Mike Berman Reporter, Sports Mike Berman has had the reporting bug since the first grade, when he wrote a mock newspaper article for a creative writing assignment and got a star-plus. While at the University of Maryland, he was an honors graduate in history and English while covering the Terrapin football and basketball teams for The Diamondback (the student newspaper). After graduation, he joined USATODAY.com as an intern in August 1995 before earning a full-time position. Mike's main writing duties include a twice-weekly college basketball column when the sport is in season, as well as contributing to USATODAY.com's Fantasy Baseball coverage.

Q: Besides the academic aspect, what are the major differences between college and pro sports? What does it take for a player to make the leap from a college sport into a pro sport? Is it more or less difficult than most people think?

A: It is much, much more difficult than most people think to make the transition between college and the pros. The competition is much better, and more intense.

Say you play basketball a couple of times a week with a group of people in a situation where you're one of the best players in the game. To see what the transition from college to the professional ranks is right, try moving out of that comfort level to play against the best competition there is in your area. Imagine having to be one of the best players on that court every single day, or risk getting fired from your job and not being able to feed your family. Then imagine that millions of people are critiquing your every move, writing about you in the newspapers and calling up talk shows criticizing your performance.

That's what college athletes face in trying to make it at the next level, except that the players they're competing against are much better than those you'll find in most pickup games.

It takes a lot of talent to make it at the next level, but also a strong work ethic. You have to keep trying to get better, because there's always someone trying to take your place. And a little luck never hurts, either.

Q: What have been the most significant changes in the NCAA in the last 20 years? The last 5? Have college sports become too commercial?

A: I think that life in general has become too commercial, and college sports are a reflection of that trend. There are a lot more athletes who see college simply as a stepping-stone to the pros (or perhaps it's just that they're more blunt about their intentions). When some kids choose a college based on what brand of shoe that basketball team wears, it's definitely a problem. The last five years have seen, I think, a lot more athletes going to college with both eyes already on the NBA or NFL, and that's a shame.

On the other hand, I think the most significant change in the NCAA in the past 20 years has been a positive one; the fallout from Title IX that has increased the opportunities for women athletes.

Q: Were you surprised by UConn's victory over Duke in the NCAA basketball championship? Why or why not? Does winning this title in any way elevate a college's prestige? If so, why?

A: I was a little surprised, simply because I thought Duke matched up very well with the Huskies, particularly inside. But I never bought into the notion that Duke was some sort of a SuperTeam, and I think those who painted them out to be one did the Blue Devils a disservice.

I'm always amazed when the NCAA Tournament rolls around every year and the "experts" fall so in love with a particular team, like everyone did with Duke this year, and then act like it's the biggest surprise in the world if they happen to lose. The Big Dance is so popular because anything can happen in a one-and-done situation. That's what makes it great, but it also means that the better team doesn't always win. UConn fans probably won't agree with this, but I think that Duke was the best team in college basketball over the course of the regular season. On that one Monday in March, however, UConn was the better team.

(In the interest of full disclosure, I did pick Duke in my NCAA pool. But I don't ever win those things anyway.)

Q: How long have you been covering college sports and all the different teams? What is your favorite part about it? What are some of the biggest changes you have seen since you first began this beat?

A: I covered collegiate athletics at the University of Maryland as a senior, and went on the beat here following my graduation. So this will be my fifth year covering college sports.

There are a lot of things I like about the beat. First of all, it seems like college athletes have more fun than the pros. They're participating in sports because they love to play, not because someone's giving them a paycheck every two weeks to do so.

But as a reporter, the best thing about college sports is that there's so much to write about. There are so many stories out there waiting to be told, and it's my job to find the best ones and write about them. What's not to like about that?

The biggest change since I started the beat is that athletes are going pro earlier and earlier. I fully expect to read someday about a fifth-grader declaring for the NFL or NBA draft.

Q: Which players do you consider to be true role models to today's youth? Why?

A: I would say, first of all, that looking to college athletes as role models puts a lot of pressure on these kids that they really don't deserve. They're certainly old enough to know right from wrong, but I think they're too young to be put on a pedestal. These athletes aren't being paid to play, and they have the burdens and special pressures that being an athlete entails, to go along with the typical pressures of being a college student. It isn't an easy task.

That having been said, if I were a young person looking for a role model, I would look at people who are able to handle both success and failure. There are athletes at schools big and small who compete their hardest while on the playing field but once the game ends, win or lose, smile and shake hands with their opponent.

Q: Which college sport do you most enjoy covering? Why? Do you tend to focus on one particular sport, or do you cover the entire gamut?

A: My favorite sport to cover is basketball. I think that the sheer quantity of teams (more than 300 schools have Division I men's and women's basketball programs) offer so many possibilities for compelling stories to those who are willing to go out and find them.

Basketball is the sport that I write about the most, although I'm also very involved in our college football and lacrosse coverage.

Q: Do you have a favorite team or player? If so, who? Any particular reason?

A: When I'm at work, writing my column or editing the Web site, I have no favorite team. After work, I'm a die-hard Maryland fan. I have to be loyal to the alma mater!

Q: Do you think it's fair that players get "free rides" at big name schools and may take up slots that could have gone to more qualified students?

A: t's a valid concern, but I think the question is how colleges would determine who the "more qualified students" are. Every year, colleges accept and even offer scholarships to some applicants based on something other than their academic record. Maybe it's because they have an unusual musical talent, or their life experiences make them a unique asset to the school or their parents and grandparents went there. I've never understood why some people make a big deal about athletic prodigies getting scholarships, but nobody questions it if, say, someone gets a free ride to play the drums in the school band or an especially talented journalist is given a scholarship.

College is really about more than just spending hours in the library; it's the creation of a vibrant community for learning. I definitely think that student-athletes contribute to that community.

Q: Why are college sports so important to school administrators? Why do so many colleges recruit players so fiercely?Why are college sports so important to school administrators? Why do so many colleges recruit players so fiercely?

A: College sports give a school recognition they don't ordinarily receive. I remember reading that Boston College had a tremendous increase in applications and acceptances when Doug Flutie was quarterbacking its football team and they vaulted into the Top 25. While I was at Maryland, the school experienced a greater number of admitted students enrolling at College Park the year the school's basketball team came out of nowhere to reach the Sweet 16. Connecticut will likely have the same thing happen now after winning the NCAA men's basketball championship. I'm not saying that a lot of students pick their college based on the quality of their sports teams, but the name recognition can be very significant.

If a school hires a new dean of engineering or gets a multi-million dollar donation, the news will make the local paper, but a big athletic win gets the attention of the national press, reaching those alums in far-away places. It gets the school's name out there to people who might not ordinarily think of attending, and maybe it even gets alumni to open their wallets and give back to the school.

Q: With all the different types of sports and so many teams and so many players participating in college sports, how are you able to stay on top of it all?

A: It isn't easy. With so many schools playing so many sports, I obviously can't be an expert on everything -- there aren't enough hours in the day. So rather than focus on every specific athlete at every specific school, I try look at trends.

For example, as I'm answering these questions (in early May), I'm planning on writing a column on what seems to be an unusually high amount of prominent basketball players transferring from one school to another. Obviously, I can't talk to or mention every single player in this situation, but what I can try to do is write something that incorporates the issues that many of them face. In that way, I can hopefully writes something that all fans will find relevant.

Q: What color is the sky?

A: It looks blue, but in actuality, the sky has no color.