Talking Points: No “one and done” for UW, UO

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Fans of the Huskies and Ducks basketball programs were disappointed on Tuesday when Aaron Gordon announced that he was choosing to play college basketball at Arizona.

Considered one of the nation’s top recruits, the 6-foot-8 forward from San Jose, Calif., reportedly was also considering Washington, Oregon and that downtrodden Kentucky program. But it is possible that this is a good development for the Dawgs and the Ducks.

Gordon figures to play one season in college then jump to the NBA. Sure, he could have helped either Washington or Oregon to success next season. But, if the scholarship instead goes to a good player who will stick around for four years, both programs figure to be better off in the long run.

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If you haven’t already seen it, we recommend you watch “Survive and Advance” the latest — and in our opinion the greatest — installment in the ESPN series of retrospective films. The two-hour documentary follows North Carolina State’s improbable journey to the 1983 NCAA basketball championship, while weaving in coach Jim Valvano’s battle with cancer.

The show is airing during the NCAA tournament on ESPN networks. It is scheduled to air again at 6 p.m. PDT Thursday on ESPN2.

For those of us who were in college, watching “Survive and Advance” is a stark reminder of how quickly 30 years have passed.

For those who are younger, the film is a good history lesson. College basketball was so much different (we mean better) back then. Not because the 3-point line and shot clock were only experiments. Because back then future NBA greats actually played college ball.

The players that N.C. State team overcame on their journey included Michael Jordan, Sam Perkins, Ralph Sampson, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Clyde Drexler. Seems safe to say than none would be hanging around college as upperclassmen today.