Carolina trio going pro

[Silkk the Shaka]

The problem isn't the players. It's the system. The Portsmouth Invitational is in mid-April. That's the marquee NBA "tryout" for college seniors and it's during the school year. If Butler had skipped that event last season to focus on his school work, he wouldn't have been a 1st Round pick, which meant a guaranteed 2-year contract worth over $2 million. If he goes in the 2nd Round, that could mean maybe a 1-year, $450k contract. While that's no small change, finishing up a degree could have potentially cost him over $1.5M. A player can always go back to get his degree. He can't ever go back and compete at Portsmouth again.

From an outside perspective it's easy to say that these kids should stick it out and finish their degrees, but if you look at it closer, an overwhelming majority of us would go for the money and dream job.

Cosign

[MerrittsMustache]

Definitely disagree there.  His stock was probably the lowest it possibly could have been solely because Lebron James was in the draft.  He was the number 1 recruit in the country out of high school, and then led his team to the national title in his freshman season.  If he went back to Syrcacuse for his sophomore season, regardless of how his team did, he would have been the #1 overall pick in the 2004 draft.

He was projected as the #2 player in the draft in 2003. Another year in school would not have guaranteed him the #1 spot in 2004, especially with Howard and Okafor available - NBA teams love big men. Another year would have also allowed scouts to pick apart his game.

I challenge you to find a player who would have been a lottery pick but stayed in school and saw his draft stock rise.

[JTBMU7]

Yeah, for how good that field looked to be a year ago it's not going to be all that tough next year.  If we take an international trip to get the ten additional practices and some extra games before then I'd say we've got a good shot of winning.

this is what i was thinking. although don't sleep on Texas, they return everyone and have a stud freshman coming in. They were a talented team who was young this year.

my guess is the bracket will set up to have a UNC-UT final.

[jsglow]

So those 2 do not get a degree, which I heard they are not, some of the Buzz issues (graduating players) but really if they do not they still will be in the 1% of salaries next year for first
year students out of school.  Isn't that why you go to school?  To get a job, now if they want to get a degree, they would be fools if they do not finish, as basketball at most is a 10 year
job.

Getting an education is more than just about getting a job. 

[leever]

Ill also take a hot blonde who's ass tastes like French Vanilla ice cream.

We may need another poll to determine whether (weather) you should use
"who's" or "whose".

May not be relevant in the context of hot blondes!

[wadesworld]

He was projected as the #2 player in the draft in 2003. Another year in school would not have guaranteed him the #1 spot in 2004, especially with Howard and Okafor available - NBA teams love big men. Another year would have also allowed scouts to pick apart his game.

I challenge you to find a player who would have been a lottery pick but stayed in school and saw his draft stock rise.

Depending on the season Carmelo would have had at Syracuse, Dwight Howard might have gone above him.  There is no chance Emeka Okafor would have gone above him.  There was plenty of time for scouts to pick Carmelo's game apart.  He would have absolutely dominated college basketball again if he had returned.  He was an NBA player coming out of high school.  There was a very good chance he would have gone #1 overall, but at worst would have gone #2.

Al Horford and Corey Brewer could have left earlier than they did but returned and their stock rose.  Hard to say because off the top of my head I don't know who had seasons good enough to go pro and then returned.  I would guess Blake Griffin would have been a top 15 pick if he left after his freshman year (15 points, 9 rebounds as a freakishly athletic freshman) and he came back and went 1 overall.

Carmelo was not a guy like Gordon Hayward, who was somebody who was unknown to NBA GM's coming out of high school (2 star on Scout, 3 star on Rivals) and blew up for a season, making a deep tournament run, and then took his money.  Carmelo was the #1 recruit coming out of high school.  He was NBA-ready in high school and at Syracuse.  Another year at Syracuse was not going to hurt his stock at all.  It might have been the right time for him to leave, but if he wanted to go back to Syracuse he would have and he would've been just fine.

[Badgerhater]

Too bad there can't be a legitimate degree called Basketball Studies....which would also teach you about coaching theory, training theory, hoops economics, etc.

Marquette would probably make it quite rigorous, whereas Kentucky would award graduate credit for a class in the proper inflation of a basketball.

[MarquetteDano]

Too bad there can't be a legitimate degree called Basketball Studies....which would also teach you about coaching theory, training theory, hoops economics, etc.

Marquette would probably make it quite rigorous, whereas Kentucky would award graduate credit for a class in the proper inflation of a basketball.

Add investments and personal budgetting to the agenda.  How many NBA players each year go bankrupt after making millions in the League?

[Spotcheck Billy]

just be sure it's taught in the first year so everyone has the chance to take it

[warriorchick]

Add investments and personal budgetting to the agenda.  How many NBA players each year go bankrupt after making millions in the League?

And fundamentals of birth control.

[Lennys Tap]

just be sure it's taught in the first year so everyone has the chance to take it

Make that first semester.

[alkelly2]

Anyone ever take "Music Appreciation" from Horton Roe in the 60's and 70's at Marquette??

[lab_warrior]

Add investments and personal budgetting to the agenda.  How many NBA players each year go bankrupt after making millions in the League?

You RANG?

[Otule's Glass Eye]

He was projected as the #2 player in the draft in 2003. Another year in school would not have guaranteed him the #1 spot in 2004, especially with Howard and Okafor available - NBA teams love big men. Another year would have also allowed scouts to pick apart his game.

I challenge you to find a player who would have been a lottery pick but stayed in school and saw his draft stock rise.

+1

[only a warrior]

Not a punk at all, actually a really good kid.

Based on what information?  Don't know the guy so don't have an opinion one way or the other - don't think you know him either.

[LA]

Getting an education is more than just about getting a job. 

What like learning about time management, working with and learning from people who have different experiences than you, hard work, perseverance. I think these kids get a good deal of that with their intense schedule and all the people they interact with.

Could you elaborate on what getting an education should be about? Most students simply use it to hone their flip cup skills and ability to cram in search of a piece of paper and hopefully a job (yours truly not excluded).