Adande: Beasley's troubled course

Adande: Beasley's troubled course

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Given that the NBA chose to overlook LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Kevin Garnett and numerous other straight-from-high-school success stories when it instituted its age requirement, we should use the same selective logic to say this sad Michael Beasley case demonstrates that a forced year of college isn't the magical solution to the league's youthful problems.

That season spent at Kansas State didn't make Beasley mature enough to be a professional basketball player, didn't provide enough guidance to help his decision-making and couldn't prevent him from -- according to sources -- checking into a Houston area rehabilitation center.

"I think people either decide to change or not," an NBA general manager said. "It's a very personal process. I don't think school helps or hinders that."

College improves you, but it doesn't eliminate your problems. And it can actually createproblems for the school, as we've seen from Memphis' asterisked run to the 2008 Final Four led by Derrick Rose, he of the voided SAT score. Ultimately, the NBA's wait-a-year rule doesn't do much good for anybody except the NBA scouts who don't have to spend as much time driving to high school gyms.

Hopefully he gets help, I don't think anyone wants to see him end up like Robert Traylor or Maurice Clarett.