As a fan of basketball, it pains me sometimes this year to watch college basketball.

The lack of offense at times accompanied with the over excited officials who continue to slow down the flow of the game have driven down the quality of basketball at the college level to mediocre at best.

Kentucky, Duke, Gonazaga and maybe a few select others are exempt from this conversation, but the majority of teams in college basketball - I am talking to you.

Quit passing so much, quit taking bad shots, quit putting yourself in position for over zealous zebras to call the many fouls they so often love to call. Get into your offense, play good transition basketball when the situation provides and for god sake, put the ball in the basket.

And oh yeah, please make a free throw every once and a while.

I could bore you with stats and box scores, but the average fan isn't going to look those numbers up because they don't need to. They have seen it with their own two eyes. The product in college basketball from a talent perspective and production perspective is down.

Some of it can be attributed to the aforementioned issues. But don't forget about the 35 second shot clock needing to change to a 24 second shot clock. Or the one and done rule allowing for more inexperienced players to get thrust into action before their skill set has transitioned to the next level because so many guys are leaving for the pros.

Everyone will still tune in come March Madness, that isn't my point.

My point is there are too many people like me that tune in all year round and right now we are disappointed. Disappointed in a product that we know can get better with some adjustments.

Please, those who care and those who can affect change lets make it happen, so this isn't a trend, yet just a bump in the road to better hoops.

** YOU CAN EMAIL JEFF THURN AT JT@ESPN991.COM AND FOLLOW HIM ON TWITTER @JTESPN991.

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