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McDonald's All-American Darius Bazley De-Commits From Syracuse, Will Enter G League Draft

Darius Bazley was a McDonald's All-American this year and the No. 10 recruit in the class of 2018, according to 247 Sports.

Darius Bazley, the No. 10 recruit in the class of 2018 according to 247 Sports, has de-committed from Syracuse and will enter the NBA G league draft in October, he told Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports.

Bazley signed a letter of intent to join Syracuse in November of 2017, but he told Yahoo Sports that after talking with his mother, high school coach Steve Wright and the rest of his inner circle, he decided that going to the G League would be his best route to the NBA.

Bazley told Yahoo Sports he considered going overseas to play, but after speaking with Wright—who played professionally in Germany, France and Finland—and G League players, it was determined the G league would be a better option.

"The G League will have the most to offer, considering that is the development league for the NBA," Bazley told Yahoo Sports. "I will get more out of that than going overseas. The G League is the closest thing to the NBA. I see most guys now are spending time in the G League even after they went to school and the draft, so this gives me the chance to accelerate the process. There have been a lot of successful guys who have been brought up in the G League, and I’m confident that I will be one of them."

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Bazley turns 18 in June, but even after he joins the G League, he will still not be eligible for the NBA or NBA draft until 2019, meaning no team will have his exclusive rights.

Bazley, who scored 11 points in the McDonald's All-American Game Wednesday, will play in the Jordan Brand Classic and Nike Hoops Summit in April.

"It’s not heard of leaving school to go to the G League and going to the NBA," Bazley's mother Lynnita Bazley told Yahoo Sports. "This is history in the making, and this could open up the doors for so many people behind him, which is a good thing. I will always encourage my kids to make history, to be the best that they can be, and don’t forget about those who are coming behind you. This could be a very huge success story and I’m willing to go for it. I’m always going to be by his side, pass or fail."