Arkansas was talented and had some impressive wins. But NBA teams draft a lot of guys purely on their athleticism and potential, sticks them in the G league and hopes/sees if they develop. Some do, a lot don't. You'd think that NBA teams, with only a 2-round-draft, would draft only guys who have, you know, genuine basketball skills to go with their athleticism--but they often don't. It's wacky--but then NBA rosters and rotations are small, so I guess they think they can go long with some of these prospects. That said, the whole 1-and-Done thing has become stupid and annoying.
These 5-stars who have decided before they get to campus, in many cases, that they're only going to play one year rarely help their college teams. A few do, there are some exceptions---but most are raw and lack polish: see Phillips. You, the coach, spend a year working with them and then they bolt. Look at Cal at Kentucky: Think of ALL the 5-stars he's landed over a 20-year period, all the 1-and-Dones, and he brings in multiple 5 stars every year. He's got one measly national title. I don't know how he stands it. We think the 5 stars are a great thing and help him--but they play a year and then leave--so the team never benefits from their growth, maturity and development, because they don't stick around. As a result, he's has to pretty much start over, rehash the same basic fundamentals, with a new crop of 5 stars every year. The team never develops because the top talent doesn't stick around long enough to develop and mature. It's crazy and pretty stupid, really--but in keeping with the off-putting commercialism of major-college sports. Further, are Kentucky boosters putting up big NIL money to help Cal land these 5 stars? Why? It's a waste of money--stupid.
