How would you fix college basketball?

[seshomoru]

The NCAA, because they always make awesome decisions, has decided that they are going to find somebody wasting time at work on a message board and let them unilaterally change anything they want about college basketball. Congrats! That person is you! Anything you say goes and even the NBA, AAU, and high schools have to do what you say. You're only constraint is the four years of eligibility rule, so you can't just say disband the NBA and pay college players... thus creating the NBA again but in college.

1. Part of the insane amount of money made by the NCAA will go toward setting up state level AAU style programs. Each state will run it's own with 3-4 coaches of high school teams in the state holding tryouts. They will pick their team to compete nationally at a handful of sanctioned tournaments. The state can then run their own local AAU type programs as they see fit, which is a lot like high school basketball but with say... an all-star team from Jackson, one from the coast, etc. They would play in-state tournaments and one regional (divide the country into 10 five state regions). Don't really care how you do the tourneys. Round Robin sounds good, then seed and play knockout. Nike, Reebok, etc. can enter into contract agreements with each state to provide uniforms and shoes. Basically, just make an attempt at some sort of regulation of AAU.

2. All high school players are eligible for the draft. Sign with an agent and you can't go to college, but other than that all is fair. You just have to send a letter in saying you want to be listed as draft eligible and your good to go. Don't get drafted, then just go to whatever college you signed with.

3. Once you get to college it's 3 years minimum. Just like the other sports. You can put your name in the draft anytime after your third year. If you don't get drafted, just go back to school. However, no agent signing.

4. 25 second shot clock. 8 seconds to get it across mid-court.

5. 4 ten minute quarters.

6. Bonus kicks in on the fifth foul of each quarter, and resets for each quarter. No double bonus... always a one and one. Offensive fouls do not count toward the team penalty. Overtime also resets the count. Bonus kicks in at the third foul in the five minute overtime.

7. Five fouls is still the disqualification amount per player. However, overtime grants each player one additional foul (one and only one no matter how many overtimes). This also applies to any player who has already been disqualified during regulation. They are granted an additional foul and can re-enter the game.

8. The ball advances to mid court following a time out after a made shot (like in the NBA).

9. 3 second defensive rule

10. No more play in games. 64 is enough.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

Don't have any problem with any of that.

 

[121Josey]

Need a formula for the NCAA tournament for at large teams (and more transparency).

Seed the tournament by groups of 4 and then create the match-ups. No more manipulation of seeds based on matchup.

 

[Miss.Stake]

28 or 30 second shot clock

you can declare for draft straight out of high school or 3 year minimum of college (note that the NBDL needs to make major improvements as a "minor league" type system for helping players coming straight out of high school)

6 total fouls

Jump balls are not possession arrows but actual jump balls.

There's all kinds of different angles to approach the postseason, but to keep it simple yes a 64 team tournament.

 

[msstate7]

The nit will experiment with 30 sec shot clock this year. I'm not sure if this will help or not. Probably lead to a bunch of bad shots.

Just watching us this year, we've locked teams down for 30 seconds only to give up a 3 at the buzzer. I think shorter shot clock may lead to even less scoring.

If you go to :25 shot clock, you might have to outlaw zone defense.

 

[seshomoru]

Forgot about tie ups... definitely need to jump it

alternate possession is stupid.

 

[esplanade91]

NCAA basketball is going to suck until the NBA gets involved. They need to have a 3 year minimum. One and done's are making the whole thing a joke. They aren't even true "ones" because they only have to take like 2 classes in the fall.

 

[57stratdawg]

Less fouls. I hate seeing two teams combine for 80 free throws a game.

 

[Requiem For A Dawg]

You have to take 12 hours to be cosidered a full time student and stay on scholarship.

 

[Hammer Down]

2. All high school players are eligible for the draft. Sign with an agent and you can't go to college, but other than that all is fair. You just have to send a letter in saying you want to be listed as draft eligible and your good to go. Don't get drafted, then just go to whatever college you signed with.

I think you solve most problems by doing this. Who cares about AAU? The money will automatically be shifted somewhat to where the good players are, and that will be AAU or the NBA. Use the AAU as an NBA developmental league or something.

