That could be a good thing and a bad thing.
No one is going to turn down the addition of a 5-star recruit like Brown, a gifted 6-9 forward who committed to the Longhorns last week. But one of the main reasons why Texas was able to win five of its last six games during the regular season and make a late push towards the NCAA Tournament was because its rotation was cut short due to injuries.
Rhythm and chemistry are two extremely important things in college basketball and both were readily apparent during the Longhorns’ five-game winning streak from Feb. 19th to Mar. 3rd. During that span, Shaka Smart didn’t plan more than nine players in a game.
Prior to the addition of Brown, Texas was set to return 11 different players who averaged double-figure minutes last season along with Will Baker, a former top-100 recruit who averaged 8.4 minutes in 19-20.
It will be interesting to track how Smart manages this roster moving forward as he looks to fine tune what should be his best team yet in Austin.
The Longhorns finished 19-12 last season and tied for third in the Big 12.
The G League isn’t as big of a threat to college basketball as some may think
Every single person deserves the right to pursue their professional dreams.
Two top-30 prospects — Jalen Green and Isaiah Todd — recently exercised that right and opted to play in the G-League next season rather than play college basketball. Brown (mentioned above) meanwhile, reportedly passed on an offer from the G-League in excess of $300,000 annually to play for Texas in 20-21.
It’s no secret that the G League — led by President Shareef Abdur-Rahim and executive Rod Strickland — are actively recruiting talented players to join its operation. Two separate sources confirmed last week that both Abdur-Rahim and Strickland have already reached out to multiple prominent members of the 2021 class about bypassing college for the G League.
Is this a major threat to college basketball?
Not really.
The G League’s aggressive pursuit of top flight prospects is a reaction to the decisions made by both R.J. Hampton and LaMelo Ball a year ago to bypass college basketball in an effort to play professionally overseas before heading to the NBA.
Here’s one important thing to remember: was anybody less excited for the NCAA Tournament in February and early March because Hampton and Ball weren’t a part of college basketball last season?
Absolutely not.
As of now, college basketball cannot offer the type of monetary commitment that playing in the G League can for an elite prospect, but it’s important to remember that the G League is filled with empty gyms and a fan base that is non existent.
It cannot compete with college basketball in that regard.
The decisions made by Hampton and Ball a year ago opened up the door for others to emerge in the college basketball spotlight and that’s not going to change regardless of what happens in the G League.
Ask Obi Toppin.
Lack of player retention hurt Danny Manning at Wake Forest
This directly applies to players who would have been All-ACC caliber performers if they returned to college instead of exploring things professionally and going undrafted.
Those types of departures have crushing effects on programs who are non blue bloods.
Manning’s best team in Winston Salem came in 16-17 when Wake Forest won 19 games and reached the NCAA Tournament.
It expected to lose John Collins to the NBA after that season. It didn’t expect to also lose Dinos Mitoglou, a skilled 6-10 forward who averaged 8.9 points and 6.8 rebounds prior to unexpectedly deciding to accept a professional contract in Greece.
Wake Forest only won 11 games the next season, but still saw two of its top three scorers — Bryant Crawford and Doral Moore — bolt to attempt to play professionally with each still owning a year of eligibility. Neither player was drafted by the NBA in 2018.
Manning was able to secure a commitment from an elite prospect in versatile forward Jaylen Hoard to attempt to make up for the losses of both Crawford and Moore, but he also only lasted one season with the Demon Deacons after Wake Forest again only won 11 games.
Like Crawford and Moore, Hoard went undrafted.
These are the types of things that never allowed Manning to build any type of consistency at Wake Forest and what ultimately led to his dismissal over the weekend after six seasons as head coach.
This and That:
– BYU’s addition of Purdue graduate transfer Matt Haarms should keep the Cougars right behind Gonzaga atop the WCC in 20-21. The 7-3 big man averaged 8.6 points and 4.6 rebounds last season. Haarms picked BYU over both Kentucky and Texas Tech.
– Creighton could have its toughest schedule in program history next season. The Jays have to deal with 20 regular season Big East games, three tilts in the Battle 4 Atlantis, and also must travel to both Kansas (Big East-Big 12 Battle) and Nebraska. This doesn’t include a home game against Arizona State and another home game as part of the Gavitt Games against a Big Ten opponent that’s yet to be determined. Wow!
– VCU grad transfer Marcus Santos-Silva will earn his undergraduate degree in July and be immediately eligible to play during the 20-21 season, according to his father. The 6-7 forward averaged 12.8 points and 8.9 rebounds last season. Santos-Silva has cut his list to Ole Miss, Georgia, Penn State, Maryland, Arizona State, and Texas Tech.
– UConn, Syracuse, Michigan State, Auburn, Arizona State, VCU, and Loyola-Chicago will headline the 2021 Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas, according to multiple sources. The eighth team in the event is to be determined.
– A big question for college basketball moving forward? If the NBA Draft is postponed to August or later as many anticipate, what will the new deadline date be for players who wish to return to college? The current deadline date from the NCAA for underclassmen to retain their eligibility is June 3rd.
