Here's an interesting one for those of you interested in sports. Not too long ago, the NBA enacted an age minimum that basically requires high school basketball players to play at least one year of college ball before declaring for the draft.

However, some players are finding new ways around this:

AKRON, Ohio — Brandon Jennings is considered the best point guard prospect in the high school class of 2008. His ball-handling and ability to lead the fast break make him a tantalizing prospect.

But Jennings may best be known as a trendsetter.

Jennings, who is 6 feet 2 inches and from Los Angeles, has given strong indications that he will play in Europe next season. An announcement is expected soon, and it could cause a ripple effect for other high school players considering jumping overseas to play until they are eligible for the N.B.A. draft.

Professional teams in Italy are among the European clubs that have expressed interest in Jennings, who would most likely get a minimum of $300,000, including salary and endorsements.

One argument against this is that 18 year olds are simply too young for this kind of transition.

Indiana Coach Tom Crean said he was not in favor of anything that would give a player an excuse not to keep up with his academics.

“If people thought going to the N.B.A. was a hard adjustment at a young age, imagine going thousands and thousands of miles away,” Crean said. “You’re going to lose your support system. It doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.”

Full article

What do you think - is it fair to require high schoolers to play at least on year of college ball, even if they are attending college solely to get that year in? Is 18 simply too young to go overseas and play?

As a dignified, soon-to-be Marquette freshman, I will refrain from commenting on what a dirtbag Tom Crean is.

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