Nico Mannion

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Sun Apr 26, 2020 7:51 pm

Bayless could take over a game. He was a killer. Mannion isn’t remotely in the conversation when you talk about Bayless. Mannion has curly hair and supposedly can play in the NBA, according to some kind of mental experiment that doesn’t correlate to what he can show in an actual game of college basketball. That’s all I can give him.

Frybry02 · Post by **Frybry02** » Sun Apr 26, 2020 8:45 pm

Longhorned wrote:Bayless could take over a game. He was a killer. Mannion isn’t remotely in the conversation when you talk about Bayless. Mannion has curly hair and supposedly can play in the NBA, according to some kind of mental experiment that doesn’t correlate to what he can show in an actual game of college basketball. That’s all I can give him.

This was one of my biggest frustrations with Mannion. He should have been the best player on the court in all of our games. I kept waiting for him to take over and carry the team. Instead I got a lot of 26 footers

I thought his game winner in Anaheim was going to be the start of something special. Oh well. I will root for him to succeed in the league

Postmaster · Post by **Postmaster** » Mon Apr 27, 2020 1:28 am

Curious if he ever fully healed/recovered from that injury early in season.

He had 24’ range this last season.
Not sure how many shots were even as close as 26’.
I really think his shot selection (distance) hurt his game.

97cats · Post by **97cats** » Mon Apr 27, 2020 1:29 pm

i think his poor shooting hurt his game

Beachcat97 · Post by **Beachcat97** » Mon Apr 27, 2020 1:36 pm

Nico is way too athletic to settle for 26 footers, especially *contested* 26 footers. Watching him this past season, it just seemed he hasn't figured out how to be a high impact PG yet. If he'd averaged closer to 10 APG (he was just over 5) and took fewer shots, we might've added a few wins, imo.

Merkin · Post by **Merkin** » Mon Apr 27, 2020 1:39 pm

Postmaster wrote:Curious if he ever fully healed/recovered from that injury early in season.

He had 24’ range this last season.
Not sure how many shots were even as close as 26’.
I really think his shot selection (distance) hurt his game.

The way his shots were coming up short and how he trotted down the court it sure like he didn't have any legs left end of season, but could have been a conditioning issue. Which is odd for someone who plays endless AAU games.

But he is still a teen and actually had to play defense for once in his life.

97cats · Post by **97cats** » Mon Apr 27, 2020 1:41 pm

35.7mpg - 45.8%fg - 40.7%3pt - 83.9%ft - 4apg - 2.7rpg - 1spg - 19.7ppg

DrWildcat · Post by **DrWildcat** » Mon Apr 27, 2020 2:09 pm

97cats wrote:35.7mpg - 45.8%fg - 40.7%3pt - 83.9%ft - 4apg - 2.7rpg - 1spg - 19.7ppg

As the stats (given by 97) and actually watching the games showed, Jerryd Bayless was a much better player than Nico. Bayless had a decent career as a backup in the NBA, got to figure a backup is Nico's NBA ceiling. I'm hoping he proves me wrong though.

97cats · Post by **97cats** » Mon Apr 27, 2020 3:13 pm

32.2mpg - 39.2%fg - 32.7%3pt - 79.7%ft - 5.3apg - 2.5rpg - 1.2spg - 14ppg

gronk4heisman · Post by **gronk4heisman** » Mon Apr 27, 2020 3:20 pm

A good comp for Nico Mannion is Jordan Farmar, he was able to hang around the league on and off for a decade.

Jordan Farmar actually stayed his Sophomore year and took UCLA to the finals, Would have been nice to get the same from Nico before he bounced.

Alieberman · Post by **Alieberman** » Mon Apr 27, 2020 3:27 pm

Frybry02 wrote:
Longhorned wrote: I thought his game winner in Anaheim was going to be the start of something special. Oh well. I will root for him to succeed in the league

That game winning shot was nothing but luck. It was an ugly, ugly shot.

I would argue that that shot actually made him think he was a good shooter on this level and led to his piss poor shot selection.

Beachcat97 · Post by **Beachcat97** » Mon Apr 27, 2020 5:08 pm

gronk4heisman wrote:A good comp for Nico Mannion is Jordan Farmar, he was able to hang around the league on and off for a decade.

Jordan Farmar actually stayed his Sophomore year and took UCLA to the finals, Would have been nice to get the same from Nico before he bounced.

