NBA Lockout Is No Problem, 5 Reasons Why College Basketball Will Fill the Gap

The NBA chose the wrong time to have a lockout.

Last season, the NBA was the most exciting its been in years. The underdogs, Dallas Mavericks won the title, beating the juggernaut that is the Miami Heat.

The Chicago Bulls are relevant again. Blake Griffin is making the Clippers watchable.

The best position in the NBA, point guard, is dominated by little men.

As of yesterday all that was shut down. Who benefits? College basketball and all those guys that decided to go back to school.

More casual fans will gravitate to college basketball and players like Harrison Barnes, Tyler Zeller, Terrence Jones, Jared Sullinger, Perry Jones and John Henson all look smart by returning to school.

They will gain a lot of exposure, making them more attractive commodities to the NBA, eventually.

But what if the casual fans decide that college basketball is a better product? Without the egos, where coaches really coach, and players actually want to be coached.

"I'm not scared," NBA Commissioner David Stern said about the lockout. "I am resigned to the potential damage that it can cause to our league and all the people who earn a living from our league, and as we get deeper into it, these things have the capacity to take on a life of their own, and you don't ever predict what will happen."

Without the NBA there will be more TV time for college basketball. Some of the traditional power houses are a little down at the moment but that means more chances of Cinderella teams in the NCAA tournament.

Kentucky Wildcats Versus Vanderbilt Commodores

The Kentucky Wildcats recently made John Calipari one of the highest paid coaches in the NCAA, with due reason. He is the Pied Piper of recruiting. He seemingly gets the best recruits even if they are on the verge of signing with someone else.

This will be his third season at UK and so far he has yet to have a player not drafted in the NBA lottery which makes Calipari the king of the one-and-dones.

Players that only play one year of college basketball due to the current rule which stipulates they have to be 19 years of age and one year removed from their high school class before they enter the NBA draft.

Which makes Kentucky's matchup with Vanderbilt all the more special as the Commordores will be leaning on more upperclassmen. This could be the ultimate litmus test of who is better, guys that mature in college or super talented freshmen.

Last season they split both games they played. Each team winning their home games.

Vanderbilt has the best shooter in college basketball, junior to be John Jenkins. Rising seniors Jeffery Taylor and Festus Ezeli are NBA material.

This Coomodores team is unchanged from last year, unlike Kentucky, but were upset  in the second round of the NCAA tournament, by Richmond, so have a lot to prove.

Beating UK will go a long way to prove they are contenders.

The Big East and Connecticut Huskies

Last season the Big East entered eleven teams into the NCAA tournament, and Connecticut Huskies claimed the title.

The Huskies had a 9-9 record and placed ninth in the conference, however they went on an eleven game winning streak that that saw them inn the BIG East Tournament as well.

Pittsburgh won the regular season but only by a smidgen over Notre Dame. Can the Big East be as exciting as last year?

Syracuse has a stronger team, so has Pitt although they lost some major contributors to graduation.

Steve Lavin made St Johns relevant again and has one of the best recruiting classes of 2011. Can he prove that once and for all his firing by UCLA almost eight years ago was unjustified?

Villanova started last season 16-1 but lost 11 of their last 16. Jay Wrigh's squad has a lot to prove.

All these teams will be vying for BIG east supremacy and should make college basketball exciting to watch.

The Best Returning Player

Whenever a college kid that was expected to enter the draft, return to school it is mostly because they have under performed in the last season.

Not so with the top returning players.

Harrison Barnes had a bad start but finished strong whereas Jared Sullinger dominated on day one for Ohio State.

So did Terrence Jones even though his production tailed off a bit towards the end of the season but he could have entered the draft and supplanted any of the European Players taken in the Lottery. Except, fellow UK ineligible big man, Enes Kanter. David Kahn would not have taken another small forward or would he?

Mason Plumlee needs to find an offensive game.

The Intrigue here is who will do enough to rise to the top and be drafted the highest. Barnes may have an early lead amongst the sophomores but he could be over taken by Baylor's Perry Jones or Sullinger.

The Best Freshman

If there was no rule to stop NBA general managers from drafting high school kids more than a few incoming freshmen in the 2011 class that would never have graced a college campus as a student.

Michael Gilchrist, a small forward attending Kentucky has had a lot of hype surrounding him since he was a high school freshman. Slam Magazine all but declared him the next LeBron James. However he got upstaged by two players, not because his game retrogressed, but because those two players were that good.

Anthony Davis was a guard until a growth spurt made him 6'10", now he is a forward with guard skills. Think lamar Odom thats why Davis is the top of this class.

Austin Rivers, son of Boston Celtics' coach Doc Rivers will be the man for Duke. The 6'4" sensation can score in bunches but can his game translate to the ACC? He flirted with being number one in the class but ultimately succumbed to Davis.

James McAdoo will be looking to reprise the role of Marvin Williams, who helped North Carolina win Roy Williams first championship in 2005, off the bench.

LeBryant Nash is dunk happy and and a very exciting player but can he refine his game to help Oklahoma State?

Texas' Myck Kabongo is the most exciting point guard in this class, but can he upstage Kentucky's Marquis Teague as the best point guard in this class?

Khem Birch will be manning the middle for a rugged Pitt team. His offense is limited but his defensive ability will power Jamie Dixon's squad.

Josiah Turner returns Arizona to an era when they were known as Point Guard U and will be looking to prove that he should have been a McDonald's All American.

Kentucky's Kyle Wiltjer will one day give Dirk Nowitzki competition for the best shooting player over 6'10".

All these players make the 2011 recruiting class one of the best to ever enter college basketball and should guarantee the NBA will not be overly missed.

North Carolina Versus Duke

Duke versus North Carolina never gets old.

The ACC had numerous coaching changes recently, but North Carolina and Duke are still relevant, making the coming season essentially a two horse race. Though dont be surprised if Florida State crashed this party.

Although Duke traditionally takes on the role of the big bad bully like the Miami Heat of the NBA this year  they are actually the underdogs to North Carolina, a team that could potentially start NBA draft lottery picks.

Henson, Barnes and Zeller could be joined by P J Hairston or James McAdoo as lottery picks and point guard kendall Marshall has an outside chance of cracking the 2012 Draft lottery as well. He plays just like Jason Kidd.

Duke in comparison has only two potential NBA draftees, Mason Plumlee and Austin Rivers.

Rivers, a freshman, will be asked to shoulder a lot more of Duke’s offensive production than his fellow Tobacco Road freshmen, McAdoo and Hairston as those two are able to lean on their upperclassmen.

With the graduation of Nolan Smith, Kyle Singler and the early departure of the 2011 top draft pick, Kyrie Irving, Duke will be relying on five freshmen and some unproven upperclassmen to keep North Carolina from running away with the ACC title.

North Carolina will more than likely be the preseason number one ranked team, and are the favourites to be NCAA champions if Calipari's coaching skills let him down again.

Can Duke steal one from their long time rivals? 

You would have to be deeply fanatic about Duke if you expect them to win at least one game but they have a powerful weapon on their side. The Cameron Crazies.

If anyone, other than Mike Krzyzewski can inspire the Blue Devils to victory it will be the student section. thats why Duke hardly loses at home.

I can't wait for the the college basketball season to start already.