Freshmen “one and done”s hurt everyone in college basketball.
Since the NBA outlawed high school prospects from jumping straight to the pros in 2006, many players in the past seven years have opted to spend just one season in college before declaring for the NBA Draft.
It’s certainly not helping any school housing these players for a mere season. It’s often bad option for kids as well.
Take UCLA. Instead of trying to build a traditional dynasty, Bruins coach Ben Howland instead went after premier prospect Shabazz Muhammad. He will likely leave the program after one year.
Muhammad appeared to be checked out during the Pac-12 Tournament after declaring for the NBA Draft weeks prior and his draft stock plummeted after several developments.
UCLA fired Howland on Sunday after the Bruins were knocked out of the first round in the NCAA Tournament.
It worked in the short-term for Kentucky, which rode Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist straight to a national championship.
With both gone this year, the Wildcats ended up in the NIT this season and lost in the first round to Robert Morris.
While there are legitimate cases why they should go to the NBA, many freshmen just aren’t ready to turn pro, and it leaves their schools in the dust.
Money trumps all in the end of course, but it blinds everyone from thinking for the long run.
Reach the columnist at jnacion@asu.edu
