NCAA Basketball: Class of 2022’s No. 2 recruit Jalen Duren release top 11 list

Professional Route: G-League and NBL

The addition of professional options is not new to the premier recruits in each class and frankly seems to be becoming more of a commonality. The interesting piece from Duren’s announcement is that not one but two routes were specifically mentioned in both the Australian NBL and NBA’s G-League were both being considered. The NBA designed the latter option as a means to develop and monitor players under their own system as to acquire more information and theoretically keep players in the United States.

Recent guards LaMelo Ball and RJ Hampton both made the trek to the NBL and successfully traversed that path towards selections in the NBA Draft without significant hits to their draft stock.

On the other hand, the G-League managed to sign several star players from the 2020 class (i.e., Jalen Green, Jonathan Kuminga, Daishen Nix, and Isaiah Todd) to their inaugural class and all signs point to the pathway also being a success. Each has thrived under the veteran coaching and guidance the system provides, but the question remaining is more so which of the two gives Duren the best opportunity?

In Duren’s specific case, it seems the professional route is currently leading in the clubhouse. His decision of playing overseas or in the United States is likely to come down to the finances of the contract and being able to control the roster situation for the team he plays for.

It was recently noted by Duren to 247sports.com “For me to choose a school it will have to wow me. There would have to be a unanimous vote from all my people that we believe it will be the program that will develop me and get me to where I need to go, so that’s how that would happen.”