Fundamentals: Are They Leaving the Game?

• ernest_t_bass

  

  I am having a tough time watching the tournament this year; hell, just college basketball altogether. The games that have been fun to watch are the games where you know that the coaches stress fundamentals. Northern Iowa, Butler, teams like that... they win by playing fundamentally sound, TEAM basketball. You heard the announcers talking about that in the Butler/K. State game. One said, "Now THAT is team basketball!"
  
  Everyone raves about Evan Turner, John Wall, how great they are. I agree, they are great, have great talent, and should probably be in the NBA. But with these types players (not just those two), I see WAY too many one-on-one basketball, turnovers, WAY too fast of play (which leads to turnovers), and forcing way too much. Teams feel that they need to push, push, push, push. But one of the things I'm so glad about this tournament is that you see these fundamentally sound teams succeeding. From this point on, I'm rooting for Butler. Not because they're the "underdog," but because the way they play. They are actually fun to watch... for the true fundamental basketball fan.
  
  I'm sorry, but I think this "playground" style is ruining this great game.
• visionquest

  ernest_t_bass wrote: I am having a tough time watching the tournament this year; hell, just college basketball altogether. The games that have been fun to watch are the games where you know that the coaches stress fundamentals. Northern Iowa, Butler, teams like that... they win by playing fundamentally sound, TEAM basketball. You heard the announcers talking about that in the Butler/K. State game. One said, "Now THAT is team basketball!"
  
  Everyone raves about Evan Turner, John Wall, how great they are. I agree, they are great, have great talent, and should probably be in the NBA. But with these types players (not just those two), I see WAY too many one-on-one basketball, turnovers, WAY too fast of play (which leads to turnovers), and forcing way too much. Teams feel that they need to push, push, push, push. But one of the things I'm so glad about this tournament is that you see these fundamentally sound teams succeeding. From this point on, I'm rooting for Butler. Not because they're the "underdog," but because the way they play. They are actually fun to watch... for the true fundamental basketball fan.
  
  I'm sorry, but I think this "playground" style is ruining this great game.

  -I'm rooting for WVU. Gotta love the Eers at this point. Mostly because they've not been there in so long, plus, I was born in WV, so yeah, there's that too.
• ernest_t_bass

  

  Don't get me wrong, I was rooting for OSU, would still be, and would be giddy as a school girl if they want it all. But I can't stand their style of play. It's go, go, go, go, go... and you get turnovers, turnovers, turnovers, turnovers. Just not enjoyable to me, I guess.
• Al Bundy

  ernest_t_bass wrote: I am having a tough time watching the tournament this year; hell, just college basketball altogether. The games that have been fun to watch are the games where you know that the coaches stress fundamentals. Northern Iowa, Butler, teams like that... they win by playing fundamentally sound, TEAM basketball. You heard the announcers talking about that in the Butler/K. State game. One said, "Now THAT is team basketball!"
  
  Everyone raves about Evan Turner, John Wall, how great they are. I agree, they are great, have great talent, and should probably be in the NBA. But with these types players (not just those two), I see WAY too many one-on-one basketball, turnovers, WAY too fast of play (which leads to turnovers), and forcing way too much. Teams feel that they need to push, push, push, push. But one of the things I'm so glad about this tournament is that you see these fundamentally sound teams succeeding. From this point on, I'm rooting for Butler. Not because they're the "underdog," but because the way they play. They are actually fun to watch... for the true fundamental basketball fan.
  
  I'm sorry, but I think this "playground" style is ruining this great game.

  Rebounding is another fundamental that costs teams (especially OSU against Tenn). How many times did OSU give up easy second chance points because they didn't box out?
• pmoney25

  

  Things Destroying College BBall
  
  1. 3 Pt Line- move it back to NBA level.
  2. One and Done rule- Should be either 3 years or eliminate rule all together.
  
  I know I am in the minority but I will alway prefer NBA over College mainly due to the two factors listed above.
• SportsAndLady

  

  Lets get a few things straight...the game isn't being "destroyed" nor is it any lesser of a sport because of this new style, if you will.
  
  It's simply evolutionarily changing and some people hate change. Look, basketball used to be all white boys shooting jumpers, clock doesn't stop at all, ugh. Then the dunk and the 3 point line came along and changed everything about basketball, leaving some people (like yourselves who are bitching right now) questioning the roots of the game. Now it's this new style of basketball you see today: less fundamentals, think more of the future (NBA) than the present, sportscenter top 10, etc.
  
  It's just the new style, people.
• ernest_t_bass

  

  Sportsandbitch... are you saying that we all need to get used to turnovers? That's bullshit, and I don't care who you are.
  
  Hey, screw test scores in school. Just see who can get done with the test the quickest, have the coolest pen color, and we'll settle for C's. Your post is moronic.
• SportsAndLady

  

  ernest_t_bass wrote: Sportsandbitch... are you saying that we all need to get used to turnovers? That's bullshit, and I don't care who you are.
  
  Hey, screw test scores in school. Just see who can get done with the test the quickest, have the coolest pen color, and we'll settle for C's. Your post is moronic.

  Lol you sound just like people after the NCAA implemented the 3 point line, or the people who saw black athletes start to dunk in games.
  
  Turnovers have been happening in games similar to this rate for years, they are a natural characteristic of basketball, of course you gotta get used to it...I honestly can't believe you already haven't!
  
  Not sure where the test scores paragraph came into play, but hey, nothing wrong with settling for Cs, especially when you're about to make millions playing BASKETBALL in a year.
• ernest_t_bass

  

  I take back the "sportsandbitch" reference. That was uncalled for. But I still disagree with you.
• SportsAndLady

  

  What's there to disagree about? You disagree with history? Okay!
  
  Basketball is a game where over the years, the trends force changes, and were in the midst of one right now. Just because you don't like it, doesn't mean there's anything wrong with the sport.
• ernest_t_bass

  

  I disagree with the fact that we should "settle" for these unforced turnovers. Yes, they happen, but countless turnovers from guys dribbling into triple teams, in my opinion, is uncalled for. We're settling.
• sleeper

  

  Fundamentals are boring. The game is moving to a more exciting, high octane, type of game. They will never "leave" because learning the basics of them helps develop a player, but the old days of slow players using fundamentals as their edge are long gone, bring in the new, out with the old.
• ernest_t_bass

  

  Who says that the "fast" game can't be fundamentally sound? The "fast" game we see right now (not by everyone, but by many) is out of control. I love the fast game, if it can be under control.
• hoops23

  

  Stop watching, then you won't have anything to bitch about.
• ernest_t_bass

  

  LTrain23 wrote: Stop watching, then you won't have anything to bitch about.

  LOL, and easy response. Read this ENTIRE forum. Someone is bitching about something, somewhere.
  
  Tell you what... I'll keep watching, and just root for the fundamentally sound teams that appear to be doing well right now.