Fun and Done

40 years ago this weekend, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. 40 years later, to say nothing else about the fulfillment of Dr. King’s dream, it seems easy to conclude that one place where blacks are not discriminated against is on the NCAA basketball court. But this overlooks the fact that many of the very best of those who play on that court would not be playing there were it not for the rule barring entry to the NBA for players who are not at least 19 years old and one year out of high school. Unlike professional tennis, golf, and soccer players, who can earn millions at ages as young as 13, a talented teenage basketball player who would otherwise be able to earn millions from teams that would gladly pay him, is prohibited from doing so.

Perhaps there are benefits to preventing the talented few from earning a living for a few years, but whatever else its effect, this rule helps to maintain the NCAA’s status as a free minor league system for the NBA. But what about the rule’s effect on the college game? As San Diego Sports Law Professor Len Simon has pointed out, “If you were Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, would you want a player who was counting the days until he could go pro? And if you didn't recruit him, do you want him slam dunking over your players in the Final Four? This is a no-win situation for the best programs, and a chance for cheap thrills for the worst. The bottom line? A little more talent, a lot more headaches, a lot less integrity.”

Simon’s quote points up the stark contrast between this year’s Final Four participants – that three are blueblood programs, UCLA, UNC, and Kansas, and one, Memphis, is an upstart, led by superstar point guard Derrick Rose who is certain to leave for the NBA after this, his freshman season. We’ve been making picks based on the “trend toward parity” that we have seen in the NCAA in recent years. This trend has been called into question by the fact that all four number one seeds reaching the final four. But a Memphis victory would be consistent with the theory, and we’re going to stick with it. The Dr. King anniversary/Memphis connection helps. Plus, we like the idea of “one and done” players making a big splash in the Final Four, then leaving for the pros, if only because such a trend might put more pressure on the NCAA and NBA to figure out a better way.

The Pick: Memphis -2.

Overall Picks record (6-7 (46.1%)). NCAA Hoops (5-6 (45.4%)).