Nobody is for the "Student Athlete" not even the NCAA. If the NCAA was for the "Student Athlete" then they would make it so if you sign your letter of intent and accept a scholarship then you must stay in school for 2-3 years minimum. If it were up to me, then let those kids that want to go to the NBA straight out of high school to put their name in the draft and give it a shot. If they don't get drafted, then too bad sorry for your luck, go play overseas or not play at all but you lost your shot at college ball. Every single sport should be set up like this, not just basketball. How many top notch recruits in basketball that starred as freshmen in the past few years has stayed in school to their Junior season much less the entire way? I can't think of any.
2010 Draft - 5 College Seniors and 9 Juniors out of the first rounders drafted (30 total)
2009 Draft - 8 College Seniors and 8 Juniors
2008 Draft - 9 of the first 11 taken were underclassmen, the other was a Junior and an overseas player, 5 Seniors and 2 Juniors total in the first round
2007 Draft - 6 Seniors and 8 Juniors
2006 Draft - 8 Seniors and 7 Juniors
2010 - 7 Freshmen taken
2009 - 5 Freshmen taken
2008 - 10 Freshmen taken
2007 - 8 Freshmen taken
2006 - 2 Freshmen taken
In the last 5 drafts (not counting any foreign players), 150 kids drafted in round 1 and only 32 of these were College Seniors and 34 were College Juniors. 66 kids out of 150 were upperclassmen, slightly over 40%. That means 60% were underclassmen and 32 of these were College Freshmen. When there are the same number of College Seniors drafted as there were College Freshmen in the NBA Draft over the past 5 years then there is something wrong with the system. If the NCAA truly cared about the "Student Athlete" then the "Student" part would come first. Let them go straight out of high school if they want and let a "Student Athlete" that wants to use his athletic talent earn him a college education have the scholarship. Not let the One and Doner's have 1 of the 13 Division 1 Basketball Scholarships that each school has to offer. 346 Division 1 schools is a lot of kids that could be offered scholarships. The days of Florida with the back to back championships with a bunch of Juniors coming back to repeat are OVER. I heard once that the reason the NBA wanted the kids to be removed from high school for a year was to help them grow up and make sure they were making the right decision to turn pro. I get tired of everyone else trying to parent somebody else's kids. When are people going to stand up for their own decisions in life, good or bad. If an 18 year old kid wants to go pro then let him, if he wants to go to college then let him but make him stay for 3 years minimum. Really put the emphasis on the "Student Athlete" and not the "Athlete that goes to class for a semester or two"



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