Yeah, it's possible my memory sucks, but I remember Farmar making a MUCH bigger splash for UCLA than Nico did for us. It could be that he played that second year, but even as a freshman (wasn't that Howland's first year?) he was already pretty solid.

gronk4heisman · Post by **gronk4heisman** » Mon Apr 27, 2020 5:43 pm

Beachcat97 wrote:
gronk4heisman wrote:A good comp for Nico Mannion is Jordan Farmar, he was able to hang around the league on and off for a decade.

Jordan Farmar actually stayed his Sophomore year and took UCLA to the finals, Would have been nice to get the same from Nico before he bounced.
Yeah, it's possible my memory sucks, but I remember Farmar making a MUCH bigger splash for UCLA than Nico did for us. It could be that he played that second year, but even as a freshman (wasn't that Howland's first year?) he was already pretty solid.

From 97's metrics, below is Nico:
32.2mpg - 39.2%fg - 32.7%3pt - 79.7%ft - 5.3apg - 2.5rpg - 1.2spg - 14ppg

Farmar freshman stats
34.4mpg - 41.1%fg - 33.3%3Pt - 80.1%ft - 5.3apg - 3.5rpg - 1.4spg - 13.2ppg

Almost identical numbers, maybe it felt bigger because of their improvement from the prior years (Howlands first and Lavins last were pretty bad).

azgreg · Post by **azgreg** » Mon Apr 27, 2020 6:08 pm

For comparison, these were my numbers in college:

00.0 mpg - 00.0%fg - 00.0%3pt - 00.0%ft - 0.0 apg - 0.0 rpg - 0.0 spg - 00 ppg

ASUHATER! · Post by **ASUHATER!** » Mon Apr 27, 2020 7:08 pm

azgreg wrote:For comparison, these were my numbers in college:

00.0 mpg - 00.0%fg - 00.0%3pt - 00.0%ft - 0.0 apg - 0.0 rpg - 0.0 spg - 00 ppg

you never missed a shot in college!

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Mon Apr 27, 2020 7:37 pm

There have been some Washington State teams that wouldn't have finished too many games ahead of a team of 12 of us in the conference standings.

legallykenny · Post by **legallykenny** » Tue Apr 28, 2020 9:36 pm

Beachcat97 wrote:Nico is way too athletic to settle for 26 footers, especially *contested* 26 footers. Watching him this past season, it just seemed he hasn't figured out how to be a high impact PG yet. If he'd averaged closer to 10 APG (he was just over 5) and took fewer shots, we might've added a few wins, imo.

What exactly indicates to you that Nico is athletic?

He's going to get torched by the modern NBA PG.

Beachcat97 · Post by **Beachcat97** » Tue Apr 28, 2020 11:14 pm

legallykenny wrote:
Beachcat97 wrote:Nico is way too athletic to settle for 26 footers, especially *contested* 26 footers. Watching him this past season, it just seemed he hasn't figured out how to be a high impact PG yet. If he'd averaged closer to 10 APG (he was just over 5) and took fewer shots, we might've added a few wins, imo.
What exactly indicates to you that Nico is athletic?

He's going to get torched by the modern NBA PG.

Nico is athletic enough to get into the lane, create shots and often get to the basket...at the NCAA level. We barely saw a glimmer of his college potential, and now he's gonzo. I agree: he's underprepared for the NBA and will most likely not stick. It's a shame.

RondaeShimmy · Post by **RondaeShimmy** » Wed Apr 29, 2020 9:33 am

Beachcat97 wrote:
legallykenny wrote:
Beachcat97 wrote:Nico is way too athletic to settle for 26 footers, especially *contested* 26 footers. Watching him this past season, it just seemed he hasn't figured out how to be a high impact PG yet. If he'd averaged closer to 10 APG (he was just over 5) and took fewer shots, we might've added a few wins, imo.
What exactly indicates to you that Nico is athletic?

He's going to get torched by the modern NBA PG.
Nico is athletic enough to get into the lane, create shots and often get to the basket...at the NCAA level. We barely saw a glimmer of his college potential, and now he's gonzo. I agree: he's underprepared for the NBA and will most likely not stick. It's a shame.

He basically stopped going to the lane because he wasn't physically mature/ready yet.

He only did floaters and chucked a bunch of outside shots.

