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[QUOTE="joct, post: 256346, member: 2001"]
The NBA really caused most of this.  Back when they expanded by adding 6 teams in the late 80's, early 90's, (and only Miami and Orlando really worked out) that coincided with the gradual exodus of players from college.  This created another 6 first round picks and guaranteed contracts and 90 overall spots for players.  Webber, Kidd, and Hardaway in 93 and 94 really opened the floodgates.  Over many years, they had to take the players from somewhere, so more underclassmen went early every year.  The final blow was the rookie salary cap, which took away the incentive for where you are drafted, as you go in the 1st round.  Think back to DC -- he stayed so he could move up from a projected #13 to shoot for #1.  After all of these, 10 years later Kwame Brown goes #1 out of HS.  Now the position doesn't matter...for people like Dion, going in the 1st round is good enough.  The talent is completely diluted.
 
That of course starts a chain reaction, where by default if one is the best freshmen, by default they are one of the best draftable players.  Players would always leave when they thought they would be drafted...it is just that now anyone who is anyone in the years ahead are gone, so they rise to the top.

Given the current state, as far as the one-and-done rule, that again is the work of the NBA having to put in rules to save themselves.  They said 18 year olds weren't ready, and they didn't want their scouts having to worry about going into high schools.  How about this -- no one is forcing you to draft a kid you don't think is ready!
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