College Basketball Outlook as the 2013-2014 Season Opens

“College Basketball Outlook as the 2013-2014 Season Opens”

“A View from the Bleachers”

Victor M. Singletary with Curtis J. Singletary

Can the Cardinals of Louisville repeat as the NCAA National Champions?  Will Coach Krzyzewski at Duke obtain his one thousandth win?  Having missed the “big dance” of the NCAA tournament last season, will John Calipari and the Kentucky Wildcats return to the top twenty basketball programs in the nation?  Are there any specific players whose skills are so superlative that they warrant close scrutiny by basketball fans and addicts?  Essentially, what is the outlook for college basketball as the 2013-2014 season begins?

Touted to be the top pick in the 2014 NBA draft, Andrew Wiggins of Kansas undoubtedly will receive widespread and constant media coverage during the season.  Interestingly, he was the top college recruit in 2013 which means he will play one season prior to turning professional.  His meteoric rise to the upper echelon of college basketball and the professional draft will reignite the dying embers of an ideological, political, pedagogical and financial debate relating to the use of college basketball programs as revolving doors of entry to the NBA.  Given the hundreds of millions and perhaps billions of dollars that these programs generate for their schools, should not we end the farce of relegating collegiate athletics to being amateurish?  In plain language, should not colleges and universities begin to compensate athletes for their hard and lucrative labor?  Yet, as the debate rages throughout the nation, Wiggins promises to delight coaches, scouts and fans everywhere with his skills and game.

As it relates to the proverbial revolving door, within the last decade a year spent at Kentucky virtually guaranteed a slot on a NBA team.  From John Wood to Joshua Harrison to any number of “alums” of Kentucky basketball, Coach Calipari maintains the quintessential feeder program for the NBA.  Prevalent and persistent rumors cast a huge shadow over this program.  Nonetheless, we can expect a return to prominence and perhaps dominance after a year of mediocrity and strife.  You will recall Calipari’s numerous press conferences in which he openly and unabashedly displayed his frustration with the lack of a teachable attitude amongst his players.  Longstanding cynics and detractors of the Kentucky program saw a lot of smoke being blown across the heartland of America.

Plagued by allegations of substantial recruitment violations, Jim Boeheim’s top ranked program at Syracuse promises to be a repeat contender for a national championship.  Will the Orange men and their coach remain focused?  Perhaps, his chase for a thousand wins may distract them.  Given their quality of play, whether doggedly or haphazardly focused, Syracuse threatens any team they play.  An “Elite Eight” contender last year, this team can taste a championship. 

With Mason Plumlee’s move to Brooklyn to play with the Nets and Seth Curry’s move the Bay Area to play for the Golden State Warriors; will Duke retain its position in the top ten this season?  They too have the potential distraction of Coach Krzyzewski chasing a historical record of a thousand victories.  If past practice were to prove instructive, Duke develops its bench which usually possesses as much talent or more than the players on the court.  We can expect to learn the names of the current juniors and seniors at Duke who as underclassmen and loyal team members patiently waited for this moment.

Michigan lost Tim Hardaway to the New York Knicks and Trey Burke to the Utah Jazz. Did they have a good recruiting year?  Have they established a fluid pipeline of players to guard against the colossal damage that the NBA draft eligibility can cause a competitive college program?  Also, does Michigan have a substantial bench to whom they can turn? 

Ohio State’s fiercely competitive program demands mention.  Aaron Craft’s yeoman’s hustle and diligence delights basketball fans everywhere.  Will this season afford Ohio State the grace and good fortune finally to achieve a national title?  This team intimidates so many other stellar programs throughout the season.  However, they are unable to cinch one of the slots in the final game yet alone actually win the championship.  Have we ignored a progressive curse of the Buckeyes’ basketball program?

This snapshot is just that a small, incomplete and indefinite glance at a few of the trees in the vibrant and verdant forest of college basketball.  With the fast pace of the game and the drama of a switching one or two point lead keeping fans and viewers on the edge of their seats, collegiate basketball always offers startling surprises.  Recall the ascension of Florida Gulf Coast’s team and the indirect way in which their NCAA tournament performance last season raised the ball handling skills and requirements of all players.  Arguably, “March Madness” comprising the sixty-eight games of the NCAA basketball tournament is the most exhilarating athletic competition of the year.  Each season, diehard basketball fans overdose on this tournament as they attempt to watch each game.  Year to year, we have no way of knowing which school will dominate and win the national championship.  Hence, a snapshot ultimately yields to a panoramic of the forest as many surprises lurk in places we least expect.