The Pros And Cons Of D-1 College Basketball

The infamous one-and-done rule currently is a very controversial topic when it comes to discussing D-1 college basketball. Many highly recruited athletes coming out of high school feel that attending college can do nothing but hurt them when they go pro. It is also hurting the college game because there are numerous uninspired players that do not even want to be in college who quickly leave their college behind after one year. Through the abolishment of the NBA’s one and done rule, players who decide to go to college will build a stronger bond and culture with the university and be more prepared for their, soon to be, professional careers; while, those coming out of high school will have the chance to immediately provide for their families

Looking back at a Sports Illustrated study conducted back in 2009, 60% of NBA players are declaring bankruptcy only 5 years after retiring from their sport. Some of this can most likely be contributed to the lack of motivation that these players put forward in their classes. Without the players paying attention, they are not going to learn basic financial skills to help them better manage their money once they go pro. These athletes are also more focused on traveling and playing games than they are about completing school work. This, in turn, can lead to students like Ben Simmons. He knew that his college experience was only going to last a year so he rarely attended his classes and almost failed across the board, but none of that mattered because the second he declared for the NBA draft he dropped out of all his classes (Jeyarajah). Even if a student-athlete passes all his classes with flying colors, he still is not going to obtain a degree or anything of value from college. All in all, these students are just wasting both their time and the university’s time, so changes need to take place to give everyone a better experience at both the professional and collegiate levels. An easy way to solve this is to start allowing the athletes to be the ones determine their future, not the

While there are advantages and disadvantages of both going to college or going to the draft, the players should be able to decide which route will benefit them most and set themselves up for success. Going straight to the draft can be a great decision for multiple reasons. This could allow players to help their families financially right out of high school instead of seeing them struggle while they are waiting in college for a year until they are eligible for the draft. LeBron James is a great example of a player who came out of high school to support his poor family from Akron. He realized that he could choose to help his family now instead of waiting which ended up changing his, and his family's, entire lives. Another great benefit of skipping college for the NBA is that athletes can avoid receiving an injury while playing in college. Just as scary as it sounds, this is one of the most frightening events that can happen to an athlete who is just trying to climb up in the draft. Not only do they have to rehab to come back on the court, but their draft stock could drop drastically and end up costing them millions of dollars in their rookie contract. It is also the same situation for the top high school players. They could be a projected top pick in the draft but since they have to play a year in college they could fall down the draft and end