NCAA Basketball: Crazy End to a Bright March Madness

On April 4 Villanova University won his second title of the NCAA men’s basketball, thanks to a basket in the last second of Kris Jenkins, before a crowd of over 75,000 spectators at the NRG Stadium in Houston. In its edition 2015 final he won an audience of nearly 30 million viewers.

The crazy climax to more than a month of intense competition, the so-called March Madness. For the first time in its history, the competition stopped being able to be watched  for free, and TV rights were traded to four cable TV channels . Obviously this has affected the audience that 2015 had seen an increase of almost 30%.

It is a month in which paralyzes the country to see some very athletic boys playing hoops. Officially they have not had more income than their college education and their support at the university, which for many economically disadvantaged youth is a great help.

Coaches of public universities are the highest paid US officials and are real institutions there, as the case of Mike Krzyzewsk (Coach K) that takes 36 years as head of Duke University and US basket head coach. He has won five titles with Duke and 2 Olympic gold medals with the US.

Villanova University is a medium size academic institution outside Philadelphia. John Pinone, one of the most charismatic players who have played in Spain studied there. He came close to winning the title, which actually got his brother  Steve a couple of years later when John was already playing in Madrid Estudiantes.

I lived in Philadelphia a year, I could study various postgraduate courses at Penn (University of Pennsylvania), after playing several years as a professional in Spain. I had the opportunity to meet the team and practice with them a few weeks. Until mid-October «official» training are prohibited in order that the boys start the year focused studies. The Philadelphia metropolitan area is full of good college teams: Temple, St. Joseph, s La Salle, Penn, and of course, Villanova brand new champion this year. A terrific basketball atmosphere despite the NBA team of the city, the Sixers, is the worst in the league. As in the case of the Lakers splendor is gone.

Win  or gone
After several months of competition begin the playoffs where 64 teams will all play heads or tails. Exciting matches, maximum voltage audiences in the millions, some surprises and seedings (chosen through a rigorous and powerful computer program) falling out.

Most guys are not going to get in your life a professional contract. Chosen few will leave the university in their first or second year to go straight to the NBA, which makes the level may be high even if it happened as much in 80.s when players like Michael Jordan, Pat Ewing and Chris Mullin completed his four-year career before become NBA legends.

It makes perfect sense that a player with much prospect of being figure, go to the NBA before the four years of the first university cycle. On the one hand they attract a good contract in the professional league, on the other hand are at risk of injury in the university competition and thus truncating his career. Often the key players that they are the ones that generate the business created around the competition and revenue perceive it just complain. We must also say that revenues received by universities must reinvest in the development of sports in the university and to provide scholarships.

It is partly true, however the success of the NCAA goes beyond the figure of a team. It is the success of team play, the huge average quality of the players, coaches creativity, color and sound and music bands and students in thousands move where tournaments are held. Villanova’s success was beyond joy at the university. The city of Philadelphia was stopped and jumped into the streets en masse to celebrate the enormous success came 30 years later. Obviously Villanova classes were suspended on Tuesday.

Seeking  to expand in China
Basketball fans half a world already engaged in this competition and the NCAA intends to set up in China, where the NBA is already very popular. An estimated 100 million fans there are league professional basketball regularly. The NBA played exhibition games there regularly. Chinese professional league has been reinforced with several former NBA players who have come attracted by huge contracts. Earlier this week, it was revealed that Yao Ming, will become the first Chinese to enter the NBA Hall of Fame. Now college basketball is trying to promote in China.

For the first time this weekend, the men’s basketball Final Four was broadcast in China and in India. Universities of Washington and Texas opened the season in Shanghai last year-a historical landmark. It must be said that there are currently more than 500 foreign players in college football 33 percent five years ago. Possibly be an Australian Ben Simmons, who will be the number one NBA draft. In fact two of the last three numbers one were Canadian (Bennett and Wiggins). And there is growing evidence the NCAA tournament is gaining popularity abroad. Monitor it has increased by 80% outside the US in just over two years.

Study and play at a US college.
Gonzalo Corrales, collaborator of The Luxonomist, is a former professional tennis player who became one of the best junior players of his generation, lived a great academic, athletic and personal experience when he joined   the University of Georgia, with which he won the championship. So he decided to create AGM, so that others would follow his example and  enjoy his great  experience.

«We are an organization founded by athletes and formed mostly by athletes. We help athletes from around the world (and more than 1,200 from 39 different countries) to continue their education while they continue with their sport, which at the moment is «only» possible in America.»

«For us it is imperative that athletes are formed, since all left the top sport at some point and we have to live on something when we’re done. It is unforgivable that our athletes can not study because they have to do sport and is something we have to change to give them a future.» Gonzalo Corrales recently explained. From experience I must say it was a great decision to live a while in the US and study and enjoy the sport at an American university.