Whoever says prospects get better in school isn't watching the playoffs

If you read me regularly you know I'm an advocate of projected lottery picks taking guaranteed NBA money at the first available opportunity sans rare circumstances. I've honestly never understood how anybody could disagree, how it can be a "mistake" for a young person to make more money in a two-year span than most Americans -- college graduates, even -- will earn in 20 or 30 years.

And stop with the get-better-in-school argument.

It's mostly silly.

LeBron didn't spend a day in college, yet led the NBA in scoring this past season. (AP)

There are people who love to tell you how prospects can improve by playing another year in college, or even all four years in college. It's true, in some respect. But that theory ignores the alternative, that there are plenty of examples of players who improved once they were in the NBA and that there's no tangible evidence backing the claim that honing your skills in college is actually better than doing it in the NBA (even if it's on an NBA bench).

You don't think Gilbert Arenas got better after he entered the NBA?

What about Jermaine O'Neal's improvement as he sat and watched?

Did going to the NBA too early stunt their growth?

Of course, it didn't, but that's not the point.

The point is that out of curiosity I took a look at the 16 teams competing in these NBA Playoffs and tried to see if there is a correlation between college experience and the success of individuals and the franchises they lead. What I learned is that it doesn't seem to be a factor at all considering that heading into Friday night's action eight of the 16 teams have leading scorers in these playoffs who never spent a minute in college.

Did you get that?

Dwight Howard (Magic), LeBron James (Cavaliers), Tracy McGrady (Rockets), Amare Stoudemire (Suns), Dirk Nowitzki (Mavericks), Manu Ginobli (Spurs), Kobe Bryant (Lakers) and Kevin Garnett all entered the NBA without college experience, which should tell you everything you need to know about the legitimacy of the age limit and how it's embarrassingly dishonest for the NBA to pretend it was somehow put in place to protect our nation's youth. Pleeease. The age limit forcing players to college is a marketing tool and nothing more, a rule designed to turn guys like Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley into recognizable stars before they enter the NBA so that a Christmas Day doubleheader can be built around them more quickly. I see the genius of it; I won't deny that. But the age limit is no more necessary for the majority of high school players with immediate/legitimate NBA aspirations than the biology class they might take in their first semester of college.

(Rant complete)

Anyway, only one of the leading scorers of the 16 playoff teams spent four years in college.

His name is Andre Miller.

He plays for the Sixers.

Beyond that there are two three-year players (Antawn Jamison of the Wizards, Deron Williams of the Jazz), four two-year players (Rasheed Wallace of the Pistons, Chris Paul of the Hornets, Allen Iverson of the Nuggets, Joe Johnson of the Hawks) and one one-year player (Chris Bosh of the Raptors), meaning the leading scorers of the 16 NBA Playoff teams spent a combined total of 19 seasons in college.

That's an average 1.2 seasons each.

And if you think college preparation is still necessary I can't do anything for you.

Truth is, I love it when great players stay in college because I love college basketball. I wish D.J. Augustin was doing another year, and wouldn't it be great if Jerryd Bayless and Donte' Greene and Darrell Arthur all came back too? Nobody would find that more enjoyable than me. But I'm also willing to admit that any desire I have to see those guys again play in the NCAA tournament is based on my personal enjoyment and not some foundationless claim that Bayless or Arthur or anyone projected as a first-round draft pick might not reach his potential if he leaves school too early or that he might noticeably benefit from another year in college.

The bottom line is that guys who are built to make it usually make it and guys who aren't usually don't.

But either way, it has very little to do with college experience.

And if you don't believe me just turn on the NBA Playoffs.

Then watch the games and see for yourself.