It is that time of year again. Winter is upon us, Christmas is quickly approaching, and the semester is almost over! That also means that we have the pleasure of basketball on our TVs every night with some marquee match up that will bring joy and amazement to our eyes. With that said, with have the tough decision of trying to figure out which game to watch. You have ESPN, TNT, or your local sport channel playing NBA and other ESPN network channels carrying college basketball. The decision soon becomes which level to watch. It may seem like a match-up between the Warriors and Clippers might be better than the number one ranked team playing an non-ranked team in college basketball, but that may not be the case. That may seem crazy to think, but in my opinion, any college basketball match-up has more of an appeal that that of a nationally televised NBA game for so many reasons, the first being rankings.

In college basketball, there are multiple different ranking systems, all ranking teams from 1-25 in the nation. Every single one of the NCAA Division 1 teams is vying for that top ranking and fights from the very first day to try and catapult themselves up there if they aren’t there already. With these rankings comes pressure each and every night, no matter who you are playing. Everyone is trying to beat you if you are in the Top 25 because a quality win against a talented opponent means so much to the rest of the season. Just the idea of huge upsets and the fight for the Top 25 makes it so much more interesting than professional basketball.

The other aspect that makes college basketball better than NBA is the fact that it is much more fundamentally sound. In the NBA, there are the very talented players who take over the game and do what they want. In terms of playing the sport of basketball, when traveling is allowed and the fundamentals taught an early age are lost, it takes away from the sport. In college, the game is built on fundamentals. Great box outs, terrific passes, and plays that are run the right way make the game so much better to watch. Watching a sport that sticks to fundamentals and doesn’t have star players trying to make no look passes and driving the lane every single time up the court is a much more enjoyable. It is a much better look for the sport.

Finally, these players haven’t already been paid a ton of money; they are playing for the love of the game. The heart that each player puts into the game is unmatched. Each game every one of the college players tries their hardest and leaves their heart on the floor hoping for that one magical moment in the championship game. Some do not even get that and they know they won’t but they fight their hardest and put all they have into it as opposed to NBA players who could care less whether their team wins or not for the most part. They are already paid and while they want the ring, if they do not get it they are still getting something out of the sport. Some college players will never play in the NBA and that is why each and every play in college means something to them because they know it all will come to an end in four years.

In the end you will watch what you want, but if you want to watch a fundamentally sound game of basketball with everyone giving their all and the stakes being so high, watch college basketball because the NBA does not come close.