Why Do I Keep Writing About Darrell Arthur? Because I Went To All That Trouble Figuring Out How To Spell His Name

"What Was My Favorite Class In High School? Uhhh... Square Dancing? Is That A Class?"

Sadly, Grizzlies' Rookie Darrell Arthur is making headlines again, this time because his former high school district has re-opened the investigation into whether or not he ever received enough credits to graduate. If the district discovers that he failed to legitimately graduate from South Oak Cliff High School, Kansas could have to forfeit all games in which he participated. This is particularly concerning given that Arthur was a pivotal player in the Jayhawk's victory over Memphis in the National Championship game this past year. Darrell Arthur could be responsible for the recision of a National Title and ruining the legacy of all his teammates, but it worked out for Chris Webber, so maybe it's not all bad.
I've always had a problem with the confusing restrictions the NCAA puts on a player's eligibility, and a lot of blame lies on the school for allowing Arthur to graduate without sufficient credits, but it's hard to argue with the punishment in this situation. If he shouldn't have been eligible to play in the first place, and given that he was a pretty important player in most of the games, Kansas did not win a legitimate title.
Arthur just made headlines for his expulsion from the NBA Rookie Transition program for alleged drug use, and this only adds to a negative image for someone that has yet to play in a single game. I hope that regardless of the outcome of the investigation, Arthur can create a better image for himself once he actually becomes an NBA player.

Next Big Thing(s)

Out of a high school class with some stellar players, including Derrick Rose, Michael Beasley and Eric Gordon, two names stand out from the others. Names that seem like they will almost always be used in the same sentence, the way Magic and Larry are. The two best players out of the college class of ’07 are OJ Mayo and Kevin Love, and they better get used to each other, because they’re going to be seeing a lot of one another.
The comparisons are inevitable, not because they play the same type of game, not because they have the same background, but because they’re both great and they’re not exactly doing anything to get away from each other. Since the McDonalds All-American Game, where they faced as East (Mayo) vs. West (Love), all eyes have been on them. The final score indicated a game as closely matched and even as these two, 114-112, with Love’s squad prevailing.
Kevin’s dad, Stan played in the NBA and he moved to Lake Oswego, Oregon from Santa Monica at an early age. He is a 6-10, 260 pound forward and he’s a huge offensive threat, using fundamentals in combination with creativity and straight last-one-to-leave-the-gym strength. He’s got the MVP awards, he’s got the championships as well as numerous citizenship and student/athlete awards.
OJ Mayo’s dad has been in and out of jail while his mother supported the family by herself. Mayo is a 6-4, 210 pound guard whose crazy athleticism and highflying dunks are complimented nicely with a silky J. He’s been on Youtube for pushing a ref, had his fair share of run-ins with the law and aspires to rebuild his community of Huntington, West Virginia.
To add to their numerous differences, Love is committed to UCLA while Mayo will be suiting up for USC.
Though these two lead very different personal lives, have different backgrounds and very different approaches to basketball, they will be compared, and they will be rivals. The beauty of basketball is that it transcends race, religion and reputation. The only thing that matters in this game, the same thing that makes these two rivals, is game. It’s what Larry and Magic shared, and it’s what Oden and Durant share. These two definitely got game, and there’s no doubt that you’ll be hearing about them for a while.

Ready or Not: High Schoolers Have Made History

The issue of an age-limit has been nothing if not controversial as it applies to NBA eligibility. As the rule is now, a player must be at least 19 and one year removed from high school in order to be eligible which leads players to attend at least one year of college. As a fairly nerdy academia myself, I am in favor of this rule, but there are certainly reasonable arguments against it.
Even though the jump straight to the L has destroyed as many lives as it has improved the fact that the choice is left up to the players means the blame is really left on them. Sure, they’re kids, but as Uncle Ben would say, “with great power comes great responsibility”. No matter how you view the rule, some high schoolers have made hige impacts in the NBA and some of the best players playing now came straight outta high school.
The trend all started when the Sixers took Darryl Dawkins 5th in 1975 and after he took them to the NBA Finals in ’77, it was popularized. Moses Malone came straight out to, and though Shawn Kemp technically enrolled in college, he never played a game. But the true flow of high schoolers was kicked off by Kevin Garnett. Though skinny and young, he was athletic enough to make an impact right away and this inspired some of the best players to come right out. Since then, plenty of high schoolers have made history by coming into the NBA. Here are some of the best:

’96: Kobe Bryant - Charlotte Hornets
Jermaine O’Neal – Portland Trail Blazers

’97: Tracy McGrady – Toronto Raptors

’98: Al Harrington – Indiana Pacers
Rashard Lewis – Seattle Supersonics

’00: Darius Miles – Los Angeles Clippers

’01: Eddy Curry – Chicago Bulls
Tyson Chandler – Los Angeles Clippers

’02: Amare Stoudemire – Phoenix Suns

’03: LeBron James – Cleveland Cavaliers

’04: Dwight Howard – Orlando Magic

*Note: I listed the teams that picked them, not the ones for whom they first played. I refuse to list Kwame Brown, as he is terrible, but he was the first high schooler picked first overall.

If you read all that you deserve a break, so check out this mix. Not all these players skipped college, but they could have:


It becomes pretty clear that it isn’t impossible for a player to make a huge impact coming from high school and although I hold no convictions about the NBA’s policy on age, it wouldn’t be a disaster to let the players skip college. At the end of the day, the choice should be up to the player and though they are often naïve, it is their mistake to make.