Understand it's the Summer and without games to talk about, we keep rehashing this issue, but some points that appear to be missing from the perspective of those that can't get over the fact the Moore and Crawford went pro after three years of college:
- While Moore and Crawford were not going to get taken in 2018 NBA draft and will not play in the NBA this year, they also weren't going to get drafted in 2019 either. A majority of the NBA draft now involves prospects that aren't ready for NBA, that are going straight to the G-League, but NBA scouts are paid to find potential in their games that may develop in a year or two or even more. If Moore and Crawford didn't show enough to get drafted as 21 year-olds and after 3 years of ACC basketball, very unlikely that the NBA is suddenly going to fall in love with them when they are a year older; one senior, Grayson Allen, was a 1st round pick in the 2018 NBA draft. At best, the NBA chances for Moore and Crawford may have increased from 0% to 5% had they stayed, but neither has a NBA future regardless of how many years of ACC basketball they played. Really a reach to claim that another year at WF would've transformed either one to a solid NBA player.
- Most college students don't graduate in 4 years. Even so, their lives aren't ruined. Bill Gates left Harvard after two years; things seemed to workout for him. Not at all unusual for kid to take a detour during his initial college years and then go back and finish, or not. Yes, Moore and Crawford are giving up their last year when WF pays for school (btw, we don't even know if both were on track to graduate had they stayed for another year), but they clearly didn't want to stay another year in college and wanted to try to make it playing basketball. Simply because you and me (and Tim Duncan) stayed in college for 4 consecutive years and graduated on time doesn't mean that path is for everybody. Maybe one or both hated college, got nothing out of it and if they had graduated at all, the degree would not be as helpful in a future career as taking time away from college, figuring out what your life path is, and then going back when you are motivated to learn and have specific career in mind. Again, not unusual for a 21 year-old to feel like another year of college is not for him at this time. So, let's not make it seem like everyone who does not graduate in 4 years is destined for failure, or those that do graduate in 4 years have any guarantee of success. Both premises are false.
- Finally, not buying the "Moore and Crawford" got bad advice claim. Have no doubt that Manning, the WF staff and the NBA (which provides a draft projection for those that declare) all advised that getting drafted at all was unlikely for both. Neither even received a combine invite; they could not have ignored that fact. Each knew or at least had to have some understanding that there was no NBA guarantee for either, and making the league the first year out of college was a longshot. Even so, both chose to pursue a basketball future with small paychecks in small towns or places far away over returning to WF. Neither Crawford nor Moore left WF with the expectation that they were going to live large in the NBA in 2018-9; they left because they didn't want to go to school, didn't want to play for WF and left because even an uncertain future trying to make it at some level of pro ball was better than another year of college. Not the first to feel that way and not the last.
The decision to leave WF after 3 years wasn't right and wasn't wrong; it was just their decision.
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