Would a viable minor league basketball league be good for NCAA Basketball?

[Conrad13]

This debate was brought up on the recruiting board and I thought that it was worth bringing here. If there was a viable minor league that took players straight out of high school, it would suck a good bit of talent out of college basketball. On the one hand, we college basketball fans would lose our opportunity to watch some great players and future NBA stars. But for me, one of my favorite parts of watching Syracuse basketball has been watching guys develop and mature over the years. I felt like I knew them. If I were to make a list of my favorite players (not the best, but the ones I grew attached to) it would include players like Fair, McRae, Pace, Warrick, and Douglas. Now, I have nothing against the guys who went to the pros early, I completely get it, but as a fan, I might prefer college basketball with players that weren't lured into leaving early and a system that could potentially have less corruption.

 

[Quazzum69]

This debate was brought up on the recruiting board and I thought that it was worth bringing here. If there was a viable minor league that took players straight out of high school, it would suck a good bit of talent out of college basketball. On the one hand, we college basketball fans would lose our opportunity to watch some great players and future NBA stars. But for me, one of my favorite parts of watching Syracuse basketball has been watching guys develop and mature over the years. I felt like I knew them. If I were to make a list of my favorite players (not the best, but the ones I grew attached to) it would include players like Fair, McRae, Pace, Warrick, and Douglas. Now, I have nothing against the guys who went to the pros early, I completely get it, but as a fan, I might prefer college basketball with players that weren't lured into leaving early and a system that could potentially have less corruption.

I would be more than happy with that. People get plenty of enjoyment from watching Cornell basketball (not saying SU would neccesarily be at that level after the top athletes go pro). Same with sports that aren't football and basketball.

University-sponsored sports companies was an awkward and unsustainable model with the way money has exploded in the past few decades. Let the serious athletes go pro and the serious students play for universities. It will ease everyone's conscience.

 

[OttoMets]

Would be fantastic. We didn't miss Darius Miles or Kwame Brown. Restrict amateur athletics to four-year amateurs, let the kids who want to be working men begin their careers at 18, and everyone benefits.

 

[Alsacs]

No.

Minor league baseball works because its about gimmicks and going outside in the summer.

College basketball works because of passion and connections to your school.

I wouldn't care one iota about a local minor league basketball team while basketball, football, hockey, soccer seasons were going on.

You need a connection and college is that.

 

[Admiral Koga]

I would actually hope to see college basketball go the route of baseball. If you are drafted out of high school...you decide. Play pro ball (minor leagues) or go to college. If you go to college, you stay three years. Plenty of college players are draft in the MLB draft. The College World Series is plenty interesting.

This would work in hoops...

 

[Scooch]

You need to define what "be good" means?

Would it remove a lot of the most blatant, stomach-churning corruption that occurs in the recruiting process? I'd have to imagine it would.

Would it be a major hit to the business of college hoops? No doubt.

 

[dasher]

We have minor league basketball now. And no one cares.

 

[Hoo's That]

I would actually hope to see college basketball go the route of baseball. If you are drafted out of high school...you decide. Play pro ball (minor leagues) or go to college. If you go to college, you stay three years. Plenty of college players are draft in the MLB draft. The College World Series is plenty interesting.

This would work in hoops...

Tell that to the NBA Players Association. The owners were the ones who got OAD put into the collective bargaining agreement originally (Stop me before I draft Kwame Brown again!) and the players wouldn't agree to the owners' proposal to institute the baseball draft eligibility rules in the latest renegotiation.

 

[texascpa]

You need to define what "be good" means?

Would it remove a lot of the most blatant, stomach-churning corruption that occurs in the recruiting process? I'd have to imagine it would.

Would it be a major hit to the business of college hoops? No doubt.

I'm not sure it would. Alumni and coaches still will want to win. They'll just pay 3 and 4 star recruits instead of 5 star.

 

[CarolinaCuse]

Unless the system changes as a result of the current scandal, there would likely be a greater opportunity for individal players to capitalize in college basketball than a minor league basketball system.

One of the reasons college & universities are such big business is that many have an automatic fan base. University of Texas has over 50,000 students. School-pride (and state-pride) alone would bring an automatic fan base to their basketball team that would be greater than what any Austin TX minor league basketball team would bring.

