This past week, college men’s basketball coach’s, Mike Krzyzewski, and John Calipari, expressed concerns about the NBA potentially expanding its draft beyond its current two rounds. More rounds for the NBA draft would mean an increase in basketball players leaving college sooner to play in the NBA’s G League.
There are now several increased pathways that may appeal to young players to play professionally sooner, such as the G League’s new rule offering “select contracts” of $125,000 for elite players who are at least 18 years old. There are other professional options such as European leagues and the NBA and the players union could also change its “One-and-Done” rule, which would allow players to enter the NBA straight from high school.
In light of these pathways, similar to “Coach K,” and “Coach “Cal’s” concerns, some of our athletics directors believe college basketball must have a plan to stay competitive. In fact, in a recent survey, 50 percent of our athletics directors think that the NBA could be a legitimate alternative to the NCAA within 10 years.
On the other hand, some of our other athletics directors have expressed that if the best college players went to the professional levels, the college game would still be strong and competitive. These athletics directors believe that the benefits and exposure of the college experience are so compelling, that college basketball will remain viable, even if the best players are not on the court.
So – there are two schools of thought: Does college basketball need to adapt to stay competitive, including potentially providing more benefits to student-athletes or is
