Sunday, April 09, 2006

Staying put: good or bad?

That previous post got us thinking: What if NBA players could only be NBA players if they had played four years in college? What would happen?

Well, we'll tell you what.


For one, the landscape of college basketball would change - but it wouldn't all be for the good.

On the plus side, games would be skilled as hell, teams would be deeper than the Pacific and the tournament would just be an orgy of great plays, insane finishes and all-times performances. There would games for the ages - with players that mattered, playes who's names you are going to remember years from now. Maybe not Magic-Bird, but up there. Yea, Florida had a fun run...but not one player on that team will be more than a contributor a decade from now. With the NC2A packed with the best, you would get LeBron vs. Melo for the title. You'll be telling the grandkids about that one.

But what's everyone love about college hoops, especially in the tourney? Upsets. And with loaded teams - with senior-laden loaded teams - the George Masons of the world can kiss any hopes of a Final Four run goodbye. Upsets would go the way of short shorts. No one would even be cheering for them. Would you want Bron Bron out of the tourney? Didn't think so.

Imagine that: people cheering against upsets. People cheering against George Mason. (To be fair, no one wants to see underdogs play late in the tournament anyways. Well, not many people, anyways. Best to have the little guys early, and the big guns win it all.)

So it turns into a pick your poison: all superstars, all the time...or the greatest upset run in the history of sport. Your call.

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