So, is the OAD ruining basketball? I don't think so.......

[KMKAT]

I watched the Jordan game from '14 and out of 26 players, 13 are going to attempt to be drafted into the NBA (if I have my numbers right):

Jones / Okafor / Winslow / Lyles / Towns / Booker / Vaughn / Oubre / Mudiay / Turner / Johnson / Alexander / Russell

So for such a small percentage of players leaving college, how can this be such a big issue?

College is doing just fine IMO, and the rule improvements will help.

 

[Smashcat]

It ruined college basketball when Cal was the master. Now that Coach K has adopted the same approach, you won't hear a peep from the OAD media critics.

 

[jte123]

It definitely has effected both college and pro in a negative way. If players would stay 2-3 years then the college game improves and the players going into the NBA are more ready which makes that product better. its probably never going to happen but they should implement a 2 year college rule. I sorta miss when you knew some top college players and teams would be going after each other for a couple years.

 

[bthaunert]

The college game is VERY watered down because of guys leaving early. I don't blame them for doing it, but it is 100% watered down.

 

[TruBluCatFan]

I watched the Jordan game from '14 and out of 26 players, 13 are going to attempt to be drafted into the NBA (if I have my numbers right):

Jones / Okafor / Winslow / Lyles / Towns / Booker / Vaughn / Oubre / Mudiay / Turner / Johnson / Alexander / Russell

So for such a small percentage of players leaving college, how can this be such a big issue?

College is doing just fine IMO, and the rule improvements will help.

But if you extrapolate that over 4 years then 1/2 of the top 100 players who could be playing college basketball are no longer in college. That is a lot of talent missing.

Put 7 of each of those 50 on a team and you have 7/10 of the top 10 for a season. Would it be different than the top 10 w/o them? That's a good question and I don't know.

OAD probably hurts other schools more than it does those schools like UK and Duke who lose multiple OAD each year. We just restock where a roster of upperclassman might open up some of the top players going elsewhere; kind of like 2015.

I think OAD problem has been overplayed, partially because Cal and UK took advantage of it. I'd love to see a 2 year or MLB type rule but doubt it happens.

 

[Hoskins91]

I'd rather see these guys play in college than be able to go straight to the league. It definitely hurts the product though. The only way it's changing is if they make players stay longer, because it is not going back to the way it was.

 

[jrpross]

Obviously the NCAA can't do anything about it. It's just going to be an NBA collective bargaining agreement issue. I would like to see it go to a 2 year rule personally. There are usually about a half dozen freshmen that leave after one year that are legitimately ready to contribute in the NBA. Most of the rest are drafted on potential. The owners want a longer college rule because they don't like paying millions for "potential".

The players, on the other hand, want the freedom to leave straight out of high school, which is understandable. The Garnett's, Bryant's, and LeBron's of the world are good enough to do it. The problem is THOSE players are too few and far between to merit letting so many Jonathan Bender's and Korleone Young's stink up the place. I understand their position but how many jobs out there require a certain amount of experience or schooling before they accept you? A prestigious law firm isn't going to tell a hot young law student "skip your last 2 years of school and work for us!"

I know there are legal issues, but you get the point. The NBA should be able to decide what requirements there are before they hire players to work for their franchises.

 

[Teachable Moe]

How could OAD ruin basketball when the state prior to that was that any HS graduate could go pro?

 

[BigRedMachineBigBlueNation]

Yeah, **** Dook! they're ruining college basketball
Coach K thinks he can get away with being an NBA factory!

 

[RamHard]

Over on Scott Duke board, their fans are saying their program is on another level, everyone else gets there left overs. They better enjoy it, the heels will start bringing studs back in. Now they say its a race between Jason Tatum and Frank Jackson to see who commits first,

 

[lacocat]

I'd like to see the NBA implement a 2 year rule instead of 1, but lower the term of their rookie contract 1 year so players still get into their second bigger contract on time. Plus scouts get a to see a second year of prospects at the collegiate level. You get twice as much NBA level talent for college game, and less watered down NBA, less players not ready.

 

[Orville Boggs]

"I don't take rent-a-player's", signed Bo Ryan.

