2018-19 College Hoops

[tydett]

I just like watching the closer competition and in-season goals/bragging in college instead of, “5 months leading up to the 4 teams we all know will be there in the end.

TBF, this is pretty accurate of both college and the pros.

[jschligs]

Zion is definitely not going to finish at the rim in the nba like he does in college. Literally UCF was the first team duke played who wasn’t completely terrified to contest a shot of his at the rim and he drove into obvious blocks all day. Helps to get the duke whistle though that’s for sure.

He is an incredible talent, I'm anxiously awaiting him against bigger players who don't shiver every time he comes at them.

[Kerb Hohl]

I just like watching the closer competition and in-season goals/bragging in college instead of, “5 months leading up to the 4 teams we all know will be there in the end.

TBF, this is pretty accurate of both college and the pros.

Yes, I acknowledged this a little bit, but:

1. I'm not sure if this makes it any better, but there is a way bigger chance of Duke not being there in the end than Golden State. That actually makes it somewhat illegitimate but it is also true. It's true that some team from the same collection of 10 or so teams will be there in the end. Also true that all Duke has to do is not play completely terribly during the regular season and they'll be in the tournament, I get that.

2. Duke still may lose their conference or some rivalry games. If Wake Forest beats Duke it'll be remembered for decades by a lot of people. If a bad Bucks team beats the best Golden State team it'll be remembered for...a week? An hour?

I'm not intently watching and tracking all rivalries and conference titles but I feel like there's a reason to watch these games. A lot of the "omg this league" crowd and @WorldWideWob followers will watch Houston vs. OKC to marvel at Harden vs. Westbrook and their incredible plays/talent.

Again, specific to me, but I've watched them a lot and they are incredible...I just can't get myself up to watch it on a random February night. I might tune in late to see if Rutgers can upset Michigan State in the 2nd half, though. And I realize this is incredibly specific to me and that a good deal of the country would prefer the former to the latter.

[Ron Swanson]

The average NBA game vs. the average college game is always gonna be more fun to watch for me because I always want to see the very best talent in the world competing against each other. But absolutely nothing on earth is more exciting than March Madness. It's basketball in its purest form.

[HaroldinGMinor]

Ding ding ding

I feel like people who say they prefer college are actually just rooting for the teams with an abundance of white players.

Sent from my SM-G960U using RealGM mobile app

[Mags FTW]

So shortly before being arrested, Michael Avenatti tweeted this:

Read on Twitter

?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

[tydett]

I just like watching the closer competition and in-season goals/bragging in college instead of, “5 months leading up to the 4 teams we all know will be there in the end.

TBF, this is pretty accurate of both college and the pros.

Yes, I acknowledged this a little bit, but:

1. I'm not sure if this makes it any better, but there is a way bigger chance of Duke not being there in the end than Golden State. That actually makes it somewhat illegitimate but it is also true. It's true that some team from the same collection of 10 or so teams will be there in the end. Also true that all Duke has to do is not play completely terribly during the regular season and they'll be in the tournament, I get that.

2. Duke still may lose their conference or some rivalry games. If Wake Forest beats Duke it'll be remembered for decades by a lot of people. If a bad Bucks team beats the best Golden State team it'll be remembered for...a week? An hour?

I'm not intently watching and tracking all rivalries and conference titles but I feel like there's a reason to watch these games. A lot of the "omg this league" crowd and @WorldWideWob followers will watch Houston vs. OKC to marvel at Harden vs. Westbrook and their incredible plays/talent.

Again, specific to me, but I've watched them a lot and they are incredible...I just can't get myself up to watch it on a random February night. I might tune in late to see if Rutgers can upset Michigan State in the 2nd half, though. And I realize this is incredibly specific to me and that a good deal of the country would prefer the former to the latter.

Totally fair and I would never tell anyone what to enjoy. I know for me personally, I'm more likely to remember a random regular season game than any college game personally.

[RiotPunch]

I just like watching the closer competition and in-season goals/bragging in college instead of, “5 months leading up to the 4 teams we all know will be there in the end.

TBF, this is pretty accurate of both college and the pros.

Yes, I acknowledged this a little bit, but:

1. I'm not sure if this makes it any better, but there is a way bigger chance of Duke not being there in the end than Golden State. That actually makes it somewhat illegitimate but it is also true. It's true that some team from the same collection of 10 or so teams will be there in the end. Also true that all Duke has to do is not play completely terribly during the regular season and they'll be in the tournament, I get that.

2. Duke still may lose their conference or some rivalry games. If Wake Forest beats Duke it'll be remembered for decades by a lot of people. If a bad Bucks team beats the best Golden State team it'll be remembered for...a week? An hour?

I'm not intently watching and tracking all rivalries and conference titles but I feel like there's a reason to watch these games. A lot of the "omg this league" crowd and @WorldWideWob followers will watch Houston vs. OKC to marvel at Harden vs. Westbrook and their incredible plays/talent.

