Congratulations to UK National Champions! (bankrupt, college, live)

[cartomanlex]

Coach Cal can recruit the best talent and let them stay for a year (maybe two) or he can let them go elsewhere and lose to them in the end. Every other coach is looking for the same type ball player and maybe they will stay or maybe they will go, but the "one and done" players will still get to the NBA.
We can lose out on the recruiting trail or on the basketball court.

I don't want to lose out anywhere.

[CraigCreek]

I also find the "one and done" pattern to be very hypocritical. College is supposed to last four years and conclude with a degree, after broadening one's horizons, knowledge, and interests, and maturing through study, research, reading, writing, meeting others from many diverse backgrounds, etc. How many of these ideals can be realized by those who go pro after one scant year of college? Money isn't everything - nor are most young people of 19 or so well-qualified to handle the sudden arrival of a huge salary, not to mention the many temptations of the road. Of course, there are plenty of "advisors" who would be quite happy to help with the disposal of all that money...

True, some of the now wealthy young "one and done" athletes have expressed their intentions to eventually return to college and get degrees after NBA careers - but realistically, is this likely to occur?

I would love to see a return to the ideal of the student-athlete - with emphasis on "student".

I'm proud to say that I have a young relative who is on a full athletic scholarship to another major state university. My relative presently is completing their senior year and has been on the Dean's List each semester, while doing very well in their sport.

Would that more young college athletes were like my young relative.

[wolfeyes]

Originally Posted by InLondon

Again a few ruin it for everyone else...

Don't lump all UK fans together like that. I consider that a disgrace and rude.

Me, I am Not a disgrace nor am I rude.. There might be a "few" UK fans out there that act like they have common sense, but I haven't come across any yet..

[capcat]

Originally Posted by wolfeyes

Me, I am Not a disgrace nor am I rude.. There might be a "few" UK fans out there that act like they have common sense, but I haven't come across any yet..

Oh, I see. You're from North Carolina. Took you seriously there for a minute.

[rnc76]

Originally Posted by CraigCreek

I also find the "one and done" pattern to be very hypocritical. College is supposed to last four years and conclude with a degree, after broadening one's horizons, knowledge, and interests, and maturing through study, research, reading, writing, meeting others from many diverse backgrounds, etc. How many of these ideals can be realized by those who go pro after one scant year of college? Money isn't everything - nor are most young people of 19 or so well-qualified to handle the sudden arrival of a huge salary, not to mention the many temptations of the road. Of course, there are plenty of "advisors" who would be quite happy to help with the disposal of all that money...

True, some of the now wealthy young "one and done" athletes have expressed their intentions to eventually return to college and get degrees after NBA careers - but realistically, is this likely to occur?

I would love to see a return to the ideal of the student-athlete - with emphasis on "student".

I'm proud to say that I have a young relative who is on a full athletic scholarship to another major state university. My relative presently is completing their senior year and has been on the Dean's List each semester, while doing very well in their sport.

Would that more young college athletes were like my young relative.

Yeah but was your young relative offered $10 million/year to play their respective sport? I have a feeling his/her priorities would have changed. I think it is hypocritical for people to criticize these kids. They were given a gift that an extremely small percentage of people have. A gift that affords them the opportunity to make enoromous sums of money. Amounts of money that the average person can only dream of. What if they blow out their knee in college after they could have pursued their dream?

I went to college for engineering. Let's say after my freshman year, someone offered me $10 million/year to come work for their company. I currently make a nice salary and that is more money than I will likely make in my entire career. It would be absolutely ludicrous to not accept that offer. Heck, if someone would have offered me $100,000 I would have left, made the money and gone to night school or something to finish the degree.

Sure money isn't everything but I don't see how a person can fault a kid for pursuing a dream. The system deserves criticism, America's obsession with sports and neglect of education deserves criticism, but you can't blame the kid for taking advantage of his talents.

[PONYPULR]

OK, I've just gotten into the whole Cats Mania Thing, so I'm not familiar with the coach's "one and done" program. Could someone please 'splain it to me?

[Ghengis]

Originally Posted by CraigCreek

I also find the "one and done" pattern to be very hypocritical. College is supposed to last four years and conclude with a degree, after broadening one's horizons, knowledge, and interests, and maturing through study, research, reading, writing, meeting others from many diverse backgrounds, etc. How many of these ideals can be realized by those who go pro after one scant year of college? Money isn't everything - nor are most young people of 19 or so well-qualified to handle the sudden arrival of a huge salary, not to mention the many temptations of the road. Of course, there are plenty of "advisors" who would be quite happy to help with the disposal of all that money...

