Your thesis can be illustrated even further by the recent lack of success team USA has had in international basketball competition. From top to bottom, the international teams do not have better athletes, however, they play better team basketball and they practice together on a more regular basis. Team basketball and continuity wins games and that is why team USA has taken a hit recently.

All things considered, USA basketball has recognized their inherent deficiency and is working diligently to build a team/program, rather than a collaboration of high-flying athletes. The fundamentals of the game of basketball do not change. The style of play and details of the NBA game have changed from their original days while the international game has stuck to the fundamentals. The NBA game is a product that has been molded and shaped for the consumer. The international game isn't there yet, although the market for basketball is expanding and the international game could follow.

The NBA season is about providing a consumer friendly product on the floor each night in hopes of winning enough games to get into the playoffs. Once in the playoffs, the true personality of the team comes out, which ultimately leads to the most fundamentally sound team winning the NBA title. (AKA: The San Antonio Spurs as of late).

Team USA and USA basketball have recognized their faults and are trying to get back into the market of winning. I hope Team USA continues to improve and brings home the gold in Beijing.

This article shows great insight into the game of college basketball and how it all plays out on the court. Keep writng about what you know and love.

I truly think this has a lot to do with these upsets. I think you are right on with this and it is not to take away from the accomplishment of an upset because at any given time there can be one but it doesn’t happen over an extended time period. Now with the NBA in comparison to international, the players that play international have gotten much better. They are not unequals anymore. Look at the NBA rosters that are full of international players. There is more of a team philosophy but it is allowed because of the rules also. The NBA is set to show an individual’s talents because of the defenses that they are not allowed to play. There is the defensive 3 seconds call that eliminates good helpside D. But that's another story. As for college it is interesting to see these upsets but I would like to see what the numbers are of mid-majors beating majors over the last 10 years to see if in fact is really more at this time.

Great stuff Michael. Value point of experience and continuity over inexperience and new talent coming in every few years. That's truly how the mid majors win is because of their years of playing together over a long period of time. If the BCS schools had their star players through their junior year, we would probably see less upsets. Keep up your writing and love for college basketball.