• Follow us on Twitter @buckeyeplanet and @bp_recruiting, like us on Facebook! Enjoy a post or article, recommend it to others! BP is only as strong as its community, and we only promote by word of mouth, so share away!
  • Consider registering! Fewer and higher quality ads, no emails you don't want, access to all the forums, download game torrents, private messages, polls, Sportsbook, etc. Even if you just want to lurk, there are a lot of good reasons to register!

OSU Men's Basketball Recruiting/Projections/General Discussions

OSU Not Looking For Recruits Who Would Be Lured By G League Money

Buckeye-Basketball-Team.jpg


Last week, the NBA’s developmental branch — aka the G League — announced that they would be offering “select contracts” worth $125,000 for players who are not yet eligible to play in the NBA.

The G League began as the NBA Developmental League in 2001 and acts as the league’s farm system. While the NBA requires players to be out of high school for at least one year before playing in the NBA, the rule is not the same for the G League. Players can play in the developmental league immediately following high school basketball.

One of the main reasons the G League was not an actual alternative to college basketball for players was because it wasn’t enough of a draw. Currently, the base salary for players is $35,000 for a five-month season. Bumping that salary by an extra $90,000 could make some players think twice about heading to college for a year when they could make $25,000 a month instead.

The $125,000 isn’t for everyone, just a select few who are good enough to warrant it. Who those players are and how they will be determined isn’t yet known.

In the past, this would have certainly impacted Ohio State when they were signing players like Greg Oden, Daequan Cook, Kosta Koufos, and B.J. Mullens, but could it happen now with Chris Holtmann?

After all, the Buckeyes’ 2019 recruiting class is currently ranked sixth in the nation and first in the Big Ten.

Point guard D.J. Carton is the No. 2 player at his position in the nation and the No. 24 player in the class overall. Forward Alonzo Gaffney is the No. 8 small forward and the No. 39 player in the nation. Power forward E.J. Liddell is the No. 10 player at his position and the No. 48 player overall.

The level of talent being brought in could become a concern in a good way for Ohio State, and even though the class is just the first full recruiting effort by the Buckeye coaches, it wasn’t all that unexpected.

“I think we felt like starting in ’19 we’d have our legs under us,” said OSU assistant Mike Schrage. “I thought we had a good class for 2018 based on getting hired in June. I felt like in 2019, we had a lot of pride in the place we’re representing. The place, the university, the network. We had a lot of belief of what we could get done on the recruiting trail. We’re not surprised by any means.”

Entire article: https://theozone.net/2018/10/osu-g-league-money-cost/
 
Upvote 0
With Potter gone we might start looking at some bigs for next season, our post depth is now really suspect. But might go the grad transfer route, not sure we could get in on any bigs worth getting in on now.
Agree. He transferred a little late:wink: for Ohio State to get in on any class of 2019 good recruits. I think Holtmann goes after a grad transfer also because that will free up a scholarship for the class of 2020. We have a lot of offers out to 2020 wing players and with the extra scholarship that will allow Holtmann to go after a big man, wing, and a PG for 2020.
 
Upvote 0
I know that it is early but 247 has are 3 man recruiting class as the #8 ranked class in the country as of today with the following summary.

This turned out to be a tremendous recruiting cycle for Chris Holtmann and the Buckeyes. Ohio State landed the top in-state talent in Alonzo Gaffney, got their point guard of the future in DJ Carton, and then also landed one of the best college prospects in the class with EJ Liddell. By going to Iowa and Illinois respectively to land Carton and Liddell, this shows that Ohio State is back on the recruiting trail, and that they can use their brand to attract recruits over other top Big Ten powers. Overall there is no doubt that this class sets up the Buckeyes in a big way for the future.
https://247sports.com/Article/The-l...etballs-top-2019-recruiting-classes-124714339

As of now, I think we have the best recruiting class in the Big Ten but I know that Sparty are in on a few premier big men and if they get one of them I guess we could argue who has the #1 ranked class in the Big Ten. The same would be true of Indiana assuming they get Jackson-Davis and possibly Brooks but he is up in the air right now.
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0
So with Alonzo, DJ and EJ in the fold, it looks like OSU is done with the 2019 class. I get that Holt likes a different style of big; however, I am a bit uneasy about having Kaleb as the only true big, and no defensive stopper at C. Any chance Holt opts to use the schollie opened by Potter's departure to add a big for the 2019-20 season? Maybe a grad transfer would make sense here. Part of me feels like it is worth a scholarship to have a post on the team specifically for doing the dirty work of defense & rebounding, especially since foul trouble is inevitable, so I worry a bit if there is a lack of depth at C with nobody being the Idong Ibok or Al Anagonye type.
 
Upvote 0
So with Alonzo, DJ and EJ in the fold, it looks like OSU is done with the 2019 class. I get that Holt likes a different style of big; however, I am a bit uneasy about having Kaleb as the only true big, and no defensive stopper at C. Any chance Holt opts to use the schollie opened by Potter's departure to add a big for the 2019-20 season? Maybe a grad transfer would make sense here. Part of me feels like it is worth a scholarship to have a post on the team specifically for doing the dirty work of defense & rebounding, especially since foul trouble is inevitable, so I worry a bit if there is a lack of depth at C with nobody being the Idong Ibok or Al Anagonye type.
Maybe a grad transfer would help but I would worry about the chemistry of the team. These guys are playing so well and from what I have read the three incoming freshman really get along with the guys already here.

Besides that, I think Ledee is a good enough player at the 5 that he certainly would be able to give Wesson a good amount of rest when he needs it. Not to mention Liddell and do not forget about Andre. When it comes to post defense, he might be better than his younger brother.

I am sure that Holtmann will way all the factors, not including us, when he makes a decision one way or another.
 
Upvote 0
As nomatta as pointed out in the past, it is hard to attract grad transfer talent unless there is immediate playing time available. With Kaleb and a string 3/4s like Young,EJ, Jaedon, Alonzo and Andre there likely will not be much time.

3/4s guarding 5s is what worries me. The ACC in particular is a league that typically the top teams have bigger frontcourts. You cant assume you will never go up against a super big team, especially when you get to March. If you play a team like FSU has been in the past that rotates legit 7-footers, you are going to stop them with one 6'9" guy and a rotation of hybrid wings? I dont know that it makes sense. Are we now counting Alonzo and EJ each as half post players? I dont quite get the plan here. Losing Potter begs the question of whether a post will be added to replace him.
 
Upvote 0
Back
Top