I would like to see this for football too. Let them go pro out of high school, but they go to the minor leagues. Before you think this is unsustainable, look at the professional football leagues across the country. Arena league, Canada league.....use all of those to develop your players.

 

[Cow College]

Shot clock needs to be 28-30 seconds. The no touch circle needs to be further out and the officiating has got to get better. You can practically mug someone in the lane and get away with it. Also wanna see the mlb rule applied to basketball.

 

[DawgatAuburn]

How similar is 4-9 to the NBA? They seem like changes for the sake of change, not the good of the game.

 

[Cow College]

All changes more to how the game is played internationally. College basketball is the outlier and needs to be brought in line more than anything. Scoring is at an all time low year after year due to the archaic rules. Single digit halftime scores are not even shocking this year

 

[ChroamOneHundred]

Shotclock violation becomes similar to a back court violation: violating team can't touch the ball until the defending team does. So if you shoot the ball as time expires the game does't stop if it misses the rim, the defending team can posses the ball and play, etc.. This rewards the defending team and minimizes the disruption and the will it/won't it guessing on if it will be a stoppage of play.

 

[Sutterkane]

64 is way too many. Take it down to 32 or 48.

 

[godlluB]

Neither team may call more than 1 time out in the last 90 seconds of any play period.

 

[DawgatAuburn]

I love the discussion but I have to be honest, I don't see a ton in this thread that I agree with. It'll give me something to think about this afternoon though, so that's good.

The beginnings of my list would include:
1. HS to the NBA in fine, as is HS to the D-League, but if you go to college you are there two years. Not gonna force the third year a la baseball rules.
2. Some sort of formula to penalize teams from taking too many non-graduates. I guess something similar to what they tried to do with APR, but if Kentucky is allowed to do what they do year after year, then that formula needs tweaking.
3. Jump balls for all possessions.
4. One and one for all fouls past 8. Ditch the double bonus.
5. Reduce the timeouts. If we are stuck with 16/12/8/4 minute media timeouts, then allow only two per half on top of that.
6. Reduce the amount of time a coach has to replace a player who fouls out. Currently it's 60 seconds and equates to another timeout. Cut that back to 15 seconds or so.
7. Get rid of the First Four. You're either in or out on Selection Sunday.

 

[starkvegasdawg]

Quit having everything be a blocking foul. I'm tired of seeing a defender virtuously motionless, get run over like a squirrel on the highway, and still get called for the foul. If the person advancing the ball or driving to the basket takes more than two steps once the defender has moved in front of them it's a charge.

Make where when the person driving to the basket takes 4 steps he's called for traveling again. This goes double for the NBA.

Only three timeouts per regulation. If a game goes to OT they have one added to their remaining total per OT period.

 

[Dawgg]

1. Part of the insane amount of money made by the NCAA will go toward setting up state level AAU style programs. Each state will run it's own with 3-4 coaches of high school teams in the state holding tryouts. They will pick their team to compete nationally at a handful of sanctioned tournaments. The state can then run their own local AAU type programs as they see fit, which is a lot like high school basketball but with say... an all-star team from Jackson, one from the coast, etc. They would play in-state tournaments and one regional (divide the country into 10 five state regions). Don't really care how you do the tourneys. Round Robin sounds good, then seed and play knockout. Nike, Reebok, etc. can enter into contract agreements with each state to provide uniforms and shoes. Basically, just make an attempt at some sort of regulation of AAU.

I like the concept, especially if it removes AAU from the game, but I'm not sure that you can trust local high school coaches to objectively place kids other than their own on teams and you would have to provide some sort of oversight or this will just turn to another corrupt AAU system.

Big question is who will give up their chunk of the pie for this? Travel, facilities, salaries will be no small feat. For a smaller state population wise like Mississippi, it won't be nearly as expensive as it will be in Texas or New York or California.

The CBS/Turner contract and tickets for the NCAA Men's Basketball tournament makes up more than 80% of their Revenue, most of which goes to member institutions. Basketball money (which is about 40% of the distribution), specifically, is based on tournament performance over a six year rolling scale. For most of the SEC, this isn't exorbitant (~$1 million per school), but for non-football, FCS schools, or non-AQ schools like those in the Atlantic 10, SWAC, or the American, this is a bigger piece of their budgets.

2. All high school players are eligible for the draft. Sign with an agent and you can't go to college, but other than that all is fair. You just have to send a letter in saying you want to be listed as draft eligible and your good to go. Don't get drafted, then just go to whatever college you signed with.

3. Once you get to college it's 3 years minimum. Just like the other sports. You can put your name in the draft anytime after your third year. If you don't get drafted, just go back to school. However, no agent signing.

I grouped them because alone they won't work, but they're great in the context of the other. So something similar to baseball? I'm with that. I think that's the fairest. Basically, you see your true draft stock and can make the decision after it's said and done.

4. 25 second shot clock. 8 seconds to get it across mid-court.

Agree on the shot clock, but I would have a 3 year roll out - 2 years of 30 seconds then move to 25 seconds the 3rd year. I think shaving almost a third of the shot clock from one season to the next is too big a jump.

I would keep the backcourt at 10 seconds, though. If pinning the other team in the backcourt becomes a focal point of the defense (for some teams it will), I'm afraid you'll see a scrum on a lot of possessions, which won't be fun to watch.

5. 4 ten minute quarters.

Agreed as long as TV Timeouts are reduced. I would think they would be, but one of the things that makes college basketball at least a little more watchable is that the games are over quickly. Plus, with the number of teams and limited number of time slots, networks will be more judicious about which games get the TV and which ones are online only.

6. Bonus kicks in on the fifth foul of each quarter, and resets for each quarter. No double bonus... always a one and one. Offensive fouls do not count toward the team penalty. Overtime also resets the count. Bonus kicks in at the third foul in the five minute overtime.

Agree with all of these.

7. Five fouls is still the disqualification amount per player. However, overtime grants each player one additional foul (one and only one no matter how many overtimes). This also applies to any player who has already been disqualified during regulation. They are granted an additional foul and can re-enter the game.

I don't think so. There's no real precedence for this and I think the threat of the foul-out raises the stakes and makes the game more interesting. Plus, you'll have teams with a potential winning shot just wait out the clock to go to OT so they can get their player(s) back in the game.

8. The ball advances to mid court following a time out after a made shot (like in the NBA).

Personally, I hate this rule in the NBA.

9. 3 second defensive rule

Anything that results in more Technicals is a bad thing.

10. No more play in games. 64 is enough.

I don't care as long as there are no 'formal' expansions. I'm not sure anybody even really notices the 'First Four'.


Additionally... from other comments:

11. Jump ball - yes. no more possession arrows.

 

[seshomoru]

I would cut back on the TV timeouts...

Keep the timeouts, and let the ball get advanced to half court like in the NBA. That makes a coaches use of timeouts very vital in tight games. If you keep the halves, have timeouts at 12 and 4. If you go to quarters, have them at 5.

 

[olblue.sixpack]

The nit will experiment with 30 sec shot clock this year. I'm not sure if this will help or not. Probably lead to a bunch of bad shots.

Just watching us this year, we've locked teams down for 30 seconds only to give up a 3 at the buzzer. I think shorter shot clock may lead to even less scoring.

If you go to :25 shot clock, you might have to outlaw zone defense.

When they went from 45 seconds to 35, scoring decreased by 12 ppg.

http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-ba...ck-30-seconds-lower-scores-basketball-predict

The knee-jerk solution to this concern is to assume a shorter shot-clock cycle will create more possessions, and that more possessions will lead to higher scoring totals.
It’s really not that simple. As explained by Jeff Waksman, proprietor of the Basketball Predictions website, scoring plunged in college basketball soon after the shot-clock cycle was trimmed from 45 seconds to 35, from a 45-second high of 76.7 in 1991 to 70.2 in 1997. That’s a dozen fewer points per game between the two teams.
“Once you start reducing the clock close to 24, you’re going to make the basketball sloppier. You’re going to have more turnovers and more missed shots,” Wakman said. “I’m not sure it’s going to make total scoring go up significantly, and it’s going to make the basketball.