Again, specific to me, but I've watched them a lot and they are incredible...I just can't get myself up to watch it on a random February night. I might tune in late to see if Rutgers can upset Michigan State in the 2nd half, though. And I realize this is incredibly specific to me and that a good deal of the country would prefer the former to the latter.

https://www.si.com/nba/2015/12/12/golden-state-warriors-stephen-curry-winning-streak-snapped-milwaukee-bucks

Watch on YouTube

[worthlessBucks]

So shortly before being arrested, Michael Avenatti tweeted this:

Read on Twitter

?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

The curse is real.

[mattg]

The average NBA game vs. the average college game is always gonna be more fun to watch for me because I always want to see the very best talent in the world competing against each other. But absolutely nothing on earth is more exciting than March Madness. It's basketball in its purest form.

The people who love college love it because it’s more nostalgic and relatable. If you’re a fairly casual fan who doesn’t live and breathe hoops in the nerdiest sense like everyone here then college basketball is what you know and are familiar with. People who played middle school or HS ball get nostalgic watching college and it’s somwthi they can connect with. It’s just different when you watch an nba game guys are sooo talented and any defensive mistake results in a massive dunk by some 6’8 super freak athlete.

[msiris]

I am sorry but do most people who play college basketball even belong in college ? Thats what I have a hard time with.

[Ron Swanson]

The average NBA game vs. the average college game is always gonna be more fun to watch for me because I always want to see the very best talent in the world competing against each other. But absolutely nothing on earth is more exciting than March Madness. It's basketball in its purest form.

The people who love college love it because it’s more nostalgic and relatable. If you’re a fairly casual fan who doesn’t live and breathe hoops in the nerdiest sense like everyone here then college basketball is what you know and are familiar with. People who played middle school or HS ball get nostalgic watching college and it’s somwthi they can connect with. It’s just different when you watch an nba game guys are sooo talented and any defensive mistake results in a massive dunk by some 6’8 super freak athlete.

I'm not gonna speak to reasons why other people love it, but this is absolutely not the reason that I do. Single elimination playoff format makes every game that much more important. Regular season games still matter because you want the higher seed to give you the easiest path to the championship. And don't even get me started on how much better the atmosphere and crowd noise is in college arenas. Again, I'd rather watch a random Suns vs. Blazers game vs. a regular season college game involving Creighton and St. Johns, but the tournament is a whole different thing.

[Bucksfan28]

The problem is that a lot of the pro-college contingency uses one event (the tourney) to justify college ball being better than the NBA as a whole. And thats just wrong.

Also, if we're talking atmospheres, give me the Finals over anything the tourney has, first round or championship. I loathe football stadiums for the F4. Thats an atmosphere killer to me.

[emunney]

I get the drama of single elimination but, for mine, the drama of a seven game series is so much richer. How much hatred can you drum up in 40 minutes? Not much hatred, I say!

[mattg]

The problem is that a lot of the pro-college contingency uses one event (the tourney) to justify college ball being better than the NBA as a whole. And thats just wrong.

Also, if we're talking atmospheres, give me the Finals over anything the tourney has, first round or championship. I loathe football stadiums for the F4. Thats an atmosphere killer to me.

The people using that rationale for why college is better literally don’t watch college ball until the tourney anyway.

Obviously the nba is higher quality basketball, but college atmosphere this time of year is untouchable. There’s something about guys working towards something and sacrificing for literally their entire life for that last game, and when it’s done, for most of them they will never be on another sports team ever again. There is agony of defeat in the nba, but it’s just different because at the end of the night those dudes go dry their tears in their ferrari and have another season the next year. It’s just not as compelling from a purely emotional standpoint. On the court though everyone knows nba is the pinnacle though.

[Kerb Hohl]

I also like to watch the late NBA playoffs and the finals. I'd take the NCAA tournament as a whole over that but the NBA playoffs are awesome.

I just personally find more of a reason to watch the shorter season/random team achievements instead of 5-6 months to prove nothing in the NBA.

There are really cool moments in the NBA like some guy going for 60 or whatever but I like following the team stories in the college season.

There is compelling stuff like Oregon in a short season losing their star, finding their way in early February, having to pull off a miracle run to get into the tournament, and now playing as a top 5 team in the country for a month trying to get to the Final Four. Who are they playing? Virginia, where the storylines are also very rich, also desperate for a Final Four. In the other part of their bracket is Tennessee who has never done anything in their basketball history pretty much.

The funny thing is that if NCAA played 82 games, Oregon would've gotten their **** together and run away with the PAC12 division. Instead, they're a "Cinderella" of sorts.

All of those teams are likely not to take down Duke or UNC in the Final Four (save for maybe Virginia, maybe(?) Oregon) but actually making the Final Four is something that you hang a banner for. In the NBA, Toronto is probably the NBA's version of Virginia but they'll still be considered a failure unless they win it all and might not even get close.

