Pitino: 'I'm very much in favor of high school kids going pro'

Count Louisville head coach Rick Pitino among those who believe talented high school players should have the opportunity to skip college and go straight to the pros.

Speaking Saturday prior to the Cardinals' Sunday matchup with Northern Iowa, Pitino made the case that forcing a player into a year of college because of the NBA age restriction does that player no good.

"I'm very much in favor of high school kids going pro," said Pitino. "I had six young men commit to me out of high school that didn't go to college, that went to the pros. I'm very much for that because they didn't want college. They wanted to go to the NBA. And if they go to the (NBA Development League), that's fine with them. But the six-, seven-month education, online classes second semester. I don't know what that does for a young person."

Pitino also used the opportunity to take a veiled shot at Kentucky head coach John Calipari, who has found incredible success with the Wildcats by heavily recruiting the so-called one-and-done players.

"Now, I'm different than, probably, the coach of Kentucky, who is having so much success with that," Pitino added.

The NBA instituted an age restriction after the 2005 draft that didn't allow a player to enter until they turned 19. Pitino feels age limit does more of a disservice to both a player and a school if that player is forced to go to college but doesn't really want to.

"College is not for everybody," Pitino said. "So if a kid doesn't want to go to college, let him go to the pros. Let him go into the (D-League). And if someone does want to go to college, let them go. We're still going to have great basketball teams."