From the category of toss-ups: say there was a jump ball between college and professional basketball. Which is looking more marketable for the upcoming season?
The guess is that, no matter your preference, you're bound to find the storyline that rallies you one way or the other—in all likelihood, to both—when the seasons get underway in about two weeks.
On campus, Bo Ryan's Badgers have enough depth to be the envy of all Big Ten teams. Four of the five starters from last year's team are returning, including 10 of 11 letterwinners. And the talent level is such that several publications are predicting a top-ten finish. CBS Sportsline has put UW as the fifth best team in the nation. Street & Smith have them at seventh.
At the individual level, Alando Tucker is receiving the most acclaim from media types. Sportsline has proclaimed Tucker to be the best senior in the country, the third-best small forward in college hoops and Big Ten Player of the Year. ESPN has selected Tucker to be one of the ""Impact 25""—a list of the 25 top players, coaches, administrators or others who will have the most impact this year.
On their prospects for success in the Big Ten this year, the Badgers have to feel confident. The other team UW is expected to contend with is Ohio State, which will be without Greg Oden until January. Incidentally, that's when the first of the Badgers' two games against OSU falls on the schedule.
To the extent that fans like team-oriented basketball, the Big Ten is going to be especially salable this year. There look to be about five players who could have breakout years. Other than that, though, this season will be predicated on the concept of team basketball.
Contrast this to the pros, where the talent level is boundless. What are we to expect from LeBron James and Dwyane Wade this year with that controversial new basketball in their hands? James averaged 31 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in his third season last year, while draft-classmate Wade led his team to an NBA championship.
If you are a Bulls fan, there's plenty of well-founded hype: Last year's number one defense has added Ben Wallace. This may in fact now be the best team in the Eastern Conference, considering they took the Heat to the brink of elimination in last year's playoffs.
In Milwaukee, once the ill-timed injuries are healed, an up-and-coming front-court will come into focus. The Bucks swapped T.J. Ford in the offseason for Charlie Villanueva. The dynamic combination of Villanueva and Bogut gives the Bucks their best four and five men in years.
Elsewhere, one of this fan's favorite players—Tracy McGrady—returns to what will be a formidable Houston team. In New York, we get to see the Marbury-Francis backcourt. In Minnesota, they seemingly haven't made the changes to ease Kevin Garnett's concerns. Phoenix gets Amare Stoudemire back and in Philly, Allen Iverson may eventually have to be traded.
As for that jump ball, it would never be conclusive anyway. If the pros win, all's fine. If they lose, it's that recently familiar refrain: They need a different ball.
—Jon is junior majoring in journalism. He can be reached at bortin@wisc.edu.
