Tristan Thompson's announcement that he intends to continue his studies at Texas will likely pay off in the long run.
So everyone is watching the NCAA tournament with a record number of Canadians involved.
One of the most impressive performances so far has come from Brampton, Ont., native Tristan Thompson, who helped propel Texas into Sunday's match-up with Arizona. It will be interesting to watch the play of Thompson as he battles the Wildcats' Derrick Williams since Williams is projected in many mock drafts to be a lottery pick.
Thompson's impressive performance in Texas' win over Oakland University helped put his name in the Longhorns record-book under most blocked shots in an NCAA tournament game, surpassing former Longhorn and current Trailblazer LaMarcus Aldridge.
With Thompson's stock rising, and people whispering that his draft status is climbing the charts, Thompson surprised everyone by saying that he intends to return for a second season in Austin. If that is the case, as decisions are reviewed and people are allowed to change their minds all the time, I admire Thompson's decision. His ceiling is still high and development, both on and off the court, is easier in college than it is in the professional ranks. The business of the NBA can sometimes make it tough on a youngster that comes out early.
The perception that a kid has to come out early is a misguided one. Let's face it, money is what brings players into the NBA early but a guy who stays in school, hones his basketball skills and develops socially in college for an extra year or two may actually fare better upon entry into the professional ranks.
Nobody knows how the new collective bargaining agreement will impact some of next year's rookies.
Yes, I hear the cries of "what if he gets injured?" and that's something that needs to be considered but then again, he can always take out an insurance policy just in case.
If Thompson enters the pro ranks he'll get his money and start his NBA career early, but if he doesn't, its not the end of the world and the NBA may see a more mature and polished product.
The Ontario's Teacher's Pension Plan is contemplating selling its shares in Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment.
So how does this impact the Raptors, particularly since president and general manager Bryan Colangelo does not have a contract extension for next year? (Although recent rumblings are there is in the works, but with a fly in the ointment.)
Well let's put it this way. If you are renovating your house and you have a contractor you think has done good work for you in the past and you have hired him to go forward with a current "reno" and he has showed you the plans, you need to ask, is this the time to make a change?
Some fans don't care and say make the change which is fine, but, realize it may take longer to get to the finished product. The new contractor could go in a different direction with new ideas than what's been already undertaken. Other fans say stay the course and see the plan through and if I decide to change once it starts to take shape, that can be decided on later. To complicate things, the house may change ownership. A bit of a "dog's breakfast" now but the dust will eventually settle. Trust me, we'll be revisiting this at a later date.
