G League a future cancer to college hoops?

[BeerPoisoning]

I’ve done a little reading and digging around on the future of the G league. I’ll immediately avoid sharing gobs of info for everyone’s sanity and sake of getting to the point. Of course college basketball will still exist and of course some elite talents will still pick the college game, but how do you guys think this will effect the popularity / tv time? (After OAD is out the window)

Immediately I see it as small impact but over the course of time I can almost grasp a vibe that the G-league unfortunately is going to kill off NCAA basketball.

 

[FearTheBeard_rivals208808]

I’ve done a little reading and digging around on the future of the G league. I’ll immediately avoid sharing gobs of info for everyone’s sanity and sake of getting to the point. Of course college basketball will still exist and of course some elite talents will still pick the college game, but how do you guys think this will effect the popularity / tv time? (After OAD is out the window)

Immediately I see it as small impact but over the course of time I can almost grasp a vibe that the G-league unfortunately is going to kill off NCAA basketball.

G league teams will never achieve the kind of allegiance and following college teams do. Colleges pump out thousands of graduates a year. People that don’t even care about college basketball still root for their alma mater. Then there’s people that don’t live in pro sports markets that are raised on college sports. Not to mention those that naturally root for college sports bc it’s more entertaining than pro sports bc the underdog in college sports is more relatable than the underdog in pro sports. $ for college basketball will always > $ for the G league. The G league after all is nothing more than a minor league. Players will never get the exposure playing in the G league they’ll get playing college ball. It’ll be good for a handful of players but I have no concern it will overtake college basketball.

 

[BeerPoisoning]

That’s kind of what I’m thinking too @FearTheBeard — There’s so many fan hoods and alma mater ties to college basketball for it to become irrelevant. But is that alone enough to carry-on the same amount of TV exposure? The same March Madness hype? A lot of views and hype just derive from people being general basketball(sports) fans. You gotta think, a good portion of college basketball players come from poverty. The opportunity to make thousands with a foot in the NBA door has to steal a lot of talent from the college game.

 

[germantondevil]

I have followed college hoops through thick and thin of Duke basketball and I will continue to do so no matter what changes are made that affect college hoops. I for one will still continue to be a big follower of college hoops and will not entertain the thought of becoming a G-league follower. I don't follow the NBA until the playoffs and that's only because college hoops is done and over with by that time.

 

[Canadian Dukie]

The G-League is great for guys who want to play professional basketball and have no desire (or ability) to get a College education.The College game will revert back the way it was for decades before the one and done era.IMO its 'a great thing for both sides

 

[Laettner]

No one is paying money to see subpar hoops, the moment a player peaks he immediately goes to the NBA team. Minor League baseball is zero threat to MLB.

 

[jimlsumner]

No one is paying money to see subpar hoops, the moment a player peaks he immediately goes to the NBA team. Minor League baseball is zero threat to MLB.

A strange comparison, IMO. Minor League baseball is an adjunct to MLB, a primary feeder system. They work in harmony, not in opposition.

The better comparison, IMO, is minor league baseball and college baseball, in which the former is by far more popular. And check out the Durham Bulls attendance figures versus ACC-baseball attendance figures.

Now professional baseball has been around since the 1870s and thus has a huge advantage over the NBA and NFL. They've developed a feeder system that none of the other American pro-sports leagues can match.

So, there's an apples-and-oranges component to this.

I don't like the word "cancer" relative to college hoops. If the NBA mandates two or even three years in college, along with high-school early entry, then lots of high-school players are going to be put in the position where they aren't ready for the NBA but are not inclined to go to college for several years.

So, the G-league and/or overseas are going to be increasingly attractive options. I don't think the NBA is ever going to go the route of pro baseball, where every major-league team has five or six affiliated farm teams. But the G-league is maturing structurally and increasingly provides an attractive alternative player-development system.

Colleges have the advantage of rivalries that go back decades, even more than a century in some cases and I do not think an expanded G-league is going to significantly erode that. A better G-league might marginally decrease the talent level at the top of the NCAA food chain but if it reduces the number of student-athletes with little or no interest in the student side of the equation, then that's a trade I would be willing to make.

 

[jamsession3]

Please do not worry about the G - League... Going to Duke, UK, UNC, Michigan, AZ, etc...outweighs Maine, Iowa, or any other G - League organization.

 

[nets on nets on nets]

The NBA is investing real money into the G-League. They are slowly but surely gaining television rights, sponsorships, increased attendance etc.

However...of course the G-League is never gonna be as big as big-time college hoops (Duke UK UNC etc.) because of the passion and fan bases and television ratings.
The G-League probably will begin to take a small slice of the top NCAA talent pool though. The "questionable to academically qualify" kid will choose the G-League over any University.
John Beilein leaving Michigan is another good example of how the G-League will prosper. Instead of transferring and having to sit a year (stupid rule that should have been changed like 50 years ago), all the Michigan players are trying to go pro. And I bet all of them will be playing in the G-League next year.

 

[dukehokie]

It will be a feeder and not much more. Guys have already had the opportunity to go to the G-League and it hasn’t happened. Minor league baseball doesn’t have much opportunity in the way of television or social media, which is archaic, but the NBA seems to want to change that some.

But as long as the NCAA maintains their TV status and continues to push conference networks such as ACC Network and Big Ten Network, college sports will have a place at the table.

