Story from NY Daily News <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Sebastian Telfair still has not made a list of the top colleges he would like to attend. In fact, he's still not even sure if he will attend college. After finishing with eight points, eight assists and two rebounds in his first ABCD Camp game at Fairleigh Dickinson University yesterday, Telfair said he is considering jumping straight into the NBA following his senior year at Lincoln. Though Telfair said he's "leaving all doors open," when asked whether he is seriously considering bypassing college, Telfair said, "I'm leaning more toward it now" than at any other point in his life. Telfair, the cousin of NBA star Stephon Marbury, said, "the way my body has developed, the way I'm shooting the ball, (and that) I'm a smarter player," are why he thinks he might be able to make the jump. Several players have gone directly to the NBA following high school in recent years, including Telfair's good friend, LeBron James. Though most of those players have been forwards or centers, Telfair said he sees no reason why a point guard couldn't do it. But Telfair, known as not only one of the most talented players in the country but also one of the wisest, said he would not jump to the NBA just to make a point. "I'm not just going to do it because it hasn't been done," he said. "I'll do whatever is the best decision for me." Telfair, the Daily News Player of the Year after averaging 29 points and leading Lincoln to city and state titles last season, said he has spoken to NBA coaches and has been told that he needs to concentrate on one thing at this camp - his passing. Last season, Telfair was bothered by a right ankle sprain. He aggravated it yesterday after knocking down a three-pointer but didn't leave the court and said he felt "fine." Telfair will get a real test today, when his team, the Jazz, plays a 4:30 p.m. game against the Nets, a team featuring Orlando, Fla., guard Darius Washington. Washington is considered the only other guard in the country with a chance to go straight to the NBA. As for what his goal is at this camp, Telfair spoke with the same confidence he shows during the PSAL season. "I want to prove I'm the best player in the country," he said. </div>
It would be interesting to see if he goes straight to the pros because, off the top of my head, no one has made a big impact yet going from high school to the pros as a PG. It'll be a lot of tougher because the point guard is the floor general who has to get everone set. Guys who play PG should go to college I think for atleast one year. It may be too confusing for them to make the jump.
His height is a big question mark but he should be a good player..if he is half as good as his cousin...
The closest thing of high school to pros was Tony Parker coming in at 18 years old, but even then he still had experience of playing pro in France.
i'm pretty sure he will go pro and skip college. i'm hoping he plays at least 1 year in college, but he has a chance to be the first high school pg. i doubt he makes an impact right away, but he's gonna be a good one. it would be wise for him to polish his game in college and learn more maturity and how to lead men, not boys.
all players to skip to pro have had and will have to be matured phyisically,we'll see next year,but college is a waste ,only go and play there to mature phyisicallly.practically all the best players now came straight from HS ,what i mean, is they become great at younger age because they learnt the at a young ,unlike when your mid-20s coming from college and it was a waste of time learnuing the college game,but for some players they have to go to college to mature and get better to make it to the leauge
Sebastian Telfair NBA Or College? <div style="padding-left: 20px;"><div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post"> The Next LeBron? Brooklyn Senior Has One Eye on the NBA By Jeff Goodman Special to The Washington Post Wednesday, August 20, 2003; Page D01 TEANECK, N.J. -- The search for the next can't-miss high school basketball player ended with another first-name phenom, Sebastian, well before LeBron James made his NBA summer league debut. Lincoln High senior point guard Sebastian Telfair actually hit the big-time about a year or so before people outside of Akron, Ohio, started to find out about King James. That's what happens when you play basketball in Brooklyn, amidst the New York hype. "Emotionally, coming from New York City, I think I'm more ready than LeBron ever was," Telfair said this summer. "I've been through it more. It'll be a lot different for me this year, but then again, every year is different. I've just got to stay focused." James and Telfair really aren't all that different. Both players make those around them better with their passing skills and exceptional court vision. They both have a megawatt smile and the ability to handle the pressures of popularity with ease. And no one questions their work ethic, which for Telfair includes running the 15 flights of stairs in his Coney Island apartment building five times each morning. The two have enough in common that they have become buddies and talk almost weekly despite all the chaos that surfaces around each. However, there's one major difference. James is 6 feet 8 and a rock-solid 240 pounds while Telfair is 6 feet and tips the scales at a meager 170. James was a lock for the top pick in this past NBA draft from the moment his senior high school season began. Telfair, if he opts to bypass college and become the first sub-6-5 player to make the jump, would be anything but a lock to go in the lottery. "He did the impossible last year," Telfair said of James. "He told me that I've got to be strong mentally and that a lot of things will happen that I can't control." "Bassy," as he is known to many, was born for the spotlight. Unlike James, who often excused himself from dealing with the media during his school's national tour of games last season, Telfair welcomes the attention like a true New Yorker. "I love it and I think I'll always enjoy it," Telfair said. "I want my games on ESPN. I don't think that anything will be too much for me this year. We're preparing for the worst, for it to be nuts. That will help me prepare for the next level." While the national television exposure will likely come, he won't have the luxury of playing a schedule loaded with road games that will land the school a