Oden and Conley: Pro

They say that for every right there is a wrong, for every pro a con, so that must be reciprocated... right? Right! Although Oden and Conley were only in the NCAA long enough to give us a simple glimpse of what could have been, there was definitely a positive side to Oden going to college... for Conley. Let's face it. Oden was already the number one overall pick before he even set foot on the court for the Buckeyes. Conley, on the other hand, would have been a mid-second round pick at best had he bypassed Ohio State for the NBA.

Conley's year at Ohio St., with Oden's ever-lingering presence being known, helped him show off his quickness and passing ability. With a dominate big man in the post, although he wasn't much of a scorer, there was much less attention being payed to Conley and the rest of the team than there would have been otherwise. When you have a beast like Oden in the paint, that frees up the entire team. Jump-shooters will have more room to fire, point guards will have more room to penetrate and kick out, and a simple pump-fake while your man runs at you from Oden can send the defender into the stands. Conley broke the freshman Big Ten record for assists per game and assists in a season because of Oden's presence. This greatly raised Conley's stock, draft pick chosen, and his pay. What else could a guy ask for?

Oden and Conley: Con

In this post, I will raise my first argument AGAINST the rule that forces basketball players to participate in at least one year of collegiate basketball. The rule has only been in effect for one season thus far. There were many players that would have gone pro that did not get the chance to do that. Instead, they were shipped off to college where THEY KNEW as well as we did, that they were one and done.
Obviously Oden was going to leave Ohio State after his freshman year. He was the best big man in the NCAA last year defensively and held his own on the offensive end. Part of my problem here is that everyone knew Oden was going pro as soon as possible by the time he was 15. I don't know anyone that actually believed he was going to stay at Ohio State for his sophomore season. The only thing that Oden did for himself in the NCAA was exactly what everyone thought he would do... lead his team to the NCAA finals. His draft status did not change as a result of his only season with the Buckeyes. He didn't have a revelation and suddenly decide to stay in college to get his degree. Why force him to go there?

What this blog will be about

As many of you know, there was a rule passed a couple years ago that prevented high school basketball players from making the jump straight to pro basketball. Many parents, college coaches, and NBA employees saw this as a positive step in the transition from high school to professional basketball. I believe, however, that like any rule, it has its pros and cons. It is in no way, shape or form foolproof or perfect. Throughout the duration of this blog I will use examples from the first year of the rule being in effect as well as hypothetical situations to prove my point. I hope everyone enjoys reading this, and maybe I'll persuade a few people while I'm at it. Until next time, make sure to watch plenty of ESPN, endulge yourself in a Sports Illustrated and find your way to various sports websites.

Cam