In a system ushered in by David Stern and supported by Adam Silver, top young basketball players must wait a year after high school – usually in college – before entering the NBA draft.
Usually, everyone understands how this process works. But occasionally, it leads to a little confusion about whether a highly rated prospect will jump to the NBA as soon as possible.
This year, Jabari Parker had some will-he?/won’t-he? drama about returning to Duke before ultimately declaring for the draft.
Don’t expect the same wavering from Duke’s latest hotshot freshman, center Jahlil Okafor.
Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, via ESPN:
ESPN ranks Okafor No. 1. So does DraftExpress. It’s certainly possible Okafor’s stock drops a little bit, but it’s unlikely he falls to the point returning for his sophomore season would be his best plan.
He possess top-end talent, and he should capitalize on it while he can. As long as NBA teams are willing to pay him, he should take their money as soon the league lets him.
If Krzyzewski is talking this way before the college season even begins, it sounds as if that’s Okafor’s firm plan.