 

[seshomoru]

Yep...

College basketball is far and away the odd ball in all the different associations of play. Defensive rules, tie possession, bonus rules, time limits, and so on.

 

[seshomoru]

I'm not actually that concerned with the scoring in wanting a shot clock...

There are two main reasons I want it lowered. One is to force pace of play in the last minutes of a game. Basically, more potential possessions for a team trying to come back and the need for the team that's ahead to continue to actually play basketball instead of Stansbury stalling. The second reason is to reward defenses. A Grantland article from some time ago showed that teams actually shoot every 15 seconds or so. If you can stop a team from getting it's shot off, you shouldn't be forced to defend potentially two more sets before turning them over for a shot clock violation. It adds a pace to the play that may not help scoring, but at least would make it interesting.

 

[seshomoru]

But as for increasing scoring...

The NBA jumped from 93.4 to 97.2 over the 03-04 & 04-05 seasons after they introduced new hand checking rules, clarified blocking foul, and cleared up the defensive 3 second penalty. You've got to give the offensive teams room to operate, especially in college where the talent is far less than the NBA. But you also have to reward good defense, which I think a shortened shot clock does.

 

[olblue.sixpack]

Quit having everything be a blocking foul. I'm tired of seeing a defender virtuously motionless, get run over like a squirrel on the highway, and still get called for the foul. If the person advancing the ball or driving to the basket takes more than two steps once the defender has moved in front of them it's a charge.

Make where when the person driving to the basket takes 4 steps he's called for traveling again. This goes double for the NBA.

Only three timeouts per regulation. If a game goes to OT they have one added to their remaining total per OT period.

Outside of the AAU culture which won't change until it takes an elite program or two down, the biggest detriment to the game as I see it is the block/charge call. There is no such thing as an uncontested layup anymore. When a guy is rewarded (by the refs and the crowd) because he slid over on the dribble drive and flopped like a freight train hit him, scoring is going to continue to be an issue. The game is infested with athletes who can't hit a pull up jumper. If they can't score at the rim, they aren't going to score. So if you want scoring to go up, clear out the lane.

 

[Irondawg]

The timeouts are the single biggest thing to me, much like college football. Just too many stoppages of play.

I like the idea of the 4 10 minute quarter, have a 3 minute timeout between those for TV and then each coach has 1 timeout per quarter.

Overall rules i think it should also be 3 years when you enter college - the flip side is that the NBDL may start getting more of the talent, but the college game overall I still thinks benefits b/c let's face it, all KY is right now is a NBDL team.

I don't know enough about current AAU structure on how to fix it, but would like to see the NBA involved. At least in the Southeast the overall coaching of fundamentals is virtually non-existant and whey the SEC struggles so much.

 

[codeDawg]

The problem with NCAA ball is that there are just so few decent players to go around. The D-league and overseas leagues are legitimate ways to make a living if you don't make it on a roster, so there is less risk going into the draft early. That leave a few teams with dominant talent, and a whole lot of other really ****** ones. Why is the tourney so much fun? One reason is that all the bad teams stayed home.

Even the small schools that make it into and do well in the tourney have better talent than you realize. On top of that, they usually have exceptional coaching that caters to their niche style of play. These are the exceptions.

If you want more entertainment, you distribute talent more evenly. I think a good way to approach it would be for kids to sign with conferences and there be a fair way to distribute them amongst the schools. Maybe a draft style selection? Then when you get into league play teams are evenly matched.

An interesting side effect of this would be selecting a coach would be much more about their ability to coach and lead and less about their ability to recruit. Are the guys we consider elite coaches great basketball minds, or great recruiters? Well, we can't pay kids to come to schools, so what we do is pay guys that can convince kids to come to a particular school. Reversing that trend would improve the game considerably as well.

You would be placing a hardship on the signee as well if you remove their choice in school, so there would be some additional compensation warranted for family travel, travel home, etc., but think of the money that gets freed up when KY boosters aren't paying AAU coaches. Think how much more money an entertaining and competitive league generates than one dominated by a handful of teams.

More evenly matched teams with less emphasis on recruiting means better basketball. Also, some of the rule stuff from above.

