Basketball is great. However, there is a sharp divide between those fans that live and breathe the NBA against those who thoroughly enjoy the college version of the sport to the point where they might even prefer to consume it. Each year, the NCAA Tournament arrives, and in some ways, that divide grows wider.
Some NBA fans will parachute into the college world for three weeks, simply because it is the biggest story in the sports world and a national “holiday” of sorts with features such as office pools and midday action during the week. On the flip side, though, there is a crowd that firmly stands in opposition to college hoops in any form, stating their opposition based on quality control and generally turning up their collective noses to the product as a whole.
It’s time to bridge the gap. And the 2017 edition of March Madness is a perfect jumping off point. The notion that college basketball is the “superior” product is, well, silly. Professionals obviously play at a higher level and the old tropes of “they don’t play defense in the NBA!” and “look, they aren’t even trying!” have been proven false time and time again.
With that said, there are some folks that simply can’t look beyond the quality (or lack thereof) when it comes to shot-making and they need other ways to appreciate what transpires in late March and early April.
Today, we will provide the comprehensive guide for NBA fans to find joy and entertainment in the NCAA Tournament by diving into a few categories. There are players that pro basketball fans need to become familiar with in a hurry, ways to gamble on sports at odd hours, fantastic announcers, in-arena experiences and even ways to interact with others socially. Not every area will be everyone but, hopefully, we can all find common ground and simply enjoy basketball together.
Let’s go.
Potential NBA coaches
Coaches aren’t super interesting in general but college basketball is dominated by them. While old-school legends like Mike Krzyzewski, Tom Izzo, Roy Williams, and Bob Huggins aren’t terribly relevant to NBA faithful, there is another batch of names to monitor.
Bill Self – There has always been a notion that Self – who is still only 54 years despite building a Hall of Fame profile in college – might take on the NBA at some point. He also captains perhaps the best team in the field.
Jay Wright – The reigning National Championship winner has been forever linked with the Sixers job and his smooth persona would work well in the NBA. The smart money is on Wright staying at Villanova but one can dream.
John Calipari and Rick Pitino – We’ve seen this before but, at least in Calipari’s case, the rumors never cease.
Tony Bennett – Virginia plays a style of basketball that most basketball fans abhor but Bennett is young (47), highly regarded, accomplished, and popular.
Sean Miller – Miller is the best coach that hasn’t reached a Final Four and the players-first mantra he employs at Arizona would be attractive in the NBA. Just a thought.
Bill Raftery
Bill Raftery is a national treasure. For the uninitiated, the former Seton Hall head coach has been doing television as a game analyst for more than 30 years and he brings a number of fantastic and entertaining catch phrases to the table.
His most famous offering arrived when Pittsburgh’s Jerome Lane shattered the backboard in 1988 and Raftery provided “Send it in, Jerome!” as the backdrop.
However, Raftery’s most prominent modern exclamation comes in the form of “Onions!” when a big shot connects late in a game. Draw your own conclusions.
It is a big-time shame, though, that Raftery won’t be working with Gus Johnson, who isn’t on the NCAA Tournament this season.
We’ll miss Gus, but Bill Raftery alone is worth the price of admission.
Endless gambling opportunities
If you need something stronger than a normal rooting interest, this is your best path. Sportsbooks, both in Las Vegas and off-shore, offer prices on winning the entire tournament, reaching the Final Four and, of course, lines on each and every game. When can you fire off basketball bets beginning at noon on Thursday and Friday? It only happens so often and the tourney provides this as something that is generally accepted by the public. It’s a win-win.
Personally, I’m a fan of underdogs and unders, but you do you.
(Take Gonzaga. Trust me.)
Sons of NBA standouts
It isn’t the most jam-packed year for NBA lineage but there are a few (last) names that you will definitely recognize on the floor during the first weekend of action
Canyon Barry – The son of Hall of Fame forward Rick Barry plays for a dangerous Florida team and he is quite effective. Barry is a 6’6 guard that transferred to Florida from College of Charleston for his final college season and he is averaging 12.1 points per game while providing adequate spacing. Oh, and he shoots free throws like his dad.
