Jump Ball: Should the one-and-done rule be eliminated?
Jump Ball is a series in which theScore's college basketball editors debate topics from around the game.
In many cases, the best high school ballers in the nation don't want to go to school. For the majority of them, it's a formality to go to college for one year, get drafted and never look back. But what if that rule never existed? What would happen to guys like Andrew Wiggins or Jabari Parker?
Do we need the one-and-done rule?
Isaac Owusu: The rule that prohibits basketball prospects in the United States from going to the NBA without being one year removed from high school should be done away with. It's not fair that players have to be exploited for their free services (unless they choose to play a year professionally in Europe), just for the sake of helping college programs.
George Halim: It's a twofold argument. From an athletic standpoint, there are many basketball players who come out of high school and are physically ready for the NBA. That being said, their mental capacity is pushed to the limit, teetering with a spot they've never encountered: failure. How are they supposed to deal with that as teenagers on such a grand stage?
Owusu: That concern is legitimate, but it's very doubtful that it's the main concern of the NBA or NCAA in keeping these players from pursuing a career. It's barely democratic to tell a person they don't have the right to attempt a career as a professional basketball player unless they go through the rules set up by these monopolies. It's especially so when we know the NCAA is taking advantage of these free laborers.
Halim: Think about baseball, for example. The No. 1 overall pick in the Major League Baseball draft will not make it to the show right out of the gate, even if they believe they can. They're sent to the minors in order to gain maturity, to grow as a player and as a person. The NBA doesn't offer such a luxury. The player will either make or break himself in the NBA and although a select few will thrive, the vast majority will collapse under the pressure.
Owusu: That's fair in any field. Some individuals would prefer to gain all the recommended training before diving right into a profession and others want to get involved and learn on the fly. The issue is the NBA denying players the right to choose their own way of going about it. Just like teams shouldn't be forced to take players who opt to skip college, players shouldn't be forced to go especially if there's an opportunity to earn cash - as much or as little - for their services.
Halim: The cash will come as they become better players in the long-run. If the issue is money, we're throwing pressure on them to perform for the sake of money as high schoolers who are still in a juvenile stage in their lives. Not to mention, if the one-and-done rule was abolished, it would negate any credibility for college hoops. The best players wouldn't be present, hence the talent level of the sport goes down. If they're great, the NBA will come calling, anyway, so might as well learn some basic skills against top-notch opponents. If they don't succeed in college, they'll elect to come back and then declare a year later.