LeBron James on the NCAA

[Sec_112]

Anybody see what he said yesterday?

The vultures are circling, and I don't blame them. Even Lavarr Ball sees it. As I said before, the NCAA is nuts if it doesn't address a new system. LeBron says he has a solution, but I think he sees an investment. His people aren't dumb.

This is what he says near the end of this post:

"... I've got a real good idea about this whole farm system thing, but I want to go over it with the commish and some of the people. That's a longer dialogue."

For the college system, there's a solution to this that doesn't kill the golden goose. Somehow, it needs to include a "partnership" NBA and the players union. It's pretty obvious the NBA enjoys its minimal investment in a minor league. There's some wiggle room with that idea.

The college game is watered down enough. I'd love to see a stat of how many of each top 15 class go past their sophomore year in college.

Imagine if the top 50 had a similar percentage with players going to a more well-run G League.

If I'm a P5 university president (again), I don't trust Emmert to navigate these waters for a second. College leaders are crazy if they think they can stand pat and expect similar revenue flow. They're stupid if they don't have the NBA and the union in a meeting in the next three months. That's probably where the solution begins.

 

[bringbacktherantboard]

What would LeBron James know about the NCAA? Not even a one-and-done!

There can be no more LeBron Jameses under the current rules, and whose rules are those? Hint: not the NCAA.

 

[loyolacat]

Okay ...so lets say that next year there are 15 seniors in high school......who would be one and dones in college...... So if
1. two of them go to Kentucky and one goes to Duke
or
2. They go to a NBA minor league team or directly to the D league
and Kentucky plays Duke or their two D league teams play...which one gets the higher TV ratings????? TV money is always the power broker.

 

[NU Houston]

What would LeBron James know about the NCAA? Not even a one-and-done!

He acknowledged that in his comments, but he insinuated pretty heavily that there were some shady offers from college programs that were recruiting him. No, he didn't play college basketball, but he still saw the dark side of college basketball recruiting.

 

[Sec_112]

Let's take the ESPN 2016 top 15 as an example. I don't know if it's representative. I get the feeling it might be a little more talented. These guys should be finishing their sophomore year in college.

Of the top 15, 13 of them are in the NBA already. The college game is probably lucky to keep Miles Bridges this long.

So, the college game is already missing three years from these guys WITHOUT much of a minor league system.

Any kind of money and NBA affiliation would make it easy to attract even 24 of the top 45.

Now what happens to the TV ratings?

 

[Sec_112]

What would LeBron James know about the NCAA? Not even a one-and-done!

He was being recruited in eighth grade. Do you really think he has no clue about the recruiting process?

 

[corbi2961]

Let HS seniors declare for the draft. If they are not drafted and have not signed with an agent, they have the option of going to play in college. If they play in college, they can’t declare for the draft until they have completed their sophomore season. Similar to college baseball system.

 

[NJCat]

Let HS seniors declare for the draft. If they are not drafted and have not signed with an agent, they have the option of going to play in college. If they play in college, they can’t declare for the draft until they have completed their sophomore season. Similar to college baseball system.

I like this approach. They would have to move the spring signing period to accommodate kids not drafted. Right now, the signing period is in April and the draft June. But that shouldn't be a big deal.

 

[IdahoAlum]

I think you're going to see an evolution to more of a baseball type model -- a stronger D League, G league, or whatever they are calling it these days, where players who are not academically inclined can go to continue their careers, a chance for high school seniors to be drafted out of high school, and a requirement that anybody who doesn't go pro right out of high school is ineligible to be drafted for two more years. Yes, this will drain off some players from colleges, and yes it will impact TV ratings, but college basketball is already a shrinking commodity with way too many games on TV, and most of its starts leaving as one-and-dones. But this will help college basketball return to its original roots as an outlet for real student athletes to compete. The NBA collective bargaining agreement should not be a tool to force kids who aren't interested in going to class into college programs because it's their only outlet for post-high school competition.

I'd also like to see more of an Olympic model when it comes to compensation -- college athletes should be allowed to strike personal endorsement deals with shoe companies, video game makers, etc. so they can generate as much revenue as their likenesses will bear without added cost to the universities themselves. I just don't think the current system of fake amateurism and resultant under-the-table payments is sustainable.

 

[Sec_112]

I think you're going to see an evolution to more of a baseball type model ...

That's the most credible and doable solution I've heard yet to the issue. You need to get everybody in a room.

