How To Fix The One And Done Rule

[azhog10]

Harrington and Miles were good NBA players, just not great. But there aren't that many truly great players anyways.

http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/550/darius-miles
http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/308/al-harrington

For a lottery pick Darius was bad. He was on even worse teams and couldn't manage to be "the guy" his last decent year in portland they won 20 something games. I loved him in the McD's game but he went too early.

[Hawg Red]

Miles was a bust for a top 3 pick.

[Redbug]

I disagree to a point. I think your superstars are better than ever. But the average age for players starting their careers are increasingly low, and the aveage age of those ending their careers are as high as they've ever been. That means older guys are playing longer, which would tell me that players coming in aren't as good as they used to be. Also, the average career length peeked around 2003-05. Stockton said years ago that when the NBA went to putting athleticism over skill it bought him more time in the NBA. Kids were coming in that didn't have the skill to play at the NBA level and i think that still holds true today.

[Redbug]

good post!

[(notOM)Rebel123]

I really doubt that. NBA has plenty of players to choose from in the Euro and NBDL to choose from. Only about 5% of the NBA is made of undrafted players. Most of those undrafted players played in Europe before coming to the U.S. Most second round picks are out of the league in one year

I would also like to add that that player could still go to Europe or sign as an undrafted FA if they so choose. It will never be mandatory for the player to come back to school.

HOGINTENNESSEE,

My original thoughts were from a casual NBA fan. You obviously know more about the league make-up than I. Didn't realize the number of undrafted players was so low. Good post. Thanks.

[Razoryak]

I like the baseball model as well, let them go straight out of HS. But if you enter college you cannot be drafted until after your JR or RS Soph season.

[Hog Fan from Camden]

I like the baseball model as well, let them go straight out of HS. But if you enter college you cannot be drafted until after your JR or RS Soph season.

I think this would fix a lot of the problems outlined in this thread.  We would end up with a better NCAA and NBA IMO!

[azhog10]

I like the baseball model as well, let them go straight out of HS. But if you enter college you cannot be drafted until after your JR or RS Soph season.

In baseball you can go before your Jr year if you turn 20 by a certain date. NFL has the Jr or RS Soph rule.

[NuttinItUp]

One guys opinion but I agree something needs to be done.

http://www.cheatsheet.com/sports/heres-how-the-nba-can-fix-the-ncaas-one-and-done-prob

Page Not Found - 404


I googled the title, and this is the link that came up:
http://www.cheatsheet.com/sports/heres-how-the-nba-can-fix-the-ncaas-one-and-done-problem.html/?a=viewall

...which seems to work

[rude1]

I like the baseball model as well, let them go straight out of HS. But if you enter college you cannot be drafted until after your JR or RS Soph season.

I am still trying to figure how this helps either? When the best players and even those who "think" they are the best players are going to declare right out of high school to enter the NBA draft rather than obligate themselves to 3 years of college. We are right back where we started where kids who should choose college are going into the draft and not getting drafted. Unless you are going to give those kids a chance to go to college if the are undrafted or fall into the second round, this doesn't help anyone.

[HOGINTENNESSEE]

HOGINTENNESSEE,

My original thoughts were from a casual NBA fan. You obviously know more about the league make-up than I. Didn't realize the number of undrafted players was so low. Good post. Thanks.

No problem. NBA is just different than most leagues. They only carry around 15 player per roster. Most kids even first round picks a out of the league within 3 to 4 years.

[Hawg Red]

No problem. NBA is just different than most leagues. They only carry around 15 player per roster. Most kids even first round picks a out of the league within 3 to 4 years.

I don't believe that last sentence to be accurate. Where are you getting that info?

[ErieHog]

I don't believe that last sentence to be accurate. Where are you getting that info?

Yeah, that isn't the case.

We can look at the last 4 drafts, really quick to see (discounting the draft we just passed, as no one from that has played in an NBA game yet.

