2020 Jalen Suggs: Verbal Commit on 1/3/20

[vandalzag]

Exactly.

We wont hear about RJ Hampton again unless he becomes a star in the NBA, which isnt very likely.

Often times, the marketing value of college ball is a running start to early contracts.

The pay checks to play ball are nice, yet the endorsements are where the long term $ is at.

Sign a rookie contract for 3 yrs, or a Nike deal for 10 outta college.

RJ Hampton would probably be talked about like all the super frosh right now

Most mock drafts have Hampton as a lottery pick. Marketing will be based on what team he plays for and where he was picked in the draft. The higher the pick the better the deals. Hampton's situation is a little different since he should be in HS. Practicing and playing on a good team against grown men will only help him, as opposed to racking up points against 16 year olds. Hampton will also be 19 come draft time so this move makes even more sense, since he would not have been able to declare after playing HS this year. The Suggs situaion is different since he is not skipping his senior year. So a one and done at GU will have the same impact as going overseas. If he does choose to go it will be about the money and so be it. It sounds like the family is doing their homework and I hope they make the best decision for all involved.

[Birddog]

Terence Ferguson is an example of playing down under.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrance_Ferguson

[ZagRecruitWatch]

There certainly seems to be insufficient evidence to support the view that a year in a minor league oversees instead of a year on a top-10 college team domestically will result in more total earnings by age 25 or 28 for an NBA-bound lottery pick.

There is a lot of evidence that even a single college year among your peers on an elite US college team will produce powerful friendships and community/institutional links for life.

Seeing how if you choose college in baseball you have to spend 3 years min there, one and done's in college baseball are a rare breed.... like really rare.

[ZagRecruitWatch]

My personal feeling is that they are gathering all the information and then they will be sitting down as a family to determine what is best for him. To me, college provides much more exposure to the player in the marketplace which leads to more immediate marketing opportunities when they go pro. Most kids that end up overseas don't end up in consideration for the top few picks of the draft when the time comes. Additionally they are out of sight, out of mind in regards to the majority of fans. Everyone around knew who Zion was and his brand was built in his short time at Duke.

IMO this is what is happening, it would be wrong for a person of Jalen's talent not to consider all options. I agree with many people on this board that if you go oversea's it's much harder to get noticed and taken high in the NBA draft. I think Lamelo is doing great overseas and he stands out, but also this is not his first time overseas. I'm glad Sugg's parents are talking with RJ and company because he is a perfect example of someone who went overseas and there stock plummeted. Jalen and Jalen's parent know how many lottery picks the Zags have had in the last 5 years and they will take all that into account when Suggs announces his decision.

[vandalzag]

IMO this is what is happening, it would be wrong for a person of Jalen's talent not to consider all options. I agree with many people on this board that if you go oversea's it's much harder to get noticed and taken high in the NBA draft. I think Lamelo is doing great overseas and he stands out, but also this is not his first time overseas. I'm glad Sugg's parents are talking with RJ and company because he is a perfect example of someone who went overseas and there stock plummeted. Jalen and Jalen's parent know how many lottery picks the Zags have had in the last 5 years and they will take all that into account when Suggs announces his decision.

Where do you find Hampton's stock plummeting? Given that projections now are pretty meaningless but I looked at 6 sites and the worst spot was 12 and he was listed as high as 3rd.

[LTownZag]

Where do you find Hampton's stock plummeting? Given that projections now are pretty meaningless but I looked at 6 sites and the worst spot was 12 and he was listed as high as 3rd.

Agreed. Claiming to have enough evidence that Hampton's foreign stint is hurting his draft stock is just silly.

Given the tiny sample size so far (5 or 6 guys at most who were project lottery picks?) i think it takes an incredibly biased person to be able to honestly "conclude" that there is evidence that a year abroad VS a year in college makes much difference either way for draft pick status for 1-and-done projected lottery picks.

Not only do we have a tiny sample size to draw from, but obviously we didn't run a parallel experiment where a Hampton or Lamelo clone attended Michigan State or Villanova for a year, or where Zion or Ayton played in New Zealand for a year.

