by Gabe Akins
NBA Draft 2015:
 |
| (Today's Fastbreak) |
Nebraska players Terran Petteway and Walter Pitchford recently announced that they will skip their senior seasons in hopes of getting picked in the upcoming 2015 NBA Draft. Both of these announcements come as surprises to most experts as neither Petteway nor Pitchford are projected to be taken in the first round where they are guaranteed a contract by an NBA team.
After a breakout sophomore season, where he averaged 18.2 points per game and was named to the Big Ten's First Team, many expected Petteway to grow in his junior season as he was named a Second Team Preseason All-American. Petteway also passed up millions when he was regarded as a late first round pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. Petteway didn't live up to his hype in his junior season as he struggled shooting the ball and saw both his field goal and three point percentages decrease. In a mid-season slump, when he was being criticized by many Nebraska fans, the public learned that Petteway's mom had been battling cancer. Petteway closed the season strong as he received Third Team All Big Ten honors. However, Petteway's draft stock declined as he was ranked the 98th best prospect on ESPN's Chad Ford's Top 100 Prospects.
The other Nebraska big man's announcement came as more of a shock than Petteway's. After a frustrating season in which he averaged only 7.2 points per game, Walter Pitchford wasn't even thought of as "pro ready". In his declaration statement, Pitchford says, "I have put my past frustration of this past year aside and will do what is in my best interest in life. Basketball is my life. Moving forward, I will be pursuing my life-long goal of playing professional basketball and will be entering into the 2015 NBA Draft." Only one problem. Not only is Pitchford not ranked in ESPN's top 100 prospects, he isn't even found in DraftExpress' top 100 junior players.
With both of these surprising announcements, it shows that there is a problem with college athletics. Both of these players clearly would benefit from another year of college basketball but have made the choice to end their college careers too soon. If both of these players were being paid by the NCAA, we most likely wouldn't have this problem. Petteway would most likely stay another year as he would have money to help his family. He would also have a chance to return as a first round prospect. Pitchford might not be as frustrated with last years season and the best interest of his life might not to pursue an NBA career a year too soon. But, because these athletes aren't receiving any payment for their contributions to their university, it is hard to blame them for doing what they believe is best for their current life situations.
No comments:
Post a Comment