The simple truth about college basketball the sport is relevant nationally 1 month a year

[NateW]

Who cares what ppl on Twitter or First Take think is relevant?

I don’t - it changes nothing about the importance of these games to each of us individually. Am I supposed to care less about last nights game because Max Kellerman didn’t talk about it today?

 

[Tom K.]

I've been saying this for a while now. It water's down the product, and the fans don't get a chance to follow, root and see the players mature. I am sure this effects the national intrigue to some degree. In less macro terms, Syracuse has been the poster child for that. We often have borderline talent, with huge upside and the NBA takes a flyer on them... and we are left with a taste of what could have been, and no backup plan in the pipeline. So we end up having to cobble together some pieces, until the cycle repeats. The only way to change that, is changing how we recruit or changing the NBA draft process.

But to the broader point, this does have a legitimately negative impact on how the casual sports fan perceives college hoops. However, for the local or regional fan, I think that fielding a decent to good squad, helps alleviate that impact and builds excitement even with a watered down product.

While I agree with you, the conversation from here naturally segues into the always heated "why stay in college and play for free" topic. Not saying I want it to, but it's just a vicious cycle.

 

[Marty McFly]

While I agree with you, the conversation from here naturally segues into the always heated "why stay in college and play for free" topic. Not saying I want it to, but it's just a vicious cycle.

The two are seemingly married by the hip. Not to get to far into the weeds, but there is truth to that from a players perspective vs. a fan's perspective. As for this topic, we are talking fan interest and "how relevant" the sport is. I think we can all agree if kids stayed in school longer the product on the court and national interest would both go up dramatically.

 

[sufandu]

Just because it's relevant to the media only one month of the year doesn't mean it's irrelevant to me the rest of the time. The media doesn't determine what I care about.

Saying it's relevant only one month of the year is an attempt at justifying a crappy regular season. If we had 2 losses and were in the top 10, nobody would suggest this.

 

[Madbiker]

This is the type of comment people make when their team is having a disappointing season. Much of the national media talking heads only pay attention to CBB during the tourney. Real fans live and die with every game the entire season.

 

[bevosu]

[QUOTE="Alsacs, post: 2898002, member: 652"}The level of play in college basketball is so inferior to the NBA.[/QUOTE]

IMO the level of college basketball today is also inferior to the college basketball I grew up watching,

 

[CuseFaninVT]

[QUOTE="Alsacs, post: 2898002, member: 652"}The level of play in college basketball is so inferior to the NBA.

IMO the level of college basketball today is also inferior to the college basketball I grew up watching,[/QUOTE]

It's a different style for certain, but as far as athleticism and skills, today's NBA players are light years better than the guys you grew up watching play college ball. And I don't care how old you actually are.

Pretty sure you don't watch the NBA when you make statements like this. I get it. I used to be the same way.

 

[Madbiker]

[QUOTE="Alsacs, post: 2898002, member: 652"}The level of play in college basketball is so inferior to the NBA.

IMO the level of college basketball today is also inferior to the college basketball I grew up watching,[/QUOTE]
Certainly for Syracuse that is true.

 

[Alsacs]

[QUOTE="Alsacs, post: 2898002, member: 652"}The level of play in college basketball is so inferior to the NBA.

IMO the level of college basketball today is also inferior to the college basketball I grew up watching,[/QUOTE]
This part of the reason the sport isn’t relevant as much as it used to be.
The level of play is garbage compared to even the 1990s.
Our 1996 team would destroy most of these teams nowadays.

 

[bevosu]

IMO the level of college basketball today is also inferior to the college basketball I grew up watching,

It's a different style for certain, but as far as athleticism and skills, today's NBA players are light years better than the guys you grew up watching play college ball. And I don't care how old you actually are.

Pretty sure you don't watch the NBA when you make statements like this. I get it. I used to be the same way.[/QUOTE]

I'm not questioning the skill level of the players in the NBA. I agree they can play the game. It's college ball that I think has deteriorated. Watching college ball now is not a lot of fun. How many times in recent years have you seen a 2 on 1, or a 3 on 1 break, and never see a pass to an open teammate? I gotta do a dunk.

Passing and ball handling seems to have regressed. The 3 point shot has changed the game for the worse. Pacing is also screwed up by timeouts and commercials. I still watch it though.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

It's a different style for certain, but as far as athleticism and skills, today's NBA players are light years better than the guys you grew up watching play college ball. And I don't care how old you actually are.