* denotes a former stash pick that is on an active roster today

2014: Players still on an NBA roster:   Wiggins, Parker, Embiid, Gordon, Exum, Smart,  Randle, Stauskus, Vonleh, Payton, McDermot, LaVine,  Warren, Payne, Nurkic,  Young, Ennis, Harris, Cabocolo,  McGary, Adams, Hood, Naiper, Capela*, Hairston,  Wilcox,  Huestis*, and Anderson

2014 Stash picks that have not yet played in the NBA-  Saric,  Bogdanovic

2014 Picks out of the league:  None

2013 Players still on an NBA roster:    Bennet, Oladipo,  Porter, Zellar,  Len, Noel, McLemore, Cauldwell-Pope, Burke,  McCollum,  Carter-Williams,  Adams,  Olynyk,  Muhammad,  Antetokounmpo, Nogueira,  Schröder,  Larkin,  Karasev,  Snell,  Dieng,  Plumlee, Hill, Hardaway,  Bullock,  Roberson,  Gobert and Goodwin

2013 Stash Picks Jean-Charles, Nedović 

2013 Picks out of the league:  None

2012 Players still on an NBA roster:  Davis, Kidd-Gilcrest, Beal, Waiters, Robinson, Lillard, Barnes, Ross, Drummond, Rivers, Leonard, Lamb, Henson, Harkless, Zellar,  Jones, Nicholson, Fournier, Sullinger, Jenkins, Wroten, Plumlee, Jones, and Ezeli.

2012 Stash Picks: None

2012 Out of  NBA basketball:  Kendall Marshall   (Rights were finally waived in February, coming off major ACL injury, unlikely to return) Royce White** (played summer league, but not expected to make an active roster this season),  Fab Melo (playing pro in Brazil), Cunningham,  Moultrie (signed in China after being waived for a roster spot when traded to the Knicks), Teague (NBADL)


In short, 5 players in the last 3 drafts that signed contracts aren't in the league 3 years later, a failure rate of about 6-7%;  four haven't signed NBA deals, a non-participation rate of 4.5% roughly.

Even using the most exclusive of terms,  a 1st round draft pick has a shade less than a 90% chance of being on an NBA roster 3 years down the road + an offseason with this group.   If you didn't count offseason players being waived, it'd be closer to 95%

[HogWild97]

Either go straight to the NBA right out of high school, or go to college for at least two years. Three would be better but I'd be okay with two years.

[Big Nasty 34]

I am still trying to figure how this helps either? When the best players and even those who "think" they are the best players are going to declare right out of high school to enter the NBA draft rather than obligate themselves to 3 years of college. We are right back where we started where kids who should choose college are going into the draft and not getting drafted. Unless you are going to give those kids a chance to go to college if the are undrafted or fall into the second round, this doesn't help anyone.

That's it. Allow them to attend school. Or like in baseball even if they get drafted, give them the opportunity to go to college if they want to improve status.

[Hoggard]

NBA stands for NOT BASKETBALL ANYMORE.

IMO the product the NBA puts on the floor is atrocious. That Cat from Cleveland pushes off or travels every time he gets the dang ball !!! Maybe if he played college ball for four years like they used to do he might actually know how the game is played. Yet all you hear about is how great he is. Well if you actually officiated a game between that cat and MJ I'd take MJ every time even in his old age. BC that Le"Brown cat would foul out or travel too often to even score.

I remember watching the Detroit Pistons play back in the days of Bill Lambier , Isaiah Thomas and Joe Dumars. Now that was freaking basketball played the right way. Or Jordans teams with Pippin. Unfortunately money has a way of ruining things and I don't care how many people enjoy that crappy product. I can't watch a quarter of it without blowing chunks.

[rude1]

NBA stands for NOT BASKETBALL ANYMORE.

IMO the product the NBA puts on the floor is atrocious. That Cat from Cleveland pushes off or travels every time he gets the dang ball !!! Maybe if he played college ball for four years like they used to do he might actually know how the game is played. Yet all you hear about is how great he is. Well if you actually officiated a game between that cat and MJ I'd take MJ every time even in his old age. BC that Le"Brown cat would foul out or travel too often to even score.

I remember watching the Detroit Pistons play back in the days of Bill Lambier , Isaiah Thomas and Joe Dumars. Now that was freaking basketball played the right way. Or Jordans teams with Pippin. Unfortunately money has a way of ruining things and I don't care how many people enjoy that crappy product. I can't watch a quarter of it without blowing chunks.

It's funny that you would have this take on today's game but then turn around and say the the "Bad Boys" of Detroit played the game "the right way", when in fact the purist back in the "Bad Boys" days felt like they were playing a dirty brand of basketball that resembled more hockey than basketball.

