Future of College Basketball Recruiting

[randomfan44]

They aren't supposed to get paid in college either so I would say it is an option.

Free training with elite trainers. Free medical care if you are injured. Free room and board. Free food for at least a good portion of your meals. New rules on cost of living coverage. Free education. It's not money IN pocket but it's things that don't have to come out of your pocket. You are much less likely to have everything in your life covered when you go play for some of these overseas teams or the D-League.

 

[tadsteinberger]

You would think the NBA would want a more developed 4 year college player before risking a multi million contract. Guess not. If a player is over 22 years they are considered too old. Go figure.

They do want developed players, they just want to be the ones doing the developing, which makes sense to me. I like the idea of larger minimum contracts for D League players. That way NBA teams can develop young talent exactly the way they want without paying them millions for it, elite young players get paid hundreds of thousands of dollars a year to do what they love without having to pretend they're in college for an education, and colleges get players who want to stay for multiple years and at least kind of care about their education.

I don't know if that will ever happen, but I think that would be the best situation for everyone.

 

[CyJack13]

The NCAA has nothing to do with it. It is an agreement to be made between the NBA Owners and the NBA Players Union. And I do not believe a significant number would go. More would go but not a lot. They are still 18 year old kids and there is still a huge number of grown men players in the pro leagues in Europe that do not like the possibility that they will lose roster spots to little kids hoping to grab their cash for a year with no care about the team at all. Many of these kids would get their a$$es handed to them in every practice and every game and the word would spread that it isn't always a great experience. And like I said, as long as the NBADL is paying McDonald's cashier rates, there isn't a risk of elite athletes going there. Only the players who are most desperate for cash will take that route.

Yep, people really overestimate the overseas market for high school players whenever this conversation comes up. It's really hard for a teenager to play overseas, both on court and off. The guys who have went that route have all had their struggles. There's very few high school players who would be draw more fans for those teams, and there are also very few high school kids that are good enough to play in the top leagues. As you said, they are going up grown men who are doing this for a living, they aren't going to want to sit out to help a kid who is going to be gone in a year develop, and those teams are trying to win games too. The 29 year old who played four years in college and overseas for 7 years is probably a hell of a lot better than any 17 year old at that point in time. For the most part, the college basketball experience is easy for these guys, play a year or two, party a lot, be surrounded with kids your own age, playing overseas is hard.

 

[Judoka]

You would think the NBA would want a more developed 4 year college player before risking a multi million contract. Guess not. If a player is over 22 years they are considered too old. Go figure.

I don't like the way the NBA drafts but I understand it. In basketball 1-2 elite players can mean the difference between a .500 record and a championship. And an elite player can play at that level (or at least close to it) for a decade or more. So all you need is one guy every 2-3 drafts turn in to an all star and you're set, fill in the rest of your roster with role players and a free agent or two. So there is an incentive to reach for the stars and grab a guy who has the tools to turn in to an elite player vs. waiting to see if they develop and risk having someone else grab them.

 

[cjclone]

Overseas can get really interesting. A lot of teams come and go. You may or not get paid or it may be late on a lot of teams. Only the elite teams are a good thing. Culture shock and isolation can be a real thing there. It would take a special player to be able to deal with it coming out of high school.

 

[randomfan44]

You would think the NBA would want a more developed 4 year college player before risking a multi million contract. Guess not. If a player is over 22 years they are considered too old. Go figure.

The NBA wants physical and athletic freaks. Things you cannot teach. It can teach and develop players no problem. If a player is over 22 and still in college then it's because they are not physical and athletic freaks. They may still be able to find a place in the NBA as there are not enough physical and athletic freaks to fill every roster spot on every NBA team but solid role players can always be found.

 

[randomfan44]

Yep, people really overestimate the overseas market for high school players whenever this conversation comes up. It's really hard for a teenager to play overseas, both on court and off. The guys who have went that route have all had their struggles. There's very few high school players who would be draw more fans for those teams, and there are also very few high school kids that are good enough to play in the top leagues. As you said, they are going up grown men who are doing this for a living, they aren't going to want to sit out to help a kid who is going to be gone in a year develop, and those teams are trying to win games too. The 29 year old who played four years in college and overseas for 7 years is probably a hell of a lot better than any 17 year old at that point in time. For the most part, the college basketball experience is easy for these guys, play a year or two, party a lot, be surrounded with kids your own age, playing overseas is hard.

Plus, there are really good players overseas. It's not like these kids are going to be automatic starters on any team they want. It's sometimes hard for these top 25 kids to beat out older college players. Imagine trying to have to go up against a 25 year old grown man who has loads of experience with the overseas rules and game.

 

[cykadelic2]

Elite players aren't going to the NBDL to bypass college. It's really that simple. Overseas is an option but the NBDL doesn't pay.

