Leaving Early

By: Eli Kaberon

Last year, playing for the North Carolina Tar Heels, freshman forward Brandan Wright averaged nearly 15 points, six rebounds and two blocked shots a game. He played over 27 minutes a night and started every game for a squad that ended up in the Elite Eight. Wright was named Freshman of the Year in the Atlantic Coast Conference and was the MVP of the ACC tournament.This season, Wright is a rookie playing for the Golden State Warriors. His numbers are a bit different, as he posts nearly three points and two rebounds per contest. That is, the contests he actually steps on the court for. Wright has played in only 15 of Golden State’s 46 games, starting just one. And in those games he does play in, it’s only for about seven minutes.

Basketball-wise, it looks like Brandan Wright made a foolish choice to leave UNC early and head to the pros. He’s playing about a fourth of the time that he did a year ago, and his Warriors have already lost 18 games, 17 more than this year’s Tar Heels squad has. Wright is the youngest player on Warriors roster by over a year, plus he has to be around Stephen Jackson for six consecutive months. Not good.

Yet an argument could be made that Wright did make a wise decision to enter the NBA. His 2007-08 salary is over $2.3 million, and that number goes up each of the next four seasons. Not to mention that he’s playing against the best players in the world for an experienced head coach, Don Nelson.

The problem with the latter of the two opinions is that Wright could have still made boatloads of money by staying at North Carolina another year. Too many times college players want to strike while the iron is hot and enter the NBA as fast as they can, not realizing that they are just signing up for 82 games of bench splinters. Instead they could stay in college, continue to get an education, and also advance their basketball career. That way when they do enter the pros, they will be ready to contribute immediately.

An NCAA rule requiring student-athletes to stay in school for a minimum of two years would be able to do that. The NBA would be helped, because the talent entering the league would be more mature and able to be successful right away. And college basketball would benefit, since star players would be playing longer and there wouldn’t be so much turnover from year to year.

Back in 2006, the NBA created a rule that said that all players in the league’s draft had to be at least 19 years old and be one or more years out of high school. That meant no more Kobe Bryant’s going right from the prom to the pros.

That rule has had a positive effect on college hoops. It meant that players like Greg Oden and Kevin Durant- sure lottery picks whenever they decided to enter the draft- had to at least step on campus for one season. Those two guys did their year of service last season and were the top two selections in the pro draft last June. Now current freshman like Kansas State’s Michael Beasley and Indiana’s Eric Gordon are playing college hoops instead of carrying a vet’s bags on some long NBA road trip.

So why doesn’t the NCAA step in and trap these players? They already are banned from the NBA until at least one year after their high school graduation, so the NCAA could create a rule that says if you want to play college basketball, a player must put in two seasons. The players then would be forced to either go overseas and play in Europe, which would hurt their popularity and marketability here in the States, or attend college.

Critics will say that it is unfair to force a person to attend college and prevent them from earning a living. Others will argue that players such as Oden, Durant, Beasley and Gordon don’t need college at all, since they are good enough to play pro basketball the moment their senior season of high school is finished. And then there’s the appeal that states if an 18-year old can enlist in the military and die for the flag, then why is that same person too young to play basketball?

The best response to that is the Brandan Wright example. Sure, Wright was talented enough to play in the NBA a year ago, just as he is right now. And there is no doubt that it isn’t morally correct to prevent a person from making a living. But in the grand scheme of things, doesn’t it seem like Wright, the North Carolina Tar Heels and the Golden State Warriors would be better off if the player still had college eligibility? Wright would be playing and getting an education, the Heels would have another elite player on their roster, and the Warriors would have salary cap space and a roster spot for somebody who would contribute more than three points and two rebounds a game.

Under the current system, players are just using the college as an outlet to play ball and get exposure from fans and the media. Their intention isn’t necessarily to get an education or even win games. According to the website nbadraft.net, 11 current college freshman are projected to be chosen in the first round of the 2008 NBA draft. That includes the top four picks and six of the first seven. Last season, eight freshman were taken in round one of the draft, including three of the top four selections.

Had the NCAA adopted a rule requiring players to put in at least two years, those two great classes- last year’s crop of freshman that are now mostly riding the bench in the NBA and this year’s freshman who are playing college ball- would be in college at the same time. Imagine seeing Durant and Beasley going at it in the Big 12 twice a year. Or Mike Conley, Jr. and Gordon squaring off to find out who the Big Ten’s best guard is.

To wonder if this scenario would have any success, just look at college football and the NFL. In order to be drafted in the NFL, a player must wait three or more years after their high school graduation. That means nobody but college juniors and seniors are heading to the pros. This leads to athletes more prepared to contribute right away in the league and a elevated college game due to star players sticking around for a longer time.

While the NCAA has no involvement in the rule- which is why former USC wide receiver Mike Williams and Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett tried to leave college early and sue the NFL to let them in- they are clearly benefiting from the NFL’s stance about not allowing underclassmen in the league. And since it doesn’t appear the NBA commissioner David Stern is going to amend his league’s rule and change the age limit to 20 instead of 19, it would be for the best if the NCAA stepped in and made a rule of their own.

Earlier this week, the Golden State Warriors signed veteran NBA forward Chris Webber. Expected to contribute points, rebounds and all-around energy off the bench, the 34-year old Webber is going to be asked to come in and do what Brandan Wright could not. When asked about why Wright wasn’t able to help his team, Golden State coach Don Nelson said, “He’s a rookie. He’s not ready. Look at our schedule, when we start playing the West. Are we going to be strong enough? Take a look at my roster and you decide?”

Obviously the decision was that Wright just isn’t prepared to do the tough work that Webber can to help the Warriors reach the playoffs. The rookies seven minutes a game will probably decrease, and if he does ever enter a game, it’s likely the contests outcome will have already been decided. At the same time, his former teammates at North Carolina are preparing for their showdown next week against archrival Duke. And the question’s must be asked: Does Wright still think leaving school early for millions of dollars was a good choice? Or does he wish that the NCAA had forced him to stay in school, continue to learn, and then let him join the NBA when he’s a better player?

Tags: , , ,

Eli Kaberon is a 2005 graduate of Evanston Township High School and currently is attending Columbia College in the loop, majoring in print journalism. A life-long fan of the Cubs, Bears and Bulls, Eli also works as a seat vendor at Wrigley Field and has sold hot dogs to everyone ranging from Bears tight end Greg Olsen to Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich. Eli can be reached at ekaberon@yahoo.com.

Share This Article

No Comments

No comments yet.

Comment On This Article