NBA vs. College Hoops

Hey guys, for you basketball fans out there I was just curious to see whether you preferred the NBA or college hoops and why. Most people my age seem to prefer college, as they are tired of the constant one on one isolation and continual straying away from team fundamentals and defense, which college ball seems to emphasize. I personally like the NBA solely because you watching a higher level of talent. What do you guys think?

The NBA is without a doubt my preferred level of competition. I completely agree, the higher level of talent makes for a much better game in my opinion. And although the teams aren’t exactly constant, it’s a lot better than seeing a player leave after a year.

I prefer the college game. I know the level of athleticism isn’t as high but games just feel like they matter more. The atmosphere is so much better usually, the rivalries, the general number of competitive games seems way higher(ya sure some teams still schedule weak but they pay for it in the end).

When it’s like, Suns vs Mavs, Suns vs Spurs, etc, NBA is great to watch, but it lacks parity, something that college basketball has a ton of almost every year.

[quote]red04 wrote:
When it’s like, Suns vs Mavs, Suns vs Spurs, etc, NBA is great to watch, but it lacks parity, something that college basketball has a ton of almost every year.[/quote]

Agreed. The college game tends to be more uptempo and it’s more of a team sport than the NBA (where you routinely have 2 stars on a team that the game flows through). I guess being in Boston, with a crappy NBA team to root for (I know, fair weather fan, but basketball is hardly my first love) I tend to gravitate to the faster college game, while just following the C’s slow climb to mediocrity on the side.

In addition, I’m a huge fan of ‘prospects’ (I guess ‘blue-chippers’ is a more relevent phrase here), seeing the birth of a star, if you will. And that comes in the college game, where you have guys like Durant, Oden, Carmelo, Ewing and Jordan making their name. In the NBA, the young guns take time to develop (see McGrady, Tracy; Garnett, Kevin; and O’Neill, Jermaine), you very rarely have the star breakouts like Lebron, but he’s in his own class, imo.

I’m more of a college fan, I’m not sure why but I’m this way in basketball and football. The games just feel more important or something. I guess because in college you get such a short time to see a superstar and you see them evolve game by game. Also the tradition is awesome.

College. More passion.

College for sure. As others have said, it’s got more passion and intensity. Probably due in part to the fact that these guys aren’t drawing a check (and most never will) to play. They are playing because they love to play. Plus, when the skill level is lower, there are more mistakes.

That actually makes it more exciting and lots can happen whe a ball gets bobbled, etc. I hate watching NBA run up the court, shoot, score, repeat. Dull. Zone defense! You gotta pass that shit around to penetrate allowing more of a team effort and again, more opportunity for a mistake or steal.

I like the NBA better, because the talent is top-notch, and you have the same group of stars in the league for several years, so it stays consistent. With college, it’s hard for a team to stay together, with kids leaving early and transferring, so it’s like a rebuilding process every couple of years.

Also, maybe it’s just me, but 20-minute half seem really long to me. Even though the overall game length is shorter in college (40 minutes vs. 48 minutes), it seems the NBA is more fast paced.

Maybe if college basketball went to four 10 minute quarters, or even four 12 minute quarters like the NBA, it might be more interesting.

Don’t get me wrong, I totally respect college basketball, but I like the NBA better. It’s funny actually, because I actually love college football more than the NFL.

Also, it’s my career goal to be the future Commissioner of the NBA. Watch out Stern, I’m coming for your spot.

[quote]bikemike wrote:
College. More passion.[/quote]

Three words. Summed up my thoughts perfectly.

I generally prefer elite athleticism and professionalism, so I gravitate towards NBA. College ball is too sloppy and unprofessional, which I admit can make for a more entertaining game to watch, but it is also more of a gimmick to me than anything.

I don’t agree that College ball has more ‘passion’ than NBA, and I think that is a very ambiguous measure of quality. Many College players drop off the face of the earth after their college careers, where is the passion then? Where you guys might be seeing passion, I see showboating and biting off more than they can chew while trying to impress the right people and score a contract.

Meanwhile, NBA players, even the superstars, have taken their dedication and passion of the sport to the highest level possible, to where their livelihood depends on their functioning within their franchise.