Smack / Nov 21, 2011 / 12:00 am

Top College Teams Show Their Talent; Ricky Rubio Back To Spain?

By

John Henson

John Henson (photo. UNC Athletic Communications)

Is it UNC’s fault they are just too good? We see them beat Mississippi Valley State 101-75, and all the critics want to do is point out their terrible outside shooting (5-19) and bad numbers from the free-throw line (16-31). Someone like Brent Arrington drops 33 on them (in 18 shots), and we’re complaining, saying they really aren’t that good. The fact is they did what they had to, and they also still have some pretty good talent. John Henson went for 18 and 14 while Harrison Barnes added 18 of his own … Kentucky only scored 62, but still won by 10 over Old Dominion with Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Darius Miller each scoring 13 points. Kentucky and UNC play on Dec. 3. Can we just skip ahead to that night? … Is there a better backcourt in the country than Jeremy Lamb and Shabazz Napier? Lamb dropped 25 – another big night – in UConn’s 17-point win over Coppin State. But he wasn’t even the star. Napier went OFF, finishing with a triple-double (22 points, 12 rebounds, 13 assists). Coppin State took a 13-point lead early, but no one for the Huskies was really sweating it just because their point guard was so good, so dominant. Perhaps this is the best team in the nation? With their backcourt playing this well, you can make the case … Top 25 teams Alabama, Marquette and Florida State all won as well … Miss Spain much? According to ESPN, Ricky Rubio is considering going back to Spain and signing with another team if there isn’t a season this year. Rubio stated that he’s going to wait until there is “no chance” for the current situation to be resolved before he makes the move overseas. Rubio also told ESPN that he would very much like to go practice with the Gasols again – who both are in Spain practicing with Rubio’s former club team, Barcelona. Bet that makes all you Minnesota fans feel better. What’s colder: the weather in Minnesota, or the way the basketball gods treat T’Wolves fans? … When asked about his son’s thoughts on the current NBA lockout, Doc Rivers told the Boston Globe Austin wasn’t focused on the NBA, but rather getting better as a college basketball player. Doc did tell the Globe however that he wouldn’t mind Austin leaving Duke after one year if he’s ready to play the professional game. All the right words from the Celtics head coach, but something interesting is brewing with Austin Rivers, Duke, the NBA lockout and every other college team with potential one-and-done players – the age limit. Numerous proposals (all of which were shot down) have included age limits for declaring for the NBA draft, a number that may become many fan’s favorite if in fact a deal is ever reached. 20 years of age to declare for the draft is looking more and more likely, and if that age limit is put into place, one-and-done guys all across the country would be forced to stay for a second year. But you know what? Good. What’s bad about letting these young kids mature? And not only physically, but mentally and emotionally. How about we let these kids get better in college, work on the fundamentals, grow into their bodies, mature as individuals. Where’s the harm? And not only do these players gain from such a rule change, but fans and the game itself do well. How great would it be to see all the guys come back for second years? Could you imagine the matchups we would see, how much better March Madness would be (if it can even get any better), how much better the player of the year race would be? How ‘bout we make these kids come back for a second year. How ‘bout we let them get better. Grow as men. Mature on and off the court. Expand their games. Reach their potential. The only problem is here we are preaching this stuff when Sports Illustrated just ran a feature story on Lexi Thompson, a 16-year-old female golfer who quit school so she could play golf all day long, competes professionally and is being celebrated as a potential savior for the sport. Hmmmm … Want the name of a breakout star you drop on your friends to prove you know more about college ball then they do? Meet Jared Cunningham, Oregon State’s junior shooting guard. Cunningham has been absolutely killing it lately, scoring 72 points in his last two games and averaging 26.5 points and 5.3 rebounds per game for the season. But he’s not just one dimensional. Head coach Craig Robinson said that Cunningham has worked hard to expand his game, constantly guarding the best player on the opposing team, getting steals, blocking shots. And in a below-average Pac-12 conference, look for Cunningham to have a monster year … We’re out like Tony Scheffler‘s TD shuffle.

