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Looking at Chad Ford's mock draft on ESPN.com today, and to me it seemed indicative of the state of both the NCAA and NBA games. Both are far less interesting to watch than they were even a few years ago. Where I used to watch several college games per week, now I watch only UCONN. Where I used to watch all Celtics games and maybe one or two other games per week, I watch only bits and pieces of the Cs games.
Of the top 16 players in the mock draft, there were 15 Freshman and one international player. Overall, the top 30 consisted of 18 Freshman, 6 sophomores, 5 internationals and one senior. Programs (not just Kentucky) have become NBA factories where kids spend a year, maybe two, rarely get coached up and then head off to the NBA with a ton of athletic ability and high school level fundamentals.
How does it change? I wonder if contraction in the NBA would work, although I don't see that happening. Hypothetically, say four teams are removed from the league. That's 60 of the lesser talented players across the remaining 24 teams, out of the NBA. The level of play in the NBA should improve greatly, and now the college kids are competing for less spots. That would encourage kids to stay in college longer and get better, which would improve the level of play at the college level. Sounds great, but again, I don't see it happening. Too much money to be made. 22 teams sell at least 90% of their seats and only three teams are under 80% capacity for games. Hell, even the Nets sell 85% of their seats.
With both games seemingly watered down, I find myself watching something other than hoops.
Of the top 16 players in the mock draft, there were 15 Freshman and one international player. Overall, the top 30 consisted of 18 Freshman, 6 sophomores, 5 internationals and one senior. Programs (not just Kentucky) have become NBA factories where kids spend a year, maybe two, rarely get coached up and then head off to the NBA with a ton of athletic ability and high school level fundamentals.
How does it change? I wonder if contraction in the NBA would work, although I don't see that happening. Hypothetically, say four teams are removed from the league. That's 60 of the lesser talented players across the remaining 24 teams, out of the NBA. The level of play in the NBA should improve greatly, and now the college kids are competing for less spots. That would encourage kids to stay in college longer and get better, which would improve the level of play at the college level. Sounds great, but again, I don't see it happening. Too much money to be made. 22 teams sell at least 90% of their seats and only three teams are under 80% capacity for games. Hell, even the Nets sell 85% of their seats.
With both games seemingly watered down, I find myself watching something other than hoops.