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Upon the close of the first day of games in this year's NCAA Tournament, I see that out of the Wildcats that played today only one survived. Not the Arizona Wildcats or the Kentucky Wildcats—that would be the Kansas State Wildcats...

Kansas State Basketball: The Michael Beasley Effect

by Patrick Smith (Contributor)

27

4,015 reads

Sports

March 20, 2008


Upon the close of the first day of games in this year's NCAA Tournament, I see that out of the Wildcats that played today only one survived.

Not the Arizona Wildcats or the Kentucky Wildcats—that would be the Kansas State Wildcats.

After watching the games today, I realized where college basketball is headed:

Big time, blue chip prospects are going to lesser-named schools to avoid being overlooked and swallowed up by a "program."

Schools like USC and Kansas State are hardly known for their basketball prowess, but when players like Michael Beasley and O.J. Mayo sign scholarships to play for their teams, they immediately become contenders.

Both of these guys are obviously one-and-done type players, so they go to schools where they know that they will be "the man" and put up the numbers to be top lottery picks come this year's NBA draft.

The only reason they go to school is because they have to attend college for one year.

This rule may be good for the kids, but how is it good for the game?

The game is losing the team concept due to kids like this—kids like Kevin Durant, Greg Oden, etc.

Sure, Oden and fellow classmate and NBA player Mike Conley led Ohio State to the National Championship game last year, but where was Ohio State University this year?

I will tell you: They were at home because kids who sign to play on no-name teams and have no intention of staying for longer than they have to are detrimental to their programs.

Yes, that team was good—last year—but Ohio State was set back because of those kids. Colleges need to build programs, not egos of kids seeing signing bonuses.

The rule should be extended to at least two years or done with altogether because one year does nothing for school trying to build a program.

K-State may be a decent team right now, but don't bet on them or USC making the dance next year once Mayo and Beasley sign real contracts.
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27 comments Last one added about 1 year ago — Leave a Comment

  1. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    oh knock it off ya big conference baby.

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  2. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    Mr. Smith,

    I just had a nice long explanation of why your article is thoughtless and incorrect, but my computer timed out. Lucky you, as you would have looked quite foolish. So, I'll sum it up for you nice and quick to spare you the grief.

    Walker and Beasley came to KSU to be coached, and not to be "the man" as you insinuate. Maybe if you research the coaching situation at KSU a little deeper, you will understand (I'll leave that to you instead of explaining. After all, isn't that your job? ------- Key words: Walker, Ohio, Cincinnati, Huggins, Beasley, Hill ------- now try researching before implying these kids are selfish players)

    Furthermore, just because Beasley is "the man" on the court does not mean he is selfish. Would you like him to apologize for coming to KSU to play for Huggins and his AAU coach (assistant coach Dalonte Hill.....oops, I gave you a hint for your research). Is it his fault that Huggins left?

    Why don't you write a positive article about the integrity Walker and Beasley showed by sticking with KSU after Huggins departure to West Virginia? That would have been more interesting than berating a couple of 19 year olds who won last nights game by playing a hard-fought TEAM game for KSU.

    This article is disappointing.

    heavrin@gmail.com

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  3. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    Indeed...what a disappointing article. Just because a few bad apples have used their 1 year college experience to act the way you describe does not mean these "kids" will follow the same path. They choose to attend these colleges because it does put them on the radar, however, for you to assume they will only be with the program for a year is completely ridiculous. Someone will have to stick their foot in their mouth next year when these kids are still in their respective schools or if they in fact moved on to pros. I wonder...

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  4. Stew Winkel about 1 year ago

    i agree that i would like to see the rule extended to two years, but not for the reasons you cite. i dont see anything wrong with players like oden, durant, mayo, beasley, etc being one and done. you dont think the coaches at the respective schools knew these players would be one and done. beasley has done so much for k-state in just one year. i guarantee that even if k-state loses its next game and beasley does go pro, that everyone involved in the program would still say they would do it again. that it was worth it. same for these other schools. you don't think that there are kids in high school now who might consider going to k-state who before this year, never would have even thought of it.

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  5. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    Don't get me wrong. Beasley will (and should) go to the pros (I'd love it if he'd stay). What would you do with Beasley's talent is the question to ask ourselves.

    The only reason we are seeing him in college is because of the NBA rule (which should be 0 years). After all, in America, aren't we all about free market societies? I am. Things that constrict markets to try and help only hurt them in the long run.