There is a multitude of ways to play the game, that's what makes the game so great, it can be played many ways on an endless number of levels of talent, NONE are the "right way" to play the game, it is just how a particular group plays.

[Hogimus Prime]

No need for a rule change.  The NBA front offices need to change their way at looking at college kids. Today front offices focus on potential instead what a kid can do. The longer a kid stays in school the more his game is picked apart, so I don't blame a kid for leaving early.

[Hoggard]

It's funny that you would have this take on today's game but then turn around and say the the "Bad Boys" of Detroit played the game "the right way", when in fact the purist back in the "Bad Boys" days felt like they were playing a dirty brand of basketball that resembled more hockey than basketball.

There is a multitude of ways to play the game, that's what makes the game so great, it can be played many ways on an endless number of levels of talent, NONE are the "right way" to play the game, it is just how a particular group plays.

I just don't think you understood my post. I never said I have a problem with guys getting physical. My problem is when the rules are tossed out the window. Traveling is traveling, period. When guys are out there running around with the basketball in their hands its no longer basketball imo. And there is NO comparison between the physicality of a guy like Bill Lambier to the total mauling Le"Brown gives to people on his way to the rim every time. Carrying the basketball the whole way bc he never took the time to learn to freaking dribble.

I have also never liked the NBA defensive rules. I love the purity of the sport. I enjoy "team" play. One guy walking around with the basketball then taking a shot while the other guys sit back and pick their noses is NOT basketball. And thats exactly what I see when I turn on an NBA game. It doesn't have to be Eddie Sutton or Moe Iba's pace either. Mike Anderson's guys play team ball at a much faster pace. But they also play fundamentally sound basketball with respect to not traveling etc.

You couldn't pay me to attend an NBA game. Stupid and boring.

[mizzouman]

Just use the college baseball rule.  If kids don't want to go to college, then that's what the 'D' league is for.  Simple.

[ErieHog]

Just use the college baseball rule.  If kids don't want to go to college, then that's what the 'D' league is for.  Simple.

It'd have no chance of holding up in court.  It'd get crushed.

[Hawg Red]

Does anyone in this thread even have a reason for wanting to make players play 1-3 years in college?

[mizzouman]

It'd have no chance of holding up in court.  It'd get crushed.

Why?

[mizzouman]

Does anyone in this thread even have a reason for wanting to make players played 1-3 years in college?

One and done's don't want to be in college.  So why force them?  That's what this does.  Just let them go pro straight out of high school or use the baseball rule.  The NBA basically can say....If a school invests in you, you have to give them 2 or 3 years........or.......go overseas and play hoops.

[Hawg Red]

One and done's don't want to be in college.  So why force them?  That's what this does.  Just let them go pro straight out of high school or use the baseball rule. The NBA basically can say....If a school invests in you, you have to give them 2 or 3 years........or.......go overseas and play hoops.

But why would the NBA ever care about the NCAA?

Kids should be able to go to the NBA whenever they want. It's up to the NBA teams to not take kids that aren't ready/good enough. Send the message strongly that they won't like where they're drafted and they'll stay in school. Making kids stay in school for any reason just punishes the kids that are ready after 1 or 2 years of college ball.

And I'm still not getting an answer on why kids should be bound to play any length of time in college for any reason, or go overseas or to the D-League, before being able to enter the draft. Why? Why shouldn't they be able to decide for themselves when they are ready to play in the NBA?

[mizzouman]

But why would the NBA ever care about the NCAA?

Kids should be able to go to the NBA whenever they want. It's up to the NBA teams to not take kids that aren't ready/good enough. Send the message strongly that they won't like where they're drafted and they'll stay in school. Making kids stay in school for any reason just punishes the kids that are ready after 1 or 2 years of college ball.

And I'm still not getting an answer on why kids should be bound to play any length of time in college for any reason, or go overseas or to the D-League, before being able to enter the draft. Why? Why shouldn't they be able to decide for themselves when they are ready to play in the NBA?

The NBA controls this.  It's the NBA that makes these rules, not the NCAA.  The NCAA only governs who is eligible not who can play in the NBA.

