Why College Basketball is the greatest game.

Ok, maybe I'm biased since I played in high school, but here's why college basketball is the greatest game there is (and I promise to try and keep my thoughts focused).

First, every game matters. Now, the same argument can be made for college football, but we're talking 27 games instead of 11, so each night, the season is on line. For example, tonight Marshall, 3-10 beat #24 West Virginia, 11-2. This one loss may be enough for the Mountaineers to miss the NCAA Tournament, and making the NCAA Tournament is the only thing that matters in college basketball which leads me into my next point.

Next, the month of March. There is no playoff in college football playoff, professional basketball, baseball, and hockey have series, and professional football, while single elimination doesn't have the underdog flavor that college basketball has. March begins with Championship Week, when all of the conferences play their conference tournaments, in which the winner of each gets a bid to the Tournament. In every other major sport, the little guy rarely, if ever gets a chance to play for the Championship, but in college basketball, by winning their conference tournament, little schools get to compete for the National Championship. Teams play their hearts out for a bid, that in most cases will lead them to a 1st round tournament loss, but there's always that chance they can pull off the upset just as Hampton, Richmond, and Valparaiso have pulled among others and for one day, rule the basketball landscape.

Third, the atmosphere around the game. Playing on campus in a packed gym that is standing room only where the noise reverberates throughout in which every play is crucial to the game's outcome, where momentum can change on something as unrevealing as a facial expression. That's what makes college basketball captivating. Seeing the emotion on the player's face, or getting excited when seeing a player make 6 three pointers consecutively, or "Send it in" with a slam dunk.

Finally, and this is more centered on why college ball is better than the NBA, the game is pure. Besides the dunks and the 3s, everyone plays hard. Basketball is played as it should be, like an art form instead of an individual exhibition. This is why the Olympic Team didn't win the gold this year. The NBA is full of players that want to make money and look good before winning and playing team basketball. Too many high schoolers and college underclassmen see dollar signs, then turn pro, ride the bench, then play and make 30% of their shots and pull the league down even further.

Ok, I will step off my soapbox now and address the comment from my previous post:
I was shocked to say the least when I saw Indiana had not only beaten Wisconsin, but did so by 21 points. Wright and Strickland need to keep playing well for the Hoosiers to have any success, while hoping the young inside players develop as the season goes along. I hope Mike Davis doesn't get fired, he's recruited some good young talent and has done the best he can with what he's got, but he should be worried about his job if Indiana doesn't make the NIT, which IMO would be a great accomplishment. Indiana basketball needs to stop with the Notre Dame football type scheduling and let their younger players develop against some easier teams. Keep Kentucky, Notre Dame, and maybe one other major, but give the younger players some confidence by playing some lesser teams.

I'm having too much fun with this. Just a couple of more items:

• My favorite reality show is The Amazing Race. I get disgusted everytime I see the team of Jonathan and Victoria. Jonathan pretty much verbally and physically beats his wife up, blaming her for everytime they fall behind or mess up. He thinks he is God's greatest gift to the Earth, "I can do this.., I can do that." Victoria, WAKE UP!!!!!, why are you married to this guy??????
• I also occasionally watch the Real World, more for entertainment. How can these people get upset over the dumbest things. Then, they "work" and are rewarded with a trip to some exotic location, this year being Fiji. It's even more hilarious when they actually go around and give talks to students, like they are some kind of role model. This is definitely the lamest excuse for a reality show today.
• Friday Night Lights comes out on DVD next Tuesday. It will be mine.
• It is January 11th, and it is 59 degrees outside. It has thunderstormed tonight and may do so again tomorrow. I'm a southwestern Ohio native, but it's fair to say I've never seen weather like this in my lifetime. Hopefully around 3:30 tomorrow, it stops raining long enough for me to go hit some golf balls.

Thank you and good night.