Big Recruiting Complication

[HuskylnSC]

Here's my guestimating math; 8 teams with 12 man rosters = 96 players. Approximate that the class breakdown could be something like 20% sophomores, 30% Juniors, 40% Seniors and leave 10% for freshmen and special situations. Based on that assumption they would be pushing 38 kids a year into some level of professional basketball. My guess that 85% of these kids would be G league, international, Rucker, or Joe's Car Wash. That means 5 or 6 kids at most would be achieving the goal of an NBA contract. If it were my kid with an average IQ, I would say no way. You're just being exploited to provide the real money maker with some 2:00 am TV slots and a you tube channel. Get the degree my boy. Get the degree! But then most of the decisions will be made by 17 year olds with parents who also dream of big pay days and a home on the golf course.

I also believe it would be great for the quality of the college game to focus more on 3/4 year players who may not have the sizzle but learn how to play the game. The game returns more to the coaches and you will see the teaching coaches dominate.

 

[Waquoit]

It might not be sustainable but seeing they have raised over 30 million dollars kinda makes me think it will at least get started. A problem I see with it is even if they get 8 teams, what are they just going to keep playing each other over and over all season?

$30M is chicken feed.

 

[Jbirdp5]

$30M is chicken feed.

That’s only what’s been revealed in one fundraising effort

 

[Watchdog]

I'm not even following what they're trying to do. Is this supposed to be for kids who haven't graduated high school or for kids to go to after they graduate high school? I don't see why anyone would use this as a bridge to the G-league? Do we really need another league nobody watches? Why would kids want to miss out on the coaching, college experiences, fans, fame etc. of playing at Duke, UNC, Kentucky, Kansas, UConn, Nova, Arizona etc. To go play in some league nobody watches with inferior coaching?

If they're going after Mikey Williams, and then mentioning kids will go on to the G-league and international play, they must be targeting high school undergrads.

The whole thing sounds like the kind of "investments" guys like Antoine Walker and Kareem Abdul Jabbar made in order to blow through all their money.

What networks will pay rights fees to broadcast games featuring players not widely known? Who will pay admission fees to see immature, underdeveloped, semi-skilled athletes they've never heard of? I'd love to see the business plan and their projections for revenue and expenses.

 

[Watchdog]

$30M is chicken feed.

There's a whole lot of "stupid money" out there and big egos with money lead to investments in loser ideas that have evn a little panache.

 

[olehead]

I agree with much of your post with the exception of one of your points.

I'm not confident all college athletes enjoy the college experience. I'm sure many, maybe even most do. But it's definitely a lot of effort for the athletes. I don't think it's as much of a party as it is for many of the regular students. It may even be a burden for the athletes. I think many athletes just see college and the NCAA as a vehicle to obtain publicity. I don't blame them if they do. The NCAA is a lousy org.

If you combine all the extra effort with the moderately disingenuous "education" they receive, I could see current and former athletes being interested in some kind of effort that could undermine the NCAA. I would understand if they hold some resentment.

Amen to this!

 

[Waquoit]

There's a whole lot of "stupid money" out there and big egos with money lead to investments in loser ideas that have evn a little panache.

$30M barely pays for the refs.

 

[MexicoHusky]

Brian Bowen’s FBI scandal shows the many ways a college basketball recruit can get paid

The NCAA’s antiqued rules made Bowen a villain for allegedly doing what everyone else around him was also trying to accomplish: making money.

www.sbnation.com

Good article. I would say college athletes have plenty of opportunity to fraudulently make piles of $$. The NCAA, Universities, TV, etc.. have opportunities to legally make considerably more $$$.

In short, the opportunities the athletes have to illegally make money are not the same as legally getting paid. Athletes are not making $100k and an argument can be made that they should be.

Claiming that athletes are getting paid 6 figures is actually a bit rude. It's like telling the athletes, "What's your problem. Why do you want $$? You have all the money you could ever want. You just have to steal it"

 

[HuskyHawk]

This idea is DOA. Nobody pays to watch HS games now. People only pay to watch college games because they root for the school. Alumni, state pride, whatever it is. They are there for the laundry. They may come to like the kids who go the school they support, but that's it. Take the UConn roster of right now, put them on a Hartford based team in this new league and the TV interest would be zero. The in person interest would be minimal, if tickets were say $5 and they sold beer. The G League is much better, at least college all-star level, and nobody cares about it either.

Convincing HS kids that there is some market for their athletic skills is not a good idea. Aside from a handful, there isn't.

 

[freescooter]

Hadn't seen this new league sponsored by 'Overtime'. Seems clear it poses to be a major shakeup to recruiting. It proposes to PAY high school prospects starting in Sept 2021. As I understand it, the kids will leave their high schools and join an 8 team prep league as paid players, to finish school and then go on to G league or elsewhere. Obviously, unless the ncaa changes rules, the pool of top prospects will shrink. 247 has an article. Seems like a number of NBA stars have money in this. Interested in your thoughts. Six figure salaries and coaching by NBA players, Durant, Carmelo, involved.

I hope it is incredibly successful! Get the rental players, who have no business being in college, and wouldn’t be if the NBA hadn’t given in to the union to protect older players, out of the college game. Maybe we will be able to watch players develop over 4 years again. And guys who actually care about their team rather than their draft stock.

 

[freescooter]

Yeah its like pushing basketball over education. At least with one or two years of college you obtain some knowledge, connections and some level of independent living/maturity. Many marriages happen among college students.

Earth to kitaman. Earth to kitaman. Have you watched any AAU stuff? Or college basketball for that matter. Look at graduation rates. Or this new “national High school league” that will have teams across the nation. The idea that all this stuff already doesn’t push basketball over athletics is sort of interesting...

 

[Waquoit]

I remember guys in other sports like Tiger and McEnroe going to college for a year then jumping to the pros without getting any stick about their "education". I'm sure players do that now.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I hope it is incredibly successful! Get the rental players, who have no business being in college, and wouldn’t be if the NBA hadn’t given in to the union to protect older players, out of the college game. Maybe we will be able to watch players develop over 4 years again. And guys who actually care about their team rather than their draft stock.

Does everyone remember that the NBA drafting rule is changing again? It isn't clear whether it will be 2022 or 2023, but the NBA will draft HS kids again. The G-League is already a place for those "rental" players to go. It's sponsored by the NBA, so has quality coaches, facilities, funding and some fan presence, as players from teams in the NBA are there. If needed they can expand it like a full minor league as we have for Hockey and Baseball.

 

[Kitaman]

Earth to kitaman. Earth to kitaman. Have you watched any AAU stuff? Or college basketball for that matter. Look at graduation rates. Or this new “national High school league” that will have teams across the nation. The idea that all this stuff already doesn’t push basketball over athletics is sort of interesting...

I know but I'd just wish they would publish success/failure ratios so kids can be better informed when making the decision. Also of the success what that translates into in terms of projected income and longevity.

I'm just concerned about the exploitation of these kids, many quite frankly are just 'good' high school players and not professional material. It could become a league of players (and their parents) in denial.

Just saying I'm more concerned on the exploitation, harming the future of certain kids.