MSU's Tom Izzo is Right to Call G-Leaguers in College Hoops 'Ridiculous'
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EAST LANSING, Mich. --- Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo is never going to shy away from sharing what he thinks.
Louisville recently signed ex-NBA G League player London Johnson to its 2026 recruiting class. The NCAA has also already ruled former G-League player Thierry Darlan eligible to play for Santa Clara this season.
"This just goes to show you how ridiculous people that are in power make decisions," Izzo said. "I'm gonna get killed, because someone's gonna say, 'Well, if they go pro and it doesn't work out, shouldn't they be able to come back?'
"Well, what about the freshmen you recruited there? That's somebody's son, and he thinks he got himself a good place, and all of a sudden, shazam, they pull out their hat and bring a 21 or 22-year-old in.
"To me, it's ridiculous. To me, it's embarrassing."
Izzo is right. Here's why:
What Made College Sports Special
This is just another step away from what makes collegiate athletics so special to so many people. Things like NIL and revenue-sharing and conference realignment are all palatable changes. Players do deserve to be able to make money off the court, and also should get a piece of all the money they are generating for their university.
But then there's this: allowing former professional players to be added to college rosters. Since there has been a division between college and pro, it has been a one-way street. Players can go from the NCAA to the NBA and places like Europe, but never the other way around.
Well, another lane is being paved, and a double yellow line is getting painted. Not only are players who were playing in pro leagues across Europe being added to college hoops rosters, but now it's happening with a league that's directly affiliated with the NBA.
This may have been inevitable, especially with revenue-sharing now meaning MSU will directly be paying its players. The argument can now be made that there is no real difference between college hoops and any other professional league that pays its players.
But there has to be a line drawn somewhere. Izzo quipped that he was going to call up Magic Johnson, Jaren Jackson Jr., Miles Bridges, and some other players who left school early for the NBA and had some extra remaining eligibility in their pockets to come back and join the Spartans again.
Now, Magic might be a little past his playing days, but what would the real difference be between what London Johnson and Louisville just did and if Jackson announced that he's going back to MSU? Jackson just happened to make it one level higher, but G League players get paid, too.
If Jase Richardson struggles in the NBA, who's to say now that he cannot withdraw from the league and come back to play college basketball again?
The NCAA has set the precedent that someone declaring oneself as a professional athlete no longer means they are ineligible to play college sports. Izzo sees that, and everyone else should, too.
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A 2025 graduate from Michigan State University, Cotsonika brings a wealth of experience covering the Spartans from Rivals and On3 to his role as Michigan State Spartans Beat Writer on SI. At Michigan State, he was also a member of the world-renowned Spartan marching band for two seasons.
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