To Earn or to Learn: Undergraduates Continue to Dominate in NBA Draft

They are youngsters with a wait problem exemplified by the first 16 selections this year. The NBA draft has become a soap opera that could be called "The Young and the Restless." Even excluding juniors, more than three times as many underclassmen (college sophomores and freshmen plus high school graduates) were chosen in the first and second rounds over the last 13 years in the 21st Century as there were covering the first 29 years of early-entry candidates from 1971 through 1999.

Jeers to those so-called experts for second-guessing the majority of college players with eligibility remaining who declare for the NBA draft. Far too many observers must digest pablum that the time isn't right for most of the undergraduates because they still need to mature. Do skeptics genuinely believe that these younger athletes need additional seasoning that can be gained only in college? Of course, it's a difficult adjustment from amateur hoops to the pros, but it would be that way even if a player had six or more years of college eligibility.

Before accepting the party line from self-serving administrators that undergraduates are making monumental mistakes, remember that the majority of the premier players in the NBA left college early. More than half of the All-NBA first- and second-team selections since the 1979-80 season departed school with eligibility remaining, including all five first-teamers in 1988-89 (Charles Barkley, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Karl Malone and Hakeem Olajuwon). The 12-man roster and three alternates for the 2012 U.S. Olympic squad all were undergraduate selections in the NBA draft.

Moreover, it is not exactly a dollars-over-diplomas issue. There is little doubt that some mercenaries weren't interested in academic pursuits. Why should they take up precious space in a classroom? The bottom line: Elite players down the line faced with deciding between forgoing college or playing for pay should see both sides of the issue, not just the superficial assessments of pious commentators and pro executives.

Some were ready and some were not. The selection of Anthony Davis as #1 overall was a no-brainer but the pick of Kentucky teammate Michael Kidd-Gilchrist as #2 is debatable. We'll see if MJ's choice of Kidd-Gilchrist for Charlotte continues his string of executive decisions that have been as dreadful as he was dynamic as a player. Remember: Jordan already is credited with the worst #1 pick overall among undergrads when the Washington Wizards tabbed high schooler Kwame Brown in 2001. Following are year-by-year alphabetical lists of the undergraduate draftees who "cut class" and were high selections by the NBA or ABA:

1971

NOTES: The "hardship cases" were selected in a supplementary draft and the franchises that chose them had to surrender their corresponding pick in the regular draft of college seniors. . . . Mickey Davis, who left Duquesne after his junior season, was selected by Denver in ABA special circumstances draft. His rights were traded to Pittsburgh. . . . Johnny Neumann, the nation's leading scorer, left Ole Miss after his sophomore season to sign with the ABA's Memphis Pros.

1972

NOTE: Jim Chones departed Marquette late in his junior season and was selected by the New York Nets in the ABA draft.

1973

NOTES: Mel Davis missed his senior season for St. John's because of a knee injury. He was selected by the New York Knicks in the first round. . . . George Gervin, who left Eastern Michigan after his sophomore season (1971- 72), played with Pontiac in the CBA in 1972-73 before being selected by the Virginia Squires in first round of the ABA special circumstances draft. . . . Forward Bruce Seals, who left Xavier (La.) after his sophomore season, was selected by the Utah Stars in the first round of ABA undergraduate draft. . . . Forward Jim Bradley, who left Northern Illinois after his junior season due to NCAA sanctions and academic problems, was selected by San Diego in the second round of ABA undergraduate draft. . . . . Center Roy Ebron signed with the ABA's Utah Stars after leaving Southwestern Louisiana following his junior season when the NCAA gave "the death penalty" to USL's program.

1974

NOTES: Forward Gus Gerard, who left Virginia after his junior season, was selected by the Carolina Cougars in the second round of ABA draft. The franchise transferred to St. Louis. . . . Center Moses Malone went straight from Petersburg (Va.) High School to the ABA (third-round pick of the Utah Stars). . . . Center David Vaughn Jr., who left UNLV after his redshirt season (1973-74) following a transfer from Oral Roberts, signed with the ABA's Virginia Squires in August 1974. He played for the 1971-72 Oral Roberts freshman team and 1972-73 ORU varsity. . . . Henry Williams, who had been selected by New York in the first round of the 1973 ABA undergraduate draft, signed with the ABA's Utah franchise in November after leaving Jacksonville following his junior season.

1975

*Boswell transferred to South Carolina from South Carolina State and Pace transferred to Coppin State from Maryland-Eastern Shore. NOTE: Pittsburgh's Mel Bennett and Minnesota's Mark Olberding left college after their freshman seasons and were selected in the first round of the ABA draft by the Virginia Squires and San Antonio Spurs, respectively.

1976

1977

1978

1979

1980

1981

1982

1983

1984

1985

1986

1987

1988

1989

*Kemp attended Kentucky in the fall of 1988 before dropping out of school because of off-the-court problems. He attended but did not play in junior college.

1990

1991

*Roberts played in Spain after his sophomore season in 1989-90.

1992

1993

1994

*Hancock had transferred to Indiana State but dropped out of school before the season to play professionally in France.

1995

*Garnett attended high school in South Carolina before moving to Chicago for his senior season.

1996

1997

NOTE: Bruton had signed a letter-of-intent with Iowa State.

1998

1999

NOTES: Glover sat out the 1998-99 season as a medical redshirt (knee surgery). . . . Junior college recruit Radojevic had signed a letter-of-intent with Ohio State.

2000

*Stevenson gave an oral commitment to Kansas but opted to turn pro after his eligibility was questioned because of a dramatic increase in his SAT score.

2001

NOTE: Community college recruit Kendrick Brown had signed a letter-of-intent with Louisiana State.

2002

NOTE: Junior college recruit Woods had signed a letter-of-intent with Memphis.

2003

*Perkins originally committed to Memphis before opting instead to make jump to the pros.

2004

2005

*Ellis committed to Mississippi State before choosing to turn pro.

2006

2007

2008

2009

NOTE: Jennings signed with Arizona but chose to play one year overseas in Italy. . . . Beverley played two college seasons before he was suspended for academic reasons and played one year overseas in the Ukraine.

2010

2011

2012

ABA EARLY BIRDS: Averitt, Bennett, Burden, Chones, Mickey Davis, Gerard, Haywood, Kenon, Lucas, Malone, Olberding, Seals, Taylor, Fly Williams and Williamson began their pro careers in the American Basketball Association. . . . Ralph Simpson left Michigan State after his sophomore season (1969-70) and signed with the ABA's Denver franchise in March although it wasn't announced until June. Denver was fined $10,000 for not first informing league and ordered to forfeit a first-round pick in the next draft. . . . Elvin Ivory left Southwestern Louisiana after his sophomore season (1967-68) and was signed by the ABA's Los Angeles franchise prior to the next campaign.