| | By Andy Katz
ESPN.com
A number of the underclassmen who have declared for the draft aren't ready to play in the NBA. They might not even be first-round picks, which means they might not get guaranteed money.
|  | | Minnesota center Joel Przybilla didn't enjoy playing for Dan Monson. |
Do they not want to be in school?
To some extent -- yes.
"Joel (Przybilla) was in school because of basketball, and basketball
was a carrot for the NBA," said Minnesota coach Dan Monson. Minnesota
sophomore forward Joel Przybilla declared for the draft after he was
suspended from the team during the Big Ten season for failing to adhere to
Monson's academic standards.
"The system enables them to go to the draft if they don't want to go
to school," Monson said. "It's a trend, because other players have done it
successfully."
Przybilla will be a top 10 pick, possibly top five. But he clearly
didn't want to be at Minnesota, at least under the restrictions Monson put
on him. How much does Quentin Richardson want to be at DePaul if he could
stay and then be a top 10 pick next year, rather than a middle to late
first-round pick this June?
What about Florida's Donnell Harvey? Florida assistant coach John Pelphrey said Harvey wasn't going to be a four-year guy
when they signed him. But shouldn't he at least be a two- or three-year guy
to ensure he's a first-round pick?
The list goes on and on, with DePaul's Paul McPherson, Indian Hills
College (Iowa) teammates Cory Hightower and Ernest Brown, Cincinnati's
DerMarr Johnson, Missouri's Keyon Dooling and Erick Barkley of St. John's. None
seemed like they wanted to stay in college, because all of them could have
improved their draft status had they stayed.
"There's no doubt that academics is playing a role with some of
these kids," DePaul coach Pat Kennedy said. "Quentin would have had a
chance to be top 10 if he stayed, but if he goes, it's not certain. A guy
like Paul would do well in a farm league. It's just like AA baseball where
these guys go right from high school to the pros. In baseball, it's not
urban minority players, so no one flinches when they do it."
If this trend continues, more high school players could be
enticed to leave for the NBA's developmental league. The league, still in the planning stages and possibly in need of approval from the players' union, probably would mean the end of all the fledgling leagues like the IBL, USBL, ABA
2000, and maybe, even the CBA.
Agents would be able to get into the ear of a top 50-high school player and tell him he could make $75,000 to $100,000 for two years and then get called up to the NBA. Scouts at the draft camps were split on the
effectiveness of such a league, with most of them preferring to see colleges
remain as the farm system. College players end up being more mature and
better coached than players who could wallow in a minor league, playing in
small towns or mid-size cities in a bus league.
But the effect on college basketball could be disastrous if the
developmental league becomes a reality.
"Imagine that there could be 12 teams with 120 players," Syracuse
coach Jim Boeheim said. "There are enough players to fill our teams, but more
and more players would probably choose to go to the minor league first."
Therein lies the problem of players choosing the pros first over
college. Not everyone needs to go to college. But not
everyone is ready for a fast-paced, high-pressure job at 18, either.
The fact that the NBA has become plan B for the high school players
who aren't eligible is a joke. The NBA shouldn't take the high school
players who aren't first-round material. Leon Smith is and should be Exhibit
A after San Antonio drafted him 29th for Dallas last year. Smith's contract
was voided after his well-documented off-court problems in the fall. If high
school seniors DeShawn Stevenson and Mario Austin declare and are not
first-round picks, they shouldn't be taken. No favors should be done.
These guys should learn that they have to earn a spot, either as a
second-round pick or as a free agent. If they don't make it, then that's
their own fault. Nothing should be handed to them. The NBA needs to stop accepting players who aren't ready and to stop hiding behind that nebulous thing called potential.
Unfortunately, that probably won't happen. Harvey probably will be taken either in the late first or early second, even though he's not as good and doesn't work as hard as his teammate, sophomore Udonis Haslam. Haslam might stay
four years and come out more polished than Harvey ever will become in the
NBA. Ohio State's Michael Redd may land in the second round, but had he
stayed, he could have been a lottery pick as a senior. Teammate Ken Johnson
is staying and will improve his stock. Look at Cincinnati's Kenyon Martin as
an example of someone who stayed four years and could be the No. 1 pick.
"For some of these guys declaring, it's a money issue," said Ohio
State senior point guard Scoonie Penn. "For a lot of them it's an issue
where they don't want to be in school. They have the ability to get drafted,
so they go. That's the bottom line, these guys -- freshmen, sophomores, high
school seniors -- don't want to go to school.
