Loss of Scholarship

It looks like an almost certainty that OSU Hoops will lose a scholarship due to not meeting the required "Academic Progress Rate" score.  Essentially, Greg Oden piped the program by leaving early and not finishing up his classes last year.  If Koufos decides to jet too, the situation won't get any better.

While it's nice to get top level players, these "one and dones" could be doing long-term damage to the program.  I really hope the NBA pushes through the proposed change and requires players to be 2 years removed from high school to be draft eligible.

I honestly think the high school players shouldn't have to go to college for one year because its America and they should be able to do whatever they want even if its not the best thing for the individual.  Its a free country!

And what the heck is the "Academic Progress Rate" score?  And why would they lose a scholarship because of it?  Is it some kind of violation or something?

Academic Progress Rate is a measuring stick implemented by the NCAA to track academic performance for athletic programs.  Basically, they have established a scoring system and if you don't meet certain scoring requirements you get penalized (i.e. loss of scholarships).

As for saying that this a free country, you are correct.  But that doesn't give kids the right to play in the NBA straight out of high school.  All employers, including professional sports leagues, have the right to establish minimum standards for candidates to qualify for employment.  Just like a factory can require a high school diploma, an insurance company can require a college degree, etc.

Too many people have trouble understanding what their "rights" are in this country...

Link please?  to justify what you're posting. 

Why does he need a link? What he is saying is common sense.

Doesn't a doctor have to go to med school and pass an exam to practice? Ditto for a lawyer. That is because that is the standards the AMA and ABA have set? Are you some how suggesting that is wrong.

The NBA is a business just like medicine or practicing law or working as an electrician. The employer has a right to set certain standards for the individual to meet before they are hired. If you don't think so I wish you luck going to that doctor of yours who has no med liscence . Good luck on that wiring job your unliscensed electrician does on your house.

Having said that I freely admit that it is open to debate whether the NBA requiring 1 or 2 years in college is legitimate or not. ( But the courts have backed up the NBA and the NFL on that issue). But their is no debate that every employer has a right to set standards for employment.

You make a good point, but what about the armed forces?

There are armed forces recruiting people in almost every high school. They want you to say you are going to join, even before you get out of high school. And just like basketball, there is a high school Army level, ROTC.

Why should these kids be denied by the NBA but accepted by the USMC? It's okay to learn how to kill and put your LIFE on the line, but it's not okay to let them learn the Triangle and the high pick n' roll?

And I know what you're thinking, its a bad investement, bad for business, blah blah blah. Just as many players out of college fail as do high school players. Sure Tim Duncan is great, went to college and is a great player. But for every Time Duncan, there's a Kevin Garnett. For every D'Wayne Wade theres a kobe bryant. For every.... wait, i cant think of any more. MOST of the top players in the L are straight out of high school. The top players out of college would get their asses tore up in a game made of players out of high school.

The one year ban on high school students who want to join the NBA is ignorant. If a grown man, and 18 is legally "grown", then he should be allowed to make money - as long as it's legal.

No, that first statement is ignorant.  In 2006, a team made up of players straight out of high school would have included Oden, Conley, Durant, etc and even after watching how they played their one year in college, I would still put my money on the team of college players.  Any other year and the game wouldn't even draw enough interest to make it worth watching.

I don't have a problem with the NBA exercising it's right to determine who they hire.  99% of the time, the kids coming out of HS have no business in the NBA anyways.  They may have the talent, but they just don't have the physical developent to match up with the 22-30 year old athletes in the League.  The NBA isn't doing it for the kids' good though - or for the NCAA.  They want college to serve as the free developmental league they were used to for 50 years.  The NBA GMs like to get a kid who has spent time in a college weight room and conditioning program so they don't have to kill 2 years of multi-million dollar salary hoping he will work out.

If the side benefit of the NBA protecting itself from itself is that these kids have to spend a year or two in college, I think that's a win-win situation for everyone.  The only problem I have is the NCAA penalizing programs that recruit the best players and then lose them early.  I don't really see what the schools can do - it is almost impossible to make the kids finish their classes once they declare early, so they never end up in the "on track to graduation" column.  It is a pipe dream for the NCAA to expect otherwise.

The only thing the college team could boast about would be their point guard.

It's stupid that these kids can put their life on the line in the Army, but cant play basketball to feed their family.

I was thinking of mentioning it. The NFL contains alot bigger players, who have had a few years to work out and become tougher. I would hate to A 300 pould linebacker take out an 18 year old running back fresh out of high school . That could actually be DEADLY.

Basketball has a big difference, there is less contact. Remember when Shaq and Andrew Bynum got into it (during shaq's first year with the heat)? that would be the worst case scenario in the NBA.

I agree, too many 18-19 year olds would probably have their careers ended early because of the size of some of those NFL players. 

The problem with the NBA is this, for every one who succeeds there are 3 or 4 guys who enter the draft and don't get drafted.  They then have no eligibility, and leave to play overseas or end up in the developmental league and never recover. 

OK, I found my own link.  Looks like there might be an issue and then again, there might not be, if the NCAA agrees that the OSU plan to get back on track is acceptable.   While Oden contributed to the problem, Koufos may not, if he finished out the quarter.  However, Oden isn't solely to blame either.  Other players who've transferred and left in previous years (going back to guys like Nick Dials and Sylvester Mayes) have also contributed to the problem. 

I'll still take Oden and KK.  When Mullens does the same thing next year, it'll happen again.  But what are you going to do?  Tell him to go to another school?   You'd have to be an idiot to do so. 

here's a link to an article about this. 

http://www.columbusdispatch.com/live/content/sports/stories/200
8/04/09/osu_men09.ART_ART_04-09-08_C1_MH9SH3I.html?sid=101