College basketball is one of my favorite games. I just love it. I have for as long as I can remember, which goes back to the days of John Wooden. But, one cannot deny, the game has changed a bit. Well, actually it has changed a lot since the old days. Back when I first started watching college basketball, there was no shot clock, no three-point shot, heck, there was even no dunking allowed. So, rule changes can most definitely make for a better game.

What are some rule changes I would like to see in college basketball? First and foremost, I would like to see a change in the “one-and-done” rule. I know this rule is really an NBA rule, but college basketball has a lot of pull, as does CBS and ESPN. If Major League Baseball can have a rule that says if you go to college, we won’t touch you for three years, then why can’t they get the NBA to agree to the same thing?

What is going on, especially at schools like Kentucky, is a joke. Players come in for one semester and play one year of college ball and then leave. They are essentially no closer to a college degree than they were when they left high school. All they are required to take is six hours in the fall to stay eligible. If a player is good enough to play in the NBA right out of high school, then not allowing him to is wrong. In what other profession would an employer refuse to hire you, even if you can do the job, unless you go to college for one year? That is one rule that needs changing.

Of course, we will not see it changed because CBS does not want to miss out on anymore Lebron James or Kobe Bryant or Dwight Howard type players playing in at least one NCAA Tournament.

Another rule I would love to see gone is the alternating possession rule. This rule is stupid. How many times has a team needing a big stop late in a game, force a tie up and “Oh, too bad. Arrow is pointing to the offense.” For that arrow to decide a game is as bad as when NFL overtime games were decided by a coin flip. The NFL saw that this needed fixing, even if they really didn’t go far enough. The fix for this is simple. Jump it up. They do it in the NBA.

I also like the NBA continuation play. If a guy is driving to the hoop, and he is fouled on his way, it shouldn’t matter if the ball is up over his head yet. Everyone knows he was going to the hoop. He is in the “act of shooting”. Give him his free throws.

Some are saying the 35 second shot clock is too long as slows down the pace. In the women’s game, they have a 30 second shot clock. Why do the men have a 35 second clock? It makes no sense. If women can get a shot off in 30 seconds then why can’t men? 30 seconds is plenty.

The rest of the problems with the game can be solved with the referees calling the rules already on the books. Call fouls when they are fouls. If teams lose their stars to early foul trouble, that will stop a lot of the physical play and open up the game more, leading to more scoring.

Also, call traveling. The worst offense I see is this “hop-step” that is allowed in both college and pro ball these days. In years past, this would be called a travel. A player leaves his feet with the ball and comes back down with it is a turnover. Or at least it should be. A few years ago, the refs started cracking down on carrying the ball on the dribble. That problem was fixed Now it is time to call up and down an stop allowing the hop-step.

Also, let’s make the block/charge a reviewable play. That block/charge call decides games. And it is so close as to what is a charge and what is a block it is almost a coin flip as to which way the call will go. Let’s make it a play that is automatically reviewed in the last two minutes of each half and can be challenged at any other time of the game by the coaches. If the coach loses his challenge it costs him a timeout.

Also, a play to see which team touched the ball last should be reviewable. Why this is not is beyond me. This seems like a no-brainer. Yet games get decided by which team the refs decide gets the ball and replay shows they get it wrong at times, yet they can’t go look at the monitor? Really?

So these are rule changes I would make if it were up to me.