by Bailey Knecht, sports columnist

Around the time March Madness rolls around, so does the annual argument over whether college or professional basketball is better. I’m not here to try and change anyone’s mind, because I do think college basketball has its perks, but I’d like to explain why I prefer professional hoops by disputing a few common claims used by college fans.

1. NBA players don’t play defense.

When an NBA player is facing up against elite offensive players, of course it’s going to look like he’s not playing defense when someone like James Harden or Russell Westbrook blows by him and euro-steps to the basket. That’s just how offensively skilled most NBA players are. Their insane handles and ability to drive to the basket at lightning-fast speeds are the reasons they’re playing at the professional level. Sometimes, there’s just nothing a defender can do to stop them. Most of the time when college players miss shots, it’s not because the defense they’re facing is so elite. It’s because they’re just not very good at making shots.

Obviously, NBA players don’t give 100 percent on the defensive end on every possession, but they more than make up for it on the offensive side. And how many people can truly claim they watch basketball just to see some solid, old-fashioned defensive stops? Call me crazy, but I appreciate the creativity and flashiness of NBA offenses.

If you’re still caught up on the defense argument, go back and watch LeBron James’s pivotal block on Andre Iguodala’s layup attempt in the 2016 NBA Finals a few more times. One of the most defining plays in NBA history came on the defensive end in that moment, so I don’t want to hear about how NBA players are lazy in that sense.

2. The NBA is predictable.

Lots of basketball fans prefer college hoops because upsets are so common, and it’s hard to guess who will be the champion at the end of the season. A valid argument, for sure, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to predict every result during the NBA season. I’m sure most NBA fans predicted that the record-breaking, 73-win Golden State Warriors would win the 2016 finals, which, of course, didn’t happen. An eight-seed like the Denver Nuggets or Portland Trail Blazers will most likely not beat the top-seeded Warriors or San Antonio Spurs in the playoffs this season, but the NBA will still have its fair share of surprises, especially in the Finals.

3. College basketball rivalries are more exciting.

This one is tough. Had I attended a basketball-obsessed school like Duke or Kentucky, I may feel differently about the topic, so I can’t necessarily speak from experience. However, I do know that the fact that NBA rivalries are constantly shifting shows that the power dynamics are also shifting, which keeps things interesting. Just because the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics aren’t bitter rivals like they were a few decades ago doesn’t mean the players are suddenly best friends. The longstanding college basketball rivalries may not exist in the NBA, but the level of competition and intensity between professional teams is still compelling.

What the NBA lacks in rivalries, it makes up for with its polarizing players. In the one-and-done era of college basketball, we’re lucky to get to watch college players for more than 30 games. In the NBA, however, we get to know the players over the course of their entire careers, which can last up to two decades (shoutout to Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan).

Throughout the years, I’ve become familiar with NBA players’ personalities, from snarky guys like Westbrook to selfish players like Nick Young to straight-up foolish ones like JaVale McGee. I’ve made fun of just about every NBA player at one point or another, but honestly, it’s not really that fun hating on innocent college players who are barely even 18 years old (unless, of course, that player is named Grayson Allen). The unique, competitive personalities of each individual player turn NBA games into must-watch events every night.

The NBA definitely has flaws—the 82-game schedule can get monotonous, and the super teams will most likely still be standing deep into the playoffs—but I’m happy to be a part of it all if that means I get to watch the best basketball players in the world every night. With only 1 percent of all college players talented enough to make it to the NBA, I think it’s clear which league is the more elite one. I’ll tune in during March for some quality college hoops, but the rest of the time, you can catch me watching a good chunk of the 1,230 NBA games that are played throughout the rest of the season.