S P O R T S & C L U B S

• Players Exiting Early Hurt Quality Of College Hoops And NBA, by Jeff Williams, BBA1

Mass Exodus

Players Exiting Early Hurt Quality Of College Hoops And NBA

by Jeff Williams, BBA1

Okay, okay ... so maybe the yearly exodus of underclassmen to the NBA hasn't gotten that bad. But in taking a look at this year's list of underclassmen who are leaving early, that doesn't always seem so far-fetched. This list includes players such as Victor Page of Georgetown, Mark Sanford of Washington, Marc Jackson of Temple, and of course, Michigan's own Maurice Taylor. Believe it or not, those are some of the bigger names.

This list of early departures marks a trend that is growing worse every year; and it needs to be stopped, somehow, for the benefit of both college basketball and the NBA.

In many cases, it's hard to fault the players themselves for choosing to leave school early. The money is obviously very hard to pass up, especially when there exists the possibility of a career-ending injury before reaching the NBA. However, it is extremely rare for this scenario to play out. What is unfortunate is that far too often, basketball players hurt their own futures by choosing to leave school before graduating. The majority of those players leaving early are not ready, physically or mentally, for the NBA. But the large egos of today's players often cause them to be ignorant of the fact that there are areas of their game that could stand some improvement.

It used to be that the very best college players were the only ones who left school early. It's hard to argue against the past decisions of stars like Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan. But very few of today's underclassmen who leave early are either superstars or "can't miss" players. This is because today's players leave school before their abilities have reached that stage. The top undergraduates, guys like sophomores Chauncey Billups and Ron Mercer, and junior Danny Fortson, are closer to being NBA-ready than any other undergraduates, but they still would benefit more from spending more time at the college level.

Unfortunately, it's getting harder every year to argue against those who wish to jump to the NBA. Those top players who have been leaving early have been experiencing success in the NBA. Even guys who skipped college completely have played well. Kevin Garnett, two years out of high school, played in the all-star game this year; at the same time, Kobe Bryant, one of two high school players to enter the draft last year, has been a significant contributor to the Los Angeles Lakers this season.

It is this type of success that has convinced young players who are not ready to believe that they really are. Tracy McGrady, a star at the Mt. Zion Academy in North Carolina, has decided to skip college and enter the draft based on how he has seen Garnett and Bryant perform straight out of high school.

It is decisions such as these that are harming both college basketball and the NBA. The NBA markets itself on the individual abilities of it players. But as players enter the league at increasingly younger ages, the quality of play is decreasing. There are some who argue that the NBA, with its proliferation of young, athletic players, is better than it has ever been. Those same people argue that the accomplishments of today's young players show how special their talent levels may be. And, yes, the fact that Garnett can be an all-star, and that Bryant can contribute in the NBA this soon after jumping straight from high school, may say a lot about what kind of ability those two have. But it also says a lot about the current level of competition in the NBA, and that's not saying too much.