When faced with the decision to watch either the NBA or college basketball, there isn’t a Scott Morton-sized miracle big enough for me to choose college basketball. It will be the NBA, every time.
Based solely on the level of play – which should be the main reason to watch a basketball game after all – the NBA is head and shoulders above the college scene. Professional basketball has a way of weeding out the men from the well, bigger men. There is a reason why less than 1 percent of college players make it to the NBA and it’s because they aren’t good enough – Adam Morrison, that means you.
Some people say, “Well, college basketball is more of a ‘team’ game.” OK, but since when did team basketball become more entertaining to watch? If we are all being honest with ourselves, we’d much rather see Kobe Bryant drop 81 points on the Toronto Raptors than see a solid “team” win. I know I would.
Thankfully for fans of college basketball, there is more to that scene than just overwhelmingly average talent – even Michael Jordan averaged just 17.7 points per game in college. Tournament play, Cinderella teams, rivalry games and fan support all contribute to an atmosphere that has a lot of viewers choosing college over the pros. But on any given night, the NBA provides better theater than college basketball, hands down.
Granted, things do get a little more interesting at the college level once March Madness and the NCAA tournament begin. Take 1996 for example, when No. 13 Princeton University upset defending national champion and fourth seed University of California, Los Angeles in the first round of the NCAA tournament only to lose in the next round by 22 points. Was it exciting? Yes, but was Princeton really better then UCLA? No, they were just the better team that day.
The NBA finals hold just as much excitement and passion, and the best team normally wins. So, sorry to Princeton, George Mason University and the like; in spite of your bracket-busting ways, I’d still choose Celtics versus Lakers, Game Seven any day.
Lastly, college basketball has rivalries, which hand normal college basketball games into the hands of crazy fans. But what good is a rivalry game if you don’t go to either of those schools or attend the games? It’s no different than rivalries in the NBA.
Some say that NBA rivalries are dying, but they’re wrong. Though Bulls versus Pistons and Pacers versus Knicks head-to-heads aren’t what they used to be, a new generation of rivalries has arrived: Heat versus Cavaliers anyone?