Semi-OT: Top HS BBall recruit going to NBA/G League Pathway
Pretty timely considering what Brian covered the topic in yesterday's UV.
Jalen Green is has told the schools recruiting him that he is going to forgo college and play in the G League program for a year.
April 16th, 2020 at 11:18 AM ^
No reason to go after the top ~dozen kids any more. Scratch them off every year and that’s your new recruiting list.
April 16th, 2020 at 11:20 AM ^
The only chance the NCAA has of stopping this trend is to enact the NLI reform ASAP and pitch kids on being bale to get more exposure and $$$ by spending a year or two in college as opposed to the G league. I realize that is not a panacea and that some kids simply don't want to play school, but it might help keep some of these kids from skipping college altogether.
April 16th, 2020 at 11:23 AM ^
Let them go. The NCAA should be doing more to push them to go “pro” right out of high school. That’s the only way to get some roster regularity.
April 16th, 2020 at 11:48 AM ^
I agree 100%. I will root for UM vs anyone, no matter who is playing for the team. I don't care about the top 5-10 players going pro. I wish they would go pro. I don't care about the one and dones. I like following players for 3-4 years. I think the NCAA should encourage the top players to go pro.
April 16th, 2020 at 11:49 AM ^
Yes I agree with that on some level. But it's also disappointing that we're at a point now where the best players won't want to experience the college game and especially the tournament. The NCAA definitely should make a move to counter this if they don't want to lose big name players to the Sioux Falls Skyforce. I'm glad G-league players will get paid more - they definitely should - but it still feels like a pretty boring route to the pros and it makes college basketball less appealing as well. It's the NCAA's move now but I doubt they'll do anything.
April 16th, 2020 at 11:57 AM ^
I agree. Missing out on “I saw michael Jordan in college” is going to suck, but the current system is pretty clearly broken.
April 16th, 2020 at 12:48 PM ^
There will be a few exceptions, but for kids with serious NBA aspirations, the offer of $125K to play basketball 24 hours a day to get better will be practically irresistible.
I want to watch Michigan STUDENTS competing against other school's students. I would prefer these "students in name only" players out of college altogether.
If I wanted to watch players of highest caliber, I would watch NBA. I have no interest in G-League even if they had Zion playing on their team.
I watch Michigan sports because I am personally vested as an alum. If this means we would lose some fans, that is probably healthier for NCAA in the long run.
April 16th, 2020 at 11:21 AM ^
Nice of him to tell the schools, instead of acting like he’s coming and then deciding not to at the last minute.
April 16th, 2020 at 11:31 AM ^
I can't imagine it being an extremely difficult decision for an 18 year old that may take time. Better to be an asshole about it since you can on the internet with no issues.
April 16th, 2020 at 11:35 AM ^
Speaking of Internet assholes...
April 16th, 2020 at 11:44 AM ^
This comment is especially amusing because you're one of the biggest assholes on the board.
April 16th, 2020 at 11:56 AM ^
I am an asshole, but I'm still better than people who get mad at 18 year olds for making difficult decisions about what is best for their life because it doesn't help my team win a game
The idea that you think you're "better" than people immediately makes you worse than anyone.
April 16th, 2020 at 11:24 AM ^
They need to let these kids go straight to the NBA.
April 16th, 2020 at 11:51 AM ^
And if the NBA wants to see them for a year in a more competitive setting outside high school that's their prerogative. NCAA will never be able to do anything about players leaving after one year if they think they're ready.
April 16th, 2020 at 11:43 AM ^
These kids can do whatever they want of course. I don't care, because I don't watch the NBA anyways - just college. I'm sure though that some of them down the road, will regret their decision realizing that they could have developed their game better via at least a few years of college ball.
It amazes me to no end that people still somehow believe that being a college student with limited practice time and a full-time course load is better for your basketball development than being able to practice full-time with no restrictions.
April 16th, 2020 at 11:44 AM ^
I guess I still don’t fully understand why basketball hasn’t followed the baseball/hockey paths. It just makes more sense to me that the NBA should actively scout high school players so those players are aware of their options that way they can make a better decision on their future. Too much risk for 17/18 year olds to handle in my opinion with plenty of bad hot takes from their advisors. The level of roster turnover year to year has become unsustainable when you factor in the transfers nowadays too. Some necessary reform is needed to stabilize and improve the game. I’m not confident in any of the organizations involved to get it squared away though.
April 16th, 2020 at 11:51 AM ^
Good. One-and-dones were an abomination of the “student athlete” moniker. These kids never had any interest in being students. They never planned on pursuing a degree. They’d be better served going to a true minor league and playing in the G league. Hopefully they end this nonsense and the age restriction on NBA.
April 16th, 2020 at 12:10 PM ^
Yeah, I'd love to see 'a day in the life of' for all the one and done types that roll through UK, Duke, Kansas, etc. They're probably barely doing any schoolwork at all and are taking the easiest possible schedule. Why are these guys in college again?