[bartruff1]

There have been dozens if not hundreds of players in the NBA....some All Stars....some Hall of Famers ….who never played in a college game...

Unlike American Football....Basketball is played in nearly every Country in the World.....if you are that good...they will find you...

[LTownZag]

There have been dozens if not hundreds of players in the NBA....some All Stars....some Hall of Famers ….who never played in a college game...

Unlike American Football....Basketball is played in nearly every Country in the World.....if you are that good...they will find you...

That's true but irrelevant for Suggs. He has already been "found" but will never need to work his way up into the ranking of potential NBA guys by moving up through various foreign leagues and teams.

The question is (or ought to be): How to maximize your career (or even medium term) earnings (and personal life satisfaction) by choosing between the two realistic remaining options:

• Be the likely starting PG on a top-10 '20-'21 Gonzaga team for a season before applying for the NBA draft
  
  Go overseas for year (likely to Australia) to play in a foreign professional league for a few months before applying for the NBA draft

None of us could make that decision on behalf of someone else, but it sure seems like Gonzaga never lacks for national publicity, ESPN coverage, and draft hype. And it would be hard to imagine Suggs would form as meaningful of lifelong friendships and relations on foreign ball club as he is likely to do at GU even for a year. That being said, the foreign route might make sense for an introverted/antisocial type who hates classes and academia and needs at least a (relatively) small pay check 8 or 10 months before their draft date.

[ZagRecruitWatch]

Agreed. Claiming to have enough evidence that Hampton's foreign stint is hurting his draft stock is just silly.

Given the tiny sample size so far (5 or 6 guys at most who were project lottery picks?) i think it takes an incredibly biased person to be able to honestly "conclude" that there is evidence that a year abroad VS a year in college makes much difference either way for draft pick status for 1-and-done projected lottery picks.

Not only do we have a tiny sample size to draw from, but obviously we didn't run a parallel experiment where a Hampton or Lamelo clone attended Michigan State or Villanova for a year, or where Zion or Ayton played in New Zealand for a year.

It's always hard to have arguments on things that didn't happen. Its impossible to know what RJ's numbers would be like if he played college vs. overseas. IMO his numbers would get a boost from some of the cake teams he would play in college which helps. Here's the facts tho in the 10 games he has played: he averages 23 MPG, 44% FG, 57%FT, 4.3 RPG, 2.7 AST. 1.3 STL. While they aren't that many games in and his numbers should improve slightly over the year, but if you think any NBA team is taking him as a lottery pick with those numbers you're outta your damn mind. Its early on those draft boards and some boards are more dated then others but I think if you look back to when he was deciding between college and foreign teams you'll find his stock was consistently higher across the board.

My original point is it's not going oversea's that has hurt Hampton's stock (as I mentioned melo before), its his numbers overseas (which aren't bad... not good by any means either). Would they would be alot better if he were at Kansas? Would he probably get more NBA fan exposure in the states? That a opinionated argument, one I would certainly think to be true if we were having a what if argument. To get some agreement I will say plummeted might be a little bit of a radical word to describe his stock so far but I'm not wrong in that it is falling and will continue to fall unless his game improves.

[WallaWallaZag]

i would be curious to know if the recent high school to euro pro's have actually enjoyed their one year overseas...just from a pure happiness perspective. the college experience is a once in a lifetime thing, even if it is only for one year for the elite one and done's.

[Hooray4Daye&Gray]

I acknowledge this doesn't amount to much of anything, but yesterday Julian posted a picture of the tricky trio and said he and Dom are still waiting on Jalen to complete the tricky trio. Jalen re-posted it to his story without any comment.

Jalen plays his high school championship game on Friday at 4 PM Central. It'll be streaming online if you want to watch along with me any lots of other Zags fans.

