From ESPN.com: Five-star forward Isaiah Todd has decommitted from Michigan basketball and will look to play professionally next season, his mother told ESPN on Tuesday. Todd, a 6 foot 9 power forward from Virginia who attended Word of God Christian Academy in Raleigh, North Carolina is ranked No. 13 in the ESPN 100 for the 2020 class…and was the centerpiece of a top-five recruiting class for Michigan. Todd is the latest to join a growing trend of high school stars skipping college and choosing to play overseas for a year before heading to the NBA. RJ Hampton and LaMelo Ball went to Australia from the 2019 class, and 2020 prospects Makur Maker, MarJon Beauchamp, and Kenyon Martin Jr. are all expected to skip college next season.

Well that sucks for Michigan. The centerpiece and highest rated recruit in their upcoming class is gone. But not only that, there may have been another highly rated recruit considering Michigan that decided to go to another school after Todd took up a scholarship from the Wolverines. Now at this point in the game, they’re most likely just stuck with what they have. This “growing trend” is yet another reason to just let high school basketball players go straight to the NBA already!

Ever since 2004 or 2005, whenever the new rule forced high school players to play in college for at least a year before going to the NBA, it has been an absolute mess. First, and most obvious, it has brought on the infamous “one-and-done” player which has turned a lot of people against college basketball to begin with. Sure, it can be exciting watching some of those players play throughout the course of the season, but then they are gone just like that. You don’t get to watch them grow as players, as part of the program, as part of team rivalries, etc. They almost don’t even feel like part of the program. When you know beforehand that a player will only play one year before they even put on a college jersey, it feels like a rental player and that’s not what college basketball fans want. And it’s not what the one-and-done players want.

Not to mention the one-and-done style of player makes a complete mockery of what college is all about in the first place, which is academics. A lot of those players 100% know they will only be in school for one year before making big money in the NBA, so why should they focus on classwork? Why should they put in the effort that most other college athletes whose future doesn’t revolve around playing professionally have to put in their classwork? There’s no incentive when they know they have big money on the table either way in one quick year.

And now we’re beginning to see a new trend take place. High school players (top players) deciding to skip college and go overseas to play professionally for a year before being NBA draft-eligible. They see an opportunity to make money right away WITHOUT having to step into a classroom. For them, it’s a win-win. But I can guarantee you that these players don’t want to have to go overseas to do this. They just see it as a better alternative to going to college. And that’s fine, because college isn’t for everyone. I understand that and everyone else should too. So then, why is the NBA forcing one year of college (as opposed to playing overseas) before playing in the NBA?

The fact is, some players are NBA-ready coming out of high school. We’ve seen it plenty in years prior to the one-and-done years. A lot of these guys could go straight to the NBA and make an impact right away. Then they wouldn’t waste their time by taking up a scholarship spot, someone else’s opportunity to take up a scholarship spot, and the NBA and NCAA Basketball would both be better off for it. College basketball rivalries would become richer and more memorable like they used to be when you have the same players going at it for multiple years. The more seasons a player stays in school, the more they become engrained in the program, and the more fans become attached to them. That’s what always made college athletics so special. Now that that aspect is gone, the entire landscape of college basketball has changed for the worse. If Isaiah Todd, as well as all the others, think they are good enough for the NBA right now, then let them have a shot. Some will make it and some won’t. But that’s the name of the game and it should be their decision.

Garett

Just Let High School Basketball Players Go Straight to the NBA Already!