Cal is definitely recruiting '23 BOD big man Jalen Lewis. He has a blog on SI that is linked below. Last month was the first time '23 recruits could be contacted, and Cal contacted him first. He says he wants to visit Cal unofficially over the summer.

Lewis is 6'8'' or 6'9'' and listed around 215 pounds. He is ranked as the #2 player in the country by ESPN. I don't know who the other top players are, but having seen Lewis play, he is good, but not Jaylen Brown good. Because of his size and school he has been compared to Ivan Rabb. My opinion is that he is not as good inside as Rabb, but his game is much more versatile. Of course he would be a huge get for Cal.

https://www.si.com/college/cal/basketball/jalen-lewis-blog

I think Fox will need to sign some high end recruits for the 22 class to have a shot at Lewis in 23.

I'm hoping the main factor for Lewis' decision will be that you guys and me and a couple of dozen other fans on this board REALLY want him to come to Cal! That should be enough for him to make up his mind, right?

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He is ranked as the #2 player in the country by ESPN. I don't know who the other top players are, but having seen Lewis play, he is good, but not Jaylen Brown good.

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Yeah but he's a sophomore. He's likely going to get a lot better.

concernedparent said:

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He is ranked as the #2 player in the country by ESPN. I don't know who the other top players are, but having seen Lewis play, he is good, but not Jaylen Brown good.

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Yeah but he's a sophomore. He's likely going to get a lot better.

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Technically he is a rising junior. His skills will improve, but he is not a jump out of the screen athlete like Jaylen Brown. But this is splitting hairs. He would be a fantastic addition.

philbert said:

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I think Fox will need to sign some high end recruits for the 22 class to have a shot at Lewis in 23.

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Yes, in particular Aidan Mahaney. See other thread.

So much for that -
https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/31788663/jalen-lewis-becomes-highest-ranked-recruit-join-elite

FreeTrialMan said:

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So much for that -
https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/31788663/jalen-lewis-becomes-highest-ranked-recruit-join-elite

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He was the miracle we were hoping for. Now Fox really needs to go after big men. Who else is on our prospect list? Maybe someone overseas?

FreeTrialMan said:

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So much for that -
https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/31788663/jalen-lewis-becomes-highest-ranked-recruit-join-elite

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"The league now has 10 players under contract and is on its way to fielding a highly competitive team to play against prep schools in the United States..."

So is forgoing high school as well?

Civil Bear said:

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So is forgoing high school as well?

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Their web site says:

OTE (Overtime Elite) is a transformative new sports league that offers the world's most talented young basketball players a better pathway to becoming professional athletes. OTE provides a comprehensive accelerator for elite players' professional careers. The league offers a year-round development program combining world-class coaching; cutting-edge sports science and performance technology; top-notch facilities; and a rigorous, highly personalized academic program that energizes and enhances each athlete's journey from proficiency to pro for the next generation of athlete empowerment.

I was not able to find any mention of accreditation.

Curious how OTE is "recruiting" players. Do they have scouts making personal pitches ala MLB scouts? Are they being contacted by high school students interested in the league?
And, per Mr. Lewis - what if the league folds after a year or two, before he graduates High School? I presume (without knowing) that he gets some kind of signing bonus that will make him NCAA ineligible. Isn't signing with a league tantamount to signing with an agent?

ncbears said:

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Curious how OTE is "recruiting" players. Do they have scouts making personal pitches ala MLB scouts? Are they being contacted by high school students interested in the league?
And, per Mr. Lewis - what if the league folds after a year or two, before he graduates High School? I presume (without knowing) that he gets some kind of signing bonus that will make him NCAA ineligible. Isn't signing with a league tantamount to signing with an agent?

