Originally Posted by
Phredd3
I just flat don't agree with this. "Regular" students have the ability to transfer, but they don't, at least not at anywhere close to the rate that athletes do. Why? Because there actually is a penalty in most cases for transferring, in that most colleges have a residency requirement to get a degree, and when accepting transfer credits, limitations do apply (grades aren't usually accepted when transferring, many degree-centric courses must be done in residency, different institutions have different prerequisites and requirements, etc.). Getting a degree is a four-year enterprise at minimum in most cases, and taking extra time to get the degree costs significant money.
Elite college basketball players, for the most part, aren't in it for the degree and aren't paying to attend, so it is no longer a four-year enterprise. Instead, it is variable-length and the usual student transfer limitations do not apply. Instead, the college game is treated like a professional league in most ways, except actually paying the players. There is NO professional sports league that I'm aware of which permits unlimited free agency, and all players operate on binding contracts. Pro leagues understand that continuity is important, both on the field and for the fans. Most of the time, the development leagues are among the most restrictive in terms of player movement, and free agency is earned over time. College ball, if its primary function is to be an NBA development league, should be no different. There needs to be a limitation on player movement for the good of the game.
Basketball seems to be the only college sport that doesn't acknowledge this. It's actively bad for player development. Heck, much of the value that K once brought to the table was how good he was at developing athletes and making them better. Now, when a player doesn't like what they're hearing, they can just ignore it. They can be somewhere else next year, anyway.
IMO, this is much more basic to the sport than, "I can't remember last year's roster."