By Ben Lampkin
As the 2001-2002 college basketball season comes to a close, one thing stands out in the minds of basketball fans everywhere; if Indiana can make the Final Four, why can’t my team?!?! But this time of year always brings about several arguments that rarely change. Who should be the national player of the year? What will be the major coaching changes? And what ill-advised underclassmen will make themselves eligible for this summer’s NBA draft?
For the past decade, legions of freshmen and sophomores have ridden the coattails of their 15 minutes of basketball fame into the NBA. A small percentage of them have gone on to become All-Star caliber players (Chris Webber, Rasheed Wallace, Allen Iverson, to name a few), but many find a nice paycheck and a roster spot on the end of the bench as their initial greeting. What could compel some players to forego the chance for immortality, or even the chance to play on a regular basis for that matter?
We can ask Joe Forte about that. He left North Carolina after a year to pursue his dream of playing seven NBA games all season for the Boston Celtics. Or how about DeMarr Johnson, who had a chance for greatness at Cincinnati, but now has to prove that he isn’t what many dubbed last year’s class a “bust.” What about former teammate Kenny Satterfield, who’s played so well for the Denver Nuggets that Dan Issel’s racist comments get more attention than Satterfield’s play.
One that really boggles the mind is Kirk Haston, the 16th pick in last year’s draft who now plays with the nearly defunct Charlotte Hornets. Instead of playing for a National Championship this season with IU, he’s never even unpacked since moving to Charlotte. Not only is his team about to be shipped to the Bayou, but he’s played all of 15 games this season, averaging a solid five minutes of PT while the Hornets average about 500 fans per game. Do you think he’d rather still be wearing the plain red and white, having played out his senior season in Assembly Hall with the chance for a ring?
It’s one thing when you see a guy who is a can’t-miss pro prospect. Nobody will question Jarred Jeffries’ decision to come out early, or AP Player of the Year Jason Williams’ three-year graduation plan. What is really sad and disturbing are the guys who’ve had a good season, a good tournament, even a good game, and think they’re all of a sudden too good for college. Even Michael Jordan played three years at UNC, but Joe Forte, he only needed two. Zach Randolph declared for the draft as a freshman out of Michigan State last season, and now he has the best seat in the house (the bench) to watch his Portland team compete for a championship. Does Randolph deserve to be in the NBA? Hell, he didn’t even start in college. What makes him think he’ll crack the starting five or even have an impact this season, or in the next three seasons? The only impact is that the Trail Blazers wasted a pick on a guy with “potential,” instead of drafting a competent player who will contribute immediately.
And that’s why these decisions are so poor. Not only is the NBA getting screwed by a bunch of teenagers who aren’t that skilled and are taking up roster spots because they might be good in five years, but the best talent is leaving college way too early, leaving teams depleted and in no shape to compete at a high level. Would Michigan State have lost in Round 1 if they had Randolph and Jason Richardson? Would Carolina have suffered through its worse season ever with Forte leading the Heels? I’m not one to speculate too much, but in many cases speculation is all there is.
College basketball will not lose any fans due to player defections, but the game itself has lost some of its panache. Sure we all like to see the scrappy underdogs pull out miracle victories (except IU), but we’ve missed out on potentially great teams because of those defections. Can you imagine a team with Antawn Jamison and Vince Carter as seniors? Could have happened at UNC. How about Florida this season, with Donnell Harvey, Mike Miller, and even Kwame Brown? What if the Fab Five had stayed together more than two years? Many a great program has been besmirched by a player who decides money is more important than experience, winning, even becoming a better basketball player.
Looking back on the past few champions, they’ve all been led by seniors and juniors who’ve stayed in school for the one thing money can’t buy: a championship experience. Just looking over this year’s Final Four teams, there’s a gluttony of upperclassmen who know that their NBA dreams can take a backseat to the once-in-a-lifetime college experience. If the NBA is in a players future, staying in school to enhance his individual skills, team skills, and knowledge of the game will only heighten his opportunities to become a professional. We’ll all see firsthand next season, when senior guard Reece Gaines leads U of L into the postseason as a star, rather than having Cardinal fans continually asking themselves, “What if????”
Benjamin Lampkin is a sophomore communications Major and the Assistant Sports Editor of the Louisville Cardinal.
