Well basketball players don’t really have to go to college. They have to be at least 19 and their hs class one year out to play in the NBA. They can play in Europe ( even if your name isn’t Bell) or they can play G League, or they can just wait a year.
But really, a lot of them want to play in college. They love March Madness. They love the coaching. Some have been going to the fancy basketball camps but some kids have just had a high school coach.