March Madness: Why College Basketball Is More Exciting Than the NBA

A couple of days ago I found myself watching powerhouses Robert Morris and Long Island battle it out for a shot to play in the NCAA Tournament. Regardless of the fact that whoever came out on top probably wouldn't be advancing past the first day of the tourney, the game was filled with good and exciting basketball. As the end drew near, I couldn't stop wondering...

If the Heat-Lakers game were on right now, which one would I be watching?

The answer might surprise a lot of people (unless you read the title), but if I had to choose between those two games, the channel wouldn't be changing.

Give me some Jamal Olasewere instead of Kobe. Give me some Velton Jones instead of LeBron. Give me some Blackbirds instead of Lakers. It's pretty obvious that not everyone is going to agree with me on this one, but where would sports be without debate? Around The Horn and Pardon The Interruption wouldn't exist, that's for sure.

Let's get it going, shall we?

Money money money money MUHHHH-NAY

NBA players are paid to play the game, NCAA players are not (supposedly). Money changes things, and as soon as an NBA-er receives that first paycheck, motivation has to drop at least slightly. Obviously there are always exceptions, and of course, there are college freshmen that look forward to their NBA days and lose focus. But how do you explain the contract year phenomenon? Let's take Erick Dampier, for example:

2003-04 (contract year): 12.3 PPG, 11.9 RPG

2004-05 (after signing with Mavericks): 9.2 PPG, 8.5 RPG

Career average: 7.6 PPG, 7.2 RPG

NBA players are like workers who already have a job. They see an upcoming available promotion, so they work hard for one year to get it. College players are like...well, college students. They know they want a job (to play basketball professionally), so they work hard for four years in an attempt to woo their future employer.

Do you want the old worker who just wants retirement, or the young, upstart kid who is willing to work his, as Steve Lavin would put it, tushy off?

Style of Play

Don't get me wrong, NBA players have more talent and are more athletic than NCAA players. That's a fact. But does this really make the game more exciting? I'm sorry, but I don't want to watch Chauncey Billups and Amar'e Stoudemire run the pick 'n' roll 15 straight times.

And what's worse, no one can or tries to defend it. Also, the insane athleticism and talent of NBA players turns the game into a series of one-on-ones. I wouldn't be surprised if some NBA teams had two plays in their playbook—iso and pick 'n' roll. It works for them, sure, but it is not fun to watch. Watching Blake Griffin jump over unsuspecting European players on a daily basis is fun, but isn't always necessarily good basketball.

Most NCAA players don't go on to the NBA because of a lack of athleticism, not a lack of basketball IQ. For the most part, as opposed to the NBA (who's up for stacking a team?), everyone in the NCAA is on an even playing field. Most college teams have one or two superstars and mostly role players.

College basketball is a team game and you can't win a national championship without having five teammates constantly working together. While talent is still important, team chemistry is more important. It's refreshing to watch.

I was watching the Washington-Washington State game last night, and Klay Thompson absolutely caught fire. He dropped 43 points and 1 assist—but they lost. The team is stressed over the individual, and it's a beautiful thing. I'd rather watch players dive on the floor for a loose ball than watch Derek Fisher rip the ball away from someone with his abnormally large muscles. Heart over muscle, baby.

Postseason

Is there anything better than college basketball during the month of March? First of all, there is a week full of conference tournaments, where any team in the nation can put together a string of wins, and make it into the NCAA Tourney. Remember 2008 when the 13-16 Georgia Bulldogs pulled off the impossible and won the SEC Tournament? Doesn't get much better than that.

Every team thinks they have a chance, and some guys are staring their final game of their career right in the face. That makes for some great basketball. NCAA basketball has an urgency to it that the NBA will never have.

And what happens during the last few weeks of the NBA season? The worst teams are losing on purpose in order to try and get the best possible draft pick. Yuck. That does NOT make great basketball.

Now the real playoffs. The NCAA Tournament. There is nothing better (not even college football bowl season, like that one commercial says) than that first Thursday and Friday of the NCAA Tourney.

Games all day, upsets happening everywhere, Bill Raftery yelling “onions!” CBS not knowing what to do as three separate games go down to the wire at the same time, Earl Watson, Bryce Drew, Steph Curry hitting the biggest shots of their lives, someone named Pittsnogle becoming relevant. Nothing. Better.

On the side of the NBA, you can make an argument that as the NCAA Tournament dwindles down to No. 1 and 2 seeds, it becomes a little less exciting, and as the NBA playoffs get closer to the Finals, they get more exciting (Lakers-Celtics? Classic). Fine. The NBA Finals are more exciting than the NCAA Final (usually). I'll still take the final five weeks of the NCAA basketball season over anything else.

You take the guys with the monster dunks. You take the super athletic all-stars. You take Phil Jackson vs Erik Spoelstra. I'll take the team play. I'll take the guys putting their bodies on the line for the school they love. I'll take Adam Morrison bawling his eyes out. I'll take six OT's. I'll take Jim Boeheim vs Roy Williams.

Excuse me, it's time for Lafayette vs. Bucknell. Nothing. Better.