Isn't it obvious: Because they can now get NIL $$$.

socaltownie said:

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BigDaddy said:

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This kid is eligible for the upcoming season. Mentioned in the thread aboiut Cal commit Vladimir Pavlovic UCLA and Arizona both have incoming classes packed with Euros.

Just checked their rosters. Arizona has 7 European players, UCLA has 5.

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any thoughts on why? I find this pretty (actually really) interesting.

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I just think Europe has a very deep pool of basketball talent, and has for years (Jokic, Doncic etc) and because of NIL $$$ in college basketball, it looks like the NCAA is no longer putting up many obstacles to these Euro players, most of whom have played for pro clubs.

I mentioned in the other thread, these European kids are often very skilled, grounded in fundamentals and have been well coached over there. Many of them have been playing against pros for years.

Hopefully Madsen plans to contnue recruiting there, while also working California and the transfer portal.

Hey Socaltownie. Here's my answer to your question.

The quality of players coming up through overseas training first became clear to me through Cal center Amit Tamir, way back when. I remember thinking he was really not much to look at compared to other centers of his era: he was big and solid, but not sculpted. He was plenty strong but he used his strength when he had an edge, as opposed to relying on it entirely to run into and over his defender, over and over. And he was not super-quick but he did not have to be. For he simply demonstrated, over and over, the effectiveness of basketball fundamentals that I did not even know existed. Like a training film mighjt: basket after basket; rebounds, screens, defense.

Amit played within himself and with awareness of the opportunties that his teamates presented. As opposed to exhausting himself trying to out-jump, out-quick and out pretzel his opponent in one-on-one ball, which is where basketball largely seemed to be at the time -- a series of all-out, physical efforts to get by a sole defender, with so many such efforts going out of control entirely. They call it Iso-ball these days. Doesn't work. Furthermore, Tamir seemed to play as if he thought that getting all flashy on dunks and trash-talking was really just a waste of energy.

It occurred to me that instead of working the weights to look more cut, and working up showtime moves, this guy had just been working the fundamenals, over and over, year after year, as the best way to maximize his efficieny as a player. And his shot. At an early game, his first year here, he unexpectedly launched a long three from behind the key and as the house went quiet, I was the guy near the corner, going, much too loudly, "are you f*#%ing kidding me?" Shwish.

I see a lot of the same qualities in the European centers in the NBA. ("When is parade? No...") And in Vladimer, Madsen's latest recruit here. Look at how under control he stays as he cuts back and forth to the rim. He goes strong to the hoop, but he looks like he has the intelligence, athleticism and the court-awareness to be able to deploy that strength to optimal effect.

This is admittedly a tiny data set on which to make wild predictions about Vladimer or for that matter the entire Cal team. So what. Like Madsen said on day one, back in March, "this isn't going to take as long as you think."

This going to be fun.

Go Bears.

Ktownbear83

7 Euros at AZ because coach has deep ties with international scene, kind of like the St. Mary's coach. He probably also realizes they come in with much higher basketball skill-set than US AAU kids who just run up and down the floor dunking and have no fundamentals.

bluehenbear said:

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Isn't it obvious: Because they can now get NIL $$$.

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Wait, foreign players can now make NIL money? Does the NIL money have to be made back in their home country? If it's made here, wouldn't that violate their student visas? Any immigration attorneys on here who can weigh in?