 

[Townie72]

We have minor league basketball now. And no one cares.

Yup, we do. And it's called NCAA Division I.

 

[UnknownOrange]

I would actually hope to see college basketball go the route of baseball. If you are drafted out of high school...you decide. Play pro ball (minor leagues) or go to college. If you go to college, you stay three years. Plenty of college players are draft in the MLB draft. The College World Series is plenty interesting.

This would work in hoops...

It works for baseball because there are a ton of picks. Basketball would need compensatory picks or a new lottery system. Imagine this scenario...

NBA Team A: Drafts Lydon 24th overall
NBA Team A: Drafts Tyus Battle in the 2nd round

Both decide to come back

Your 2017 draft for team A is ... no one.

So now in 2018 do they get 2 first rounders? What if both those guys go back to college?

 

[Quazzum69]

I'm not sure it would. Alumni and coaches still will want to win. They'll just pay 3 and 4 star recruits instead of 5 star.

I'm sorry, but nobody is going to give Trevor Cooney 100k to play for them.

Without the melos and durants, college sports become much less popular and valuable. Then there won't be a need or ability to pay players. The goal should be to get money as far away as possible, otherwise it will get to the players.

 

[Dave85]

This debate was brought up on the recruiting board and I thought that it was worth bringing here. If there was a viable minor league that took players straight out of high school, it would suck a good bit of talent out of college basketball. On the one hand, we college basketball fans would lose our opportunity to watch some great players and future NBA stars. But for me, one of my favorite parts of watching Syracuse basketball has been watching guys develop and mature over the years. I felt like I knew them. If I were to make a list of my favorite players (not the best, but the ones I grew attached to) it would include players like Fair, McRae, Pace, Warrick, and Douglas. Now, I have nothing against the guys who went to the pros early, I completely get it, but as a fan, I might prefer college basketball with players
that weren't lured into leaving early and a system that could potentially have less corruption.

I agree with your post.

Players don't have to go to college. Nothing is stopping a high school player from going to Europe and playing professionally in some lesser league.

 

[cuse10]

Players have been getting paid for decades. At one point, UCLA was the second highest paid team in Los Angeles under Wooden.

The G League is taking a step in the right direction. Increasing the pay and having teams sponsor their own affiliate team. If the NBA allowed high schoolers to enter the draft, teams could stash them in the minors until they feel they can play against the men.

 

[Conrad13]

No.

Minor league baseball works because its about gimmicks and going outside in the summer.

College basketball works because of passion and connections to your school.

I wouldn't care one iota about a local minor league basketball team while basketball, football, hockey, soccer seasons were going on.

You need a connection and college is that.

No doubt. My whole premise is built on "If there was a viable minor league" for basketball and that may be unrealistic in the U.S. I love basketball and the only reason why I'd consider going to a G league game would be if it was cheap and if a former Syracuse player was playing. But there are other ways that high school stars could/can skip college, for example if the NBA got rid of their dumb one-year-out-of-high-school rule or if a foreign league became more attractive to US kids. My point was that think that I personally might enjoy watching college basketball just as much, or even more, without all of the short term, talented players.

 

[Fly Rodder]

I'm not sure it would. Alumni and coaches still will want to win. They'll just pay 3 and 4 star recruits instead of 5 star.

But 3 stars aren't going to turn a team around overnight. They take time to develop. The 5-star and high-end 4-stars come in, start and succeed as freshmen.

In any event, the more something is illegal, the more shady gets done in the dark. Turn the lights on and that goes away.

 

[Admiral Koga]

Tell that to the NBA Players Association. The owners were the ones who got OAD put into the collective bargaining agreement originally (Stop me before I draft Kwame Brown again!) and the players wouldn't agree to the owners' proposal to institute the baseball draft eligibility rules in the latest renegotiation.

Yeah, my post was more pie in the sky than 'I can actually see it happening' but still...I think that would help more than any single thing. Eh...let's just watch the fallout. It looks like snow but tastes like aluminum

 

[Admiral Koga]

Tell that to the NBA Players Association. The owners were the ones who got OAD put into the collective bargaining agreement originally (Stop me before I draft Kwame Brown again!) and the players wouldn't agree to the owners' proposal to institute the baseball draft eligibility rules in the latest renegotiation.

