Nearly missed it, but a Bob Smizik column, with which I actually agree.
If Krauser does not return, Pitt will be a significantly less talented team. It will be without the point guard who dominated play the past two seasons and without the player who was its clear leader.
That doesn’t have to be a negative.
As much as he offers, Pitt could be better off without Krauser — if not in the short term, definitely in the long term.
Without Krauser, other players will get a chance to develop — as point guards, as leaders, as players willing to take the tough shot.
Without Krauser, it’s possible freshman point guard Levance Fields will get an earlier opportunity to play and could be an immediate answer at that position. Without Krauser’s imposing presence, Pitt’s stable of wing players — Antonio Graves, Keith Benjamin, Ronald Ramon, John DeGroat and freshman Trevor Ferguson — probably will see the ball more and shoot more.
Krauser had a terrific run at Pitt and a lot of great memories. But, in the days ahead, he should be looking forward to his professional future, not reveling in his collegiate past.
I mean, sure I made a lot of the same points a week and a half earlier, but that is why I actually agree with him this time.
Back in April I noted an article about college basketball coaches whining about the length of time players have to decide to stay in the draft. Now the National Association of Basketball Coaches are pushing a completely draconian change (Insider Subs.):
College coaches are pushing for a new NBA draft declaration date to be set on the Monday after the Final Four ends, a move that clearly would be advantageous for Division I coaches.
Jim Haney, the executive director of the National Association of Basketball Coaches, told ESPN.com that the proposal would also allow the players only 72 hours to decide whether they were staying in the draft. This plan is being modeled after the football version, which makes college players declare shortly after the end of the bowl season. The NABC has been discussing this for quite some time and will address it again at its annual summer meeting before the Nike Camp begins in Indianapolis on July 6. Haney said he is optimistic that this will be a part of the new collective bargaining agreement between the NBA and its players association.
If the NBA adopts this proposal, it would be a stark contrast to the current state of affairs. College underclassmen and high school seniors have until mid-May to declare for the draft and then get until a week before the draft to withdraw. College coaches have long thought this rule hamstrings their program as they wait for a player to make up his mind in late June.
The NBA would then only be working out players in their respective cities and at the predraft camp who actually were in the draft. There wouldn’t be any testing of the draft process. You would either be in or out.
“That would be great,” Arizona State coach Rob Evans said of the proposal. “We end up sitting there wondering if we can recruit. This idea would be much better for us.”
Yeah, screw the players. It’s all about the coaches. This shows just how much they actually care about the kids they recruit.
Unlike the NFL which has hard limits on how many players are draft eligible, the NBA even with a 19-year old age limit, doesn’t.
Think they wouldn’t howl long and hard about the unfairness and restraint upon them if the college presidents and ADs instituted rules and stipulations into their contracts restricting the coaches from interviewing for other jobs except within certain timeframes? Give them only limited windows to make choices? Surely such moves would be good for the schools. Give the schools some certainty for the program. Either the coach is in or he’s out.
Wait. You mean that would be unfair to make a grown man make such a hard decision that impacts his family in a short, pre-determined time frame? Something that effects his livelihood, his future? Well, gosh, you’re right.
Hypocritical asshats.