[Hawg Red]

The NBA controls this.  It's the NBA that makes these rules, not the NCAA.  The NCAA only governs who is eligible not who can play in the NBA.

I want to know why FANS want this to happen.

[mizzouman]

I want to know why FANS want this to happen.

One and done has ruin college basketball.  Teams like Kentucky gets players for one year and say goodbye.  In fact, these kids probably don't even attend class.  It's basically the 'D' league for these guys.

Also, since Kentucky moves players in and out so quickly, they can always recruit 5 star guys.  Why?  Because they have room for them.  Imagine Kentucky having to keep players for 2, 3 or 4 years.  Other teams will have a chance recruiting some of these guys.  But as the rules are now, Kentucky basically has a monopoly on these guys.

This is why Calipari LOVES the one and done.

[Hawg Red]

One and done has ruin college basketball.  Teams like Kentucky gets players for one year and say goodbye.  In fact, these kids probably don't even attend class.  It's basically the 'D' league for these guys.

Also, since Kentucky moves players in and out so quickly, they can always recruit 5 star guys.  Why?  Because they have room for them.  Imagine Kentucky having to keep players for 2, 3 or 4 years.  Other teams will have a chance recruiting some of these guys.  But as the rules are now, Kentucky basically has a monopoly on these guys.

This is why Calipari LOVES the one and done.

How has that ruined college basketball when Kentucky has won 1 National Championship in the 6 seasons Calipari has been there?

[mizzouman]

How has that ruined college basketball when Kentucky has won 1 National Championship in the 6 seasons Calipari has been there?

It's about recruiting.  He will not be able to recruit as well because he won't have room for them and other teams will have a shot at the high profile players he is always getting.  The fact that he hasn't been as successful as he should be with them is a different story.

[Hawg Red]

It's about recruiting.  He will not be able to recruit as well because he won't have room for them and other teams will have a shot at the high profile players he is always getting.  The fact that he hasn't been as successful as he should be with them is a different story.

So make a rule that hurts a bunch of kids' ability to truly provide for their families and make a bunch of money playing pro ball so 3-5 players each year will go to different elite programs?

[mizzouman]

So make a rule that hurts a bunch of kids' ability to truly provide for their families and make a bunch of money playing pro ball so 3-5 players each year will go to different elite programs?

How is allowing a kid to go to the NBA straight out of high school hurting the kid's ability to truly provide for their families?  How is forcing a kid to stay in college for 2 or 3 years, or, go play in Europe or the 'D' league, forcing a kid to not have the ability to provide for his family?

Kids have a choice.  Go to college or not.  It's that simple.   

[Hawg Red]

How is allowing a kid to go to the NBA straight out of high school hurting the kid's ability to truly provide for their families?  How is forcing a kid to stay in college for 2 or 3 years, or, go play in Europe or the 'D' league, forcing a kid to not have the ability to provide for his family?

Kids have a choice.  Go to college or not.  It's that simple.

You can't be serious.

You're basically giving them one opportunity to go to the NBA at 18 years old out of HS, and if you aren't ready then, you have to wait another 2-3 years. That's ridiculous. The maximum D-League salary is 25 grand. No one is helping their family on that kind of money. Go overseas and you have to play nationalistic politics, and they value seniority over there, so there's no guarantee you'll play a ton of minutes. Playing in China last year hurt Emmanuel Mudiay's draft stock.

But we're still not answering the question of why they should not be allowed to go to the NBA at 20 or 21 years old (depending on if you want them to wait 2 or 3 years if they aren't among the select few that could go pro out of HS). What's wrong with the old way where they could go pro at any point after HS? College basketball was doing just fine then, just as it is now.

[mizzouman]

You can't be serious.

You're basically giving them one opportunity to go to the NBA at 18 years old out of HS, and if you aren't ready then, you have to wait another 2-3 years. That's ridiculous. The maximum D-League salary is 25 grand. No one is helping their family on that kind of money. Go overseas and you have to play nationalistic politics, and they value seniority over there, so there's no guarantee you'll play a ton of minutes. Playing in China last year hurt Emmanuel Mudiay's draft stock.

But we're still not answering the question of why they should not be allowed to go to the NBA at 20 or 21 years old (depending on if you want them to wait 2 or 3 years if they aren't among the select few that could go pro out of HS). What's wrong with the old way where they could go pro at any point after HS? College basketball was doing just fine then, just as it is now.