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You may be overthinking this. Jalen Lewis is known as one of the best 16-year-old basketball players in the world. Everyone who cares knows who is, even I do, and I don't follow high school recruiting like I once did. So OTE pitched his family or his handlers or both (or maybe his handlers are his family). Under current NCAA rules he is forfeiting his eligibility. But who knows what the NCAA will look like in two years. In fact, I think he is selling himself short going with OTE rather than UNC in the post-NIL world. But maybe some money today is better than maybe more money later.

The US is becoming like the rest of the world where the best 16-year-olds are professional basketball or soccer players. It would be another thing if he was throwing away his eligibility if he was not that good. But he is, he should be a professional athlete, and now he is.

stu said:

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Civil Bear said:

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So is forgoing high school as well?

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Their web site says:

OTE (Overtime Elite) is a transformative new sports league that offers the world's most talented young basketball players a better pathway to becoming professional athletes. OTE provides a comprehensive accelerator for elite players' professional careers. The league offers a year-round development program combining world-class coaching; cutting-edge sports science and performance technology; top-notch facilities; and a rigorous, highly personalized academic program that energizes and enhances each athlete's journey from proficiency to pro for the next generation of athlete empowerment.

I was not able to find any mention of accreditation.

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When you see a teenage musician or actor, do you worry about their education?

sluggo said:

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stu said:

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Civil Bear said:

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So is forgoing high school as well?

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Their web site says:

OTE (Overtime Elite) is a transformative new sports league that offers the world's most talented young basketball players a better pathway to becoming professional athletes. OTE provides a comprehensive accelerator for elite players' professional careers. The league offers a year-round development program combining world-class coaching; cutting-edge sports science and performance technology; top-notch facilities; and a rigorous, highly personalized academic program that energizes and enhances each athlete's journey from proficiency to pro for the next generation of athlete empowerment.

I was not able to find any mention of accreditation.

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When you see a teenage musician or actor, do you worry about their education?

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I do. But I'm a teacher and I worry about everyone's education.

ncbears said:

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And, per Mr. Lewis - what if the league folds after a year or two, before he graduates High School? I presume (without knowing) that he gets some kind of signing bonus that will make him NCAA ineligible. Isn't signing with a league tantamount to signing with an agent?

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OTE says:

Each athlete will receive a guaranteed minimum salary of at least $100,000 per year, plus bonuses and shares of equity in Overtime.

I have no idea if their financial model will work but a year or two of the minimum salary should cover 4 years at a California public university if that's how he chooses to spend it.

stu said:

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ncbears said:

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And, per Mr. Lewis - what if the league folds after a year or two, before he graduates High School? I presume (without knowing) that he gets some kind of signing bonus that will make him NCAA ineligible. Isn't signing with a league tantamount to signing with an agent?

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OTE says:

Each athlete will receive a guaranteed minimum salary of at least $100,000 per year, plus bonuses and shares of equity in Overtime.

I have no idea if their financial model will work but a year or two of the minimum salary should cover 4 years at a California public university if that's how he chooses to spend it.

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That is how I was going to respond to your earlier post, but you beat me to it. Good that you are a teacher and concerned about young people. I think Mr. Lewis will be fine. Others who are less good at basketball should hold out for a free education.

sluggo said:

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I think Mr. Lewis will be fine.

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I agree. If he were my kid I'd support his decision if he had thought it through.

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Others who are less good at basketball should hold out for a free education.

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OTE says "The league will feature 24 to 30 players" so almost everyone else is less good at basketball. Those others and the schools they attend should be fine.

sluggo said:

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stu said:

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Civil Bear said:

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So is forgoing high school as well?

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Their web site says:

OTE (Overtime Elite) is a transformative new sports league that offers the world's most talented young basketball players a better pathway to becoming professional athletes. OTE provides a comprehensive accelerator for elite players' professional careers. The league offers a year-round development program combining world-class coaching; cutting-edge sports science and performance technology; top-notch facilities; and a rigorous, highly personalized academic program that energizes and enhances each athlete's journey from proficiency to pro for the next generation of athlete empowerment.

I was not able to find any mention of accreditation.

