Will Barton speaks to the Memphis Commercial-Appeal

Will Barton is one of the top ten recruits in the country, but due to academic issues he had while in high school, the talented 6'6" wing was declared ineligible by the NCAA.

While Barton did bounce from high school to high school, the biggest issue right now seems to be that he took more than eight semesters to graduate from high school. Barton spent a season at Brewster Academy after graduating high school, so he pushed back his graduation date from June of 2009 to August of 2009, which is a violation of NCAA rules.

To his credit, Barton is taking all the responsibility.

"I got it together my 11th and 12th year, my prep year, but not taking care of business early in life, you can’t blame anyone but yourself," Barton told Dan Wolken of the Commercial=Appeal. "If you have dreams of going to college and playing basketball, you need to think about it early. And that's my fault. I was the one going to school. I should have been doing my work."

Even if Barton loses his scheduled appeal, it does not guarantee that he will never play for Memphis. There is a rule that states if a player is on track academically after his freshman season, he will be eligible for his sophomore year. If Barton decides that he does want to go to college, that is still an option.

His other two choices are heading to Europe and entering the NBDL. Europe may not be the best option, as Jeremy Tyler can attest. Even Brandon Jennings, who has turned into one of the best young point guards in the league, struggled in his one season abroad. If he goes to the NBDL, it will be a strictly basketball decision, as the money made here is significantly less that what can be made in Europe.

Barton has not yet made his mind up.

"All that is going into account with me and my decision," Barton told the C-A. "I could get hurt just walking out the door. I'm hearing there might be a NBA lockout. Who knows what's really going to happen. I really just don’t know. I just need time to think about it, weigh my options and come up with the best solution for me."

You hope that Barton could become a cautionary tale for the kids currently working their way to scholarships in the class of 2012, 2013, and beyond. Go to class, get your grades in order, and graduate high school as a real student, not just an athlete. Its not difficult, its high school. The only excuse is a lack of effort.

I don't want to sound like I'm rooting for Barton to fail. Its the exact opposite, as a matter of fact. I hate seeing kids miss out on their dreams. But if Barton never plays a game for Memphis, and never makes an NBA roster, he becomes the poster boy for why these top recruits need to put in effort in the class room.

Eventually, these kids will realize that they need more than just basketball talent to make it as a college hooper.

Hopefully, Will Barton's story will help other realize that before its too late.