Brandon Jennings made news when he announced that he would play in Italy. He was recruited by Arizona, but didn't score well enough on the SAT to play for the Wildcats.
To me, Jennings' decision would make perfect sense even if he could lace 'em up for the 'Cats. As the top PG prospect in the country, Jennings would have declared himself eligible for the NBA Draft and skipped college altogether if there weren't an NBA rule that restricts players from making the high school to NBA jump, like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Kevin Garnett have.
But why make a kid who has no intention (when entering the school) to remain in college more than 1 year? He can drive (a car), vote, go to war, etc. But he can't drive down an NBA lane and attack the basket. Hopefully, Jennings' decision will lead others that have no intention of being a "scholar-athlete" to follow their dream and be only an "athlete".
Josh Childress, on the other hand, is going to Europe for the money. By passing on Atlanta's offer and accepting that by Olimpacos, Childress will earn $21 million after taxes in 3 years. That is roughly $2-3 million more than Atlanta offered.
So, if you're in a similar position to Childress, why not head to Europe and be a much bigger fish despite playing in a smaller pond? A player averaging 8 ppg in the States can go to Europe and be a stud player. More money, larger role - what's not to love?
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