Imho he wasn't really ready physically for the college level let alone the NBA.

dmjcat · Post by **dmjcat** » Wed Apr 29, 2020 10:14 am

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/288 ... aft-boards" target="_blank

Nico Mannion, PG, Arizona

A recent scan of the mock draft universe found that Nico Mannion's draft range stretches from No. 10 to No. 30.

NBC Sports' Rob Dauster came in on the higher end, projecting the 19-year-old to go 14th overall, but the subsequent write-up was far from flattering:

"My concern with drafting him this high is that he doesn't really have an NBA skill. He's a good athlete but not a great athlete, and that isn't helped by the fact that his wingspan is reportedly 6-foot-2.5. He's not great at beating defenders off the dribble in the halfcourt, which is a problem for an NBA point guard. He's a good shooter but he's not a great shooter. He's a high-level passer but he's not Trae Young or Luka Doncic. He tries defensively but he just doesn't have the physical tools to be a lockdown defender. I'm just not sure what he does that truly sets him apart, and the fact that he was the leader of an Arizona team that kept losing games they shouldn't lose is concerning."

Remember, the author of that paragraph projects Mannion as a higher pick than most. Even Dauster's rationale for slotting him 14th is underwhelming, as it cites a relatively high floor because of his basketball IQ, ability to make shots and his capability in the pick-and-roll.

Those aren't great selling points for the lottery, even in a less-than-great draft. Given all the questions with Mannion's physical tools, it wouldn't be at all shocking if he lasts until the tail end of the opening round.

Beachcat97 · Post by **Beachcat97** » Wed Apr 29, 2020 10:22 am

Dauster’s assessment is pretty devastating for Nico. It’s also spot-on.

97cats · Post by **97cats** » Wed Apr 29, 2020 10:34 am

except hes not a good shooter

gronk4heisman · Post by **gronk4heisman** » Wed Apr 29, 2020 10:34 am

This draft class is pretty deep with PG's, based on the eye test there are more than 10 PG's I would take before taking a risk with Nico. I would think it is more likely than not that he falls into the second round. I am not an NBA GM though so maybe there is something that I am missing.

Alieberman · Post by **Alieberman** » Wed Apr 29, 2020 10:56 am

97cats wrote:except hes not a good shooter

I was going to say that was a brutally accurate write-up except I wouldn't even call him a good shooter.

That write up describes a 2nd rounder.

Beachcat97 · Post by **Beachcat97** » Wed Apr 29, 2020 11:16 am

Think the most devastating line in that whole thing is, "he doesn't really have an NBA skill." Oh yeah? But he's still going to play for an NBA team?

97cats · Post by **97cats** » Wed Apr 29, 2020 11:23 am

just like so many others before him and after him, he needed an additional summer and collegian year to hone his obvious skills and improve his strength and fitness.

its not that difficult

Merkin · Post by **Merkin** » Wed Apr 29, 2020 11:29 am

Nico was a fantastic shooter the first 8 home games v. The Sisters of Mary type teams. Probably close to 50% 3 point shots.

It wasn't until he faced real teams that we realized that he was not a great shooter.

Wake Forest 0-3.
Baylor 1-5.
Gonzaga 1-10.

Jefe · Post by **Jefe** » Wed Apr 29, 2020 12:02 pm

So why leave? Who is telling him he's ready? Is GLeague money that appealing or did he just not want to be at AZ for another season

CatMG · Post by **CatMG** » Wed Apr 29, 2020 12:53 pm

Jefe wrote:So why leave? Who is telling him he's ready? Is GLeague money that appealing or did he just not want to be at AZ for another season

I assume leaving for the NBA draft after this season was the plan regardless of how it turned out. While the OAD rule is an NBA rule designed to reduce the number of draft busts, it also can benefit players who THINK they are ready right after HS but aren't (or like in Nico's case, STILL not ready after their freshman season).

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Wed Apr 29, 2020 1:25 pm

He's a misevaluation: a one-in-done by declaration rather than ability. Bad for him, and bad for the college program that took him. He needs at least three years in college, probably four. The G-League can be great for development, but not if you're not ready for it.

azgreg · Post by **azgreg** » Wed Apr 29, 2020 1:35 pm

So, what's everyone's thoughts on Nico's shooting ability?

pc in NM · Post by **pc in NM** » Wed Apr 29, 2020 1:45 pm

azgreg wrote:So, what's everyone's thoughts on Nico's shooting ability?