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When you see a teenage musician or actor, do you worry about their education?

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Define that.....

1) There is no restriction (and we can talk about the fairness of that) in child actors or musical geniuses) making $$ and going to college
2) In respect to both of those professions - to a varying degree they are unionized and there are STRONG rules when on a union contract for kids to be limited in the time on the set (in the case of movies or TV) _AND_ the procession of a tutor so they continue to make progress toward a high school degree.

sluggo said:

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stu said:

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ncbears said:

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And, per Mr. Lewis - what if the league folds after a year or two, before he graduates High School? I presume (without knowing) that he gets some kind of signing bonus that will make him NCAA ineligible. Isn't signing with a league tantamount to signing with an agent?

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OTE says:

Each athlete will receive a guaranteed minimum salary of at least $100,000 per year, plus bonuses and shares of equity in Overtime.

I have no idea if their financial model will work but a year or two of the minimum salary should cover 4 years at a California public university if that's how he chooses to spend it.

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That is how I was going to respond to your earlier post, but you beat me to it. Good that you are a teacher and concerned about young people. I think Mr. Lewis will be fine. Others who are less good at basketball should hold out for a free education.

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A number of factors might prevent Jalen Lewis from ever playing a significant amount of pro ball. What are his options then? Anyway, best of luck to the young man.

Big C said:

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sluggo said:

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stu said:

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ncbears said:

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And, per Mr. Lewis - what if the league folds after a year or two, before he graduates High School? I presume (without knowing) that he gets some kind of signing bonus that will make him NCAA ineligible. Isn't signing with a league tantamount to signing with an agent?

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OTE says:

Each athlete will receive a guaranteed minimum salary of at least $100,000 per year, plus bonuses and shares of equity in Overtime.

I have no idea if their financial model will work but a year or two of the minimum salary should cover 4 years at a California public university if that's how he chooses to spend it.

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That is how I was going to respond to your earlier post, but you beat me to it. Good that you are a teacher and concerned about young people. I think Mr. Lewis will be fine. Others who are less good at basketball should hold out for a free education.

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A number of factors might prevent Jalen Lewis from ever playing a significant amount of pro ball. What are his options then? Anyway, best of luck to the young man.

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Other than injury, not really. And with modern medicine players come back from all sorts of problems. He is already good enough to make a living playing pro ball somewhere in the world for the next 15-20 years. And since he is one of the best basketball players in the world at his age, literally one in a million, I suspect he is better at basketball than academics. If all fails he can go back to school. Or get a job. His decision is rational.

socaltownie said:

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sluggo said:

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stu said:

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Civil Bear said:

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So is forgoing high school as well?

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Their web site says:

OTE (Overtime Elite) is a transformative new sports league that offers the world's most talented young basketball players a better pathway to becoming professional athletes. OTE provides a comprehensive accelerator for elite players' professional careers. The league offers a year-round development program combining world-class coaching; cutting-edge sports science and performance technology; top-notch facilities; and a rigorous, highly personalized academic program that energizes and enhances each athlete's journey from proficiency to pro for the next generation of athlete empowerment.

I was not able to find any mention of accreditation.

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When you see a teenage musician or actor, do you worry about their education?

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Define that.....

1) There is no restriction (and we can talk about the fairness of that) in child actors or musical geniuses) making $$ and going to college
2) In respect to both of those professions - to a varying degree they are unionized and there are STRONG rules when on a union contract for kids to be limited in the time on the set (in the case of movies or TV) _AND_ the procession of a tutor so they continue to make progress toward a high school degree.

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OTE is definitely giving lip service to education. As do tutors for young entertainers. My point is that when someone is very, very good as something that does not requires education, there is less to worry about in terms of education.

sluggo said:

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Big C said:

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sluggo said:

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stu said:

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ncbears said:

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And, per Mr. Lewis - what if the league folds after a year or two, before he graduates High School? I presume (without knowing) that he gets some kind of signing bonus that will make him NCAA ineligible. Isn't signing with a league tantamount to signing with an agent?