 

[hdhntr1]

Okay ...so lets say that next year there are 15 seniors in high school......who would be one and dones in college...... So if
1. two of them go to Kentucky and one goes to Duke
or
2. They go to a NBA minor league team or directly to the D league
and Kentucky plays Duke or their two D league teams play...which one gets the higher TV ratings????? TV money is always the power broker.

How many watch the G or D or whatever league now? I don't think many. For all its faults, NCAA is a more compelling product to watch. Not sure anything would change

 

[willycat]

How many watch the G or D or whatever league now? I don't think many. For all its faults, NCAA is a more compelling product to watch. Not sure anything would change

Well I would think that a few more would watch if most of the one and done types were paid above board to play. Also a TV contract would also give the league some chops.

 

[NUCat320]

How many watch the G or D or whatever league now? I don't think many. For all its faults, NCAA is a more compelling product to watch. Not sure anything would change

If the paradigm shifted, and top tier prospects went pro, and mid tier prospects (and suburban kids) went to college, I think college basketball would improve for fans.

The quality of college play would probably go down, but the pageantry would remain and the familiarity would increase.

I think only hoops junkies would shift their focus to the minor leagues, because minor leagues are inherently developmental and not about winning; it's not fun to watch when your top gun is sent to the big club right as the minor league team is entering the playoffs.

The fact is that familiarity makes the game more exciting. Duke used to have three or four villains - now, it's only Grayson Allen, because we've learned to hate him for four years.

It's exciting to watch guys get better over time, and it's exciting for fans to get to know their players over time. Baker and VanVleet at Wichita, for instance.

Right now, Kentucky and Duke guys are going pro no matter what - there's no incentive to learn their names because they'll be gone in two months anyway.

Opening up the pro game to 19 and 20 year olds would only affect the 1% of college basketball. Everywhere else would be the same, and it's not like Kentucky or Dook fans would stop following their teams if their teams nabbed recruits 20-23 and watched them for two or three or four years, rather than 1-5 and watched them for four months.

 

[NJCat]

If the paradigm shifted, and top tier prospects went pro, and mid tier prospects (and suburban kids) went to college, I think college basketball would improve for fans.

The quality of college play would probably go down, but the pageantry would remain and the familiarity would increase.

I think only hoops junkies would shift their focus to the minor leagues, because minor leagues are inherently developmental and not about winning; it's not fun to watch when your top gun is sent to the big club right as the minor league team is entering the playoffs.

The fact is that familiarity makes the game more exciting. Duke used to have three or four villains - now, it's only Grayson Allen, because we've learned to hate him for four years.

It's exciting to watch guys get better over time, and it's exciting for fans to get to know their players over time. Baker and VanVleet at Wichita, for instance.

Right now, Kentucky and Duke guys are going pro no matter what - there's no incentive to learn their names because they'll be gone in two months anyway.

Opening up the pro game to 19 and 20 year olds would only affect the 1% of college basketball. Everywhere else would be the same, and it's not like Kentucky or Dook fans would stop following their teams if their teams nabbed recruits 20-23 and watched them for two or three or four years, rather than 1-5 and watched them for four months.

Some guy on ESPNU radio summed it up well for me: college fans root for the name on the front of the jersey, not on the back. They have their school and support it regardless of who is playing for them. March Madness exists for the betting pools, not the quality of the basketball. I doubt the NCAA ratings will change if the handful of one-and-dones stay or go directly to the NBA.

 

[NUAlum78]

Well I would think that a few more would watch if most of the one and done types were paid above board to play. Also a TV contract would also give the league some chops.

Only if the minor leagues developed the fan base of most colleges. I watch NU basketball because I am an alum, and not a basketball fan. I think there are a lot of graduates and non-alum college fans that watch the athletic products that would not necessarily watch NBA minor leagues unless they were seriously int basketball.

 

[VirginiaWildcat]

Well I would think that a few more would watch if most of the one and done types were paid above board to play. Also a TV contract would also give the league some chops.

Do lots of people watch minor league baseball?

 

[willycat]

Do lots of people watch minor league baseball?

Yes. Lots of others would also like minor league BB, if top of the line players were featured. College basketball and football also is a amateur lie. Get rid of it and have minor league BB and FB funded by the NBA and the NFL and let the true so called " student atlethes" play for their universities.

 

[Catreporter]

People do attend minor league baseball games in person but there is no demonstrated TV appetite for them. CBA and NBA development league struggled to find an audience at all, and football is a prohibitively expensive sport to start up unless NFL would bankroll it like NBA does with WNBA.