No offense to the NBA, but many argue that the pro game has gone away from its team play roots. The game of basketball wasn’t meant to be a one-on-one show or an And 1 highlight reel. It’s a team sport and rarely do you see that in the NBA nowadays. The NBA has become so player driven that we’re barely into the 2009-2010 season and we’re already talking about where LeBron and Wade will end up next year, ultimately preemptively winning the NBA title, much like when the Big 3 went to Boston.

College Basketball, however, operates differently. Sure, to some extent it’s become a one year stopping ground for phenomenal high school talents that need to get their year of college ball out of the way before making millions in the NBA, but basketball at the college level still operates as a team sport. Below are five other reasons why college basketball is better than professional.1. “Duke” “North Carolina” “Xavier”

Anyone who has played basketball at some sort of organized level (junior high, high school) has heard those plays called out. You never hear “Bulls!” called out for a play, which would presumably be a play where everyone on the court gets out of the way while someone wearing 23 does something amazing.

2. No money

Yeah, money is great, but college players aren’t getting paid to play. They’re playing for the love of the game. They’re also, presumably, playing for the love of their school. LeBron has already said he’ll go wherever he has the best chance to win while getting a max contract. The college mentality would be to stick with your team through thick and thin, not waiting to find out what your Olympic buddies are doing. Besides… athlete are way overpaid for playing what’s ultimately a game anyway!

3. No Fame

Let’s face it! NBA stars are treated like Gods and 99.9% of the time it’s unwarranted. College players have their egos a bit more in check, unless your Michael Jordan’s kid, demanding to wear Nike.

4. More coaching

The NBA has coaches, sure… But c’mon. Anybody can tell Steve Nash to go out there and be awesome.

5. March Madness versus NBA playoffs

Starts in March and goes a little bit into April. The NBA playoffs cover three months and feature teams with losing records (last year’s Pistons, anyone?).