The NBA dropped a proverbial “bombshell” this past summer by establishing a new 19-year-old age limit for entering the NBA draft.While many opposed the new rule, others, including many in the Nicholls community, favor it.

“I think they should go to college for at least one or two years,” junior guard Jamie Octave said. “It’s a big change from high school to college, so I’m sure it’s even harder to go from high school to the draft.”

Lady Colonels head basketball coach Mark Cook believes the same.

“I look at the guys who have played longer in college; those are the guys at the superstar status where they are winning championships,” Cook said. “Look at Tim Duncan, who played all four years at Wake Forest, he has a couple of rings, or Shaq who played for three years at LSU. It’s the guys who have played ball in college that have more long-term success in the NBA.”

Under the new rule, high school players must be 19 years old during the year of the draft in order to declare themselves eligible.

Since 1974, 49 high school seniors have entered the NBA draft. Players such as Shawn Kemp, Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, Jermaine O’Neal, Tracy McGrady, Al Harrington, Darius Miles, Amare Stoudemire and Lebron James are just a few of the known players not to attend college.

The rule applies to both American and foreign-born players. One of the most recent foreign-born players to enter the draft out of high school was Darko Milicic, who was 18 when he was selected by the Detroit Pistons in the 2003 NBA draft.

“It is important for them to go to college,” Jared Price, healthcare management sophomore from Thibodaux and basketball fan, said. “I can also see their point though. If they’re good enough to play in the NBA then why not.”

On average, three high school players enter the NBA draft per year. The most of any year came in 2004, the last year before the age limit, in which four players entered the draft, according to NBAwire.com.

Of the recent players to come straight from high school, only Kobe Bryant has won at least one NBA championship.

“In the NBA, anyone can play, but it’s a matter of who can play with four other people on the court,” Cook said. “You learn that more in college because there are so many good teachers.”

Several NBA players, including Indiana Pacers forward Jermaine O’Neal, said the proposal is “racist” because the majority of the athletes affected are African-American.

In an interview with ESPN.com on April 13, O’Neal stated: “You don’t hear about it in baseball or hockey. It’s unconstitutional. If I can go into the U.S. army and fight the war at 18, why can’t I play basketball for 48 minutes.”

Colonels’ junior guard Stefan Blaszczynski said it is important to have some life experience under your belt, especially when it comes to money.

“I think it is important for people to experience the college life before going to the NBA,” Blaszczynski said. “Young players are getting hit with a lot of money, but they don’t have the knowledge of what to do with the money. I think that’s where the problem comes in.”

Not only has the NBA been affected by the new age limit, college basketball has been equally affected. Many, including, Colonels head basketball coach J.P. Piper believe college basketball can now be more competitive.

“I think it creates a little more parity and makes it more interesting for the fans,” Piper said. “The more great players you have in the game, the more fun it is for fans to tune in and see who’s going to beat who.”

Piper strongly approves of an age limit, but can make an exception for a really “great” player.

“I think maybe there ought to be some type of a waiver or an appeal process for this special guy that comes along maybe like a Kobe Bryant or a Kevin Garnett,” Piper said. “They’re too many kids that think they’re Kobe Bryant that aren’t. I would hate to say that you could never have a kid come straight out of high school because there’s always an exception to the rule. But I think by and large if they had to wait two years and go work in college and learn the game and learn to develop some skill and be a part of a team, it could only benefit them.