The Demise of Arizona Continues: Jennings Opts for Europe

It is now being widely reported that Brandon Jennings, arguably the top player in the 2008 class, will not be playing at Arizona next winter and will instead opt for the money in Europe. After a year in Europe he is expected to enter into the NBA Draft.

Jennings had been waiting on his third SAT score to arrive to determine if he would be attending Arizona, but according to his lawyer he is not going to wait on it and is definitely headed across the pond.

“That’s a moot point now,” his lawyer said. “He’s not going to the University of Arizona. Brandon plans on going to Europe.”

For Washington, obviously this is great. I can’t see how Arizona will be a top five team, maybe even top seven in the conference next year. Chase Budinger and Jordan Hill are top talents, but after that the Wildcats will be struggling to find someone to shoot the ball. Jawaan McClellan is the key for success for them, if his game greatly improves they might have an outside shot if everything goes right for them, but right now it looks like the great Arizona era is nearing an end for awhile.

The more Arizona loses, the less appealing for Abdul Gaddy and Avery Bradley, who are key recruits for the Dawgs. It’s about damn time that Arizona saw some tough times, no team has been more due for a year without the tournament. They have always had a pipeline up here for recruits, so it’s perfect this happens right when Gaddy, Bradley, Dotson, Smith, and Wroten are all on the market.

Seems like the albino Budinger made a mistake by coming back. I like him as a future NBA 6th man or good starting two guard, but honestly, who up here cares about the NBA now?

This will most definitely raise some questions regarding the one year rule, and as a diehard college basketball fan, I would be very disappointed if the rule is taken away. The point of the rule was to better develop prospect for the league, and help teams with their personnel decisions to lower the chances of drafting a bust. On the other hand many players, like Brandon Jennings, are ready for the league right now. Why should they be kept from starting their career and risking injury by playing in college? 

But all debates aside, I am just happy to see one less team in the way to get the Dawgs back dancing.