In the early stages of the NCAA basketball season, one thing has been determined: the freshman are creating all the big headlines. This is the second year that high school seniors have been excluded from the NBA draft. The foundation was set last year by first team all-American top draft picks Kevin Durant and Greg Oden. These players are labeled as one and done players who are just treading water until they get their signing bonus. It just so happens that they also lead some of the top teams in the nation. Kevin Love is as dominant for the Bruins as any big man in the country.
While Love is leading a successful team, Michael Beasely and Eric Gordon are filling the stat sheets. Each leading the nation in rebounding and scoring respectively. Beasely isn't far behind in points ranking second. The big question is how can a coach build a program with the majority of star players only playing their freshman season? It has been proven with Ohio State this season as they struggle early on without the drafted Oden and Mike Conley Jr. The powers are going to shift instantly and recruiting becomes more important than ever.
The most publicized player this year affected by the rule is OJ Mayo. He was regarded as the consensus best player for his age at every level. He had been groomed to make the leap from high school to the pros. It was a circus for recruiting and it was simple, where could he have the most spotlight and fun. USC was a solid choice for both aspects seeing how his freshman year is virtually an extended entrance to the draft. It will take many years to analyze the affect this rule in the development of young talent and the fan support of the NCAA and NBA.
3 comments:
You have to love watching these freshman just perform. I find more exciting to watch them play at least 1 year in college instead of a year on the bench in the NBA. These freshman are making the game more fun to watch, especially when March comes. Eric Gordon of Indiana and Michael Beasley of Kansas State I find to be the best two to watch. Watching O.J. Mayo at USC at Kevin Love at UCLA going atit later when they start conference play should be fun to watch. The other freshman starting to also carry his team is Donte Green of Syracuse. Can he do what another freshman named Carmela Anthony at Syracuse did?
The freshman class this year has some really solid ballplayers, Kevin Love at UCLA, O.J. Mayo at USC, James Anderson at Oklahoma State, and Michael Beasley at Kansas State, to name a few. Many people seem to think that Love and Mayo will be NBA ready next year. Being a Bruin fan, I would hate to see Love leave just after one year.
I've never been a fan of basketball. Possibly due to my lack of skill at the game, but the fact remains, basketball is one of the few sports that I struggle to enjoy watching. Of course, everyone enjoys the highlight reels, but sitting through an entire game has been a challenge. The increased excitement and skill level of the NCAA has opened my eyes to the glory of college basketball. Unfortunately, the success of young players will ultimately lead to the detriment of the NCAA. Players now see the NCAA as merely a spring board to the NFL, not as a means of improving their game and growing into a team player. Will this help the NBA? Probably, because it is a league built on individual achievement, not team play. Maybe I'm lucky to have never been interested in basketball, because it seems to be headed towards an uncertain future.
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