Will College Basketball Recruiting be Changed Forever?
East Lansing, MI—Jalen Green was the top prospect in America for the 2020 college basketball recruiting class. Green is a 6’5” guard out of Napa, California. Green shook up the college basketball recruiting landscape and possibly changed it forever. While he was not on the Michigan State radar, he is the tip of the spear of a growing trend that could hurt top programs like Michigan State and make recruiting even more of a wide-open circus.
Green decided to skip college and will sign a $500,000 NBA G League contract. The NBA has also promised him a college scholarship to the school of his choice should he desire to return for an education.
The NBA G League will create a new team around him that could compete overseas and in scrimmages against G League teams.
One NBA scout told Spartan Nation on the condition of anonymity as he is not authorized to comment by the league, “I don’t think people know what all of this means. The best way I have heard the details described as is fluid.”
I do not blame Green for taking the money. But for an NBA that adheres to a mandate that players must go to college, go overseas, or sit at home for at least one year, it is duplicities.
G League president Shareef Abdur-Rahim told the LA Times. “He (Green) represents the next generation of NBA players, and we couldn’t be more excited to have him develop his professional skills in our league. Jalen will learn from an NBA-caliber coaching and player development staff as he begins his professional basketball journey in the NBA G League.”
Many people around basketball feel the NBA is going to remove their so-called “one and done” rules after the 2021 season. That would pave the way for Ypsilanti, Michigan, and Spartan recruit Emoni Bates to go straight to the league, similar to LeBron James. Many believe Bates is the bests prospect since James and he has told me in the past that he, “Loves Michigan State and Coach Izzo.”
So if the NBA doesn’t change their one and done rule, does Izzo and other top coaches find themselves competing against offers as Green has taken from the G League?
Coaches and programs like Tom Izzo and Michigan State will be fine. But the NBA owes those programs and the players not to be double-minded. Open the league and use the G League to develop your players, but make it understandable.
Coaches at smaller programs never get in the living room of a Jalen Green and Emoni Bates. But for people like Tom Izzo who spends days, months and in some cases years going after recruits, if now he has to consider a player jumping to the big money of the G League, it simply isn’t right.
Tell us what you think in the comment section below.
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