Fixing Basketball

March Madness, and the conference tournaments leading up to it, is among my favorite times of the year. Yet somehow, I can't bring myself to be even remotely interested in the NBA. I've been thinking a lot about that,... perhaps because Kobe Bryant's retirement has been everywhere, or maybe because we're coming off an amazing run of tournament basketball that had a surprising run by Syracuse, and an unbelievable final few seconds.

So, what's lacking? What can change to get me interested in the NBA. Oddly, my attempt to play basketball czar and cure some of what ails the NBA ended up with a laundry list of things I'd like the NCAA to do better:

• Regarding the NBA draft, I'm going to change things up and borrow from the MLB's approach. If you're a HS senior, you can be drafted. If you go to college, you have to be there for 3 years before you're eligible to be drafted again. I'm not the first to suggest this (in fact, the recent Jonah Keri Podcast with Jonathan Abrams mentioned something like this), but when you think about it, this makes sense. Basketball isn't rocket science, but there is a very real physical component to the game. Very few 19 year olds come into the league ready to battle, and I think a couple years in school getting ready will make it so rookies can contribute far more effectively.
• This has an added benefit of improving continuity of teams in the NCAA. It puts out a better product for fans, lengthens the playbook for coaches, and is a win all around.
• That said, I'm absolutely going to change the way the transfer rules work. Simply put, if a player goes to play for a coach at a school,and the coach leaves, that player can leave and play at any school without sitting a year (except the school the coach goes to). Borrowing from Gregg Easterbook, I don't think players should be penalized if they're left behind by a coach who was unwilling to fulfill his promise.
• Going outside the box a little bit... I'm going to blow up the way we approach the Olympics and World Championships.... I'm sending the college team that just won a championship. Pack your bags Villanova, you're going to Brazil. Look, I know there would be some logistics to work out, especially having to do with allowing the team to practice more often (I'm sure the NCAA rule book would need to be broken for this). But how cool an opportunity would this be? For NBA players, if you're a player from another country who wants to play for the homeland, that's OK, you're allowed. But in terms of the team representing the US? I'm sending the college kids. **A quick note or two: Guys who are graduating seniors are 100% going to the Olympics. I want to send the players that just won a championship. Also, for a guy would drafted between the end of college season and the Olympics, he's going too. Finally, each player that goes should get a big insurance policy, in case an injury derails their career.
• I want to break up the mega conferences. I know that they're good for getting TV deals, but these 18 team conferences limit the annual home and home series between teams, and quash rivalries. I'm not a fan. Also, anyone who knows me will understand the next one... each conference should have a streaming TV package available.
• I don't know how, but I want to create a mechanism that keeps great coaches at second tier programs in place. Shaka Smart should have been a VCU Lifer, just like Coach L should have been able to build the program he wanted to build at George Mason. I don't know what it is, but if I'm basketball czar, presumably one of the smart people who work for me has a good idea.
• I'm absolutely giving the college basketball world a new way to kick off the non conference schedule. After a tune up game or two, I'm hosting regional tournaments (and playing them tournament style, with one team winning it). I may be borrowing a little bit from the Bean Pot, but that's OK. In the DC Area, this means Georgetown, Maryland, Mason and GW in a tournament (call it the President's cup). In the Mid-West, Ohio State, Cincinnati, Louisville and Kentucky are kicking off the season by going head to head. The Philadelphia Big 5 are getting together for a donnybrook. In Boston, UMass, URI, Providence and BC can get together. Etc. And I'm making this weekend of tournaments the real kick off to the NCAA season.
• I'm undoing the decision to break up the Big East. Welcome home Syracuse... welcome home.

Turning to the pros, only one other thing came to mind:

• I've written about how MLB seems to have forgotten that All Star games should be fun. For the NBA, I'm going to change the format of the All Star game, making it mixed. The new rule would be each team is made up of NBA and WNBA all stars, and coaches need to have 2 women on the floor at all times.

What do you think? Good ideas? Not so much? Hit me in the comments.