College basketball analyst nails major change the men’s game desperately needs

We are entering the greatest time of the year of college basketball, March Madness. The conference tournaments for the women are kicking off this week while some men’s tournaments have begun, with the rest beginning next week. Selection Sunday is just 10 days away, believe it or not.

If we’re being honest, the men’s game needs some changes. There’s no doubt about it. You could go to any number of areas where changes would be beneficial for the sport, but ESPN analyst Jay Bilas came out and said what the men’s game needs to do.

ESPN analyst Jay Bilas says men’s basketball needs one major change

In the final seconds of Florida’s, 99-94, SEC win Wednesday night at Alabama, Bilas said the following on the broadcast about the men’s game, two changes that need to be made.

He’s correct. The men’s game needs to go to quarters and reset the fouls after each 10 minutes. The women’s game does it and it’s the right thing to do. They also get to advance the ball during timeouts late in games like the NBA does to midcourt and that too is needed in the men’s game.

You are going to have traditionalists who think this wouldn’t like the changes, but the bonus in the men’s game needs to go by the wayside. Every foul after five in each quarter should be two free throws.

As far as the officials go, Bilas is also correct in each team getting a challenge and if you win it, you get one more. If you lose it, you’re done for that game. There are too many times late in the game where officials are at the monitor in the final two minutes reviewing every little thing. It’s not good for the game unless it’s a clock issue. Reviewing nearly every out of bounds call in the final two minutes is not good for the game.

You see it in the women’s game and when watching it, it just makes too much sense for the men’s game to follow their lead. Strategy-wise, it would make for fun end of games that are close.