---

OTE says:

Each athlete will receive a guaranteed minimum salary of at least $100,000 per year, plus bonuses and shares of equity in Overtime.

I have no idea if their financial model will work but a year or two of the minimum salary should cover 4 years at a California public university if that's how he chooses to spend it.

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That is how I was going to respond to your earlier post, but you beat me to it. Good that you are a teacher and concerned about young people. I think Mr. Lewis will be fine. Others who are less good at basketball should hold out for a free education.

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A number of factors might prevent Jalen Lewis from ever playing a significant amount of pro ball. What are his options then? Anyway, best of luck to the young man.

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Other than injury, not really. And with modern medicine players come back from all sorts of problems. He is already good enough to make a living playing pro ball somewhere in the world for the next 15-20 years. And since he is one of the best basketball players in the world at his age, literally one in a million, I suspect he is better at basketball than academics. If all fails he can go back to school. Or get a job. His decision is rational.

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Lots of five-stars end up not making it... and it's not always injury that derails them. Anyway, yes his decision is rational, especially if he can make bank early (and can handle that).

So now Traore and others take on a new urgency.

some here are thinking of the traditional route that most of us took in life

certainly worked out for many of us

but the world has changed in so many ways

non-traditional or new opportunities are available now that weren't even 10 years ago

for example, search on the top social media influencers and see how much they make in a month ... many of them are teenagers

then decide if college would be the right thing for them from a career viewpoint

I think college is useful for more than a career. But then I'm not an influencer.

stu said:

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I think college is useful for more than a career. But then I'm not an influencer.

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Bravo. You are a true influencer, just not in this 2021 sense of the word.

Sounds good. Just apply those rules to HS basketball stars. They should at least get a GED. They are absolutely ripe for getting defrauded.

stu said:

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I think college is useful for more than a career. But then I'm not an influencer.

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I totally agree which is why I added "from a career point of view"

("then decide if college would be the right thing for them from a career viewpoint")

There are lots of people who say it's better to skip college because you're missing the opportunity to make money and get an early start on your career.

Even when that is true, I would almost always advocate college except if you are earning over $100k/month as an influencer

If a basketball player is an influenzer, must they wear false eyelashes?

sluggo said:

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socaltownie said:

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sluggo said:

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stu said:

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Civil Bear said:

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So is forgoing high school as well?

---

Their web site says:

OTE (Overtime Elite) is a transformative new sports league that offers the world's most talented young basketball players a better pathway to becoming professional athletes. OTE provides a comprehensive accelerator for elite players' professional careers. The league offers a year-round development program combining world-class coaching; cutting-edge sports science and performance technology; top-notch facilities; and a rigorous, highly personalized academic program that energizes and enhances each athlete's journey from proficiency to pro for the next generation of athlete empowerment.

I was not able to find any mention of accreditation.

---

When you see a teenage musician or actor, do you worry about their education?

---

Define that.....

1) There is no restriction (and we can talk about the fairness of that) in child actors or musical geniuses) making $$ and going to college
2) In respect to both of those professions - to a varying degree they are unionized and there are STRONG rules when on a union contract for kids to be limited in the time on the set (in the case of movies or TV) _AND_ the procession of a tutor so they continue to make progress toward a high school degree.

---

OTE is definitely giving lip service to education. As do tutors for young entertainers. My point is that when someone is very, very good as something that does not requires education, there is less to worry about in terms of education.

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Actually guild job tutors are legit and usually hold a teaching credential. It is a good but uninconsistent gig.

I'm glad he made this choice. If kids are not interested in the student part of student-athlete, I definitely don't want them to go to Cal, because my emotional attachment to their performance will be minimal. Like I said in the other thread, if I wanted to watch pros, I would watch the 49ers or Warriors, either in SF or SC.