USC 87
Texas 68

That score is going to be the answer to a trivia question one day. The question: What was the final score of the last game Kevin Durant played in college?

And that's how it ends for Durant. In a loss, a blowout, for one of college basketball's most talented freshmen ever. It didn't end with a national title like Carmelo or Walton. But it did end. In the coming weeks or months Durant is going to announce that he is leaving the University of Texas to enter the NBA Draft. Sure there's a chance that he stays and there's also a chance that I may grow 10 inches while writing this.

This post isn't so much about Durant or Texas (or how they killed my bracket, *cough* Rick Barnes *cough* DJ Augustin) its about college freshmen. Durant and fellow super freshman Greg Oden are going to be one and done in the NCAA. Staying only so long as to meet the requirements of the NBA's age restrictions. There aren't a lot of people out there who feel that Durant or Oden would have ever stepped foot on a college campus if it wasn't for the NBA rules. Durant and Oden suffer from poor timing. Poor timing in that they weren't born two years earlier. Had they been they would have graduated high school before the NBA's rule took effect. Unfortunately for them and the Toronto Raptors they were born a year too late.

The nuts and bolts of the NBA rule is that it prevents American born players from entering the draft until they are 19 or one year has passed since their high school class has graduated. There is an entirely different rule for foreign born players, which is an entirely different story.

The rule (with minor exceptions) only prevents kids going from Prom to the Association. It says nothing about going to college or improving the lives of the student athlete. The NBA doesn't care what these kids do in that year. Go to college, go overseas, play AAU, it doesn't matter as long as you're not playing in the NBA. That's right folks the NBA doesn't give a damn about these kids. Don't let David Stern fool you, he doesn't care about protecting these kids. He only cares about protecting the NBA's interest.

What is the NBA's interest? Free Minor Leagues. What the NFL and NBA have with Major College athletics is a free feeder system. Let the colleges have these kids for at least a year, they can teach them and weed out the ones who aren't ready. This way pro-teams don't have to invest in training younger players and they don't have to risk passing up the next Kobe or Kevin Garnett.

I'm not going to get into the research that suggests that this may be illegal (Ermisch), or that these high school kids many times outperform college seniors once they get to the Association(McCann). Or the role race plays into this. Lets just say this issue is deep and divisive. Don't believe the lies the NBA is selling.

Hey if you got questions i got answers. Comments Bitches!