Growing up, I lived and breathed college basketball. My earliest basketball memory was watching Keith Smart (above) hit the game-winner against Syracuse. I remember when everyone was a Running Rebels fan. Does anybody remember that “Fab 5” member that called the timeout against Carolina in the championship game, or number 32 for the Duke Blue Devils that hit the shot against Kentucky? What memories do you have of the last 10 years of college basketball? Absolutely nothing!
In the ’90’s, college basketball had great teams and great players to carry the sport. Back then you actually watched the whole NBA draft to see your favorite player get picked. Now we stop watching after the 5th pick. The ’90’s were full of great college players like Larry Johnson, Christian Laettner, Chris Webber, and Glen “Big Dog” Robinson. There were actually great teams of which you could remember the whole starting five. You had the 1991 Duke Blue Devils, 1994 Arkansas Razorbacks, and the 1996 Kentucky Wildcats teams. I could name you the starting five of all those teams.
So, what happened to the sport? I actually had to Google who won the national championship last year. Nobody is going to remember Kemba Walker or the other 4 players that played with him 10 years from now. This year the media is predicting that Kentucky’s freshman center Anthony Davis will win the Naismith Player of the Year. I checked his stats and found out he averages 14.3 points, 10 rebounds and 4 blocks per game. Are you kidding me. I’m going to give you the stats of some of the Naismith winners in the 1990’s.
1991 Larry Johnson 22.7 pts 10.9 rbs 3 ast
1992 Christian Laettner 21.5 pts 7.9 rbs 2 ast
1994 Glen Robinson 30.3 pts 10.1 rbs 1.9 ast
1996 Marcus Camby 20.5 pts 8.2 rbs 1.8 ast
1997 Tim Duncan 20.8pts 14.7 rbs 3.2 ast
What has happened to college basketball when a FRESHMAN who averages 14.3 points per game is our possible player of the year. Nothing against Anthony Davis, but I have a problem with the lack of talent that is being produced in college. We don’t even draft from college anymore. The majority of the players drafted come from overseas. Reminds me of our economy. MESSAGE! Let me know what you think and how can we improve the talent we produce in college basketball.
Brandon McConnell of “Respect Da Game”, for War Room Sports
Tags: All's Fair in Sports and War, Anthony Davis, Brandon McConnell, Chris Webber, Christian Laettner, College Basketball, Glenn Robinson, Keith Smart, Kemba Walker, Larry Johnson, Marcus Camby, Respect Da Game, Sports Talk Radio, The War Room, Tim Duncan, War Room Sports
Great points…. I remember a lot of those memories. And I know you take sports center way more serious than i ever did. But with what I do know about the college game. I will agree. College basketball…. BOOOOOOO!!!!
Dont get me wrong there is some talent in the pond. I don’t think no one is holding these students up to a standard any more. It is about a win and not the complete package of the person or player. I just got finished talking to a student who told me he wants to go to the Nike combine. I was excited for him until he told me he has 4-F’s. I know he is a great talent, but his academics SUCK!!!
I have never felt that a kid should be able to go from high school straight to the NBA. If you start college you finish it. I don’t care how good you are or how much money you will make.
So over those last 10 years you speak about and the talent that is missing. If you look into the NBA and see a lot of the talent and stars. A great percentage them skipped right over the college development level or left early.
That is where I see the big whole you speak about.
They got out of the high school pool of basketball.
Jumped over the pond of college, because no one made them.
Into the ocean of the NBA, now most of that talent is starting to suck too.