"I'm happy the way I did it," Penn said. "I went through college,
had a great experience, played four years, and loved it."
Guyton's defense of Knight
The Knight report won't be released until June but Indiana's faithful still are
coming out in droves to support the General.
A.J. Guyton, the outgoing senior guard, defended his coach and mentor in an interview with ESPN.com at the Desert Classic in Phoenix two weeks ago: "I'm not running from that issue. Coach Knight will take care of that himself. Coach Knight has gotten in all of our faces and grabbed ahold of all of us at one point or time. It's
all part of being a man. He knows he's not doing it to hurt you. He's doing
it to spark you and make you play harder. If you can't take it, jump ship. I
saw the tape (of Knight grabbing Neil Reed in a 1997 practice). I didn't see
anything shocking. That's coach Knight."
Will the CNN-SI tape force Knight to resign?
"Nope, ain't going to happen," Guyton said. "The longer they get on
his butt, the longer he's going to stay in the program and win. He'd like to
shove it up everyone's behind."
Waiting on Bland
Syracuse sophomore guard Tony Bland is sending mixed signals to the Orangemen coaching staff. Coach Jim Boeheim said he wouldn't be surprised if Bland left, even after Bland was quoted saying he was staying. Bland has been going to school and attending team meetings. If Bland transfers, he'll likely land back on the West Coast. Arizona State is no longer an option but USC would be a possible destination.
Bruins on the move?
Expect official decisions from UCLA sophomores JaRon Rush and Jerome Moiso within a week on the NBA draft. Rush likely will test the draft process by having scouts come to Westwood to check him out. But he's likely
to pull back his name and return to school once he realizes he's a
second-round pick. Rush has been in Kansas City with his family and has
missed school. He obviously needs to maintain good academic standing to
return in the fall. Moiso probably will bolt. Don't expect freshman Jason
Kapono to declare for the draft.
Meanwhile, UCLA is a frontrunner for France's Tony Parker, the dazzling guard who was at the Nike Hoop Summit in
Indianapolis over Final Four weekend. UCLA assistant Jim Saia was dispatched
to France last week.
Johnnies watching the calendar
Darius Miles told the St. John's coaching staff Tuesday that he plans on attending school in the fall. But the staff won't believe it until May 14 passes and Miles' name isn't on the early entry list. The East St. Louis (Ill.) High star still needs to get eligible. Meanwhile, Fresno's DeShawn Stevenson gets closer each day to declaring for the draft instead of waiting to see if he can get eligible and play at Kansas in the fall.
Coaches and recruits
Sources in Atlanta have the Hawks looking at Isiah Thomas first and then Kentucky's Tubby Smith and Cincinnati's Bob Huggins. Smith and former Georgetown coach John Thompson are expected to be coaching candidates with the New Jersey Nets, sources confirmed. Smith will listen but won't make any overtures about the NBA until spring recruiting is done.
The Wildcats still are waiting word from 6-foot-8 Darius Rice from Lanier High in Jackson, Miss. He has narrowed it down to Kentucky, Memphis, Mississippi State, Arkansas and Miami (Fla.). Rice's family told ESPN.com that he's not considering a jump to the NBA. His parents said they're tired of the phone calls and hope a decision will be made by this weekend. Kentucky has already landed 6-3 Gerald Firch (Macon, Ga.) and 6-7 Erik Daniels (Cincinnati Princeton High) and are still battling for 6-7 John Grice (Shelby State College, Tenn.) in the spring.
Huggins was thought to be a candidate for the Nuggets job in Denver. But that probably won't happen as long as Dan Issel is content with coaching. Sources close to new owner Stan Kroenke said he doesn't want to make any rash changes the first year and wouldn't dare move Issel (a local favorite). If Issel were to resign, Huggins would be first in line. St. John's coach Mike Jarvis remains a viable candidate for the Washington Wizards job.
Coach Cal off and running
Memphis coach John Calipari may not get Rice, but he put a scare in his rivals by nearly landing a McDonald's All-American a few weeks after getting the job. The Tigers did land the type of player that helped get UMass over the top. Modibo Diarra isn't Marcus Camby, but the 6-10, 240-pound forward plays with the type of intensity that should respond well
to Calipari's coaching. The Minutemen had warriors, mostly 6-6 to 6-8, who battled inside for Calipari. Diarra could be that type of player.
