While the National Basketball Association’s season is in limbo because of the current lockout of its players, the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s basketball season is set to thrive.
In just a few short weeks, NCAA teams from across the country will begin playing countable games, kicking off a season that is reminiscent of a time that seems so long ago. Fans might remember the time of which we speak ”“ when college stars stayed in school for at least three years and traditional powers such as Kentucky, Duke, North Carolina and Indiana ruled the college basketball world.
It was a time when so-called mid-major programs rarely could upset the big teams, so when it happened it was truly worth mentioning. Teams such as Butler, which has reached the NCAA title game in the past two seasons, could rarely reach the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. If it did, it became a huge story.
While it’s nice to see the playing field become more level in college basketball, this season should be a welcome return to form, even if it is only for one year.
Fans of college basketball have seen the game suffer since the mid-1990s when the NBA started routinely drafting players out of high school, neglecting the college game of its future stars. True, the NBA created a rule a few years ago not allowing players younger than 19 to enter the draft, but that has only created the one-and-done problem where a star player will go to college for one season and then bolt for the riches of the NBA. That doesn’t allow fans to grow with the player and truly appreciate their talents. It hurts the college game as well, because the talent pool is thinned.
This season, however, many college stars bucked the trend to go pro after one year because of the NBA lockout. They knew that if they did get drafted, they wouldn’t get paid until the NBA lockout ended, which might not be for another six months or even a year. So, they chose to return to their respective schools.
Players such as Jared Sullinger of Ohio State, Harrison Barnes of North Carolina and Terrence Jones of Kentucky all chose to return. They all could’ve been top five picks in last season’s NBA draft.
Their decisions to return have made North Carolina, Kentucky and Ohio State the Nos. 1, 2 and 3 ranked schools in both the ESPN/USA Today and the Associated Press Top 25 polls.
All three teams are loaded with talent that more closely resembles teams prior to the high school-to-NBA dilemma that struck the college game.
Fans will be able to enjoy top college basketball games throughout the season, as several other teams also benefited from star players’ decisions to not leave early.
Duke, Michigan, Syracuse, Vanderbilt, Kansas, Louisville, Memphis, Florida and so on all have chances of winning a national title this year, which is good for the game. Schools with these pedigrees should be good. They are national powers because they play in the best conferences and have the most storied traditions. Fans enjoy watching the top teams play, compete, win and lose.
The NBA lockout also helps college basketball become the only basketball worth watching on a regular basis. Without the NBA, basketball fans’ attention will be directed solely toward the college teams. The only games on television, radio and sports newscasts will be college-level.
The recipe for a true renaissance in college basketball has been created this season thanks to the NBA lockout. It could be a long time before it happens again, so sit back and enjoy this rare ride.
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Today’s editorial was written by Sports Editor Al Edwards on behalf of the Journal Tribune Editorial Board. Questions? Comments? Contact Managing Editor Kristen Schulze Muszynski by calling 282-1535, Ext. 322, or via e-mail at kristenm@journaltribune.com.
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