 

[DerHntr]

Sesh... Looks good to me but add in a new way to randomly review the officiating crews and hold them to a MUCH higher standard. I can't remember the last college game I watched where I thought the crew did a great job. Most seem to be mediocre at best. I'm not just talking about games where I am rooting for one team over another. I watched about half of the tournament games last year and caught pieces of a large number of the other tournament games. The officials are typical underwhelming.

I think it is sort of like grade inflation in colleges. Because there are so many guys that foul constantly, the crew begins to let more and more slide. You end up with a snowball effect and crappy play.

Question about not having an agent: does this leave a player in a vulnerable position with the team offering a contract? Admittedly, this might be a dumb question. I don't know much about that side of the game because I typically only follow college sports.

 

[mstateglfr]

8. The ball advances to mid court following a time out after a made shot (like in the NBA).

The only one I wouldn't like.
In football, a team cant take a timeout and have the ball advance from the endzone to midfield.

A team must earn the positioning on the court. If they want a timeout at midcourt, then advance the ball to midcourt. Its an awful rule as it exists only to make close games possibly swing in the direction of the losing team. You shouldn't be rewarded with better position just for calling a timeout and doing nothing else.

 

[UpTheMiddlex3Punt]

What about limiting the number of subs per quarter/overtime period? Like 5 subs per quarter. Subs between quarters do not count toward this total. If a player fouls out and you have no subs left, you still get to sub but it's a technical foul and the opponent gets two shots. If a player gets injured and the team doesn't have any subs, he can be subbed out but cannot re-enter the game under any circumstances. This re-entry penalty doesn't apply if the player was injured on a foul. Foul injuries count as free subs so long as the sub occurs immediately following the foul.

 

[mstateglfr]

Quit having everything be a blocking foul. I'm tired of seeing a defender virtuously motionless, get run over like a squirrel on the highway, and still get called for the foul. If the person advancing the ball or driving to the basket takes more than two steps once the defender has moved in front of them it's a charge.

Coaches need to get their players to stop trying to slide in late to take a charge then. That will resolve your complaint right away. Even when a defender is set with their feet, the driver will sidestep and the defender will shift their body while keeping their feet planted. Its a block every time.
Sliding in when a driver is within a step of jumping for the layup?- blocking. blocking blocking blocking. That crap isn't defense- defense is being in the right position BEFORE the player is about to shoot.

Right now, 85% of contact is blocking. Even when the feet are set, the body is sliding.

Oh and that crap where a defender is running back on a fast break and suddenly turns and plants?- nope- that crap needs to be a blocking foul. That isn't defense. Especially considering nobody, not even Rose or Westbrook, can run full speed then turn around and plant without drifting when they are only a few feet in front of the player driving to the rim.

 

[thf24]

No double bonus... always a one and one.

I'd go the other direction. Bonus = 2 shots. I've always hated the one-and-one, especially down the stretch. Given a choice, I'd rather have the ball back than have a sub-70% free throw shooter awarded a one-and-one. It's too favorable to the trailing team trying to come back to be able to force the ball to a mediocre free throw shooter, foul him, and stand a good chance of getting the ball back without giving up any points.

 

[DawgatAuburn]

Another move that today's players have perfected, and Dee Bost might have been the best ever is the "Hey he's fouling me while I am out here dribbling 30 feet from the basket" move. Bost would throw up his off hand, contort his upper body, all while never losing the dribble because he knew that crap wasn't a foul.

Another one that needs to go is the three point shooter launching himself into a defender to get a foul called and go to the line for three free throws, where I might add, they rarely seem to make all three.

 

[DawgatAuburn]

Now we're developing a whole new game.

 

[FQDawg]

My crazy ideas...

If you are fouled in the act of shooting and the shot goes in anyway, you get three points (instead of two or four instead of three for a 3-pointer) and the game continues like with a normal made basket - no free throws. If you get fouled and miss the shot, you get to take your original two or three free throws.

I'd also push the shot clock back to 40 seconds... I think dropping it to 30 or less is just going to make street-ball or one-on-one ball more prevalent and there are few things more unappealing to me than an offensive possession where only guy touches the ball because he's trying to take his defender off the dribble. It's why I don't watch the NBA. Basically, I'm for anything that emphasizes passing and movement.

