Izzo blasts NCAA for 'ridiculous' G League ruling

With 2 erstwhile G League players precocious committing to play for Division I schools, Michigan State manager Tom Izzo said helium doesn't "respect" the NCAA powerbrokers who've allowed those moves to happen.

"I americium going to get myself successful trouble, but I perceive to radical speech astir however kids changed. Kids aren't the problem, we're the problem," Izzo told reporters Tuesday. "This was sprung connected america again yesterday wherever a feline tin beryllium successful the G League for 2 oregon 3 years and past each of a sudden, he's eligible. Most of my radical knew thing astir it. ... I'm not existent excited astir the NCAA oregon whoever is making these decisions, without talking to us, conscionable letting it go. They're acrophobic they're going to get sued."

On Monday, London Johnson -- a erstwhile four-star enlistee who has averaged 7.6 points per crippled implicit 3 seasons successful the G League -- announced his committedness to Louisville. Last month, different G League player, Thierry Darlan, announced his committedness to Santa Clara.

Both moves look to defy the NCAA's erstwhile amateurism and eligibility rules, which barred immoderate players who'd antecedently competed for wealth astatine a nonrecreational level from playing Division I basketball.

Per the NCAA's Division I manual, immoderate jock who has been compensated arsenic a nonrecreational beyond "actual and indispensable expenses" -- a class that includes wellness insurance, meals, lodging and proscription -- cannot play assemblage basketball. But the NCAA has bent those rules precocious for aggregate planetary prospects who've participated successful nonrecreational leagues overseas.

The murkiness presented by the name, representation and likeness and gross stock eras person made the enactment betwixt nonrecreational and amateur much grey than it has ever been.

Darlan, who is from the Central African Republic, played successful the NBA Academy Africa program. His admittance is much successful enactment with the different planetary professionals who've precocious secured Division I eligibility. While helium was the archetypal G League subordinate successful past to beryllium granted eligibility to play assemblage basketball, Johnson's committedness arsenic a subordinate without those planetary ties could beryllium adjacent much groundbreaking -- and destructive, according to Izzo.

"Someone is going to say, 'Well, if they spell pro and it doesn't enactment out, they should beryllium capable to travel back,'" said Izzo, who added that assemblage hoops has "no rules" close now.

"Well, what astir the freshmen you recruited there? That's somebody's lad and helium thinks he's got himself a bully place, and each of a sudden, shazam, they propulsion retired of their chapeau and bring a 21- oregon 22-year-old successful [from the G League]. To me, it's ridiculous. It's embarrassing, and I emotion my job. I don't respect my profession, and I don't respect whoever is doing that. Whoever made those decisions due to the fact that they're acrophobic that a lawyer is going to writer them, sooner oregon later, you've got to combat the fight. ... Maybe I'm the dummy, but I'll ne'er hold to that stuff."

The G League could make different endowment pipeline for collegiate talent, which Izzo called a slippery slope for the sport.

"The NCAA has got to regroup. They've got to regroup. That's my sentiment -- lone my opinion. Don't beryllium huffy astatine anybody else. Be huffy astatine us, but I'm not going to beryllium huffy astatine the players. I'm going to beryllium huffy astatine the adults successful the room, and truthful don't blasted the players anymore. Blame the adults that marque the decisions, that let immoderate of these ridiculous things to happen." Michigan State manager Tom Izzo

He joked, however, that the "silver lining" is that helium mightiness telephone Magic Johnson, Jaren Jackson Jr. and different erstwhile Michigan State stars who've had occurrence successful the NBA since the NCAA's stance connected erstwhile professionals being allowed to play assemblage hoops appears to beryllium c...