Last Wednesday, a high school senior in Oregon decided he was going to become a Bruin.
Unlike most of us who have come to this juncture, this young man held an official press conference to mark the occasion.
As cameras flashed on the lanky teenager sitting in front of a makeshift podium in his mom’s ice cream parlor, he gave a quick speech.
“I’m excited to say,” he announced as the chatter in the room disintegrated to silence, “that I’ve chosen to play my next year of Division I basketball at UCLA.”
This particular kid’s name is Mike Moser, and he’s the newest addition to the Bruins’ 2009 recruiting class, which is currently ranked No. 8 in the country by Rivals.com.
Most recruiting Web sites rank the 6-foot-7-inch forward from Portland’s Grant High School somewhere in the top 20 at his position, and there is no doubt that come next fall, you will be hearing plenty more about him on this campus.
But one thing struck me about Moser’s speech, a minute detail maybe, but it seems to me that he implied he was only planning to play for one year, his destination after that still up in the air.
Every year, thousands of high school basketball players go through this routine, which culminates in the donning of a cap with a new school logo proudly displayed on the front.
But there was a time when this simple gesture was a symbol of commitment to an institution.
In Moser’s casual choice of words and in the mindsets of many other top prospects, there lies a sad truth about today’s game of college basketball.
In this era of the “one-and-done” rule, it is no secret that many young stars see college as a jumping point to the professional level, but we’re getting dangerously close to NCAA basketball ““ one of the most sacred realms in American sports ““ becoming just a substitute for the NBA Development League.
With players’ collegiate careers of indeterminate length and many players staying on campus for less than a year, academic institutions have become merry-go-rounds for athletes. Once the athletes leave, the improvement that teams have shown can’t last the summer.
There is no doubt that these athletes are passionate about and committed to the game of basketball. Most of them have sacrificed every drop of free time in their young lives to hit the courts for yet another practice session.
But we are in jeopardy of losing our commitment to the distinct nature of the collegiate level, the union of an academic community with an amateur sport.
At this point, I would like to offer a suggestion, radical and potentially destructive yes, but one that could also restore our dedication to college basketball.
What if Ben Howland held a press conference of his own to say that UCLA basketball, one of the most renowned hoops programs in the country, would no longer accept recruits who did not intend to spend at least three years as a Bruin.
The initial reaction is that such a statement would immediately repel any top prospect with NBA aspirations. But imagine the kind of environment it would foster within the walls of Pauley Pavilion.
It would be a bold declaration saying that if you want to be a part of this tradition, the blue and gold, and the banners in the rafters, you must give a vow of dedication and loyalty to the school.
The key to this solution lies within the players. Do you believe gifted student-athletes would pass on a chance at instant fortune for the insurance of a fundamental foundation at UCLA, one of the sport’s greatest breeding grounds for professional talent?
Imagine this year’s gang of freshmen ““ the entire talented five of them ““ graduating together as seniors in June 2012.
Imagine the rapport they would have on the court and the bond they would have off it.
Imagine what they could accomplish in that time under the shrewd leadership of a coach who has already been to three straight Final Fours.
Imagine the advice they could give to the group of freshmen on the team three years down the road.
Imagine the type of athlete that a system like this would attract and eventually produce: hardworking, determined, loyal, experienced.
Isn’t that what you want from the team that represents your school? Aren’t these the qualities that college athletics have traditionally worked toward fostering?
Or would you rather have a squad full of guys who will never know what an upper-division course is like and whose every minute of court time under the Pauley lights will be cast under the eternal motto of “making the transition to the college game”?
Today’s game of college basketball is not plagued by an ailment that can be remedied by NBA or NCAA legislation. Its cure lies in an honest pact between the student-athlete and the university to which he has given his pledge.
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E-mail Smukler at esmukler@media.ucla.edu if your decision to quit school and go pro hinges on an upcoming final exam.