Denzel Valentine chuckled before the question even ended.
Sunday night in Las Vegas, the Bulls faced the 76ers and No. 1 overall pick Ben Simmons, who logged just one season at LSU. Valentine played four at Michigan State, which is a rarity these days.
In fact, it's sometimes viewed as a negative, which is why Valentine knew where the question was headed.
"It was an easy decision because I feel I got better and I feel like I'm more ready now that I stayed in school four years," Valentine said. "Everybody is different. Some people are ready after one.
"After my third year, I thought about it a little bit, but we ended the year with a bad taste. I wanted to come back for a national championship, so I came back to school."
The Bulls don't view Valentine's college experience as a negative. Three- and four-year college players fit the norm for management's drafting template.
"I think all of us would feel comfortable throwing him on the floor in an NBA game right now," coach Fred Hoiberg said. "Look at the program he came from, being coached by Tom Izzo for four years. He's very fundamentally sound. He loves being in pressure situations."
And none of this is to be critical of Simmons, whom Valentine said he knows and lauded for his skill.
"He's a really great player," Valentine said. "He was controlling the game for his team, finding his teammates. He's like a mini-LeBron (James). That's saying a lot."
