Mike Krzyzewski addressed the media Monday, talking on topics from his interest in the Lakers to his interest in coaching the 2012 Olympic team and his Duke squad's roster makeup. Add Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski to the list of college basketball coaches speaking out this summer against become known as the NBA’s “one-and-done” rule.
Three years ago, a new collective bargaining agreement between the NBA’s owners and players association effectively prevented players from entering the draft right out of high school.
The rule states that players must be at least 19 years old and one year beyond the graduation of their high school class before they can enter the draft. That’s led to a lot of players enrolling in college for one year of basketball before moving on to the pros.
Greg Oden, Kevin Durant and Michael Beasley have made big splashes in their only collegiate seasons. Krzyzewski said that’s helped the NBA by making them household names before they turn pro, but questions its value to college basketball.
“They’re part of the NCAA marketing machine and college basketball,” Krzyzewski said Tuesday at his annual summer news conference. “It’s a smart move (by the NBA). They don’t have to pay a cent. They get to see a kid for a year longer. And they’re marketed. I think it was fool’s gold, really (for college basketball). Oh, we get a kid for a year. I don’t think college basketball has benefited from that.”
Other coaches, including Oklahoma’s Jeff Capel, are bemoaning the rule that essentially forces some players to attend college against their will even though they may be ready for the NBA.
Brandon Jennings’ recent success in the NBA draft after a year in Italy might inspire more players to spend a year making money overseas rather than playing college basketball.
But some still will choose college even though they don’t have much interest in attending class. Capel told the Kansas City Star that the rule makes a mockery out of education.
Krzyzewski said a culture has developed among elite players outside of academic programs where it’s best that they go to the NBA.
“I’m not saying it’s a bad culture,” Krzyzewski said. “I’m saying it’s a different culture that leads to the NBA. Now you’re forcing them to go into our culture for eight months. I’m not sure that’s (good). We’ve already seen problems from it.”
Nonetheless, Krzyzewski sounded pessimistic that the one and done rule will change. It’s in the hands of the NBA players’ union and the owners, and Krzyzewski said it’s not the most pressing issue those parties bring to the bargaining table.
Krzyzewski said college basketball would be popular without one-and-done players because it can market the tradition of schools such as Duke vs. North Carolina while the pros hype player matchups such as Kobe vs. LeBron.
And the two most scandalous college stories of the summer – investigations of O.J. Mayo at Southern California and Derrick Rose at Memphis – both involved one-and-done players.
That’s not good for college basketball, and Krzyzewski doesn’t have an easy solution.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I don’t know how you change it.” – Ken Tysiac
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13 comments:
Here's how you change it. If a player wants to play at the NCAA level, you make him sign a contract along with the scholarship obligating him to the university he signed with for at least 3 years. The language in the contract would prohibit him from playing professionaly for the three year term, much like many other contracts that prohibit an employee from going to work for the competition.
Great, make the player sign on but what about the coach who recruited him? The coach shouldn't be able to jump ship either. The list of coaches who jump for the next big job is larger than the list of one and done players.
The baseball rule will work:
You can be drafted out of HS, but you either have to go to a 4-year school for three years or ply your trade in JuCo if you want to go sooner.
Add the cost of the players scholarship repaid to the general education fund, and I think we may be on to something.
Signing a contract to "obligate" them to play at the NCAA level won't work. How would it be enforced? You'd have to sue the player for - what - their scholarship money? That money, plus some crazy penalty? If they are gonna make $450K to $12M a year in the NBA, any 40K/year scholarship would just be paid back. They could triple it, and still they'd just pay it back.
It's a different problem than baseball players too. Baseball players still get their $1M+ signing bonuses (for elite players, if they sign), but are not ready for the majors for years. They still play in rookie leagues or other minor leagues for years before the big leagues.
Part of the reason he doesn't like it (and I say this as Duke fan) is because he has not been as successful as other coaches have been with recruiting in the current environment. What worked in the 80s won't work today. I understand his frustration, but the rules of the game have changed. You either adapt or you move on. Yes, it makes a mockery of college, but in my experience only about 25% of players (even at Duke) are serious students anyway.
Coach K is more inclined to recruit a player whom he knows is talented but will probably be in school for at least 2 or 3 years. He don't go after guys that are talking bout spending one year and then going pro like other coaches in the nation. Has it costed him a opportunity for raising another championship? Maybe. Even though I like to see players stay in school; I think the NCAA or NBA shouldn't have a right to keep someone from making a better living for himself or his family. If you can fight for your country at 18 then you should be able to make a living.
I'm sorry. All I heard was "WWAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!" Does Coach K ever do anything but complain? First he gets his drawers in a wad cause Obama picks Roy and UNC to win the NCAA and now he's implying it's the one and done rule's fault that he can't get a good recruiting class. GROW UP ALREADY! Time to put your big boy underwear on!
I'm sorry. All I heard was "WWAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!" Does Coach K ever do anything but complain? First he gets his drawers in a wad cause Obama picks Roy and UNC to win the NCAA and now he's implying it's the one and done rule's fault that he can't get a good recruiting class. GROW UP ALREADY!
Krzyzewski can't recruit? Over the last four years, his classes have ranked an average of 10.5, including #2, #5, and #8 rankings.
I agree and I'm not a Duke fan.
The one and done rule was created, supposedly, so that kids would have a reason to graduate high school and not give up on class and then not get drafted and then have nothing.
If this is their reasoning, instead of using the NCAA as its academic filter, the NBA should create its own academic standards, diploma, 2.5 GPA, whatever but don't make the NCAA do your dirty work Mr. Stern.
...oh yeah, and to continue from 2:35, the money was a nice afterthought for the NCAA too. Suprise, suprise.
The solution is simple: Raise the NBA age limit to 21 (same age as your right to drink) or Two Years of College, whichever comes first. Just adding one more year would benefit the college game immensely. If a player bolts to Europe, he must sit out two years before playing in the NBA. This forces players into the college game. Also, it's critical that ball players get a proper college education, if only for two years. Few of them are good with money. And even fewer know what to do after their pro careers are over because they lack basic critical thinking skills. As our basketball-playing President understands, we need to push education in this country, especially with inner city males who tend to have the lowest graduate rates but highest basketball talent. My solution mandates education, while protecting the college game. To turn more about the problem of inner city education and why we need to make it a priority in all arenas, including sports, go to http://www.resolved.tv.
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