Question for NCAA fans

[DoubleROFL]

I am an avid NBA fan but I dont understand this craze for the NCAA tournament.

Do you guys actually watch the teams over the regular season?

If you dont watch over the regular, season, then:

1) How do you know so much about the teams and players and make predictions?

2) Which team to root for?

 

[tfinch2]

1.) I follow College Basketball year round. I don't have cable TV, so during the regular season I usually only watch games on Saturday.

2.) HOOK EM

 

[chuckywang]

Originally posted by: DoubleROFL
I am an avid NBA fan but I dont understand this craze for the NCAA tournament.

Do you guys actually watch the teams over the regular season?

If you dont watch over the regular, season, then:

1) How do you know so much about the teams and players and make predictions?

2) Which team to root for?

1) I avidly follow the regular season and even more avidly follow the NCAA tournament. I watch college gameday, browse teams message boards, read up on blogs, and follow mid-major teams as well. I think the last part is the key to making your bracket. The "bracketbusters" are those smaller schools who do not get the TV time the big schools get. However, if you look at the standings and read up on which mid-major team is doing well and what under-the-radar players they have, then you get a sense of their strength. This is how I chose Vermont over Syracuse in 2005 and Northwestern St. over Iowa in 2006 and Winthrop over Notre Dame in 2007.

2) I root for Duke.

 

[BrownTown]

Originally posted by: chuckywang
2) I root for Duke.

sux for you

 

[Pacfanweb]

College sports > Pro Sports, especially basketball.

 

[Captante]

(1) I follow NCAA mens & womens basketball to a degree but I don't watch many regular season games and most of the ones I do watch I see live.

I make my tournement predictions based on win/loss record against common opponents.



(2) I root for UCONN & Fairfield University.

 

[LuckyTaxi]

Originally posted by: Pacfanweb
College sports > Pro Sports, especially basketball.

that's funny, im the opposite ONLY because these players play for 1-2 yrs then leave for the pros where most eventually suck and have to go find a 9-5 job.

Bring back the old days when you had the Obannon/Hurley brothers, guys who would stay 3-4 and actually made the sport worth watching year after year.

 

[CallMeJoe]

I watch college hoops religiously. While the overall skill level of the players is obviously far below that of the pros, the game-to-game motivation of the teams is far superior. Even the greatest professional player has difficulty getting up for his fourth game in six nights, in a regular season that culls less than half the league from the playoffs.

edit: I root for NC State.

 

[Inspector Jihad]

I'm an NBA fan too...I follow my college and other teams lightly. I just watch the better games towards the end of the tourney just for the basketball. Usually I don't give a shit who wins, I just like to watch good ball.

I think the pro game is leaps and bounds better than any college game.

edit: I know most of the top players simply because of reading and following that drafting possibilities and potential.

 

[LordSnailz]

I follow my ugrad and graduate school alma mater which exposes me to the other teams in the conference. Prob. explain why my bracket was heavily favoring the PAC 10 But once brackets are out, I just read up on the other teams out of curiosity.

One of the reasons why I sometimes like ncaa more than nba is the games can go either way, a 20pt. lead is nothing in college, a #1 or #16 rank team is nothing once the game starts and it's a do or die type of thing, it's exciting!

 

[50cent1228]

i was only into the nba but now that im going into college i started 2 watch ncaa

 

[GagHalfrunt]

Originally posted by: DoubleROFL
I am an avid NBA fan but I dont understand this craze for the NCAA tournament.

Do you guys actually watch the teams over the regular season?

If you dont watch over the regular, season, then:

1) How do you know so much about the teams and players and make predictions?

2) Which team to root for?

1) If you follow a little college basketball you follow enough. As long as you root for one team you're exposed to plenty of info on the top teams, the relative strength of conferences, who beat whom, etc. You don't need to be an expert to make predictions anyway, that's what makes the brackets fun. EVERYONE can play, anyone can pick a few underdogs to go deep and with the right upsets you can win. 15-20 people in an office pool and even somebody who has never seen a game can have a chance.

2) Root for your alma mater or the local team.


