NBA Influence (Bad??) on College Game

[gumbomoop]

Beginning with last week's Block-Charge column, ESPN has begun a weekly column under the general heading, "Change the Game." Today, Myron Medcalf makes his case for the bad influences of the NBA game on college bball.

http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebaske...ege-basketball

Among his examples:

• "Organized offenses have been replaced by an influx of isolation plays, a direct influence from the next level."
• "Isolation reigns. And that’s a problem... It’s an issue because it strips Division I offenses of their fluidity."
• "There is also the issue with versatility... More versatility increases NBA potential. But again, most players won’t get to that level and they’re wasting their time trying to play four positions when they can barely manage one."
• "NBA officiating has affected the quick whistles against helpless NCAA defenders trying to stop them [O-players]."
• "The NBA... [is] a very soft game now. And the college game has followed its lead with rulings that favor offensive players."

Allow me to add that the above are not my own views. I don't follow the NBA enough to comment right away, though I've no doubt that I'll add a half-baked comment down the line, agreeing or disagreeing with one of you. We'll see.

Don't know whether this column will generate much discussion, but the Block-Charge thread got some response. We'll see.

Also, ESPN attempts something of a "balanced" approach, as they sort of pair Medcalf's anti-NBA column with a column by Fran Fraschilla on "How Colllege Coaches Can Learn from NBA." Here's link, but you must have access to ESPN Insider. I don't.

http://insider.espn.go.com/ncb/blog?...-learn-nba-ncb