Never said they couldn't go to the NBA when they are 20 or 21.  Let them go.  If they are not ready out of high school, then go overseas.  Go to the 'D' league.  These guys don't want to go to college anyway.  Why force them.  Let them go pro out of high school.  Why go to college?  If they want to help their families financially, why wait around?  Earn money immediately. 

The way to fix the one and done, and that's the topic here, let them go out of high school.  Let them go to Europe.  Let them go to the 'D' league.  But, if you go to college, then go for 2 or 3 years. 

It's a choice.  If the kid goes to college right out of high school, needs to provide for his family and has the talent to make some money playing hoops, then you have to question his choice.  Or if he feels the need to go to college, then there's some good NAIA or JUCO schools he can attend if he wants to earn some credit.     

[Hawg Red]

Never said they couldn't go to the NBA when they are 20 or 21.  Let them go.  If they are not ready out of high school, then go overseas.  Go to the 'D' league.  These guys don't want to go to college anyway.  Why force them.  Let them go pro out of high school.  Why go to college?  If they want to help their families financially, why wait around?  Earn money immediately.

Why force them to go somewhere other than the NBA?

The way to fix the one and done, and that's the topic here, let them go out of high school.  Let them go to Europe.  Let them go to the 'D' league.  But, if you go to college, then go for 2 or 3 years.

There's nothing that needs to be fixed. There isn't a problem. Why does it matter if the enter the draft out of HS or after a year of college or after 2 years of college? Telling them they have to go out of HS or they have wait 2-3 years just means more kids could make the poor decision of entering out of HS. Why is there a need, in any way, to put a system in place that forces kids to go to college if they don't enter the draft out of HS (!?) and don't want to pack up and go into a completely different world overseas or play for peanuts in the D-League with no chance to be called up to an NBA team? How does that even fix the problem when it still forces just as much, if not more, top talent to the NBA out of high school, never even touching a college court?

[mizzouman]

Why force them to go somewhere other than the NBA?

There's nothing that needs to be fixed. There isn't a problem. Why does it matter if the enter the draft out of HS or after a year of college or after 2 years of college? Telling them they have to go out of HS or they have wait 2-3 years just means more kids could make the poor decision of entering out of HS. Why is there a need, in any way, to put a system in place that forces kids to go to college if they don't enter the draft out of HS (!?) and don't want to pack up and go into a completely different world overseas or play for peanuts in the D-League with no chance to be called up to an NBA team? How does that even fix the problem when it still forces just as much, if not more, top talent to the NBA out of high school, never even touching a college court?

I'm not forcing them to do anything.  Let them make a choice. 

[Hawg Red]

I'm not forcing them to do anything.  Let them make a choice.

Okay, fine.

Why do they have to make that choice? Why shouldn't they be able to go to the NBA at any point after their high school class graduates?

[mizzouman]

Okay, fine.

Why do they have to make that choice? Why shouldn't they be able to go to the NBA at any point after their high school class graduates?

They can.  Get rid of the one and done.

[ErieHog]

Why?

Its a significant impairment of employment rights, for a league that doesn't have an antitrust protection.

The current rule would fall to any significant legal challenge, if it didn't take longer to process the lawsuit than to complete a single year.     

[HOGINTENNESSEE]

Yeah, that isn't the case.

We can look at the last 4 drafts, really quick to see (discounting the draft we just passed, as no one from that has played in an NBA game yet.

* denotes a former stash pick that is on an active roster today

2014: Players still on an NBA roster:   Wiggins, Parker, Embiid, Gordon, Exum, Smart,  Randle, Stauskus, Vonleh, Payton, McDermot, LaVine,  Warren, Payne, Nurkic,  Young, Ennis, Harris, Cabocolo,  McGary, Adams, Hood, Naiper, Capela*, Hairston,  Wilcox,  Huestis*, and Anderson

2014 Stash picks that have not yet played in the NBA-  Saric,  Bogdanovic

2014 Picks out of the league:  None

2013 Players still on an NBA roster:    Bennet, Oladipo,  Porter, Zellar,  Len, Noel, McLemore, Cauldwell-Pope, Burke,  McCollum,  Carter-Williams,  Adams,  Olynyk,  Muhammad,  Antetokounmpo, Nogueira,  Schröder,  Larkin,  Karasev,  Snell,  Dieng,  Plumlee, Hill, Hardaway,  Bullock,  Roberson,  Gobert and Goodwin

