Why do we need to “fix” the
one-and-done scenario in college basketball? What’s wrong with it? First of
all, it’s not the NCAA’s rule; it’s the NBA’s age restriction, which was
collectively bargained for by the players’ union and the owners alike. The League, essentially, does not want players younger than 19 years of age who are
not at least one year removed from their high school graduating class. That’s
fine. The NFL does not want any players unless they are three years removed from
their respective high school class. Nobody has a problem with that. The NBA’s
age restriction has given us the benefit of getting to watch exciting and
fascinating NCAA games featuring Anthony Davis and Greg Oden and O.J. Mayo and
Brandon Knight and Derrick Rose and Kevin Durant and Kevin Love. And the list
will continue. Even if it is just for one season, at least it’s something. To
this author, that’s far greater than not seeing them play any college ball. Look
what we missed out on before the rule was enacted. How entertaining would it
have been to see LeBron James or Kobe Bryant play in the NCAA tournament?
All the talk and criticism over
the last week or so has been about Coach Calipari and his “manipulation” of the
system in respect of the one-and-done athletes. Most of the comments have
suggested that something needs to be done to end this continued abuse. Although
some may have judged my prior post as bashing Calipari about those same
propositions, I, for one, actually believe that the rule should not be touched.
Why? Mostly because the alternatives are bordering on idiotic. David Stern, the
all-knowing, all-powerful Commissioner of the NBA, wants to increase the rule
by a year. So two-and-through is okay? Even better, Dallas Mavericks owner, Mark Cuban,
wants to increase the waiting period by 2 years and have players ineligible for
the NBA Draft until they are 3 years out of high school!! See ESPN Cuban Article But how do you force a young man, whether from a modest
background or an affluent family, to stay in school for 3 years when his
professional ability is worth millions and millions of dollars? You can play
professional tennis or golf in your mid-teens. Jennifer Capriati was on the women’s
professional tennis circuit at 13 years old, without even graduating from middle
school!! Not allowing young men to earn a living based upon their god-given
talent until multiple years out of high school seems a little un-American. If a 17 year-old
mathematical whiz kid wants to bypass college and go work for Wall Street
firm doing quantitative analysis, nobody tells him or her that they can not do that.
Others schools of thought have
suggested allowing athletes to once again declare for the draft straight out of
high school, but if they instead decide to go to college, it has to be a 2-3
year commitment. What is that going to accomplish? All it will tend to do is force
some high schoolers not yet ready for the League to declare for the draft out
of high school if only for the fact that they do not want to stay in school for
2-3 more years. It will only cause to generate more bad decisions and more cases
where a player is “washed up,” so to speak, at the age of 20.
Leaving the rule exactly as it is
today allows the athletes to further their education, if only for an additional
year, but it also allows them to develop their game at a higher level for that
same time frame. Most importantly, it allows the athlete to come to an informed
decision about their draft potential by obtaining impartial opinion and
analysis about their professional promise from the school’s coaching staff and
evaluators prior to entering the draft, and that is something these kids do not
get straight out of high school. At 17 or 18 years of age, most of these kids
have dominated the competition for some time, and are flocked with hangers-on
and wannabe agents telling them whatever they want to hear. And let’s face it,
as good as a lot of these kids are, most are not ready for the NBA straight out
of the prep ranks. Do not forget, before Kobe
was one of the best players on the planet, he saw a lot of pine in his first
two seasons with the Lakers. In 1996-1997, his rookie year, Kobe only averaged 15 minutes a game, started
in only 6 of them, and dropped less than 8 points per contest. His second year
was just a shade better, averaging 15 points, in 26 minutes of action, starting
in only 1 of them. And to counter that argument, I don’t want to hear about
LeBron. Forget LeBron. He’s a freak. We will not see another LeBron.
What about paying college kids?
Dumb. If you think it is hard to control the recruiting of top notch, All-American
players now, just imagine if they were allowed to receive compensation. And if
the universities did start paying the athletes, where would the line be drawn?
How much compensation? Does everyone receive the same amount? If not, who
decides who gets what amount? Additionally, it will be almost impossible, more
so than it is now, to determine whether or not players are receiving improper
benefits. The athletic scholarship, which also includes lodging, food and
books, is enough. At most, maybe have the universities insure the athletes
against career ending injuries.
The “one-and-done” rule accomplishes two important things:
it allows players to attempt a professional career at a young age, but at the
same time forces them to take a step back for a year, enjoy being a kid a
little while longer, and make a more informed decision about their futures.
Look, its not broke, so don’t fix it.
