I guess it must be the latest mania: developing college basketball stars who let their ego and greedy parents do the talking and decision-making for them when considering when to enter into the NBA draft. However, entering into the draft too early isn’t necessarily the most prudent action by any college basketball athlete nowadays. The end result for most of these autocratic athletes is typically one of disappointment. These enterprising yet impetuously driven youths who see dollars over development are principally driven by bad advice. More times than not, that bad advice comes from a parent and/or money-driven motives. Take Marcus Slaughter for instance; a successful SDSU Basketball player who declared for the NBA after his Junior year. After a brief stint with the Miami Heat (I believe a couple of months) he was cut. Relegated to European basketball, Marcus has played for Israel with Hapoel Jerusalem;  in France with Gravelines Dunkerque; and, in Turkey for Pinar Karsiyaka Izmir. Will he ever make it into the NBA? That will depend on his performance in Europe. Would staying one more year at SDSU have improved his chances: probably. If Marcus had stayed in College for his senior year, he would have gained more exposure, size and the additional time to develop his game to compete at the NBA level. Blame this half-witted decision on his father. Conclusion: Bad decision Marcus, you should have stayed your Senior year.

This years NBA draft is no exception for those who’s ego did the talking for them. Darington Hobson from New Mexico left early after successfully helping the Lobos get to the 2010 NCAA’s. After that he decided that the NBA was the best choice and declared early, getting drafted No. 37 in the second round. Bare in mind, now the NBA draft isn’t the NFL draft. That draft position isn’t great and I don’t see him going far in the NBA. It looks like he will have to lick his wounds and begin the long climb through the European Basketball league. Conclusion: bad decision Darington, you should have stayed another year.

I could go on with many more examples but, that would be a case of proverbial futility. Unfortunately, for all of us collegiate fans who embrace the tradition that no wine should be drunk before its time, the capricious college basketball athlete will invariably continue to make the reckless decision to leave college too early for the NBA.

What say you?

Read more here:

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/sports_college/2010/06/college-football-2010-rankings-no-70-san-diego-st.html

UTAH moved to  the PAC-10, betraying the MWC and all but liquidating any chance of the MWC from receiving an AQ to the BCS in the near future. Good job UTAH; the MWC thanks you for deploying the opposite of what you say and mean disease. For years UTAH decried fowl against the BCS; voicing their vociferous disposition against the BCS regarding the unfair and arguably illegal bias of the BCS against the “lessor” conferences who seek BCS eligibility. Ostensibly, the MWC was one of those conferences. Now, UTAH has freed themselves from such scrutiny and unfairness by accepting the roll as the red-headed step child of the PAC-10.

Now, UTAH can cease campaigning on behalf of the MWC; now they can be who they really are: a hypricrital institution who sold themselves to the highest bidder regardless of whether or not they were the second, third or the 40th choice! This is tantamount to being invited by an acquaintance to attend a party after finding out that his first choice could not make it. Message to UTAH: the PAC-10 did not give a damn about you before Texas said no! Please UTAH fans, your school did not improve the PAC-10 power index; it simple gave them a champion conference game of which you will not be participating in–ever!

UTAH is now destined to be a third or fourth place team in the PAC-10; rather than a championship team that would have helped build a powerful BCS eligible conference, and made just as much money after re-negotiating TV contracts. UTAH is nothing but a financially-driven whore that screwed nine other schools in the process (no pun intended) to achieve its self-serving agenda. Good Job UTAH: I’ll be looking forward to relishing in the fact that the grass just got browner for you and the pretentious, near-sided administration of yours. The UTAH football and Basketball programs are destined to be nothing more than mediocre, whipping-boys for the PAC-10; as well as, a schedulers dream for the elite programs. That is to say, an a EASY win!

Mr. Vitale, prognosticator of prognosticators has SDSU ranked at No. 23 in his latest preseason poll.

Read more here: http://goaztecs.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/061710aaa.html

From ESPN: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/dickvitale/news/story?id=5292918

From Andy Katz: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/columns/story?columnist=katz_andy&id=5179956

Can’t say I am suprised: expectations were high for Shelley when he arrived with Malcolm Thomas. A transfer from Pepperdine, he was plagued with injuries last year and provided little production for SDSU.  With James Rohan arriving along with the two highly regarded freshman guards, SDSU simply ran out of scholarships. Good luck to Tyrone in his future endeavors.

It wasn’t too many years ago that Tyrone Shelley would have been an exceptional commodity that SDSU could not afford to lose. Times have certainly changed and its clear that the level of talent that has landed on the Mesa has improved considerably.