Yeah, my post was more pie in the sky than 'I can actually see it happening' but still...I think that would help more than any single thing. Eh...let's just watch the fallout. It looks like snow but tastes like aluminum

 

[Admiral Koga]

Tell that to the NBA Players Association. The owners were the ones who got OAD put into the collective bargaining agreement originally (Stop me before I draft Kwame Brown again!) and the players wouldn't agree to the owners' proposal to institute the baseball draft eligibility rules in the latest renegotiation.

Yeah, my post was more pie in the sky than 'I can actually see it happening' but still...I think that would help more than any single thing. Eh...let's just watch the fallout. It looks like snow but tastes like aluminum

 

[Fly Rodder]

Your 2017 draft for team A is ... no one.

So now in 2018 do they get 2 first rounders? What if both those guys go back to college?

Absolutely have more picks. They could draft 18 year olds and develop them in the G-league. Although a lot of baseball draft picks who go back to school, do so because they feel the financial gamble is for the best. They're turning down $100k for a chance at $2m. Few actually do so.

The other problem with baseball v. NBA, is that 18/19 year olds can do exceptionally well as rookies in the league. Professional baseball requires time to develop. Baseball, it doesn't matter how talented you are, nearly every player has to get some seasoning in the minor leagues to get used to just how great MLB pitchers and hitters are. Aaron Judge was a physical freak of nature and hit 50 HRs as a 25 year old rookie. He'd be out of the league in the NBA at 25.

 

[Cheriehoop]

No doubt. My whole premise is built on "If there was a viable minor league" for basketball and that may be unrealistic in the U.S. I love basketball and the only reason why I'd consider going to a G league game would be if it was cheap and if a former Syracuse player was playing. But there are other ways that high school stars could/can skip college, for example if the NBA got rid of their dumb one-year-out-of-high-school rule or if a foreign league became more attractive to US kids. My point was that think that I personally might enjoy watching college basketball just as much, or even more, without all of the short term, talented players.

Kids currently at 18 can go the D league route or overseas. No one is stopping them. Very few choose to take those options. The D league is a job with mostly less than $30k salary. Overseas is much more lucrative but risky depending on where and who you play for. They pay more to high profile high school players but inexperienced young players aren't in demand. Even if the go straight to NBA Route is adopted, how many would be drafted - 5 high school players?

There is no demand for their talents except colleges. If there was money to be made off a post high school league - it would have been done. Kids want to use colleges and colleges use the kids. It's not a one sided relationship, it's symbiotic. Colleges should be selective and only go after kids who want a college education, be a student , regardless of talent. It should be the NBA or the individual player's issue if talented kids who aren't ready, want to head straight to the NBA, not college's issue.

 

[UnknownOrange]

Absolutely have more picks. They could draft 18 year olds and develop them in the G-league. Although a lot of baseball draft picks who go back to school, do so because they feel the financial gamble is for the best. They're turning down $100k for a chance at $2m. Few actually do so.

The other problem with baseball v. NBA, is that 18/19 year olds can do exceptionally well as rookies in the league. Professional baseball requires time to develop. Baseball, it doesn't matter how talented you are, nearly every player has to get some seasoning in the minor leagues to get used to just how great MLB pitchers and hitters are. Aaron Judge was a physical freak of nature and hit 50 HRs as a 25 year old rookie. He'd be out of the league in the NBA at 25.

Well right I am just saying that NBA is different because the roster is just 15 guys. I think then we'd be speaking to the G League being much bigger of a player here. So if the NBA draft was more rounds, or have more picks ... the G league would need to be a more viable option

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I'm telling you guys, just don't prohibit student-athletes from profiting from their name and likeness. That's it.

 

[Fly Rodder]

Kids want to use colleges and colleges use the kids. It's not a one sided relationship, it's symbiotic

Blow up one side of that relationship and it's no longer viable. There isn't some requirement that college sports has to be in bed with professional sports.