He has a lot of potential....

Beachcat97 · Post by **Beachcat97** » Wed Apr 29, 2020 1:50 pm

Longhorned wrote:He's a misevaluation: a one-in-done by declaration rather than ability. Bad for him, and bad for the college program that took him. He needs at least three years in college, probably four. The G-League can be great for development, but not if you're not ready for it.

I was waiting for someone to put it this bluntly, and you're absolutely, LH.

Misevaluated as a HS player. The guy isn't a stiff, obviously, but clearly there were mistakes made with his scouting report. Now that we've seen him play against top level competition, and have seen how mightily he struggled, I think we can now say that the guy was a pretty serious disappointment, given the level of hype and expectations surrounding him for the past couple years.

Makes you wonder, doesn't it? How was it that TJ McConnell went almost unnoticed as a HS player, landing at a small school in Pittsburgh, even after averaging 34 PPG and 9APG as a senior? TJ is easily among the most important players Miller's ever recruited, and we didn't even know his name till he was a sophomore in college. Compare that to the Nico Mannions and the Daishen Nixes of the world. It goes to show how much is at stake in recruiting. If you get it wrong, or just get burned by a guy who reneges on a commitment, it's hard to recover quickly.

Chicat · Post by **Chicat** » Wed Apr 29, 2020 2:10 pm

We eat our own better than anyone else.

He’s going to be representing Arizona in the pros. For that reason above all others, I wish him luck. All this postscript trashing of the kid is useless in my opinion. But do what we do I guess...

dovecanyoncat · Post by **dovecanyoncat** » Wed Apr 29, 2020 4:38 pm

pc in NM wrote:
azgreg wrote:So, what's everyone's thoughts on Nico's shooting ability?
He has a lot of potential....

He was one of our best 3 pt shooters in practice, so the G-league has that going for him..

Merkin · Post by **Merkin** » Wed Apr 29, 2020 4:56 pm

Beachcat97 wrote:
Longhorned wrote:He's a misevaluation: a one-in-done by declaration rather than ability. Bad for him, and bad for the college program that took him. He needs at least three years in college, probably four. The G-League can be great for development, but not if you're not ready for it.
I was waiting for someone to put it this bluntly, and you're absolutely, LH.

Misevaluated as a HS player. The guy isn't a stiff, obviously, but clearly there were mistakes made with his scouting report. Now that we've seen him play against top level competition, and have seen how mightily he struggled, I think we can now say that the guy was a pretty serious disappointment, given the level of hype and expectations surrounding him for the past couple years.

Makes you wonder, doesn't it? How was it that TJ McConnell went almost unnoticed as a HS player, landing at a small school in Pittsburgh, even after averaging 34 PPG and 9APG as a senior? TJ is easily among the most important players Miller's ever recruited, and we didn't even know his name till he was a sophomore in college. Compare that to the Nico Mannions and the Daishen Nixes of the world. It goes to show how much is at stake in recruiting. If you get it wrong, or just get burned by a guy who reneges on a commitment, it's hard to recover quickly.

I remember when it was 4 future NBA players on the UA team plus this slow white mid major guy named TJ. It wasn't until Lute Olson came out and said during TJ's redshirt season that he was the best player on the team. Guess Lute could still evaluate talent then, although he certainly had his share of misses.

Beachcat97 · Post by **Beachcat97** » Wed Apr 29, 2020 5:42 pm

Merkin wrote:
Beachcat97 wrote:
Longhorned wrote:He's a misevaluation: a one-in-done by declaration rather than ability. Bad for him, and bad for the college program that took him. He needs at least three years in college, probably four. The G-League can be great for development, but not if you're not ready for it.
I was waiting for someone to put it this bluntly, and you're absolutely, LH.

Misevaluated as a HS player. The guy isn't a stiff, obviously, but clearly there were mistakes made with his scouting report. Now that we've seen him play against top level competition, and have seen how mightily he struggled, I think we can now say that the guy was a pretty serious disappointment, given the level of hype and expectations surrounding him for the past couple years.

