Why college hoops in 2017 a weak product

[Alsacs]

2017 Mock Draft | NBADraft.net

18 of the 30 projected first round draft picks are Freshmen.
6 are Sophomores.
4 are international players
2 are Juniors.

Pro basketball is scooping up all the talent 2-3 years earlier than it used too. Players now run and are scared into taking the money while they can before the money is gone.

I don't blame the kids the NBA is flashing money in their face. I really wish the NBA would make all kids eligible for the draft after their Freshman year and let the teams keep the players rights until their Senior year. If they stayed till their Senior year they could get redrafted and force a team to decide if they want an upside Freshman or developed Senior who could help them.

These players aren't developing in college and the pros wash them out by their 2nd year if they aren't developed.

I look at the 2014 NBA draft where the Freshman would be Ssniors and laugh at how while their are a few studs in the draft all those Freshman drafted very few are really contributing in the NBA by their 3rd year.

I wish only the studs would go so early. I understand why all kids leave early and have no problem with any kid deciding to leave but the NBA is doing fine if it's draft has been a crapshoot no matter but college hoops are just losing national appeal. It's a niche sport now.

 

[jdubs30]

Honestly - it's hurting the NBA product too. NBA is drafting 19 year olds based on potential and have no idea how good they'll be in 2 years - even if they focus all their time on basketball.

Wasn't Harry Giles projected to go top 5 before the season started?

A projected lottery pick based on just potential could go in the 1st in June - but if he stayed in college it's possible he never would have improved in 2 more years and wouldn't be drafted in the 1st as a junior. That's what's hurting the NBA.

 

[Alsacs]

Honestly - it's hurting the NBA product too. NBA is drafting 19 year olds based on potential and have no idea how good they'll be in 2 years - even if they focus all their time on basketball.

Wasn't Harry Giles projected to go top 5 before the season started?

A projected lottery pick based on just potential could go in the 1st in June - but if he stayed in college it's possible he never would have improved in 2 more years and wouldn't be drafted in the 1st as a junior. That's what's hurting the NBA.

NBA has enough talent no matter what.
The draft just isn't helping weaker teams. It is about scouting. Like GS getting Curry/Klay outside the top 5 and Draymond in the 2nd round.

Teams like SA are smarter than most teams.

The draft should help bad teams get better faster. These picks are now gambles which means bad teams stay bad unless they get lucky.

I wish the players would stay a little longer so bad teams would be getting better prospects. I get why kids leave though.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Honestly - it's hurting the NBA product too. NBA is drafting 19 year olds based on potential and have no idea how good they'll be in 2 years - even if they focus all their time on basketball.

Wasn't Harry Giles projected to go top 5 before the season started?

A projected lottery pick based on just potential could go in the 1st in June - but if he stayed in college it's possible he never would have improved in 2 more years and wouldn't be drafted in the 1st as a junior. That's what's hurting the NBA.

Yessir. Maybe these one and done kids will stop going to Duke if they realize all they are going to do is sit the bench.

 

[SWFLCUSE]

NBA has enough talent no matter what.
The draft just isn't helping weaker teams. It is about scouting. Like GS getting Curry/Klay outside the top 5 and Draymond in the 2nd round.

Teams like SA are smarter than most teams.

The draft should help bad teams get better faster. These picks are now gambles which means bad teams stay bad unless they get lucky.

I wish the players would stay a little longer so bad teams would be getting better prospects. I get why kids leave though.

Another good example would be the Denver Nuggets. They have a stud center in Nikola Jokic that they took with the 41st pick a couple years ago and Gary Harris at 19 after a draft night trade where they sent Doug McDermott to the Bulls. They also have Jamall Murray and Emanuel Mudiay who both fell to them at #7 in the last two drafts when many thought they wouldn't last past #5.

 

[NineOneSeven]

Another good example would be the Denver Nuggets. They have a stud center in Nikola Jokic that they took with the 41st pick a couple years ago and Gary Harris at 19 after a draft night trade where they sent Doug McDermott to the Bulls. They also have Jamall Murray and Emanuel Mudiay who both fell to them at #7 in the last two drafts when many thought they wouldn't last past #5.

Jokic is going to be an all star for a long time.

That cat is really, really good. He flies under the radar being in Denver, but he's unbelievably skilled.

