College basketball took another major hit on Wednesday when Jonathan Kuminga, one of the nation’s best coaching players, chose the G League Select Team over Kentucky, Duke, Texas Tech and Auburn.
17-year-old Kuminga will join fellow five-star recruits Jalen Green, Isaiah Todd and Daishen Nix in what is becoming an amazing collection of talent for the G League.
“I look like an NBA player and this G League team will help me develop my skills and reach my goal of being the No. 1 pick in the 2021 draft,” Kuminga said on Instagram Live. “I am truly motivated and I will continue to work hard to achieve that goal.”
Kuminga’s older brother Joel Ntambwe currently plays for Texas Tech and if Jonathan went to college, the Red Raiders were the favorites. Before reclassifying for the 2020 recruiting class, Kuminga was the # 1 player in the 2021 class and easily dominated opponents. He has a solid 210-pound frame and is a versatile 6-foot-8-inch player who can drop to the block in a mismatch situation.
Jonathan Kuminga watches from Pangos All-American Camp 2019 in Norwalk, California. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
“It is the epitome of a new age forward who can create his own offense, defend multiple points and impact play on both ends of the court,” said Rivals.com recruiting analyst Corey Evans. “He will be a guy that many NBA teams will want to consider before the 2021 draft.”
Todd, who joined the G League in April, is eager to play with Kuminga. “I love his game. I think he has a really mature game for his age in terms of offense and scoring, and I like to see him play, “Todd told Yahoo Sports.” Our potential is through the roof because of how young we are and this is a team to remember. We are like sponges right now and learning the NBA game so early is very beneficial for us. “
The coronavirus pandemic in the United States remains a factor, so no one knows if there will be a college or G-League basketball season after its 2019-20 seasons were canceled in March. The select first team is supposed to play an independent schedule of 20 or 25 games, giving NBA scouts access to evaluate players.
“I hope we have a season. Maybe I wait so long that I really think we will have one, but nobody knows yet and we are all waiting to see what competitive basketball will be like in the fall, ”said Todd.
This select G League team is becoming a future path for the best elite prospects. If NBA teams are looking for the top five lottery picks, they will have some talented options in League G.
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