Pretty sure you don't watch the NBA when you make statements like this. I get it. I used to be the same way.

I'm not questioning the skill level of the players in the NBA. I agree they can play the game. It's college ball that I think has deteriorated. Watching college ball now is not a lot of fun. How many times in recent years have you seen a 2 on 1, or a 3 on 1 break, and never see a pass to an open teammate? I gotta do a dunk.

Passing and ball handling seems to have regressed. The 3 point shot has changed the game for the worse. Pacing is also screwed up by timeouts and commercials. I still watch it though.[/QUOTE]

Absolutely agree! Sorry, misunderstood your point completely. It's a product of the kids playing too much AAU with no emphasis on fundamentals as well as much better players stayed in school for a long time.

 

[Madbiker]

IMO the level of college basketball today is also inferior to the college basketball I grew up watching,
Our 1996 team would destroy most of these teams nowadays.

Because the NBA sucks all the good players out after 1 or 2 years. There are very few developed talents playing in college now compared to 25 years ago. Imagine if DC and Wallace had left after their freshman year. That's what you have today so of course the quality of college ball is lower.

 

[Eric15]

I love SU basketball the exact same amount right now as at any point in my life. I still get sweaty palms and pace my living room like a nut job during close games.

But I would say I watch 10% as many non-SU games today as I did 15-20 years ago. I can easily rattle off entire starting lineups from Big East teams back in the day. I can barely name one or two players on other ACC teams in 2019. Part of it is that I have parental responsibilities now, but I just find college basketball holistically less interesting than years ago. It doesn’t allow you to get emotionally attached to “villains” anymore because you blink and they’re gone.

On a college football Saturday, I simply can't get enough. I'll have Gameday on in the morning and it's all I want to do all day. But on a college basketball Saturday like today, I'll obviously be locked into the Cuse game and may check in on Duke/UVA, but that's pretty much it for me personally. I find basketball Gameday completely uninteresting unless we're hosting.

 

[OrangeDW]

I'm not questioning the skill level of the players in the NBA. I agree they can play the game. It's college ball that I think has deteriorated. Watching college ball now is not a lot of fun. How many times in recent years have you seen a 2 on 1, or a 3 on 1 break, and never see a pass to an open teammate? I gotta do a dunk.

Passing and ball handling seems to have regressed. The 3 point shot has changed the game for the worse. Pacing is also screwed up by timeouts and commercials. I still watch it though.

These AAU teams that practice like once or twice a week and travel all over the place playing tournaments seem like such a waste of time. People are so clueless though and really think their kid is doing something big if they’re “playing AAU”. SMH. As far as I can tell, any jackass can start up an AAU team and take them to tournaments as long as they pay.

It’s not good ball.

*I imagine the absolute elite AAU teams practice often? But there’s a lot of garbage ball out there.

These so called “guards” who see a 2 on 1, and decide to cradle the ball like a running back while taking their stupid James Harden steps before throwing some contested bullspit up at the rim while some clown “coach” yells something stupid like “nice take!” really piss me off.

 

[Alsacs]

I love SU basketball the exact same amount right now as at any point in my life. I still get sweaty palms and pace my living room like a nut job during close games.

But I would say I watch 10% as many non-SU games today as I did 15-20 years ago. I can easily rattle off entire starting lineups from Big East teams back in the day. I can barely name one or two players on other ACC teams in 2019. Part of it is that I have parental responsibilities now, but I just find college basketball holistically less interesting than years ago. It doesn’t allow you to get emotionally attached to “villains” anymore because you blink and they’re gone.

This is basically what I was saying in a good way.
I care about Syracuse hoops but the sport of college basketball as whole just is irrelevant nationally unlike college football.
Most people can tell you they know about the Heisman trophy and rattle off some winners.
I doubt most people who know who won the Wooden or Naismith award last year. I love SU hoops and I honestly don’t have a clue who won it last year.

The sport is being killed by inferior play. Coaching is not teaching these players enough.

 

[Eric15]

Tennessee is #1. I know Rick Barnes is their coach. I can't name any players on their team.

 

[kirbivore]

Tennessee is #1. I know Rick Barnes is their coach. I can't name any players on their team.

without google help they've got this beast of a forward, whose name I can't remember.

 

[Cusefan0307]

without google help they've got this beast of a forward, whose name I can't remember.

Grant Williams