Oh I see. Well the NBL has made pretty big strides to reach out to young American players, they have Lamelo and RJ Hampton there now. So I imagine it’s pretty good or there are people there to train, but yeah I don’t really know.
I gotta think that being English speaking is what is making the NBL more attractive than other leagues
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English speaking is a huge part, but I think the NBL is also putting some infrastructure into a program that really supports guys who make that HS->Australia move. I think they have some kind of program that places guys on teams, etc. They are also playing friendlies in the NBA Preseason here and have some different marketing connections that probably make it intriguing.
Will be really interesting to see what happens if Ball and Hampton are top 5 picks this year and what that does for the next couple classes.
There’s also Chameleon BX which is the other option that seems to be gaining steam (just training for a year).
has todd ever publicly denied the overseas rumors?
I don’t think he would be the centerpiece of the offense. I would expect Wagner - if the early assessments are accurate - to be our top offensive player next year.
Assuming he stays for his senior year, which I think is likely but not assured, I think Livers will be a primary option too.
Then there are several guys who could emerge by next year. Johns, Castleton, and Bajema are all unknowns right now.
There have been plenty of freshmen who contribute at a high level from day one, especially if heavy minutes are available. With Todd, I would think they would be. He’s probably a more talented prospect than GR3, for example, and GR3 was a key freshman contributor on a team that went to the title game. If you’re specifically looking for a stretch four who was a stud as a freshman, how about Marvin Bagley?
Also, whatever offense we run going forward will probably be less complex than JB’s system, which will only help freshmen acclimate faster.
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I know it’s kind of off topic but Dan Katz (Big Cat) from Barstool is part owner (have no idea percentages) of the New Zealand Breakers, where RJ Hampton is playing. I don’t think Barstool owns a portion of the team, just Katz. Matt Walsh, former Florida Gator, is their CEO.
Sorry, that’s my bad. I feel like there are still some marketing crossovers with Bar Stool, etc.
Barstool has a patch on their jersey
Walsh played on the Barstool’s team during the first ever TBT tourney. I believe Hampton’s first interview after signing was with Barstool on their Sirius channel and the interview was done by Katz.
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Sanderson has been one of the innovators in creating an S&C specific to bball. I’m sure Duke and KU have competent people but assuming Sanderson can’t be more highly regarded than Duke’s guy is like assuming Coach K is better than Beilein because Zion went to Duke as opposed to UM.
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CE: What is going to go into that decision of yours?
IT: The most important thing going into my decision is what my family thinks, what my mom thinks, and it is going to come down to the details. I love both schools.
CE: Will you sign next month or what are you thinking?
IT: I don’t know yet. I still have to talk to my mom about that.
Pretty clear mom is running this show, sounds like she sort asserted herself last spring.
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She has stated as much publicly:
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In the spring word was he was going reclass and go to uk but supposedly the mom stepped in and stopped it. I have read that is one of the reasons why uk backed off.
I don’t know about you all, but I like everything I hear about this woman on the thread. She seems to be taking care of her son and looking after his best interests. What’s not to like?
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It just kind of depends on what she advising.
Maybe she wants no funny business and if her son is going to get paid, he’s going to get paid the right way (going overseas) vs taking under the table cash from boosters. Maybe that’s why UK, Duke and some others backed off. Maybe she’s asserting her power in that regard and they want no part of it given the climate of the game right now.
Maybe she found trust with Coach Howard.
Now, let’s just say that’s true. He should have no reason not to sign early. If your committing to a coach and program, sign and commit. You can still contemplate overseas vs college down the road.
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Parents getting involved in recruiting regarding their son’s future position, how he’ll be used, etc all seems perfectly fine to me. It’s part of finding the best fit for both sides. Parents getting involved during the season with how their son is being used is less good.
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Todd’s aau coach liked this tweet
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