NCAAs my break from expectations

Thursday, March 21, 2013

It's probably pretty clear by now that I am in favor of basketball at all levels. In just the past few weeks I've covered middle school, high school, college and NBA games, and I've enjoyed all of it.

Basketball is wonderful. The problem for me is that, as I start to watch higher levels, I tend to stop watching just for the enjoyment of the game and start looking for the future.

I pay less attention to how good someone actually is, and I start thinking about how good they might potentially be in the future. I'll watch the Pacers' Paul George and instead of marveling at his defensive intensity and his smooth offense I think, "That guy is going to be really good some day."

When I watch a random Pac 12 men's game, I look for players who I think will make it to the NBA. This has almost always been the case.

It's different when I watch a team that I'm a fan of. When I watch my favorite college, I appreciate the players for their current ability, not what they might be.

But with no vested interested, it's practically the only thing I pay attention to. And I don't like it.

When the NBA was locked out last fall, I missed the games but I filled that hole with something else: I could actually watch the college games and not think about which players would make the NBA.

There was no NBA. For that month, the players were already at the pinnacle and I could just watch them and enjoy it.

That brief stretch was among the best times I've experienced as a college basketball fan. With nothing else to reach for, the players (in my mind) were playing for now.

Of course many probably were still trying to reach the NBA -- it wasn't going to be locked out forever -- but somehow it clicked for me and I didn't even think about that.

Potential meant nothing, it was all about the present.

This might be why I liked watching the DePauw women so much: this is the top level they'll ever reach, so I just got to soak it up and enjoy it for what it is.

So now I'm trying to continue that feeling.

For the first time in 15 years, I won't be filling out a bracket. I'll root for teams in the tournament, but it will be because I like how they play, not so I can win anything.

I'll enjoy the tournament games for the present. When players stand out I'll marvel at their abilities, but I won't wonder what they'll do in the NBA.

(Some of my favorite college basketball players -- Julius Hodge, DeShawn Sims, Juan Dixon, Chevy Troutman -- have had virtually no impact in the NBA, so I'm not sure why I didn't think of this before.)

Each game will mean more, because the winner won't matter as much as how it's played.

I won't have a rooting interest prior to each game, so I'll be able to watch the subtleties and skills and appreciate the players for what they are.

Except when Ohio State plays. I'll root against them.

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