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Message: [QUOTE="teamco, post: 1207862, member: 4245"] Do freshman of McCullugh's abilities even upack their bags when they get to campus, or do they just live out of their suitcase until the draft and then just zip it up and go. I think I've been around too long to ever get used to the new mercenary system of 'one and done.' Listen, I fully understand the arguments for kids, or any athlete, going after the money, but I don't have to like it. My main point is that the mercenary system born out of the 'free agency era' of sports probably has its most profound impact on Division 1 college basketball. At least in the pros players typically sign multiple year contracts so they are around for a while. In CBB, the elite talent is here and gone in one year- period. It has fundamentally and profoundly effected the game- and definitely not for the better, in my opinion. No longer do you get to see teams grow and gel over three or four years as talent comes in, plays together, and has time to knit into a high-functioning unit. And is it me or does it seem like a disproportionate number of the kids jumping to the Association after one year are suffering more severe injuries than the athlete's of previous eras. You have kids still growing, trying to play a grinding schedule against competition that is sculpted and almost cast-iron strong- what could possibly go wrong? Maybe I'm suffering from Seasonal Affect Disorder today, or perhaps I'm just an old coot being asked to handle too much change at one time- but I really do miss the old days of the Big East when kids came to school to play for three or four years. Give me an arch rival like a Patrick Ewing, or Chris Mullin to go up against for a few seasons. That's what college basketball is (was) about for me. One and done- an unsatisfying, dismal reality. Just saying. [/QUOTE]

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