 

[dtodd4475]

If the G league becomes a viable minor league, college hoops will lose immensely. The "next" level top 25 to 75 prospects will take their "bonus baby" millions and work on their game for two to four years there. The elite top 10 to 15 will have no interest in college hoops at all. It would turn into a level for those who root for their alma mata or follow regional past memories allegiances for a fan base. Not the best of the best of the next generation in the limelight competing for national titles, which garners the nations eyes. It would become another college pastime sport like baseball, soccer, hockey. The best "next" generation talents aren't making a pit stop there.

 

[DukeDenver]

Great discussion topic @BeerPoisoning. I am going to think about this a bit before offering up a take.

 

[jamsession3]

If the G league becomes a viable minor league, college hoops will lose immensely. The "next" level top 25 to 75 prospects will take their "bonus baby" millions and work on their game for two to four years there. The elite top 10 to 15 will have no interest in college hoops at all. It would turn into a level for those who root for their alma mata or follow regional past memories allegiances for a fan base. Not the best of the best of the next generation in the limelight competing for national titles, which garners the nations eyes. It would become another college pastime sport like baseball, soccer, hockey. The best "next" generation talents aren't making a pit stop there.

How the game elevates will be the determining factor.

In today's NBA game it's more entertainment, not always basketball. For every James Harden that shoots from the half court line and dribbles for 23 seconds, there is a play that may attempt to do the same and is ridiculed.

Hype and marketing, will allow the G - League to thrive. College Basketball is about development.

 

[dukehokie]

Another HUGE factor will be does the NCAA allow players to make money off of their likeness? If that’s the case, college ball will win very big as they stand to build a better brand in the NCAA vs. the G-League.

 

[BeerPoisoning]

Please do not worry about the G - League... Going to Duke, UK, UNC, Michigan, AZ, etc...outweighs Maine, Iowa, or any other G - League organization.

When you word it like that it’s hard to disagree. The financial aspect plays part in this though.

 

[BeerPoisoning]

Another HUGE factor will be does the NCAA allow players to make money off of their likeness? If that’s the case, college ball will win very big as they stand to build a better brand in the NCAA vs. the G-League.

I have no clue how the NCAA is going to make it fair but they have to do something IMO... Those select $100K+ contracts will be awfully enticing.

 

[dtodd4475]

How the game elevates will be the determining factor.

In today's NBA game it's more entertainment, not always basketball. For every James Harden that shoots from the half court line and dribbles for 23 seconds, there is a play that may attempt to do the same and is ridiculed.

Hype and marketing, will allow the G - League to thrive. College Basketball is about development.

The G league by definition is a developmental league. It is a minor league baseball concept, winning a championship is not the primary goal, developing some future big leagers is. It will never have the passionate following of college basketball, but if it gets the majority of the best young talent it can relegate college ball to mid major level national interest, similar to college baseball.

 

[jimlsumner]

Last year Duke had two players leave early with the understanding that they would likely spend much of their rookie seasons in the G-league. Two Duke players are currently strongly considering that option.

It wasn't long ago that first-round enticed players to go early. Then it was second round. Now, a lot just go because they think that taking that next step and playing in the G-league is a better option than hanging around college.

Would Gary Trent have received more attention at Duke last year than playing for the Texas Legends?

Darn tootin' he would have. But he got paid for splitting time between Portland and the G-league, didn't have to go to class or take tests or write papers and benefited from the player-development skills of a pro franchise that prioritized his development.

Was it a bad decision for Trent to leave early? From the perspective of Duke fans, sure. We're all college-centric here. But these kids dream of playing in the league at least as much as they dream of playing for Duke or Kentucky or Kansas, even the ones without fathers who had long NBA careers. That's the world we live in.

 

[christophero]

Great discussion topic @BeerPoisoning. I am going to think about this a bit before offering up a take.

We don't want your well thought out reasoned opinions around here buddy.

 

[DukeDenver]

We don't want your well thought out reasoned opinions around here buddy.

Lol, OK well here’s a snap thought, pure emotion: UNC and UK suck.

 

[jamsession3]

Last year Duke had two players leave early with the understanding that they would likely spend much of their rookie seasons in the G-league. Two Duke players are currently strongly considering that option.

It wasn't long ago that first-round enticed players to go early. Then it was second round. Now, a lot just go because they think that taking that next step and playing in the G-league is a better option than hanging around college.

Would Gary Trent have received more attention at Duke last year than playing for the Texas Legends?

Darn tootin' he would have. But he got paid for splitting time between Portland and the G-league, didn't have to go to class or take tests or write papers and benefited from the player-development skills of a pro franchise that prioritized his development.

Was it a bad decision for Trent to leave early? From the perspective of Duke fans, sure. We're all college-centric here. But these kids dream of playing in the league at least as much as they dream of playing for Duke or Kentucky or Kansas, even the ones without fathers who had long NBA careers. That's the world we live in.

So much depends on the marketing and the high - profile kids that will go to the G - League verse NCAA. Basketball is a global sport, so the kid from Congo or Austria that decides to go the G - League and take PT away from the ESPN # 77 that goes to the G - League may become a problem. Yes, $100K is good money, but the sacrifice of 6 months, going to college, playing on CBS/ESPN/Foxsports/Conference Networks may be a better move for the USA kid.

If you want to make money you can always play overseas???