G-League -To help eliminate shoe trials?

[Kyblueblood]

One year of college is nothing to fall back on. Now say 3 or 4 years of college, and now we're talking.

At some point, these MEN will have to figure out what they want to do with life. Either be serious about school to graduate even if professional athletic career doesn't pan out, or be a guy playing noonball at the local Y because they have nothing better to do and no college degree to go get a real job.

I don't believe this rule will have any affect on what path they take. Cal needs to stop preaching so much about school. He is all about getting guys to the league at all costs. There are some direct quotes from him on that. He doesn't give a damn about their education until they come back later to finish their degree.

The NCAA needs to adopt the baseball guidelines. Go pro out of high school, or stay in school for 3 years.

It’s about money. The ones leaving can make a few good paychecks far more than they’d ever see in a year working.

Their scholarships are for a lifetime. They can come back for free.

[jfish26]

Not sure that's true anymore.

[Kyblueblood]

Not sure that's true anymore.

I don’t know about every college but Cal uses it as a selling point at UK. They can come back for free.
At one time he and his wife wanted to pay the college of every child of players who had ever played for him, UMass, Memphis, and UK. The NCAA wouldn’t allow it.

[pdub]

Ugh.
Cal and Kentucky in every thread.
Help.

[jfish26]

This guy is RSCI's #16 guy in the 2018 class (for reference - Grimes is #8 and Dotson #23):



So: here's an idea of market for a fringe 1st-round type.

[NewtonHawk11]

$14M New Balance deal!? Wow.

[pdub]

Good for him.
More of those dudes should follow suit.

[ousdahl]

so he’s a million dollar intern? Gonna be working with the marketing department, product development, stuff like that.

This is in an interesting angle. Perhaps less basketball playing experience and exposure, but more real life experience in other facets of the business.

Meanwhile, the pitch to come celebrate the purity of amateurism while taking History 101 becomes increasingly obsolete.

[jfish26]

I don't think "training" means that (unless you're seeing something I'm not). But yes, it wouldn't surprise me at all if someone like IMG packaged a year of physical/skills training with a crash course in Pro Athlete 101 (which colleges should offer, as pwhit and I actually agree).

[jfish26]

Good for him.
More of those dudes should follow suit.

I still cannot fathom a point of view that college basketball is better off without many of:

Grimes
Dotson
Aldrich (#23)
Withey (#29)
Johnson (#24)
T. Robinson (#25)
Selden (#13)
Embiid (#23)
Oubre (#8)
Diallo (#5)
Newman (#7)
D. Lawson (#31)
Azubuike (#29)

To say nothing, of course, about the surefire one-and-done lottery guys (like Henry, Wiggins and J. Jackson), and the guys a bit lower who might well have taken a different route (like McLemore).

It is nuts to want to chase fringe-1st-round talent out of college basketball.

[Deleted User 75]

It's more pure if the players suck and will never be pros man!

[ousdahl]

I don't think "training" means that (unless you're seeing something I'm not). But yes, it wouldn't surprise me at all if someone like IMG packaged a year of physical/skills training with a crash course in Pro Athlete 101 (which colleges should offer, as pwhit and I actually agree).

My bad, linky:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/22/spor ... lance.html

Bazley is moving to the Boston area in early January to launch his off-court business education. He is expected to spend time with New Balance’s marketing department, digital and social teams, footwear and apparel design arms and the company’s sports laboratory in Lawrence, Mass...

[jfish26]

Oh. Great! And smart of New Balance to make it look like something other than a cash grab (even if that's what it is).

[pdub]

If it takes:

A. Secret underground deals funneling money from AAU teams, shoe companies, boosters, what have you to get those fringe 1st round players
or
B. Making college basketball as close as possible to a professional league to get those fringe 1st round players

Then yes, college basketball is better off without them.

[jfish26]

If it takes:

A. Secret underground deals funneling money from AAU teams, shoe companies, boosters, what have you to get those fringe 1st round players
or
B. Making college basketball as close as possible to a professional league to get those fringe 1st round players

Then yes, college basketball is better off without them.

I think there is a huge gap between:

A. players being able to monetize name/image/likeness; and

B. college basketball being "as close as possible to a professional league."

[Deleted User 75]

Even without players being able to legally get money college is already as close to the pros as possible. That's literally what programs like KU strive for. Look at our facilities. Look at how little time the players (most of them) are actually dedicating to school. Very little.

Want it less like pros? Stop paying coaches 4mil per year. Stop having 40 games a year to maximize profit for the schools. Everything about college basketball is about making money. It's not about being an amateur sport. It's already professional, it's just with free labor.

[jfish26]

Even without players being able to legally get money college is already as close to the pros as possible. That's literally what programs like KU strive for. Look at our facilities. Look at how little time the players (most of them) are actually dedicating to school. Very little.

Want it less like pros? Stop paying coaches 4mil per year. Stop having 40 games a year to maximize profit for the schools. Everything about college basketball is about making money. It's not about being an amateur sport. It's already professional, it's just with free labor.

I think pwhit would be fine with this. He and I strongly disagree on the effect that would have on college basketball; I think it would be catastrophic.

[pdub]

Yup.
25-30 games would be fine with me.
Get some of the money out of the sport and coaches will be paid less - all that will follow.

The NCAA tournament isn't loosing it's magic.
Fans will still follow their school.

[jfish26]

Yup.
25-30 games would be fine with me.
Get some of the money out of the sport and coaches will be paid less - all that will follow.

The NCAA tournament isn't loosing it's magic.
Fans will still follow their school.

Isn't part of the NCAA tournament's "magic" the craziness of guys that end up being ordinary joes taking on guys that end up being Jo Embiid (fuck, bad example).

And: yes, fans will follow their school. But there would be far fewer of those, and you will also have lost a good chunk of "unaffiliated" fans of the sport. Basketball is intensely player-centric, and if you start chasing away the players that have cool YouTube mixes, you'll chase away the fans who care more about those players than the schools they go to for 1-4 years.

This is bad for everyone associated with college basketball.

[Cascadia]

This guy is RSCI's #16 guy in the 2018 class (for reference - Grimes is #8 and Dotson #23):



So: here's an idea of market for a fringe 1st-round type.

This seems like a desperation move by New Balance. I highly doubt these types of deals will be going to the Top 25-30 high school players every year. Would also love to see the details of this deal. Only 1 of 14M guaranteed? How many years is the 14M spread over? Could be a really shitty deal in the long run.