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Message: [QUOTE="Flacusian, post: 1025257, member: 264"] To me it seems pretty simple. Pretty much any kid who plays college basketball dreams of or has their sights set on playing in the NBA. Essentially they are FORCED into playing one year of NCAA basketball (isn't that a great way for the NCAA to initiate a relationship with a kid). They are supposedly then provided with a free college education, room and board and some national exposure through playing on their college team (most kids who aspire to play in the NBA could care less about getting a free college education... most of them view class time as a distraction from basketball and more than half are not what you would consider "students" who are in pursuit of higher learning) They want to showcase themselves so as to draw attention of NBA scouts with the purpose of landing in the NBA and are oftentimes asked to play roles on their team that are antithetical to them attempting to showboat their "wares". They also have to notice the incredible amount of revenue which is generated by NCAA basketball yet they are not even entitled to make so much as one penny off any likeness of themselves and are strictly forbidden to enjoy any financial gain which is resultant from their talent and notoriety as an athlete. Why would anyone expect them to do anything other than jumping at the opportunity to get a chance to be drafted by a team in the NBA? Although they may not be scholars you don't have to have a genius IQ to know that the best time to capitalize on the opportunity to become a millionaire is "RIGHT NOW" regardless if there are some detractors who may say you aren't ready enough, or strong enough, or experienced enough, or a good enough shooter, rebounder...etc etc etc. If there are teams that are willing to offer you money based on your potential... WHY WOULD YOU TAKE ANY CHANCE for that opportunity to pass, or be diminished in any way? You would have to be stupid or nuts. If you have the chance to improve in some area... why not get paid while doing it? Let's be honest. ANYONE (with very few exceptions) who makes a case of some kid who is likely to be a lottery pick to return to school for any reason whatsoever... is harboring some self serving rationale for having that point of view. They want their team to be better next year. PERIOD. Very simple. Look, I love Syracuse basketball as much as anyone and I want to contend for a National Title every year. Both Ennis and Grant declaring for the NBA is a great opportunity for THEM and I wish them the best in their pursuit of their lifelong dream and ambition. But, truth be known, it sucks for Syracuse Basketball and I'm pissed! I want them to have great NBA careers... but not as much as I want them to pimp themselves out for CUSE basketball for at least another year so I can say that my team is better than your team on other message boards, at work, during donut hour after church and on ESPN comment sections during college basketball season and especially with UConn fans who I grew up with in Connecticut. ( I need something remotely redemptive after this years tourney.) I don't watch NBA basketball save for a few games well into the playoffs. It's not the same as the sense of loyalty and affiliation you have with your college basketball team. But I may have to reconsider my stand on it since the college game has become so screwed up both with the brevity of talented players stay on their college roster and the nature of the game itself with no scoring and absurd officiating. But in the end... Screw the NBA for ruining college basketball by catching every freakin fish in the fishing hole and not having any catch and release program either. Then when we go fishing... there's no big fish in the pond and fishing pretty much sucks. Most of the kids they lure out of college never see any significant time in the league anyhow. That is the most maddening part about it. So all this talk about what is best for the player in terms of maximizing the length of their NBA career or how much money they could make is all pretty much BS in my opinion. People here want the Cuse to be great and crush DUKE and North Carolina next year and anyone else we play for that matter. And Ennis and Grant checking out of the Carrier Dome / Melo Center is going to make that pretty iffy at best. But I'm not going to lie about my motives. I want them to stay cuz I want the best Cuse team possible. Nothing more than that. [/QUOTE]

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