He sprints down the court with the ball and passes to LeBron James who then throws the oop to Anthony Davis for the slam dunk.
Luke Olson, Boys Basketball High School Coach Of The Year, never played at the professional level, but he did play in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics conference for Hastings College.
“Anyone that played competitive basketball dreamed of getting there,” Olson said. “I think it would have been incredible to be around those types of players and coaches.”
The NBA season does not really get started with its schedule until Christmas, according to the Bleacher Report’s Tyler Conway who wrote that the 82-game season in the NBA is about revenue and not about the players or fans. If the NBA were to shorten its season, games could be more competitive and more exciting to watch.
The NCAA and NBA face a number of questions about how things should be done. Fans say the NCAA should allow high school players to go straight to the NBA, while other fans might say the NCAA is fine how it is. Others may argue the NBA should shorten its season.
“I believe that if high school players are ready and good enough to move on, like Zion Williamson, they should be able to go straight to the NBA,” Michael Mallgrave, a student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, said.
Mallgrave believes that this rule would be better because the NCAA would not have any issues adding season games. Also, this would benefit the stars because they would potentially not have to risk a season-ending injury in college.
However, when talking to Karson Gansebom, a current Hastings College player, he felt the college season is fine how it is now.
“It is already long enough in my opinion,” he said.
When it comes to the life that a student-athlete has, Ganesbom also talked about how much time he has and whether or not he could handle a job to make money in his spare time.
“We are always busy with something, whether it is practice or traveling for games, there is no free time to have a job,” Ganesbom said. “Making the season longer would just create more stress for the athletes and their schoolwork.”
When asked if college basketball should lengthen the season to prepare players for the NBA, Olson also felt it should stay how it is now.
“I think college is perfectly fine how it is,” he said. “However, I believe the NBA should shorten the season as players do not play as hard for their entire career due to the number of games. Shortening the season would lengthen careers and make for a more competitive season.”
Going off what Olson said, other sources—like Bleacher Report—have said “a shorter schedule means better games on TV for fans.”
Although lengthening the collegiate season to prepare future NBA athletes for an 82-game season might sound like a good idea, it might not benefit every college player out there. Fans and family of college players said it was not the worst idea but changing other rules would be much more beneficial.
Many fans and coaches have ideas for the NCAA to consider.
“If athletes believe they are ready and can handle being a professional and if the league is ready for them, then I think they should have that as an option,” Mallgrave said.
Mallgrave along with many other fans of the NBA would like the rule to come back to allow high school players to come straight to the NBA. While the NCAA and other former players think otherwise like Olson, some of the decisions to make can jeopardize the rest of your life.
“Outside of major level Division I athletes, most players have jobs and classes to take care of,” Olson said. “Lengthening the season jeopardizes those things, along with more expenses for the school without a benefit.”
