| Players going into the NBA before the end of their college eligibility has caused much discussion about the merit of their early departure from school. The discussion is based upon whether it is beneficial to go early or whether a player should stay for four years of school. This study compared base salary, longevity and minutes per game for collegiate players who left early for the NBA to those who stayed in college. Statistics were compiled of all collegiate players selected in the first and second rounds of the NBA draft from 1993 to 2004. Furthermore, this study explores the effects of early entry by player position. Mixed results were produced when including the grouping variable position. However, when examining classification by year of eligibility (freshman, sophomore, etc) only, it was concluded that collegiate NBA prospects leaving school early had better overall NBA careers than those who stayed in school. The results suggested freshmen prospects benefit more than any other class level from leaving school early to enter the NBA. Base salary, longevity, and production decreased as a player's collegiate classification increased. |
