Book Learning Is Overrated

The Dropout Bear can rely on his Ph.D. despite having never finished school.

A few weeks ago, my man Nate posted something on the AOL NBA Fanhouse about ideal participants in the all-star weekend dunk contest. As I picked my way through his choices, I couldn't help but notice how many players hadn't gone to college or were only in college for a short while. It was a reminder that there are some guys, not just the LeBrons of the world, who are just ready to play. Did Monta Ellis need to go to college? Maybe not. To be clear, I think all kids should go to college--not just for the education, as not everyone wants to be in a classroom, but because of the social aspects and because it helps these aspiring basketball players better understand their future trade--but "should" is a judgment and need, in this sense, is a little more objective. There are 17- and 18-year-olds who have the bodies and the games, both of which may be better refined and applied on an NBA bench than by beating up on the Michigans and St. Johns of college basketball.

But I was also reminded of how much speculation regarding prep athletes is driven by measurables and workouts and meat-market summer camps. Every year, there are kids who can jump 40 inches and run quickly while carrying 220 pounds. These are kids who will be "blessing" college programs with their matriculation and would be NBA players were it not for the age requirement...

And then the kids show up on college campuses and, just like the moment you drive that new car off the show lot, their values plummet. Here are five guys who probably should have never gone to college:

James White


The video speaks for itself. White's leaping ability had people buzzing about his assured greatness. But two colleges and no jump shot later, how's it all working out? Had White gone pro out of high school, some dumb-ass GM--there are plenty of them--probably would have been taken him in the lottery.

Felipe Lopez


At this point, we all know Felipe's story. And this is among the most melancholy, for me, despite the seeming dissonance: the guy made the NBA and had a decent enough career, after all. But that neglects the uncomfortable truth that he was underwhelming at St. John's (Zendon Hamilton was better) and forever viewed through the lens of disappointment, because coming out of high school, there was nothing bigger than him. I always wished that he would have just been picked top-five out of high school.

Gerald Wallace


Another one in the Lopez camp, as he not only made the NBA but has become something of a cult figure, a fantasy stud, and a solid starter. But still, do you remember when Wallace was in high school? He had the braids and the awesome highlights? Motherfuckers hadn't ever heard of Childersburg, AL, but everyone knew about the kid from there who shocked the basketball pundits by actually choosing college over a guaranteed spot in the lottery and a legitimate chance to be picked first overall. I still can only name three or four places in Alabama, and Childersburg is one of them.

Joe Crawford


This is a more obscure choice, I'd imagine, as the Kentucky guard is still in college, but he was a top-ten player coming out of high school and there were concerns that he'd be a one-and-done guy. But again, he's still in college, something that most top-ten high school kids view as a failure. And, Crawford may not even make the NBA.

Most Big White Men Who've Gone to Duke This Decade


Do you remember the hype when Shavlik Randolph chose Duke? How about Josh McRoberts, who hasn't looked like the top-five pick we were told he might be.