Sport Talk...
Derek Ketner

I really am starting to drift away from the NBA. It's becoming more of a one- man show and not really a team sport, just five guys trying to get the most points on their team. No plays, just giving it to one guy and trying to make the fanciest shot, not the easy open jumper, but the 360 spin fade away shot when there’s a guy open for three on the perimeter.

I was watching the Kings and Mavericks play on ABC recently. For five minutes, I swear, there was no passing. Mike Bibby would take it up and brick a three, Antoine Walker would get the rebound, push it up the floor, drive in the lane and throw up a horrible shot. It went back and forth like this for five minutes. I couldn’t believe how much showboating there was and no plays ran during that time.

Most NBA “Superstars” are superstars because they can do only one thing. Vince Carter can dunk, but not lead his team to the playoffs. Allen Iverson can do a great crossover and score so many points, but he shoots 30 or 40 times and makes only 10 or 11 shots. And Steve Francis can jump high, but can’t lead his team to accomplish anything.

When it comes to the playoffs, the predictions is whoever comes out of the West division wins the championship. That's it, no drama at all during the championship series.

Now college basketball is different. They run set plays, they have a designed defense, and anyone can beat any team during the year. Fourth ranked Connecticut got beat by Providence. Tenth ranked Kansas got beat by Nevada. There is so much parity in college basketball it makes it so much more exciting.

They have conference tournaments to determine who gets to play in the post-season. Your team can be 10-19, win the tournament and you automatically get to go to the post season. The “Big Dance”as they call it, is the best way to determine the NCAA champion. Sixty-four teams from around the country compete against the best college basketball teams around.

Every year there is a Cinderella story. Last year, Butler, who was seeded 12th, reached the Sweet 16 and almost beat Oklahoma. Also every year in the tournament there is always a heartbreaking shot to win.

Tulsa had made a three pointer to take the lead from Wisconsin 60-58. With three second left Wisconsin made a three to win the game. Maryland made a three pointer as time expired to beat UNC - Wilmington 75-73. That’s why college is better than the NBA. It’s just more exciting.