I get why people are antsy and would like a final answer, but I'm glad we know when we'll know (January 4th). There is still no athlete I have been more excited about the possibility of adding to the Gonzaga basketball team, and if he chooses to be a Zag, he will immediately become my favorite Zag of all time and I believe will be destined to become a whole lot of other peoples' favorite Zag of all time as well.

[Stache]

Jalen - great luck in the game on Friday. I was lucky enough to play a small bit part in a state championship game and the memories are some of the best in my life. Win or lose - you will remember it for life. Enjoy the moment. Then, please come join Zag Nation and play on an even bigger stage with brighter lights and even loftier goals.

[Alum08]

Working overseas can certainly be just as rewarding an experience as attending a U.S. college. The idea that Suggs is "missing out" on something by not going to college is true but irrelevant, as he would also be missing out on the opportunity to live and work in a foreign country if he chose to go to college.

Both options have their pros and cons from a personal growth standpoint, framing the overseas route as simply a $$$ grab is disingenuous. I wouldn't trade my time at GU for anything, that includes the time I spent in Florence, which may have been even more formative than my time in Spokane.

[vandalzag]

It's always hard to have arguments on things that didn't happen. Its impossible to know what RJ's numbers would be like if he played college vs. overseas. IMO his numbers would get a boost from some of the cake teams he would play in college which helps. Here's the facts tho in the 10 games he has played: he averages 23 MPG, 44% FG, 57%FT, 4.3 RPG, 2.7 AST. 1.3 STL. While they aren't that many games in and his numbers should improve slightly over the year, but if you think any NBA team is taking him as a lottery pick with those numbers you're outta your damn mind. Its early on those draft boards and some boards are more dated then others but I think if you look back to when he was deciding between college and foreign teams you'll find his stock was consistently higher across the board.

My original point is it's not going oversea's that has hurt Hampton's stock (as I mentioned melo before), its his numbers overseas (which aren't bad... not good by any means either). Would they would be alot better if he were at Kansas? Would he probably get more NBA fan exposure in the states? That a opinionated argument, one I would certainly think to be true if we were having a what if argument. To get some agreement I will say plummeted might be a little bit of a radical word to describe his stock so far but I'm not wrong in that it is falling and will continue to fall unless his game improves.

Other than your own opinion can you show any current projection that shows Hampton stock has fallen due to his numbers overseas? As I said earlier, on the 5 or 6 sites I looked at he is projected 3-12, with all but one showing top 10. There is nothing showing him dropping. Bottom line the NBA draft, when dealing with a 19 year old is not about numbers it is about projecting where the player will be in 4 years.
From Sam Vecenie at The Athletic :"Overall, Hampton looks like a solid lottery pick right now. He’s been outshone a bit because Ball has been so interesting, but NBA teams see Hampton as a scoring guard worth investing in, especially in this class"

[bartruff1]

Having faced a similar situation ….the kid decided to turn pro and at 16-20 saw most of the world and made a ton of money and when he was ready to start a family could afford home and a stay at home mom (with 3 boys) and got a dual degree in Electrical and Mechanical Engineering with no debt.....so like everything in life....it depends...

I only hope he makes the right decision for himself and I will not be disappointed at all if that doesn't involve Gonzaga.....

In fact... I don't want to see Gonzaga become a one and done basketball factory....fine....if they come here and after a year or so they go pro.....but to come here with the intention to just audition for the pros for a semester or so makes a mockery of the concept of student athlete ….

[LTownZag]

Suggs is #33 on The Athletic's list of top40 high school players (committed and uncommitted, all ages).

7 of the 40 are named Jalen or Jaden. What happened circa '99 or 2000 to make those names suddenly popular for boys?

https://theathletic.com/1371345/2019...n-the-country/

[ZagsObserver]

Suggs is #33 on The Athletic's list of top40 high school players (committed and uncommitted, all ages).

7 of the 40 are named Jalen or Jaden. What happened circa '99 or 2000 to make those names suddenly popular for boys?

https://theathletic.com/1371345/2019...n-the-country/

Jalen Rose?

