The Effects of "One-and-Done"

-Anthony Constantino-

College basketball might be the most difficult sport for a fan to follow. There are few superstars that play more than one season before they leave school early and declare for the NBA Draft. The “one-and-done” rule for NBA Eligibility (established in 2006) is responsible for this situation. The NBA requires that players are one full year removed from high school and at least 19 years of age before they are eligible to be drafted into the league. The rule prior to “one-and-done” gave players eligibility for the draft directly out of high school.

From 1995-2005, 39 players were drafted out of high school. Out of these 39 players, seven of them have had potential Hall of Fame careers. For every Kobe Bryant, there is a Jonathan Bender. That is why drafting players directly out of high school had to be abolished. Unfortunately, the current system has put college basketball on life support. Take a look at this year’s NCAA Tournament.

The Men’s NCAA Tournament came to a close and left many fans and critics unfulfilled. Some have gone as far as to call the 2012 Men’s NCAA Tournament the worst tournament since 2000. The first thing that stands out to most about this year’s tournament is the fact that there was not one buzzer beater. College basketball thrives on madness, which is mainly comprised of upsets and buzzer beaters. Three double digit seeds advanced to the Sweet 16, and none advance to the Elite 8. The upsets had little impact on the tournament, and those underdogs did not have any real memorable run to speak of.

This year the NCAA Tournament showcased noticeably poor play as well. Alabama passed up an open shot to beat Creighton and instead opted for a timeout to set up a play. This resulted in poor execution and the Crimson Tide rolling out of the tournament. In their game against Syracuse, Wisconsin decided to take a two point jump shot while down three in the closing seconds, resulting in a one point loss. Texas shot 16% in the first half against Cincinnati, which was their undoing. Those are just some of the blunders I observed during the NCAA Tournament.

The average margin of victory throughout the entire tournament was 9.8 points. There were more snoozers for games than Cinderella stories in the tournament. There was no stand out play that will live to be told through the annals of time. The number one overall seed, Kentucky, stampeded through the bracket and even when they played their worst game, they were still unbeatable. The AP player of the year, Anthony Davis, shot 1 for 10 from the field against Kansas in the National Championship game. Despite his lackluster performance, it was Davis and the Kentucky Wildcats who claimed an 8 point victory and cut down the nets in New Orleans.

Something clearly needs to be done to revive college basketball. More and more freshmen declare for the draft each year and continue to water down college basketball. Here one year and gone the next: wash, rinse, repeat. Let’s look at one college that thrives on “one-and-done” talent, Kentucky.

 Since John Calipari took over as head coach in 2009, Wildcats Men’s basketball has become an NBA factory. The 2010 NBA draft featured five Kentucky Wildcats: John Wall (Fr, 1^st overall), DeMarcus Cousins (Fr, 5^th overall), Patrick Patterson (Jr, 14^th overall), Eric Bledsoe (Fr, 18^th overall), and Daniel Orton (Fr, 29^th overall). All of these players were selected in the first round, which is an NBA record for the most players drafted in the first round from the same school.

The 2011 NBA Draft brought four more Wildcats into the league: Enes Kanter (Fr, 3^rd overall), Brandon Knight (Fr, 8^th overall), Josh Harrellson (Sr, 45^th overall), and DeAndre Liggins (Jr, 53^rd overall). Although Kanter never played for Kentucky, he did attend the college for one year prior to being drafted. He was declared ineligible by the NCAA and was a student assistant with the team during his year as a Wildcat. This year experts say that Kentucky Wildcats Anthony Davis (Fr), Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (Fr), Terrance Jones (So), Doron Lamb (So), Darius Miller (Sr), and Marquis Teague (Fr) might all declare for the 2012 NBA Draft.

That is a look at just one team in college basketball that “rents” players for a year and then sends them off to the NBA. This hurts college basketball tremendously. The solution I would look at is having the NBA change the eligibility standard to be similar to what the NFL has in place. Players should have to wait 3 years before entering the NBA. This would benefit college basketball, the NBA, and student athletes.

First and foremost, these student athletes would have to actually become students. Since most college basketball players are not going to the NBA, this would help those who don’t make it to the pros have a future in something else. Student athletes in the past have declared for the draft as freshmen and hired agents. This makes the player ineligible to return to their school, leaving them out in the cold. The next benefit would be that college basketball would have a much better game. Teams would be much easier to follow and might even have recognizable players for 90 games as opposed to 30 games. The play of college basketball would improve as even the most talented players would be able to mature at the college level. Honestly, there is only so much a player can learn in one year of college basketball under a new coach and with unfamiliar teammates. Lastly, the NBA would have more polished rookies entering the league. These players would be more prepared for the NBA and would make a much bigger impact.

Hopefully NBA officials take a look at their eligibility standard and consider the health of college basketball. If they do so, there is no doubt in my mind they will come to the same conclusion I have arrived at. Every student athlete does not become a professional athlete. The NBA needs to be responsible and protect these young people from leaving college with no degree, and no shot at the NBA. At the same time they would be helping themselves, and helping college basketball.