The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced its new inductees earlier this week, and when it comes to Halls of Fame, this organization gets it right more than the other sports.
Yes, it takes a while for some, as St. Louisian Jo Jo White finally got in. When you ask around, there are many who thought the McKinley grad should have gone in a long time ago because his numbers and resume were that impressive.
For Spencer Haywood, it has been somewhat of a shame that the voters did not consider him before now, considering his impact on and off the court. Haywood was the first player to leave college earlier to pursue a professional career. He was a star in both the ABA and NBA. Though he had his share of off-court troubles due to substance abuse, he has been clean for decades.
As for the rest of the inductees, they are all worthy of the call, but there is one that stands out when it comes to “say, what?”
John Calipari was selected, but when you look at the resume there are some glaring issues that make you wonder. Before his stop at Kentucky, where he has enjoyed great success, Calipari turned the programs around at Massachusetts and Memphis. Commendable? Perhaps, but the problem is that both teams were found in violation of NCAA rules to the point that their victories were vacated.
Calipari acted like he knew nothing about it. When he got to Kentucky, they made every excuse on why “three strikes” would apply to their beloved coach. Since then, he has made them a national power in the college basketball world, as they flirted this season with a near-perfect record.
The other issue that is glaring about Calipari’s success is the practice of the “one and done.” It is a new method to recruit high-school players to college where they play one year of basketball and then vault to the NBA. It has been successful for Kentucky, yet it appears to be an annual event that many in the college and education world do not condone. “One and done” has made a mockery of what was the spirit of college sports. Most of the players could not find a classroom with a GPS after the first semester, as they have already programmed their minds to the pro ranks.
Mind you, Duke has also joined this concerning trend. Perhaps there will be further examination in amending the rule, but it is what it is for now.
As for Coach Calipari, who takes umbrage to being called just a “recruiter,” his ability to get kids to come together and win in a year certainly should be noted, but his ability to walk the line of ethics in college basketball seems shaky. Then again, we are talking college basketball, where ethics at times are hard to find. Even if Calipari’s most recent success is commendable, his past should follow him as well, as it has happened more than once. His case proves winning at all costs while coaching in college is the only prerequisite when it comes to Hall of Fame consideration.
Revise the rules
It was not a surprise that the officiating in the NCAA tournament received so much criticism, because it is time for it to be evaluated. Not just the officials should be reviewed, but also the rules themselves. The standard plan is just “call what is in the rule book,” and for the most part that is the way it should be called. However, the athletes who play the game have perhaps outgrown the rules. And there are not enough qualified officials to work the games.
When I say “qualified,” I am mean physically and mentally qualified, as the good referees work too many games during the season and the bad ones even seem to work more. The money has gotten significantly better for officials these days in the major conferences, and like anyone else they follow the money, no matter what time zone and where they were working the previous night. There are some officials who work more games than teams play in a season, and they travel significantly more as well.
How do you fix a broken system?
It starts with a conference of coaches (current and former), players (current and former) and officials. When you include players, you should include players from each position to get a better understanding of what each position requires and the fouls that are most commonly called.
The next step should be to take the current rule book and go page by page to discuss any tweaking, major changes or wholesale eliminations.
Finally, set better standards for officials to abide by from court presence, positioning and amount of travel and games they officiate over the course of the season. One good official who is overworked creates the potential for bad games, aside from the problem of bad officials.
This rule revision should include all levels of the sport, including high school and of course the NBA. It may take some time, but it’s not a bad idea for USA Basketball to get started on making a list of who should be in the room and setting up committees. By the start of next season, a plan can be at least discussed and implemented the following season.