Isaiah Wilkins – Virginia’s roster isn’t chalked full of transcendent NBA-level athletes but Wilkins is a very good contributor to a solid team. He also happens to be the stepson of Atlanta Hawks legend Dominique Wilkins and the 6’8 forward serves as a defensive stopper, energy guy and efficient scorer for the Cavaliers.
Bryce Alford – Bryce’s father, Steve Alford, is known for more his performance as a player at Indiana and, now, as a college head coach than anything he did in the NBA. Still, the former sharpshooter did appear in 169 NBA games and was around the league for four seasons. Bryce Alford may not play in the league but he can really shoot to the point where he is the all-time three-point leader at UCLA. Also, he has absolutely no conscience for shot selection and it is beautiful.
Lonzo Ball – Just kidding. LaVar Ball averaged 2 points per game at Washington State and says crazy things on an hourly basis.
Brackets
You don’t have to talk about it but everyone should have a bracket, especially if you’re not a full-blown degenerate. By picking the field and entering a pool of some sort, you have a rooting interest and it gives you something to do throughout the three-week event. Personally, I’m a fan of printing it out and using the old-fashioned method of pen and paper to keep track, but various outlets now have full online tracking if you want to actually live in 2017.
Don’t become “that guy” that talks about your bracket incessantly in the way that folks do about fantasy football. Aside from that, there is nothing wrong with filling one (or two) out and experiencing the madness along with everyone else in your office.
High drama
Do you like competitive sports? There is an argument against the overall quality of some of the games that will transpire, and I get that. What you will absolutely get, however, are a few buzzer-beaters and a ton of nail-biting basketball.
The NBA produces the “right” result the great majority of the time, because that is what happens in a seven-game series between two teams. In the NCAA Tournament, the better team won’t always win but chaos ensues in a single-elimination format. Embrace it.
The next class of NBA players
The best 2017 NBA Draft prospect isn’t playing in the NCAA Tournament and that isn’t fun. Washington guard Markelle Fultz takes after Ben Simmons as the No. 1 guy sitting on the sidelines, and NC State guard Dennis Smith (another top-five prospect) is also nowhere to be found. With that said, there is no shortage of NBA talent that folks can monitor over the next few days.
Here are a few guys to watch for:
Lonzo Ball and T.J. Leaf – UCLA’s pair of high-octane teammates are super entertaining. Ball is a guy that everyone knows at this point, but Leaf could be a sneaky lottery pick that a lot of pundits are (very) high on as the draft approaches.
Josh Jackson – The Kansas freshman was suspended for his team’s only Big 12 Tournament game so this will be the first (and only) postseason action for the soon-to-be NBA forward. He’s a top-five pick.
Miles Bridges – Michigan State might not be around for very long, as they are an underdog to Miami in the first round. Bridges is a monster athlete, though, and he happens to be the best player for the Spartans. Check him out while you can.
Jayson Tatum, Harry Giles and Luke Kennard – Duke is absolutely loaded with prospects and that is why they were the No. 1 team in the land in the preseason. Tatum is a top-10 prospect, Giles was once the No. 1 overall player before knee issues, and Kennard is a sleeper that might be the best shooter in the draft. Things could go very well for Duke in March, but even if they don’t, NBA folks will want to get an extended look.
Jonathan Isaac – Many pundits have compared Isaac to 2016 No. 2 pick Brandon Ingram, and that is an indication of what he brings to the table. Because Florida State operates in relative obscurity when it comes to the college basketball scene, though, a lot of people will see Isaac for the first time.
Lauri Markannen – Arizona has a 7-footer that doubles as its best shooter and the best shooter at his size in a long time. It’s scary.
Malik Monk, DeAaron Fox and Bam Adebayo – Kentucky, as usual, is loaded with three first-round picks. Monk is the name you’ve probably heard because of his scoring exploits, but Fox is a dynamic point guard and Adebayo could be a fast-riser with a big tourney performance considering his athletic profile.
For the next three weeks, the NCAA Tournament will take over the sports world and dominate the conversation of the “average” sports fan. If you want to sit on the sidelines, there are ways to do just that but March Madness is just fun. Let it cook.
