College, High School / Apr 23, 2009 / 6:15 pm

The Right Move for Jeremy Tyler

Jeremy Tyler (photo. Kelly Kline)

Jeremy Tyler (photo. Kelly Kline)

“How One Player is Changing the Game Forever.”

When I first saw that work-in-progress headline for Brandon Jennings‘ Dime #46 cover, admittedly I thought it was a reach. But eventually I talked myself into it, and came to believe that Jennings’ groundbreaking decision to sidestep David Stern‘s NBA age limit and still get money right after high school would reverberate on every level of basketball — from high schoolers being presented with another option besides college, to colleges having yet another competitor in the recruiting wars, to the on-court effects of the NBA introducing players with a unique background of having played American high school and international pro ball.

In 2009, there were a few high schoolers I thought might consider following Jennings’ path; namely Renardo Sidney and Lance Stephenson, and the longer he took to decide on a college, John Wall.

What I didn’t expect was for Jeremy Tyler to make the jump. Not because Tyler isn’t good. The San Diego H.S. (Calif.) big man is listed at 6-11 (though he’s probably more like 6-9), and can play inside or outside. From what I’ve seen in person, he’s somewhere between a softer David West and a harder LaMarcus Aldridge; an athletic post player who can get it done in the paint but loves taking the jumper. Even if Tyler had fulfilled his verbal commitment and gone to Louisville, he probably would’ve been a one-and-done anyway.

Tyler’s game isn’t the issue. The reason I didn’t expect Tyler to try the Euroleague this year is because he hasn’t even finished high school yet.

Tyler is arguably the best player in the national Class of 2010. He’s a junior. By skipping his senior year of high school to go pro — where he’d have to play two years before being NBA Draft eligible — he’s breaking down a wall that Jennings hadn’t even considered.

I’ve had some up-close experience with the “college or pro” decision-making process. Four years ago, my now-fiancee’s cousin was an All-American high schooler with colleges falling all over him and instant-NBA potential. I saw how, contrary to popular belief, not everyone in the family was always pushing this kid towards the money, even when their financial situation wasn’t stable. I saw how it wasn’t just self-interested college coaches trying to keep him in school. Literally everywhere this kid went — including his own home — opinions were split, and good arguments could be made for both sides. Which is probably exactly what Jeremy Tyler has been going through since he first indicated he was thinking about going pro.

Ultimately my fiancee’s cousin, Martell Webster, chose the NBA. On one hand, you could say it was a mistake; in his fourth year in the League, he’s still struggling to crack the Blazers’ rotation, and his road won’t be any easier after missing 81 games this year with a foot injury. On the other hand, you could say it was definitely the right move; in October, Martell signed a four-year, $20 million contract extension.

Martell entered the Draft in 2005, the last year in which high schoolers were eligible, along with Andrew Bynum, Monta Ellis, Lou Williams, C.J. Miles, Andray Blatche and Amir Johnson. The fact that most of them have become impact (or at least serviceable) players in the League shows there’s no question of whether high schoolers can still handle the jump. And while Jennings set a precedent by replacing his one-and-done freshman year with a year playing against pros overseas, Tyler is taking it to another level.

Is he making the right move? Even though 21st century media rules say we’re instantly supposed to come up with a strong opinion and stick to it until the bitter end, I honestly cannot answer that question.

My initial reaction when I heard the news yesterday was that Tyler should have at least finished high school and then gone overseas if he really didn’t want to go to college. If this were my little brother put in the same position, that’s how I would advise him. Between the unpredictability of injuries and other circumstances, no one is a lock for the NBA. (Remember Derrick Caracter?) And in these uncertain economic times, even a superstar athlete at least needs to get his high school diploma.

But I don’t know Jeremy Tyler, not nearly as well as I know Martell or even as well as I know Brandon Jennings. I personally can’t speak for his maturity level or speculate on how he’ll handle living in another country for two years. And 99 percent of the writers and TV heads who will be offering their opinions on this matter don’t know him like that, either.

Plus, I have a tough time telling a kid who has a bankable skill NOT to go get his money. If I could have skipped my senior year of high school to take a full-time writing job (especially one that could pay six figures), I would have been outta there ASAP — and I would have had some people in my family supporting my decision.