Agreed. Remember Ben Simmons? He did so poorly his first semester at LSU, he would not have been eligible for post-season play had LSU made the tournament. Not to say that he wasn't smart enough, but he was just burning the year he had to before going to the NBA.
April 16th, 2020 at 12:03 PM ^
Never understood why the NBA requires 1 year before High School graduates can enter the draft.
It's fucking basketball.
April 16th, 2020 at 12:32 PM ^
Because it's a free development program for the NBA. There are exceptions but in general the coaching received in college is better for player development than sitting on the bench in the NBA. The NCAA shouldn't play along though.
The reasons used were:
1.) A need for strength development
2.) Maturation (financial and otherwise)
3.) Who the F knows
April 16th, 2020 at 12:28 PM ^
Love the options these kids are getting. Personally they should just be able to go pro if given a high enough rating by nba scouts out of hs. I vaguely remember a period in the early 2000’s where guys who weren’t even top 50 recruits trying to go pro. Also I wouldn’t mind seeing a two year minimum requirement if kids go the college route. Only out would be if they’re given top grades by scouts.
I'm with you up to the two year minimum, kids should be able to make the jump when they're able.
I would like to see a rule where if you aren't drafted you retain your eligibility, (I'd like to see that rule for football too TBH).
April 16th, 2020 at 12:30 PM ^
Seems like there are a lot of guys who can play in the NBA right out of HS. The top 25 one and dones are pretty good and probably wouldn't have suffered much had they gone straight to the NBA. Though I have to say that even though Carmelo Anthony is a really good pro I probably would never have heard of him if he didn't win a national championship with Syracuse.
April 16th, 2020 at 12:31 PM ^
By what method is a player assigned to particular team? Does the player have his pick of the litter? Is he randomly assigned to a team?
I think the G League should start drafting these high school prospects early in the school year, August or September, and give the players a month or so to decide whether they want to go the G league route or play in college. Offer a one-year contract with competitive compensation to keep the players from playing overseas. If they choose the college route, the player has to play a minimum of two years.
The G League draft could act as a quasi-supplemental draft where if you draft a player out of high school, you then forfeit a second round pick in the upcoming NBA draft. It's also a risky move, as the player could decide that he prefers to play in college.
A team would benefit from the player choosing the G League as the NBA program would have intimate knowledge of the player over the course of year in examining personality, worth ethic, etc. in addition to their play on the court.
By the time of the NBA draft, that particular team that drafted the player could then have an avenue to keep that particular player in their program by: 1) signing the player to a guaranteed contract, 2) forfeiting the team's first round pick, 3) forfeiting the team's second round pick (this already happened when the team drafted a player in the G League draft), and 4) forfeiting a pick in the next year's G League draft. It would be a very risky move to do so, so they could also choose to let that player go through the NBA draft process as normal. The team would then retain their first round pick in the NBA draft as well as their pick in the next G League draft.
At the end of the day, this would protect both NBA and college programs. The NBA programs would get a year head start in evaluating/training an elite high school prospect, while mitigating their risk as they would only have the player for a year at a minimum and would not waste a first round pick in the NBA draft on "the next LeBron James" out of high school. It would also protect college coaches from being left high and dry by these prospects and having to combat against the one and done nature of college basketball.
April 16th, 2020 at 12:47 PM ^
Not a bad plan. My personal preference would be to do it just like baseball. Draft out of HS, if they don't sign and go to college, they have to wait 3 years or until they turn 21.
Obviously, the system is broken for basketball. They really need to look hard at the NHL and MLB models. If they adopt the NHL model of the draft and follow, an NBA team could draft a high-level prospect and let them experience college life. With NIL rights the player could also have an income stream. NBA teams could let their picks develop in a college atmosphere rather than the baron arenas of the G-League. Alternatively, they could use the MLB model, where you can be drafted right out of HS and go into the professional ranks, G-League, NBA, or have to wait three years. There is a lot to work out for these systems, especially a draft and follow system. The NBA does not have the minor league structure of the NHL or MLB, but this would be a way to grow that system.
On the other hand, if top kids just start going to the G-League on their own, maybe this will just fix itself.
April 16th, 2020 at 12:37 PM ^
I’m all good with top high school players having a chance to get paid and go to the G league, but this process needs to happen in such a way that it does not screw up college roster management.
April 16th, 2020 at 12:59 PM ^
My takes....
- Good for him - glad he's transparent and glad he has a chance to take this option if he feels it suits him best.
- I think kids should have the option to go to the NBA
- I think colleges should fix NLI so that athletes have incentive to go to school and are rewarded appropriately
- I think the other change that the NBA and NCAA should push through but don't seem to even be considering is the NHL model of draft-and-follow. I think this is best case for both parties so they can develop under good coaches, while getting NCAA exposure, and being able to know who had your pro-rights; not getting sent to the league when they don't have a spot; etc.
Can't edit the original post but suddenly on-topic as Isaiah Todd will be joining the same team.