Looks like players going straight to the G league finally pushed the NCAA to give in and let players get paid.
https://twitter.com/GoodmanHoops/status/1255479243770904577
https://twitter.com/GoodmanHoops/status/1255524570460815361
So long, mid majors. Recruits are only going to choose programs that will sell jerseys and provide national exposure.
Although in don't support it, this change will be extremely beneficial to Arizona.
Finally! It's about time the NCAA allowed this type of compensation.
Too little, too late NCAA!
The fact that they made this move AFTER the G-League has been able to readjust their numbers?
Explain to me how Calipari/Williams/Self/Kryzewski is going to be able to sit in the living room of Emoni Bates (2022 #1 Prospect) and get him to commit to being on campus for what...9-11 months, and basically taking classes for the fall semester?
Then explain to me how Bates and his camp will look at Abdul-Rahim and tell him that you are going to turn down $500K, endorsements AND a sneaker deal worth north of $1M to go to college, and make pennies for a few months when you KNOW he is going to leave school as soon as the NCAA Tournament is over to prepare for the NBA Draft?
The NCAA is going to be playing catch-up here with the 5* prospects that are going to be looking at six-figure deals to basically get a head start on the life of a NBA player?
Hell we have already seen more prospects this year then we have in the last few classes skip college, or have been rumored to skip college:
- Jalen Green (#1 ESPNU 100)
- Isaiah Todd (#14 ESPNU 100)
- Makur Maker (#15 ESPNU 100)
- Daishen Nix (#20 ESPNU 100)
- MarJon Beauchamp (#44 ESPNU 100)
- Kenyon Martin II (#54 ESPNU 100)
Six ESPNU 100 prospects have been rumored, five have officially declared to forgo their college eligibility to go pro.
This is going to be the new normal for college coaches.
The worst part is that two of them (Todd/Nix) were committed to respective programs (Michigan/UCLA).
Now two coaches have to figure out what/how they are going to replace their blue-chip recruit that was supposed to come in and elevate their program to the next level.
It's an easy solution to lure the kids: find the Jim Click if their local market and offer seven figures to be the primary face of dealerships, groceries, etc.
It's all "legal" now, which will lead to the same boring outcome of every college basketball season (programs at the top stay at the top).
The only real solution is to implement the Baseball Rule, in order to maintain "some" integrity and force the OND's to immediately go pro, rather than earn an education and spend 3 amazing years on campus (playing for fans that care about the game).
Yeah that would make a lot of sense, but even then I think some part of that won't be fair for the ones that develop in those 1-2 years naturally and are ready to make that jump.
I guess they could go overseas, or to the G-League, or something, but this new rule is something that I would interested in seeing how they are going to navigate it for the ones that are wanting to leave college and go pro.
I get the sense that they're going to move the line to allow much more compensation, but there'll still be a line, so there will still be activities that will be verboten and people who want to do those activities anyway
that means there will be a new class of infractions that the NCAA won't be able to deal with, it'll still be way complicated, not quite as fair as everyone would like, and there will still be nefarious types exploiting that edge
don't get me wrong, I think it's a fine step in the right direction, but it's going to be a mess I think for a while - too much money involved to think this will fix much