The craze for the tournament is based on two things:

a) The bracket pools give everyone a rooting interest and makes every game meaningful
b) It's pure basketball. There are no Sprewells turning up their noses at 5 million, there are no Marburys faking injuries to get a night off. It's one and done, anyone can send anyone else home and for many of these guys that could be a career ender. For a senior that's not going to the NBA (that's most of them) a loss will be their final game. They fight to the death.

 

[cw42]

I'll watch NBA, but not NCAA because...

1. There's less teams in the NBA, which makes it easier to follow
2. Players are better known in the NBA, there's less of them, they're better, and they don't stop playing after a few years

For NCAA fans, the opposite would be true in this case... more teams! more players! But I just find it too difficult to want to follow.

 

[Pacfanweb]

Originally posted by: CallMeJoe


edit: I root for NC State.

Ah, another poor, tortured soul like me.

 

[DanTMWTMP]

I don't watch it that often, and passively watch it. I honestly can't stomach watching a NCAA game for that long due to the lack of a fluid, consistent organized defense and the constant passing along the perimeter.

2) I've always rooted for UCLA

But I'm more of a NBA fan, although watching the fans react to plays in the NCAA tourney is pretty awesome. The players are playing for pride (some playing for the scouts of NBA teams)... well, i'm sure most of them get a free education so, heh.

 

[NFS4]

Originally posted by: Pacfanweb

Originally posted by: CallMeJoe


edit: I root for NC State.

Ah, another poor, tortured soul like me.

Same here

 

[chuckywang]

Originally posted by: NFS4

Originally posted by: Pacfanweb

Originally posted by: CallMeJoe


edit: I root for NC State.

Ah, another poor, tortured soul like me.

Same here

If you can't go to college, go to State.

 

[Nitemare]

Originally posted by: NFS4

Originally posted by: Pacfanweb

Originally posted by: CallMeJoe


edit: I root for NC State.

Ah, another poor, tortured soul like me.

Same here

been a sad decade or so for us...

College = playing for fun, pride, for love of the game
NBA = playing for $$$, $$$ and $$$

watch the regular season and tournament

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

NCAAF > NCAAB... but with that said I watch some games from time to time. We sucked this year so I didn't care, but 2 years ago when we made the NCAA tourney I actually watched a few games live too... I watch the Warriors more than I watch Cal Basketball, but when it comes football season.... screw the NFL. Sunday = catchup on work day after Saturday game day. If I happen to have not as much work the I might watch teh niners, but they blow anyways, so who cares =P

 

[BZeto]

I don't like NCAA because the majority of the players are bad. Comparatively to the pro's that is (duh), but honestly watching these dudes miss 70% of their free throws is a yawn fest.

 

[Modeps]

1) I dont have time to follow teams throughout the season other than UCONN, and I only watch a limited number of regular season games. The NCAA tournament is mostly luck when picking a bracket. This year was odd in the fact that all #1's made the final four.

Knowledge of college basketball is inversely proportional to how well you do on your bracket.

2) If you didn't goto a school that had a big basketball program (like myself), pick whoever you want for your #1. It makes sense to vote for the big program in your home state though. Otherwise, it doesnt matter. I went to the regional finals last year in New Jersey, didn't give a shit about any of the teams there, so we went to a Modells and bought shirts of teams we felt like rooting for. It honestly, was one of the most entertaining weekends in sports of my entire life. That weekend, I was the biggest UNC fan on the face of the planet.

Other than that, fill out a bracket however, and root for the teams you picked.

 

[slayer202]

all lies

no one watches college basketball unless you are in college, or you are a loser and still follow your school hardcore. it is stupid to watch the tourny when most people don't know the teams or players, and the ones who act like they do, only learned them watching ESPN in the couple upcoming weeks to the tourny. stupid shit, all scrubs

 

[bctbct]

March Madness is fantastic. NBA is a bunch of overpaid cry babies.

Go KU

 

[Nitemare]

Originally posted by: slayer202
all lies

no one watches college basketball unless you are in college, or you are a loser and still follow your school hardcore. it is stupid to watch the tourny when most people don't know the teams or players, and the ones who act like they do, only learned them watching ESPN in the couple upcoming weeks to the tourny. stupid shit, all scrubs

I bet you like baseball too

 

[Inspector Jihad]

ncaab is overcoached, undertalented, sloppy basketball.