Defending “one and done”
Kentucky coach Calipari says he has the welfare of young, talented players in mind
arlington, texas » Like it or not, Kentucky coach John Calipari has become a sometimes-reluctant, often-defiant spokesman for one of college basketball’s hot-button topics: “One and done.”
And because Calipari’s Wildcats, featuring a starting lineup of freshmen, defeated Wisconsin 74-73 in the national semifinals Saturday night at AT&T Stadium, he got to hang around the Final Four for another two days to answer more questions.
“One and done” refers to a rule that prevents prodigious basketball players from entering the NBA until after they have turned 19 years of age or are one year removed from the graduation of their high school class. Players determined by the NBA to be “international” can be exempt from the rule.
“The connotation that’s been built around ‘one and done’ is so ridiculous in making it a bad thing, a negative thing,” Calipari said.
In effect, the rule prevents graduating high school seniors to declare immediately for the NBA draft. Critics say that has led to too many players setting their sights on playing just one year of college ball.
Calipari is quick to point out that the 19-year age limit was established by the NBA (as an agreement between the league and its players association) and not by the NCAA.
New NBA commissioner Adam Silver has denounced the rule as “a disaster” and said one
of his priorities is to change the minimum age to 20.
Some may be surprised by this, but Calipari agrees with Silver.
“I’ve said we need to go to a two-year (requirement),” Calipari said. “Itwould be great for players because then they would be 1½ years or so away froma college degree.”
Calipari guided Kentucky to the 2012 national championship with a lineup largely dependent upon first-year players and will attempttoaccomplish that againMondaynight with an all-freshman lineup against more experienced Connecticut.
Calipari insisted that he does not consciously seek out players who are focused on playing only one year of college ball.
“(The NBA) is the elephant in the room that we don’t need to talk about,” Calipari said of the recruiting process. “I say the samething: ‘Don’t plan on coming to school for (just) one year. You’d make a huge mistake. But if after one year you have options, that will be up to you and your family.’ ”
UnderCalipari’swatch, 17Kentucky playerswere drafted fromhis first four teams— and at least a half dozen from this year’s roster are expected to follow. Most have been one-and-done players.
“My thing is, I’m proud of what we have done for these young people,” Calipari said. “Many of those (who left for the NBA) changed the whole (financial) direction of their family.
“It’s not like guys are going to theNBAand they should have never left because they didn’t make it. They’re all doing well in the NBA; they’re giving back to their communities. This is about the players, tome.”
No guarantees in NBA
Not every freshman who leaves for the NBA becomes a feel-good story. Of the 46 underclassmen who declared for last year’s NBAdraft, only 20 received guaranteed contracts by being selected in the first round.
However, of the nine freshmen who de- clared for the 2013 draft, eightwere selected in the two rounds with only a junior college freshman being left out.
Speaking to reporters Sunday during Final Four activities, NCAA president Mark Emmert reiterated that he has been “pretty vocal in his opposition” to the NBA’s 19year minimum age requirement andwould like to see the age cutoff increased.
Bob Bowlsby, commissioner of the Big 12 Conference, was among the NCAA leadership that participated in the Emmert-led news conference. Bowlsby said his wish would be for college basketball to follow college football and baseball. A studentathlete who enters college to play football or baseball “is left alone” by professional teams until after the player has completed three years of eligibility.
Bowlsby conceded that college is not for everybody. He criticized professional sports for depending on colleges to be, in effect, their farm system.
Thus far, the NBA’s developmental D- League has failed to attract recent high school graduates who instead see a greater benefit in playing one year for a high-profile college programwhere the exposure and, in some cases, competition are attractions.
“I really think theNFLandNBAhave been irresponsible in not providing other legitimate opportunities for kids that really don’t want to go to college,” Bowlsby said. “That’s really where the rubber meets the road. There ought to be some other feeder system than the one that kids get forced into as a result of the profile of our programs.”
Working together for solution
Calipari, himself a former NBA head coach, would like to see the pro league and theNCAAwork together and comeupwith a solution that reduces the financial risk of a top talentwhowishes to remain in college.
Under his proposal, a revision of the NBA’s financial “clock” and structure would be required. Currently, a player chosen in the first round receives an initial