Should Maymon have stayed Marquette?

Jeronne Maymon, a two-time Wisconsin player of the year in high school, left the Marquette program back in December, transferring to Tennessee.

Maymon, a 6'6", 250 lb, combo forward, had the potential to be a player in the Marquette system. He's strong enough to battle in the paint with the bigs in the Big East, but, like Lazar Hayward and Jimmy Butler, he has the perimeter skills to create mismatches on the offensive end.

But Maymon was just a freshman, and believe it or not, most programs don't build their team around a freshman. Especially when that freshman is playing behind a first team all-conference candidate like Hayward.

Jeronne Maymon with his father, Tim.
(photo credit: Strotty)

But Maymon's father disagreed. Take a look at what he said to Madison.com a few weeks back:

"We're not doing another Buzz issue. The whole problem with the whole Buzz situation was he didn't want Jeronne to out-do anybody on that team until his sophomore year. And that shouldn't matter - if he's going to help you, he's going to help you.

"They didn't want to play the game right, so now we're going to watch them lose every game. That's just how it works.

"You don't bring a kid in and not use him the way he's supposed to be used. So this kid has left the state of Wisconsin as one of the premier players in the state. "

I can't argue with the fact that Maymon was probably not being used the way he wanted to, or expected to, in the nine games he played for Marquette.

But would that have been the best thing for his team?

Hayward has proven himself as one of the best forwards in the Big East. He has proven himself capable of playing in the paint defensively despite being undersized and a natural small forward. He has proven the ability to be a big-time scorer.

What has Maymon done?

Had a decorated high school career?

What player in the Big East didn't have a decorated high school career?

Perhaps this situation epitomizes exactly what is wrong with college basketball these days. A quick google search of Maymon will lead you to a number of articles claiming that Maymon's father considered him to be a one-and-done player. That notion appears to be false, but Maymon still felt it necessary to leave the Golden Eagles.

Lost in Tim Maymon's inflated opinion of his son's ability is what could have been if he stayed with Marquette. If Maymon has any hopes of reaching the NBA as a 6'6", 250 lb forward, he is going to have to become a guy that can defend in post but take advantage of the mismatches on the offensive end, developing the ability to hit a three and put the ball on the floor and get to the rim.

Sounds a bit like Hayward, doesn't it?

Would it be so crazy to think that Maymon would want to learn and develop in a system that has turned Lazar Hayward into a guy that, at the very least, is going to get a good, long look from NBA scouts?

Even if Maymon, at the worst, played the 16.3 mpg he was averaging this season, it would be just one season gone. As a sophomore, he would have every opportunity to step in and start in Hayward's spot. In transferring to Tennessee, not only will this season be a loss, but next season may be as well (he won't become eligible until the end of the first semester next season). We've mentioned this dozens of times, but it is so difficult to join a team midway through the season, when rotations have been set and guys have learned their roles.

It may not be until his junior season that Maymon starts a college basketball game.

Not exactly one-and-done.