March is a time for playing meaningful college basketball games. First, you want to do well in your league tournament. Then, you want to make a deep run in the NCAA tournament and make the Final Four. These are the goals of all college players when they tie up those sneakers.
But besides the glamour and glory of this season, there is a stark reality. College basketball players are first students. And the better they accomplish in the tournaments, the more classes and schooling they miss.
The bottom line is a true student athlete has a difficult task in big-time college basketball. Players are constantly working on their games. They spend many hours in practice and playing in the games. Because they spent so much time away from campus in the postseason, they better have top-notch time management skills and use spare time for studying.
Sure, students can slack off but it will catch up to them. If it gets bad enough, players lose their eligibility and are prohibited from playing. I often wonder why some players choose this route. The players have invested much in themselves. The university athletic department has done likewise. Why not take advantage of the situation and earn that degree.
As you watch postseason play the next 2-3 weeks, remember the pressure the athletes are under. They not only need to perform well on the court, but at the same juncture perform well in the classroom too.
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