One year of college good for those basketball prodigies

Daily Herald reaction

One and done.

It's the newest fad in college basketball these days among the sport's elite. The superstar freshmen of this season -- Kansas State's Michael Beasley, Memphis' Derrick Rose and USC's O.J. Mayo -- will all likely declare they are headed to the NBA in the coming weeks.

We all remember how it was just a few years ago: These players simply went from high school to the pros. Now the NBA says its players must be at least 19, which forces players to attend college for one year.

Three times in the last couple of weeks, Chicago-area columnists have stated their disdain for this type of rental policy.

But I'm not with them.

There's something to be said for making kids spend the first year away from their families in college instead of releasing them to the NBA lifestyle. If that first year is spent in the super-bling world of pro sports, many just-out-of-high-school athletes can't handle it.

But that's not the only reason this rule makes sense. If these young players go directly to the NBA, the opportunities for them to learn the game of basketball at such an advanced level are few and far between.

There are exceptions, of course, such as Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. But for the most part, 18-year-olds benefit greatly from one year under the tutelage of college coaches. With less pressure and a less hectic schedule, the Beasleys, Mayos and Roses are better prepared once they enter the NBA.

Kids may complain about having to wait one year to earn their millions, but the NBA is actually worth watching again. Instead of the nightly 82-66 finals, we are seeing more and more of the 126-120 or 134-127 games. Some of this stems from the fact that defenders can barely touch anybody anymore, but let's not discount the possibility that the NBA's 19 rule has meant a better-prepared athlete is entering the league.

Here's the bottom line: I'll bet if you ask these players if it was worth it to play one season in college, most will say yes. Maybe not next year, in five years or even in 10. But when they're 40, 45 or 50, they'll see what it did for them and their games.

They'll remember how much fun they had and how much they learned, even if it was just for one year.

And who knows?

Some may even admit they would have stayed for another year or two.