Expect Memphis to get DaJuan Wagner, the superstar junior out of Camden, N.J., if Wagner goes to college in the fall of 2001. Calipari could entertain thoughts of hiring Wagner's father Milt in a basketball administrative role, too.
Waiting game at Providence
Providence coach Tim Welsh could have only four returning players if an appeal falls short. Five of the eight players involved in a campus assault case were returning players. Welsh will know in 10 days if the players can participate in basketball next season, or for that matter, stay in school. In the interim, Welsh is furiously trying to sign players.
He's off to a decent start. Providence got a commitment from 6-9 Maris Laksa, a Latvian power forward who was coveted by UCLA. Welsh made two trips to Latvia in the past four months. Laksa could be an immediate hit in the Big East. Providence is a finalist with San Diego State for 6-9 Randy Holcomb of Los Angeles City College, and formerly of Fresno State. Providence is battling Texas for 6-4 Royal Ivey of Blair Academy in New Jersey, too.
Providence had already signed forwards Marcus Douthit and guards Sheiku Kabba and Donnell Allick. Junior point guard John Linehan was sitting out with an injury and they still have one of the top centers in the league in Karim Shabazz. But Welsh needs to over sign in case he can't get any of his suspended players back. He can't afford another complete rebuilding season.
Delaware staying put
Delaware will not bolt to the Colonial Athletic Association to replace American (off to the Patriot League in 2001-02) in the next two years. Why? The Blue Hens host the America East tournament for two more seasons. But don't be surprised when that deal is done if the Blue Hens revisit the CAA or Atlantic 10. Furman may be a better fit for the CAA for now.
Meanwhile, Delaware is hoping to get a home game in the Preseason NIT but doesn't want Duke. Who would Mike Brey rather play? Temple. Brey may be the only coach outside of Gonzaga's Mark Few (in the Great Eight last December) who requested Temple in a tournament format.
"It's a bus ride, and look at the alternative," Brey said of going to Cameron Indoor Stadium to face his former mentor Mike Krzyzewski and the potential No. 1 Blue Devils.
Weekly chatter
Pepperdine hasn't tried to recruit over point guard Derrick Anderson, who is recovering in a Los Angeles hospital after a drive-by shooting. The Waves are still hoping and praying that Anderson recovers and are holding his scholarship with the intent that he will be in the lineup next season. Anderson sat out last season after transferring from Nevada.
The BCA tournament lost Oklahoma and is now probably shifting its base to Wake Forest on Nov. 16-17. The tournament still needs three teams. The NIT expected to meet with NCAA legal counsel May 2 to go over the legality of the rules concerning exempted events.
Ball State is the last of the high-profile mid-major jobs to be filled. Marquette assistant Tim Buckley, Wisconsin assistant Shawn Hood, Ohio State assistant Paul Biancardi, Kentucky assistant Shawn Finney, Michigan State assistant Stan Heath and former Ball State assistant (now Houston assistant) John Fitzpatrick are in the mix. Indiana Purdue-Indianapolis head coach Ron Hunter (Miami of Ohio class of '86) is also a viable candidate. Ball State is probably the best job in the Mid-American Conference, which makes it one of the top mid-major jobs in the country.
When was the last time a player admitted to using marijuana in a release about a suspension? Caleb Gervin did when he was suspended by Louisville, along with Quintin Bailey. Gervin didn't play last season and Bailey was a reserve. These cases are not related to the suspensions from the past season, even though a wire story implied they had a tie to the NCAA amateurism suspensions in 1999-2000.
Now that Michael Redd is gone from Ohio State, expect Providence transfer Sean Connolly to get plenty of time at shooting guard. The Buckeyes also will lean heavily on Brian Brown, Brent Darby and Boban Savovic to replace Redd and Scoonie Penn in the backcourt.
Florida won't replace Mike Miller or Donnell Harvey this late in the spring signing period. The Gators will go with the 10
scholarship players already on the roster. Meanwhile, guard Teddy Dupay still has his left arm (non-shooting) in a sling after shoulder surgery.
Senque Carey left Washington, but he doesn't have a destination. The Huskies best scoring guard hasn't given the staff a list of schools to send a release to yet. Carey said he wanted to be closer to home but told coach Bob Bender he would take any school in California, not just schools in the Bay Area. He can't transfer to a Pac-10 school or else he would have to sit out another year.
Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com. | |
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