Hunter O. Lyle—Sports Editor
Reflecting on what I saw both on television and at Moore Field House, I have come to one final conclusion: college basketball is much more interesting and fun to watch than professional basketball, which leaves something to be desired.
If the only thing you care about is electrifying highlight reels, tomahawk dunks from Lakers forward Lebron James or deep three-point shots from the Trailblazers guard Damian Lillard, then feel free to carry on watching the NBA.
However, if you want to watch intensely fought battles and games that actually mean something, tune into some college basketball next season.
The main reason that has changed my mind to favor the latter is the absolute effort and heart college athletes play with. Those players are constantly working not only to win at all costs, but to prove and improve the game for the future.
A decent lot of college basketball players, at least on the Division I front, will make it to the professional stage. With that being said, college ball players need to give it their all, night-in and night-out, to perfect their craft and prepare for the next level. There are no defensive sets off, no stat-padding, and certainly no constant complaining to referees – at least not in comparison to the NBA players.
College athletes are not being paid millions upon millions of dollars yet, so every play now could matter when the time comes to sign those egregious contracts.
College basketball also stands out in the way that their playoffs are played out. Instead of a best-of-seven series, there is one game. Two twenty-minute halves and that’s it. They cannot hope for a better game the next night. Instead, they have to execute that night or face the end of their season.
This eliminates a drawn-out sweep in which you know that one team is going to constantly crush the other every night It adds the attractive element of any team can beat anyone, on any night.
While I still love the NBA and will continue to watch the playoffs – and root for anyone except the Warriors – when Southern’s basketball team kicks off their next season, I will absolutely take the trip to Moore Field House rather than turn on a regular season NBA game.
