NCAA Basketball: Making some sense of a sad season

The headlines of the NCAA basketball season have been negative all year long. Glimmers of hope exist for the future, though.

Anyone following this NCAA basketball season knows they don’t need to look far for a negative headline.

Before the season even began, the FBI began tearing down the walls at major programs across the country. One of the sport’s most storied coaches, Rick Pitino, lost his job as a result.

Players began acting out quickly, with freshmen Billy Preston, Mitchell Robinson, and LiAngelo Ball finding themselves out of college basketball.

Injuries began to take hold as well. It started the very first week when prized freshman Michael Porter Jr. was lost for the year. Since then, notable players including Bonzie Colson and Tacko Fall have also suffered significant injuries.

All of that rightfully pales in comparison to the scandal unfolding at Michigan State. The atrocities committed by former school employee Larry Nassar have led to the unfolding of institutional problems at the school, ones that may force Tom Izzo out of a job.

How does a college basketball fan reconcile the severe hardships with the right to enjoy a game?

For starters, find the good in the season. The crop of freshmen lighting up the country, from Marvin Bagley III to Trae Young, represent the best of what the sport has to offer. Upsets abound, creating intrigue to last through April.

More importantly, the bad being exposed will lead to good. The FBI inquiries into the sport should help root out corruption hiding in plain sight.

And, hopefully, institutions and universities around the country will start making real progress towards creating safe environments for everyone. Scandals at Baylor, Penn State, and Michigan State are disgusting – people in power need to recognize this as a moment for reform.

Fans always wish that sports exist in a vacuum. That athletes can “stick to sports” and not talk about the things going on in the rest of the world.

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But those things are impossible to ignore. As fans, the same responsibility exists to enjoy the games while promoting opportunities to create positive change.