Jeremy Tyler heads east. Way east.

There was plenty of criticism when Jeremy Tyler decided to forego his senior season in high school to become a professional basketball player overseas.

And for the last year, Tyler seems to be doing all he can to enforce the sentiment that he did, in fact, make a big mistake. He played limited minutes in just 10 games with Maccabi Haifa. He argued with the coach and management over playing time. He walked out of one game at halftime. And, finally, he became the subject of two unflattering pieces before quitting with five weeks to go in the season.

Now?

Jeremy Tyler is headed to Japan.
(photo credit: San Diego News Network)

Tyler is headed to the Japanese professional league.

Two summers ago, Brandon Jennings made waves when he decided to skip college and head to Italy to play professional basketball for a year before entering the NBA Draft.

I think we all know how that worked out -- after a disappointing season with Roma, Jennings was the tenth pick in the draft, going on to average 15.5 ppg and 5.7 apg as a rookie.

Last summer, two players followed in Jenning's footsteps. Latavious Williams, a Memphis commit, didn't enroll in college, instead opting to spend a year in the D-League before entering this year's NBA Draft. It paid off, as Williams averaged 11.3 ppg and 8.0 rpg, enough to get him picked 48th in June's draft.

And then there is Tyler.

We all remember Tyler. A Louisville commit, Tyler opted to forego his senior season in high school, opting to play professionally for two seasons to help him develop and prepare for the 2011 NBA Draft. Now, as a college basketball fan and blogger, this may sound weird to hear, but I have no qualms with a player quitting school to become a professional, so long as that player is making the smart decision. I don't think anyone can claim that John Wall made a bad decision to enter this year's draft, just like it would be tough to argue against Samardo Samuels turning pro to help support his family. Hell, I'd even argue that Jennings and Williams made the correct decisions given there was no guarantee either was going to be eligible as freshman.

At the time, the decision Tyler made didn't look terrible. At 6'11", Tyler would have faced triple teams for an entire season. Can one really develop that much when the "defense" that player faces consists of three kid six inches shorter triple-teaming, and mauling, him on a consistent basis? By heading abroad, the thinking was that Tyler would be able to learn the rigors of being a professional athlete while practicing on a daily basis against grown men with his size.

He had to be able to develop, right?

Well, he didn't. In fact he may have even regressed, especially in the eyes of NBA scouts. NBA teams are known for their ability to babysit, but who is going to want to deal with an entitled superstar that quit the first professional team he ever played for?

Most expected Tyler's next step to be somewhere in Europe -- or, ideally, the D-League -- a place he would be able to get more exposure and good competition. But he went to Japan instead. He went to a league that no one associated with the NBA watches or cares about, where there was nary an NBA prospect before he signed with the Tokyo Apache. He may post great numbers, but he'll be doing against shoddy competition without being seen.

The longer this goes, the worse Tyler's decision looks. Odds are good that he will get a shot with an NBA team simply based on his potential. But if he had played his cards right, Tyler might have been able to sneak into the first round. Now, it looks like all but a certainty his professional career in the States will begin in the D-League, which he and his people so vehemently avoided this off-season.

I wouldn't be surprised if skipping college and turning pro for a year before entering the NBA Draft became a trend, or ever the status quo, for the country's top prospects, especially if Williams becomes a quality pro.

And while Williams and Jennings may one day be considered trendsetters, the hope should be that Tyler will remembered as well. Not as a trailblazer, but as a cautionary tale.

You want to turn pro early?

You better be able to handle to rigors of being a professional.

Tyler wasn't. Hopefully, we will hear his name again, and not when someone says "Don't be the next Jeremy Tyler."