We’d all like to think we know what’s best for kids like Jeremy Tyler, but we don’t. What’s the right move for him? It’s whatever move he feels the most comfortable making. Tyler turns 18 this summer; he’s becoming a man. Making the choices you want to make and living with the consequences is part of the job description.

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56 Responses to “The Right Move for Jeremy Tyler”

  1. nola says:

    very well written.

  2. Baby Huey says:

    “Ultimately my fiancee’s cousin, Martell Webster, chose the NBA. On one hand, you could say it was a mistake; in his fourth year in the League, he’s still struggling to crack the Blazers’ rotation”

    Struggling to crack the rotation? Are you talking about the guy who was penciled in as the Blazers starting small forward before he got injured?

    Come on AB, you’re better than this

  3. bballinca says:

    I’m curious which teams in Europe are expressing interest in him. Hopefully he gets to play for a team that fits his skill level. If not he might end up on the bench nad hurt his draft choices.

    He can always get his GED. How is what he is doing any different than tennis, gymnastics or even Euro basketball players who go pro at such or even younger age?

  4. Austin Burton says:

    @Baby Huey — When Martell comes back next season and Travis Outlaw, Rudy Fernandez and Nic Batum have all established themselves as guys who deserve minutes? Yeah, he’s gonna struggle to get in that rotation.

  5. K Dizzle says:

    good article

    What I’m wonderin is could the kid not at least finish out his 11 grade year? ESPN had him bouncin within the week and if he’s a stud, how’s his team 15-11 in San Diego? LA maybe, but San Diego?

  6. Big Island says:

    It could work out or it could fail. Ultimately time will tell. Hopefully he will do some home schooling or something to get his diploma, but if you have the skills, especially with a limited time frame to get money based on that skill, you have to go for it. With NBA contracts set up the way they are now, coming in younger gives you a shot at one more big contract than playing in college for 4 seasons.

  7. goonther says:

    EXTREMELY WELL WRITTEN AB … one of the best color columns you’ve had on DIME in a minute. props ….

    it is too bad that the media pundits seems to “know” what is best for someone they dont even know. good luck to tha kid

  8. IG says:

    Your fiancee’s cousin made the right decision. Promise in the top 10? You jump to the Association.

  9. quest??? says:

    its good to get that money, but education is first. Knowledge is everything. I could understand him going pro after graduating high school, but forgoing his senior year? that is a little too much. He will be an ignorant man with lots of money. That is a deadly combination.

  10. dk says:

    @4 But he still was the starting SF for a team with quality and depth, until he cracked his foot. You cant fault him fo that.

  11. KWAME says:

    i think you should get a high school diploma…it shouldn’t even be an option not to

  12. dk says:

    @11 and there is definitely nothing wrong with a college education.

  13. robmo35 says:

    It would be a real bummer for this kid to go to Europe for two years, not crack a rotation, not get a look from the league, and not get his high school degree. I’m pulling for him, but it is very risky

  14. bballinca says:

    I think he’ll also miss out on some of the best parts of being a stud in high school….banging chicks. I also don’t see him getting rich of a contract in Europe unless he gets a shoe contract for six figures.

  15. Big North says:

    I don’t know man, I sorta see it as a can’t miss. What people fail to realize is that school ain’t going no where and if he got his mind on straight he can work it to his advantage. Absolute worse case scenario he plays a year and suffers a career ending injury, he comes back with chips in his pocket (wont get into his fams financials but extra money goes a long way these days), checks himself back in school at 19/20 and keeps on truckin. Yeah he misses he senior year but gains a perspective that 80% of the ADULT world wish they had which is worldy experience. On the average he makes a good living balling as a euro player, and the happy path is that he makes the NBA in two years with PRO experience. This obviously is not taking into account variables like not getting paid, crack addictions and such, but you see where I’m getting at. He has a lot of room for error in my opinion. Granted he’s got a head on his shoulders. P.S.: Online high school degrees

