I couldn't agree more with MJD's Gator appreciation -- this Florida team is tremendous, and if the Gators win tonight, they'll deserve to be mentioned among the all-time great college basketball teams.So now that we've established what the Gators are, let's establish what they are not: They're not an NBA team. They couldn't stay on the floor with an NBA team. Many people -- myself included -- enjoy college basketball more than the NBA, but we all fully understand that the quality of play in the NBA is much, much higher than the quality of play in the NCAA.
All of us, that is, except Mike Freeman, who today writes one of those columns that he probably doesn't really believe and instead just thinks it'll be provocative. His thesis: This Florida team would beat the five worst teams in the NBA. Freeman's column is so ill-considered that I thought about giving it the full Fire Joe Morgan treatment, but I just didn't think it was worth that much energy.
Put the Gators and the Grizzlies on a neutral floor, and if they play 10 times the Gators might be able to keep it within 20 points once. Greatness in college basketball should be appreciated in its own right and not cheapened with silly comparisons to the NBA. I look forward to Freeman's upcoming column about how the Tennessee women's team would beat the Knicks.
Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Don't let Dan Shanoff see you said that, since he's such a big Gators fan after all.
Let me guess, you picked the USA to beat Puerto Rico, Lithuania and Argentina in the 2004 Olympics. We should have sent the Grizzlies.
THANK YOU!
Any NBA or NFL Team would absolutely demolish the top college team. Period. The reasons are far too abundant to expound upon.
Man, this is one of my least favorite arguments in sports punditry.
The training involved on pro teams alone would give the pro players a huge edge. And then, obviously, is the fact that only the very, very best players in all of the college game (out of, what, 300 schools?) play for the big boys.
This kind of argument drives me even crazier when someone tries to say the best college football team could beat the worst NFL team. Given the size and speed of NFL players compared with college kids -- the college team would be lucky to make it out with all its limbs intact.
NCAA Teams have more TEAM talent and heart than any millionaire NBA team. Ask the NBA'ers who were sent to represent our best and lost in the Olympics. GREAT TEAM WORK!! The NCAA'ers do have to learn multi-tasking to become an NBA player though. They have to learn to play basketball, fight, shoot weapons, use drugs, and womanize before they can be considered part of the Thug league.
Because we all know Florida's Big 4 have never used any drugs, and only have that Bob Marley poster in their apartment because they're big reggae fans.
@5 [Martin Baise]:
That's not what he's arguing. He's simply saying that no college team could beat an NBA team.
I am so happy about Don. Hooray for any white man in america who has the balls to call it like it is. Nappy-headed ho's indeed. Huzzah!