True, some of the now wealthy young "one and done" athletes have expressed their intentions to eventually return to college and get degrees after NBA careers - but realistically, is this likely to occur?

I would love to see a return to the ideal of the student-athlete - with emphasis on "student".

I'm proud to say that I have a young relative who is on a full athletic scholarship to another major state university. My relative presently is completing their senior year and has been on the Dean's List each semester, while doing very well in their sport.

Would that more young college athletes were like my young relative.

Forget who had recently floated this idea out there (think it may have been Rick Majerus) but they proposed that a school would only get as many scholarships in each sport each year based on the number of their athletes that graduated the previous year.

[rnc76]

Originally Posted by PONYPULR

OK, I've just gotten into the whole Cats Mania Thing, so I'm not familiar with the coach's "one and done" program. Could someone please 'splain it to me?

It isn't the coach's program. Around 2005, the NBA made a rule that a kid has to be either 19 or 1 year removed from high school to play in the NBA. The NBA was drafting the top recruits straight out of high school and paying them enormous sums of money. Well, as you can imagine, some panned out as great players, others were busts. They then came up with this rule. It is really a pretty sweet deal for the NBA, they get to see how the kids play and mature in more complicated systems and against much tougher competition. All without paying for it. Another sweet side effect for the NBA is that the kid now comes out of college with a loyal fanbase and a "brand" so to speak created by ESPN and CBS. Think of how many Kentucky fans follow John Wall's career and watch the Wizards when they are on TBS, which equates to more advertising dollars. So the best recruits who would have gone straight from high school to the NBA now have to do a pitstop at a university.

Coach Cal is criticized for recruiting these kids. He is the best at bringing these kids in, getting them to play as a team and then getting them into the NBA. People say he shouldn't recruit kids that don't intend on staying around. So basically they are saying that he shouldn't go after the best talent. What is the answer? I'm not sure. I really think there shouldn't be any rule. If a kid is good enough to play out of high school, then why shouldn't he? Why does the NBA get to use the college game as their free 1 year proving ground? Who has the right to say how long a person stays in college before pursuing their career? Why are athletes held to a higher standard than those who are on an academic scholarship? Imagine a very bright kid that has a full academic scholarship to go to business school. Imagine they have a great business idea and entreprenurial spirit and they drop out and start an extremely successful business and become very wealthy. Do people criticize them for leaving school early?

[CraigCreek]

I suppose it depends upon one's values, as to whether wealth or education is viewed as the more desirable. It seems to me that given brilliance in either sports, entreprenurialship, intellect or creativity, first getting a solid degree and acquiring all the intangibles which should accompany it - intellectual curiosity, broader knowledge of one's own field of study, meeting one's peers and role models, reading widely, broader knowledge of the world in general, maturing, etc., only enhances one's opportunities and the quality of one's life later.

Wealth is not only counted in dollars, in my own view. Others clearly differ.

[The Dissenter]

Originally Posted by rnc76

It isn't the coach's program. Around 2005, the NBA made a rule that a kid has to be either 19 or 1 year removed from high school to play in the NBA. The NBA was drafting the top recruits straight out of high school and paying them enormous sums of money. Well, as you can imagine, some panned out as great players, others were busts. They then came up with this rule. It is really a pretty sweet deal for the NBA, they get to see how the kids play and mature in more complicated systems and against much tougher competition. All without paying for it. Another sweet side effect for the NBA is that the kid now comes out of college with a loyal fanbase and a "brand" so to speak created by ESPN and CBS. Think of how many Kentucky fans follow John Wall's career and watch the Wizards when they are on TBS, which equates to more advertising dollars. So the best recruits who would have gone straight from high school to the NBA now have to do a pitstop at a university.

Coach Cal is criticized for recruiting these kids. He is the best at bringing these kids in, getting them to play as a team and then getting them into the NBA. People say he shouldn't recruit kids that don't intend on staying around. So basically they are saying that he shouldn't go after the best talent. What is the answer? I'm not sure. I really think there shouldn't be any rule. If a kid is good enough to play out of high school, then why shouldn't he? Why does the NBA get to use the college game as their free 1 year proving ground? Who has the right to say how long a person stays in college before pursuing their career? Why are athletes held to a higher standard than those who are on an academic scholarship? Imagine a very bright kid that has a full academic scholarship to go to business school. Imagine they have a great business idea and entreprenurial spirit and they drop out and start an extremely successful business and become very wealthy. Do people criticize them for leaving school early?

I agree that Coach Cal should recruit the best talent he can regardless on intentions of NBA or 4-year degree. Coach Cal has a responsibility to deliver a winning team. Cal ain't lasting long if he recruits solely to have players stay the full 4 years and take a hit on talent. UK does not strike me as a patient job.