The NCAA has done this to themselves. Before they go on a crusade against boosters, agents, or promoters, perhaps they should take a gander at their own culpability.
Collegiate basketball suffers a larger impact from scandal than does football, mainly because one star player can make or break a basketball team. One star player in football gets lost in the crowd of the other 59 members of his team.
The leading cause for corruption in college basketball today is the insanely idiotic, and un-American, one-'n-done rule. It's nothing but laziness by NBA scouts and greediness by college basketball. There is no sound argument for the defense of this rule.
"But Ryan, these kids need to develop. " You might say, "They need to refine their game."
Really? LeBron was fairly refined out of high school. As was Kobe, Garnett, Tracy McGrady, Amare Stoudemire, and the list goes on.
Now, not every prep-to-pro player pans out. I can't deny the Darius Miles or Kwame Browns of the world. But it is up to the NBA team and their scouting department to figure out a player's potential.
The players who are great (see the first list above) are capable of going straight to the NBA, and shouldn't be forbidden to do so. It's not their fault that NBA teams are too lazy to do some proper scouting.
Collegiate basketball is doing what any entertainment company tries to do: boost its ratings. Having star players that attract national media attention boosts ratings. What do the kids get in return? Cramped dorm rooms, cafeteria food, and mandatory classes on subjects they could care less about.
By forcing these kids to spend one year in college, they are practically asking for scandal and corruption to take place. If Mayo hadn't been forced to spend a year in college, none of this would have happened. He would have been allowed to make his money, and he wouldn't have had to accept cash and gifts from a booster.
I don't blame OJ Mayo one bit. If I were in his shoes, I would have taken the plasma TV, too.
*Cliché Alert*
America is the land of opportunity. Denying young, star athletes the right to go the NBA and make their money is simply un-American. If the NCAA doesn't want to deal with star athletes, then perhaps they shouldn't force them to spend at least a year in their system.
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4 months ago
This is a moronic article. The NCAA does not force athletes to spend a year in college. Neither does the NBA for that matter. The NBA mandates that a player be at least 19 and one year removed from their initial high school class’ graduation date. The rules aren’t made by the NCAA and don’t even mean that a player has to graduate from high school just that their class would have had to graduate at least one year before. There are plenty of players being drafted out of Europe that have no college experience, and who in fact have been playing professionally in a different system.
If OJ Mayo wanted to get paid straight out of high school he should have signed directly with the agent then, skipped college and spent the year either working out in camps, training professionally or playing in other proleagues like those in Europe.
4 months ago
gee lets see , maybe, just maybe he wanted to see if he could win a championship, who gives a rats ass if he recieved anything while at usc, who freaking cares, it doesnt bother anyone, if he got a million dollars or he was working at mcdonalds
4 months ago
another o.j. in trouble?? the mind boggles......
4 months ago
will the nba say "hold the mayo??" now?? hope not, give em a shot. good call ryan. :0)
about 1 month ago
I disagree with both what the NCAA does as well as your position.
Players should not be eligible for professional sport until after what would be their 3rd year of college. It is not just being ready to play a sport properly—sorry I'm not impressed all that much with dunks and three point bombs—it is also about maturity and having enough knowledge not to piss away the money talent would bring.
You are also a bit harsh on the scouts. Their job is more miss than hit, which makes a entry year salary cap reasonable. Why should I, as a paying fan, be forced to fork out $200 for a night in a mid range seat to pay for a kid who has not shown the ability to perform on the most elite level? Also, immaturity to appreciate what they are getting into when given so many millions of dollars requires they work on their game and show up ready to play.
I do believe the NCAA rules are archaic and need to be brought into this century—most likely kicking and screaming. Living in LA, I also thought there was no way Mayo and ucla's Love are ready for the NBA. Their games have holes, more so with Mayo, and they are also immature. I cannot believe a ucla player would blow off attending the Wooden Award ceremony.
from about 1 month ago
You're right that several of them leave too early and are not ready for the game, both mentally and physically. However, if they're not ready, don't draft them. They'll go back to college or go to Europe.
And don't forget that several players didn't need any college at all. So instead of seeing the best talent possible—regardless of their age—you're paying $200 a night to watch J.J. Reddick sub in and go 2-for-11 from the field and Michael Olowokandi get out rebounded. But they deserve to be there because they went to college.
In the end, you're right, some should go to college, but the ones that don't shouldn't be forced to sacrifice a year in their career and the money that comes with it because NBA scouts are "hit and miss." That's the NBA's problem, not theirs.
And it is none of our business how they spend their money. Would you really want your boss to sit you down and explain what you can and can't spend your money on? Should they make wise decisions and invest in a portfolio of some sorts?
Probably, but it is never the company's responsibility to make sure that they do so.
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