No jaw-dropping dunks by Blake Griffin. No ankle-breaking crossovers by Derrick Rose and no Big Three. This is the world we live in thanks to the NBA lockout, and basketball fans everywhere have been left in a state of depression.
Although the lockout has negatively affected everyone involved, there is one giant beneficiary, and that beneficiary is college basketball.
What’s the best replacement for basketball? Umm, basketball. Before, I would have chosen an NBA game over a college game nine times out of ten. Now, college basketball has no competition, and basketball junkies who need their fix will be watching.
Most basketball fans typically tune in for a couple of games during college basketball’s regular season, but the real interest doesn’t spark until the NCAA tournament begins. Well, it looks like March Madness will be arriving a few months early.
It’s true that the talent level and speed of college basketball doesn’t compare to the NBA, but without the NBA to watch, there really isn’t a basis for comparison, is there?
What remains to be seen is whether or not the NBA lockout will have any long-term effects on the viewership of college basketball. Once the lockout is lifted, will basketball fans fall back into the habitual pattern of choosing the NBA over the NCAA, or will they discover a newfound loyalty and appreciation for college basketball?
I don’t have a crystal ball in my hand. Therefore, I couldn’t tell you. What I can tell you is that college basketball should receive a nice viewership boost as long as the lockout is in effect.
For NSU students, now that you don’t have the Miami Heat to watch, maybe you can go out and support your own basketball teams. Just a thought.
