understood.
Student-athletes are no different.