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Posted in Smack |

  • UncheckedAggression

    I find it pretty ridiculous that so many people want to force school on those bound to be professional athletes. Let them live their lives. So many other sports/fields allow you to pursue professional dreams without wasting time in college.

    There’s nothing wrong with not wanting to go to college. There is something wrong with going into it with the wrong mindset, which is exactly what some of these players are doing.

  • yoda

    that decision would be hard for players who just want to get in nba and get some money. on other hand, age limit would be great for nba owners. they would have another year to evaluate players and it would be a chance for teams to get more developed and beefed up players than they do now. last few years we had some good one and done players but there were more of those who had to sit year or two, so they can be ready physically and mentally for the game.

  • Swiss Chocolate

    Dime,
    I just saw Rubio balling in San Francisco at Drew Goodens’ charity game @ the Cow Palace. It was his unofficial US debut, right? Rubio was diming NBA ballers (mainly DeRozan). His spot-up shots from were on point. His shot of the dribble was non-existant. His D was what I expected; good positiong and quick hands. Anyways, don’t get too lazy on your reporting during the lockout. The public might be watching!

  • Flying_Aussie_Dutchman

    Kentucky or UNC are bound to win the college finals… I dont get to see many College ball in Australia, but when I do, this year is amazing. So many great players.

    Nice Smack write up today

  • beiber newz

    You know what’s completely hilarious? Ricky Rubio, upset that he was drafted by the Wolves, opted to stay in Spain another couple of years before finally conceding to the idea of playing in Minnesota. He was so into the idea of finally coming to his new team, that he paid thousands of dollars to get out of his contract with his team in Spain. Funny, after paying all that money to get out of his contract back home, he finds himself locked out in America. No money in America, and he paid his way out of a contract which he’ll basically be seeking to get back any time now. Damn.

  • TJ 2

    Finally watched “Prayer for a Perfect Season”, didnt realize in 2008, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Kyrie Irving, Dexter Strickland and Derrick Gordon (young guard that some serious talent) were all on the SAME team, that team went 30-3. BUT i think Findlay Prep was the same way, with Tristan Thompson, Corey Joseph, Myck Kabongo and Nick Johnson. Ah the joys of being a HS basketball powerhouse!

  • First & Foremost

    Are we asking kids to go to college just to get better at their craft for 2 years instead of going to college for an academic education for 2 years? If the sole purpose for them going to college is just to play sports, let them go pro.

    Expand the D-league and have a real farming system for players. The purpose of leaving 1 year early is to get the clock ticking on your rookie contract. The risk of course is growing into your next contract. The sooner a player leaves to go pro the more max contracts he could potentially sign. What if Greg Oden stayed, had to get his tonsils taken out, then suffers some knee injury? He might have became a mid 2nd rounder.

  • Sean Sweeney

    @TJ 2
    I was at that game. Unreal. Probably the best HS game I’ve ever seen. Kyrie took it over in the second half and looked like he was on a complete other level than everybody else… and yet missed a FT to tie it w/ like 2 seconds left. Game ended w/ a controversial non-call too.

  • http://www.zwani.com/graphics/funny_pictures/images/88funny-pictures128.jpg JAY

    @ F&F: “Are we asking kids to go to college just to get better at their craft for 2 years instead of going to college for an academic education for 2 years? If the sole purpose for them going to college is just to play sports, let them go pro.”
    They can learn a lot more in school than they can at the NBA level. In college, coaches still teach the game and approach it like they are teaching to kids. In the NBA, they expect you to know things already.
    On top of the basketball related things, they also need to mature into adulthood.

    And your second paragraph is the exact opposite of why the freshmen of last year stayed.
    “The purpose of leaving 1 year early is to get the clock ticking on your rookie contract.”
    ^ That may be true, but Barnes and Sullinger said they stayed to get the extra work in college in order to improve themselves so that they can get a more lucrative contract down the road. In other words, going to the NBA after 1 year may mean an earlier contract but doesn’t necessarily mean a bigger second contract. To them, it wasn’t about getting the most contracts during their career… it’s about being able to demand the most money. In business terms, they stayed to maximize profits.

