Dustin Toms: Fact/Fiction. I feel like this is a loaded question. For the hardcore college hoops fan, this would be nothing short of a disappointment. You don't want to start playing halfway through the season, you want to take control once the actual season begins. But on the other hand, for the gaming companies, releasing closer to the tournament would probably make them more money in the long run. When it comes down to it, we all just want a new college hoops game.

Christian McLeod: Fact. I consider myself a college hoops fanatic -- the kicker is that outside of the early season tournaments, my interest level in the sport doesn't peak until mid/late January. Once college football is over and the NFL Playoffs come to an end, college basketball kicks into high gear. Also, by January interest in NBA gaming is beginning to tail off after a four month play period. Why not refine the NBA engine, polish up gameplay quirks, and even add some new features to the college game? In short, use the NBA game as a beta to perfect the college game, and then use the college game to use as a beta to perfect the next year's NBA game? Seems like a win-win for everyone involved to me.

Dustin Toms: Fact. I honestly believe there will be. I don't neccasarily mean that we will have a full blown retail release, we may see something on XBLA or PSN. The market for college basketball isn't as big as other sports, but it has enough of a fan base to bring in plenty of dough.

Christian McLeod: Fact. I'll go out on a huge limb here, but there is no way a company like 2K that has almost perfected its hoops engine in NBA 2K11 would not attempt to cash in on a college game. Demand for a new college title is at an all-time high, and outside of paying for the NCAA license, I can't see the process being that large of an investment. Hell, 2K could just go ahead and give us NBA 2K11 with college skins, and I think many of us college hoops junkies would be happy.

Regardless, whether it's a DLC March Madness playable bracket, a program builder-like text sim or a full-fledged college hoops title, we will be seeing some form of a college basketball game in the next three years.

3. College Hoops 2K8 is the best college basketball game of all time.

 

Dustin Toms: Fact. Without a doubt. The gameplay for its time was unmatched. The play-calling system was pretty legit, and the graphics were phenomenal. But what seperates this game from others is the depth. In Legacy mode the options were endless. You could build from the ground up at a small school or start big with Duke. Either way you controlled everything about your team, including recruiting. I can't even begin to start counting the hours I spent just recruiting in that game. Still to this day I play it once in awhile.

Christian McLeod: Fact. It may not hold up that well after all these years, especially after playing NBA 2K11, but it is still the GOAT. In-depth recruiting, realistic plays, having to manage personnel, weekly wrap-up highlight shows and a punishing closed legacy all helped to create one of the most memorable sports gaming experiences of my life. I'd also like to show some love to EA's NCAA Basketball 10 for giving us the best broadcast presentation ever in a college basketball game

Dustin Toms: Fact. I'm a big basketball junkie. I live, breathe and die by the sport so of course I am going to say this is the best sporting event of the year. There is something about filling out brackets that will never get old, and having the chance to see small teams go on miraculous runs is just another added perk. The only thing that could ever top this is if the Sonics were in the NBA Playoffs, and that won't be happening anytime soon.

Christian McLeod: Fact. Three full weeks of the most competitive basketball you will ever see, coupled with some of the greatest and most improbable storylines in all of sports, makes March Madness the unmatched champion of sporting events. Where else can a small private school in Indiana, which was practically unknown five years ago, be playing in back-to-back National Championship games on a D1 level? College basketball is the only sport where the little guys actually have a shot at being crowned the champion. You can't really say that about any other sport, professional or collegiate.