  16. the cynic says:

    this is a genius move by the kid. Living in europe at such a young age will be far more educational and developmental then his Sr. year in high school. The only thing he is missing out on is the girls. High school is garbage for the most part anyways, and Tyler will have a far greater chance of being a great basketball player by challenging what is considered the zombie like status quo. Of course, if the only reason he is doing this is for the money, i say its a bad move; but being forced to adapt to a whole new culture at such a young age will be good for him either way

  17. Flip says:

    Not the first one to make that comment, but…… really good piece, loved reading it

  18. djKianoosh says:

    this is a great move. totally anti-establishment. the high school-NCAA system with this artificial age limit the NBA has imposed is broken.

    bottom line, by not going to europe, he wouldn’t be getting paid for the next two years, and more importantly, from a pure basketball standpoint, he’ll learn nothing in high school and very little in college compared to the near constant coaching he’ll get in Europe. in two years he’ll be light years ahead of where he would be if he’d taken the normal route.

    sure it takes guts, but from the yahoo article i read was that his parents are decently well off, and his uncle and father will take turns being with him over there to keep him focused. he’ll experience culture that he wouldn’t get here in the states, and again, his basketball skills and IQ and experience will be way beyond any 1 year college ball player.

    education? a real education doesn’t mean getting your name on some piece of paper. it means training and refining your mind. does anyone really think anything is learned in a one and done scenario with these college kids? doubt it.

    risk? only risk is the risk of injury. and that risk is there everywhere.

    no brainer.

  19. @lakersnation says:

    scenario – you’re stuck in the middle of a desert, cold and lonely . . . <= this represents life . . . you find a firecracker and you find a pile of logs to keep you warm <= money vs. education

    you have one match

    which do you choose?

    Tyler chose the firecracker

  20. Phileus says:

    @19: It’s more like, choose a pile of logs to keep you warm… or choose an airplane to get the hell out of the desert. He chose the airplane.

    Everyone knows that players like him don’t get education in HS, they get basketball practice. Going to class isn’t as important to their lives, because it doesn’t help them hone the skills that will take them the furthest. You don’t tell a 5’4″ 120 pound math genius to stay away from his books so that he can practice being an offensive lineman.

    And then if you’re talking about “life skills” – like someone else said, he’s going to get world experience in Europe that most adults don’t have. And I’d better believe that Euro clubs teach FAR more to their kids than BS-spewing AAU coaches or desperate NCAA coaches and agents.

    I can’t see it as a bad move at all. Top-flight players internationally are pros from their mid-teens. Look at Ricky Rubio. Nobody is whining about his lack of high school, in between drooling over the idea of his coming in the 2009 draft.

    Good luck to Tyler and his family.

  21. AB_40 says:

    if he hustles his ass off and plays hard D and makes the mid range shot. he’ll have a chance… those older americans and euro bigs are gonna show him the ropes and well destroy him on the low block haha

  22. analord says:

    hard to say if it’s a right move or not by now. A few things will happen for sure –

    1)life in a different country, adjustment problems, language barrier, cultural shocks…etc…which should turn the kid into a man real quick IF he handled himself well AND being surrounded by the right group of people.

    2)Different basketball style and system in Euroleague.

    The former is hard and we all know it, the latter should not be too hard to overcome, given some time, hardwork and patience.

    I respect the kid for taking the road less traveled. If he really made it in the next two years, more people will follow suit. Much like the college vs. NBA decision back in the days, it might turn out to be college vs. oversea real soon…good luck to the kid…because the road ahead ain’t easy…

  23. Patrick says:

    First. Austin way to go marrying in to NBA money.

    Second. Who cares if he finished high school right now. People are saying that he is going to be ignorant or not going to be able to get a job but that is crazy. I have a hard time believing that anyone here thinks they were much more intelligent following a senior year of calculus, physics, english, government and some crap elective than they were after their junior year. That is not to mention that the kid probably isn’t bothering to take all the classes he can right now. He probably has basketball, study hall, english and two classes of nothing to fulfill the states requirements for graduating.

    If playing pro basketball falls through he can always get his GED. It doesn’t sound like he wants to be a doctor, so for the most part the rest of his schooling doesn’t matter. Actually if basketball doesn’t pan out he might have some legitimate school motivation. Rather than coasting through a year of college in physical education he might take the money he earned and go back to school to learn something.