    I know many dudes whose motto is, If the kid can play in the NBA let him get his money!
    Those types of people were chirping in Kwame Brown’s ear. There’s no guarantee that he would be making more money if he went to school for a couple of years, but it certainly improves his chances. And that’s why they should stay… to improve their odds at success.
    Can you imagine what Derozan would look like today if he stayed an extra year and grew into his game at USC, instead of spending a year or two trying to figure it out in the NBA? That one year is HUGE to young talented players.
    Of course, there’s always the exceptions like Lebron, but you don’t make rules for the exceptions. You make them for the majority. The majority of these kids should stay in school. For maturity reasons. For educational reasons. And for their growth in their sport.

  • http://deleted dagwaller

    Players A-M might be hurt by staying in school for another year. “He might get hurt, or he might lose draft stock; why wouldn’t he want to leave?”

    But players N-Z are the ones who would benefit. The guys whose draft stock would RISE, who would continue to work hard and hone their craft.

    How many straight from HS or one-and-done’s have we seen who have all this hype, get drafted, get “paid”, and are out of the league after a couple years?

    Players N-Z are the ones we should be protecting. I want to watch real basketball players have careers, not a pogo stick with arms and legs that’s entertaining for 1 year.

  • Big Island

    If a guy is going to be a lottery pick after his first year, you almost have to go pro. It’s money that is promised to you for a set amount of time. If he is good, then it will work out. If he’s a borderline guy, or a guy drafted on talent, it might not work out and you could say college would have been better. But as a lottery pick you are guaranteed millions of dollars. You have to go. I think as a big man it is better to stay an extra year to work on your game because in the pros it’s not as easy to work on fundamentals, but guards can usually transition a little easier.

    I’m not a big fan of the age limit. If you can vote and fight in a war, you should be able to play basketball. In football, where guys are just big and will cripple you if you aren’t ready it makes sense. But basketball? The only adjustment really needed is the social responsibility aspect. Some guys haven’t even figured that out at 30. Don’t fuck groupies, don’t stay out past 11, stay away from the troublemaker on the team. That solves 95% of the problems right there. If you’re a GM and you draft a kid, make him hang out with the most responsible guy on your team. Sign Shane Battier to whatever you need to sign him to and ask him to mentor the guy you draft.

  • Big Island

    Colleges on the D1 level need an age limit. The QB for Oklahoma State is almost 30. Not cool, go to a D2 school for that stuff. Nobody wants to see a dumpy old man ass in a college game.

    That sounded all kinds of gay, but whatever. I’m gonna stick with it.

  • UncheckedAggression

    Those of you that think going to college is going to help mature them more than some pro league are just fooling yourselves.

    College is not the place for that crap. College is for education. If the player wants that, then I support them one hundred percent. Most of these players want somewhere they can show what they can do in order to get drafted higher. That’s not what college is for.

  • UncheckedAggression

    That argument about Kwame Brown, etc. needing that extra year or two in a college atmosphere is bullshit. Plenty of players spent more than a year in college and still couldn’t handle the NBA life. You have to admit that college only does something for you if you are inclined to mature already, which means you would be fine anyway.

    The NCAA would love this rule, though. It has nothing to do with helping out the players. It has a lot to do with making more money off of them.

  • Coach T-sun

    i think the age limit is a joke, if Americans can choose if they can enter the army when they are done high school then they should be able to choose if they wanna play basketball

  • http://www.psychodrama.com Chicagorilla

    funny how time changes things. I just went back and read the SMack of May 11th, 2011 where we had an 80 post discussion on how Aquille Carr should/shouldn’t take the $750K to play overseas. I see some of you have changed your stance on it.

