By
Connor Doyle
Arizona Daily Wildcat
In the past two weeks, hordes of people have been talking about the four UA basketball players that have left Arizona early for the greener pastures of the NBA.
Some support their move, understanding that it's been the lifelong dream of these young men to play their sport at the highest level. Others, and it seems like the majority, have ripped them for a variety of reasons.
Some say they're betraying their team and the school. Some say that they aren't ready for the NBA. And more people still say it's because they should finish their education.
This last point is the most troublesome to me, because it involves the most personal bias. To say that someone needs an education is a judgment of character. More to the point, it's not an opinion that they would readily apply to other student-athletes in other sports.
Want proof? Look at Ben Diggins last year. The star pitcher for the UA baseball squad had a great year and - to the surprise of no one, including UA head coach Jerry Stitt - left after his junior year for the allure of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers.
There was some criticism for his decision that centered on his draft status - some argued that another year could help him go higher.
But not a single column was written in the local papers - including the one you're reading now - on how Ben Diggins should stay because he needed an education.
It could be said that the difference between the treatment of Diggins, a baseball player, and Richard Jefferson - or any of the other three basketball players leaving early - had to do with the relative popularity of their sports.
I don't buy that for a second. There are plenty of people who love UA baseball, and they are as passionate about their sport as UA basketball fans are.
Not one of those baseball fans questioned Diggins' decision based on his passing up a degree because, simply, they understood that the quicker he got to the minor leagues, the better off he would be in pursuing his life-long dream.
For these young basketball players, the decision to leave for the NBA could be just as prudent as Diggins'. If you disagree with me, simply consider what would happen to Michael Wright if he tore his ACL next season at UA. His career would likely be finished, or at least severely damaged.
The role of graduation in the debate has been more intense with the basketball players than with Diggins, and a number of fellow athletes who skip part - if not all- of their education to pursue athletic endeavors.
Clearly, there's a double-standard being applied here.
There's a very disturbing reason for it - the four young men leaving the basketball team this year are black. Diggins is white. Here in lies the distinction that makes all the difference.
The race issue
It doesn't take a lot of time to see how the culture of basketball is different from the that of most other high-profile sports. Basketball has become consumed with the alley-oop and the crossover dribble, two trends among many that began on the courts of inner-cities in America.
This isn't to say that no other sports are played in the inner-cities, but basketball has been embraced in these cities in a manner unlike the others.
The new flair with which basketball is played has been embraced by fans of all cultures. I haven't heard too many people lament the loss of the back-door cut, but I do hear plenty of people flip out when Allen Iverson breaks someone's ankles with a cut to the hoop. In addition, many of these young players reflect their roots in their appearance, whether it be cornrows, tattoos, or baggy shorts.
However, this style of basketball brings with it some common - and misleading - stereotypes. Not the least of which is that most black basketball players are poor, under-educated, and in need of a college degree more than white athletes.
Many people who hold this view probably do so without consciously realizing it. However, it's omnipresent, whether it's in the situations of Ben Diggins or white tennis players who may even skip high school to join the professional ranks.
No one screamed when a pre-teen Jennifer Capriati joined the WTA - they instead raved about her talent and perceived ability to handle the pressures of her sport.
Look at what happened to Capriati - she became a burnout early and almost lost her career. She was totally unprepared for the rigors of her sport and the responsibility that comes with adulthood. Not too many people blamed the fact that Capriati hadn't received a college education, because to do so would be ridiculous. There's nothing about a college degree that prevents people from failing in life.
What does a degree mean, anyway?
The college degree - the supposed sign of refinement and status - is not the Holy Grail to everyone. Plenty of people, both black and white, have bypassed a higher education to pursue other endeavors. In fact, the college degree is to many a means to the end - getting the job they want.
Plenty of jobs in this world don't require a college degree, and being a professional basketball player is one of them.
These young men share a common desire - to become professionals in their sport. They have done what has been asked of them to become elite players, and now want to enter the fray of the NBA. Their efforts are no less than the psychology major who earns a degree in his field so he can become a shrink.
However, people are unwilling to accept that these young men are noble in their goals. They assume that because their aspirations are to be an athlete instead of a doctor or professor, they are inferior.
I do know one thing - many people, realizing it or not, feel that young black people need a college education more than young white kids.
The only trouble with believing this is that it's impossible to prove or understand. Few would ever admit openly to holding such prejudice, and even fewer would understand why they feel that way. So I couldn't possibly suggest a solution to the problem.
However, I will ask this of anyone who has criticized these players passing on their education. The next time you cheer Kerry Wood and Mike Piazza for their baseball exploits, ask yourself if they would be better people with college degrees.
Then tell me if any of the four UA basketball players who left school would be better off with their respective degrees, if you even took the time to find out what they were.
