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NBA Draft Prospect Mitch McGary Suspended One Year By The NCAA

The NCAA, once again in all of its glory, fails the student athlete. NBA draft prospect Mitch McGary, who’s decision to turn pro was made after being suspended one year for a positive marijuana test, isn’t shying away from the fact that he used the drug that’s common around college campuses, via Yahoo. 

I always turned it down, but that night I didnt.

Imagine that. A college kid having a few drinks with his buds and deciding to take a hit off of a substance that legal for recreational use in two states. A mistake is a mistake, but in comparison, how does this get him a one-year ban?

McGary, who was a star freshman for the Michigan Wolverines during their surprise run to the National Championship game two years ago, ultimately decided it made sense to enter the NBA draft instead of sitting out one year. It was a decision he had been grappling with over the past few months, but the NCAA’s heavy-handed response made it easier on him.

Testing positive for ADHD (attention deficit hyper-activity disorder as a sophomore in high school, McGary was always uncomfortable in his own skin. According to this report by Nick Baumgardner of Mlive.com, prior to his ADHD diagnosis, McGary was seen as socially awkward.

Looked at by some as dumb and stupid, by others as immature and lazy, McGary’s friendly shell hid an embarrassed inside that realized he was wasting potential.

It wasn’t until he started taking medication for that disorder that McGary opened up and blossomed into the young man that earned a 3.0 GPA during his first semester at Michigan. For all intent and purposes, he was a model citizen on and off the basketball course.

One decision to smoke marijuana, something that we can conclude is commonplace around university campuses, and he’s forced to give up the college life for the NBA. It’s a decision that may end up costing him millions.  It’s also a decision that he will end up regretting. McGary was tested immediately after Michigan’s Sweet 16 game against Tennessee, even though he was sidelined with a back injury. If he had decided to return to school, which was a strong possibility prior to the suspension, McGary would have had an opportunity to prove his back was 100 percent ant ready to go for the 2015 NBA draft.

The NCAA took that decision out of his hands.

Interestingly enough, NCAA’s attempt to police recreational drug use at Michigan might have been a wasted resource in the first place. Its considered one of the strictest schools in terms of self-imposed drug tests. In fact, McGary was tested a total of eight times in his two years at the school. Tests that were conducted the Michigan’s administration, not the NCAA.

For a governing body that supposedly prides itself on protecting the student athlete and helping him/her grow into an adult, the NCAA and president Mark Emmert have a funny way of showing it. No wonder student athletes want to unionize. This is the reason unions were formed in capitalist societies…to counteract the ridiculous reach of power-hungry elites.

Photo: USA Today, Stock

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