big payday in much the same way that James was able to do last year at St. Vincent-St. Mary. "We're a public school and we don't have the freedom to sign contracts and get money like that," Lincoln High Coach Dwayne "Tiny" Morton said. Telfair was born on Coney Island, the southern tip of Brooklyn. He can boast of impressive bloodlines and a solid support system. His older brother is former Providence star Jamel Thomas, and his cousin is NBA point guard Stephon Marbury. "Some of the rules may be unfair, but I know what I can do and what I can't do," said Telfair, referring to James's incident earlier this year involving the purchase of throwback jerseys. "Hopefully, guys like me will learn from LeBron." Telfair burst onto the national scene as a 5-8, 135-pound talent before he ever played his first high school game at Lincoln. He impressed observers during the summer before his freshman year and proved he could hold his own at the Adidas ABCD summer basketball camp, when he became a participant only after another point guard backed out at the last minute. He has won two straight New York City PSAL championships and also will try to help Lincoln repeat as the Federation Class A champion this upcoming season. He even handed the championship trophy given to him after last season's title game to Antonio Pena, because Telfair believed his teammate was more deserving of the honor. "That's just the type of kid he is," added Morton. "He just helps people whether he's on the court or off of it. I can go down the list and see how many people have benefited from Sebastian, including myself." Last month he made his fourth straight appearance at the ABCD camp -- with a pair of all-star game MVP awards to his credit. However, his national reputation had taken a hit over the last year or so and he was no longer considered the top guard in the camp. Instead of being the hunted, Telfair became the hunter. "It was a little different, but I liked it," he said. This winter, Telfair will step into the spotlight vacated by James and will wrestle with the same decision that took his friend just seconds to make. "I am keeping all doors open for college," Telfair said. "But I think I'm leaning to the NBA more now than I was a year ago because of the way my body has developed. I'm also shooting the ball much better. "You don't just want to say you're going to the NBA unless you're going to get picked in the top 20, to guarantee your spot," he added. "Because you can go to college and guarantee a great time playing basketball. You don't want to put your life and career on the line by being stupid." Pro scouts and college coaches agree that he'll need to get physically stronger to make the jump successfully. Louisville Coach Rick Pitino has been the most active in recruiting Telfair and it appears as though the Cardinals have the inside track -- should he attend college. "He doesn't want to just come into the league and be another player," said one Division I assistant coach. "He wants to make sure he's in the top 15 picks so he can play minutes right away, but I really don't think his goal is to go to the NBA and play 10 minutes a game. He wants to go in and dominate." Just like another recent high school basketball phenom. </div></div> It would be great if he played 1 year and learned under Rick Pitino. I'm sure he will bolt to the NBA because the money and temptation is, too hard to pass up.
hes going to go to college and win a championship......thats what all the true nba stars do.....succeed in a greater league than high school ball
KG, Kobe, & T-Mac are all Stars who did not go to college. And you have to imagine all they hype around LeBron is definately going to have an effect on Telfair. I would love to see him go to college just like 'Melo, but I don't think he's going to go. I'm sure he has had plenty of experience playing against pros since Marbury is his cousin. And I'm sure he is confident enough and feels he can compete at the pro level.
In all honesty if he makes the jump I think he's gonna regret it. It doesn't seem very likely that his body is gonna fill out to the nba caliber it needs to be in a year. I think he should go to the NC2A, even if he only plays one year. Being a little smaller he's NOT going to get the playing time he wants in the league. The only decent thing about him making the jump....it'll be sooner before we see him an Marbury go at it. That'll be a cool family feud.
I don't think Telfair has what it takes to go pro....I'd go 2 years of college, see where I'm at, then go pro....if he goes pro...like warez said, he'll regret it...he's not ready or developed enough to go pro...IMO
I've seen him play in the Rucker EBC league...he's all fancy...not Lebron or Melo potential....2 years of college first...go pro, and you're screwed
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting pchotsauce:</div><div class="quote_post">I've seen him play in the Rucker EBC league...he's all fancy...not Lebron or Melo potential....2 years of college first...go pro, and you're screwed</div> But htats what Rucker EBC is...Streetball, breaking ppl off. I'm sure he can bring a nice game in some college ball
Sebastian isnt ready to make the jump to the NBA right out of HS. This kid doesnt have the physical size and strength that Lebron had. This kid would benfit greatly from going to a Division 1 college powerhouse and learning from one of the greats(K, Pitino, Williams, etc.). Then after a few years of teaching he will be able to make a smoother jump. If he jumps straight to the NBA then he wont have that dominating career he wants to have. The best coaches to teach kids like him the game of basketball and to help them develop are not in the NBA but are in Division One. This kid needs to go to college.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting pchotsauce:</div><div class="quote_post">I've seen him play in the Rucker EBC league...he's all fancy...not Lebron or Melo potential....2 years of college first...go pro, and you're screwed</div> That is streetball. That means didlly-squat in the NBA. Look at Skip to My Lou. He sure as hell cant play in the NBA and he is one of the best fancy streetballers in the game. If he was all fancy than he would be the MVP of the ABCD camp. You cant play fancy at that level or else you wont be playing, period. Fundamentals are what is needed and from hearing and reading about this kid, he has that. He just needs some size.
