April 11, 2008

Huntington, WV (UWIRE) -- In a surprise to really nobody, Huntington native and USC Trojan guard O.J. Mayo declared for the NBA Draft following the end of the NCAA college basketball season.

Thus begins the mass exodus that is mid-April in college basketball. Under the new collective bargaining agreement in the NBA, a player entering the NBA Draft must be at least one year removed from high school in order to declare.

The sad thing is Mayo shouldn't have had to wait one season. If a West Virginia high school student can graduate at 18 years old and work in coalmines for a career (not my choice, but it happens), Mayo should be able to go pro.

Now David Stern has done some amazing things to revolutionize the NBA during the late 1980s into the Jordan era. He is probably the one commissioner out of the major three sports I respect the most.

But the NBA has been hit hard lately under his watch, and I can't say I disagree with his critics.

First he implemented a dress code. Then there are officials cheating. Don't forget the love fest between the Pistons and Pacers at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

Now Stern and the NBA are considering moving the minimum age of a drafted player to 20 years old, which in most cases would mean a player would have to be a sophomore in college.

This seems like a very odd move. Let's take a look at some of the biggest stars in the NBA both on the court and off: Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, Carmelo Anthony, and a guy by the name of LeBron James. Notice that there were not any rumblings of this rule when those players were signing shoe deals before getting their high school diplomas.

I can understand the NCAA lobbying for this rule, though. With Mayo choosing USC for a season, we were offered his 20.7 points per game and a budding feud with UCLA star Kevin Love, who has officially/unofficially made moves toward hiring an agent along with fellow Bruin, Darren Collison.

A guy who beat Mayo in the first round of March Madness was Kansas State star Michael Beasley, who may be the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft. Memphis' own Derrick Rose is probably the best guard that may enter the draft.

All of these guys would have been top picks without impressive college resumes.

Beside the fact that these players deserve to make a living and support their families, I also am bothered by an academic situation that could pop up. If a student-athlete knows he is a lottery pick in November of his first season in college ball, all he has to do is make sure he passes one semester of classes, and he is golden. What does the spring semester matter if you are signing a marketing deal with Gatorade, right?

Maybe the 20-year age limit will resolve this, but I still feel for the players that risk injury for a year in college before they can make millions.

I'd suggest playing overseas to any aspiring NBA lottery pick if this rule passes. While education is vitally important, I bet these "kids" would learn more about life, language and culture than a cockamamie elementary French class for three hours credit.

(C) 2008 The Parthenon via UWIRE