It didn't take long, and now the 2010 NBA draft class is already taking shape. To no surprise to many in the sports world that it is filled with "kids" leaving Kentucky.
A Total of five Kentucky Wildcats are declaring for the draft. There were people saying that John Wall could possibly stick around in Lexington for another year, but that isn't going to happen. John Wall is just one of the five that are leaving this year. The other four includes only one upperclassman.
Besides John Wall, freshmen DeMarcus Cousins, Eric Bledsoe, and Daniel Orton are all leaving Kentucky after just one season in college. Junior Patrick Patterson is also packing his bags for the NBA.
While the number of players leaving Kentucky might not be a surprise to some; the fact that Evan Turner is leaving is not a surprise as well, but the fact that he is not taking an agent is a possible surprise.
Without signing with an agent it is completely possible that Turner could be back with Ohio State next season. If Turner decides he does not like where he is going in the NBA he can then return to college for his senior season. John Wall on the other hand has signed with an agent and is now ineligible to return to college basketball under and circumstances.
Turner may be the intelligent one of the bunch, but the most unintelligent of them all is John Calipari. Once again Calipari took a team stocked with stars and failed to bring home the big one, and once again he is left with those players leaving after the season. But this time Calipari, didn't just lose one...he lost five.
This raises the question about when should the NCAA should impose a minimum amount of time before a player can enter the NBA draft. In football the rule is set by the NFL, and states that a player must wait at least three years after graduating high school. The NCAA and NBA have worked to push the time back until one year after high school, but it appears not to be working. Now rather than having players skipping college all together we have players that get one free year of tuition and then bolt as soon as the season is over. Some of them do not even go to class in the second semester, and just work out.
There are certain things that will remain true until the system is changed. John Calipari will continue to bring in great one-and-done players to his program. Players will still just use the one year as a way to live off of the university, and get a good workout in. Lastly, until the day that someone points out what it is doing to the game of basketball...nothing will change.
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