This was kinda lost in the shuffle last week with the playoffs & NFL Draft going on, but 17-year-old Jeremy Tyler has decided to forgo his senior year of *drumrolls* high school to play pro ball in Europe.

Jeremy Tyler, a 6-foot-11 junior, has dropped out of San Diego High School and says he will skip his senior year to play professionally in Europe, The New York Times and Yahoo! Sports reported on Wednesday.

Tyler, 17, will become the first player born in the United States to leave high school early to play professional basketball overseas. He is expected to come back in two years, when he is eligible for the NBA draft.

I was a little skeptical at first, but I say good for him.

First of all, from what I’ve heard he’s gonna be a lock for the pros when he’s eligible.  Scouts say he’s ready to play in the league now based solely on his body  and raw skill set alone.  Meaning it’s more of a matter of when and not if he makes the league. So playing against bigger, stronger and more skilled players will only help him improve.  Another season of high school ball would only have lead to lots of fouls and triple team by teams where he’ll dwarf their tallest player.  He’ll would have dominated the competition, but not develop his skill set against the inferior competition.

Secondly, from what I remember about my senior year, I only needed two classes to graduate but was forced to carry a full course load. So if that’s the case for him, night or summer school could easily let him fulfill his graduation requirements. I’m not saying that’s what he’s going to do, but he could easily grab a GED if something (i.e. injury) curtails his basketball career. If he does get injured at least he’ll have a little money in the bank and college will always be there for him if he needs it.

While the NCAA and NBA may not like this, this overseas jump isn’t going to stop. Brandon Jennings skipped out on college to play overseas last year, so this trend will only occur more frequently.  The NBA put their age limit in effect under the guise that it was for the benefit of younger athletes. That was more for them not having to pay highly touted teenagers millions of dollars to sit the bench but instead go to college to develop their game without creating expenditures for the owners. The NCCA is trying to shorten the amount of time players have to test the waters before having to declare for the draft, meaning they’ll have less time to see where their draft standing is. Which will force players with unsure draft status to stay in school a year longer.  Both of these billion dollar institutions are looking out for their best interests, so the players should have the same right.

People who object have also said this will influence other players to overestimate their ability, but that’s not Tyler’s fault and that blame shouldn’t fall on his shoulders.  Plus I highly doubt any team will spend money on an athlete they don’t deem skilled enough to play.

Reports: Tyler To Skip Senior Year [ESPN]

Rule Change Would Alter Draft Process – [ESPN]