It seems that, given the current rules regarding underclassmen declaring their eligibility for the draft, it makes sense for these athletes to test the water. But it really is the height of absurdity when you’ve got a young man who, just a few months ago, the last time he was on an actual team (if you can call it that) asked his coach to take him out of the starting line-up, and his next move is to opt for the pros…?
I’m not blaming Okonoboh, or any of these players, but something is seriously wrong with this picture. Think about it. Given the 300-odd Division I schools, plus all of the lower divisions. Add in the players who opt to try straight out of high school, and the international players, and you’ve got possibly thousands of young men all vying to become one of the sixty names that will be called on Draft Day.
Sure, there are other ways to make a decent living playing ball, but I can’t help but believe that at least some of these players are selling their ultimate dream short. I think that someone like Pat McCaw, with two more years of experience, could possibly develop into an NBA talent. I think back to Stacey Augmon. As a sophomore he was still a raw talent, with lots to learn. It was in his junior and senior years that he developed into an All-American, Olympian, and first-round pick. I honestly believe that McCaw could become that good. But we, and he, will never know. Instead he will most likely spend the next decade playing in half-empty high-school gyms, or in far-away places, in relative obscurity.
I may be wrong about Pat, but it will be true for some players out there. Budding talents who will never receive the kind of teaching that college ball affords them. And will consequently never achieve their true potential. It’s too bad…
