Eli Boettger | @boettger_eli | 04/17/20
Welcome back to Three Things!
The intention of Three Things is simple: Keeping you informed. The offseason can be a busy time and college basketball isn’t always on everyone’s radars from April to October.
Here’s how it will work: Every morning, Monday through Friday, we will provide you with three things that you need to know from the previous day. Pretty simple, right? You’ll be amazed by your new college basketball wisdom!
Here are the three things you need to know for April 17.
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Jalen Green goes pro
The rumors were true: Jalen Green won’t be playing college basketball in ’20-21. After narrowing down to Auburn, Memphis and Oregon, the 6-5 combo guard announced his decision to turn pro on Thursday.
Green will be the first-ever player to go straight from high school to the NBA’s new G League Select program. The program will reportedly train pro prospects and pay upwards of $500,000. The prospects will compete in training and exhibition games against G League teams and international squads, though the games won’t count in any standings.
Isaiah Todd teams up
Jalen Green isn’t the only player making the leap straight from high school to the G League, though. Isaiah Todd, who was previously committed to play for Michigan this season, backed out of his commitment and said he would explore pro options for the ’20-21 campaign.
On Friday, Todd announced that he will also be headed to the G League Select program along with Green in Southern California. Todd is a five-star power forward and is the second major name to sign with the program. According to reports, the G League is still eyeing 2020 prospects, including five-star big man Greg Brown.
NCAA grants waiver
The NCAA announced Friday morning that it will be granting waivers to several student athletes impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The “automatic initial-eligibility” waiver places softer academic requirements for eligibility.
Student athletes graduating from high school in spring/summer 2020 will only need to meet core requirements and maintain a 2.3 GPA to receive initial eligibility. ACT and SAT scores are excluded from the initial eligibility requirements as well.
Eli Boettger is a college basketball writer and founder of HeatCheckCBB.com. He has previously worked for Sporting News, DAZN and USA TODAY SMG.
Boettger’s content has been featured by Bleacher Report, NBC Sports, FiveThirtyEight, Yahoo Sports, Athletic Director University, Washington Post, Illinois Law Review and Notre Dame Law Review, among other publications. Boettger is also a current USBWA member and Rockin’ 25 voter.