    He probably isn’t mature enough as a 17 yo to handle the money and expectations, but he will figure it out. I wasn’t mature enough to handle college when I started, but I worked my way through and now I have a job that 90% of america couldn’t get. This kid will might make more than I make at 17, and the possibility is there for him to make more in the next 5 years than I will make in my life.

    Point is that if you do whatever you want and you aren’t lazy it will work out for you. So if he wants to see the world and make a bunch of cash it sounds like the right decision to me.

  24. dc says:

    Since I don’t know the extent of the situation, like is he going to have a tutor, I can’t stand firm on my position, but I think this kid should at least get his high school diploma. I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing to go pro out of high school if you have the skills, but I’m disappointed that the people around him are supporting the decision to skip his senior year. As far as other sports, such as tennis or gymnastics or Euro basketball, most, if not all of them are tutored so that they finish their secondary education. I just hope that should he make it in the NBA, he doesn’t show up in elementary or middle schools in 5-10 years telling kids that education is important and to stay in school b/c it would be hypocritical.

  25. robmo35 says:

    I think there is an assumption in a lot of these posts that the kid is going to get lots of tick in Europe, and I am not certain that is the case. Young guys in Euroleagues, with the exception of Rubio who is a point guard and developed more quickly, generally ride the bench in Europe. This kid has said that he is bored at the high school, is he going to be any less bored sitting on the bench watching older more developed guys play? I don’t fault him for wanting to go pro early, I think the NBA rule is BS at best and criminal at worst, but the choice between going to Europe and riding the pine or sticking it out in high school and one year at Louisville should be obvious. Show them what you got. Maybe there is a strategy to it after all. Maybe he knows and his family knows that he isn’t NBA ready, and that going to Louisville would expose that more than going to Europe and sitting on a bench for two years?

  26. Josh says:

    Excellent article AB, one of the best on Dime so far.

  27. Col Cara says:

    Setting aside that having a good support system is the primary factor in the maturity of any well balanced individual, I’m all for it…

    Tennis, Golf, & Soccer (European Leagues) players are able to take advantage of starting their careers as teens… Why are we all flustered about basketball players?… Is this not what capitalism and free market economies are about?… The great thing about this country is that public commentary can say pretty much anything, and someone like the Jennings and Taylors of the world can just tell everyone to go **** themselves…

  28. Col Cara says:

    Setting aside that having a good support system is the primary factor in the maturity of any well balanced individual, I’m all for it… Tennis, Golf, & Soccer (European Leagues) players are able to take advantage of starting their careers as teens… Why are we all flustered about basketball players?… Is this not what capitalism and free market economies are about?… The great thing about this country is that public commentary can say pretty much anything, and someone like the Jennings and Taylors of the world can just tell everyone to go **** themselves…

  29. blkrob25 says:

    to the 15-11 record. most of his teams losses came against out of town/state competion. also forfetied 3 games due to ineligible players. coach got fired last year as well. not only is he bored with high school, but the politics of the San Diego Section hatin on him and his school. Urban school is not supposed to be better than the rich private schools. i think this played a major decision in his thought process. All the luck to the him, glad i got to see him play a ton of times here in SD. also did his first ever interview as a freshman, and his pops and support system was right there to make sure he didnt have a big head. i believe they have thought this decision thru…and are gonna make the best of it!

  30. djKianoosh says:

    robmo35, i look at it the opposite way. I think he’s going to only take an offer from a euro team that is going to realistically give him good playing time and ideally has a well respected/established coaching staff.

    the problem with the NCAA is that coaches are artificially limited with how much time they can spend with their players. as a pro, he’ll learn so much more about basketball. of course he’ll get exposed out there in europe, but from the yahoo article it says he’s looking forward to seeing what his weaknesses are and if that’s true, that’s a great approach. he’ll be a rookie in the NBA with two years of professional experience. can’t beat that. (oh, maybe in Ginobili or Parker’s case yeah they beat that, but you know what i mean)

  31. blkrob25 says:

    anyone ever wonder why not try the d-league route? play in a NBA style system? i know guys there is a lot of one-on-one play down there, but he play in front of scouts 24/7.