But the biggest thing that has turned me off basketball (and I used to be a huge basketball fan) is the refereeing. I don't know how to fix it but it's maddening to watch a game these days. The refs call really ticky-tack stuff or incidental contact when they should just let the game continue. And there are too many refs that think we're watching to see them. If there's a call the be made, just make it and go on about your business. I don't need theatrics.

A few other off-the-cuff ideas...

Each team gets 2 time outs per half to go with the four media timeouts. Once a TO has been called, a second TO can't be called (by either team) until a full second has run off the clock. This might prevent the back-to-back TOs at the end of games.

Also, no timeouts unless you have actual possession of the basketball while it is in play. Meaning no TOs by the scoring team after a made basket.

Get rid of the jump ball - the physical act of tip-off is antiquated. Just flip a coin and the winner either starts the game out of bounds or starts the second half with the ball out of bounds.

And now for a really crazy idea...

I wonder if it's time to make the courts bigger... or at least wider. The players are so big these days that it's basically a scrum at times. Making the court bigger would open the game up a bit and encourage more offensive movement.

 

[Dawg1976]

Implement the same rules as the NBA. That's where the guys want to end up anyway, just make it the same.

 

[olblue.sixpack]

Another move that today's players have perfected, and Dee Bost might have been the best ever is the "Hey he's fouling me while I am out here dribbling 30 feet from the basket" move. Bost would throw up his off hand, contort his upper body, all while never losing the dribble because he knew that crap wasn't a foul.

Another one that needs to go is the three point shooter launching himself into a defender to get a foul called and go to the line for three free throws, where I might add, they rarely seem to make all three.

Players are being rewarded for being actors. That's not basketball.

To your point, a couple of weeks ago Sword was dribbling the air out of the ball 25 feet from the basketball. When the shot clock got to one, he leaned into a defender who was standing there with his hands up and literally threw the ball out of bounds and got three free throws. They should tee a guy up for that crap.

Another MSU big trying to draw a foul shot one over the backboard against LSU. Fortunately the ref didn't buy that one.

Another pet peeve of mine - and you aren't going to like this one because it involved Duke - is when a guy is driving to the basket and he tries to draw a foul instead of trying to make the shot. Tyus Jones had one of those rare clear paths to the basket on a fast break against Louisville. Chris Jones was running slightly behind him and to his right. Instead of going to the basket, Tyus slowed down, leaned into Chris and threw it at the rim. You would have thought he invented basketball listening to Vitale. They should have called Tyus for the lean in and gone the other way.

Players AND coaches are obsessed with drawing fouls these days. Which is ironic because as you point out, so many players struggle at the line.

 

[johnson86-1]

First, mimic the baseball eligibility rule. If you go to college, you're there for three years.

Second, pay referees and put money into training so you can get some good, younger referees. A lot of the most horrible officiating I think comes from having 60 year olds trying to run up and down the court and keep pace with college aged players.

The shot clock needs to stay where it is to me. If you had players commit to 3 years, having a longer shot clock woudl allow for better quality basketball. 24 seconds is not enough time for most teams to get the ball up the court, get into an offense, and work the offense through a few ball reversals. The NBA is great, but I think the NBA and college game will be better if colleges have a longer shot clock and players stick around enough to learn how to use it.

Everything else is just fiddling with the margins. There may be some good ideas, but I'm more worried about it not being terrible anymore, not making it ideal.

 

[BulldogBlitz]

1. get rid of the shot clock.
2. lower the fouls needed for bonus
3. ejection after committing 3rd personal foul
4. give additional time outs.
5. reduce clothing allowed on dance teams.
6. increase beer sales.
7. get rid of the sidewalks outside (still won't have a use for a sidewalk fan)
8. increase the field for the tournament to 264
9. death penalty to kentucky.


that's about it.*

 

[olblue.sixpack]

Implement the same rules as the NBA. That's where the guys want to end up anyway, just make it the same.

Problem is the vast majority of D1 players have a skill set closer to HS than the NBA.