Zam "Buck" Fredrick and the NBA

Very interesting story from Buck's local paper about this considerations for the NBA versus an education.

Here are some of the key excerpts:

For Calhoun County Boys' Basketball Coach Zam Fredrick, the latter was always the preferred career path for his son -- shooting guard Zambolist "Buck" Fredrick. The younger Fredrick's many appearances in AAU tournaments and All-Star games around the country over the years enabled the three-time state champion, T&D Region Boys' Player of the Year and 'Mr. South Carolina Basketball' to measure his game against other aspiring NBA draftees.

While the Howards, Telfairs and Al Jeffersons will be in New York schmoozing with their future coaches and employers, Fredrick is currently in Dallas, Texas representing his country. He and fellow Georgia Tech-bound All-State forward Ra'Sean Dickey are playing for the United States junior national team which will face teams from Croatia, China, Russia and Argentina in the fifth annual Coca-Cola Global Games taking place June 27-July 3 at Southern Methodist University.

As far as the elder Fredrick and former 1981 Draft pick of the Los Angeles Lakers is concerned, he and his son would not want it any other way. To paraphrase an old NBA public service campaign -- "staying in school is the best move" -- even if a lottery team thought 'Buck' was good enough to make their first-round pick.

"With us, it's always been a situation where each thing has its own time, and each day better prepares you for the next," he said. "So, that (entering the NBA Draft) never even crossed our minds. We just wanted to make sure that he was the best that he could be as a high school player, which in turn would prepare him to be a good college player, and then his college experience could prepare him to be -- if that's for him in his future to be a pro -- then college would probably be the best way to prepare him from that.

"I'm not necessarily saying all four years, but certainly, a couple of years would be best for him so that he could make that adjustment and be ready physically and mentally to take on the pro game."