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It is, with rare exceptions, the era of the freshman in college basketball. Across the country, elite teams are led by teenagers who hit town for a few months, maybe win a few dozen games and even a title, and then head to the lucrative world of the pros.
The N.B.A.’s so-called “one and done” rule, which bars 18-year-olds from playing in the league, has been at the heart of this transformation. Since its formalization more than a decade ago, the rule had led young players to opt for only a year of college ball — a pit stop on the way to the N.