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Memphis Tigers head coach Penny Hardaway took exception with the recruitment process by the NBA G League when it comes to the top high school prospects.
Of course, the G League unveiled on April 16 a revamped program designed to provide an alternative pathway for those prospects looking to play professionally straight out of high school. Five-star prospects Jalen Green, Isaiah Todd and Daishen Nix are among those to commit to the program.
Green and Todd each chose the G League over prospective blue-blood programs while Nix ultimately decided to de-commit from UCLA to join them. The decision by the G League to recruit a commit like Nix to join its program hasn’t sat well with some around college basketball.
“Taking guys out of their commitments (or) they’ve already signed and continuing to talk to their parents, it’s almost like tampering. I really don’t agree with that,” Hardaway said, according to Clayton Collier of Local 24 Memphis.
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On Thursday, North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Roy Williams said he doesn’t believe the G League program is bad for college basketball but didn’t necessarily agree with taking players out of their commitments with college programs.
“The only negative thing I think is they are calling kids now who have already signed and committed to go to college and trying to see if they have any interest,” Williams said. “I don’t think they should be doing that, that’s my own personal opinion.”
While Hardaway and Williams do not agree with the process, the G League is only targeting a select group of high-profile players for the professional pathway program but their recruiting efforts could mean schools like Memphis and North Carolina miss out on some elite prospects.
The NCAA announced this week that it will move forward to allow student-athletes to be compensated for their name, image and likeness. The decision could help persuade some prospects from playing in college versus leaving for the professional ranks.
While the NCAA will eventually allow players to profit off of their name, image and likeness, it ultimately may not be enough to keep the elite prospects from bypassing college altogether.
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