With two former G League players recently committing to play for Division I schools, Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said he doesn't «respect» the NCAA powerbrokers who've allowed those moves to happen.
«I am going to get myself in trouble, but I listen to people talk about how kids changed. Kids aren't the problem, we're the problem,» Izzo told reporters Tuesday. «This was sprung on us again yesterday where a guy can be in the G League for two or three years and then all of a sudden, he's eligible. Most of my people knew nothing about it.… I'm not real excited about the NCAA or whoever is making these decisions, without talking to us, just letting it go. They're afraid they're going to get sued.»
On Monday, London Johnson — a former four-star recruit who has averaged 7.6 points per game over three seasons in the G League — announced his commitment to Louisville. Last month, another G League player, Thierry Darlan, announced his commitment to Santa Clara.
Both moves seem to defy the NCAA's previous amateurism and eligibility rules, which barred any players who'd previously competed for money at a professional level from playing Division I basketball.
Per the NCAA's Division I manual, any athlete who has been compensated as a professional beyond «actual and necessary expenses» — a category that includes health insurance, meals, lodging and transportation — cannot play college basketball. But the NCAA has bent those rules recently for multiple international prospects who've participated in professional leagues overseas.
The murkiness presented by the name, image and likeness and revenue share eras have made the line between professional and amateur more gray than it has ever been.
Darlan, who is from the Central African
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