    Me personally, If Harrison BArnes was my kid, I tell him to stay four years.
    Candace Parker was not allowed to enter the WNBA out of HS. In the womens game, you have to play/be out of HS for 4 years before you can enter the WNBA draft. Candace Parker tore her ACL her freshman year in college (after already tearing an ACL in HS) then played like a beast the next 3 years (and being one of the few women to dunk in a game). She then entered the WNBA as the highest paid rookie ever, getting something like $1 Million contract.
    Parker also makes tons of money playing overseas during the winter time (like all the WNBA stars do) and coming back home in the summer to play in the WNBA.

    Parker could easily have played in the WNBA after her freshman year or even str8 outta HS. Go on Twitter or FB and ask her if she regrets going to college.
    It’s not just the education or the basketball teachings, it’s about learning to mature. This is what was missing from Kobe’s game. He never got to really experience the college life. Had he went to Duke (like he claimed he wanted) Kobe wouldn’t have learned much on the skill side, but he would have learned the brotherhood side of basketball. That part that he never really seemed to grasp until recently.

  • UncheckedAggression

    Chi–Kobe still doesn’t get it. And that’s a part of my point. You can’t rely on college to “mature” anybody. They have to make that effort themselves.

    College doesn’t solve any of the problems put forth by advocates for older age requirements in the NBA.

  • Big Island

    I hate him, but say Kobe went to college for 3 years. That pushes his NBA career back 3 years. Take out his last 3 years worth of salary (almost $70 million) and explain to me again why he should have gone to Duke? If you are a lottery guy, you have to take the $. KG? Lose $60 mil. Jermaine Oneal, who college would have helped I think, $50 mil. Say you have until 35 to make as much money as you can. Do you start at 19 or 23? Even if you are a mid level contract guy, that’s $20 million you are leaving. College was cool, but not $20 million cool. Overseas is a whole different animal. If you have to do a year, do it in college. Too much stuff can happen overseas to kill your stock (minutes, batteries flying at you, out of sight) where a good run in college just raises your stock. Especially in the tourney (D Wade).

  • First & Foremost

    A 2nd year of the NCAA doesn’t guaranty anything. The rule change would just take away the career choice of a player. He could learn a postgame, he could learn a mid-range game, he could learn how to set a pick, he could tear a ligament, he could lose his hype, he could get kicked off a team.

    In theory the 2nd year would improve a player, preparing him for the next level but that is the choice of the player. If he wants to make the jump without being ready, so be it. GMs should do their jobs better at scouting skill/talent. All of the players eligible to be drafted don’t have to be drafted. A team could have passed on Derozan because of his lack of skill. But no, the system rewards players based on hype. If the NBA wanted more skilled players, Scottie Reynolds would not have gone undrafted.

    If the NBA really wanted players that have more than 20 NCAA games under their belt, then the lottery wouldn’t be filled with guys who only stayed 1 year.

    As for making the NCAA better, that will only be short-term. Just like the initial ruling. Instead of HS-ers skipping college, Imagine if Dwight Howard & Josh Smith went to G-Tech, Imagine if Lebron went to Ohio State, Imagine if Telfair went to wherever Calipari was coaching at the time.

    Less than a decade later we will be asking players to stay because they already have 2 years vested in a program and might as well go for a 3rd year to win a title and further better themselves as a person and a player.

    Bottom Line, this is another cover up by the owners for hand picking GMs who choose raw talent over skill 90% of the time. Skillful & mature players are out there, they just aren’t being selected that high.

  • First & Foremost

    @Big Island, On top of that, you have to assume he gets drafted into a situation comparable to the Lakers. What if he went to a small market with a string of horrible coaches and an iffy fan base? Would he still be The Kobe Bryant?

    You take the money and then let everything else sort itself out.

  • First & Foremost

    “The system rewards players based on hype” If No-Limit Records was still putting out “quality” music, Lil Romeo would have been a top 10 selection.