    The problem with the article is that Beasley is being blamed for trying to get the most out of his one year in college, by going somewhere he thought he could really be coached. Not because he wanted to go to some no-name basketball school to be the only star. Do you think this article would have been written if Bob Huggins had not left for West Virginia? The answer is NO. Instead the article would have been about how Beasley passed-up on the other high-profile schools because he wanted to follow coaches he believed in.

    If you watch Beasley, you will soon learn that this kid loves and understands the game. He is very unselfish. A key indicator of unselfishness is rebounding statistics. Sure, if he was 3rd in the country and scoring and 200th in rebounds, that would be indicative of a selfish player. However, he LEADS the country in rebounding. He makes his own shots. He does not force the game, the game comes to him.

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  6. Michael Priebe about 1 year ago

    The 1-year college requirement is, in my humble opinion, a joke. Those players who are truly talented enough to go from high school to the NBA are wasting their time and jeapordizing their futures (i.e. a crazy injury that could end their entire lifeline).
    Should Bill Gates have stayed in college longer to fulfull a rather arbitrary requirement instead of going full steam ahead with his talent and ideas?

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    • Andrew Kneeland about 1 year ago

      I agree. I would almost be in favor of requiring four college years before being allowed to enter the NBA, but I know that it won't happen and I'll get trashed for even thinking it.

      Two years minimum. The college football system works well, and I think it should be adopted for every sport.

      Good article, Patrick.

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    • Marcus Hagness about 1 year ago

      I don't agree with you Michael. Sure, they may be jeopardizing their careers in college that one year but who's to say they wouldn't get hurt in an NBA season which runs roughly twice as long as the college season even if you're team doesn't make the playoffs. If you go to college you may realize you like it and want to get a degree so IF you do get injured you will at least have something to fall back on, not just basketball. Remeber they are student-athletes. Student always comes first.

      Look at someone like Jay Williams. He left college early but he finished his degree in three years. He made a bad choice on that motorcycle and can't play at his level anymore, but at least has a degree from a Division I school and can make a living for himself.

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  7. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    Wow. I'll never get back the 1 minute of my life it took me to read this drivel.

    Clearly, Mr. Smith, you do not know your history. Kansas State has the 22nd best basketball program, historically, in the country. Yes, they've been down for some time, but overall KState has been a VERY good basketball school.

    Iit would appear you've done no prep for this article other than to read other ill-informed articles about Mike Beasley and his perceived effect on KState basketball. Put simply, Mike has been nothing short of a class act, a tremendous ambassador for the university and very well could wind up as Player of the Year. Along with his on court accomplishments, Mike attained a 3.1 GPA his first semester at KState. So it's not like he's been slacking off during his non-basketball hours. Also, as noted in a comment above, props should be given to Mike and Bill Walker for sticking with their commitments to KState following Huggins' departure at the end of last season. You completely whiffed on that point.

    This article is tremendously disrespectful of Mike Beasley and the entire Kansas State community, and it's a shame you didn't take the time to actually see past the potential 1 year stay to look at all the positive effects Mike has had.

    As a KState alum and supporter of all athletics at KState, I can say without hesitation, I am proud to have Mike Beasley as a member of our basketball program regardless of how long he stays.

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    • Dave Finocchio about 1 year ago

      Patrick didn't attack Michael Beasley's character, or Kansas State's athletic community. But he did make a great point that the Mayo's and Beasley's of the world do have an incentive to go to a school where they know they'll put up big numbers. There's also something to be said for the notion that it's very difficult to build a program when there's big time turnover amongst your best players.

      That being said, Beasley is definitely bringing a lot of positive attention to K-State's basketball program, and hopefully this will have benefits for the future.

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  8. Michael Grosfeld about 1 year ago

    Don't forget the Davidson Wildcats are still in this!

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  9. Ken Foss about 1 year ago

    really poor idiotic article, about a good issue. Nobody cares what KU or UK has in the rafters when selecting schools they select coaches, pure and simple he when to K-State notto be the man, but to play for Bob Huggins. Bob Huggiins left on him showing integrity(something Huggins has none of) he choice not to follow he will be gone next year, but he's averaging 30 and 13 he's ready for the pros. thats all that matters, these kids don't want to be rouge scholars they want to be pro ballplayers. two years or one year it does't matter i actually like it the way it is it gives the Davidson's of the world more shots at making a run.

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  10. BigReg about 1 year ago

    It is good for both the kids and the schools for these one and done players. First the kids, if they were to go to the NBA because of their freakish size they would most likely be riding the pine as opposed to being the star on their prospective teams. This makes them have to deal w/ the spotlight in a controlled environment (unlike the NBA)

    Second the schools, these schools make great money off of having a primetime star on their team. They know what they are getting and are willing to take the risk in order to have a shot at a title game (ala OSU last year).

