Bill Self speaks on NCAA allowing G-League players eligibility

You can add Bill Self to the list of prominent, old-school college basketball coaches who have an issue with the direction college basketball is going with its updated eligibility guidelines from the NCAA.

Speaking at Big 12 basketball media days in Kansas City on Wednesday, Oct. 22, the Kansas basketball coach offered his thoughts on the NCAA allowing NBA G League players to be in the transfer portal and apply for eligibility in college basketball.

‘Who knows, we may be recruiting one when it is all said and done. I got to know the rule because I didn’t know it was just limited to the G-League. I thought a guy could be cut in the NBA and be eligible for college,’ Self said. ‘My personal opinion is, I have no idea what we’re doing.’

Self’s comments comes less than two days after Pat Kelsey and Louisville, which hosts Kansas for an exhibition at KFC Yum! Center in Louisville on Friday, landed the commitment of three-year G-League guard London Johnson. The former four-star recruit is the second player from the G-League, which serves as the NBA’s developmental league, to make the move to the college ranks. The other was Thierry Darlan, who committed to Santa Clara, as noted by USA TODAY.

He is one of three high-profile Power Four college basketball coaches in the last 24 hours to comment on Louisville landing Johnson from the G-League and the direction the sport is shifting to, with the others being Michigan State’s Tom Izzo and Houston’s Kelvin Sampson.

Self, the two-time Associated Press Coach of the Year, went on to tell reporters that he isn’t well-versed with the rule, but it could be consequential for teams down the road.

‘We are going to call NBA teams, G-League teams to find out who (might) potentially be available and that is who we are going to recruit now compared to high school kids or portal kids. And what is the actual rule? Does it have to fit within a five-year window? Can he go to college first? I don’t really understand it well enough to comment too much, other than why wouldn’t everybody declare for the draft if it doesn’t work out and (you can) go back to college?

‘If it is the way that I think it is, which it may not be because I don’t understand it well enough yet, it is going to open up some unintended consequences that we’re going to have to deal with for sure.’

Self is set to open up his 23rd season at Kansas, which was picked to finish No. 6 in the Big 12 preseason poll, against Green Bay on Monday, Nov. 3 at 8 p.m. ET inside Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas.

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