I agree with this take. He says he can get great coaching in Europe, and I’m sure he can. His coach is a legend over there, but coming to the states would really help acclimate him to the culture over here, and playing for a program like ours and a coach like Beilein would be great preparation for the NBA, too.
Would it though? Honest question how many Europeans come over here for college than go on to get drafted or succeed in the NBA? Other than Moe I’m drawing a blank, though I definitely could be wrong I just can’t think of any off hand
Far more of the NBA’s foreign players come directly from abroad than via American college.
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Ronny Turiaf was the first one that came to mind for me.
I can think of a few just off the top of my head:
Wagner
Svi Mykhailiuk
Ronny Turiaf
Domatas Sabonis
Lauri Markkanen
And I’m sure the list is much longer.
The guys like Doncic, Rubio and Dirk hardly count because they are the type of straight to the NBA talent that it didn’t matter where they played. Franz doesn’t fall into that category.
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Jakob Poltl (Utah)
Nikola Vucevic (USC)
Killian Tillie seems like a future draft pick
I mean, I’m not sure you can hand-wave away the development that went into Doncic, Dirk, and Rubio and then credit American college with the 4 months Markkanen spent on a campus.
Just looking at the final 8 teams standing in the NBA, and guys who are at least part of a rotation (and I am not counting Canada, because all their kids come to US schools):
College: Aron Baynes, Siakam, Simmons, Embiid, Bolden, Bogut, Skal
Not College : Daniel Theis, Antetokounmpo, Mirotic, Ilyasova, Paul Gasol, Marc Gasol, Ibaka, Korkmaz, Boban, Jerebko, Hernangomez, Jokic, Nene, Capela, Nurkic
Its not scientific, but of the 22 foreign players still alive, 15 didn’t play college ball
I think it’s further complicated when you consider that of those foreign born players, all but Bayes and Bogut attended American high-school for a minimum of 2 years, so it’s not like they were making a decision of leaving a foreign club team to play amateur here.
**Count Kanter however you want - he certainly intended to go to American college, but also had played high school ball in the US…it was actually “improper benefits” he received as an “amateur” on a European club team that ruled him out at Kentucky.
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Compare that with how many jumped straight from Europe. I think there are significantly more that come straight to the NBA from overseas and exceed than the other way around
I think the better development trend depends upon their situation. If Franz is going to stay there and continue to get 12 minutes per game vs the 30 per game he could get here I would argue the pt against college players would help development along better. If he’s going to get 25 over there maybe it’s a wash. Even with the great scouting over there I’m sure he’d get more exposure over here as well.
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It certainly seems like the trend is that the better foreign-born NBA players who went to American college made the move to the US prior to college.
Those that did not played at least a few years professionally in Europe.
Gonzaga also has a first rounder from Japan. Forgot his name. Add mortiz to the list too.
With what Alba is supposedly going to shell out for him to stay, I bet his minutes increase substantially. I also doubt he’s playing 30 minutes a game here next year if he were to come. I wouldn’t be surprised (50/50) if he wasn’t a starter if he was here next year anyways a lot of competition at the wing spots already here learning the system
Nobody is arguing that literally no foreign born players go to college. Naming the one guy you think of doesn’t change that.
The majority of foreign born players don’t go to US college, and the majority of those that do ALSO go to US high school.
Yes, there ARE guys that first move to the US for college who make the NBA - and the fact that Franz’s brother is one (who went to Michigan, nonetheless!) is probably a mark in our favor.
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I think many are missing the real issue. The best way to the NBA might not be the driving factor. Where would Franz have the best experience and a chance to enjoy himself as a teenager. Play professionally as the young guy in Germany? Come to Michigan? Not saying 1 is better than the other but I believe that is the question. Mo will be a poster child for having the greatest 3 year experience in Ann Arbor. We will be hard to beat.
I think many people are missing the cause and effect of the equation, which is really what we are talking about, right? Just because a player makes the NBA straight from Europe doesn’t mean the same thing wouldn’t have happened if he played college ball in the US. Likewise, the reverse is true. Obviously the numbers are going to be higher for guys that go straight to the NBA from europe. That’s where they live. That’s where they are from. Not many guys go so far from home to play unpaid basketball. I don’t think either one has any relation to the other. You’d have to look at the percentages anyway if you want a real comparison (I.e the number of Euros that come to the US to play college and subsequently make the NBA vs the number of Euros that play pro in Europe and then subsequently make the NBA.)
If Franz comes to Michigan, he could make the NBA in a couple years. If he stays in Germany, he could make the NBA in a couple years. It’s based on the individual player.
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We answered a question. The question, literally, was “Honest question how many Europeans come over here for college than go on to get drafted or succeed in the NBA?”
The answer is “less than go straight to the NBA”.
If you want to discuss a different question, that’s fine.
I think this is spot on. I don’t remember where I saw it but there was a quote from Franz that basically said he could be a professional basketball player for 20 years but maybe he wants to experience this first. You have to think Moe is in his ear to come to the US. The family also obviously isn’t in financial need.
Yeah Franz basically said basketball wise he has it made in Germany, but he may want to go experience college.
Well that wasn’t the question either then, was it? Nobody asked whether more players come straight from Europe or go to college first. The question was what players went to college and then went on to make the NBA. Your stats lead to inferences and I’m trying to show that the inferences are misleading.
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he would play close to iggy minutes if he came here next year, he’s by far the most ready potential freshmen at michigan next year
for all the Luka’s there are also Darko’s who never get developed, plus no one here is gonna remember the many european projects that haven’t worked out.
both paths can work, both paths can not work. all comes down to what a kid wants to do.
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