Two other “down the line” guys I saw were Michigan freshmen Caleb Houstan and Moussa Diabaté. Both are big for their position — Houstan a 6-8 small forward, Diabite a 6-11 power forward – and have shown tantalizing flashes of promise. Houstan is a potential 3-and-D small forward at the NBA level, and Diabate is a highly switchable four who can elevate around the basket. The issue is that neither player is even close to ready; Houstan was “just cardio” on Saturday, with zero points and zero assists in 32 minutes, while the French-born Diabate still struggles with feel and physicality at the Big Ten level. Both players would get destroyed in an NBA game right now, and probably even in the G League, but I can’t rule out teams swinging on them in the second round if they enter the draft. In another year or two, however, they can be first-rounders. A Sweet 16 test against Villanova will provide another evaluation point for the league’s scouts.
Here are my thoughts, and this is not a knock on either of our terrific two young men, and please understand I am already NOT a fan of the NBA, so I may be biased. If the NBA entices either of these kids to drop out of college, to give up the best time of their lives playing and bonding with a group of teammates while competing for championships and living a life they will cherish for the rest of their lives while getting a terrific college education in the process, after ONE YEAR, when they are simply not ready, only to stockpile them for the next couple of years, then I will believe more than ever that the NBA certainly doesn’t care about these kids and may be out to ruin college basketball. Sorry, I know that isn’t a popular opinion, but it IS my opinion.
The evaluation is pretty much spot on, IMO. But it has little to do with whether they stay or not. It only takes one team. Both will undoubtedly go through the process after the season. That feedback might help them. The biggest issue from Michigan’s standpoint is how long it drags on.
You make it sound like the NBA is tricking kids. They have their incentives to get talent on the cheap, but these kids dream of playing in the NBA first and foremost. That’s the ultimate goal.
Then, too, I just am such a believer in the value of sports and of ACADEMIC athletics in particular that it just really disturbs me that the NBA is raiding the college game as they are! Again, I know my opinion on this is not a popular one among the sports message board crowd.
If the NBA is a gluttonous hog (I won’t defend them), I’d hate to hear what you think of a billion dollar industry that until recently was fueled by unpaid labor.
If anything you should be mad they aren’t raiding the game enough, forcing the NCAA into the one-and-done sham.
But college basketball today isn’t the same sport you’re describing. And with current transfer rules and the NIL, it will only trend further away. Old guys like you and I have to learn to adapt and accept it for the joys that remain. Otherwise, we’ll miss out on the fun.
No just find your opinion incomprehensible.The NBA hasn’t been raiding the college game. The criticism has always been that the NBA has been exploiting the college game as a free farm system by forcing kids to play in college that would rather go pro so they can get a few extra years of talent evaluation.
That’s always been my problem with the NBA, but things like the G-League Ignite are steps in the right direction.
That’s not what I’m looking for. I’m not waxing for the good old days. Save me from older people lamenting sports and music from 30-40 years ago. Things change.
I am the old person, but, hey thanks! This really isn’t the place to discuss my feelings and beliefs about the value of the college experience or what I believe sports should be about. It’s also not the place to discuss whether old people can adapt and change with the changing times, BUT maybe we should get together sometime, grab a couple beers and talk about all of this. Maybe we’d both learn something.
I’m back and forth between Banchero and JSJ but ultimately chose Banchero bc he has greater upside as an offensive player. JSJ will fit right in as a shooter at PF. Ivey would be amazing next to Cade and use his elite athleticism to get to the rim. I know Weaver loves Ivey for a good reason.
