Don't diminish the tournaments, just make the season mean more

The tournament season used to be one of the unique features of basketball. That is no longer true, since now all sports at all levels do it. However, because of the compressed schedule of most basketball tournaments, it still remains a special time of year, and no one would wish to diminish it.

But what basketball MUST do is to find a way to make the regular season mean more. "Regular Season Champions" means very little these days, and there is no reason for that. Basketball has two distinct seasons, and both of them ought to mean something. Some nationally recognized entity ought to establish a National Champions award for the regular season. The conferences ought to make much more of the regular season champions. The trophy ought to be awarded every year, and it ought to be a big one.

Basketball has rolled belly-up and surrendered to football the entire season except for tournament time. We do not have to compete with football during the tournaments, but we CAN compete more with them during the rest of the season - if we want to. It just take a little attention and creativity - and the will to do it.