Finally, finally: One-and-done on its way out
The one-and-done is…
Done.
Well, maybe.
But at least that’s the way it looks, with multiple sources reporting that the NBA will propose to its players’ association that the dreaded one-and-done be abolished.
Why?
Because it’s been an absurd and ridiculous rule since its inception in 2006.
The league and the union both have to agree that the NBA age limit should be dropped to 18, but public pressure is so strong now that they almost have to trot along.
This welcome change has been coming, and got a swift kick in the backside last summer, when several NCAA schools fell under FBI investigation for illegal recruiting — particularly when influenced by money from various shoe companies.
The NCAA hastily put together a commission to study the mess that had been created, and no less a heavyweight than former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was asked to head it.
“One-and-done has played a significant role in corrupting and destabilizing college basketball, restricting the freedom of choice of players, and undermining the relationship of college basketball to the mission of higher education,” according to the Rice Commission report.
THERE’S NO question that having superstar freshmen play for just one year (or maybe just a semester) has made plenty of universities look like prostitutes — accepting short-term “students” simply for the income than flows with big-time hoops.
In other words, television.
Looking like prostitutes didn’t stop many famous schools from actually BEING prostitutes, of course.
Cash rules the kingdom in higher education.
The NCAA has made noises about the one-and-done, but the NCAA makes noises about lots of things, and rarely does much more than cluck its tongue.
But finally, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver caught the national drift and spoke up.
Silver admitted that colleges were unhappy running basketball brothels — and not paying the hired help, on top of it.
Now, finally, the miserable one-and-done looks to be on its way out, although to make member clubs and their players happy with the change, the league’s new lower age limit won’t likely be implemented until 2022.
Nevertheless, we’re going in the right direction.
Are there kids playing for free right now who are entitled to make millions for their talent?
Hint: The first pick in the last nine NBA drafts was a college freshman.
THERE’S A pleasant local angle to this administration of justice.
Gonzaga’s place in the college basketball hierarchy should be improved, if the Zags see any change at all.
Gonzaga has had just a single one-and-done player — Zach Collins, who left after playing in the national championship game two years ago — and the Zags’ recruiting isn’t geared toward that type of player.
Collins simply developed into an NBA talent quicker than most people expected, despite being a backup during his entire season in Spokane.
The bottom line here is that Gonzaga’s talent pool should stay roughly the same, which means excellent.
Some of the Zags’ competitors at the top level of the sport, however, will still get eye-catching players — but not ready-made NBA stars.
Duke has four of them this year alone, and Kentucky has put five on the floor in a single season.
IN OTHER words, those teams Gonzaga hopes to see in future Final Fours might be just a bit less naturally gifted.
Exactly what will replace the one-and-done is still to be thrashed out.
Major League Baseball has a system where you can be drafted out of high school, but if you opt out of that, you have to wait three years.
No one is quite sure if that will work for basketball.
Kentucky Coach John Calipari, who has had more freshmen drafted than any other coach, says he’s happy with the coming shift — but believes players should be allowed to leave school whenever they feel they’re good enough for the NBA.
Still, the particulars can be discussed on another day.
For now, it’s enough that the awful one-and-done appears consigned, as they say, to the dustbin of history.
And it can’t come soon enough.
Steve Cameron’s “Cheap Seats” columns for The Press appear on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. He also contributes the “Zags Tracker” package on Gonzaga basketball each Tuesday.
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