  32. doc says:

    There is NO way he dosent get drafted in 2 years.He’s the number 1 player in the country for his age.Do u dudes know how good that means he is?that means get that money youngin so u can live the good life.AB wrong choice and 20 million for 4 years dont even make sense.

  33. doc says:

    There is NO way he dosent get drafted in 2 years.He’s the number 1 player in the country for his age.Do u dudes know how good that means he is?that means get that money youngin so u can live the good life.AB wrong choice and 20 million for 4 years dont even make sense in the same sentence.

  34. doc says:

    Everybody screaming that education shit that is all fine and dandy when u trying to become a sportswriter or some shit,but when ya future profession is basketball player who gives a fuck.

  35. Claw says:

    I’m a CPA and MBA, but spent two years in the Army to pay for college, just because I delayed college for 2 years doesn’t mean you are out of the education game.

    As long as the kid has a support system this could be really good for him and be a good life experience.

    Anybody out there, if you were 17 and told you can make high six figures right now and increase your skills to make even more money in two years would blow it off?

  36. David Brandon says:

    @doc – it matters period. you can’t just go through life hella ignorant. thats why ppl say “educated decision”. there’s always a factor. lets say dude gets into the L. thats cool and i’m happy for him honestly. but lets say he blows his knee out very first game. can’t come back. so he isn’t fully educated AND can’t hoop? hows that supposed to help. part of bein a man is makin wise decisions. hoops not goin anywhere for him. and if he’s as good as you think he is, then his age group needs to hurry and catch up to him, right? i’m not saying to ignore the money on the table by any means, i’m just saying look past the next two years of your life. a lotta dudes get crazy money and blow through it b/c they didnt have the adequate training to know how to spend, invest and have that money work for them long term. i’m just tired of seeing too many young brothers making short term decisions. once you have your education, that puts you in charge of your future and too many ppl forget that…

  37. bballinca says:

    #29

    People hate on him because he has a horrible attitude.

    BTW their schedule wasn’t that great.

  38. blkrob25 says:

    he does have a short fuse, but when your team is rapped of its supporting cast and your being guarded by 3- 5’10 goons it might be a little frustrating.

    schedule wasnt great, never said that. just that most of their losses came to out of town/state teams. prior to last year they didnt lose a game in CA.

  39. doc says:

    @david brandon-yeah thats the politacally correct thing to say about the black youth but fuck all that.I see dudes who went to college with me all the time fucked up out here.They offering him at least a million dollars,so if he blows out his knee he can sit on that million for a year or 2 until his knee is better.This aint 1979 knee injuries get fixed now.He’ll just be on the injured list for a year.He doing right.only people who say stay in school never faced that option.You probably would’ve left school if Dime offered u ya pay u get now in 12th grade now multiply that by 10,000 and thats what they offered him to do what he loves.

  40. Jelani says:

    why are so many people acting like if this kid blows his knee out that he’ll be on the corner begging for change because he can’t do ANYTHING else in life?

    Lot’s of people have good lives without being college educated. Plus, this guys family is well off. He doesn’t need to support a bunch of people and his dad being a businessman will help him a lot with real life education.

  41. the cynic says:

    anyone who thinks a HS dipolma means anything in the world is ignorant. Education isn’t always best served in the class room. If he went to play in the D-League, he would be just a lazy fool. He will learn a lot about team work in Europe because he won’t be saddled by some HS coach or College coach trying to use him to further there own career. He will be NBA coachable right away when he comes back over because of this experience

  42. bballinca says:

    #38 what are you talking about. THey got blown out by Fairfax and Dominguez!

  43. quest?? says:

    i agree with David Brandon Money and an uneducated ignorant man is a lethal combination. @ doc with that attitude u will never play on the nba.

  44. bballinca says:

    @ Jelani

    you must not have a high school degree. Statistics clearly show that those with GED degrees earn substantially less than those with degrees and even less than those with college degrees.

    Yes he has a great opportunity that 99% of the people don’t get. But that piece of paper is something no one can take from you.

