April 22, 2008

Milwaukee, WI (UWIRE) -- There are many reasons to be envious of Jerel McNeal, whom it appears will make the logical decision at some point this week to enter his name into the NBA Draft.

For starters, I would love to be 6-foot-3. Heck, I would settle for 5-foot-7. I'd also love to be able to dunk (Again, I would settle for less. Being able to touch the net would be nice), have my college education paid for, perform in front of 18,000 screaming fans 30-35 times a year and sing "Happy Birthday" on the Jumbotron to a select number of those fans each game.

Mostly though, I am envious of McNeal because over the next few months, he will be evaluated by and have discussions with some of the top talent evaluators in the NBA - his eventual desired career destination.

How awesome is that? This guy is going to participate in draft camps where he will practice with and compete against the best basketball players in the nation in his age bracket. Then, after the workouts are over, he'll have NBA officials tell him exactly what he did right and exactly what he did wrong.

Then those same gentlemen will tell McNeal where they project he would be selected in this summer's NBA Draft, if they think he would be selected at all.

In all likelihood, McNeal will soak up all those assessments and decide it would be in his best interest to return to Marquette for his senior season. Assuming he does not hire an agent, he will be allowed to pull his name back out of the draft, thank those NBA officials kindly and head back to Milwaukee.

I'm not going to lie; I'm a bit jealous. Who wouldn't want the opportunity to showcase their skills in front of the top professionals in whatever career field in which they desire entry, have their skills evaluated meticulously and then be allowed to return to college fully prepared to make the adjustments necessary for enhanced marketability once they hit the job market for real the following spring?

Maybe most importantly, who wouldn't want the chance to discover exactly how much they appreciate the status security that college life provides?

A lot of the NBA Draft "gurus" aren't saying much about McNeal that Marquette basketball followers don't already know. He's aggressive, athletic and one stingy defender. He also possesses questionable decision-making skills with the ball in his hands, a maddeningly inconsistent shot from mid- and long-range and the dreaded "combo-guard" designation.

After the incredible display he put on during the Golden Eagles' run to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, the hype surrounding McNeal might be high enough to get him drafted this year. Even if he wasn't, he could make a pro team as an undrafted free agent or take his game overseas.

But why would McNeal want to spend a majority of the next winter warming the bench when he could be the go-to guy on a Top 25 team? Sure, the money he would receive in the pros would make his limited role more than bearable, but that money isn't going anywhere.

In fact, there's a good chance more of it will be waiting for him during the summer of 2009 provided he puts together another season similar to the one he had this year.

That's great situation for McNeal to be in. And it's yet another reason to draw my envy.

(C) 2008 The Marquette Tribune via UWIRE