When I'm ready, you know, whenever that is, I'm sure he'll let me know. Krzyzewski made a point about kids leaving school early for the pros that I'd never heard anyone make. But if you want to be really good at it, that means you learn. You learn about yourself, you mature, you learn about the game, you learn about people. If you want to be professional in anything, it requires time and development, and where you get that development and spend the time are decisions that shape your professional career.
People do it in law, medicine.
You don't skip steps. Battier talked about the NBA's idea of starting a developmental league for players who don't want to go to college. I came to college to get a degree, get a great education and play college basketball, and I think the college game will always survive because there will always be kids who want to do that. And for the developmental league, there will be people who school doesn't really appeal to and they'll be able to focus on basketball. The Blue Devils trust their coach implicitly because they respect the fact he's looking out for their best interests, and because he has created an environment where they can reach their athletic and academic potential and still have the best times of their lives.