Last year, I chronicled California teen prep sensation Brandon Jennings' decision to skip the requisite one year NCAA internship and get paid overseas instead. This decision was hailed by some as career suicide (an 18 year old playing grown men) and near sacrilege, and by others as a shrewd move to maximize ones' career earning potential. Given that fact that I think the NCAA should be paying players (give them some sort of profit sharing, which only pays if/when they graduate), I thought Jennings' move, however risky, was a smart one.
He suffered through an up and down season in Italy, but still managed to up his draft stock, and got picked by the Bucks #10 overall last Summer. Jennings made his debut with 17 points, nine rebounds and nine assists on Friday, and he followed that up with 24 points in a win over Detroit in Milwaukee on Saturday. He might could be this year's Derrick Rose, whom he outdueled in a loss Tuesday night.
Jennings already looks like an early Rookie Of The Year contender, and provided I'm dealt the unfortunate hand of having to return to Milwaukee this winter (I literally shutter at the thought), I'll surely find a way to go see him play in person.
Question: Did Brandon Jennings make the right decision? Do you foresee more players skipping college to play overseas?
Brandon Jennings: 'The Year In Europe Helped My Development' [SportingNews]
