The developmental league might actually be good because we seem to have a lot of players in college now who aren't interested in going to class. Those players could go from high school to a minor league. There will always be plenty of other good basketball players for colleges out there. It's just like college baseball. There's a farm system in place, but college baseball is awfully popular because there are so many good players who still go to school.
Newton is a voice of reason and one of the most respected basketball minds in the country.
After he retires June 30 as Kentucky's AD, he will become a consultant for the NCAA on basketball-related issues. Newton, who played four years of minor-league baseball, said there's a simple reason college basketball will continue to attract top athletes. The college coaches carry plenty of clout. They have a gorilla on their side. The days of watching Hakeem Olajuwon against Patrick Ewing in the Final Four their junior or senior years are gone.