The system may be working him hard, but I think that he’s working just as hard back at the system. From all reports, he’s ready to go to the NBA, he wants to go to the NBA, and the NBA wants to give him a lucrative contract.

We talk of paying college basketball and football players, but we never talk about paying baseball players. There are probably more complicated explanations, but I attribute that to the presence of the minor leagues. Colleges have been forced to act in that role because of the absence of developmental leagues for basketball and football.

Why is it that signing a professional contract has become equivalent to eating the forbidden fruit? What is the harm in having college athletes who have washed out of the professional leagues? I think they would return with a greater appreciation for a college education. We may not want to have college athletes who are currently under contract to the pros. But what is the harm in having each year as a pro only cost a year of eligibility?