Tom Izzo sounds off on NCAA after Louisville signs ex-G Leaguer

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 allowed these moves to happen.

“I’m going to get in trouble, but I listen to people talk about how kids have changed. Kids are not the problem, we are the problem,” Izzo told reporters Tuesday. “It happened to us again yesterday that 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 didn’t know anything about it. … I’m not really excited about the NCAA or whoever is making these decisions, without talking to us, just letting it go. They’re afraid of getting sued.”

On Monday, London Johnson – a former four-star recruit who averaged 7.6 points 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 measures appear to defy the NCAA’s old amateurism and eligibility rules, which barred any player who had ever competed for money at a professional level from playing Division I basketball.

According to the NCAA Division I handbook, 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 recently skirted those rules for several international prospects who competed in professional leagues overseas.

The blurring presented by the eras of name, image, likeness and revenue sharing has made the line between professional and amateur grayer than it has ever been.

Darlan, originally from the Central African Republic, played in the NBA Academy Africa program. His admission is more in line with other international professionals who recently gained Division I eligibility. Although he was the first G League player in history to be eligible to play college basketball, Johnson’s commitment as a player without those international ties could be even more revolutionary — and destructive, according to Izzo.

“Someone’s going to say, ‘Well, if they go pro and it doesn’t work out, they should be able to come back,'” said Izzo, who added that college basketball has “no rules” at the moment.

“Well, what about the freshmen you recruited there? He’s somebody’s son and he thinks he found a good spot, and all of a sudden, shazam, they pull out of their hat and bring in a 21 or 22 year old. [from the G League]. To me, that’s ridiculous. It’s embarrassing and I love my job. I don’t respect my profession and I don’t respect whoever does this. Those who have made these decisions because they are afraid that a lawyer will sue them, sooner or later, have to fight. …Maybe I’m the dummy, but I’ll never put up with that kind of thing. »

The G League could create another talent pool for collegiate talent, which Izzo called a slippery slope for the sport.

“The NCAA needs to get its act together. It needs to come together. This is my opinion, just my opinion. Don’t be mad at anyone else. Be mad at us, but I’m not going to be mad at the players. I’m going to be mad at the adults in the room and therefore stop blaming the players. Blame the adults who are making the decisions, who are allowing some of these ridiculous things to happen.”

Tom Izzo, Michigan State coach

He did, however, joke that the “positive side” is that he might call Magic Johnson, Jaren Jackson Jr. and other former Michigan State stars who have had success in the NBA since the NCAA’s stance on allowing former professionals to play college basketball appears to be changing. But he also made clear that he did not view the issue as a laughing matter.

He said he was more concerned about high school players, who could lose their spots to G League players with professional experience, which could encourage even more young players in the future to enter the transfer portal.

He also said the lack of communication from decision-makers was troubling and he challenged the NCAA to consider the “unintended consequences” of recent decisions.

“The NCAA needs to come together. They need to come together,” Izzo said. “That’s my opinion – just my opinion. Don’t be mad at anyone else. Be mad at us, but I’m not going to be mad at the players. I’m going to be mad at the adults in the room and so don’t blame the players anymore. Blame the adults who make the decisions, who allow some of these ridiculous things to happen. And then the unintended consequences hurt the kids who are trying to do it the right way with a process, without jump everywhere. And that’s my two cents, so put that where you want.”