College basketball isn’t for me. I went to NYU, where the basketball team is called the “Violets” and makes the Division III NCAA Tournament like once a decade. The student body has a nihilistic attitude towards its sports teams—a far cry from the nights when NYU would sell out Madison Square Garden back when stars like Cal Ramsey were going on to playing careers with the Knicks. Today, NYU produces account managers for MSG, not ball players.
There currently are no plans to use the school’s $3 billion endowment to improve the team. I went to school to study Sports Management, so you can imagine how bummed I’ve been every March. I’m a college basketball escapist, but my love for the game itself, particularly at the NBA level, always draws me back in—not for the teams, but for the talents.
This upcoming NBA Draft figures to be even stronger than last year’s class. It’s deep throughout the lottery, and at the very top, potential MVPs lurk. My New York Knicks should—unless they manage to trade the pick (notice how I’m assuming the worst here)—have a shot at drafting first in 2015. March Madness is the NBA junkie’s last look at the best amateur basketball players that North America has to offer. When you’re binging on tournament action, keep an eye out for these 10 March Madness Players Who Are Poised to Dominate the NBA in the Near Future.