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C Byron 'B.J.' Mullens (Levanga Hokkaido Sapporo - Japan)

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Jaxbuck;1438363; said:
He can't say no to the money so he can't stay in college and develop. He won't get the development he needs in the NBA because he'll be buried on a bench somewhere.

From a development point of view its not a good situation for him but he's about to be a millionaire so I guess its all good.

Best of luck to him.
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I agree Jax, I have no problem with the young man making the decision to help himself and his family by becoming a millionaire. I do however wish he could stay another year, because I think it would really help him basketball wise,and maturity wise and even long term financially.

That being said, I truly wish him the best, and totally understand the decision, I just sort of wish the NBA had a system in place to keep kids in school at least two or more years as I think that another year would greatly benefit nearly all kids when it comes to life lessons as well as BBall.
 
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Jaxbuck;1438363; said:
He can't say no to the money so he can't stay in college and develop. He won't get the development he needs in the NBA because he'll be buried on a bench somewhere.

From a development point of view its not a good situation for him but he's about to be a millionaire so I guess its all good.

Best of luck to him.
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All that is tricky because you and I do not know how he will develop in his rookie season, or had he stayed at Ohio State for another year. For every guy who stayed and 'improved' their fortunes, I can name another who hurt his draft stock. In reality, Mullens was slightly overrated coming out of HS. He fell from a sure fire top 5 pick to a position that is possibly out of the lottery. I certainly understand why he would go while he is still a 'name' player with some intrigue, especially with his situation. Yeah, another year at Ohio State would have helped, but imo not thatttt much more than his rookie season where he WILL get the coaching, the practice time, and even maybe the game time..who knows (we don't).

And like I said previously, we don't even know the situation that he will be drafted into so it is a little premature to assert that he won't get the necessary development. It's all a case by case basis, and it depends on which franchise drafts him. The NBA is not some Dr. Claw like entity that just waits to trap kids up.

Daequan Cook was definitely not ready when he entered. He had a tulmultous rookie season, but worked hard and is now playing great in his second season. I bet Cook learned a great deal from that rookie season, not sure if another year at Ohio State would have been as valuable.
 
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who remebers DeAndre Jordan not starting for Texas A&M last year, averaging 6 PPG, and getting drafted early in the second round?

Less talented prospect than BJ, Proved less, and still almost snuck into the first round. Not to mention, DeAndre has started a significant amount of games for the Clippers this year (obviously, it is the Clippers).

But BJ made the right choice...as did Daquan, as did Mike Conley, and did Greg Oden, as Kosta (even if he is going D-League today).

All of them are millionaires now. What they do with their money is the real challenge now....not improving their draft stock.

I haven't read a lot of the thread, and I'm sure it's probably been mentioned somewhere, but BJ's stock slipping to the middle/late first could also be a blessing in disguise. Most likely a better organization, and an opportunity to learn (similar to Bynum).
 
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I love it when fans slam a kid for going pro only b/c of their petty greed for the home team to be better.

This kid's put more work in than most of us could put in in 10 years.

The kid's taking care of his family, we would all do the same if in the same position.

Whether he plays a lot or not, he's still going to be cashing a sizeable check every month.
 
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I'm still looking forward to the 2 year rule, but won't begrudge BJ his choice. Since I don't watch the NBA, I probably won't see him play again... which is a shame, 'cause when he was on he was an absolute beast. He had what Kosta did not.. the "Throw it down" mentality. I'll miss that.
 
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OSU's Mullens heads to NBA
Freshman is fifth in 3 years to leave after one season
Friday, March 27, 2009
By Bill Rabinowitz
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

B.J. Mullens gave Ohio State University fans only a hint of his basketball potential this season.

But that glimpse is all the Buckeyes will get from the 7-foot center. Mullens announced that he will forgo his final three years of eligibility by declaring for the NBA draft.

"This was not an easy choice because I love" OSU, Mullens said in a statement released by the university, "but the many positive reasons for moving on outweigh the many good reasons for staying."

Mullens declined to comment further, saying in a text message that he wanted to celebrate with his family.

Coach Thad Matta said in a statement that he was "saddened" to lose Mullens.

"On one hand, I feel another year in school would have allowed him to develop into the player I know he can be, and an additional season would have been beneficial to him both personally and monetarily in the long run," Matta said.

"On the other hand, I am empathetic to the reasons why he has chosen to leave at such an early point in his career. I wish him nothing but the best and know he will always be a part of our basketball family at Ohio State."
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BuckeyeXtra - The Columbus Dispatch : OSU's Mullens heads to NBA

Bob Hunter commentary: Wish Mullens well, OSU fans, but shed no tears
Friday, March 27, 2009
By bob hunter

The news didn't knock me over. It didn't start my heart racing. It didn't make me gasp.

So B.J. Mullens is entering the NBA draft, huh? No kidding. Hey, does anybody know the score of the Angels-Indians exhibition game?

I don't mean to make light of his decision. OK, maybe I do. But this is about as shocking as a pizza flier in a doorknob advertising bag and will have probably about as much effect on the Ohio State men's basketball program.

It would have been fun to watch Mullens grow into the next Jerry Lucas or even the next Greg Oden, but if the NBA hadn't forced him to wait a year after high school, he probably wouldn't have gone to college at all.

How to say this without being too insulting? The 7-foot freshman didn't contribute much in his one season with the Buckeyes. He showed some promise, had a few brief stretches of "wow" and that's it. He didn't start and averaged only 20 minutes of playing time, not because he was being punished, but because that's what he earned. He's not much more ready for the NBA than I am, and I'm older than his mother and stand 5 feet 5 with my shoes on.

Mullens' posture during recent games made it clear this was coming. When coach Thad Matta took him out because of his poor decisions, laziness on defense or an inability to rebound, he practically sulked his way to the bench. A couple of times he walked away before Matta finished talking. These were the acts of a kid who knew he wouldn't have to put up with this much longer, a kid who didn't see the need for this kind of rigid structure.

We've all been there, but most of us aren't required to grow up so quickly. Most of us aren't required to become mature adults and make the decision of a lifetime when our biggest worries are whether we can get off work in time to see American Idol or why there's an extra $10 charge on our cell-phone bill.
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BuckeyeXtra - The Columbus Dispatch : Bob Hunter commentary: Wish Mullens well, OSU fans, but shed no tears
 
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Best of luck to BJ in the league. I appreciate the way he is handling the situation so far. As far as I know he did not enroll in Spring classes and thus will not hurt the APR. Also, I have heard nothing in regards to him/family members/former coaches bashing the program.
 
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Something almost always seemed "off" with B.J. this year. For a kid with such high expectations who had been committed to the program for so long, you can't help but look at him as a big disappointment in his Buckeye career. I won't speculate as to why he couldn't seem to put it together, but something was off. I do hope he goes on to a long and successful pro career.
 
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