Bryce Griggs, top-10 guard, to bypass college, sign with Overtime Elite
Missouri City (Texas) Hightower four-star senior Bryce Griggs tells On3 he will bypass college opportunities and his senior year of high school to sign with the Overtime Elite league.
The 6-foot-2, 180-pound combo guard chose the pro route over six colleges: Texas, Baylor, Houston, Memphis, Kansas and LSU.
It has long been assumed Griggs would choose the pro route. The Overtime Elite League (OTE) is also targeting other 2022 prospects like Chris Livingston, Brandon Miller, Nick Smith, and several others.
Overtime Elite will begin in September of this year and will feature 30 of the nation’s top prospects from ages 16-18. The athletes will be given a guaranteed minimum salary of $100,000. In addition, bonuses and equity in the league are also available. If an Overtime Elite athlete chooses not to pursue an NBA career, the league will pay them up to $100,000 to go toward college tuition.
Bryce Griggs on why he chose pro route
“I chose the pro route because you get to wake up whenever you want and go to the gym, and still do school,” Bryce Griggs said. “On top of that, my second year in OTE, I’ll be able to work toward my degree. So, I felt this was the right route for me and my family. We prayed on it. I felt like this was the best option for me, on and off the court. I feel like I’m going to learn a lot, on the marketing side, and on the team side. It’s bigger than basketball. I’ll build a lot of relationships with a lot of NBA scouts. This is the right decision for me and my family to get to the next level.”
Griggs, the No. 47 overall player in the On3 100, becomes the 15th player to join OTE. Other notable players include Jazian Gortman, Jalen Lewis, Matt and Ryan Bewley, Amen and Ausar Thompson, Jean Montero, among others.
Griggs’ contract value
The Overtime Elite contract Bryce Griggs signed is for two years “but that’s only if they don’t change the rule for going straight to the league after my first year. And if they do change it, I’ll go straight to the league.”
Griggs tells On3 his deal is worth around $1.2 million, which includes the cost of his future college education, room and board, equity in the company, insurance, disability, & healthcare.
The contract does not include future endorsements either.
“I feel like I’m very marketable to make more money off the court, than on the court,” Griggs said.
Who is Bryce Griggs recruiting to join him?
“I’m gonna talk to Nick Smith this weekend,” Bryce Griggs said. “Just always recruiting and trying to get other great players around you. Just trying to build this organization up as best we can. So, definitely Nick Smith, Chris Livingston, Brandon Miller. We’re gonna try to land them three and call it a closed deal.”
Where would Bryce Griggs have went to college?
Although he didn’t take any college visits, Griggs said he would’ve gone to either “Memphis or Houston.”
However, Griggs does plan on attending the University of Houston to get his college degree.
“I always want to show Houston love,” he said. “It’s my hometown. I feel like they would definitely have my best interest. The coach told me that even if I don’t go there, that they’re always gonna still be there for me.”