Decades ago, basketball players attended all, if not most of their four years of college. The best knew they could make it to the NBA, but continued to play for their school out of pride and spirit. College basketball was not a one-year sentence for players like Kareem Abdul-Jabar and Bill Walton, it was a chance to represent their school and make history.

Today, the reasons for playing college have changed. High school kids with NBA level talent often skip college all together, and turn professional. These players often have raw talent, but choose the NBA’s money over college basketball’s lifetime memories and experience.

While some players like Kobe Bryant made the jump from high school basketball to the NBA with ease, others have struggled. Sebastian Telfair, a guard from Lincoln High School in New York City, was predicted to be an NBA star. He committed to Louisville, but instead chose to enter the NBA draft.

Telfair did not turn out to be the player he hoped to be and was even involved in a criminal incident. Had he gone to college, his current situation could be quite different. College prepares young adult athletes for the pressure they would face in the pros and Telfair was not ready for this. While he once was considered a superstar of tomorrow, his name is now rarely mentioned on ESPN.

The NBA changed its rules on allowing players to enter the draft directly out of high school; from now on, a player has to be at least 19 years of age to enter. This became a recruiting challenge for NCAA coaches, who now have to deal with star freshmen leaving after just one year. But, with this rule follows a new idea for talented high school basketball players: Europe.

Some players, enticed by the idea of professional basketball and its money, have no urge to attend college. Instead, they are going to play in European countries where the rules are different than those of the NBA.

Brandon Jennings, currently a guard for the Milwaukee Bucks, originally intended on playing NCAA basketball for the University of Arizona Wildcats. However, he decided to forgo college, and became the first American high school basketball player to play in a European league. Jennings signed with the Italian club, Lottomatica Roma, and played in Italy for one year.

Jennings’ jump from high school to Europe gave talented high school players the option of skipping college and earning money immediately.

I understand that seven figure salaries can be hard to pass up, but college is a once in a lifetime experience. From being in a fraternity to hoping to make it to the Final Four, one makes lasting memories in college. College basketball is loved by fans across the nation and watched frequently. Although players do not get paid, they gain experience playing under the spot light.

This experience cannot be achieved in Europe, where soccer is the dominant sport and fills the headlines. These young players who play in European leagues do not adjust to dealing with the American media on a daily basis, which is a large part of professional sports.

College basketball is soaked in tradition. If players continue to either skip it or leave

after only one year, this tradition may struggle to continue.