Tom Izzo Bucks the trend of one and dones

CHICAGO-– College basketball is rapidly escalating into an unwanted arms race.

University of Kentucky coach John Calipari fired the first salvo when he began recruiting and signing an assembly line of blue chip prospects who had to potential to be one and dones. To date, he has sent 17 players to the NBA first round in just four years in the Bluegrass, including John Wall and Anthony Davis, who were No. 1 overall. Calipari has at least four freshman this year– power forward Julius Randle, wing forward James Young and guards Andrew and Aaron Harrison– who could all be lottery picks in next year’s NBA draft. 

Kansas coach Bill Self, never one to lag behind, has started emulating the Cats’ recruiting philosophy, signing three elite freshmen– 6-8 forward Andrew Wiggins, 7-0 center Joel Embid and 6-5 wing Wayne Selden— who could fall into the same category.

Those seven and Duke’s 6-8 freshman forward Jabari Parker, another lottery pick who was lured to Durham by the magnetism of Olympic coach Mike Krzyzewski, will all be on the court Tuesday night when No. 1 Kentucky plays second-ranked Michigan State and fourth-ranked Duke plays fifth-ranked Kansas in the third annual Champions Classic here at the sold out United Center.

When Michigan State coach Tom Izzo looks Kentucky and Kansas, he can see the future of college basketball.

And he is not sure it is good for the game. 

Izzo is concerned that a limited amount of teams could control the sport by convincing the most talented travel team players– who see college basketball as nothing more than a temporary pit stop– they can prepare them to make the quantum leap to the NBA in just six months..

Izzo, who had coached the Spartans to six final Fours and seven Big Ten titles in 17 years, is trying his best to buck the trend. He still believes his Spartans can still advance to a Final Four with players who remain in school for more than just one year. This year’s Spartans lost just one player from last year’s Sweet 16 team, center Derrick Nix, and have a veteran roster that looks a lot like last year’s team. “It’s unique and nice,” Izzo said. “But it’s good for college basketball if you have that opportunity.”

The Spartans have two stars– sophomore guard Gary Harris, the Big Ten’s Freshman of the Year; and fifth year senior forward Adreian Payne, who played for Team USA in the World University Games– who could have both declared early for the draft last spring and been first round picks. But they both stayed, giving Michigan State two key pieces as the Spartans attempt to win their first national championship since 2000. That pair, two, combined with 6-6 junior wing Brandon Dawson and senior point guard Keith Appling, junior point guard Travis Trice, 6-5 sophomore combo Dentzel Valentine and  and two skilled big men– 6-8 red shirt freshman Kenny Kaminski and 6-9 freshman Gavin Schilling– should make the Spartans a dangerous opponent for anyone, even Kentucky, if they don’t get overwhelmed in the post by Randle and 7-0 Willie Cauley-Stein.

Dawson, Harris and Appling all played in the McDonald’s game, but they are classic program players who have all improved by staying on campus.   

Izzo has only lost five players early since he became the head coach at Michigan State in 1995.

“I want guys who want to be there and want to get better,” Izzo said.. “If he’s a one and done, I’m cool with it. But I’m not sure if I’m crazy about the thought of kids coming and thinking they’re gone already. Like (center) Zach Randolph. He came, didn’t know.Gary Harris? He came, didn’t know. I think there’s so much pressure on kids today. They come and they think I gotta perform and be done at the end of the year. Do they have fun going to college, because it’s the last place they’re going to have fun.

“They make all that money, but it ain’t fun. That’s work.

“You got to remember Payne got hurt his freshman year. Dawson, if he doesn’t blow his knee at the end of the 2011 season, could have been a kid. Harris could have left. I’m hoping the reason they didn’t leave was because they felt they’ve benefit from staying. But what I really like is, they must be having some fun. That’s what we got to start worrying about, making it enough fun for them where they are comfortable and yet enjoying it”

The constant flow of teenage prodigies to the NBA has definitely affected the quality of the game.

“Everybody talks about scoring being down,” Izzo said. “But is scoring down because we’re constantly playing more freshmen and they’re not as polished. We never think of that area.

Or the game is not as smooth. Give John (Calipari) credit. But most guys don’t have those kind of players. But if you’re playing those players because a sophomore or junior left early, now there’s going to be learning curve for him.”

The NBA Players Association could solve this growing problem by putting in a two-year rule or implementing a rule similar to baseball where a player can declare for the league right out of high school or be forced to stay for three years if he chooses to attend college. But they have been reluctant to do so, creating an unwanted situation where prize rookies who are not ready wind up playing in the Development League.

“I think Mike Krzyzewski said it: “You can build a brand as a college basketball player,” You can have a brand in one year. But what about one that’s built over time? If i go to a program and win a national championship, they don’t say, “John Wooden.” You have to be consistent over time. For players, it doesn’t have to be four years. I’m in perfect agreement with that. But if you recruit a kid based on one game, are you recruiting him on potential instead of performance over time. That’s why so many who declare for the NBA early are two and out. You used to get three years to prove yourself in the NBA. Now, as a GM or a coach, you have to make a decision after one year whether you’re going to re-sign a rookie. 

“When does winning comes into the equation. We say this, “Ohio State senior point guard Aaron Craft isn’t good enough.” But he wins. Draymond /Green, who played for us for four years, wasn’t on everybody’s all-everything list, but he won. You know what winning did for him. He’s going to have a hellava pro career.”