Top PG prospect to go to Europe rather than NCAAs

[quikblink]

One of the highest rated HS players (Brandon Jennings) is going to play in Europe rather than attend college (U of Arizona).  He will most likely enter the draft after next season when NBA rules say he can.  I wonder if this will be a new trend after seeing what has happened to someone like Bill Walker? 

I am torn on the NBA's rule on the draft.  I feel like that both the NBA's and NCAA's product is better when the players are more mature and actual basketball players rather than athletic potential.  On the flip side you look at Bill Walker.  He would have gone in the first round out of HS, but now is a 2nd round pick.  He lost a lot of money.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=3479195

[Who]

It'll be very interesting to see how this plays out. What type of interest he generates, what level of pay he receives, what type of role does he play. Lots of interesting pieces to this puzzle.

Should be good, hopefully it works out for him.

[zerophase]

did he pass the entrance exams? (acts/sats) thats what caused kg to declare for the draft verses go to college.

i think the rule is good, but not strict enough. i say at least 2 years in college would be better. it gives ncaa teams more stability and it gives players more time to mentally mature. high school to the nba is a big jump.

[cordobes]

Yes, it will be very interesting. I can't really figure out where he's going to play. At a higher level, he'll need a very open minded coach to have minutes. If he wants to go to a good team who can pay him an expensive salary and offer Euroleague exposition, I really don't see where he can play. If he gets a sponsorship deal and doesn't demand a big salary, some middle-of-the-pack-not-Euroleague may very well be interested and give him minutes, just because of the exposure. I'm also curious to see how well he'll perform - if he makes an impact, it may very well open a Pandora's Box. Or maybe he can come to Os Belenenses to be the go to guy and League MVP

[Fan from VT]

did he pass the entrance exams? (acts/sats) thats what caused kg to declare for the draft verses go to college.

i think the rule is good, but not strict enough. i say at least 2 years in college would be better. it gives ncaa teams more stability and it gives players more time to mentally mature. high school to the nba is a big jump.

i'm pretty certain he failed to meet the SAT minimum requirement to go to Arizona, so rather than play for free at a junior college he's going to earn some money overseas.

[Montrossity]

I see no reason a kid who isnt cut out for college should suffer through a year before being able to jump to the NBA.  If basketball is his best shot and his calling, more power to him for starting early abroad.  Im actually amazed that this hasnt come up sooner.  While I fully support the current rule, this is a fine alternative. 

[EvilEmpire]

I heard a radio interview with him and he stated that he intended to go to college once he recieved a passing score from sat/act (I believe it was the sat's he was taking), so I'm guessing that he did not pass.

[JollyGreen17]

Brandon Jennings found a glitch in the matrix! He's going to be a great player in the L.

[Robb]

All I know (and all I need to know) is that I saw a picture of him on ESPN and he has the most glorious high top fade I've seen since House Party 2.

Oh...why here it is...

[CJD4051]

it takes alot of you know whats to try to pull that off haha

[kenmaine]

Good for him.
An 18 year old should be free to work wherever he wants to.
The NBA rule is foolish, and it benefits the corrupt NCAA and saves the NBA owners some draft mistakes.
I don't think 99% of high schoolers are ready for the NBA either, but so what? It is supposed to be a free country.
By what bizarre reasoning does playing professional basketball require going to college for a year? Golfers, tennis players, baseball players don't seem to require it.
Let the NBA institute a minor league system if they want to "develop" players. Don't make them go to college so some sleazeball coach at some big-time college can make two or three million dollars a year.

[kozlodoev]

Good for him.
An 18 year old should be free to work wherever he wants to.
The NBA rule is foolish, and it benefits the corrupt NCAA and saves the NBA owners some draft mistakes.
I don't think 99% of high schoolers are ready for the NBA either, but so what? It is supposed to be a free country.
By what bizarre reasoning does playing professional basketball require going to college for a year? Golfers, tennis players, baseball players don't seem to require it.
Let the NBA institute a minor league system if they want to "develop" players. Don't make them go to college so some sleazeball coach at some big-time college can make two or three million dollars a year.

So why do we have the draft then? Everyone should be able to work wherever they want, right? Therefore, players should be able to sign with whomever they want.

[Roy Hobbs]

Is he going to get playing time abroad?  I know that many of the Euro leagues are notoriously slow about giving young kids minutes.  That's a broad generalization, but before making a commitment like this, I'd want a firm guarantee that I was getting at least 30 minutes per game.

[kozlodoev]

Is he going to get playing time abroad?  I know that many of the Euro leagues are notoriously slow about giving young kids minutes.  That's a broad generalization, but before making a commitment like this, I'd want a firm guarantee that I was getting at least 30 minutes per game.

No, actually it's exactly the opposite, plenty of 17-18 kids have pro experience, mostly since there is no college basketball to speak of. So if you're skilled enough, you play. I don't think though that any team that's trying to win anything in Europe will give a minute guarantee to an unproven US high-school kid.

[Roy Hobbs]

Is he going to get playing time abroad?  I know that many of the Euro leagues are notoriously slow about giving young kids minutes.  That's a broad generalization, but before making a commitment like this, I'd want a firm guarantee that I was getting at least 30 minutes per game.

No, actually it's exactly the opposite, plenty of 17-18 kids have pro experience, mostly since there is no college basketball to speak of. So if you're skilled enough, you play. I don't think though that any team that's trying to win anything in Europe will give a minute guarantee to an unproven US high-school kid.

It's my understanding that these kids are signed to professional contracts, but their floor time is inconsistent.

Draftexpress seems to confirm this view, as almost all of their top young international prospects are averaging less than 20 minutes per game.  Even Ricky Rubio, the phenom, averaged right around 20 minutes last season.  This is a kid projected to go top-five in the draft.

Based on that, I think it's still going to make sense for most good college prospects to attend a major NCAA program, where they get top coaching, exposure, and minutes.