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DeMarcus Cousins: CBB Is 'Bulls--t'; Zion Williamson Should Prep for NBA
February 21, 2019
Golden State Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins spoke out against college basketball Thursday and suggested that Duke freshman superstar Zion Williamson should prepare for the NBA rather than finishing out the season.
Anthony Slater of The Athletic provided video of Cousins giving his thoughts on how college basketball adversely impacts prospective NBA players (warning: contains profanity):
"Knowing what I know now, college is bulls--t," Cousins said. "College basketball, the NCAA, that's bulls--t. So, my advice to him is: Do what's best for you and your family because obviously college isn't. It does nothing for you at this point."
Williamson left Duke's 88-72 loss to the rival North Carolina Tar Heels on Wednesday just seconds into the game after suffering what Blue Devils head coach Mike Krzyzewski called a "mild knee sprain."
While Coach K's comments suggest that Williamson escaped major injury, it has led to some debate regarding whether Williamson should shut himself down for the remainder of the season and preserve his status as the potential No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft.
Cousins played one season collegiately at Kentucky before getting selected by the Sacramento Kings with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft. While Cousins has a negative view of the NCAA now, he noted that he "loved" his experience at Kentucky and called it "some of the best years of my life."
He went on to call the NCAA "crooked," however, before lamenting the fact that college players don't get a cut of the ticket sales.
With averages of 21.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.8 blocks per game, Williamson is arguably the front-runner for the Naismith College Player of the Year award. He is also a strong candidate to be the top pick in the NBA draft along with Duke teammate RJ Barrett, Murray State guard Ja Morant and Gonzaga forward Rui Hachimura.
A recent trend in college football has seen potential top draft picks sit out bowl games in preparation for the NFL draft, but that hasn't made its way into college basketball yet.
If Williamson does decide to go that route, it could change the narrative regarding whether doing so is the right move for college basketball players as well.