Getting out of Hand

Talent wise, there is no refuting the fact that some kids are ready to play right out of high school. There's no doubt about that. The problem, is that with all the problems athletes have been having away from their respective playing fields, that the NBA is trying to clean up it's "bad-boy" image. By forcing young players to go to school they get to see what a kid might do when they are on their own off the court more so than when they're playing in HS. Not to mention what 18-year-old kid is ready to have millions of dollars to spend responsibly? There's also the travelling aspect that must be considered with 82 games being played teams are travelling constantly.

The money, the constant travel, and the new-found freedom of being out of the house is a lot for an 18-year-old athlete to handle. I'm not saying that is the reason why David Stern is doing this, but I think that would be good enough of a reason.  Unfortunately, the 1 year rule is killing college basketball. They need to restrict the limit to either 2 or 3 years or not have it at all.

The other problem, which is why we have seen the huge influx of underclassmen testing NBA waters is because colleges and the NCAA no longer require players to pay back expenses incurred during the workouts if they withdraw. So if there's no potential risk what-so-ever. Get some extra workouts infront of NBA scouts and teams, get your name and face out there even more, and if it doesn't go well you can withdraw and play in college again.

The age rule is not in place to make players entering the League clean up their image. Going to college won't change someone's behavior.

AZCATSFAN: Nobody ever said that it was. No time in college is going to change someone's character, but the NBA scouts will be able to see what type of player they are and avoid a potential head case. But like I said previously, this isn't why Stern did it (although it is a potential benefit in th NBA's regard).

Ultimately, however, the entire scenario of one year limit is very traumatic to the college game. Stern needs to work with the NCAA Committee to come up with an acceptable rule to all parties involved. The longer this rule continues the worse it is going to get for the sport. I think we'll really see the full effects in another three years.

IMO, the one-and-done recruits will eventually become less desireable, as schools like ASU are building their programs around the 3 & 4 star recruits who will stay longer. With the NCAA regulations on scholarships, these 1 & done players will eventually have dramatic effects on the number of scholarships a given school will be able to have because of graduation rates. You'll have one or two schools with a potential #1 recruit in the Elite Eight, but it will be dominated by schools with later first round, or early second round, players who have been there for three or four years.