Sadly, I am kind of excited about the Maui Invitational. Perhaps because I have a vested interest in two team: The University of Memphis and The University of Tennessee. As I often state repeatedly, if I had not gone to Division I basket schools, I would have no interest in college basketball. More indicative of my interest in the preeminent college basketball tournament for the Thanksgiving break, however, is the lack of NBA action. College basketball is such an inferior product to the NBA that it frustrates me. There are a lot of contributing factors that lead to the gigantic gap between the NBA and the NCAA. Unfortunately, many of college basketballs most hampering factors are self-inflicted and easily remedied.
Top Ten College Basketball Rule Changes that would make college basketball better:
10. Offensive Goal Tending
This is a European rule that I actually really like and would like the NCAA and the NBA to adopt. Allowing offensive players to touch ball while it's on the rim or back board (but in the cylinder) encourages offensive players to go after rebounds and defensive players to box out. You also get a lot more big dunks off of misses and put back than under current rules.
9. Jump balls
Throw it up and make them jump for it like men. The possession arrow is ridiculous.
8. Automatic Bids
The top teams in the country need to make the tournament. Watching Holy Cross get the crap kicked out of them every single year is not entertaining. Expand the the rankings to 68 (not 25) and keep a running track of who is in and out. The selection committee is ridiculous and gets wrong every year partly because of automatic qualifiers. There are way too many teams that compete in "Division I" that should not be "Division I " teams."
7. Put a freaking Circle in the Paint/Charges
One of the hardest things to watch in NCAA is terrible charge calls. If there was a circle in the paint (an area below the rim where charges could not be called) there would be more no calls where appropriate and less bad calls. Taking a charge is a bad defensive players cop out for not moving his feet.
6. My Grandma Could Make Three Pointers
Move the line to NBA distance. A long three pointer expands the court and loosens play. Currently too many players play for the 3 and take bad shot. Moving perimeter players out expands the lanes to drive, pass, and post up opportunities.
5. 35 Second Shot Clock
The game is so freakin' slow. So many times I watch games where the team that playing passes the ball out around the three point line for 20 seconds before they do anything to try and score. A lower shot clock would increase scoring make the game more exciting.
4. Halves, Not Quarters
Switching the quarters feeds into the argument that their should be a better foul system. Quarter also encourage close games. Quarters allow for breaks in momentum. If a team gets rolling in the NCAA a game can be over before second half.
3. Fouls: 1and 1 is Stupid
1 and 1 is beyond dumb. Allow 5 fouls per quarter and then move on to two shots. Two shots encourages offenses to be aggressive and defenses to be smart. Also, individual players six personal fouls before disqualification would keep the best players in the game .
2. Zone Defenses
Penn St. v. Wisconsin 2011....... it's the only argument I need.
1. Time outs/ In-bounding
Games could so much more competitive at the end. The NBA has this right in so many ways. Advance the ball after a time out. If you manage time outs well, you always have a shot at the end of an NBA game. But the overextended shot clock combined with in-bounding from the baseline every time make runs at the end of a game nearly impossible. Provide an opportunity for for great players to make great plays and there will be a better product.
Of course this list is not exhaustive. And it only reflects my dislikes of the "RULES" of college basketball. There are numerous things that I really hate about college ball outside of bad rules, but maybe that's another rant.
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