Makes you wonder, doesn't it? How was it that TJ McConnell went almost unnoticed as a HS player, landing at a small school in Pittsburgh, even after averaging 34 PPG and 9APG as a senior? TJ is easily among the most important players Miller's ever recruited, and we didn't even know his name till he was a sophomore in college. Compare that to the Nico Mannions and the Daishen Nixes of the world. It goes to show how much is at stake in recruiting. If you get it wrong, or just get burned by a guy who reneges on a commitment, it's hard to recover quickly.
I remember when it was 4 future NBA players on the UA team plus this slow white mid major guy named TJ. It wasn't until Lute Olson came out and said during TJ's redshirt season that he was the best player on the team. Guess Lute could still evaluate talent then, although he certainly had his share of misses.

He's easily the best PG of the Miller era and had us knocking on the door of the FF twice. Fucking Wisconsin.

pc in NM · Post by **pc in NM** » Wed Apr 29, 2020 6:37 pm

Chicat wrote:We eat our own better than anyone else.

He’s going to be representing Arizona in the pros. For that reason above all others, I wish him luck. All this postscript trashing of the kid is useless in my opinion. But do what we do I guess...

Except for having played here, what do you expect him to actually do to “represent” the U of A?

Postmaster · Post by **Postmaster** » Wed Apr 29, 2020 8:22 pm

I feel like as competition got stronger he had problems getting good looks and settled for those really long 3s.
He could get to the rim but had trouble scoring. He relied on that floater for whatever reason. At times it seemed like he couldn’t create the space to get a layup laid up.

zonagrad · Post by **zonagrad** » Wed Apr 29, 2020 9:07 pm

I’d say Nico Mannion was better his freshman year than TJ McConnell and Peyton Pritchard. Why is anyone comparing Nico as a freshman to McConnell as a senior or Pritchard as a senior?

The travesty IMO is than Nico is believing the hype and was convinced by others to go pro early: either he’s a top 10 pick and should leave OR he was highly rated and now his stock is slipping and he should still leave early before he dips any lower. That’s a sucker bet.

Nico is like a stock in a Bear market that is going to rebound. Why sell low? If he were to follow the same path and stay in school like McConnell and Pritchard, he’d be better than both by his senior season. He needs time, just as they did.

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Wed Apr 29, 2020 9:26 pm

There have been a lot of one-and-done's in the Miller era. Three alone this past season. Even Gordon left without having shown much of anything on offense, but at least he was a juggernaut on defense and rebounding. Ayton was truly ready, and gave us a ton to remember him by.

Otherwise, we join a lot of other college basketball programs in having been used. I don't blame the individual players. They're just pawns, and I feel sorry for them. But I do think programs are getting used, and it's at the expense of college basketball, the players, the programs, and the fans.

Beachcat97 · Post by **Beachcat97** » Wed Apr 29, 2020 9:35 pm

Longhorned wrote: But I do think programs are getting used, and it's at the expense of college basketball, the players, the programs, and the fans.

Yes.

97cats · Post by **97cats** » Thu Apr 30, 2020 10:17 am

Chicat wrote:We eat our own better than anyone else.

He’s going to be representing Arizona in the pros. For that reason above all others, I wish him luck. All this postscript trashing of the kid is useless in my opinion. But do what we do I guess...

guilty - however, my opinion reflects the long term prospects of the player - id like to think without bias or judgement but.....

in this case, regarding Mannion, my comment(s) were and always have been directed at him needing, and ultimately staying, an additional year or two to maximize his value and long term production on the floor as a professional.

by my eye, and from the numbers, hes not a one year college player candidate if his goal is to be a 10year+ NBA veteran.

Beachcat97 · Post by **Beachcat97** » Thu Apr 30, 2020 11:58 am

Better freshmen than Mannion have stayed in school longer than a year. Trier and Budinger come to mind.

97cats · Post by **97cats** » Thu Apr 30, 2020 12:13 pm

you ever seen Dennis Rodman as a freshman in college? what about Scottie Pippen? how bout Kawhi Leonard? or Alex Caruso? Jameer Nelson?

you want Arizona? how bout Channing Frye? or Luke Walton? TJ McConnell? Steve Kerr? Damon Stoudamire?

the lists are infinite - a small fraction of players are ready at 18/19years old to make the jump to the NBA and are better served by entering at 20/21/22/23 years of age.

like i said, its not difficult to make a plan, but ego is a crazy thing...

