"As the N.B.A. draft approached last year, perhaps the biggest subplot involved Brandon Jennings. After struggling to qualify academically for a college scholarship, he had played professionally in Rome for a season.

On draft day, Jennings was selected No. 10 by the Milwaukee Bucks, and he then had a scintillating rookie season.

Jennings arrived in the N.B.A. as a much-heralded pioneer, but a different basketball trailblazer who bypassed the traditional road to the N.B.A. will have his referendum Thursday."