Athletes Should Not Be Allowed To Stay In College Sports

Every year, dozens of young men with only one year of college basketball experience declare for the NBA draft. Thanks to a rule called the One and Done Rule, these players are allowed to declare for the draft when they are one year removed from high school. However according many NBA and college coaches the rule needs to change to make kids stay in school longer. One and Done players aren’t physically or mentally prepared for the rigors of the NBA and often ruin their promising young careers by leaving school too early. Young athletes have one standout year in college and think they are ready for the NBA when in fact they aren't. In fact, “There were 6 rookies who averaged 10 points per game or more; none were teenagers” (N.B.A Commissioner

They would cite players like Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh who were standout one and done athletes that have performed well in the NBA. While that is true, you will always have your once in a generation athlete but many players aren't so great and lack the skills they need. Many colleges and pro teams “don't necessarily think players who are coming into the league are getting the kind of training that they should expect to see” (N.B.A Commissioner 3). Even though some players can seamlessly make the transition to the pros, the vast majority struggle in a variety of ways and it lowers the level of play in the NBA. Not only do one and done players have a negative effect on the NBA but also the colleges they leave. It can be really hard for colleges to have success when there is a revolving door of players coming in every year. “One and done players almost immediately destroy what they've built because it's so difficult to plan for their departure” (DeCourcy 11). One example would be UCLA after losing Jrue Holiday, they automatically went from a championship contender to a below .500 team. Losing players to the One and Done rule negatively affects both the college and pro