It's tenacious defense vs. overwhelming scoring power. It's grit vs. talent. It's Iverson's David vs. Shaq's Goliath. Meanwhile, as the June 27 NBA draft looms, the college game is full of players, coaches and schools chasing the money. High school seniors and underclassmen are passing up or deserting college for the NBA in record numbers.
Coaches abandon programs for bigger contracts.
Schools fire coaches with winning records because they're not winning enough. Too much money did a lot to hurt the image of the NBA, and its corrosive effects have seeped into the college game. But this year the NBA may have bottomed out while the college game is still trying to break its slide into semi-pro hypocrisy. One breakthrough for the NBA came with the success of young players who gambled by going pro early. The NBA once looked irresponsible for encouraging that risk, but most players who took it have thrived.