Jeremy Tyler heading to Europe, will not be a Cardinal
by Mike Rutherford on Apr 22, 2009 11:42 PM EDT
25 comments
Really, really, really bad news coming out late this evening as Jeremy Tyler, the crown jewel of Rick Pitino's recruiting class of 2010, has announced his intention to forego his senior year of high school and spend the next two seasons playing professional basketball in Europe.
Tyler, one of the most highly touted prep big men in recent memory, would become the first American basketball player to leave high school early to play overseas.
From The New York Times:
Jeremy Tyler, a 6-foot-11 high school junior whom some consider the best American big man since Greg Oden, says he will be taking a new path to the N.B.A. He has left San Diego High School and said this week that he would skip his senior year to play professionally in Europe.
Tyler, 17, would become the first United States-born player to leave high school early to play professionally overseas. He is expected to return in two years, when he is projected to be a top pick, if not the No. 1 pick, in the 2011 N.B.A. draft.
Tyler, who had orally committed to play for Rick Pitino at Louisville, has yet to sign with an agent or a professional team. His likely destination is Spain, though teams from other European leagues have shown interest. A spokesman for Louisville said the university could not comment about Tyler.
"Nowadays people look to college for more off-the-court stuff versus being in the gym and getting better," Tyler said. "If you’re really focused on getting better, you go play pro somewhere. Pro guys will get you way better than playing against college guys."
His decision is perhaps the most important one since Kevin Garnett jumped straight to the N.B.A. from high school in 1995. Garnett was the No. 5 pick in the N.B.A. draft and ushered in a generation of preps-to-pros stars like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Dwight Howard. A minimum-age rule passed for the 2006 draft cut off that route, essentially forcing players to spend at least one year in college.
More tomorrow.
Damn.
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Perhaps he's joking or someone can talk him out of it
but he’s clearly pretty stupid if this is true, doubt he’d pass if he came
by sam34gtr on Apr 23, 2009 12:24 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
My uncle's cousin's sister told me Peyton Siva was trying out for the Michigan QB job
Seriously though, Coach P has had the worst time getting recruits to actually show up. NBA, injury, transfer, academic issues, heart problems, and now Europe. Has any program lost more committed top 100 recruits like this in the last 10 years?
by UL is my hot hot sex on Apr 23, 2009 1:38 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
No way there has been another...
…team in the past 10 years who has lost more guys the way we have. Freak health issues, losing guys to the NBA, losing guys that we would have recruited had we known about the NBA defections, transfers, and of all things a kid going to Europe.
What next?
by Luke Whitehead's Rap Career on Apr 23, 2009 9:13 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Huh??
“Pro?”(european)players are better than some of the best in college? Hey Tyler-get a clue…youd be playing in the BE, which IMO has plenty of players and teams better than overseas ones…
by twistedwedge on Apr 23, 2009 7:14 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
also-
You know this is going to start a rash of “stud” high school players defecting to europe. The thing that kills me is the NBA is going to be full of immature thugs that didnt finish high school. I think that the NBA should make HS Diploma a requirement; players should have to stay in school. After all, its a job-and what job doesnt require one?
Honestly, I think two years of college should be mandatory. This will put a stop to all this bs.
by twistedwedge on Apr 23, 2009 7:34 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
the NBA is a business
they just want the best players. they owe no allegiance to the college game.
by sabeasey on Apr 23, 2009 9:09 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
it started a LONG time ago in the ABA
with high schoolers jumping to the pros
by frankpos on Apr 23, 2009 10:36 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
How about this...
Expand the D-league to 30 teams (so every NBA team has a minor league affiliate), and reorganize it to have the same kind of relationship to the NBA that AAA baseball teams do to the pros. Allow NBA teams to draft anyone over 18, with high school kids knowing full well that unless they’re the next LeBron, they’re spending a year or two in the minors. Then rejig NBA and NCAA eligibility rules along the same lines as college baseball and hockey. The talent level in NCAA basketball drops a bit (because anyone who thinks they could be a one-and-done and isn’t interested in college for college’s sake will go pro out of HS, even if it means spending a year or two playing in Birmingham), but the quality of play should improve (because almost everyone who’s there will stay at least three years).
Granted, this would be expensive, and a lot of NBA teams are losing money right now.
by drothgery on Apr 23, 2009 3:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
shit
it’s all starting to unravel. i feel like bill simmons did after tom brady went down with a knee injury 15 minutes into last season, after nearly running the table the season before. only once it starts to come apart do you realize just how precious and rare the opportunities to win it all are.
by davidson07 on Apr 23, 2009 8:54 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
This is terrible news...
