It’s been a nervous few days for Syracuse Orange basketball fans with the future of star forward C.J. Fair up in the air, but in the end Fair chose to return to college for his senior season. Regardless of what this decision means for the Orange for next season, it was a wise choice for Fair and his future in basketball.
With Fair’s decision coming so close to the deadline, it’s clear that this was a difficult decision for him to make, and it should have been. It’s rare that a player that leads a Final Four team in both scoring and rebounding doesn’t jump straight into the NBA Lottery, but that has been the case with Fair. Despite being one of the most well rounded players in the country, Fair has not received great praise from the NBA, and is far from a guarantee to be a first round draft pick. Without being assured of a first round selection and a guaranteed contract, Fair would be taking too big of a risk by leaving a year early. With an extra season in college Fair will be able to further expand his skill set, improve his draft stock, and ensure that he leaves Syracuse with a diploma in his hand.
It’s not that Fair doesn’t have the talent to play in the NBA right now, but at the moment he lacks a niche that can help him stick on a NBA roster for an extended period of time. The NBA is a league composed of a few stars that are surrounded by a large contingent of role players. The biggest detriment to Fair, with regards to the NBA is that he doesn’t have one area of his game that stands out. He does so many things well, but there’s nothing that he does exceptionally well that will give him a role to play in the pros. Without that one facet of his game that can carry him, Fair would have found it difficult to distinguish himself from the rest of young athletic forwards that are hoping to carve out a spot for themselves in the NBA. With another year in college, Fair would be able to fix the weak points in his game and continue to search for the niche that could help keep him on an NBA roster for a long time to come.
With another year in college, Fair will have the opportunity to once again be the leading scorer and rebounder on one of the best teams in the country. He’ll be one of the preseason favorites to be ACC player of the year, as well as a potential All-American. If Fair can earn those types of accolades he will ensure himself of a first round selection in next year’s draft.
Of course, Fair’s decision to stay will have a significant impact on Syracuse next year. Fair’s presence will make the Orange a competitor both in their first season in the ACC, and on the national stage as well. In addition to possibly being one of the true stars of college basketball next season, Fair will be a steady and reliable force on a young but talented team that will be filled with unproven players. He will be the most essential player on the Syracuse roster next season, and his presence will give the Orange realistic hopes of returning to the Final Four.
It may have been a tough decision for Fair to make, but in the end he made the safe choice and the right choice by choosing to stay in school for one more year. Not only will Syracuse be a great beneficiary of his decision to play one more season in Orange, but also with one more year in college, Fair will put himself in much better position to have a long and fruitful career in the NBA.