NBA draft proposal drawing support

BOSTON — Two or none already has more support than one and done.

Since 2006, the NBA has required players to be 19 years old and one year removed from their graduating high school class to be eligible to enter the draft, but the Big East announced a recommendation this week — similar to baseball — in which a player can turn pro straight out of high school, or choose to play in college for a minimum of two years.

Villanova coach Jay Wright, who has built his program without ever landing a one-and-done star, believes the new system would make sense simply because it would give players the freedom of choice.

Wright said Big East Commissioner Val Ackerman spoke with the league’s coaches and athletic directors before the recommendation was made public.

“We are all in agreement,” Wright said. “I just think there should be a relationship with the NCAA and the NBA because the whole issue is an NBA issue. These players should be allowed to come out of high school and go right to the NBA if they’re good enough, and if they’re good enough to be potential NBA players, they shouldn’t have to go to college if they don’t want to. They should be given an opportunity in the G- League to earn the amount of money that they’re worth and not have to go to college.

“One of the problems — not all the problems — in college is some players are being forced to go, and coaches are being forced to coach guys that don’t want to be in college, and that’s on the NBA. It’s not on the NCAA. The NBA should provide an opportunity for them to go to the G-League and be developed in the GLeague if they don’t want to be educated and go to college. So we’re putting kids in a tough spot. We’re putting college coaches in a tough spot.”

Villanova junior guard Jalen Brunson, a Wooden Award Finalist, whose father, Rick, was a longtime NBA player, agreed with his coach that the new rule would benefit the pro and college games.

“If [players] feel like they’re ready to go to the NBA straight out of high school, let them make that decision,” Brunson said. “With the Big East doing that, they’re just trying to implement ways to make college basketball better. Guys who want to be in college, make sure they stay in college, and guys that want to go to the NBA, just let them go straight out of high school.

“It’s in the best interests for college basketball just to throw out ideas so they can all come to an agreement and find a way to make college basketball better.”