Sen. Claire McCaskill “stirred things up” Monday night after Wisconsin fell to Duke in the NCAA final.
That’s according to the Missouri Democrat’s own admission after she tweeted about Duke’s victory, saying “congrats” but that she “was rooting for [the] team who had stars that are actually going to college & not just doing semester tryout for NBA.” The tweet quickly sparked a backlash and became a trending topic on Twitter.
McCaskill’s comments appeared to reference to Duke’s reputation for recruiting and quickly churning out NBA prospects who leave for the NBA before graduating.
Duke has seen a string of talented players in recent years leave for the NBA after only a brief stint at the university and experts largely attributed Duke’s win to its four star freshmen.
Among Wisconsin’s star players in Monday’s lineup, by contrast, were sophomores, juniors and seniors.
Top high school basketball players must wait at least a year before joining the NBA — and top prospects often spend just a year in college before getting drafted.
It’s the system, McCaskill insisted, taht she was castigating.
“I see I have stirred things up,” she tweeted. “Sorry, but I’m sad about the one & done thing.I understand why it’s happening,but I don’t have to like it.”
And as the backlash continued, McCaskil clarified that “of course, it’s not the kids’ fault.”
“To be clear folks, this isn’t about the kids,this is about the system.This is about the NCAA/NBA.I don’t blame the very talented athletes,” McCaskill tweeted.