Right now the NBA is basically locked into the final 2 rounds or so. Once every 5 years someone like the Bucks or 6ers will **** up and get eliminated but I'm just waiting until the counference semis or maybe conference finals for stuff to matter in the NBA.

[Bucksfan28]

I mean, in that respect (team narratives and the unexpected happening), its just a result of the sheer volume of games/teams involved. The first weekend of the tourney still has a whole mess of uninteresting and predictable basketball.

Now, I do agree that the it's awesome and I love the first weekend, but I also think people romanticize it a little too much.

EDIT: you also still mostly get an expected outcome when the tourney is done. The "contender" pool is just slightly larger than the NBA.

[Kerb Hohl]

I mean, in that respect (team narratives and the unexpected happening), its just a result of the sheer volume of games/teams involved. The first weekend of the tourney still has a whole mess of uninteresting and predictable basketball.

Now, I do agree that the it's awesome and I love the first weekend, but I also think people romanticize it a little too much.

EDIT: you also still mostly get an expected outcome when the tourney is done. The "contender" pool is just slightly larger than the NBA.

Absolutely an expected champ is usually still crowned in NCAA...but my point about the NBA is that to me, every team plays 82-90 games that have like zero effect on the outcome.

There is a bit more randomness with the shorter season and the players aren't as good.

There are at least key rivalries in the regular season, huge upsets, unlikely stories, etc.

I mean, what's the most surprising thing we've learned in the NBA this year? That the Bucks were not maybe a 3-seed as some expected, rather the #1 seed? That was set in stone in November and we are spending 3-4 months just biding our time until the games that matter happen.

Point being that even with the expected result most likely occurring in both sports, the few unlikely things or incremental battles are more fun to me.

[DingleJerry]

I totally get that point and would agree that's a flaw in the NBA and why I could support a shorter season. However, one could just as easily say that virtually every single regular season college game is meaningless if looking at it purely from a championship viewpoint. The meaning comes into your previous points about rivalries, etc. For pure championship purposes, any team with a chance is gonna make the tourney regardless of regular season then it all comes down to this tournament.

One thing I've thought and said for years regarding the tourney is seeing how people act during the opening two days. Working in an office setting it's like people are then obsessed and/or get mad at management if they're not allowed to watch through the day, especially if it's a UW game. I just sit back and think, they've played literally 30 games before this and the majority of you didn't watch a single game, but now it's like your god given right and need to watch it now. Whatever, it's just a quirk I've noticed.

[Kerb Hohl]

I totally get that point and would agree that's a flaw in the NBA and why I could support a shorter season. However, one could just as easily say that virtually every single regular season college game is meaningless if looking at it purely from a championship viewpoint. The meaning comes into your previous points about rivalries, etc. For pure championship purposes, any team with a chance is gonna make the tourney regardless of regular season then it all comes down to this tournament.

One thing I've thought and said for years regarding the tourney is seeing how people act during the opening two days. Working in an office setting it's like people are then obsessed and/or get mad at management if they're not allowed to watch through the day, especially if it's a UW game. I just sit back and think, they've played literally 30 games before this and the majority of you didn't watch a single game, but now it's like your god given right and need to watch it now. Whatever, it's just a quirk I've noticed.

It just depends on perspective, I guess.

As a Bucks fan pre-Giannis you can watch development of young players, hope for transactions, etc. but generally the entire effort was futile. I just feel like such a larger percentage of the league has nothing to cheer for by like November 30th and you still have 5 months to go.

There are some dregs of major conference college ball but 60-75% at least have dreams of making the tournament. If not, you can still beat a rival and rush the court. You can dream up winning 6 of 7 and sneaking into the tournament.

Again, this is maybe more on me and maybe because I was a Badger fan where the regular season was kinda fun from 1998-2013 even before the Final Four teams. Maybe everyone would eventually get mad that they were upset in the round of 32 but they maybe won the conference tournament or were in the mix for the conference title all year.

I was a Bucks fan and it was **** nonsense by November every year save for 2 of them.

For 60-70% of major conference teams there is hope of something fun. I feel like 70% of the NBA is looking at the draft lotto standings, how quickly they can get out of some contracts, and if 4 of the top 5 players for the Warriors will get indicted on some criminal charges to actually feel like you have a chance for major glory. Otherwise you know that you aren't making a surprise run to something. Most teams are mad when they get a 7-seed because you're out of the draft lotto.

Even if you're a solid 4 seed in the NBA you know that's your ceiling all year. If you're a 4-seed in the NCAAs you keep fighting for your conference title all year and you still have the idea in the back of your mind of, "hey, you never know. Maybe someone else will take out Duke and we'll get a lucky win" and suddenly you're playing for a national title.

Now, some people are drawn to "omg did you see that flurry of points Durant had when he went off for 55?!?!" plus all of the behind-the-scenes soap opera drama. I mean, I'm not against it, but I just can't get into it that much anymore. And I totally understand the insane talent and fun storylines are why the NBA is nearly king right now.