With heavy disputes between the NBA Players Association and the owners, the NBA season looks to be in jeopardy. With one quarter of the season already cancelled, it seems that college basketball would reap the benefits of NBA fans wanting to see basketball. ESPN has already added coverage to college hoops, showing more televised games.
However, the prominent question is raised: Do enough NBA fans miss the sport to care about the college game? The University of Kentucky’s head basketball coach John Calipari who has coached at both levels said, “The true NBA fans barely watch college basketball, and the true college fans barely watch the NBA, the college fans will look at it and say, 'Ahhh, you don't play until the fourth quarter.' And the pro fans will say, 'They can't even make layups. They've got no skills.' That's how it is. None of that will change. With the NCAA tournament numbers up 9 percent last year and top talent such as Kentucky’s Terrance Jones and Ohio State’s Jared Sullinger passing on the NBA, college hoops seems to be gaining momentum.
As of now college basketball offers the only hoops for fans, and if people need to get their basketball fix then there’s only one place to turn. It seems likely that the longer the lockout is in place, the higher the ratings and viewership of college basketball will climb.
Derek Wiebe-Bailey Kin. 577
http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2011/11/will_college_basketball_gain_f.html
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