With the G-League, will it even be worth recruiting elite players any more?

[cuse10]

Yes. Bazley is an anomaly. The G League does not offer the visibility that high D1 basketball does. Bilas and Biancardi just argued against Bazley being a pioneer.

 

[two3zone]

Yes. Bazley is an anomaly. The G League does not offer the visibility that high D1 basketball does. Bilas and Biancardi just argued against Bazley being a pioneer.

Visibility to whom?

 

[cuse10]

Visibility to whom?

If the G League was as viable as people would make it seem, it wouldn't be a dumping ground for draft picks to never get called up.

 

[triplethrea]

Yes. Bazley is an anomaly. The G League does not offer the visibility that high D1 basketball does. Bilas and Biancardi just argued against Bazley being a pioneer.

Bilas has proved himself to be an NCAA shill during this FBI investigation. Since the G league is the beginning of the end for the NCAA, it makes sense he would be against it.

 

[cuse10]

Bilas has proved himself to be an NCAA shill during this FBI investigation. Since the G league is the beginning of the end for the NCAA, it makes sense he would be against it.

The G League is not the beginning of the end. You will have your elite players, IF they choose to go that route, and everyone else. College baseball hasn't skipped a beat. You're still getting All Stars and HOFers from the college ranks m

 

[Jake]

I do not believe this is a trendsetting decision.

Just our dumb luck.

 

[realorange]

Bilas has proved himself to be an NCAA shill during this FBI investigation. Since the G league is the beginning of the end for the NCAA, it makes sense he would be against it.

Not so much.
Bilas was panning the NCAA for how quickly they cleared every player on a school that was outed by the FBI.
Remember, this was just a few days before March Madness and it was done overnight.

Bilas track record has been very much anti NCAA in their decision making or lack thereof.

 

[realorange]

If the G league becomes everything Bazley thinks it will, it will give us the 4 year players many have dreamed of.

 

[triplethrea]

Not so much.
Bilas was panning the NCAA for how quickly they cleared every player on a school that was outed by the FBI.
Remember, this was just a few days before March Madness and it was done overnight.

Bilas track record has been very much anti NCAA in their decision making or lack thereof.

We'll have to agree to disagree.

I do not believe this is a trendsetting decision.

Just our dumb luck.

This comment may not stand the test of time.

 

[Hoo's That]

The NBA might be tired of sharing the basketball spotlight with a "non-profit" network of schools. Maybe they think they can start earning money off the top HS prospects rather than letting the NCAA borrow them for a few years. I know it sounds far-fetched but maybe there is a market for a G League that has all the top talent playing.

But they liked the free training that the colleges gave the players, plus they really liked being able to see the players going up against others of similar capability, e.g., 6'7" power forwards going up against other 6'7" power forwards and not against 5'10" power forwards like they'd see in HS games. You have to remember, the OAD Rule is the "Please keep us from drafting another Kwame Brown" Rule. I've seen numerous quotes and attributed quotes from NBA GMs that they're really disgusted by the prospect of sending their scouts to HS games again.

 

[Jake]

We'll have to agree to disagree.



This comment may not stand the test of time.

You never know. You may be right, but I don't think so.

Here's something that should tell us a lot: let's see what agent he signs with.

I bet he signs with a relative newby unknown.

 

[Ghost]

How come only like 1 in 50 articles ever mention Latavious Williams? Bazley is going to be the second Top 20 recruit to fail trying this...not the first.

 

[OrlandoCuse]

How come only like 1 in 50 articles ever mention Latavious Williams? Bazley is going to be the second Top 20 recruit to fail trying this...not the first.

Slightly different scenario because Williams didn’t qualify academically, so he was forced to take a non-college path.

 

[cuse10]

How come only like 1 in 50 articles ever mention Latavious Williams? Bazley is going to be the second Top 20 recruit to fail trying this...not the first.

Williams didn't qualify. That's the difference.

 

[Ghost]

Slightly different scenario because Williams didn’t qualify academically, so he was forced to take a non-college path.

Seems like a distinction without a difference...how many other kids failed their way straight into the D-League? Is it a bunch?

He's a pioneer for taking a road already taken by someone that didn't have to, but did because they didn't want to sit out a year at a prep school getting his grades up? He's no Christopher Columbus, dammit!!

 

[73CAV]

A couple of thoughts: 1) Unanticipated attrition can be extremely damaging to any program. It used to be just injuries, bad behavior, and academics. Now, its early entry to the NBA, (I'm old enough to remember the shock when Moses Malone, Bill Willoughby, and Darryl Dawkins all went directly to the NBA. It had never happened before, and it would be decades before it would happen again.) 2) Coaches are now going to have to do due diligence when evaluating high school talent. They're going to have to accurately gauge a prospect's interest in getting a degree. In fact, I suspect successful coaches, going forward, will be the ones selling the school as well as the basketball program. 3) The G League isn't your daddy's D League. It's better funded. The institution of two way contracts, and the establishment of relationships between NBA franchises and G League teams, similar to pro baseball, creates more stable pathways to the NBA. 4) Even as more homes 'cut the cord' and ESPN struggles with shrinking revenues, the demand for content continues to grow. How sporting events are delivered to our homes is going to continue to evolve. New revenue streams will emerge. 5) I suspect that this is not the same as Jennings to Europe or Mudiay to China. I can see Bazley's decision as the harbringer of sea change. And none of this even considers the impact that 5G will have on the future of broadcasting. Just a few thoughts.

 

[pfister1]

there needs to be a D League declare day.

this nonsense that this soon to never be heard from again player pulled, cannot happen again.

It could have been worse he could have come to campus and then declared in October.

 

[SUMBA]

I do not believe this is a trendsetting decision.

Just our dumb luck.

If it weren't for bad luck, we'd have no luck at all.

 

[RandygoCuse]

Well, we know they were willing to do it through illegal means. I’m sure they will just up the anti to use the G league as the pathway.

$26k from Fort Wayne + $300k from Adidas isn’t a bad year. Hold out for NBA draft and make $2mm + increased shoe money...yeah, fairly easy to convince an 18 year old to follow that path.

They were willing to pay big illegally because programs like Kentucky get a lot of exposure. This isn't true for G-league teams. Nike may want to take a chance anyway and establish a long-term relationship, but I think it's more likely that the kids will get their money from agents.

 

[alphaorange]

If he really made this decision for the reasons he said, he made a mistake. I believe he would have been a one and done and top ten pick if he had gone the college route, leading to a high level first contract, which is the only big contract a lot of guys ever get. I just don't see him doing enough in the G league to be a top pick. I'd like to say I hope it works out but I can't work up the energy to care.

 

[CousCuse]

The Bazley people got jealous when they found out all the other high end recruits are still getting paid even after the fbi documents were leaked. So Syracuse is further getting shafted by the crooked system that they did not participate in and were sanctioned and injured by.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Williams didn't qualify. That's the difference.

Do we know that for sure.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

I bet he signs with a relative newby unknown.

Why do you think that? Wouldn't he want someone who has all the NBA connections?

 

[cuse10]

Do we know that for sure.

Yes.

D-League Graduate Sets New Path to N.B.A. Draft

 

[Briancuse]

Of course because anyone with a brain. Wants no part of the g league.