Is college basketball that good of a product?

[sportstalent]

Last year only one team made the playoffs with a sub .500 record, and in the West, all 8 teams won 50 games. The NBA has almost never been as competitive as it is now.

Honestly, if you have a problem with mediocre teams making the playoffs with the NBA, how can you be a big fan of college, when it is routine for 5th place teams to be rewarded with tournament births and 30 tournament spaces are given to teams who have no business being there.

In the NCAA tournament is a single elimination and those mediocre teams seem to knock off people and teams like George Mason and Butler make it special.
The NBA is a series and the lesser teams don't win that often, but it happens one series Sonics-Nuggets in 1994 was one that still sticks out

 

[JHHawk]

I still know virtually every starter on every big ten team and still am very tied to the Hawks success or lack thereof on the court. I admit that losing a game is not quite as traumatic as it used to be when we were in the hunt for the Big Ten title,like in 2006,tho.
The constant losing has dulled the pain of losing I guess,but still do not miss a Hawk game. I also watch a fair amount of Big Ten games,but with the Hawks out of contention,not as much as before.

As for the NBA, I guess it comes down to having a team....I have been a big Bulls fan since the mid-70's Bob Love teams,and continue to follow them closely. Even during the down years of the past decade,I watched a lot of Bulls games.

The NBA right now is stratifying into haves and have-nots,similar to baseball.
There are a bunch of mediocre teams,and then a handful of very good teams.
The talent level in the league,at the top,is better than ever.
The euro-ball influence,and reducing the handchecking,has made it an even more entertaining game than ever. Going to the United Center for a Bulls game is an event,still,which is why the Bulls have led the league,overall,in attendance over the last decade,which has had many dismal bulls teams.
NBA players are the cream of the crop in the whole world,not just college ball,and clearly has players who can shoot better,defend better,run,jump,ect...all better than college ball. As for the complaint about lack of team ball,anyone that watches the best teams,like the Celtics,cannot say that with a straight face. The Celts are a joy to watch for a pure bb fan. They are like a machine,moving the ball,no egos,the shot is always taken by the guy with the best shot,not the best player. And their defense is amazing,which is why they rolled thru the playoffs and would be defending NBA champs if not for a season ending injury to Perkins,who is a great defender. Still had the lead in game 7 with under two minutes,but lost to the Lakers.

I love bb, and that means all levels,but watching DRose operate in person,his amazing quickness is simply startling and the fact that he remains as humble as any player in the league makes it even better.

 

[MisterLucky]

I just love the game of basketball, especially the college version, and pretty much watch it every night during the season. I do watch some NBA, mostly the Bulls, but only if there isn't an attractive college matchup that night. I am hoping to love the sport of college basketball even more if Coach McCaffery can get this program turned around, but frankly, I am taking a wait and see approach.