The NFL requires players be in college for three years before they can enter the draft.

Players likely won’t graduate in that span of time, but they can get on track for a degree.

“Our sport is so different because you don’t deal with this in any other sport,” Capel said. “It puts us in conflict with educators and professors at the university. The mission of universities is to go there to get an education and these stop-gap situations aren’t happening.”

To Capel’s credit, he was able to persuade Griffin to play for two seasons before making the leap. Willie Warren, who was projected as a definite first-round pick, elected to return for his sophomore season next year.

In order to do that both had to remain in solid academic standing as freshmen. Players who know they’re just going to play one season often don’t. Due to an eligibility quirk, players just need to enroll in spring classes to play second half of the college basketball season. It doesn’t mean they actually have to go to one.

“You pass six hours in the fall, you don’t go to school in the spring, and the next thing you know, you’re still eligible to play the whole year,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “It has been abused a little bit.”

OU is one of many schools that have mandatory attendance requirements for its athletes, but some schools don’t. Those who don’t risk taking massive hits in their APR score and a subsequent reduction in scholarships. To some schools, it’s worth the risk.

Most coaches agree there wouldn’t be as much if players could enter the NBA out of high school, but those who chose the college route had to stay for at least two years.

“I think that eliminates guys who don’t really want to be in college and don’t want an education,” Capel said. “They’re just using the system.”

But the NBA is going to do whatever it wants to do. There’s no doubt making players go to college for a year provides a much better platform to evaluate talent. It also makes incoming rookies more marketable thanks to a season in the college spotlight.

All that will be on display Thursday night. The hype machine will be in full force as the first-round picks are announced.

“The whole climate of our sport has changed, but I don’t think the NBA cares about that,” Capel said.

John Shinn

366-3536

jshinn@normantranscript.com