College basketball took a major blow on Thursday when five-star combo guard Jalen Green announced he would be turning professional to play in the NBA G-League. The number three overall prospect in the 247Sports Composite chose the professional route instead of heading to either Memphis or Auburn.
According to The Athletic and Stadium’s Shams Charania, the G-League is looking to create a team in Los Angeles to help high school prospects “focus on development and preparation for NBA.”
Shortly after Green made his announcement, it was reported that former Michigan commit Isaiah Todd would be joining the Los Angeles based team as well.
This now has begun a trend where some of the best high school prospects skip out on college basketball to pursuit their dreams of playing in the NBA.
Before Green and Todd, there was RJ Hampton of Little Elm, TX, who also turned professional. Hampton relocated to New Zeland to play in the National Basketball League. The fifth-ranked player in the 2019 class chose professional basketball instead of the likes of Kansas, Duke, and Texas Tech.
Even players who did decide to enroll at a school ended up leaving early in the year to pursue their professional careers. When former No. 1 overall recruit James Wiseman got in some trouble with the NCAA, he left Memphis to prepare himself for the NBA Draft. He appeared in three games.
For Texas, all eyes are now focused on Greg Brown, the five-star small forward. Brown has been rumored to be heading to Texas recently, but with the recent trend of highly-rated prospects going pro, there could be worry for Shaka Smart.
The Austin native more than likely will be a one and done prospect, leaving whichever school he chooses after one season. Could Brown see the positives in spending his one season before the NBA Draft as a professional?
With Green making a reported $500,000 next season, it would be difficult for anyone, let alone an 18-year-old, to turn down a significant paycheck.
At the moment, Brown is scheduled to make his announcement on April 24. 247Sports’ Crystal Ball is 100% towards Texas, mainly due to the Longhorns deciding to keep Smart for at least one more season.
If Brown was to pick the collegiate route and pick Texas, it would be a major bolster to the 2020-2021 team, who looks primed to make a run towards the NCAA Tournament.
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