One and done
Trae Young departs for the NBA. What’s next for the Sooners?
Trae Young didn’t have an easy choice. Multiple good options. No right or wrong decision. Just make a decision and make it the right one.
But now the decision has been made, and the verdict is in. We safely can say that Young indeed made the right choice. He picked OU. A year ago.
Young’s decision Tuesday to declare for the NBA Draft was a no-brainer. That decision was made for Young, not by his advisers but by the legions of basketball prospects over the last decade or two. An NBA franchise likes its players early. Likes its players to get into the professional ranks and work full-time on their games and their bodies.
It’s like LeBron James, when he came through town last month, said of Young’s dilemma: “What decision? That ain’t no decision ... he better go pro.”
But Young was in no-brainer land because of a brainer decision he made a year ago. In choosing from among Kansas, Kentucky, Texas Tech and the Bedlam schools, Young went with geography over nobility. He picked the
blood of family over the blue-blood status of some schools.
He picked freedom over tradition.
Young chose the Sooners, and it worked out famously for him.
Under Lon Kruger, Young had the flexibility to launch 3-pointers from Steph Curry range and run an offense with pizzazz. Young’s skills were showcased with regularity. NBA scouts saw not just his uncommon shooting acumen, but his quarterbacking skills.
The best part of Young’s game is his court vision and passing ability. Young would be an interesting point guard prospect even if he were a mediocre shooter. Instead, he’s a fabulous prospect because he can do it all offensively.
And we know he can do it all because he had the freedom to do so under Kruger.
Quite likely, Young would have had the same ample slack at OSU, though when he committed to the Sooners, the Cowboys were coached by Brad Underwood, who was succeeded by Mike Boynton several weeks later. No way to know how that would have complicated Young’s recruiting.
But Texas Tech had a superb point guard in Keenan Evans and Kansas had the same in Devonte’ Graham. Hard to imagine Young turning into an immediate superstar at either place, or at least a superstar with the wide range of discernible skills.
Kentucky is the great unknown. The Wildcats’ annual freshman mill this season has produced point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who has turned into a quality player and NBA prospect after a rugged start. Chances are, Young would have been the UK point guard.
But would he have carried the Wildcats the way he carried the Sooners? No way. Would he have been able to display his talents in Lexington the way he has in Norman? Maybe, but not sure.
Kentucky freshmen often start slowly and rocket up the draft lists. So Young might have captured the fancy of scouts even without the open-range opportunities he found in Norman. But you never know.
We do know that Kruger allowed Young to play unencumbered basketball, and the early returns were fantastic. Young became a national sensation and must-see for scouts. His NBA status soared.
You know the script. The Sooners played great early (14-2) and awful late (4-12). Young’s game was cussed and discussed. Analyzed and penalized. He was a hero for half the season and a villain for the other half. In other words, he was placed on a stage under a spotlight that also prepared him for the pressure of the NBA.
Playing point guard at Kansas and Kentucky is a pressure-cooker, too (think Oklahoma quarterback), but Young got that kind of scrutiny without going to Lawrence or Lexington.
So OU was good for Young. And Young was good for OU. The season ended with massive disappointment, but it’s not like these Sooners were going places without Young in the first place. They were 11-20 without him.
With him, they became a college basketball force, and Young became well-prepped for the NBA Draft.