Per Adam Rittenberg: B1G is seeking feedback about making freshmen FB/BB players inelgible

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/12349646/big-ten-considering-ineligibility-freshmen

So the B1G is seeking feedback from its member schools about making incoming frosh ineligible so they can adjust to college life.

PAC-12 & Big-12 commissioners have also said there is growing interest in debating this idea in the upcoming months and year.

My 2 cents, EVERY conference would have to adopt this or B1G recruiting would become a joke. The best of the best, the top recruits would tell B1G schools thanks but no thanks, I want to play my frosh yr.

It would have to be an NCAA rule to be fair....takes me back to the "olden days". When I was at Mich, I believe Campy Russell had to wait until he was a soph, then the rule was changed because I believe Steve Grote played bb as a frosh, and, of course, The Peach started in '75 as a frosh.

I know nothing about rules getting into the NBA, but, if this rule is implemented , would more kids forgo college and just jump into the NBA? I'm assuming the NBA can draft them from HS. Is that even possible?

And, I agree with dwoody, this needs to be an NCAA rule. BT would have a big disadvantage here for recruiting IMO.

I agree, mistake. Just when you thought the B1G was regaining respectability....

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2364189-ncaa-conference-commissioners-reportedly-discussing-freshman-ineligibility?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=recruiting

Will never happen because of the economics- but freshman ball in football and basketball, with reduced schedules was actually great for the student athletes. It gave them a chance to acclimate to college academics, being away from home etc. under less pressure and a somewhat smaller time commitment.

This would be absolutely terrible for basketball.

hailtoyourvictor wrote:

This would be absolutely terrible for basketball.

It would be great if everyone would do it.

No it wouldn't. You'd see a lot more players going to Europe for a year rather than having to sit out in college.

A better rule would be allowing players to either enter the draft out of HS or have to spend a minimum of two years in college.

hailtoyourvictor wrote:

No it wouldn't. You'd see a lot more players going to Europe for a year rather than having to sit out in college.

A better rule would be allowing players to either enter the draft out of HS or have to spend a minimum of two years in college.

Would we miss them if they went to Europe? So what? if they don't want to go to college at all why should they be playing college sports? No one would really notice the competitive level difference.

You're entitled to your opinion, but yes I believe keeping the best talent in the country in our country is a good thing. Guys like Glenn Robinson III and Mitch McGary may never have played college ball and that does not help the product.

A two and done, or straight to NBA, allows the elite talents (ie. Lebron James, Kobe, etc.) to go straight to the NBA. If a player chooses the college route, they are required to stay two years.

A player like Lebron James, Kevin Durant, Jhalil Okafor, etc. should not be forced to sit on the bench for a year of basketball. That is not good for the product.

That's two or three guys and it would improve the product for everyone else and give them a chance at academics, kinda important since most aren't going to make big money from basketball or football anyway.

It will not happen though.

It's a lot more than two or three guys. I think we would see at least the top ten players and realistically quite a few more leave each year. If you are a 5* All American, why go somehwere where you can't play? Over the course of a decade we'd miss out on 100-200 of the best players from our country play NCAA Basketball because of mandatory benching of freshmen.

Again, the NBA out of HS / 2 and done model accomplishes what you're looking to accomplish without forcing elite players to take their talents and move to China or Europe. Much better for everyone involved.

I repeat- let them go. Why have the fiction of Kentucky as a college basketball team? They all live in luxury condos. 12 lucky non athletes get to stay in them too so that UK can claim it isn't just for the basketball team.

Wshoes, you realize that a system where a player must choose NBA out of High school or stay a minimum of two years in college accomplishes what you're aiming to accomplish and keeps our local high schoolers from having to play overseas? You've yet to explain why this system would be so terrible.......


What I'm saying is that it doesn't have to be a "Make them sit the bench or make them move overseas" situation. That is pretty stupid, IMO. Better, would be allowing NBA ready talents like LeBron James, etc. enter the draft out of HS. There is no reason to force the elite players to have to choose to not play basketball for a season or to move out of the country as an 18 year old. Players who choose the college route must stay two years, though, for exactly the reasons you state.

In other words, everyone wins.

Your system might work as well. My point was the other system already has worked for years and years. They would get to play- on all freshman teams - they would just play fewer games, maybe 2/3 as many.

It's not like they'd have to play intramural for a year.

Fair enough

If they never play college bb, how will me miss them? We'll never know what they would have contributed. It would be like asking a person blind at birth if he/she misses colors.

dwoody wrote:

If they never play college bb, how will me miss them? We'll never know what they would have contributed. It would be like asking a person blind at birth if he/she misses colors.

Not even close.

1) We are well aware of what these players contributed at the lower level (HS), so they aren't complete unknowns like colors would be to a blind person at birth.

2) We would become well aware of what many of those players contribute at the higher level (NBA), so they aren't complete unknowns like colors would be to a blind person at birth.


Also, just because someone may not be exposed to the world of colors does not mean that quality of life would not be increased by experiencing colors.

I'm sure this has been said above several times, but it pisses me off that the B1G is attaching their name to this.

Not helping out the 14 member institutions one bit as they're on the road recruiting. At all.

Cowherd said the PAC 12 is part of it too.