I meant to get to this a couple of days ago, but hell, if Joe Starkey could wait for a lull for the column to run I can give it a little time before commenting. A week and a half after the NBA draft (admittedly, NBA issues aren’t exactly a high priority in Pittsburgh since The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh was released) a need to express ongoing surprise that Gray returned to Pitt.
“A lot of people ask, ‘Do you think you made the wrong decision?’ ” Gray said. “I tell them, ‘Well, I made my decision.’ ”
Call it a case of Gray’s autonomy. His was an admirable decision, inspired by his mother, Sandy, who delivered the key piece of advice. Her words kept coming back to Gray as he and Pitt coach Jamie Dixon sat up late into the night with deadline day looming.
“I was very close (to leaving),” Gray told me in an interview that aired on ESPN Radio 1250. “Even into the morning, I was still thinking about it.”
Mom’s advice kept rattling through his head — and his heart. He finally chose peace of mind and quality of life over the lure of instant millions.
“She said, ‘Once you get (to the NBA), you’re going to have to kind of grow up, and it might not be as much fun anymore,’ ” said Gray, 21. “She said, ‘Why don’t you just stay, have another year of fun, enjoy your college life, get your education now, instead of later, and just live it up? The NBA will still be there next year.”
Oh, and take out a huge-ass insurance policy against injury — just in case.
I’m not disagreeing with Starkey, though, you could make a good argument that Gray is also betting that a big year for Pitt, and (hopefully) a deep run in the NCAA will be the thing that raises his draft status.
Tyrus Thomas would not have been a lottery pick without his play in the NCAA. Everyone wouldn’t have been expressing shock at Florida players coming back for another year. Jordan Farmar wouldn’t have been a 1st rounder if not for his performance on the big stage.
As much as the scouting and draft evaluations have evolved and improved for the NBA, a big performance or two in the NCAA is worth a lot. Suddenly all the intangibles are perceived — responding to the pressure, raising the game — not to mention the simple fact that everyone sees it. Exposure matters more than anyone likes to admit.
