Does College Basketball Need Fixing?

[BubsFinn]

This time of year, I'm reminded why I only watch ESPN for games and scores. All of their NCAA Tournament coverage has been filled with possible "fixes" for the game. Wider lane, shorter shot clock, extended three point line, faster game, more scoring, etc, etc, etc. (I haven't heard anyone talk about fewer TV timeouts and inconsistent officiating, which are the real problems) Is the game so bad that such drastic changes to how the game is played and strategized are necessary?

 

[northside_hawk]

No
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[wyohawk]

Brian Phillips had an article about this today on Grantland.

Link

 

[fivecardstud14]

Yes it needs fixing. Although I don't really care because I stick to NBA, but a lot of that is because of how rough college basketball is to watch. However it was crazy watching teams choke yesterday. It seems it's almost better to be down 5 with 60 seconds left because everybody misses free throws.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[ThatsFootball]

Originally posted by BubsFinn:
This time of year, I'm reminded why I only watch ESPN for games and scores. All of their NCAA Tournament coverage has been filled with possible "fixes" for the game. Wider lane, shorter shot clock, extended three point line, faster game, more scoring, etc, etc, etc. (I haven't heard anyone talk about fewer TV timeouts and inconsistent officiating, which are the real problems) Is the game so bad that such drastic changes to how the game is played and strategized are necessary?

These two somewhat contradict each other, don't they? But I agree, this is one of they many reasons I seldom watch ESPN anymore.

My opinion, leave the game how it is now, but start to actually enforce current rules. Call fouls for all the hand checking or "bodying" up down below. Give warnings/TF to coaches out of the box. No use making more rules when the ones on the books are not followed anyway.

 

[IACub]

I say put two balls in play on the court at all times. That would speed up the game for all the ADD X-Box kids we apparently need to satisfy at all times. And everyone has to wear neon. And CANDY!!!

Seriously, why does the NCAA constantly need to fix things that aren't broken? When did defense become a bad thing?

(That said, the more I think about it, two balls on the court could be kind of fun.)

 

[MTHawkeyes43]

Reduction in the shot clock to 30 seconds would be the only thing I would change. If the women can play with a 30 second clock the men should be able to as well.

 

[Curt Furence]

Originally posted by IACub:

I say put two balls in play on the court at all times. That would speed up the game for all the ADD X-Box kids we apparently need to satisfy at all times. And everyone has to wear neon. And CANDY!!!

Seriously, why does the NCAA constantly need to fix things that aren't broken? When did defense become a bad thing?

(That said, the more I think about it, two balls on the court could be kind of fun.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98c_8l4GlJE

Lets just go MTV ROck Jock rules. NCAA needs the ten point shot. Can we get the like 20 foot bonus hoop too?

 

[jaxhawk06]

Yes, it shouldn't take 10 minutes to play the final 60 seconds of a basketball game

 

[BeepBeepInMyJeep]

Originally posted by ThatsFootball:

Originally posted by BubsFinn:
This time of year, I'm reminded why I only watch ESPN for games and scores. All of their NCAA Tournament coverage has been filled with possible "fixes" for the game. Wider lane, shorter shot clock, extended three point line, faster game, more scoring, etc, etc, etc. (I haven't heard anyone talk about fewer TV timeouts and inconsistent officiating, which are the real problems) Is the game so bad that such drastic changes to how the game is played and strategized are necessary?

These two somewhat contradict each other, don't they? But I agree, this is one of they many reasons I seldom watch ESPN anymore.

My opinion, leave the game how it is now, but start to actually enforce current rules. Call fouls for all the hand checking or "bodying" up down below. Give warnings/TF to coaches out of the box. No use making more rules when the ones on the books are not followed anyway.

Not necessarily. 22' would open a bit more space on the floor and it's still a perfectly natural shot from that distance for a lot of guys.

 

[theVoicefromtheTomb]

Bill Self was on ESPN radio the other day and went through a series of changes that could be made to improve the game, primarily focused on increasing the ability to score. Biggest change they could make is to actually call fouls on the defensive players and allow freedom of movement

 

[like-woahh]

Reduce the shot clock to 30 and officials actually enforcing the rules properly would go a long ways.

Of course there's no mention of the asinine amounts of timeouts/tv timeouts because the networks don't want to lose out on that ad revenue.

Going to my first NFL game was a pretty big eye opening experience to that aspect. It's so hard to get into a game live when there are a bajillion stoppages of play for commercial airtime.

 

[like-woahh]

Originally posted by wyohawk:
Brian Phillips had an article about this today on Grantland.

Link

Interesting article. I like his perspective on why the NCAA is so resistant to change.

Pretty solid racket the NCAA has going on. where they don't have to pay the major drivers of their revenue. However, a free college education is nothing to scoff at, as I'm still paying off student loans. The cash these generate is ridiculously above and beyond the amount of going to school.

Quite the conundrum.

