Like many, I hate the one-and-done concept.
But I understand the reason it happens in the case of Kentucky and other elite college basketball programs that send talent directly to the pros — an artificial rule by the NBA that doesn’t allow players to enter its league directly from high school, even if they are talented and mature enough.
There’s another kind of college hoops one-and-done — and two-and-through — that for different reasons is just as bothersome, and should be more so for those with a stake in the University of Hawaii program. And not just because, unlike Kentucky, the exodus doesn’t come attached to a national championship.
Seven of the nine players recruited two years ago by new UH coach Gib Arnold left the school without graduating and with basketball eligibility remaining. Five more from last year either didn’t get into UH or, in the case of Shaquille Stokes, left after one year.
While other college basketball beat writers have reported on their teams’ new recruits in recent weeks, the Star-Advertiser’s Brian McInnis has been forced to document more often players headed the other way. Today, McInnis’ exclusive interview with Arnold explores the situation in depth.
Despite the mad rush for the door, we’ve been told by Arnold and some of his supporters in so many words that everything is cool, don’t worry, this is how college basketball works these days. It reminds me of the Kevin Bacon college ROTC character in "Animal House," ordering a mob to "Remain calm, all is well," … as it tramples him.
Yes, turnover is rampant in college basketball, and players transfer for all kinds of reasons. But when it’s this many in this short amount of time, you have to question if there is something organically wrong with the program.
Why did they all REALLY leave? Is the same thing going to happen with the next batch of players? Are the replacements better players than their predecessors and will they stick around? When will an Arnold recruit graduate from UH?
Is there a Division I college point guard in the house?
I’ve heard a couple of Arnold apologists say UH fans are upset because they’re not used to this, it’s never happened here before. That’s insulting to the fans. It’s a good thing they care enough to question a trend that is obviously not a positive one.
The massive number of transfers may be partly symptomatic of a radically different recruiting approach (pursuing more high school players than junior college transfers). I like aggressive recruiting of prospects we can watch develop over more than two years, who fans can get to know before they’re gone. But players Arnold recruited from the JC ranks have left early, too.
It’s simple: 80 percent non-retention is far from acceptable. And it is reasonable and fair to hold the coach accountable for it. He is the one who decides which players to bring in and he is the one responsible for building them into a functional unit.
There will always be recruiting mistakes. There will always be players who decide they will fit better elsewhere, or who the coach decides will fit better elsewhere. But this many early departures from the same coach who brought them in?
Guys are supposed to graduate, at least some of them — either from your college, or to the pros. The NCAA has rules now that will adversely affect your number of scholarships if they don’t, and that will make it even harder for UH to get the players it needs to win.
Some programs can consistently have players straight out of high school go one-and-done, two-and-through, three-and-flee and keep winning and winning.
UH is a long way from that, and unless it retains center Vander Joaquim and magically comes up with a hidden gem of a guard like Anthony Carter 15 years ago, it will be very difficult to get much closer next season.
