The pace and space style of basketball used by numerous NBA teams has become popular because it works, it creates opportunities for all five players to score and it is fun to watch.
While they still are locked in to a more traditional, i.e. slower, pace, college teams steadily have been embracing elements of more free-flowing basketball the last few seasons. The NCAA has encouraged a move toward increased offensive possessions and higher scoring by implementing several rules changes that help offenses.
These changes have ushered in a new era of post play and brought about a redefinition of what type of roles forwards and centers have in the modern game.