 

[jaffarosenfels]

Originally posted by theVoi...heTomb:
Bill Self was on ESPN radio the other day and went through a series of changes that could be made to improve the game, primarily focused on increasing the ability to score.  Biggest change they could make is to actually call fouls on the defensive players and allow freedom of movement

This is my biggest beef. Every time someone drives they are met with a hand check and in certain games at certain times they let it go. Seems like in the tourney the hand checks are more frequent and called less. Same thing seems to happen in the nba playoffs.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[like-woahh]

Originally posted by jaffarosenfels:

Originally posted by theVoi...heTomb:
Bill Self was on ESPN radio the other day and went through a series of changes that could be made to improve the game, primarily focused on increasing the ability to score. Biggest change they could make is to actually call fouls on the defensive players and allow freedom of movement

This is my biggest beef. Every time someone drives they are met with a hand check and in certain games at certain times they let it go. Seems like in the tourney the hand checks are more frequent and called less. Same thing seems to happen in the nba playoffs.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

In college basketball it's not just the tournament, it's the entire season. Countless times this season I've seen teams get into the bonus/double bonus early and the mysteriously the whistles stop while the mugging continues. Izzo has made a living off of it. Mug it up, they aren't going to keep calling the fouls for an entire half.

 

[mthawkeyes]

Originally posted by BeepBeepInMyJeep:

Originally posted by ThatsFootball:

Originally posted by BubsFinn:
This time of year, I'm reminded why I only watch ESPN for games and scores. All of their NCAA Tournament coverage has been filled with possible "fixes" for the game. Wider lane, shorter shot clock, extended three point line, faster game, more scoring, etc, etc, etc. (I haven't heard anyone talk about fewer TV timeouts and inconsistent officiating, which are the real problems) Is the game so bad that such drastic changes to how the game is played and strategized are necessary?

These two somewhat contradict each other, don't they? But I agree, this is one of they many reasons I seldom watch ESPN anymore.

My opinion, leave the game how it is now, but start to actually enforce current rules. Call fouls for all the hand checking or "bodying" up down below. Give warnings/TF to coaches out of the box. No use making more rules when the ones on the books are not followed anyway.

Not necessarily. 22' would open a bit more space on the floor and it's still a perfectly natural shot from that distance for a lot of guys.

I think the 22' feet would result in more teams playing zone and allowing the opponent to shoot more threes. If this is the case, driving lanes and interior passing lanes would be more clogged.

I definitely don't get the idea for a wider lane. The wider lane was adopted to make big men like Wilt Chamberlain less dominant. I don't think college basketball is suffering from an over-abundance of outstanding post play.

 

[hansenhawk]

Shorten the shock clock a bit, and get better officials. This is all that needs to be done.

 

[Curt Furence]

I do agree with the OP that they need fewer timeouts and officiating is terrible in college basketball. I hate the lets wait to see if it goes in late whistle that has become so common.

A shorter shot clock would be nice as well

 

[icantfindausernamethatisntused]

Originally posted by BeepBeepInMyJeep:

Originally posted by ThatsFootball:

Originally posted by BubsFinn:
This time of year, I'm reminded why I only watch ESPN for games and scores. All of their NCAA Tournament coverage has been filled with possible "fixes" for the game. Wider lane, shorter shot clock, extended three point line, faster game, more scoring, etc, etc, etc. (I haven't heard anyone talk about fewer TV timeouts and inconsistent officiating, which are the real problems) Is the game so bad that such drastic changes to how the game is played and strategized are necessary?

These two somewhat contradict each other, don't they? But I agree, this is one of they many reasons I seldom watch ESPN anymore.

My opinion, leave the game how it is now, but start to actually enforce current rules. Call fouls for all the hand checking or "bodying" up down below. Give warnings/TF to coaches out of the box. No use making more rules when the ones on the books are not followed anyway.

Not necessarily. 22' would open a bit more space on the floor and it's still a perfectly natural shot from that distance for a lot of guys.

I understand this logic, however, if setting up for 3 pointers at 22 feet led to more efficient offense, wouldn't teams already be doing that?

 

[iahawkeyes17]

30 sec shot clock and eliminate least one timeout Each team has 4 instead of 5 and lose one like current rules at half.

 

[Grizzly Adam]

Get rid of the possession arrow and bring back real jump balls!

 

[Hawkeye2222]

eliminate the time out before a player gets to shoot his FT on a foul, talk about icing the FT shooter. shorten the shot clock to 24 for the men and eliminate the 10 second rule if they do shorten the time to 24 seconds,

enforce the rules as they are written all game long, as soon as the players and coaches start seeing players foul out they will have to adjust.

as for the refs chatting with the coaches, put a stop to that and put a half circle at the mid stripe where the official can confer with BOTH COACHES at the SAME TIME. none of this explaining calls to just one coach, the call was made move on.

 

[SoDakHawk]

It doesn't need fixing. Yesterday was probably the most fun I have had watching the tournament that I can remember. Most of the games were close, upset everywhere, and lots of drama. These games are about the competition not the rules. As long as the games are competitive and compelling then nothing needs to change.

 

[icwesthawk]

Couldn't agree more with SoDak. I had as much fun watching games yesterday than I have in 15 years. It could stem from the Hawks being relevant again and playing this evening but it was fun.

 

[OnceAhawk]

yes. it needs to be fixed so that Iowa does not lose for the next 6 games

 

[Hawk_4shur]

Two things -

1. Fix the charge/block call - I can't figure it out.

2. Call intentional fouls as intentional fouls.

 

[illhawkdvv]

Everyone likes different kinds of basketball. I can't stand the pro game and haven't watched a whole game in nearly 15 years. I watch college games all the time. That goes for pro football as well. I do watch some pro football when it gets to the playoffs.