This is the type of move that can change recruiting for the next few years. Last season we saw a player decide not to go to college and instead play in Europe (granted he regrets the decision now, it still occured), and this year we see a high school junior forgo his senior season to play overseas.
Again, I blame Kragthorpe for all of this…He shows back up and everything falls apart.
by Luke Whitehead's Rap Career on Apr 23, 2009 9:28 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I don't think Brandon Jennings regrets playing in europe
He got paid over 1million dollars between salary and endorsements and is now being projected as a top 15 pick in this years draft.
by flattire on Apr 23, 2009 8:14 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Hard to believe
Hard to believe that “pro” players in Europe will provide a higher level of competition than Big East universities. I generally don’t begrudge a kid for wanting to get paid rather than put up with some of the nonsense the NCAA forces on them, especially if family circumstances are such that money makes that much difference. But this idea doesn’t make a lot of sense.
"There is no OFF position to the genius switch" - D. Letterman
by GrogInOhio on Apr 23, 2009 9:48 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
u stay classy, web
if he was only going to stay here for one season anyway, I’d just as soon he made other plans… good luck & no hard feelings
by flubby on Apr 23, 2009 10:17 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
The Big difference
The key point to this article I think is that he’s skipping his last year of high school. In the article Tyler cites that he doesn’t gain anything from playing high school games because he just gets hacked and scratched. Granted, he’s probably going to have to deal with that to some extent in the NBA but still… I don’t think he believes Europe is much better than the Big East (I’ve watched Italian Basketball, and the Big East is 5 times better), but he does believe that Europe is better than High School basketball, which I can’t fault him for. Still I don’t know if this is the right decision for him or not…
by Chris Redman is my hero on Apr 23, 2009 11:24 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Kinda glad
sounds like he would have been a one and done here…..don’t let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya…..
Go Cards!
by Red Rage on Apr 23, 2009 11:42 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
i don't get what you mean
because i would rather have had carmelo and won a title instead of having greg paulus and not make a final four. those were the only 2 college players i could think of
by cardscott5 on Apr 23, 2009 7:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Fairly surprising
Brandon Jennings was the test dummy for all this. I’m surprised that anyone actually made the move prior to seeing where Jennings goes in this upcoming draft. Sonny Vaccaro is the mastermind behind all of this. He’s pissed off at the NCAA and NBA and thinks that he can screw the leagues by sending the best high school players to Europe. Congrats bro, you can manipulate a 17 year old.
If it’s actually good development for the player, then I’m fine with it. I just find that hard to believe though. Jennings mom and brother moved there to “take care” of him. These are teenagers. College is a big enough step for these kids. They are in no position to make a smooth transition into life in Italy and Spain.
by Adamjd86 on Apr 23, 2009 11:54 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
J.R. Smith's brother headed to Louisville?
I saw on InsideTheVille.com that SG Chris Smith is probably transferring from Manhattan College to Louisville…anyone have any more details?
Here’s someone who thinks it would be a mistake for him to transfer to UL; published 3 weeks ago:
by UL is my hot hot sex on Apr 23, 2009 3:03 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
at first
i found this shocking, but it makes sense. or should i say it makes cents. get it? i’ll be here all week. but really, he is getting paid to play for what, 2 years before getting drafted. even if he sucks, he can probably still get paid to play in europe because he’s tall. whoever said this is a trend was correct.
by cardscott5 on Apr 23, 2009 7:21 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
He would have been...
a nice addition – sorry he won’t be coming to U of L.
by Linda on Apr 23, 2009 7:35 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
It's bad enough to leave college early, but that's at least understandable.
This is just stupid. If this guy gets a career-ending injury while playing in Europe, he won’t even be able to get a job at McDonald’s.
I just don’t understand how one more year is worth that, but whatever.
by CARD_G6 on Apr 24, 2009 1:54 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
gotta be able to make enough...
…to support the “posse” he rolls with. Apparently he wants to support his entire family, friends, etc.
by twistedwedge on Apr 24, 2009 7:35 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Brandon Bender. Tyler maybe a great player but I was less than impressed with his game and his attitude in the televised game he played in this year. Also with the trouble surrounding his high school
(http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/preps/basketball/20090224-2126-bn24cavers.html)
and our recent attention maybe this isn’t such a bad thing.
by Villeslgr on Apr 26, 2009 11:54 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
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