    Most of those tennis and bball players that go pro at any early age are also home schooled or have tutors.

  45. the cynic says:

    @bballinca

    that statistic isn’t valid in this case because most, but not all, people who get GEDs get them because they were lazy burn-outs with no goals. Trust me, he is going to have plenty of paper. His parents probably wouldn’t allow this if he wasn’t going to get some type of education while balling

  46. bballinca says:

    Didn’t I say he has an opportunity that 99% of the planet never will?

  47. bballinca says:

    My whole point is that dropping out of high school should not be glamourized like this, regardless of the circumstances. He’s going to do what’s best for himself and his family, but it scares me that the population of this board is completely blind to the fact that they are supporting the concept of dropping out of high school.

    Statistically, it’s more likely that this kid becomes the next Robert Swift as opposed to the next Kevin Garnett. Potential superstars come pretty cheap these days. Greg Oden was WAY better than Jeremy Tyler in high school, and look at him now. Getting paid, but struggling. If Jeremy Tyler struggles like that overseas, not only will his draft stock drop, he could very well get CUT from his team and lose all that money. Not many guaranteed contracts in Moscow.

  48. the cynic says:

    just because I support what Tyler is doing, doesn’t mean I support dropping out of High School. This won’t hurt his draft stock at all, half of being drafted is purely promotional and he is going to get way more attention because of this move

  49. blkrob25 says:

    26-5 Tylers sophmore year, only losses were in national tournaments and dominguez in state playoffs.

    Only reason I mentioned record was because a previous poster questioned his dominance in San Diego. Minus the loss to Dominguez in his soph year they didn’t lose a game in CA. His junior year they lost a few games in cali, decent schedule, but his team was never at full strength.

    Was just tryin to clarify he was dominant in the SD section, and that the 15-11 record is no indicator of how good he is.

  50. solomon (el latino machismo) says:

    nice article AB… perhaps the best read i’ve had in all of internet for quite some time…

  51. heckler says:

    AS A BLACK MAN….

    …AT LEAST (AT LEAST!) GET YOUR *DAMN* DIPLOMA!

    nuff said.

  52. bballinca says:

    they lost to fairfax in his soph year as well.

  53. dagood says:

    Like AB, I’m torn.

    But, basically it’s a good option financially and in terms of life experience

    “education” isn’t what high school sports stars get in their senior year. They just get egos after being treated like demi-gods and lied to by everyone.

    But I can’t see a European team paying him much more than 1 million over two years, as he won’t be ready to contribute in Euroleague yet…

    Still, that’s a lot of money. But if he gets injured badly and ends up unable to play ball, then that money’ll dry up fast unless he’s well-advised.

    But if he has some good people guiding him, it’ll be a great education for him… Life Skills 101.

  54. Justmy2cents says:

    The kid’s attitude sucks. I dont see how this will benefit him. It seems like hes just in it for the money which is terrible. If you gonna play this sport then you better love it. Sorry, but he’s not that great of a player. If he went to Louisville or whatever school, it would have greatly benefited him. He may feel that HS bball was way too easy for him but he could have gained alot of experience and his game and attitude both would have matured(both are well needed of maturing). To me, he is no better than a Samardo Sammuels. Not hating just evaluating. If he feels that college is just not for him ok cool. Do you. But atleast get your damn diploma. Now if his family was in desperate need financially and this was his decision it would make more sense, but thats not the case..at all. Personally, I think the only reason he is even making such a decision is because of his lack maturity and his ego. I think the only reason his parent are letting him make this decision is because he spoiled.

  55. fromthechi says:

    AB, I don’t care how torn you may be…this kid is making a BIG mistake. No he’s not dropping out of HS to go work at McDonalds, but he’s dropping out of HS…period!! I can’t believe his parents are OK with this. If his financial situation calls for it, cool. But this kid lives in San Diego where the cost of leaving is certainly not cheap, no his P’s have to be doing OK in order to live there. I think this is the most ridiculous story I’ve ever heard. What happened to the days when kids hooped for the love of the game and competition? The game done definitely changed!!

  56. jack says:

    bad role model hope he fail big time

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