    Lastly, you are wrong in saying that this will cause the downfall of team basketball. Who won the national championship last year, FLORIDA!!! They played as a team and won it 2 years in a row. Then their kids all left for the NBA and they are also in the NIT. Team basketball will still win over GREAT freshman, but don't blame the great freshman for a team having a down year the year after. These things happen.

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  11. Jonathan Colomb about 1 year ago

    I won't berate you like some of the other guys here did, because I do think you have some valid points. Does anyone honestly think OJ Mayo chose USC because of the coaching? He and coach Tim Floyd had never met before OJ called to say he was coming. USC never tried to recruit Mayo and Mayo never even visited the campus. Mayo signed with a lackluster USC team because he saw the exposure and money that USC football players were getting when they left school to turn pro. The media exposure in LA can rocket you to fame beyond just basketball. Remember, pro players don't make big money their first three years from an NBA contract. They make it from endorsements.

    If anyone has any doubt that Mayo is going pro next year, just take a look at the pictures posted of him wearing the NBA logo socks that he was dawning last night.

    And for the record, don't anybody think for a second that coaches or schools regret having a one-and-done style player. Just ask Jim Boeheim at Syracuse how he liked having Carmelo. I bet you that title ring makes that one-and-done thing a little easier to swallow.

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  12. David about 1 year ago

    This was one awful article.

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  13. Corey Tackmann about 1 year ago

    I do tend to agree that it stinks for schools to sign a great, great player knowing that they will be watching him only a year, but that year can be huge for schools. Because of Beasley, K-State is back on the map, maybe that brings another one and done stud. I agree it's hard to build a program that way, but the college game is more competitive and at a higher level because of of players like Beasley. I loved watching Kevin Durant play last year, I love watching Beasley play this year and I will love watching next years 30 pt 12 reb/game stud.

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  14. Eric Bailey about 1 year ago

    I agree with your arguement that the rule should be extended to make players stay in school for two years. The NBA was becoming littered with kids that weren't ready for the pressures of the league. They came in with big hype and their downfall was almost as legendary. (Sebastian Telfair, Kwame Brown, etc...)

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  15. Pinocchio's Twin about 1 year ago

    The rule forcing 1-year of college for basketball players will likely change because of David Stern. The reality of the 1-year rule is that it was all that David Stern could get at the time, but it will likely become 2 years. In that event, I can imagine big-time prospects going to small schools that offer AA degrees and being "the man" at those schools.

    Yes, it does allow one player to be "the man," but I think that is actually better for college basketball as whole and in effect college as a whole. No longer would the big time schools (i.e. Kentucky) be able to take all the best prospects (and live in a deluded mind-set that they are inherently better), and in effect inflate the value of their school, which is how those schools are able to charge exorbitant amounts for tuition.

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  1. m p about 1 year ago

    Great article! A different perspective is important to understand of how the overall level of talent may ebb and flow in the future. The one year rule is the rule now, and should be allowed to have some time to see results. Players should have the freedom to do as they wish with minimal education requirements by the NBA.

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  2. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    Great article! A different perspective is important to understand of how the overall level of talent may ebb and flow in the future. The one year rule is the rule now, and should be allowed to have some time to see results. Players should have the freedom to do as they wish with minimal education requirements by the NBA.

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  3. Joseph Craven about 1 year ago

    I agree with you on this matter. I think Bobby Knight made a similar point last year also. He said that this rule wasn't good for the schools because it brings in players who don't care about the school at all. I like how you put it: "Colleges need to build programs, not egos of kids seeing signing bonuses." The rule probably should be done with. I think it's just a rule set up by the NBA to see which players will have injuries that will hinder their play.

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  4. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    College football and basketball are different. An 18 year old high school graduate is not physically ready for the NFL. An 18 year old high school graduate MAY be physically ready for the NBA, however. I think there should be no age restrictions on the NBA. If you want to develop some kind of "commitee" that can pick and choose which players are ready for the NBA and which are not, go for it. But don't try to add additional years to someone being held out of the pros, regardless of their talent level. That is terrible.

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  5. tony andrew about 1 year ago

    I think your right but, it is good for the game because at least you get to see them at the college level. can you imagine being able to see LeBron James at the college level, everyone thought Carmelo Anthony was good, LeBron would have been the greatest thing to ever step on a college court. i like being able to see how good these guys are against kids there own age even if it is only for one year.

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