Question for Creighton Fans

[glm38]

Back to the original topic. I've watched Doug's game this year with an eye towards how it would/will translate to the NBA. I think hes a great college player. I love his game. But I just don't see him being a star at the next level. And I think its possible he may struggle to find a place as a role player.

Its possible he finds the right situation and has a 10 plus year career. But its just as possible he washes out in a year. If I were him (or his Dad) I would want a backup. As in a college degree. I know he could always go back and finish it later. But that's hard to do sometimes. Why not get it done and enjoy another year of being one of the best college players in the country?

[BCPanther]

I think he'll have a decent NBA career. If guys like Ryan Bowen and Paul Shirley can have multiple year NBA careers, so can Doug. He'll be a nice role player for somebody. He won't be a star, but he won't hurt you either...

[WhiskeySierraUniform]

I will give you credit for being logical. If your talking about how good one does once making the tournament for the entire history of these teams than you are right. This was off topic though. It all came up when i agreed with a shocker fan that the reason most people dislike CU and WSU is because both are good. And in that, i mentioned that Creighton has been hated for over 10 years, and Wichita for 2 years, simply because both have been good for that long respectively. I was just saying the shox have been good the past couple years and thats why most valley fans dislike them. And some shocker fan disagreed and said yall have been good for the past 6 years. The whole point was that when your good for year after year, the other teams in the conference dont like you, hence Creighton has been "envied" for 10 plus years, Wichita for the past year or two. It takes a few years for the envy to set in. Creightons been atop or near the top for 15 years, but only really hated for the past 10. Wichita has been atop or near the top for the past 3 years, they have only been hated for a year or two. To illustrate this point, Creighton has finished in the top 4 in the Valley every single season for the past 15 years, this would be year 16. Wichita has finished in the top 4 in the Valley only for the past 3 years, this will be year 4. Creighton fans are used to being envied thats probably why we take the other teams bashing so well. Wichita is just now learning how it is to be envied by some other Valley schools, maybe thats why they get so butt hurt by it.

This is fun! I'll play the selective history game too!

Past 4 full seasons plus this year:

WSU
Total wins = 121
NCAA Appearances = 1
NIT Appearances = 2
Other Postseason = 1
Postseason Nat'l Titles (NIT) = 1
Record Vs. Top 25 = 5 - 6

BJU
Total Wins = 119
NCAA Appearances = 1
NIT Appearances = 1
Other Postseason = 2
Postseason Nat'l Titles (NIT) = 0
Record Vs. Top 25 = 0 - 5

Boy, I like this selective time period analysis!

If WSU has only been good for 2 years, what does that make BJU...?

[GoShockers89]

Don't most NBA draftee contracts contain a provision for the team to reimburse the full cost of tuition should the player return to college for his bachelor's degree?

I know this is common in NFL draft contracts and high-round MLB draft contracts. I would assume it's even more standard for the NBA given the low number of players selected.

[rlh04d]

If I were him (or his Dad) I would want a backup. As in a college degree. I know he could always go back and finish it later. But that's hard to do sometimes. Why not get it done and enjoy another year of being one of the best college players in the country?

Is the option just between going pro or finishing college? Plenty of sports starts have been able to graduate in three years.

If academics are important to you as a sports star, you should be pushing to have your Bachelor's done within three years, and get that sports scholarship paying for your Master's.

If I were his dad, and especially one that gets the power of doubling as his coach, that's what I would have been pushing him for.

[DoubleJayAlum]

Is the option just between going pro or finishing college? Plenty of sports starts have been able to graduate in three years.

I find this very, very hard to believe. However, since you seem to believe that there are "plenty" of these stars, you won't have any problem naming 5 of them, right?

I'll wait patiently.

[glm38]

If I were him (or his Dad) I would want a backup. As in a college degree. I know he could always go back and finish it later. But that's hard to do sometimes. Why not get it done and enjoy another year of being one of the best college players in the country?

Is the option just between going pro or finishing college? Plenty of sports starts have been able to graduate in three years.

If academics are important to you as a sports star, you should be pushing to have your Bachelor's done within three years, and get that sports scholarship paying for your Master's.

If I were his dad, and especially one that gets the power of doubling as his coach, that's what I would have been pushing him for.

