Thursday, April 26, 2007
At least once a day for the past week — and usually more frequently — I’ve discussed with someone the merits of Brandon Rush declaring for the NBA.
For some reason, probably the two years I spent covering Jayhawk sports for The Kansan, I’ve taken a rather dispassionate, analytical view of the declarations for the draft. Once it started with sophomore Julian Wright, I knew it was only a matter of time till the departure started to add up. If not this year, then next.
In terms of Rush, it only makes sense for him to enter his name into the NBA draft. It would have even made sense for him to do that last year.
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None of this is rocket science. And, really, I only say this because so many fans seem convinced that for Rush to even dabble in the draft is a major mistake.
What wouldn’t make sense is for him to hire an agent. Barring a miraculous performance in the pre-draft camps, Rush isn’t going to go in the lottery.
Without being a lottery pick, Rush isn’t guaranteed the major payday he can rightly hope to make. If he’s staring at a late first round or an early second round selection, it makes sense for him to come back to school.
If he comes back to school, he should focus on improving his scoring. Not to the detriment of the team, mind you, but to the point where the team can depend on him as their “go-to guy.”
None of this is rocket science. And, really, I only say this because so many fans seem convinced that for Rush to even dabble in the draft is a major mistake.
It’s just not. You have to respect a guy who has the basketball talent and skills that Rush possesses. If you could leave school now and make millions, you would. Even more likely, if you could take a month off of school and examine the odds of you making millions with almost no penalty, to say you wouldn’t is certainly to be disingenuous.
Don’t hold basketball players to a standard you can’t observe yourself.
The men’s basketball team was called to the Athletics Department offices Wednesday for some type of meeting. While I still don’t know what was said in that meeting, the most valid assumption is that Rush told his teammates just what his plan for next year will be. For my money, Rush let his teammates know that he’s about to test the NBA waters.
The dream circulating after the Elite Eight loss of returning the entire Kansas team was nice, but it was just that. A dream. Kansas recruits players that are good enough to play in the NBA after a year, maybe two. Players will come and go, and it doesn’t mean you should scorn or ridicule them on message boards.
It’s just the territory with a team that is expected to compete for a national title year in and year out. It’s either build a team of NBA talent, and make a run into the postseason virtually ever year, or settle for waiting for the right group of seniors to find success.
Kansas fans don’t have the stomach for the inconsistency of the latter option.
While Rush has until Sunday to officially declare his intentions, you can bet that everyone will know his plans before the week is out. If he does end up staying in the draft, or for some inexplicable reason decides to sign with an agent, it’s hard to blame him for wanting to start making money.
I know I’m ready to turn in my textbooks for a paycheck.
Kealing is a Chesterfield, Mo., senior in journalism and political science.
— Edited by Mark Vierthaler
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