The Fan

Last week, I found myself leafing through the newspaper, quickly bypassing any article having to do with the New York Rangers. Luckily, my eyes caught the inch high letters of an advertisement that proclaimed "MARYAND vs. WILDCATS Tonight!!!" This was referring to the NCAA Division I Pre-Season NIT, to be held at Madison Square Garden. As I happen to be a fan of the Maryland Terrapins, I couldn’t stop myself from hopping on the A train and heading to midtown to cheer on my team.

In the first half of the game, the Maryland defense simply did not play and Kentucky led by 13 points at the half. The Terps stormed back quickly as the second half began and they tied the game with six and a half minutes to play. The score remained close for the duration of the contest. With two seconds left on the clock, Maryland guard Juan Dixon fired up a three-pointer that would have tied the game had it not ricocheted off the rim with a resounding clang. Despite the loss, I left as a proud fan, having watched the Terps give a tremendous effort against a Kentucky team that was ranked 11th in the nation. The play of Terrance Morris, a Maryland guard and an All-American candidate fell nothing short of spectacular. Morris, a sophomore, is a favorite of Terrapin fans. Unfortunately, after this season, Morris will follow the paths of others before him and will enter the NBA well before he is scheduled to graduate.

For many years now, players have been forgoing their senior year of college in order to enter the NBA draft. Players have even gone to the pros directly from high school. From the player’s point of view this practice is more than understandable. They are by no means wealthy and the prospect of making millions of dollars before they turn twenty is a no-brainer. Let’s imagine that the New York Times wrote me a letter saying: "Jeremy, we really want you to cover sports for our paper, we’ll start you at $40,000 a year." Would I even consider telling them that sorry, but I still have two bibles and a gym to complete first? Not a chance. The fault must then lie on the NBA. The National Football League has a rule stating that before a player can be drafted, he must have completed his junior year of college. The NBA has no such rule and as a result, anyone with enough skill can play professional ball, despite having never seen the inside of a college classroom.

This early entry creates a number of problems. First, fans of college basketball are cheated as their favorite players leave when they develop enough talent. Take Maryland as an example. Last season, the Terrapins were one game away from playing in the Final Four for the first time in school history. One major reason for their success was guard Steve Francis. Originally, Francis expressed interest in returning to the Terps the following year. Soon after Maryland’s season ended, however, Francis changed his mind and left college early to enter the draft. Had he remained for an additional season, Maryland would no doubt be one of the country’s top ranked teams.

The second and more important problem these players are creating is that they are setting a terrible example for children. Why should a fourteen-year-old, who is a talented basketball player go to school when he can play ball all day? Hey, he does not have to worry about college or even high school! Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers entered the NBA without worrying about entrance exams, fulfilling requirements, or going to a single class! Children must learn that an education is essential. They cannot do this on their own. The NBA must not accept players who are uneducated. Millions of young fans passionately follow these players and are unknowingly led in the wrong direction.