[mgadfly]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.wsj...all-1490197872

[ZagRecruitWatch]

Other than your own opinion can you show any current projection that shows Hampton stock has fallen due to his numbers overseas? As I said earlier, on the 5 or 6 sites I looked at he is projected 3-12, with all but one showing top 10. There is nothing showing him dropping. Bottom line the NBA draft, when dealing with a 19 year old is not about numbers it is about projecting where the player will be in 4 years.
From Sam Vecenie at The Athletic :"Overall, Hampton looks like a solid lottery pick right now. He’s been outshone a bit because Ball has been so interesting, but NBA teams see Hampton as a scoring guard worth investing in, especially in this class"

This is something you could easily look up yourself by just going to draft boards and looking up previous revisions. You'll still find some boards where he is going high, but across the majority of reputable boards his stock has dropped. I provided you with plenty of substance showing his stock has fallen and I don't intend to clutter up a great players (suggs) forum more then I already have posting countless articles and draft boards easily googled.

[willandi]

It's always hard to have arguments on things that didn't happen. Its impossible to know what RJ's numbers would be like if he played college vs. overseas. IMO his numbers would get a boost from some of the cake teams he would play in college which helps. Here's the facts tho in the 10 games he has played: he averages 23 MPG, 44% FG, 57%FT, 4.3 RPG, 2.7 AST. 1.3 STL. While they aren't that many games in and his numbers should improve slightly over the year, but if you think any NBA team is taking him as a lottery pick with those numbers you're outta your damn mind. Its early on those draft boards and some boards are more dated then others but I think if you look back to when he was deciding between college and foreign teams you'll find his stock was consistently higher across the board.

My original point is it's not going oversea's that has hurt Hampton's stock (as I mentioned melo before), its his numbers overseas (which aren't bad... not good by any means either). Would they would be alot better if he were at Kansas? Would he probably get more NBA fan exposure in the states? That a opinionated argument, one I would certainly think to be true if we were having a what if argument. To get some agreement I will say plummeted might be a little bit of a radical word to describe his stock so far but I'm not wrong in that it is falling and will continue to fall unless his game improves.

RJ DID sign a shoe/apparel contract with a Chinese company. The amount isn't evident, but is said to increase incrementally with his draft position in the NBA.

So it ISN'T just about exposure and draft position. There ARE other factors involved.

Does his family need money? That might affect his decision.

[ZagRecruitWatch]

RJ DID sign a shoe/apparel contract with a Chinese company. The amount isn't evident, but is said to increase incrementally with his draft position in the NBA.

So it ISN'T just about exposure and draft position. There ARE other factors involved.

Does his family need money? That might affect his decision.

Correct there are lots of Pro's to going over sea's else no one would do it.

[vandalzag]

This is something you could easily look up yourself by just going to draft boards and looking up previous revisions. You'll still find some boards where he is going high, but across the majority of reputable boards his stock has dropped. I provided you with plenty of substance showing his stock has fallen and I don't intend to clutter up a great players (suggs) forum more then I already have posting countless articles and draft boards easily googled.

No you have not shown any substantive links or quotes. Rather you have proffered your opion. I acutually have looked it up(using Google) and can't find your majority of NBA mock Drafts. the first 10 sites I looked at held him at no lower than 12th. The quote above is from the Athletic's first mock draft posted earlier this month. Another example ESPN in June had him at 6 and in Sept still at 6 and Nov 2 still at 6. The only site that I found out of the 10 or so that had him outside of the lottery was nbadraft.net.

[DZ]

Joel Ayayi's emergence this year ought to be a powerful argument that we can develop backcourt talent at an NBA level, too. Him and Norvelle should show that he will get solid development over a year at GU.

[Hooray4Daye&Gray]

Jalen's last high school football game just started. You can watch it on prep45.com

[Hooray4Daye&Gray]

7-7 at the half. Jalen led his team down the field on the opening drive and sneaked in the TD himself.

At the end of the half, Jalen limped off the field, but it looks like he's going to go back out there to start the 2nd half.