re: Timberwolves draft pick signing with Kansas. Will SEC be at competitive disadvantage?

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Was drafted and he participated in the NBA Summer League and joined the team for a bonding trip to France hosted by Rudy Gobert.

Yes I know people pick and choose which part to get faux outraged about or not.

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You can argue the rules are arbitrary but by this description it wouldn't violate the SEC rules unless he signed a contract with an NBA.

Time for another billboard?

Perhaps an aerial banner?

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Those lines so far from the many examples: 1. Signed a pro contract. Period. Right or wrong. Still Period.

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…except for European basketball players.

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Exactly. This has been going on forever and was never really a problem before NIL. Due to the Euro club system, players turn pro at 15 -18, depending on country.

Before NIL, the Euro "pros" that came to college were young inexperienced guys that fit the same mold as American players entering college. Euro pros who were more experienced didn't come play free in college when they were getting big contracts there. So there really wasn't much for anyone to complain about.

Then NIL allowed college coaches to go after Euro pros that were older and just as experienced as G League or young NBA players since they could match their pay.

That's what the NCAA wants to address. Again, it's a new problem.


And the NCAA made a mess in not fighting harder against the first ones that came and that led to Bediako et al arguing what you are.
"Not much difference in an Italian 19yo entering the NBA draft and then playing pro in Italy's top league for 2 seasons and an American player doing that but in the G League. Either they're both eligible or not"

So, the NCAA/SEC is currently going hard to establish that both are NOT.

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2. Entered in a past NFL/NBA draft (pre-2026 and therefore not part of challenges based on the FIVE FOR FIVE rule)



Brand new never applied rule (obviously)

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NCAA tried to not grandfather anyone into this rule but court cases keep making them retreat.

Part of that retreat has simply been to not fight the players being grandfathered in even if they did not pull out of the 2026 draft as long as they didn't go on to sign a pro contract.

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It's not a new problem.

European professionals are still being ruled eligible.

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I didn't say they were not.

But the ones the NCAA is clearing fit the mold of inexperienced 18-21 yo with scant first team pro experience in Europe.

Also, people keep mixing up players that the NCAA has declared eligible with ones that only have a TRO from a judge the NCAA fought or is fighting against. (By the way. the NCAA tried to keep there zero NFL/NBA draft policy for 2026 until judges started dismantling it over the timing of 5 For 5.)

The new problem with Euro players -- like I said in my post -- is this:

Before NIL, Euro professionals fit with profiles like this:

19yo -- played for the B team of a Euro club with very limited minutes in a top league

These players have always been eligible, still are and almost no one thinks they should not be in the future. They totally fit the same age and experience profile of the American players entering college.


On the other hand, this is the profile of the new NIL-era Euro player coaches here are trying to get eligible and the NCAA/SEC is fighting:

23yo -- started 4 seasons for a Euro pro team
or
21yo -- Drafted in NBA 2024 Draft but returned to play in Spain. Starter for top Spanish team for 2 seasons. Voted league's most improved player.


Again, what is NEW is this last type Euro pro coming for an NIL check. And, that's exactly what the NCAA/SEC is going hardest to stop.

My last post on it since it's just to clarify positions abd not what I think is good or bad. just the obvious distinctions causing all the commotion.