UPDATE: Andre Drummond to make a decision today, will marketability factor in?

UPDATE: Drummond has made his decision. Adam Finkelstein (we told you!) broke the news this afternoon that Drummond will be heading to Wilbraham and Monson for another year of prep school. He also got a top five from Drummond -- UConn, Kentucky, Louisville, Georgetown, and West Virginia -- but rest assured that Drummond will not be spending any time on a college campus.

I still believe what is written below. Let's go ahead and say that we think Drummond made a bad decision.

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The Andre Drummond saga will, in all likelihood, end today.

Andy Katz confirmed an earlier report that Drummond will be making a decision at some point today. What that decision is, however, no one seems to know. Adam Zagoria is reporting that Drummond's plan is to return to St. Thomas More. Jeff Borzello tweeted that he believes Drummond will either end up paying his own way at UConn or head to Wilbraham and Monson, another prep school in the Northeast. (Its a virtual certainty that Adam Finkelstein will be the first to know the answer, so follow him on twitter if you are into that breaking news stuff.)


As Mike DeCourcy wrote in a column on Monday, college would probably be the best decision for Drummond. On the one hand, it would give Drummond a year's experience presumably (most expect him to go to UConn if he goes to college) playing under Jim Calhoun for the reigning national champs in college basketball's premiere conference. He certainly won't get worse, and there is little doubt that he will improve more than spending another year dunking on over-matched high school kids. DeCourcy also makes the point that Drummond's biggest red flag is inconsistent effort and that he is "too casual about competition." Surprising people by choosing to go to college is a good way to start erasing those doubts.

I agree wholeheartedly with everything DeCourcy says in that article, but I doubt his arguments will be convincing if presented to Drummond.

I have one that will be -- he can make more money by going to college.

I'm not referring to the money he will get in his rookie contract. Regardless of the kind of season that he has if he goes to college, Drummond is going to be drafted on his potential, which will put him somewhere in the top ten.

No, I'm talking about endorsement money. If Drummond goes pro straight from prep school, he isn't going to have a national profile. With the exception of the people that closely follow high school hoops and recruiting -- which is a minute segment of the population -- he'll be a mystery. Hell, Drummond isn't even the most high-profile player in the Class of 2012. That honor goes to the No. 1 player in the country, a high-flying and high-scoring lefty wing out in Vegas with a memorable name, Shabazz Muhammad.

For argument's sake, lets say Drummond goes to UConn. He'll be joining a team already expected to be in or around the top ten in the country, he'll help Alex Oriakhi and Jeremy Lamb form one of the most dangerous front lines in the country, and he'll make the Huskies a favorite to reach a third Final Four in four years.

People will talk about him. Fans will go out to see him play. He has a much better chance of becoming a household name by spending a year playing on ESPN and having highlights shown on Sportscenter.

That's how he'll get bigger endorsement money, by marketing himself.

Would that be enough to get him to head to college for a year?