Kansas basketball: Why fans shouldn’t fear G League program
Kansas basketball fans shouldn’t fear the new G League program. If anything, it could benefit Bill Self and the Jayhawks.
There seems to be a panic among some college hoops fans due to the G League program that stole away Jalen Green, the No. 3 player in the recruiting class of 2020 according to 247 Sports. At first glance, it does seem like something Kansas basketball and other elite programs should fear though.
The G League gave Jalen Green over $500,000 straight out of high school, and Shams Charania of Stadium even went so far as to say Green could earn over $1,000,000. Not only that, but Green will also receive a scholarship from the G League should he choose to attend college in the future.
Green will join a newly formed team in Los Angeles that will play about 20 games throughout the season compared to a normal G League team that plays 50. The goal for Green is to develop over the season and then enter the 2021 NBA Draft.
It’s really no wonder Green chose to go to the G League. Who could turn down that kind of offer to go play in the NCAA for a year?
The good news for Kansas basketball fans and why they shouldn’t fear the G League is because the Jayhawks aren’t built on one and done talent. Sure, Kansas will sign some top 10 recruits like Quentin Grimes, Andrew Wiggins, and Josh Jackson, but most years the Jayhawks aren’t reliant upon one-year players.
As a matter of fact, it’s the opposite. The Kansas Jayhawks normally rely upon upperclassmen to shoulder the load, and a freshman hasn’t led the Jayhawks in scoring since the 2014 season. The lack of reliance on high-profile recruits should keep Kansas relatively unaffected by the G League.
In a way, the new G League could even benefit the Jayhawks since Kansas has done such a great job of developing players over three and four-year careers. If the talent pool is diluted a little bit, it could make three and four-year players more common at big schools, benefiting Bill Self and Kansas.
If this new G League program sticks it’ll certainly absorb a good portion of the top recruits in every class. That could be a concern among programs like Duke and Kentucky, but even they shouldn’t sound the alarm. The blue blood and other high-profile schools are still going to sign the top college prospects, even if they lose out on some to the G League.
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Chris Mack, head coach of Louisville, said it best:
"For every Jalen Green there’s an Obi Toppin. For every none & done there’s a [Luka] Garza, a Markus Howard. College Basketball will be fine."
In Kansas’ case, for every Josh Jackson and Andrew Wiggins, we have a Perry Ellis, Devonte’ Graham, Udoka Azubuike, Frank Mason, or even Christian Braun.
This isn’t the end of college hoops as we know it, it’s just a natural evolution that honestly seems somewhat overdue. Kansas basketball will be fine, and they should be affected very little if at all by the G League program.