Yeah, my thought all along was 2022 was the last year of One and Done. Meaning I never expected him to play college basketball. But correct it looks like that may not happen now until 2024 or 2025.
I'll be thrilled if we get him on campus for 1 season, but think about this, he turned 16 in January, if the NBA keeps their rules in place as is now expected, he won't be eligible for the draft until 2023. So if he decides to reclassify, MSU would get him for 2 seasons, that would be insane!
And this basketball academy he's now attending that his dad started is great for MSU, all the top MSU targets in the state are following him there and we'll have our pick. I also think he'll be able to graduate early if that's what he wants to do.
I was thinking 50-50 yesterday when he committed, after reading some of the experts I think it's more like 70-30 that he plays for MSU. I do think that if the NBA doesn't change their rules he will play 2 more years in high school, but anything is possible.
And who really knows how he'll develop, there's been other young superstars who've come along and never reached their potential, no one is a guaranteed thing. That being said, he's insanely skilled for his age. His handles for a kid 6-9 are nuts, he's Kevin Durant only more advanced at this age. He's an elite shooter with a crazy quick release that is unblockable. He can pass, he can drive, he is a very good defender. He's not an elite athlete yet, but he's a very good one, that's another Durant like trait, Durant wasn't an elite athlete until he developed physically.
Sidebar, how crazy are today's NBA athletes vs yesteryear's? Kevin Durant is viewed as a waif today, really skinny, he's 6-11, 240 lbs, that's about the same size as Bill Laimbeer who was 6-11, 245 lbs. Can you imagine Bill Laimbeer having the skillset that Durant has?