In Reply to: well said... posted by barrya on June 27, 2024 at 16:18:23
If you haven't noticed, the longer one stays in school, the further he drops in the draft. Of the top 16 picks, only two were born before 2004. Knecht was projected to go much higher than #17 but teams prefer younger players. The older one is, the lower the projected ceiling.
Bona should stay and take NIL??? Many of the players drafted around the same position as Bona last season got 4-year contracts worth $7.6 million, $5.2 million guaranteed. No way UCLA NIL would even come close to that.
If you're assuming Bona will improve his game and/or draft position by staying in school, the odds are against it. What if he gets hurt like in the season before last? He would be making a mistake by staying in school, not the opposite.