2013 Stash Picks Jean-Charles, Nedović 

2013 Picks out of the league:  None

2012 Players still on an NBA roster:  Davis, Kidd-Gilcrest, Beal, Waiters, Robinson, Lillard, Barnes, Ross, Drummond, Rivers, Leonard, Lamb, Henson, Harkless, Zellar,  Jones, Nicholson, Fournier, Sullinger, Jenkins, Wroten, Plumlee, Jones, and Ezeli.

2012 Stash Picks: None

2012 Out of  NBA basketball:  Kendall Marshall   (Rights were finally waived in February, coming off major ACL injury, unlikely to return) Royce White** (played summer league, but not expected to make an active roster this season),  Fab Melo (playing pro in Brazil), Cunningham,  Moultrie (signed in China after being waived for a roster spot when traded to the Knicks), Teague (NBADL)


In short, 5 players in the last 3 drafts that signed contracts aren't in the league 3 years later, a failure rate of about 6-7%;  four haven't signed NBA deals, a non-participation rate of 4.5% roughly.

Even using the most exclusive of terms,  a 1st round draft pick has a shade less than a 90% chance of being on an NBA roster 3 years down the road + an offseason with this group.   If you didn't count offseason players being waived, it'd be closer to 95%

The years you gave are still under their rookie contracts rookie are given 3 years guaranteed with a team option for a 4th. Take for example the 2010 draft where over 15 players are no longer in the league.

It probably a mistake for me to have used a vague term like most. But a good amount don't get second contracts. That was all I was trying to say

[Hawg Red]

The years you gave are still under their rookie contracts rookie are given 3 years guaranteed with a team option for a 4th. Take for example the 2010 draft where over 15 players are no longer in the league.

It probably a mistake for me to have used a vague term like most. But a good amount don't get second contracts. That was all I was trying to say

First off, I get where you are coming from that a good number of 1st round picks don't make it past 4 years played in the league. But I just don't agree with that. And I've done the research on it.

Your original statements was that a lot of 1st round picks don't make it past their rookie deal. So, we're saying they play 4 or less seasons in the NBA. Here's what I found on that, dating back to the 2005 draft. I'll cut it off at 2010 since players from 2011

2005: Only 5 players did not play more than 4 seasons in the NBA. I'm not counting Fran Vasquez either way because he chose to never come to the NBA. 24/29 1st round picks playing more than 4 seasons = 82.7%.

2006: 11 players did not make it to a 5th season. 19/30 1st round picks = 63%.

2007: 7 players did not play more than 4 seasons. I'm not counting Petteri Koponen, who hasn't come over yet but is still being talked about as a possibility for the Mavericks. I'm also not counting Rudy Fernandez, who played out his rookie deal and chose to go back to Spain. He has never not been coveted by multiple NBA teams. He's not in the NBA by choice, could come back at any time. 22/28 1st round picks = 78.6%.

2008: Only 3 players did not make it to a 5th season. 27/30 1st round picks = 90%.

2009: 5 players did not play in a 5th season. 25/30 1st round picks = 83%.

2010: 6 players have not played a 5th season. I'm not counting Elliot Williams even though he has less than 5 years NBA experience because he played in the NBA last season and he's under contract with the Hornets (for the time being). 24/30 1st round picks = 80%. And you're statement about 15 players no longer being in the NBA anymore from this draft is incorrect as there are only 9 1st round picks no longer under contract to NBA teams.

2011: There are currently 6 players from that 1st round not under NBA contract. 24/30 1st round picks = 80%.

Grand total over these 7 drafts: 165/207 1st round picks = 79.7% of 1st round picks played longer than the length of a full rookie contract.

[jbcarol]

Like analytics and newspaper readership, the so-called one-and-done rule sparks different reactions depending on how old you are. The younger you are, the more likely you are to accept college basketball as a one-year way station along the path to an NBA career, view analytics as greater sporting truth revealed and the daily newspaper as a quaint relic.

