I know the rule of one year (though it’s more like one semester … of online “classes”) has not been in effect long, but I’m surprised this idea wasn’t brought up sooner. The only reason not to do it that comes to mind is the possibility that it could hurt marketability and possible endorsements (domestically, anyway). Unless a recruit has dreams (and agents) to follow the O.J. Mayo route of playing college ball in a big market to enhance their Q score, why not go to Europe? Scouts pay attention to overseas leagues, and the quality has improved, both with Europeans, and Americans that go overseas.
If the NCAA wants to continue the charade of student athletes working towards an education, the NBA (two different things, I know) to change the age minimum to two years post high school. As it stands now, a lottery pick can enroll for the first semester, play ball, and once the season is over, leave campus. And if that were ever to happen, would the top talents (that aren’t worried about getting home sick) start heading overseas in droves?
He did the Herschel Walker/ Raghib Ismail thing and played over in the Italian Leagues because he didn’t want to play for the Clippers.
The arenas were lackluster and full of smoke, and the fans used to heat up coins with their cigars and throw them at him.
While I’m sure there is a world of difference between now and then, it still ain’t the Show.
Only point I was trying to make is that Europe is where you go when you can’t play here, as Mr. Ferry showed us.
Given the choice between playing a year in college and then going in the first round, or taking the Euros right now, the smart play is to do the year in college, unless you WON’T go in the first round (and therefore not be guaranteed a contract), in which case you better get paid.
Or, I dunno, you could stay in school for 4 years, develop your game, and get a degree. Unless you’re not college material AND don’t have that much upside, in which case you’d better… how did Robert Herrick put it… “gather ye Euros while ye may.”
On rereading my post, I made none of those points apparent. :smack:
Can’t play? He played 13 years, won an NBA championship, and made over 44 million dollars in salary. Sounds like playing to me. If he couldn’t play he never would have been signed to a second contract.
I suspect that in some cases high school players who choose to go to college for one year rather than play professionally overseas do so because they can shine against D-1 competition, therefore keeping their potentially high draft status. European pro leagues are tough.
Very interesting stuff. I guess it hasn’t happened before because most guys won’t want to be the first one to try it in case it doesn’t work out.
When the NBA instituted the age minimum a few years ago, I remember reading some predictions that a bunch of the top talent was going to skip college and go to prep academies run by agencies instead. That hasn’t happened because it turns out most of them were still able to get into college.
And there are some risks in Europe, most importantly, the stiffer competition. Those are professionals over there, and most of them are better and more experienced than the average NCAA talent. Even if you’re at a top program in the NCAA, you’re going to play some games against soft opponents without any major pro prospects. The jump from high school to Europe is steeper than high school to college and some players won’t be able to do it.
Probably because the college player doing his one and done year will make more money under the table!
Also, I think the national television coverage also helps for their future endorsement deals. They’ll get more coverage playing for an NCAA school than in Europe.
This is not really true. Say what you will about the legitimacy of the grades athletes “earn”, but the player will have to pass his first semester of classes and go to class the second semester to be eligible for NCAA play. He can’t just register for class and then never show up.
Also, while the NBA-bound player has no personal interest in remaining in good academic standing once the season is over (i.e., passing second semester classes), the program can be penalized if he leaves in poor standing.
The basketball culture, and style of play, in Europe was not really something I considered. The are a decent amount of leagues in Europe, and they are getting more respectable in terms of quality of play. Even if teams short players on their pay, a high school kid could have an agent to keep bank rolling him – which was what happened with Mayo at USC – since the player would be a pro, it would be more like a subsidy.
Jennings may not be a good fit for Europe, but there may be other players (those that aren’t shoot-first point guards) that would be willing to give it a try in the future. The coaches/leagues may not give a lot of time to teenage phenoms right now, but if talented foreign (to Europe) players start going overseas for a year that thinking could change. I think European teams are only allowed a few “foreign” players on their roster. If you wind up with some Abramovich-ian owner that wants to win, maybe he brings the player over for a year, and then offers him huge money to try to get him to stay. Kind of like the Russian Hockey Super League’s offer to Malkin.
I would never say to a kid you can’t make a living using your talent and hard work. But I think this is a mistake for the reasons Contrapunctual’s link mentions & because I think it is bad for Basketball at the High School College and Pro level. I would discourage this if I were his gaurdian.
I don’t like the rules forcing players to go to college, I’m all for a kid having options, and I hope this works out well for him. Still, I can’t see this opening up the floodgates.
Playing professionally in Europe would ONLY appeal to a high school kid who’s talented enough to play in the NBA, but dumb as dirt. I know I’m putting it crudely, even meanly, but any literate person should be able to get the bare minimum test scores to get into SOME college program. Brandon Jennings couldn’t, which means he’s not the sharpest tool in the shed.
His problem now is… well, assume he really is a potential NBA superstar, and that he’s good enough to be drafted high next year. If that’s the case, why would ANY European team invest much money in him? If he’s that good, he’d only be playing in Europe for one season- not enough time to recoup any financial investment, and not long enough for Jennings to learn the team’s system or adapt to Europe’s’ very different style of play.
Precision, crispness and teamwork are stressed in Europe, and young inexperienced guys don’t get to be stars there. Is Brandon Jennings smart enough to learn a foreign language, adapt to living in an unfamiliar society, and learn an unfamiliar style of basketball in just one season?
I doubt it- and European teams will doubt it too. They won’t pay him the kind of big money he’s dreaming of.
Still, he has an opportunity to gain some valuable skills, if he hooks up with the right team. SO, I wish him well.
