I'll be interested to see first of all how hurt is he? And then will he come back this year even if he gets to 100% prior to the dance. People over react to this stuff and I'm sure it'll be all the rage for the media today/foreseeable future. He seems like the type of kid to play if he can. But once those 'outside' voices get in his ear ya never know if/when it may flip a switch. I can't see a minor knee injury affecting his draft status or 'earning potential' but a major one might just depending..
Zion
- Thread starter Hawkfnntn
- Start date
Fryowa
Administrator
He’s only got a month of college basketball left in his entire career. Why mess around and potentially aggravate it?
People seem to be forgetting that he’s a one-and-done with no dog in the fight when it comes to NCAA basketball. For him college ball is basically a “summer camp” vacation while he waits for his year to get over with.
InGoodCo
Well-Known Member
I am with @Fryowa - why risk it? I doubt we see him again @Duke unless the injury turns out to be less than expected. I'm kind of excited to see it. Right now, CFB is going through the same thing - with players sitting out to avoid risk of injury and not playing in bowl games. There was players sitting out New York Six games. I think that's part of the reason they expand to 8 sooner than later. But now, this is going to start happening in hoops too - which hopefully will force them to just abolish the 1 and done rule.
MelroseHawkins
Well-Known Member
On a side note, great advertising for Nike.
I heard there were people paying $2,600 a ticket to that game (on average) to see him, NC and Duke play. He then goes down virtually when the game starts. Oooops!
I heard there were people paying $2,600 a ticket to that game (on average) to see him, NC and Duke play. He then goes down virtually when the game starts. Oooops!
JG10Hawk
Well-Known Member
Playing this year propelled him to arguably the top pick. Nobody had him being drafted in the top spot before the season started. "Experts" were unsure if his game would translate well enough to the college game yet alone to the NBA at the time. Well that's been answered with what he's done this year.
That said, IMO if he isn't absolutely 100% good to go the smart move would probably be to shut it down. If he's a competitor that doesn't care if he potentially hurts his current financial forecast and would rather live with the memories of taking a team to the final four or winning a title, that's up to him. The choice is his.
That said, IMO if he isn't absolutely 100% good to go the smart move would probably be to shut it down. If he's a competitor that doesn't care if he potentially hurts his current financial forecast and would rather live with the memories of taking a team to the final four or winning a title, that's up to him. The choice is his.
For guys like Cousins, college basketball is bullshit and he shouldn't be required to go.
But for most players, college basketball is a great opportunity for free education, get great health care while playing, and to develop skills that could land them in an overseas league or a possible NBA role job.
College basketball helps a lot more kids that it holds back but ones it does hold back have the largest and loudest stage to speak out against it.
mopkins
King Kong
People also forget that he wouldnt even be a college player if he wasn't forced to be.
he has nothing to prove, he's a lock as the number 1 overall pick. He needs to end the farce.
PS - did anyone else see Coach K shake Roy Toys hand after the game? Hilarious
I don't think anyone is forgetting that he's a one and done... That was pretty much a well established thing before he even decided on which school he was picking.
The only reason to stay would be for the 'fun' of it. I don't think he'll 'learn' all that much or improve his game all that much either in the next month or so. The smart thing to do for him would be to shut it down. But we'll see.
homes
Well-Known Member
I'm in favor of these guys going straight out of high school to the pros. Why not? I like watching them play college basketball, but I wouldn't stop watching college basketball if it happens. The only impact on Iowa if that happens is that guys who are 4 year players, like Iowa recruits, might end up going to schools that previously had the 1 year guys, so Iowa could miss out on guys who might otherwise end up at Iowa. Otherwise, Iowa doesn't get these guys anyway.
mopkins
King Kong
Yeah it just all depends on the shoes your in... But that said it's not like you HAVE to go to college either. They can go over seas. Play in the G league, or hell take a year off. Point being you do not have to play college basketball unless you want to. It's still America.
If Zion didn't play a second of ball at Duke this year and just took the year off all together would he still be drafted pretty high next yr? I would bet so. Say he just joined the Globetrotters for the year and traveled all over doing that. Here's getting side tracked but if any of you have ever recently seen the Globetrotters do their thing it's pretty dang awesome. If I were that age again and good enough I couldn't think of a more fun thing to be doing. Plus getting paid anything for it would be just the cherry on top. Those guys are traveling all over the world putting smiles on kids faces playing basketball.
tweeterhawk
Well-Known Member
Some workers in China gonna go hungry.
Or be even hungrier.
https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/nike-...-star-zion-williamsons-shoe/story?id=61205633
You're absolutely right. Nobody should have to play college basketball. And unlike the 1970s & 1980s when college basketball was in its prime, some overseas leagues and the G League are higher quality basketball than NCAA basketball. There are better options for kids than college basketball in order to get ready for the NBA these days.
However the NCAA offers advantages outside of just the basketball part that are very valuable, particularly to kids who are marginal NBA prospects and are smart enough to realize that.
eyekwah
Well-Known Member
The NBA should adopt the MLB minor league system. Let's not deceive ourselves, a fair share of the college players are using college a stepping stone to a pro basketball career at any level. I think colleges are just as guilty of using the athlete as the athlete using the college. It is basically a quid pro quo arrangement. Wink, Wink. The college sport program is an enticement to potential students.
The NBA should pick out 10 to 16 Juco's to become there farm system. They draft from the high schools and pay the athlete to play ball at the juco. The athlete can take some classes if he wishes. Learning about electricity rather than Socrates might be better in the long term.
The NBA should pick out 10 to 16 Juco's to become there farm system. They draft from the high schools and pay the athlete to play ball at the juco. The athlete can take some classes if he wishes. Learning about electricity rather than Socrates might be better in the long term.
JG10Hawk
Well-Known Member
Or just go with the MLB system and let players get drafted out of high school. If they don't sign, let them go to college. Whether they go with the same rules for when players are eligible again or not doesn't matter to me, either way would be a step in the right direction IMO.
Yup you said it. College is great for way more kids than it's 'bad' for. That's a small group of kids every year. Yet the media makes the biggest deal over them. Because for the top 10 kids or so every year that the NCAA is 'taking advantage of' (and they most certainly are) there's thousands of others that are taking full advantage of all the other things they can get from it be it education, networking you name it.
oregonhawkeye
Well-Known Member
Who is this Zion? I’m on ESPN.com all the time and never heard any mention of him over the last three months.
