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Scottoant93NBA Saturday: Players Return to SchoolBy: Alex Kennedy Last Updated: 7/16/11 6:27 AM ET | 3510 times read
Adjust font size:The predominant story since the NBA lockout commenced two weeks ago has been whether or not players will decide to sign overseas. The possibility of a mass exodus has served as a distraction for basketball-loving individuals because it has been keeping the NBA in the news during this bleak time.While the overseas option is intriguing, there’s another place that’s stealing NBA players and putting them to work: A number of players are returning to school during the work stoppage in order to earn their degree.
Stephen Curry, Jarrett Jack, Marvin Williams, Jodie Meeks, Ekpe Udoh, Chris Singleton, Jon Leuer and many others are trading their playbooks for textbooks. Other players, such as Derrick Williams and Brandon Knight, haven’t started the process but are considering re-enrolling at their respective schools.
"I have to get that degree," said Udoh, who is currently chipping away at the final 14 hours of his undergraduate degree at Baylor University.
Some players jumped at the opportunity to relive their college experience once they realized that a lockout would give them plenty of free time, but others had already been planning a return to the classroom long before the work stoppage.
Williams takes online classes during the season and has spent the past several offseasons working toward his degree. Meeks is majoring in Marketing at the University of Kentucky, and has just 12 hours remaining until he can graduate.
"I’ve taken classes the past few summers," Meeks said. "I just want to finish up. Even without the lockout, I still would have been taking classes. When I was making my decision to leave school after my junior year, I had a talk with my parents and they told me that they wanted me to go back and finish. They had a lot of influence, but I wanted to do it as well. I’m so close, I figured why not? I’ve been in all of this hard work over three years, I might as well finish up."
In May, Meeks enrolled in an ‘Economy and Statistics’ class. Unlike Williams, he had to attend class on campus because Kentucky doesn’t offer online courses for upper-division business requirements.
When the professor called attendance, it wasn’t uncommon for Meeks’ peers to whip their heads around the moment they heard his name. After all, it’s not every day that you have class with the person who holds the school’s single-game scoring record.
"It’s been a little bit different since I don’t have to live on campus or be there all the time, but it’s been a lot of fun," Meeks said. "I enjoyed it."
Many agents are advising their clients to use this idle time wisely, and returning to college certainly follows that advice. When players aren’t attending classes, they’re able to work out with their college coaches, which many do during the offseason anyway. It also prepares players for life after basketball, whatever that might entail.
"I’m not sure exactly what I’ll do with my degree," Meeks said. "I’ve looked into starting my own business, doing something finance related or working with computers. That’s what my dad did; he was with IBM for 27 years. I’ll have some options."
During a time when players are searching left and right for options, the best decision may be returning to their former stomping grounds.
Brown Excited For Next Chapter: The Boston Celtics didn’t draft Gilbert Brown, but they’ve all but welcomed him to organization as the team’s third rookie.Boston nearly drafted Brown with their final second-round pick, but went in a different direction and selected E’Twaun Moore. When Brown went undrafted, the Celtics put him on the first plane to Boston where he took part in the team’s rookie orientation, met with the team’s staff and received an invite to training camp for whenever the lockout ends.
"Right after the draft, they brought me in along with E’Twaun Moore and JaJuan Johnson," Brown told HOOPSWORLD. "We basically worked out and went over their plays. They were bringing us up to speed on how they play basketball and going over all of the principles of their game."
Shortly after, Brown signed with the German team S. Oliver Wurzburg, but his deal includes a NBA-out that will allow him to return to the league once a new collective bargaining agreement is ratified. When the work stoppage comes to an end, Brown believes he’ll have a future with the Celtics.
"I think there’s a good chance I’ll be back in Boston," Brown said. "They liked me a lot. I had good conversations with Doc Rivers and Danny Ainge. They showed a high level of interest in me and believe that I can be a contributor for them this year as well as in the future. It looks like there’s a strong possibility that I’ll be back with the Celtics as soon as the lockout is over."
"I’m very fortunate to have that NBA-out," Brown added. "I give credit to my agent, T.J. Doyle. He’s been doing a great job. I really put my trust in him and he’s been working hard ever since I signed with him."
After spending five years at Pittsburgh, Brown is one of the most NBA-ready players in this draft class. He has plenty of experience under his belt and displays strong leadership qualities. He developed a reputation as a lockdown defender during the draft process, but didn’t get to display his ability as often as he liked because he had a limited number of workouts. However, he landed in the right situation because he’ll fit right in with the Celtics, who want to win now and value defense.
"It’s a great fit and I think Doc Rivers and Danny Ainge view me as a player that can come in and contribute like Tony Allen did with his defense, intensity and will to win," Brown said. "I’m capable of doing that and being that type of player for them. Coming from Pittsburgh, where I played a role just like that, I think that really helps me."
In the meantime, Brown is looking forward to his stint in Germany, where he can continue to develop his game and enjoy a once in a lifetime experience.
"I’m so excited for the opportunity to go to another country where I can play and learn their culture," Brown said. "Playing international basketball is going to be a great experience. I’m really looking forward to playing for coach John Patrick. I’ve talked to him multiple times and he seems like a great guy who knows how to develop his guys, especially American-born players who are heading overseas."
"I’m excited about Germany and I’m excited about Boston," he said. "I’m just patiently waiting for everything to get underway. I think Germany is going to be the start of a great professional career and lead me to great things."
Capel Coming Out of Retirement: Jeff Capel II made a name for himself as a former head coach in college basketball and assistant coach in the NBA. He led Old Dominion and Fayetteville State University before leaving the college game for a spot on Bernie Bickerstaff’s staff with the Charlotte Bobcats.Even after Bickerstaff was fired, Capel remained with the Bobcats under Sam Vincent and Larry Brown. He had developed excellent relationships with the players and solidified himself as a knowledgeable, defensive-minded coach before retiring last year.
Capel has been around the game his entire life and passed his wisdom down to his two sons – Jeff Capel, former head coach at Oklahoma University and current assistant at Duke University, and Jason Capel, current head coach at Appalachian State University.
Now, Capel is coming out of retirement and interviewing for assistant coaching vacancies around the league. He hopes to bring his experience and defensive philosophies to a team next season.
"He’s an excellent coach, who is extremely underrated," said one agent who played against Capel in college and developed a relationship with him during his stint in Charlotte. "Any team that isn’t at least bringing him in for an interview is crazy. They’re missing out on an outstanding coach."
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