Jacob Allen

Now that the College Basketball season is over, and with the NBA Draft approaching, I have officially turned the page to baseball season. But the underlying theme of this tournament has got to be that all of the “Blue Blood” teams had a plethora of one and done talent, except one… The eventual champion. So the question is, which “Blue Blood” do you want to be?

“Blue Bloods”

Duke, UCLA, Kansas and Kentucky were all watching North Carolina on Monday night, and I am seriously wondering if those programs looking on the outside have figured it out yet. ONE AND DONES DON’T WIN SHIPS!!! Jayson Tatum, Lonzo Ball, Josh Jackson, and Malik Monk are all Lottery picks in this year’s draft. But where were they when it “mattered”? Or wait… do those players really even give a damn about their programs?

Think about it, these players knew they were going to tear up the NBA in high school. Some of these kids are absolutely outrageous coming out of high school. Zion Williamson… LaMelo Ball… Michael Porter Jr… These kids should never have to play a single minute in college. They will end up exactly where Tatum, Ball, Jackson, and Monk ended up at the end of this season. Most likely, announcing, about as immediate as possible, that they will all be leaving their “beloved” college towns to pursue their career in the NBA.

Give me a break. These guys were LITERALLY FORCED TO ATTEND A COLLEGE FOR 1 YEAR. They have no choice, because unless you are held back in school, you can’t enter the draft until you are 19. Sure, go play overseas for a year. Great. Remember when Emmanuel Mudiay experimented playing in China? Yeesh. I mean I guess. Go play below average talent, and have fun playing catch up when you get back to the states.

Just take away the rule all together, or keep the NCAA consistent and make the requirements to enter the draft the same across the board. In order for athletes to be Draft Eligible, they must be 3 years removed from high school.

Now before everyone goes haywire, let me explain this further.

Why go to the Pros?

A huuuuuuuugggeeee debate going on right now is whether college athletes should be compensated further than receiving scholarships and such. I was all for that, because these one and done’s should be compensated for the mass amount of revenue they bring in. They can’t go directly to the NBA, why should they be deprived of the mass amount of cash flow that they help create during the season, and mainly March.

These players are missing 1 year of endorsements, a year of their prime, and an actual job. These kids spend so much time on the court during the school day, then, from what we know, do school work on top. That leaves the walk ons, who are paying for tuition, and all other living expenses at quite a disadvantage when leaving school.

Now, paying these kids is absolutely absurd, and can never happen because of logistics. There are too many variables within the payouts that it would be a real mess. So the best option is to just let the players and their families decide what is best for their situation.

The best thing the NBA and NCAA could do is get rid of the 19 year old rule all together, and if an athlete decides to play college ball, then make it a 2 or 3 year requirement. Let those who want the test of the NBA get it, and have athletes earn their scholarships rather it just being a pit stop. It will only increase the product on the court for both leagues, and if you don’t believe me, continue reading, I beg you.

To the kids that are so gifted and can compete at a high level right out of high school, the college game is, I hate to say it, boring. Markelle Fultz, Washington’s star FRESHMAN, and likely first overall pick this year, literally had a Bleacher Report article containing quotes from NBA Scouts saying, “He’s so good that I think he gets bored.”

Yeah, go down the lane against the Cavs and see “how bored you are” when LeBron swats your cute layup to the 10th row.

Like, YES! I want to see these young guns compete with the big dogs. I want to see these kids grow the NBA to something similar to the NHL. The product on the ice is a younger, faster, and more balanced across the league in terms of solid teams. This only enhances the NBA, as well as NCAA basketball.

Why go to College?

We saw North Carolina, yes, a Blue Blood, a real, not surrounded by quotes, Blue Blood, win a National Championship this year. This is a team that was literally built on the building blocks of experience. All of those kids WANTED to be at North Carolina and WIN a National Championship.

The Tar Heels featured their 2 senior big men and 3 junior hard nosed ballers to start nearly every game for the Premier Blue Blood program. This program was built to outlast the others, and a lot of it relies on the kids they recruit.

I don’t know if you saw or read Justin Jackson’s article in the Player’s Tribune, but it was one of the best articles I have ever read. It explained everything so perfectly on why North Carolina won the Title this year. They built a PROGRAM. Not a marketing team.

Home in Carolina

All the other “Blue Bloods” seem to have the idea that the best overall recruits will produce the best teams. That is so far from the truth it hurts. As the great Herb Brooks said in the movie Miracle, “I’m not lookin for the best players Craig, I’m lookin for the right ones.”  

This is exactly what Roy Williams did with his program. He built a team. He built a community. He built a family. Families are nearly inseparable. Justin Jackson, Joel Berry, Kennedy Meeks, Isaiah Hicks, and Theo Pinson proved that by coming back for redemption. And they got it. Redemption for themselves, the program, and mainly, Marcus Paige.

So if you’re still wondering, why do you play College Basketball?

 

 

And if you’re still reading, “Isn’t it obvious, for the girls?” -Ralph Cox, Miracle. Yes Miracle is my favorite movie, and yes I can quote the entire movie.