Editor’s note: This article was initially published in The Daily Gazette, Swarthmore’s online, daily newspaper founded in Fall 1996. As of Fall 2018, the DG has merged with The Phoenix. See the about page to read more about the DG.
The exodus of top high school senior basketball players to the National Basketball Association continued yesterday as Brandon Hodsdon not-’09 declared for the NBA draft. Hodsdon had previously signed a letter of intent to play at Swarthmore. Head Coach Lee Wimberley was seen sitting stoically in his office, muttering about “kids these days…”
Hodsdon, a 6’6″ slashing swingman who can also shoot the trifecta, would have made this year’s recruiting class the best since well before the days of yore. His recruitment was considered a major coup for Wimberley, as the veteran head coach beat out such luminaries as Rick Pitino, Mike Krysuckski, and Bobby Knight. Scott Boras, Hodson’s agent, assured the 17 remaining optimistic sports fans of the world that his client fully intended to attend the College once his playing days are completed. “Brandon scored a 1200 on the SATs, the highest of any top-100 player in this year’s class. He fully intends to get his degree at Swarthmore.” The admissions office responded with a collective sneer.
Student reaction to the defection was mixed. “We should never have let this happen,” said Jay Moore ’06. “Having Hodsdon, even if only for a year, would have done immeasurable amounts for the school’s athletic programs. There must have been something we could have done–designed a special “Stat 1″ major or something.” John Verney ’08 was noticably less affected, saying “The NBA–now, that’s basketball, right?”
