Roy Williams, 'If a Player is 'Elite', College Shouldn't be an Option'
LaMelo Ball ran so Jalen Green could walk.
Green's decision to join the NBA G-League and forgo his college eligibility has now spearheaded the conversation of, "Will the G-League cripple the NCAA?" Jalen Green will be a living experiment and example used by both NBA and NCAA; the analysis being whether high school kids should have the option to go straight to the league or be required to go to college.
The NBA and G-League have partnered to reconstruct the G-League guidelines to compete with the National Basketball league of Australia; RJ Hampton and LaMelo Ball both went the international route and have seen tremendous success. Earlier this year, it was reported that top prospect, Ball, has even bought the Australian team he plays for, Illawarra Hawks. Success stories like Hampton and Ball appeal to kids who don't want to waste time or their body in a system that won't compensate.
Jalen Green decision will be watched be commits looking to take a similar route. Recruited by Florida State, Auburn, and Memphis, the California native, took an unprecedented deal to go pro; a deal he couldn't walk away from. The NBA G-League offered Green a $500k one-year deal that will include mentorship and development within the NBA. A deal that reflects his status as an "elite" player.
In a recent radio appearance, Carolina Basketball head coach, Roy Williams, spoke at length about the future of the NCAA and whether college basketball will lose its appeal. Williams identified a key element, if a player is "elite" by NBA standard, college shouldn't be an option,
"The NBA is going to do what they think is best for the NBA. That's their sole purpose. They've never been a partner of the NCAA in my mind, and that's okay. They make the rules for what is best for their game and their league, and that's what they're doing." Williams said, "As you said, You made the one part of it that I think is the most important is if you don't want to go to college, don't go. Don't go and act like you're going to pretend and go to class and raise your hand and ask questions, things like that.
There's still going to be some kids that understand the value of going to college, the maturity process, and going to the G league and getting on the buses and driving around. It's not the most fun. I've had a couple of guys that play in it because they're still trying to make that next step. It's basketball, but it's not the most fun in the world. You ask every player in a G league if they're having more fun in the G League, or did they have more fun in college? And there's no question they're going to say they had more fun in college.
But that's what it is, and I don't think it's going to kill college basketball. When we had kids leaving straight out high school we had more mistakes. The NBA had more mistakes. That's the only thing I can't understand is that NBA had the cheapest farm system in the world in college basketball."
NCAA is a money machine. College sports will always generate income not because of the players, but the brand. The NCAA makes their money from fan loyalty, not elite players. College basketball provides an experience that can never be replicated as a young adult or a career; the exposure and building a "brand" alone are beneficial for players who, in turn, might not receive immediate fanfare upon their debut in the G-League or the NBA. Coby White and Ja Morant are perfect examples; two talented ballers who flew under the radar in high school and succeeded in becoming first-round draft picks. White and Morant received exposure on a collegiate level that wouldn't have translated in the G-League.
Whatever your choice in the matter regarding kids and their professional path, one thing is guaranteed, someone is getting paid.
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