That's possible. He may have even gone into college with some of his 1st year done? That's often the case these days wih better students. For instance my youngest son will start college this fall with very close to 30 hours due to dual enroll/honors classes. Could be similar for Doug.

It will be really interesting to see what he does and how his pro career plays or doesn't play out.

[PantherSigEp]

Unless these guys are coming in with a significant amount of college credit from high school I'm not sure I've heard of any athletes graduating in 3 years. I don't see how it's possible unless someone is in a patsy program that requires significantly less credits. At UNI I'd estimate that the average degree requires about 120 credits. So if you take the minimum credits allowed to still be a "full-time student" of 12, each semester, you would graduate in 5 years (10 semesters) assuming you brought in no credits from high school (I think many students bring in at least a few if they went to a school that offered dual-enrollment options). Now the maximum allowed is 21 credits/semester which means they could theoretically earn a degree in about 3 years but that requires a huge commitment from a normal college student, much less a student who also has to worry about practices, travel, etc...I'd have to imagine that no coaches actually allow their athletes to take that type of class load every semester while also competing.

[Jays26]

If academics are important to you as a sports star, you should be pushing to have your Bachelor's done within three years, and get that sports scholarship paying for your Master's.

If I were his dad, and especially one that gets the power of doubling as his coach, that's what I would have been pushing him for.

Wow...just Wow...that's all I can say about that statement.

Did I say "Wow"

[rlh04d]

Is the option just between going pro or finishing college? Plenty of sports starts have been able to graduate in three years.

I find this very, very hard to believe. However, since you seem to believe that there are "plenty" of these stars, you won't have any problem naming 5 of them, right?

I'll wait patiently.

Oh, don't worry. I don't hide when people call me out for things I've said, unlike some people.

Hell, I can answer your question just off of Florida State's football team in the last few years.

Christian Ponder was Florida State's QB recently and is now starting for the Minnesota Vikings. He actually graduated from FSU with his Bachelor's in two and a half years. Then earned his MBA. He was working on his second Master's, in Sports Administration, before he declared for the NFL. I'm not sure if he's finished it or not.

Myron Rolle graduated from FSU in two and a half years in Exercise Science. Then he was selected as a Rhodes scholar, forgoing his senior season at FSU to earn his Master's of Science in Medical Anthropology at Oxford. (Easily one of the most impressive people in FSU sports history. Took a year completely off from football, was drafted by the Titans, on the Steelers roster for a bit last year. Not sure if his NFL career is over or not, but he plans on opening a free clinic in the Bahamas when he's done, where his family is from. His Wikipedia personal section is interesting and I'd suggest people look him up to learn more. Excellent human being.)

EJ Manuel, departing starting QB and heading into the NFL draft, received his Bachelor's Degree in December 2011. He'll earn his Master's in International Relations in the spring. *Edit: It actually took EJ three and a half years to earn his. I'll add another guy to take his place.

Garrett Faircloth, a RS Junior on FSU's OL, earned his Bachelor's in Sociology prior to beginning his junior season (graduated over summer semester; exactly three years). He'll be a full year into his Master's degree in time for his senior season.

Clint Trickett, possible starting QB next season heading into his RS Junior season, graduated with a degree in Social Science last December, midway through his RS Sophomore year. Two and a half years.

*Edit: And a bonus one, because I forgot that EJ had RSed, putting his graduation at three and a half years. Daniel Glauser, JUCO transfer at OL. Played two years at New Mexico Military Institute JUCO. NCAA actually screwed him over, ruling that he would only get one year of eligibility at FSU rather than the expected two because of something regarding playing soccer in Switzerland. He graduated already, although I'm not sure if it was two and a half years or three.

Hell, I'll throw in ANOTHER bonus. Will Secord, backup QB. Earned his Bachelor's at the end of his RS Sophomore year. Three years. Transferred to go play somewhere else ... I didn't pay attention.

That's just a fraction of them from ONE program of ONE school in the last FIVE years. Except for Ponder and Rolle (who were the biggest names I could think of from FSU to have done so), all of those players were on FSU's team last season, or transferred right before it started. I have absolutely no doubt I could find more players on FSU's football team in the last five years to have done so. And this is already limited to just people off the top of my head from my alma mater.

Is that enough to satisfy your smug, condescending question? I'll wait patiently for your apology.