Thread: High school basketball player skips high school to play pro

Originally Posted by fusionstorm

^^^ You make some valid points.

But BJennings only choices were to go overseas, or play juco ball. He couldn't qualify academically to play for U of A. He chose to go overseas and make about $1M with salary and endorsements, as well as get a little bit of culture. Do you think his draft stock would've stayed put if he'd gone the junior college route for a year, then entered the draft? Maybe, but probably not.

Well said, I agree, there is no predicting where he would have fallen in the draft had he gone a different route. If those were indeed his options, then by all means I think he made a wise decision. However, this kid is in high school, he doesn't have to necessarily make a significant jump yet playing against grown men. At 17 years old, he's going to develop significantly from where he is today. Oddly, Doc Gooden pitching in the World Series at 18 years old or Lebron coming into the league making an impact immediately are very, very rare cases. Think how much better guys like Sebastian Telfair or JR Smith could be had they played under a Pitino, Coach K, or Roy Williams for even a year. Hopefully, he gets a lot of reps in Israel with good coaching. Unfortunately, playing against high school talent and professional grown men are night and day. Best of luck that he doesn't get discouraged with the challenging adjustment.

what if he injure his knee, what would he do for the rest of his life?

Originally Posted by carendt242

and to reiterate what i said above - living abroad will be a HUGE education in itself - in life. i think everyone's world view would change 180 degrees if they lived a year abroad while still in HS - so fulfillment does not necessarily need to be tied to an institutionalized, and most likely poor, education.

do you really think his last year of high school would be nothing more than a dog & pony show?

i'm a big proponent of education - make no mistake - but there are different approaches to it. if you're an athlete, go for it while you can - age limits, SAT score minimums, etc - are stupid - it's all a charade. if you like to learn, you'll learn - a diploma does not make one learned.

- chuck

i agree with chuck as well, but $140K aint shit, shoulda held out for more $$$