  • Big Island

    F&F – Like Charlotte? And that whole No-Limit phase was awful. Awful. And I don’t get why NBA teams, even NFL teams draft on “combine” numbers. Throw speed up and NFL guys go nuts. Vertical and wingspan give NBA guys hard ons. They can’t play. Stromile Swift, Jordan HIll and Tyrus Thomas come to mind, or even Hasheem Thabeet. But a dude like DeJuan Blair, who can play, murdered Thabeet when they played, gets killed in the draft. Tyler Hansboro would’ve gone #1 if he came out after one year on “potential”, but he stays and drops down the board.

    If you are a sure lottery pick, you have to go. If you’re a first round pick, you have to think about it. If you are good, you will be locked into 4 years with the team who drafts you. That takes you from 23 to 27. Then you sign your max deal to 33. Nobody is maxing you again after that unless you are a top 5 player in the league. Now if you start at 19, your rookie deal is up at 23, your max to 29, and maybe another max after that. Playing 15 years and being 34 is better than 15 and 38.

  • http://www.psychodrama.com Chicagorilla

    You guys are missing the point.

    If you are just looking at superstar players then yeah i guess you can argue that they should have come out early for the money.

    But F^ck the money. That’s the point. Who gives a $h!t if you have $300Million or $250million. One of the things i learned growing up is not to give a $h!t about something someone could take from you. a bike, a ball, a car, a b!tch, or Money. All that can be given and taken away. They can’t take my education and they can’t take my experience. Those are things thats exclusive to me and me only.

    Anyone willing to give up their person for a few extra dollars in wealth ain’t really living life. Some of the best times of my life were when i was broke as hell, during Boot camp and training school in the Air Force. I was more proud of graduating from those 7 weeks of boot camp that i was graduating from the 4 years of HS and 8 years of grammer school.

    Also, from an NBA aspect. 2 years of college will allow the NBA scouts to do a better job of gauging a players talent and attitude. without the current age limit, guys like Renardo Sidney from Mississippi State would be earning big bucks in the NBA and stealing money (Eddy Curry???). Of course since he had to attend that first year of college, people were able to see the idiot that he is (fighting his teammate in the stands on national tv?). Which also forced him to go back to school and prove himself, maybe even mature and develope a better attitude.

    You don’t think Pat Riley and Miami are kicking themselves for drafting Mike Beasley? SuperBees didn’t need anymore college to improve his game, they guys skill set was unbelievable and his frame was perfect for the NBA. He did need college to allow himself to grow and mature as a man.
    If any of you took a Psychology class then you know the human brain doesn’t really mature until you’re anywhere from 21-25 years of age. That’s when you start thinking less with the emotional side of your brain and more with the logical side… or something like that lol. I can’t really remember all the details.
    So claiming that Kobe, KG, LBJ, and JO didn’t need college is absurd. They all have had MANY ISSUES in the NBA related to their immaturity. They all have holes in the personality that may have held them back from being a better player. There is no guarantee that college would have fixed that, but there is a good chance that it would have.

    playing devils advocate:
    You all are arguing all the wrong points. The real argument against going to college should be that the NCAA is basically stealing money from these players by not paying them. HBO’s real sports stated it best

    “what a great deal, you have this BILLION DOLLAR industry where you don’t have to pay the employees.”

    That is my only problem with the players playing NCAA ball.

  • http://www.psychodrama.com Chicagorilla

    @Big Is

    Your entire argument is about money. Yet you are one of the main people who are pissed at the players because they are asking to keep their big piece of the pie during this lockout. You and all the other posters (who are pissed at the players and owners over this lockout) are really contradicting yourselves with this one.

    Fuck the money. That’s why were aren’t watching any NBA games right now. Thats bullshit that they can keep. This is the reason the era of the 80′s and 90′s will never be duplicated or surpassed. Because everything is all about the money and not about balling.

  • http://deleted dagwaller

    There will be players drafted either way. Whether it’s the guy that had a great freshman season or great sophomore season, a guy is going to get drafted.

