Jay Bilas comments on First Take
 

Bilas said that the NCAA game is more physical than the NBA.

Now I ask do you agree and if not why?

Peace

Disagree. I disagree with most things out of his mouth.

Honestly, the NBA players are bigger, stronger and more athletic. He is confusing physical with sloppy. I think the college game, being that its with less talented players, appears more physical but in reality the NBA players punish each other much, much more. They can just deal with it better.

He also claimed that this was a "well known" thing by NBA scouts or NBA people that the NCAA game is more physical.

Peace

My general opinion is that Bilas is a blowhard, but I might be inclined to agree in certain conferences. What is currently the "Big East" has a reputation for tolerance of extremely physical play, more so than other conferences.

Jay has also expressed many opinions on the state of college basketball officiating..

One I remember was that the amount of fouls called is down from the past and this has impacted the decrease in scoring.

I was just focusing on the fact that he said this as if there was no disputing this "fact."

I do agree that the NBA does a better job calling fouls on the perimeter. But that is about it. A lot of contact goes on in the NBA near the basket. How many times you see a play near the basket and the shooter looks at the official about a call that was not made?

Peace

Bilas has plenty of pro experience... in Europe. ;)

I watch alot of both NBA and NCAA games. I don't know that Bilas' statement is completely true, but I can see what he means. Twenty years ago, the NBA game was extremely physical. Think back to the late 80s and early 90s when the NBA games were much more physical (Bad Boys Pistons, Knicks etc...) At that time, the NCAA was less physical. The NBA has done a good job of cleaning up alot of the hand checking and the hard type fouls. The NCAA game has become more physical during the same span. I can see how Bilas would make the comment.

Nepotism On The Forum ???
 

Agreeing because you both have the same first names?

Whack!

I have a life long disdain for just about anything Duke related but IMO Bilas is one of the best analyst out there and I appreciate his take on things even if I don't always agree with it.

In terms of his comment that's the source of this thread I think JRut is spot on in that the NBA is less physical on the perimeter but not so much in the paint.

Does that mean that overall the NBA is less physical than NCAA? Not really but I can see where Bilas is coming from when he makes that comment.

In the NBA, the players, especially the guys in the paint are forced to play through far more contact. If NBA officials called some of the fouls you regularly see in NCAA, they wouldn't be in the NBA long.

What's old is new again...
 

These were written within a few weeks of each other during the '09-10 season.

'Rougher' than NBA, college hoops trying to adjust - College basketball- NBC Sports


The NCAA has to control rough play in college hoops - 12.21.09 - SI Vault

I guess if the players worked on their FTs, they could overcome this problem.:rolleyes:

I don't believe that college is more physical than the NBA (except on perimeter) but I do believe that it has become too physical. Looking at all of men's college ball - not just Div 1 -- it is brutal in the post. Watched a smaller college play about a month ago and they had recruited one of their football players about 6'7 300 lbs ---------- just to be physical inside. To me (and boy I'm dating myself) that isn't what basketball should be about. Yes, I understand players are bigger, stronger, faster but it seems that it is just about being physical inside.

I don't believe it is the only reason for the decrease in collegiate scoring but it sure has contributed.

On a personal note, my son who is about 5' 10- 5" 11 and 178 is working out like crazy to gain an additional 10 lbs by fall to prepare him for college ball. He told me " I have to do this to keep up ".

I don't know the answer but I know when I officiate Varsity boys ball it seems as though the physical play seen in college has migrated to HS .

Love the game , just hate to see it keep going in this direction.

:(