ESPN’s Bobby Knight is in the news again.
Knight went after the University of Kentucky during a speech over the weekend. Knight lamented the “one and done” scenario in college basketball saying that the Kentucky freshman players in 2009-2010 weren’t going to class the spring term in anticipation of the NBA draft. Kentucky denied the charge and Knight later apologized.
You can bet Knight and Kentucky Coach John Calipari won’t be exchanging Christmas cards anytime soon. It’s safe to say, Knight has not been a fan of Calipari for a long time.
But on the premise that the “one and done” scenario is hurting college basketball, I’m in Knight’s corner on this one. When the rule was changed to force players to attend college for at least one year before turning professional, did this really help anything?
Colleges are basically renting players under this system. And there are plenty of schools willing to take the one-timers and live in the moment. But we have seen in recent years, success coming to the mid-major schools that feature juniors and seniors. I say great.
I have said for a long time if a player goes to college he should be required to participate for at least two full seasons. This would allow the player to develop his basketball and social skills in a less competitive environment. Make no mistake about it the NBA is a job full of big money and big temptations.
It was encouraging to learn that a number of freshman players are coming back for their sophomore season next year. College basketball needs some stability in this vein.
Are you comfortable with the “one and done” rule?
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