The Good Doctor Reminisces On College Basketball's Glory Days

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By Dr. Jeff A. Glenn / @jagadelic

Has watching college hoops for the last two or three years given you the feeling that you're drinking 3.2 beer instead of your favorite draft? Or you reserved a midsize at the car rental agency but got stuck with a Mazda 323? I'm sorry, but the product were being served today is like a cake from the store. It'll do, but it's nothing like Mom used to make.

I guess I'm spoiled. I was 12 in '79 when I watched Magic and Bird play in what is still the highest-rated college basketball game of all-time. I miss the '80's, when nearly everyone stayed at least three years. UNC had Jordan, Worthy and Perkins. They had to deal with Ewing from Georgetown and Akeem from Phi Slamma Jamma.

I miss the Glide, the Dream, Dr. Dunkensten, the Round Mound of Rebound, Run TMC, Big Country and Never Nervous. Today's players don't stay long enough to get a decent nickname. Anthony Davis, the Unibrow? Ugh.

I miss The ACC tourney. Not today's version which decides who's a 1 and who's a 3. The NCAA Tourney used to have 16 teams. Only conference champions were accepted. David Thompson of NC State, Len Elmore of Maryland and Dean Smith's boys had to fight to the death for the bid.

The '90's were just as good with LJ and the Shark at UNLV, Grant and Christian at Duke, Nolan and 40 Minutes of Hell, Shaq and the Fab Five. Is there any doubt that any of those 80's or 90's teams would whip today's squads like they stole something? Walton's legendary UCLA squad won 88 straight until Notre Dame and Adrian Dantley took them down. Today's #1 teams lose before the press release comes out.

The last great college team was the back-to-back '06-'07 Champion Florida squads that featured Noah, Harford and Brewer. Hope you enjoyed them because no one stays to defend a title anymore.

What do I propose to fix this problem? Absolutely nothing. I'm against any plan that forces someone to attend college when he'd rather try to earn a living. The toothpaste can't be put back in the tube. Some folks prefer the parity and uncertainty. I enjoyed watching the giants hone their craft.

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