Most college basketball fans have an opinion on whether Michigan freshman point guard Trey Burke should declare himself an early entry for the NBA draft or return to school next season.
He would be crazy to make the jump right now. He's only 5-foot-11, if that, and could easily slide from thinking he's a potential first-round pick straight into the second round. Some projections list him as no better than a second-rounder anyway.
It's exactly those types of opinions, like mine, that apparently have frustrated Burke during his decision-making process.
On Wednesday, Burke wrote the following message on Twitter: "EVERYONE got something to say ... smh I thought this was my life!"
The "smh" stands for shaking my head.
Of all people, Michigan State athletic director Mark Hollis responded a tweet back to Burke: "My advice, believe in YOUR heart & mind, everything else is interference. People u seek out is better than those that seek u."
Michigan athletic director David Brandon added to the discussion with a tweet of his own:
"Mark Hollis had good intentions-but made a mistake. Not appropriate to tweet one of our student-athletes. Won't happen again. End of story."
Burke, an Associated Press honorable mention All-American, is requesting advice on his draft potential from the NBA Undergraduate Advisory Committee. The deadline for underclassmen to officially enter the draft is April 10.
Burke exceeded expectations in his first year at Michigan, averaging 14.8 points and 4.6 assists. There's still a buzz about him despite his playing poorly in a loss to Ohio State in the Big ten tournament championship. He scored 16 points in the Wolverines' NCAA tournament loss to Ohio, but shot 5 of 15 from the field, including 2 of 9 behind the arc.
No way is he really ready to play in the NBA. But if he believes he'll be drafted in the first round and can receive a guaranteed contract, or someone convinces him of that, Burke might opt to make the move rather than risk injury or having his flaws exposed by staying in college.
Clearly, his best chance to have a decent NBA career, not just collect a quick paycheck, is to continue to develop and prove himself as a standout collegiate player. It's the best way to lock down that first-round selection and guaranteed money.
Sorry, Trey. That's just one more outsider's opinion, but it's the truth.
You're right; it's your life. But no one wants to see you make a bad decision.
Be patient, return to college for at least one more season and then re-evaluate your situation a year from now.