BigSkyCatinMT · Post by **BigSkyCatinMT** » Thu Apr 30, 2020 12:52 pm

Some players just leave too late. Terrance Morris was once considered the #1 draft pick. Each year he stayed in college, his draft stock plummeted. Right up to when he went undrafted.

Other players go to early. One ankle turn, and gone. Forgotten. See Nick Johnson.

Jarrett got to stick in the league for a few games. Ashley went undrafted. How would it have turned out if was Ashley (the better player) who left, and Grant stayed?

These guys have hard decisions. One wrong guess...

zonagrad · Post by **zonagrad** » Thu Apr 30, 2020 1:09 pm

BigSkyCatinMT wrote:Some players just leave too late. Terrance Morris was once considered the #1 draft pick. Each year he stayed in college, his draft stock plummeted. Right up to when he went undrafted.

Other players go to early. One ankle turn, and gone. Forgotten. See Nick Johnson.

Jarrett got to stick in the league for a few games. Ashley went undrafted. How would it have turned out if was Ashley (the better player) who left, and Grant stayed?

These guys have hard decisions. One wrong guess...

I don’t know how you could argue someone is potentially staying too long when they’re borderline projected in the late 1st round. If Mannion was a clear top 10 or even top 20 pick in a relatively weak draft then it would be understandable to leave. He’s clearly not and is leaving anyway, which makes zero sense especially since he’s only a freshman. It’s clear he has a lot of upside and potential but needs at least one or even two more years. It’s like Pritchard leaving after his sophomore year. It’s clear there’s talent but you need to see a lot more: like a whole season more.

It’s not hating on a player to say he shstay. Nico could really blossom after a few more years. It’s not unread to those could be a top 5 pick in 3 years. If I’m a GM, why would waste a pick knowing he won’t help my team for 3 years and then he’ll be a free agent anyway ?

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Thu Apr 30, 2020 1:31 pm

97cats wrote:you ever seen Dennis Rodman as a freshman in college? what about Scottie Pippen? how bout Kawhi Leonard? or Alex Caruso? Jameer Nelson?

you want Arizona? how bout Channing Frye? or Luke Walton? TJ McConnell? Steve Kerr? Damon Stoudamire?

the lists are infinite - a small fraction of players are ready at 18/19years old to make the jump to the NBA and are better served by entering at 20/21/22/23 years of age.

like i said, its not difficult to make a plan, but ego is a crazy thing...

Ego answers to irrational voices. There are many very smart people in the NBA and college basketball. Dean Smith supported Walt Davis, the best Tar Heel before Jordan, when he went to the NBA after three years at UNC. Later, Smith nudged Jordan to leave after three years. It's not that kind of voice high school players are listening to when they agree they're going to be a one-and-done. I seriously doubt Sean Miller urged Nico to limit college to a year. He just had to accept it as a precondition he'd have never agreed with.

Jefe · Post by **Jefe** » Thu Apr 30, 2020 1:51 pm

Imagine the meetings he is having with his Agent. You got me in the 2nd round now?!

zonagrad · Post by **zonagrad** » Thu Apr 30, 2020 2:24 pm

Longhorned wrote:
97cats wrote:you ever seen Dennis Rodman as a freshman in college? what about Scottie Pippen? how bout Kawhi Leonard? or Alex Caruso? Jameer Nelson?

you want Arizona? how bout Channing Frye? or Luke Walton? TJ McConnell? Steve Kerr? Damon Stoudamire?

the lists are infinite - a small fraction of players are ready at 18/19years old to make the jump to the NBA and are better served by entering at 20/21/22/23 years of age.

like i said, its not difficult to make a plan, but ego is a crazy thing...
Ego answers to irrational voices. There are many very smart people in the NBA and college basketball. Dean Smith supported Walt Davis, the best Tar Heel before Jordan, when he went to the NBA after three years at UNC. Later, Smith nudged Jordan to leave after three years. It's not that kind of voice high school players are listening to when they agree they're going to be a one-and-done. I seriously doubt Sean Miller urged Nico to limit college to a year. He just had to accept it as a precondition he'd have never agreed with.

This looks like the situation. Sure , you can plan for one year in college with the expectation to go early. But why make that hard commitment when you don’t have to? Why not leave the door open for the possibility of multiple years in college? It’s funny how people will say he slipped to the second round. Nonsense. He played really good as a freshman. He didn’t dominate. Who’s to say the pre-season predictions were accurate? Players become victims of the preseason hype.

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