Some may argue that the NBA age limit affords athletes the opportunity to go to college and "mature" or "grow" for at least a year. I think that the decision to pursue a college education should be solely that of the athlete, and should not be mandatory.

The whole idea (or supposed idea) of going to college is to earn a degree. By forcing a young basketball player to go to college for just a year, it's equivalent to giving him permission to abandon his team when the season is over. Athletes who leave college early to pursue the NBA have been an issue with a lot of coaches and college programs over the years. Coaches don't want to have to fear that their star player is going to leave every year. If a player feels that he's NBA material after his senior year of high school, he should be afforded the opportunity to test those waters. That's much better than that same kid going to college only because he has to, and basically playing with a selfish attitude by trying to have an outstanding freshman year so that he can leave his coach and teammates out to dry. If a basketball player opts for the NBA out of high school and goes un-drafted (or drafted below expectations), he must deal with that disappointment and realize that his decision to skip out on a free education, and collegiate playing experience wasn't the best choice for him.

College should be a decision that is made not forced.

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