Sure they will under a two and done format. Not all but a significant percentage will that have no interest in academics, are good enough to earn upfront shoe contract money before being drafted, and want to get the clock started a year earlier on earning NBA contract dollars. Do you think Ben Simmons would have stayed at LSU for two years? Of course not, he would have played overseas for a year or spend a year in D-League instead while collecting a lot of upfront money from potential endorsement deals in the process. The NBA would benefit in the process with Simmons playing against better competition overseas or in D-League while the NCAA would benefit from not having Simmons being a sham college student for one semester in order to be on LSU's roster.

 

[baagoe]

You would think the NBA would want a more developed 4 year college player before risking a multi million contract. Guess not. If a player is over 22 years they are considered too old. Go figure.

No they wouldn't because I'd imagine an NBA team would rather develop a player themselves from the years 19-22 rather than a college team. It's like saying "he should stay in school another year to develop and get better" when in reality if that were his goal, why would he not turn pro?

 

[randomfan44]

Sure they will under a two and done format. Not all but a significant percentage will that have no interest in academics, are good enough to earn upfront shoe contract money before being drafted, and want to get the clock started a year earlier on earning NBA contract dollars. Do you think Ben Simmons would have stayed at LSU for two years? Of course not, he would have played overseas for a year or spend a year in D-League instead while collecting a lot of upfront money from potential endorsement deals in the process. The NBA would benefit in the process with Simmons playing against better competition overseas or in D-League while the NCAA would benefit from not having Simmons being a sham college student for one semester in order to be on LSU's roster.

How many of the OAD guys from last year are going to get endorsement deals like Simmons got? Maybe Ingram but that's about it.

 

[randomfan44]

Sure they will under a two and done format. Not all but a significant percentage will that have no interest in academics, are good enough to earn upfront shoe contract money before being drafted, and want to get the clock started a year earlier on earning NBA contract dollars. Do you think Ben Simmons would have stayed at LSU for two years? Of course not, he would have played overseas for a year or spend a year in D-League instead while collecting a lot of upfront money from potential endorsement deals in the process. The NBA would benefit in the process with Simmons playing against better competition overseas or in D-League while the NCAA would benefit from not having Simmons being a sham college student for one semester in order to be on LSU's roster.

The NCAA benefitted from Simmons year in college because most of his games were on major network TV and that allows the ncaa to profit. The notion that they care about his sham academics is funny.

 

[cykadelic2]

The NCAA benefitted from Simmons year in college because most of his games were on major network TV and that allows the ncaa to profit. The notion that they care about his sham academics is funny.

Sure they care, the NCAA/Coaches would rather see a two-and-done, three-and-done or raise the Draft age limit to 20 years old. I think the best and most reasonable solution is two-and-done for college players and a 20 year age Draft minimum for non-USA players.

The NBA and Players Union will eventually dictate any changes but the NCAA/Coaches are consulted with setting up any new criteria. NCAA coaches and fans are frustrated for the most part by roster turnover and recruiting uncertainty with the one-and-done players. The sport is better off by have one-and-dones play in D-League or overseas. NCAA hoops will survive without the likes of Ben Simmons and Cheick Diallo.

 

[CyJack13]

How many of the OAD guys from last year are going to get endorsement deals like Simmons got? Maybe Ingram but that's about it.

Also, the shoe companies are going to want these guys to go to college. Ingram after a year at Duke has a lot more value as an endorser than if he spent a year playing in Fort Wayne in front of a couple thousand people a night. Outside of the rare Simmons types they aren't just going to be handing out massive deals to high school kids.

 

[Deleted member 8507]

This was a very good read by ISU's own Paul Shirley about the vagabond life of European/minor league basketball.
https://www.amazon.com/Can-Keep-Jer...68430302&sr=8-1&keywords=can+I+keep+my+jersey

 

[Dandy]

Self is probably mad he paid Cliff Alexander and Cheick Diallo to come to KU and then watch them bust in comparison to their high school ranking.

 

[Dandy]

Don't feel sorry for Self. Traditional powers with quality coaches will always sign the best talent.

IMO, if the NBA allows HS players to be drafted and play in the NBDL that will clean up some aspects of college recruiting and might improve the quality of the game as coaches will be able to build their roster with a 2-3 plan. The college game benefits from kids like Niang, Hield and Valentine vs. kids like Simmons, Wiggins, Diello, etc.

Unfortunately, the NCAA needs to have a willing partner in the NBA to make the NBDL an option for elite level HS players.

For someone who has every recruiting advantage there is, Self sure likes to whines about how tough recruiting is. I don't think more players will continue to go overseas for a year. I seem to remember Brandon Jennings having a terrible time over there in his one year wait to be eligible for the draft and basically saying he regretted doing it. Every couple of years we may see 2-3 kids do it, only to realize its not that great a deal.

Great posts.