Point guard Brandon Jennings has the potential to sell a ton of NBA tickets one day, but he's taking a road that's not yet been traveled on his way to the NBA. Jennings has signed with Pallacanestro Virtus Roma of the Italian pro league when questionable SAT scores threatened to prevent his enrollment at Arizona. Jennings was committed to be a Wildcat for this upcoming college basketball season until eligibility issues prompted the 18-year-old to consider playing overseas. Jennings cannot make the jump directly to the NBA thanks to the league's rule that a player must be one year removed from high school and 19 years of age by the end of the calendar year of their rookie season to play in the NBA.
This kind of issue was bound to come up. A similar situation almost arose a few years back, before the age minimum was in place, with now Indiana Pacer Brandon Rush. Rush entered his name into the NBA draft after his senior year of high school but pulled out when he didn't receive a first round promise. Rush considered foregoing college and working out with a trainer all year and re-entering his name in the draft the following year. Rush eventually went to Kansas where he won a national championship. But there is no chance that Jennings will be attending Arizona.
His new team does feature several American-born players, including former second round pick Allan Ray, but the competition will not be what it is on the elite level of college basketball. He's got a good chance at starting in Italy, especially if current point guard Roko Ukic signs with the Toronto Raptors. Jennings is a really talented player, but he's got a little bit of street ball in him. I doubt he'll be encouraged to make behind the back and no look passes in Italy, though his flashy game could sell a lot of NBA tickets some day.
Jennings' stock is likely to fall due to lack of exposure and the inevitable adjustment period there is when moving to a new country. He'll have the opportunity to bring his stock back up with pre-draft workouts for teams, but getting back to a top five pick will be a challenge. This maiden voyage of Jennings' will serve as either a blueprint or a cautionary tale for future prospects. Jennings will make a good salary this year and he will eventually be selling NBA tickets, but this could pave the way for some less talented highschoolers to make the trip overseas never to return to play on their native soil.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment