At Tuesday's preseason media availability, Northwestern men's basketball head coach Chris Collins was asked about the emerging trend of former NBA G League players, who turned pro after high school, receiving eligibility to play college basketball. Here's what he said:
"We haven't explored it with any players, so it's hard for me to really comment because I don't know how it all works. I just feel like there's not really any rules anymore. Even when the NCAA does level rules, they take it to the board and the players win. It's a whole new ballgame, and you have to adjust, you have to adapt. So, never say never."
"Am I against it? It's something that I don't know how it works. We saw a big influx of international players, and I think that kind of triggered, 'If international professional players can play in college, why can't American professional players play in college?' Really, it's kind of the same deal. A number of these guys playing in our league were pros overseas, multi-year pros, so it's really no different than a young guy who's played in the G League."
"How it all figures out, I don't know. I know how to coach basketball. I'm not smart enough to do that other stuff, but we will always explore the best fits with Northwestern and how we can be better. It'll be interesting to see where a lot of this goes."