One And Dones: Not as Great as We Think

Theres no denying what college basketball has become, dominated by players like Lonzo Ball, Josh Jackson, and Jayson Tatum who don't see the level for anything but a stepping stone and a chance to make money money next year. But teams who consistently have the most one and done players like Kentucky and Duke are not having as much success as teams that don't use the one and done system. 

Lets take a look back at the National Champions since 2010. Duke, UConn, Kentucky, Louisville, UConn, Duke, and Villanova. Breaking down those rosters only 2 teams Kentucky in 2012 and Duke in 2015 had one and done players on their roster. Rather than using one and dones, the recent champions have relied on senior point guards to bring them to the top. UConn had Kemba Walker and Shabazz Napier, Louisville had Peyton Siva, and Villanova had Ryan Archidiacono. Even in 2015, Frank Kaminsky and Sam Dekker led Wisconsin to a Final Four win over an undefeated Kentucky that had many players looking ahead to their NBA decision rather than the game. 

Using one and dones not only fails to bring you to the ultimate goal of winning a title, but they also set you up for failure in future seasons. After winning the 2012 title using strong dose of one and dones Kentucky not only missed the NCAA tournament, but lost to Robert Morris in the first round of the NIT. After their near perfect 2015 season, the Wildcats were bounced in the NCAA Round of 32 by a senior point guard in Yogi Ferrell and Indiana.

Overall, one and done players will bring you plenty of success in the regular season but come March; I would much rather have a senior point guard leading my team rather than multiple guys with bigger things on their mind.