The formula was the same for so long: Play well in AAU and high school, go to a Division I program, and continue to grow and develop for one to four years before entering the NBA Draft.
The cookie-cutter path followed by countless greats of the game seemed to be the optimal track to a professional career, save for a short stint of high school players making the jump to the league prior to the “one-and-done” rule.
In the last few years though, a new trend has quietly been making its way across top prospects and despite the mixed results, it plausibility may continue to rise amid NCAA scandal.