I Declare
by Arn Tellem

A few years ago The Onion ran an item about how all 30,000 current NCAA men's basketball players -- from those who played for every program from Duke to Allegheny County Community College - had announced that they were declaring their eligibility for the 2007 NBA Draft. According to the dispatch, NBA Commissioner David Stern was surprised that so many kids wanted to become professional basketball players, and was considering creating 3,000 expansion teams for the 2007-08 season.

The NCAA, of course, has never been known for its collective sense of humor. As if to preclude such a mass declaration, the organization recently tightened its rules for underclassmen to make it more harrowing -- if not harder -- to turn pro. College prospects will be under so much time pressure to jump through a narrow hoop before the June 24 draft that the Unsurest as well as the Surest Things are likely to attempt the feat.

Before now, players had about a two-month window in which to withdraw from the draft, return to school and retain their NCAA eligibility. This year international players can bow out until June 14, the NBA deadline. But the NCAA has shortened the cut-off date for U.S. underclassmen to May 8. Since the deadline to declare for the draft is April 25, college players have less than two weeks to be evaluated by pro teams.

Make that a week and a half. The list of draft-eligible candidates is released April 29, the date on which underclassmen may start workouts with NBA teams. Effectively, this means that underclassmen have only 10 days to audition with teams and decide whether to stay in school or enter the NBA draft and forfeit their eligibility.

Ten days is a pretty short time to make what may be the most important decision of a student's life. On top of that, the NCAA will not permit a student-athlete to skip class for a pro tryout. (The penalty: loss of eligibility). So, in the end, all these undergrads have is one weekend to map out their future. Does anyone seriously think that two days are sufficient? I've got a pretty good hunch that many players will declare for the draft in the belief that they're first-round caliber, players who -- had they be given more time to weigh their options -- would have stayed in school.

Clearly, the new restrictions are not in the best interests of players, which is what the NCAA was designed to protect and serve. Rather, these rules are in the best interest of the colleges that are actively recruiting high school seniors during the same period, and need to know what roster holes need to be filled. To add further insult, international players have gained a huge and unfair advantage over homegrown underclassmen - a five-week advantage to interact with and draw insights from NBA teams.

The priority of the NCAA should be student-athletes, not the schools they attend. The new rules are symptomatic of the organization's basic problem: that in cozying up with school administrators and pro leagues, it has abandoned the athletes. It's bad enough that the NCAA bans players from using attorneys during contract talks with pro teams -- with their draconian sanctions and shady backroom deals, NCAA officials have lost sight of their raison d'être. They bully and badger and browbeat players, hindering their ability to make momentous and possibly life-altering choices. Few can afford to mount a court challenge and all are indentured as unpaid professionals. If the NCAA won't end its strong-arm tactics, Congress should step in. Yes, this issue demands that level of attention.

All this reminds me of my one time-window at the University of Michigan Law School. During my second year, I spent much of the fall semester on campus interviewing with legal firms for a summer clerkship. I spoke to recruiters from New York, Philadelphia, Washington D.C. and, on a whim, Los Angeles. If I'd only be allowed a single weekend to decide, I probably would have chosen my hometown, Philly. It was only because I had nothing but time that I picked L.A. If not for that luxury, I might still be camped out in my boyhood bedroom, gorging on Jim's cheese steaks and the onion bagels at Hymie's Deli.

Thank God that the NCAA had no jurisdiction over the recruiting process at Michigan Law.

I think kids "thinking about leaving" and then working out for a few weeks not really going to school then finding out they are dropping may still find it hard to go back to school if the mindset was to leave.

Lets stop thinking these athletes as children and think of them as men. Men who need to be responsable for their actions and make decisions for themselves.

Want to leave school, then your do and live with your draft position. Two months to "test the waters" is all nice but your also hanging out your team and its coaches who also have provided you guidence and hours of practice time to make you better and fulfil your goals. Sure they get paid to do this, and lots of money to be made with thousands of adoring fans filling the arena to cheer you!

If your inschool, then go to class and learn. If you want to leave and it don't work out, then go to the Dleague or overseas if your that good. If your not, then you should have stayed in school! If you thought you were good enough and your not then get in line with the disappointed in the world. Lots of folk think they are more than they are.

Maybe its time that if your a studant then act like one but if your not then make go for and live with what ever happens!

League has suffered for years with athletic potential players who lack fundamentals or body maturity to handle the beating it takes to be a pro. This gets the Kwame's and Eddy's of the world weeded out. Rashard Lewis dropped to the 2nd round and cried but he proved he was that good and eventually got his money. Amare is a beast who also proved himself over time.

The creme will rise to the top in any event.

I believe the Portsmouth Tournament is at the end of May - meaning players won't even have that tournament to gauge their draft prospects.

This should lead to the NBA developing a true minor league.

Nalod wrote:

franco12 wrote:If the NBA wasn't in collusion with the NCAA- they'd go back to having more than 2 rounds for the draft, and then give teams real minor league/expansion teams.

And then the NCAA would be screwed!

They used to have 7 rounds of draft. They went to two because it allows undrafted players to go to tryout with teams that might have a need for your services. Those who are undrafted become free agents. Actually helps the players not the teams.

I think let them get drafted as underclassmen and let the teams pay their tuition. They can then be "interns" in the summer for a reasonable salary. They can buy insurance too.

If undrafted- they can return, like Randolph Morris did, still, no?

Free agent as a player doesn't get them the guaranteed money that first rounders get- its almost like hitting the lotto.

I don't understand why more NBA teams wouldn't want to have a minor league system. They always cite the expense - but I would think it would actually help them develop talent that would turn out to be cheaper, especially when you factor the mistakes they make with picks.