 

[FtWorthCat]

The NCAA could loosen the amateur eligibility rules by allowing guys who don't get drafted to retain their amateur status. See college baseball, where in isn't unusual for guys to get drafted and negotiate contracts with agents involved, then go to college when they fail to reach an agreement.

 

[*Bleedingblue*]

You either have them for 1 yr or be like it was just prior to the one and done rule....that is they do not even go to college.
It would of helped the college game out considerably if the nba would not of had the DL league. Now they can stuff projects into the DL and wait on their development if it ever comes.

So now you have influx of guys who are not ready and not proven to even be drafted are drafted now cause they are told we will develop you.
Do away with the DL and you have a much better college game because many are not going to roll the dice if they are not lottery picks.

Yes the college game used to be much better when these guys were staying at least 3 yrs for the majority of them. Yes their were some who left early as underclassmen but they were far and few. Now after a year guys like Chris Jackson and Shaq at LSU would of played just one yr instead of 3. Even those two guys played for a conference rival but I loved watching them play.
I remember when Chapman declared after his soph yr. it was a big deal around here as it was not done since the early 70's.

 

[TruBluCatFan]

The NCAA could loosen the amateur eligibility rules by allowing guys who don't get drafted to retain their amateur status. See college baseball, where in isn't unusual for guys to get drafted and negotiate contracts with agents involved, then go to college when they fail to reach an agreement.

They cannot have agents. They have to have "advisors." LOL at the NCAA over that distinction.

 

[Federal Cat]

It ruined college basketball when Cal was the master. Now that Coach K has adopted the same approach, you won't hear a peep from the OAD media critics.

Sad but true, no they'll say K is a genius like he started it all along

 

[kats23]

It hasn't ruined today's game, the NCAA has ruined the game. Revenue and TV have caused the game to become watered down. With every conference on TV somewhere, it has caused a lot of small programs to become players and stretch out the talent nationally. Players go everywhere, small program coaches are getting paid well enough to stay and compete. Every year you have these same Cinderella programs going into the tourney and pulling upsets.

15 years ago, you would on occasion have a Gonzaga, Butler, Northern Iowa pull a sweet 16 run upset but it wasn't consistent year in and year out or the same team doing it. With these teams being featured not just in March they are able to pull in players they didn't have the ability to in the past. It's easy to look at today's game and see it's different and just blame the one and done era. The NCAA is not going to bite it's own hand and say more revenue for programs is causing parity. With parity, often comes a watered down product.

 

[bthaunert]

It hasn't ruined today's game, the NCAA has ruined the game. Revenue and TV have caused the game to become watered down. With every conference on TV somewhere, it has caused a lot of small programs to become players and stretch out the talent nationally. Players go everywhere, small program coaches are getting paid well enough to stay and compete. Every year you have these same Cinderella programs going into the tourney and pulling upsets.

Players leaving early have watered down the game. 25 years ago, guys like John Wall, Anthony Davis and KAT stayed 3 and 4 years.

 

[kats23]

Players leaving early have watered down the game. 25 years ago, guys like John Wall, Anthony Davis and KAT stayed 3 and 4 years.

Agree. But the one and done doesn't hurt today's game like critics try to make it out to be. 15 years ago, and of course before that, they didn't even have the rule and guys like Kobe, Garnett, and others just jumped straight to the NBA. The other thing is players come to college more ready. 25 years ago, a guy like Wall, Davis, or KAT would not be as far ahead when they arrived on campus. AAU and high school basketball have changed that.

When I look at the landscape of college basketball I see more harm to the game coming from more teams getting a seat at the table than I do the one and done.

 

[bthaunert]

Agree. But the one and done doesn't hurt today's game like critics try to make it out to be. 15 years ago, and of course before that, they didn't even have the rule and guys like Kobe, Garnett, and others just jumped straight to the NBA. The other thing is players come to college more ready. 25 years ago, a guy like Wall, Davis, or KAT would not be as far ahead when they arrived on campus. AAU and high school basketball have changed that.

When I look at the landscape of college basketball I see more harm to the game coming from more teams getting a seat at the table than I do the one and done.

I agree with you that the idea of the One and Done ruining college basketball is blown out of proportion. When NBA teams started drafting on potential and guys felt like they needed to jump after their freshman and sophomore years to have good draft stock, college basketball started getting watered down.

