The right call*

*Even if a lot of people don't think so.

By which the Blob means, good luck, James Blackmon Jr., and never mind what anyone else thinks. The draftniks might not understand why you're hiring an agent and leaving college buckets behind, a lot of media folk might not understand it, but the Blob does. Although probably not for the reason you want to hear.

And what is that the reason?

Because another year at IU won't get you much closer to the NBA than you are now.

That it's unlikely Blackmon will get drafted this year is pretty obvious, given that he wasn't invited to the NBA combine. If that didn't happen, getting drafted probably isn't going to happen. But you know what?

That's OK.

It's OK, because if Blackmon doesn't land with an NBA team as a free agent, there are tons of opportunities to make money playing overseas out there. And a whole lot of players who never got drafted took that path to the Association.

So let's say Blackmon does the same thing and  jumps the pond. He makes some coin. He gets used to the pro game and the pro life. And maybe, in a year or so, he catches someone's eye and winds up doing what Mavericks' point guard Yogi Ferrell did: Find himself a home after going undrafted.

That doesn't happen very often, mind you. But it could. And if Blackmon turns pro now, he's a year to the good in that process.

It's clear he wants to play for money. Why not start now?

Because, listen, there's nothing to keep him in Bloomington anymore. He's got his degree. His coach, Tom Crean, is gone. And he's in a place where his skill set is established and isn't likely to improve all that much by spending one more season in college -- a season in which Blackmon, who's already been injured, could wind up getting injured again.

Why risk that? Why not just get started on the rest of his life now?

I'll wait right here for your answer.