Although he hasn’t actually come out and said so as of press time, it looks like a pretty sure bet that star ISU forward Marcus Fizer will be worrying about the NBA playoffs next year, not losses to Michigan State.

It is with mixed feelings that we bid one of the best players in Cyclone basketball history good-bye.

On one hand, it’s tough to criticize Fizer for going for the money and fame of professional basketball. He is riding on top of a fevered wave of excitement about the surprise success of Iowa State’s men’s basketball team, and most analysts are predicting that he has a lock on one of the top five picks in the NBA draft, which will inherently mean a multi-million dollar contract and a hefty signing bonus.

But it’s just another reminder of how commercial college athletics has become.

The vibe given off by many, including ISU head coach Larry Eustachy, is that declaring himself eligible for the draft is the right move for Fizer.

Maybe so, maybe not. Only Marcus can truly speak as to what is the best option. It’s his choice to make, and it is a deeply personal one at that.

What is upsetting, though, is how widely acceptable it is for players like Fizer to skip out on their commitment to Iowa State and to leave school without a diploma in hand.

Students drop out of school all the time for varying reasons, but only when the student in question happens to have a killer jump shot or a heart-stopping spin move do university officials laud the student for “doing the right thing.”

It is just indicative of how the NCAA has become a minor league training ground for the NBA and the NFL.

Players like Fizer are recruited to a college solely on their basketball abilities, with little attention paid before, during or after the fact to the mission of all universities and colleges — to educate, not to polish one’s game.

So it is no surprise that players are treated with a similar lack of respect when they decide to take off early to cash in on the athletic education they received from some of the highest-paid government employees in the state — coaches of high-revenue sports.

We know it’s idealistic and perhaps even a little sentimental, but it would be nice if we could go back to the way things used to be, when students played basketball and basketball players didn’t have to fake it when they played student.

So this is good-bye, Marcus. Thanks for the great memories and this magical season. Best of luck in all you do.

And if you feel like making us look silly by staying, we say go for it. Really, we wouldn’t mind.

Iowa State Daily Editorial Board: Sara Ziegler, Greg Jerrett, Kate Kompas, Carrie Tett and David Roepke.