Early Departure Risks Grow Draft Candidates Hurt Colleges, Minimize Chances For Stardom
At a meeting this month in Atlanta, some college basketball coaches tried to put together an all-star team from the 1970s and 1980s. The condition: players who had gone on to the NBA after only two years in college.
“We could only come up with one name that was successful,” said Jim Haney, executive director of the National Association of Basketball Coaches. “Magic Johnson.”
Michael Jordan stayed in school for three years. So did Hakeem Olajuwon.
Once the province of a few high-profile juniors, the early departure to the pros has become the rage among youngsters. Of the 21 players who have declared themselves draftable - Sunday was the deadline to file for the June 26 draft - 10 are not yet juniors. Two are not yet in college.
The exodus of underclass talent to the NBA may be the most crucial issue facing the college game. There’s a perception that all the best players - and even some of the merely good ones - are taking off too soon, robbing college hoops of its marquee attractions.
“College basketball coaches are like the little Dutch boy,” said Wake Forest coach Dave Odom. “But the dike is springing leaks faster than we can put fingers in it.”
Just a few years ago, the list of players leaving early was a “Who’s Who” of star collegians. This year’s list is a “Who’s That?”
Ever heard of Kevin Simpson? He’s a junior college hot shot who signed with Providence but has decided to turn pro instead.
There are, to be sure, some giants in the draft: junior Marcus Camby of Massachusetts, the consensus national Player of the Year; Stephon Marbury of Georgia Tech, who is one year out of high school; and Georgetown guard Allen Iverson, a brilliant sophomore.
Of the top pro prospects with eligibility remaining, only Kansas senior Jacque Vaughn, an honor student, and Wake Forest junior Tim Duncan have announced that they will stay in school.
Coaches, administrators and talent scouts cite a number of factors for the rush to the pros.
One is the towering success of recent early-departers Jason Kidd, Jerry Stackhouse and Juwan Howard.
Another is misinformation. NCAA rules bar contact with agents, but officials suspect players base decisions to come out early on grapevine information.
Another is the NCAA rule that allows collegians to test the draft without sacrificing their eligibility.
Another reason for players to leave early is tightened NCAA academic standards. Academics played a role in Kevin Garnett’s decision to go directly to the NBA from Farragut Academy in Chicago, and it is said to be a factor for several players of this spring’s crop.
Garnett made an immediate impact as a starter for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Given his success, few draft observers were surprised when a pair of prep stars - Kobe Bryant and Jermaine O’Neal - declared for the draft this year.
One answer might be for teams not to draft unprepared youngsters. But with overall talent as weak as it has been in years, teams are tempted to take risks.
For now, coaches hope they’re seeing an aberration. “If this is just a couple-of-years trend, then it’s not a problem,” Purdue coach Gene Keady said. “But if it goes on for five years, we could all be in trouble.”
xxxx NBA early draft entries College underclassmen and high school players who have announced they will enter the NBA draft: Pos. Year School Shar. Abdur-Rahim F Fr. California Ray Allen G Jr. Connecticut Kobe Bryant F * Ardmore, Pa. Marcus Camby C Jr. Massachusetts Erick Dampier C Jr. Mississippi State Ronnie Henderson G Jr. LSU Allen Iverson G So. Georgetown Dontae’ Jones F Jr. Mississippi State Chris Kingsbury F Jr. Iowa Randy Livingston G So. LSU Stephon Marbury G Fr. Georgia Tech Jeff McInnis G Jr. North Carolina Jermaine O’Neal F ** Columbia, S.C. Jason Osborne F Jr. Louisville Vitaly Potapenko C Jr. Wright State Darnell Robinson C Jr. Arkansas Mark Sanford F So. Washington Jess Settles F Jr. Iowa Kebu Stewart F-C Jr. CS Bakersfield Antoine Walker F So. Kentucky Samaki Walker C So. Louisville Lorenzen Wright C So. Memphis *Lower Merion High School **Eau Claire High School