So former UCLA player Lynn Shackelford's dislike of one-and-done players was no surprise. Although, it was interesting how he prefaced his opinion.

"I'm old-fashioned," he said. "I'm an old guy. I'm 68 years old."

With that said, Shackelford said of the one-and-done rule, "I think it's dreadful. I think college basketball is corrupt. It's all straight from AAU ball to one year in college to the NBA. And it has nothing to do with getting an education anymore or developing yourself personally. Anything like that. It's a shame."

It might be more polite to say college basketball is "different" than it was when Shackelford played in the late 1960s.

"Different is probably the way to put it," he said. "For some people, it's probably great. They make a lot of money. They save money. They give money to their parents who never had money. All positive if they do it right."

With that said, Shackelford added, "At age 68, I can tell them basketball doesn't last forever."

Shackelford steered the conversation to the one-and-done player. The reporter called to ask him to share his thoughts about Pauley Pavilion...

Alex Wolff, a longtime writer for Sports Illustrated, agreed that younger people are more accepting of one-and-done players.

"It's definitely generational," he said. "The more old-fashioned you are, the more you think four years of college. The purpose of it is education, and it's its own reward.

"But if you polled by age, you'd find young people more willing to see athletes get paid. They don't begrudge them anything."

Wolff offered a sobering opinion: College basketball has changed...

[Wild Bill Hog]

I'm old as dirt.  I caught Moby Dick when I was a kid and threw him back because he was too small to keep.  The reason someone goes to college is to prepare themselves to make a good living.  If a kid can do that in only one year, more power to him.  Wish we could get a bunch of one-and-dones.

[Arazorbackguy1]

I just wish the one and done's could go straight to the D-League instead of college.  If you aren't interested in academics at all, then why should you have to act like you are going to class for a year just to get where you want to go.  Seems pretty backwards to me.

Monk could have saved a lot of hog fans a lot of heartache if he could have just signed a $500k contract with the D-league right out of high school. 

Does anyone actually think Monk cares anything about being a Wildcat? 

[MountieDawg]

I just wish the one and done's could go straight to the D-League instead of college.  If you aren't interested in academics at all, then why should you have to act like you are going to class for a year just to get where you want to go.  Seems pretty backwards to me.

Monk could have saved a lot of hog fans a lot of heartache if he could have just signed a $500k contract with the D-league right out of high school. 

Does anyone actually think Monk cares anything about being a Wildcat?

The Kids have no desire to go to the D league, they play in front of about one third of the people who show up for the Hog games. I see no reason to keep kids from going to college and leaving early. Tons of these kids think the will be one and dones but only a few are each year and they are allowed to stay in college additional years.  If Portis had to decide to go to school 4 years or go straight to the NBA or D league he probably would have never been a Hog.  To those that say they should stay 3 years instead of 1 what's the difference? Still job degree and both can come back anytime and finish their degree.

I know many of you will lie and say you don't want them, but if you had 4 of the coming in every year and you were making it to the final four you would not hate the rule at all. MA needs to improve recruiting.

[root_hawg]

These kids are getting degrees from Ky so should not lessen the degree of those getting them.

[SooiecidetillNuttgone]

One and Done's and the handlers/culture that surrounds them have ruined college B-Ball.

To say otherwise is to completely ignore the quality of teams, programs, depth, development, and fan participation from years past.

Now we can debate minimum 3 years, straight to D League, etc if you want.
However, the above is not debatable.  Ask Jay Bilas and Colin Cowherd just to name a few.

[bvillepig]

How many one and done's are there each year?

[MountieDawg]

There is a larger question here - what has/is Kentucky doing to the value of a degree from the University of Kentucky by prostituting itself as a weigh station for athletes interested in basketball only?  In other words, how can anyone associated with the University of Kentucky ever be taken seriously when it comes to academic matters?

Do you have any idea of how many kids start collge and how many of those kids earn a degree at any school?  Both Kentucky and Arkansas's 4 year graduation rates are under 40 percent.  All Kentucky basketball players that have stayed 4 years have graduated since Cal has been there.  I think over 90 percent of the rest are multi millionaires.

Considering most people go to college to assure themselves of a good job and a brighter future I would say they are doing that.

[phadedhawg]

It would be nice if they could go pro out of high school and not pollute the recruiting landscape