The reason there are more mid majors at the table these days is because their guys stay 3 and 4 years, hence they have the potential to be very good teams when some of the big dogs are losing guys after 1 and 2 years. It's not because those mid majors are getting 4 and 5 star players on a reg basis. If you look at this past seasons freshman class, using the Rivals rankings, you have to get to the 43rd ranked player before you come to a mid major getting a recruit. In fact, there are only a handful of guys in the top 100 that went to mid major schools.

I understand that there is zero possibility of college basketball ever getting back to where all the talent stayed for so long. When you look at the early to mid 90's, it's amazing some of the guys on those all-american teams and the year they were in school:

Alonzo Mourning - Senior
Shaquille O'Neal - Junior
Larry Johnson - Senior
Derrick Coleman - Senior
Gary Payton - Senior
Anfernee Hardaway - Junior
Jamal Mashburn - Junior
Grant Hill - Senior
Glenn Robinson - Junior

I miss those days!

 

[kats23]

Funny you mention Shaq. I just watched that SEC Storied on him and Dale Brown. In it he said he wanted to go his Soph year but his mom made him to try to balance a check book, which he couldn't do so they said "You're going back." I'm sure there is some hyperbole to that story but it shows how interests have changed with just not the players but the parents. As a college basketball fan, you do miss those days of having guys here for multiple years and really connecting with them. I get why they go though, too much money now-a-days to turn away.

You have to almost salivate thinking about a Junior Anthony Davis, or Junior/Senior Eric Bledsoe. Junior/Senior MKG. Holy Cow!

 

[irishcat1965]

The media about Cal- ruined college basketball with OADs. The media about Coach K- it's refreshing to see a coach allow his players to make their own decisions about their futures.

 

[lacocat]

The NCAA could loosen the amateur eligibility rules by allowing guys who don't get drafted to retain their amateur status. See college baseball, where in isn't unusual for guys to get drafted and negotiate contracts with agents involved, then go to college when they fail to reach an agreement.

...and in breaking news today
NCAA proposes new NBA draft rule to allow early entrants back in school

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-bas...-draft-rule-allow-underclassmen-return-school

 

[brianpoe]

But if you extrapolate that over 4 years then 1/2 of the top 100 players who could be playing college basketball are no longer in college. That is a lot of talent missing.

Put 7 of each of those 50 on a team and you have 7/10 of the top 10 for a season. Would it be different than the top 10 w/o them? That's a good question and I don't know.

OAD probably hurts other schools more than it does those schools like UK and Duke who lose multiple OAD each year. We just restock where a roster of upperclassman might open up some of the top players going elsewhere; kind of like 2015.

I think OAD problem has been overplayed, partially because Cal and UK took advantage of it. I'd love to see a 2 year or MLB type rule but doubt it happens.

Great post. I am usually on the side with KMKAT on this issue, but extrapolated out does change the conversation, at least for me.

I think the only fair rule to make is that you cannot enter the NBA until you are 22.
- A guy can dream, right?

 

[twocoach]

It definitely has effected both college and pro in a negative way. If players would stay 2-3 years then the college game improves and the players going into the NBA are more ready which makes that product better. its probably never going to happen but they should implement a 2 year college rule. I sorta miss when you knew some top college players and teams would be going after each other for a couple years.

I would say that it is more likely that the rule bumps out to 2 years in the next CBA than it is that it stays at one year or is eliminated.

 

[twocoach]

Funny you mention Shaq. I just watched that SEC Storied on him and Dale Brown. In it he said he wanted to go his Soph year but his mom made him to try to balance a check book, which he couldn't do so they said "You're going back." I'm sure there is some hyperbole to that story but it shows how interests have changed with just not the players but the parents. As a college basketball fan, you do miss those days of having guys here for multiple years and really connecting with them. I get why they go though, too much money now-a-days to turn away.

You have to almost salivate thinking about a Junior Anthony Davis, or Junior/Senior Eric Bledsoe. Junior/Senior MKG. Holy Cow!

I must not have seen the "how to balance your checkbook" class offered at my university.

Dear Shaq's mom, that's YOUR JOB to teach him that!