 

[jncuse]

2017 Mock Draft | NBADraft.net

18 of the 30 projected first round draft picks are Freshmen.
6 are Sophomores.
4 are international players
2 are Juniors.

Pro basketball is scooping up all the talent 2-3 years earlier than it used too.

That trend has existed for over 10 years. If you are comparing to 2007, it was about the same thing back them. Let's also see where it ends up at draft night where it might end up around 15.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

The draft should help bad teams get better faster.

Eh, bad teams are bad for a lot of reasons, and high draft picks can't always overcome that.

I don't think people realize that there are some true boneheads running NBA teams. You see the same few teams at the bottom all of the time. There are reasons for that.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Jokic is going to be an all star for a long time.

That cat is really, really good. He flies under the radar being in Denver, but he's unbelievably skilled.

The west has great centers between Jokic, Gobert, Gasol, Jordan, the Brow/Boogie. Bit of a big man renaissance.

 

[Toga]

Short of kids at the very top of the draft, I don't get teams drafting so much on potential if it takes 2-3 years to develop (including hitting the weights). By then the kid is closing in on a new contract / team. Unless of course the kid has already flamed out by then. I guess it must make sense because teams keep doing it but I'm not getting it.

 

[SoBeCuse]

Couple of things.

- First, NBADraft.net should never be used as a resource. Those guys are dorks in some mom's basement. They aren't connected nor do they get credentials and/or attend events like Givony and Chad Ford do.

- Second, I think there are lots of good teams in college basketball. Certainly no real powerhouse but I think that's ok. I really enjoy watching teams like UNC, Villanova, and a few of those west coast teams play. Yes, the bubble is pretty weak but it should make for a great Tournament.

- I have a feeling that a bunch of those names on that list are going to stick around another year. I certainly hope so. The quality of play will be even better and we'll be able to identify with certain teams/programs and their players easier since it won't be practically brand new rosters.

 

[SWFLCUSE]

Jokic is going to be an all star for a long time.

That cat is really, really good. He flies under the radar being in Denver, but he's unbelievably skilled.

I'm a Nuggets fan so I may be biased but his passing ability is on another level especially for a big. He doesn't do anything flashy, but at the end of the game when you look at the box score he normally has something like 22 pts, 12 rbs, and 7 asts. There is a lot of good young talent in Denver and they may be able to climb a bit in the tough west over the next couple of years with Jokic and Murray leading the way.

 

[SWFLCUSE]

The west has great centers between Jokic, Gobert, Gasol, Jordan, the Brow/Boogie. Bit of a big man renaissance.

Don't forget K.A.T up in Minnesota.

 

[jncuse]

That trend has existed for over 10 years. If you are comparing to 2007, it was about the same thing back them. Let's also see where it ends up at draft night where it might end up around 15.

Decided to double check my comment. You are correct it is trending up the last few years, although there have been years in the past (2008, 2010, 2012) that have been in range with recent years.


2007 - 8
2008 - 10
2009 - 5
2010 - 10
2011 - 6
2012 - 10
2013 - 8
2014 - 11
2015 - 13
2016 - 10

The number will not end up being 18. These boards always have hard ons for freshmen and are slow to react to the soph's, junior or seniors that have moved upward. But it could well be the highest ever,

This year is a really good freshmen class. There are a few that are not producing, but this year's freshman guard class is one of the best I have ever seen

 

[Cusefan0307]

The most consistent teams the past two years are full of 4 year guys(UNC/Oregon/Nova).

 

[orangenirvana]

Something needs to change. However, change requires original, innovative thought and I don't anticipate that happening.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Don't forget K.A.T up in Minnesota.

He's not on that same level yet. I think he's a big numbers on a bad team guy right now. Brow and Boogie are too, but they've been doing it longer

 

[SoBeCuse]

The most consistent teams the past two years are full of 4 year guys(UNC/Oregon/Nova).

Yup. Or even three to four years. Throw in Louisville as well. Still, UL and UNC especially have enough talent to overcome some early entrees and/or losses and not miss a beat. Rozier, Onuaku, MHarrell, Tokoto, PJ Hairston (kicked out), Reggie Bullock, etc. All good players.

 

[jdubs30]

Couple of things.

- First, NBADraft.net should never be used as a resource. Those guys are dorks in some mom's basement. They aren't connected nor do they get credentials and/or attend events like Givony and Chad Ford do.

