As much as Kentucky Head Coach John Calipari hates to hear it, there is a growing consensus among the college basketball community that something needs to be done to get rid of the ""one and done."" In fact, if the NCAA had the power to do anything about the matter, it would have been resolved long ago.
The problem is that it's the NBA's decision. It is their policy change—the 2005 addition of a 19-year-old age requirement—that led to the creation of the ""one and done."" While on one hand this rule has brought an influx of talent into college basketball, it has had disastrous effects for the integrity of the sport at the collegiate level as a bastion of amateur athletics.
But ultimately it's still the NBA's decision and there is no way they will follow in the NFL's footsteps and keep their future stars in college for at least three years. Just imagine this: If a three-year rule had been in place, Derrick Rose would have played his rookie season this year, as would have Kevin Love and OJ Mayo.
Oh, and Lebron James would have just finished up his rookie contract.
The financial consequences for the NBA of losing their young stars to the college game outweigh any potential benefits.
But the sensible solution is actually sitting right in front of our eyes: The NBA Development League (NBDL). Currently the NBDL allows 18-year-olds to play. But the fact that the draft is only open to those 19 and up means that a high school player choosing that route would have to sign an NBDL contract—probably worth less than the food stipend afforded by a college scholarship. Its not a viable choice and the fact that it is used in defense of the current rule is unfair to the debate.
But the NBDL does have a role in this.
Baseball has the whole issue down as best as a professional organization can. Rather than going down the NFL path, high school players have a choice: Enter the draft if you are ready or go to college and stay three years.
However, baseball is different. Not a single one of those high school players entering the draft is doing so with the expectation that they would be making their major league debut in the near future. Even the highly-touted Bryce Harper remains in Class A ball nearly a year after being selected.
The reason baseball can effectively take in standout high school players is because they have a well-organized player development system. Turning pro is one route offered, but either way players are expected to spend a few years in development, paid or amateur.
This is where the NBDL comes in. If the NBA is going to ensure that high school players are ready when they hit the big leagues, they need to make the NBDL a viable option for the young stars. So here's the solution I propose:
Introduce the same policy as baseball has in place: You can leave out of high school or choose to go to college and commit to three years.
However, there is a catch: You are not eligible for an NBA roster until the age of 19. That does not mean that you cannot be drafted and cannot sign an NBA contract out of high school, but you cannot be on the active roster of an NBA team until your 19th birthday.
This would allow high school stars to get the signing bonuses they are looking for but still require them to work their way up. Plus, many players would turn 19 during the year, at which point they would be eligible to come off their NBDL club and be placed on the active NBA roster.
Even if their time in the NBDL is only a few weeks, the humbling nature of playing basketball for the pure love of the game would be an invaluable experience in player development, both on and off the court. Experiencing the NBDL even for a brief period would greatly improve the transition from high school to the pros.
For example, Lebron would only have had to spend two months in the NBDL before he would have been eligible for call-up. He turned 19 on Dec. 30 and under this rule, he and others could suit up that night.
But imagine the impact those two months could have. Instead of suddenly being thrust from poverty (excluding the escalade) into immense wealth, he would have been taken care of with a generous signing bonus and then sent packing for Erie, Penn., for two months of playing in old, tight, empty arenas and traveling from city to city on buses.
Instead of hitting the hottest clubs of New York City, they could spend their free time looking for a 24-hour Perkins.
This is what baseball provides for its draft picks: A taste of the real world. That is why baseball has it right.
College is not always the right place to get this type of real world education. The way that college basketball has evolved —the presence of AAU coaches willing to deal their players out to schools is not only damaging to the integrity of the college game, but also proof that college is not the place to learn how to be a professional athlete.
The best place to learn how to be a professional athlete is in a minor league. By giving these guys an appreciation of what it is like to struggle toward your dreams, they will enter the NBA on a much more level footing. Furthermore, the NBDL might actually give some of these players a chance to identify and correct their weaknesses before they are subject to the scrutiny of NBA life.
I think it is pretty clear that any gains in terms of talent for the college game are more than canceled out by the loss of integrity. There is nothing worse than watching a team like Kentucky or UCONN cut down the nets and go to a Final Four while knowing that in all likelihood at least one of them will have to tear the banner down just as soon as it goes up.
NCAA violations used to be an anomaly and now they are unfortunately getting close to everyday occurrences.
I would gladly take away the joys of watching Derrick Rose and OJ Mayo in college if I could have a game with integrity. That isn't to say those guys are responsible, just that they didn't belong in college. OJ Mayo is another story, but Derrick Rose has turned out to be a great player and more importantly a great person.
This system would be better for the college game, for the NBA, and most importantly, for the players involved. Lets put aside the status quo and work toward the genuine betterment of the sport.
Is the NBDL the right solution for the NCAA's problems? Let Max know at max.sternberg@yahoo.com.
