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Surprising college coach wants to end 'one-and-done' forever

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The one-and-done rule regarding a basketball player’s draft eligibility may be an NBA policy, but college coaches are the ones who benefit the most from it.

Kentucky’s John Calipari is the coach most associated with the rule that a player must be 19 years old and one year removed from the graduation of his high school class before he can enter his name into the NBA draft.

Since the rule was implemented in 2006, Calipari’s teams have appeared in 10 Sweet Sixteens and five Final Fours and won the 2012 national championship.

While other programs such as Duke and Kansas have also benefitted greatly from one-and-dones, Calipari is seen as the face of the rule, so much so that ESPN made a “30 for 30” episode on him titled “One and Not Done.”

Yet, despite his success, Calipari is one of the biggest proponents for getting rid of the one-and-done rule because he believes it hurts athletes.

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While appearing at a basketball clinic on TCU’s campus, Calipari spoke with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram about the state of college basketball and particularly the one-and-done rule.

“Kids should be able to go (to the NBA) out of high school. That’s not our deal. That’s between the NBA and the Player’s Association,” Calipari said. “Don’t put restrictions on kids.”

While most people assume the one-and-done rule was set by the NCAA, Calipari is right that it’s actually an NBA policy. It took effect starting with the 2006 draft, one year after eight players were taken out of high school in 2005.

The league’s current CBA, which runs through 2023-24 with a mutual opt-out after the 2022-23 season, has kept the rule.

Do you think the one-and-done rule is unfair to players?

“If they want to go out of high school, go. If they want to go to college and then leave, let them leave when they want to leave,” Calipari said. “Why would we force a kid to stay? ‘Well — it’s good for the game?’ It’s about these kids and their families. Because let me tell you, if we (abolish one-and-done), the kids that do come to college will stay for two to three years.”

The idea of “one-and-done” actually might give the players a bit more credit than they deserve, as some don’t even complete the “one.” Often, by this time of year, many one-and-dones are already out of school and prepping for the draft.

Ben Simmons, who attended LSU before getting drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers, even admitted as much during his one-and-done season. Simmons attended classes for just one semester and called the NCAA a “dirty business.”

The NBA and NCAA are locked into the current system for at least five more years, but the NBA G-League may be creating another avenue for players who don’t want to go to college.

The G-League announced that it is increasing salaries for players under contract, which creates an alternative route for prospects to make it to the NBA. Unlike the NBA, players as young as 18 are eligible for the G-League, and they can join right after finishing high school. Highly regarded high school prospect Darius Bazley plans do just that next season.

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No longer will players feel forced to go overseas after leaving high school if they want to play professionally and make a decent living.

Bazley became the first five-star prospect to skip college for the G-League, and more will surely follow.

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Ross Kelly has been a sportswriter since 2009.
Ross Kelly has been a sportswriter since 2009 and previously worked for ESPN, CBS and STATS Inc. A native of Louisiana, Ross now resides in Houston.
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