Griffiths: Indiana stars Zeller, Oladipo were right to leave for NBA
By DOUG GRIFFITHS
ISL Assistant Editor
Fans would love college basketball players to exhaust their eligibility before they leave school, but that’s just not realistic in the day and age we live in if you’re talking about elite players.
Despite what the minority may say, both Cody Zeller and Victor Oladipo made the right decisions by leaving college early to pursue their NBA dreams.
When you’re a lottery pick, you have to go. The money thrown your way is way too great to put on hold for another year, and the risk of injury is far too great to jeopardize your draft stock.
Tom Crean knew his two stars were gone when he was asked about how he would approach the subject with the two shortly after his team was bounced from the NCAA Tournament by Syracuse. He said he would gather as much information as possible to help them make an educated decision.
The feedback Crean got from NBA execs was exactly what he thought. For selfish reasons, it was the kind of feedback he likely didn’t want to hear.
Zeller and Oladipo will be very high picks come late June. That’s a fact.
Crean prepped for this last spring, summer and in the fall by oversigning in his 2013-14 recruiting class.
He knew he was fortunate to get Zeller for an additional year when he could’ve made the jump after his freshman season in Bloomington, and knew Oladipo’s athleticism, the way he bettered his game during his career and the junior season he enjoyed would be very appealing to NBA personnel.
Crean knew this was IU’s year to go to the Final Four and possibly win the national championship.
It didn’t pan out that way though.
Sure, Hoosier fans are still somewhat stunned that despite having arguably IU’s most talented team since 1976, their team won only two NCAA Tournament games. I don’t expect them to be giddy over what transpired the past couple days. They would love to have Oladipo and Zeller back, joining returning regulars Yogi Ferrell and Will Sheehey, along with one of the nation’s best incoming recruiting classes to try and defend their Big Ten championship. Realistically, however, the fans knew they had seen No. 4 and No. 40 play their final game in Cream and Crimson last month in Washington D.C.’s Verizon Center.
Zeller said his teammates weren’t surprised by his decision.
“A lot of my teammates told me to go to the NBA because if they had the opportunity that I have, I think they would do the same thing,” Zeller said.
Those inside IU’s basketball program expected Oladipo to head to the NBA, too.
“It’s truly a dream come true,” Oladipo said. “But it’s become a goal. To actually achieve my goal is an amazing feeling. I just got to keep working and making sure that my hard work and work ethic stays that way and becomes a way of life.”
My advice to IU fans would be to be glad you had Zeller for two seasons and Oladipo for three. That in itself is a rarity.
It was Zeller who I would argue was the most important recruit IU has ever signed. His decision to attend IU over North Carolina among many others really set into motion the resurrection of the Hoosier hoops program.
When he arrived in Bloomington, IU was coming off a 12-20 season. Zeller’s two Hoosier teams went 27-9 and 29-7.
Fans loved him when he was starring at Washington (Ind.) High School and winning the coveted Indiana Mr. Basketball honor. They adored him even more after he announced he would play at nearby IU. Making him so special was the fact that he lived up to all the hype.
“The last two years have been probably the best two years of my life,” Zeller said. “It’s been a great two years but at this point in my life, I think it’s best for me to pursue my dream of playing in the NBA.”
Still, there are some that felt Zeller needed another year of college basketball, especially after he struggled against Syracuse. That’s ridiculous thinking. No doubt he had a long night against the Orange, but one game doesn’t define a player’s NBA prospects let alone just how good a college player he was.
Remember the NBA drafts on potential and the 7-footer has a high ceiling.
Do you really think his game would’ve gotten better if he returned to IU and played in what will be a watered down Big Ten when it comes to overall talent, and a college basketball landscape that will feature few big men that can push and force Zeller to take his game to another level and make him a better player. The NBA can and will do that on a nightly basis.
Also, lets see a show of hands for the number of you out there that would pass on around a $3 million a year salary to return to the college ranks? That’s what I thought.
Some where hoping earning his degree would cause Zeller to stay another year. As he said today, though, he’s 35 hours from earning his diploma. The Academic All-American plans to finish school by next summer.
Zeller is a smart guy. He knows his basketball playing clock is ticking and knows returning for another year of college basketball won’t help improve his stock and could in fact hurt it (just ask Jared Sullinger).
He enjoyed a sophomore season where he was near the top of the best conference in America in scoring (16.5 points per game), rebounding (8.1) and shooting percentage (56.2).
The second-team All-American possesses the kind of size that makes NBA executives salivate. He also runs the floor very well for a big man, has a terrific motor, and has a good shooting touch and decent range.
With that said, Zeller’s game does need some work. More weight and muscle will help him improve on the hardwood. He also needs to be more explosive around the basket and play like a 7-footer all the time.
Oladipo knows all about improving his game because no one in the college game in recent memory made the kind of strides the DeMatha High School product did.
His game translates perfectly to the NBA. Oladipo was one of college basketball’s finest one-on-one players this season and excelled as an on-ball defender.
Oladipo, who averaged 13.6 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists for the Hoosiers this season, while shooting nearly 60 percent from the floor, including 44 percent from three-point range, has a lot of upside. He oozes with athletic ability and talent, has great leaping ability and an uncanny knack for finishing around the hoop.
If you believe Magic Johnson, Oladipo will have the better NBA career than Zeller. With that said, Zeller will enjoy a lengthy stay in the NBA, too.
Both are as ready as any of their counterparts in college basketball to jump to the pro ranks and both will make a pair of NBA teams very happy come June 27.
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