- Second, I think there are lots of good teams in college basketball. Certainly no real powerhouse but I think that's ok. I really enjoy watching teams like UNC, Villanova, and a few of those west coast teams play. Yes, the bubble is pretty weak but it should make for a great Tournament.

- I have a feeling that a bunch of those names on that list are going to stick around another year. I certainly hope so. The quality of play will be even better and we'll be able to identify with certain teams/programs and their players easier since it won't be practically brand new rosters.

I agree with you - and to OP's point - how many lottery picks are on UNC/Nova right now? Maybe Justin Jackson plays his way into the late lottery; maybe Tony Bradley gets there in a year or 2 - but I don't think Villanova has any lottery picks right now. Meanwhile NC State, Washington and Florida State will probably all get guys picked in the top 8 or so.

The better teams in the country (sans UK) very rarely are that way because they get kids who are lotto picks to stay for multiple years. UNC and Nova kept a solid collection of players around for a while - while FSU built a solid cast for 2 years then added Isaac to put them over the top. Josh Jackson went to Kansas - but they'd still be a top 10 team without him most likely because of their 2 upper class guards.

Dennis Smith going to Duke would have changed the landscape of CBB this year - but him going to NC State barely makes him a blip on the radar.

The upper echelon teams right now (again sans UK and I suppose you could argue UCLA) are teams with a veteran core and more often than not, not a sure fire lottery pick.

 

[orangecuse]

The most consistent teams the past two years are full of 4 year guys(UNC/Oregon/Nova).

Throw UVA in there as well. Give me a roster like that every day of the week and twice on Sundays! Having this one and/or two and dones for a program like the 'Cuse (a traditional system type) certainly is causally related to our 3rd straight year of mediocrity and .500 ACC middle of the pack record.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Give me a roster like that every day of the week and twice on Sundays! Having this one and/or two and dones for a program like the 'Cuse (a traditional system type) certainly is causally related to our 3rd straight year of mediocrity and .500 ACC middle of the pack record.

I kind of agree, but at the same time we have fans that get sick of guys when they don't produce as freshman or sophomores. People are giving Lydon a lot of flak this year and he's our most productive sophomore since Dion.

 

[orangecuse]

I kind of agree, but at the same time we have fans that get sick of guys when they don't produce as freshman or sophomores. People are giving Lydon a lot of flak this year and he's our most productive sophomore since Dion.

Yeah, imo, it's really unwarranted. I think the reason for the flak, or at least partly, is due to how people keep hearing how he's a first round pick, etc. and for a lot of fans, they're saying to themselves, really, how?

 

[SWFLCUSE]

He's not on that same level yet. I think he's a big numbers on a bad team guy right now. Brow and Boogie are too, but they've been doing it longer

We'll just have to agree to disagree on this one. He is averaging 24 and 12 for a team that is still within arm's reach of the playoffs. Plus he is putting those numbers up againsts all those other top bigs in the west.

 

[jncuse]

Something needs to change. However, change requires original, innovative thought and I don't anticipate that happening.

I don't even know that it requires original thought. I think the first change that needs to be made is that Adults on all sides stop trying to take advantage of the situation. Stop blaming the kids who are making decisions based on being in a system that uses them on all sides.

1. The NBA and the Players Association uses the age rule as a bargaining chip.

2. The NBA are happy with these kids spending a year in college for marketing reasons and have no interest in developing a college age developmental league due to these marketing reasons.

3. The NCAA treats the players like and the college environment is certainly not for all. Of course players will be looking to leave as soon as they can.

4. The NCAA refuses to give in on the amateur rules, to protect the farce of an educational system they are running.

Once the adults that are negotiating these things start to think about what is good for the 18 and 19 year old kids rather than thinking how they can profit off them, then they will be able to easily come up with something that makes a whole bunch of sense.

 

[Madbiker]

Eh, bad teams are bad for a lot of reasons, and high draft picks can't always overcome that.

I don't think people realize that there are some true boneheads running NBA teams. You see the same few teams at the bottom all of the time. There are reasons for that.

Look at the T Wolves. They have 2 overall #1 picks in Wiggins and Townes and the team still sucks. Part of the problem is they take these guys after their freshman year and their games just aren't developed enough to be stars at the NBA level. If these guys came out after 3 years in college they would be much more ready to be impact players.