That Jerryd Bayless sure is a heartbreaker. Peep the ESPN article, where his college coach (not really but kind of), the University of Arizona's Lute Olsen expresses his heartfelt sadness at being stood up at the alter by the one and done Jay Bay Bay.
The money quote:
"Jerryd said all along he wanted to stay here two years," Olson told the Times. "But then you get the agents working on the kids and parents all year. You might have the kid in your controlled environment for some time, but when [outsiders are] on the parents, you have no idea what's going on."
Olson, who led Arizona to a national championship in 1997 and took the 2007-08 season off as he was amid divorce proceedings, called the situation with one-year players a "farce." He told the Times he planned to use his position as a member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches to seek reform.
"We said at the time it'd be a disaster, that agents would be swarming all over -- not only over these kids, but their parents -- telling them the kid needed to score a ton of points in the one year and get out," Olson said of the time after the 2005 season when the NBA and the players' union agreed to implement the rules. "I'm not saying that's the case in every situation, but you've already seen the danger. What we predicted is happening. This is agent-driven, and it's a horrible rule."
Of course, Jerryd isn't the sole cause of Lute's angst; age might be a factor too (kidding).
The powder keg for Lute's outburst seems to be the recent struggle of Young Money Brandon Jennings, who is foregoing his freshman season at UA to head across the pond to play professionally in Europe.
Launch yourself across the SB Nation pond to Addicted to Quack to read Duck Dave's interesting take on that situation.
ESPN's Jemele Hill also has a cautionary look at Young Money's future that is well worth your time.
As for me, I say more power to Mr. Jennings. Maybe he will meet a nice, young European girl and fall in love. You didn't consider that part, did you?
Bon voyage Jeune Argent. (I don't speak French so that attempt at a four word sentence is assuredly incorrect.)
-- Ben (benjamin.golliver@gmail.com)