    There is NO point in arguing FOR people coming out earlier. When you do, you argue AGAINST the guy that waits, or takes longer to develop. You might think you’re arguing FOR the players, but rest assured – there will be players either way.

    When they are forced to wait, though, NBA teams get better. It’s that simple. Why would anyone argue against that?

  • UncheckedAggression

    I did mention the NCAA, because I also think it’s BS.
    However, I still think you are making the wrong argument here. All this is based on “what ifs” when there are plenty of players in the NBA that DID go through 4 years and weren’t able to “mature”. For the players you mention, it’s easy for you to just blame the fact that they didn’t go to college or that they didn’t go long enough. Do you really think Kobe would be that different?

    I’m saying that college is for those that want to be educated. The education most of these future pro athletes need is not necessarily a college education. They can get that elsewhere.

    I don’t see why we limit athletes in SOME sports from going pro after HS but not others. Are you trying to say that basketball players are more poorly-suited to handle being a pro at 18? Or perhaps you don’t think anyone in any sport should be able to be a pro at 18? What’s the deal?

  • UncheckedAggression

    I’d like to point out that I have no problem whatsoever with those that choose to stay in school. When a player stays, it says something about what school means to them. But requiring it of players doesn’t really help anyone but those trying to make money off them (NCAA, schools, etc).

    I think it’s hilarious when everyone knows a guy is just going to be there a year. Real commitment to the team, isn’t it? Especially when the only reason they guy is there to begin with is because of this NBA rule that won’t let them join the draft out of HS.

  • http://www.psychodrama.com Chicagorilla

    In relation to this discussion, check out the last 15min of this documentary called”

    “Hoop Reality”

    It’s the sequal to “Hoop Dreams”. This time focusing on Patrick Beverly. Pat played during one of the great eras in Chicago HS basketball. He squares off with Derrick Rose, Sherron Collins, and Jeff Jordan.

    At the end of the clip they give you an update of how all the players are doing. The only one they failed to mention was Jon Scheyer (who spent 4 years at Duke and is in the NBDL) and Jeff Jordan (intially went to Illinois but has since transferred to UCF with his brother Marcus Jordan).

    Each example is exactly what we are discussing here.

    Sherron Collins, Scheyer, and Jordan all spent 4 years in college and got a degree.
    Derrick Rose and Pat Beverly left college after their Freshman and Sophmore seasons.
    It worked out for Rose as he was the #1 pick of the Bulls… Beverly on the other hand (who is extremely talented) ends up overseas, then coming back and I believe he played in the NBDL last season like Scheyer and Collins. Only difference is those guys have a degree to fall back on. If Beverly doesn’t make the NBA, what was all this for? All the hard work, all the drills, all the push ups, all the shooting? In the end what would he have gotten out of it? Nothing.

  • Big Island

    Chi – I am all about maximizing what you can get. The players aren’t now, and are going to get less. And nobody in Eddy Curry’s house is mad that he bombed out. The best years of your life and my life are entirely different than a world class athlete. Sure, I had a blast in college, but I would have given it some serious middle fingers for million dollar contracts. And as far as the difference between $250 and $300 million, it is $50 million for a children’s hospital. Or maybe just $45 million for the children’s hospital and $5 million for the community center in the city that helped me get that $$$.

  • http://www.psychodrama.com Chicagorilla

    @Big Is

    I guess it just depends on the person. I seriosuly would not give up my past for a Million bucks. I grew up very poor, hell im still poor now! If I could go back and talk to my HS self, I would give him a few tips and pointers about basketball and girls. but I wouldn’t want to change my past. I don’t know if i would ever meet the genuine people that i’ve met. And of course boot camp. To each his own.

  • http://deleted dagwaller

    @ Big Is – I’m not trying to take offense, but you’re not reading what I’m saying lol.

    That 50 mil would go to some other player, and they’d spend it accordingly. No need to cry over one guy not making an extra 50 mil when it’s going to get spread around anyway!

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